Pelican Press

What to know about Seed to Table, a MAGA Trump-supporting gourmet produce store in Florida What to know about Seed to Table, a MAGA Trump-supporting gourmet produce store in Florida “Welcome to the happiest place in the universe.” That’s the can’t-miss message for Seed to Table, a grocery store-restaurant-bar-entertainment venue in Naples, Florida. When shoppers visit, it’s hard not to miss the beautifully arranged fresh produce or the multitude of signs for tacos, sushi or “made from scratch” specials available at the gourmet produce store. But in addition to its upscale grocery and community feel − recently, the owner hosted a Hurricane Milton pre-landfall party with food and drinks − Seed to Table has a reputation as a pro-Trump, Make America Great Again hub. Big ********* flags are on display across the market. Protests about COVID-19 masks, George Floyd and ****** Lives Matter have been held at Seed to Table. The store gained national attention during the Jan. 6 Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. And the muscle behind Seed to Table and Oakes Farms, owner Alfie Oakes of Naples, is as much a polarizing figure in Southwest Florida as his namesake business. Here’s what we know about Seed to Table, Oakes Farms and Alfie Oakes. What is Seed to Table? Where is Seed to Table in Florida? Shoppers look through the produce section at Oakes Farms Seed to Table Market in Naples on Thursday, March 19, 2020. According to its site, “Seed to Table is a grocery store like you’ve never seen, featuring several restaurants, bars, live entertainment seven nights a week, and more. Located in Naples, Florida.” The message online? “Welcome to the happiest place in the universe.” The 75,000-square-foot farmer’s market-inspired store in North Naples features fresh produce from Oakes Farms. When is Seed to Table open? What are Seed to Table hours of operation in Naples, Florida? Seed to Table, 4835 Immokalee Road, Naples, also is home to Hops and Vines, the wine bar and the ***** bar that runs from 6 to 10 p.m. Dinner specials from the kitchen range, with a recent offering like Braveheart filet mignon, grilled veal chop or Lumina lamb rack, served with homemade mac and cheese and roasted seasonal vegetables. Seed to Table is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. Hops and Vines, the upstairs bar, is open until 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Mike Ellis, executive chef for Seed to Table and a consultant to The 239 at Mercato, previously worked at Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington, D.C., as celebrity chef Bryan Voltaggio’s sous chef in 2004. A year later, Ellis moved to Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen as executive sous chef for celebrity chef Michael Voltaggio before taking over the kitchen’s reign when it earned a Michelin star. Bryan Voltaggio and Michael Voltaggio have a long history with “Top Chef” − the brothers competed during their season, with Michael Voltaggio winning the season finale. Bryan Voltaggio competed two more times in the “Top Chef” universe, both times becoming a finalist. The Voltaggio brothers also have appeared on various Food Network cooking competition shows or have played themselves on shows like “Young and Hungry” on Freeform. Oakes opened Seed to Table in 2019. Call 239-310-7333 or visit seedtotablemarket.com. Who is Alfie Oakes? Naples, Florida, farmer and Seed to Table store owner has been called ‘MAGA Grocery King of Southwest Florida’ Women on opposite sides of a protest have a discussion outside of Oakes Farms Seed to Table Market on Saturday, June 13, 2020. The protest was sparked by an incendiary Facebook post about COVID-19 and the ****** Lives Matter movement by Oakes Farms Seed to Table Market owner Alfie Oakes, and was met by a counter protest organized by Oakes. Alfie Oakes is a Florida farmer and owner of the upscale grocery store/entertainment venue Seed to Table. Oakes Farms, among the biggest agribusinesses in South Florida, employs about 3,500 people. His empire includes fields, stores, packing houses and even a boutique. The flagship is Seed to Table, a $30 million destination grocery experience that goes well beyond produce and includes a bakery, a butcher shop and performance space. Oakes also is known as a MAGA Trump supporter whose venue has been used for Trump events. Before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, residents of Lee County and Collier County, Florida, were familiar with Oakes. At the time, he made headlines as an anti-vaxxer, for comments he made about George Floyd and ****** Lives Matter and for filing an anti-mask lawsuit in his hometown. Oakes also arranged bus trips to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, for the Insurrection − or what he called “the most peaceful beautiful demonstration from well over one million people that I’ve ever witnessed,” according to the Naples Daily News, a USA TODAY Network newspaper. David Silverberg, a political pundit in Naples, Florida, and former managing editor of The Hill, described Alfie Oakes as “our mini-Trump,” labeling him “the MAGA Grocery King of Southwest Florida” in a 2022 Mother Jones story. Though Alfie Oakes hasn’t run for a government position, he holds elected office as Collier County’s *********** State Committeeman. Protests, MAGA Trump events at Seed to Table in Florida: George Floyd, ****** Lives Matter hoax comments, COVID-19 masks A sign detailing Seed to Table’s mask exception guidelines hangs outside the entrance to the store during a gathering in opposition to the mask mandate passed by the Collier County Commissioners on Tuesday, at Oakes Farms Seed to Table Market on Saturday, July 25, 2020. Collier County Commissioners who voted against the mandate are shown with Uncle Sam hats, while those that voted for the mandate are depicted above the word socialist. Since Seed to Table opened in 2019, the upscale grocery store and entertainment venue has been in the spotlight. Just as COVID-19 was surging, owner Alfie Oakes became a lightning rod for headlines after telling Naples Daily News columnist Phil Fernandez that the Coronavirus ******** was bogus, taking Collier County, Florida, to court for its mask mandate. Throughout the pandemic, Oakes refused COVID-era mask mandates, scorned the ****** Lives Matter movement, helped boost pro-Trump local candidates into posts ranging from school board to ***** commissioner. Oakes also funded two buses of Trump supporters bound for Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, the day of the Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Pro-****** Lives Matter protesters chant during a protest at Oakes Farms Seed to Table Market on Saturday, June 13, 2020. The protest was sparked by an incendiary Facebook post about COVID-19 and the ****** Lives Matter movement by Oakes Farms Seed to Table Market owner Alfie Oakes, and was met by a counter protest organized by Oakes. Here’s a roundup of notable events or protests at or near Seed to Table in Naples, Florida: Picketers showed up to protest Alfie Oakes’ 2020 Facebook creed against the ****** Lives Matter movement, which he called a hoax, and George Floyd, a ****** man who ***** in police custody in Minneapolis, who he called a “disgraceful career *********.” Lee County, Florida, schools cut ties with Oakes, and he took them to court, saying their termination of his three-year, $6 million deal was breach of contract, plus an infringement of his First Amendment right to free speech. Alfie Oakes has spoken against 5G cell towers and municipal fluoridation, which he considers a globalist strategy to subdue the population, according to a Naples Daily News report. “If you don’t think this is intentional to ***** us down, to keep control of the people in this country, then I don’t think you’re paying attention … We don’t trust the white coats anymore,” he said. In 2021, he footed the bill for two busloads of Trump supporters bound for Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6 to attend to what Oakes later called “the most peaceful beautiful demonstration from well over one million people that I’ve ever witnessed.” In 2021, part time resident, rocker, ****-lover and COVID skeptic Ted Nugent appeared at Seed to Table before testing positive for COVID a week later. Naples Congressman Byron Donalds is a frequent Seed to Table guest. The following year, in 2022, all seven of “Alfie’s Freedom Picks” handily won their seats in Collier County, Florida, elections. In 2024, entrepreneur and former GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy showed up for lunch at Seed to Table. Live with the legendary Alfie Oakes, founder of Seed To Table, who the ATF is tried to shut down in 2020 during Covid & he said ***** no. pic.twitter.com/RkDtelUZpP — Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) January 29, 2024 Two protests are taking place in North Naples at Seed to Table on Saturday, June 13, 2020 following a Facebook post from the owner of Seed to Table. Contributing: Diana Biederman, Naples Daily News This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Alfie Oakes, Seed to Table ties to Jan. 6, ****** Lives Matter, MAGA Source link #Seed #Table #MAGA #Trumpsupporting #gourmet #produce #store #Florida Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Should you save or leave the mayor in Dragon Age: The Veilguard? Should you save or leave the mayor in Dragon Age: The Veilguard? Throughout your long journey in Bioware’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard, your Rook will have to make a myriad of difficult decisions that can alter the narrative or change how your companions feel about you. You may not know in the moment how trivial or significant the choices you make are, especially when it comes to the life of a small-town mayor. You’ll eventually discover during the Shadows Crossing main quest that the mayor of D’Meta’s Crossing just so happened to be the reason behind his villagers perishing from the blight. Although he claims the gods made him do it and he would never typically do something so horrid, Rook is left with a decision to either save or leave Mayor Julius to **** by the blight in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Let’s discuss how this decision affects your game. Freeing the mayor Bioware If you decide to save the mayor of D’Meta’s Crossing from the blight, the only consequences of this decision are in your approval ratings. While Neve will approve of you freeing Mayor Julius, Harding and Bellara won’t be happy with your choice. By making this decision, you also lock yourself out of the sidequest called A Growing ***********, but freeing the mayor who doomed his village won’t leave you with any negative consequences later on. Leaving the mayor Bioware Choosing to leave the mayor of D’Meta’s Crossing to his fate gains you Bellara and Harding’s approval. On the other hand, your approval rating with Neve will decrease. Explaining your reasoning to Neve after your decision won’t improve your relationship with her, unfortunately. Due to this choice you’ve made, you will get the A Growing *********** sidequest further in the game which has Rook and friends trying to take down the blighted version of the mayor in a boss ******. What is the best choice? Bioware Overall, the better choice is to leave the mayor, but this also depends on whether you care about getting all sidequests and losing out on Neve’s approval. If you care more about getting on Neve’s good side over Bellara or Harding, or if you’re role-playing as a lawful good Rook, saving the mayor isn’t the worst choice. Leaving the mayor, on the other hand, gets you the approval of two party members instead of just one. Not only that, but you get a whole new sidequest to tackle that can earn you some XP. So to get the most out of your Dragon Age: The Veilguard experience, especially if you’re an Achievement hunter, you should leave Mayor Julius. Source link #save #leave #mayor #Dragon #Age #Veilguard Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A family’s grief after Spain floods A family’s grief after Spain floods Family handout Rubén (left) and Izan were “such happy kids”, their aunt said Like every parent in Valencia that day, Victor Matías had quickly changed his plans, fearing what could be on the way. The rain was still thundering down, but by now – early evening – he had managed to leave work early, safely pick up his boys from nursery and was about to make their favourite dinner – croquetas. The crispy fried rolls of mashed potatoes, stuffed full of cheese and ham, would be a treat for Izan, 5, and Rubén, 3, while their mum Marta finished her late shift at the supermarket in town. We have pieced together the tragic chronology of what happened next. Our picture emerges from the testimony of neighbours and relatives we spoke to, as well as what Victor was able to recall himself along with other first-hand accounts given to local media. The flooding destroyed the Matías family home The crushing story of the Matías family has generated huge attention in Spain. Many have followed updates on “Los niños desaparecidosas” – the missing children – as they have been frequently described. But this one family’s grief is many people’s grief as it’s a nightmare replicated across the Valencia region which was hammered by flash flooding nearly two weeks ago, ******** at least 219 people. More than 90 are still missing. Utter devastation When we arrived at the family home, a few days after the deluge, it was languishing in a sea of destruction. That startling statistic – a year’s worth of rain had been dumped on some parts of Valencia in a matter of hours – became easy to believe as you took all this in. Huge metal containers – broken free from their articulated lorries – rested at unfathomable angles amid a jumble of cars, crumpled furniture and treacherous mud. One of the few things still intact was the door to what had been the boys’ bedroom; the bright, white individual letters spelling their names standing out in a sea of brown. Most of the house was destroyed by the flooding, but lettering on the boys’ bedroom door is still intact Picking his way through this mess was Jonathan Perez, their next-door neighbour, who began to relive the terrifying sequence of events. “It was madness” he said. “I’ve never seen such force.” Jonathan explained to us how the raging torrent had scooped up trucks parked next door to the Matías family home with one smashing through an external wall. He said that Victor had explained to him how he’d grabbed his sons in his arms as the water dragged them all outside. Then – despite his desperate efforts to keep hold of them – they were gone. Victor was found around four hours later, more than 200 metres away. He had been clinging to a tree. His mother – the boys’ grandma – revealed that Victor had been ready to throw himself into the torrent and surrender to his fate, but then stopped. He told himself he could not leave his wife alone. Family paradise shattered For 5 year old Izan and 3 year old Rubén, few places felt safer than the playground that was their house and garden. Their aunt, Barbara Sastre, told us they were like little bugs – “bichetes” – an endearing description to convey how they buzzed around, that is, when they weren’t absorbed by their cartoons. “They were such happy kids” she told us. Family handout Izan and Rubén haven’t been seen for two weeks Izan and Rubén’s parents had bought the property from a man called Francisco Javier Arona. Javi – as he’s known – told EFE, the Spanish news agency, that the home had become “a paradise” for the Matías family. He said he himself had lovingly constructed the house in La Curra, a neighbourhood of Mas del Jutge, in a colonial style over three years. Javi said he’d affixed ornamental amphoras and delicate clay stars beneath a sweeping arch. Outside, there was little traffic in the ****-de-sac, meaning the boys could run around carefree with little perceptible danger. A year’s worth of rain fell on some parts of Valencia in a matter of hours in late October Family house surrounded by trucks The impending storm gathering overheard on 29 October was a very big danger, and so Victor closed his business early and picked up his boys from the nursey so that he could keep them safe and dry at home, as the rain fell ******* and *******. The force of the downpour became incredible, and soon the power was cut. The brothers’ grandma, Antonia María Matías, a 72 year old ******* patient, told ABC Sevilla that she had called her son Victor at around 6pm and heard the brothers crying. The water around them was rising all the time. But still, they were safe for now. It may have been their haven, but the family home was also next to a lorry park. Jonathan Perez, their next door neighbour, explained to us how this played a deadly role. He said, “The father told us that there was a truck that hit the back of the house and the force of the water tore away everything.” “Victor regained his footing and carried the boys in his arms. But then he realized he no longer had them. The water took everything in its path,” he explained. The family’s neighbour said that Victor Matías had said a truck hit the back of the house and “the force of the water tore away everything.” Barbara Sastre, the boy’s aunt also told us at least one truck had sliced open the house in a ***** that precipitated the boys and their dad being swept towards the nearby ravine. The unnamed owner of the parking lot from where the trucks came told one newspaper they had not hit the family house. He insisted it was the strength of the water that did the fatal damage. Jonathan, the neighbour, encapsulated the seething anger millions of Spaniards are feeling. Particularly, at the fact the official red alert sent to mobile phones came at 8pm – far too late. “They were loving life and they hadn’t even started being people, they were three and five years old”, he said. “With better coordination, better management, and an earlier alarm – even half an hour earlier – those kids could have been saved and those parents would not be going through *****.” The frantic search for the boys The whole neighbourhood in La Curra, stunned and shattered by the ********* of the flooding, immediately began to search for the missing Izan and Rubén. At least they did once the water had receded sufficiently for them to climb down from trees and clamber off their cars and try to re-orientate themselves. They were helped by police officers from nearby Alicante, including a friend of Victor’s, who quickly arrived and began a desperate search. But where to start? Cars, bricks, bed frames had been carried hundreds of meters from where they once stood. A team of firefighters from Mallorca and then Civil Protection volunteers from the island of Ibiza also came and scoured the most hard-to-reach areas. Despite nearly two weeks of intensive daily searches, the brothers have not been found. Spaniards are frustrated by officials’ response to the flooding Life ‘turned to dust’ In the hours before everything changed, Marta – the mother of the boys – had started her late shift at the shop, safe in the knowledge their dad would be picking them up from school and taking them home. In the early hours of the next morning, she was told her boys were gone. Relatives say they can’t describe what Marta is experiencing. The boy’s grandma, Antonia María, said her son Victor’s life had been destroyed – in her own words “turned to dust”. As he was recovering in hospital, Victor took to sleeping with his boys’ blankets – salvaged from the ruins of their family home – resting on his face. It is the closest he can be to them now. Source link #familys #grief #Spain #floods Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

****** Ops 6 On Game Pass Helped Bring Back Lapsed Players, Activision Boss Says ****** Ops 6 On Game Pass Helped Bring Back Lapsed Players, Activision Boss Says Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6’s creative director has commented on how Game Pass positively affected the game’s launch, saying it helped improve player numbers in multiple ways. Speaking to the BBC, Miles Leslie said Game Pass helped convince people who were “on the fence” or “had some of that friction” to consider playing the game. He added that some people who might not have played a Call of Duty game in some time might have been convinced to “come back and try the game” thanks to Game Pass. “We’ve gotten to the point now where ****** Ops and Call of Duty have been around so long–I’ve been working on it for 16 years,” Leslie said. “And really the challenge for us is how do you bring along the fans that love Call of Duty, but how do you create an environment where you can welcome new fans in?” ****** Ops 6 launched on October 25 and set a number of records for number of players, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella specifically mentioned ****** Ops 6 helping to drive Game Pass subscribers at launch. Anyone who has Game Pass Ultimate ($20/month) or PC Game Pass ($12/month) can play ****** Ops 6 as part of their subscription for as long as their membership ******** active. The game is also available for direct purchase on Xbox, as well as PlayStation and PC. Before this, Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick said he anticipated Call of Duty helping to drive Game Pass subscribers for Microsoft, but only for a ******* of time. As Zelnick sees it, releasing a major new game into a subscription service makes little sense and is a “lost opportunity” for sales. Zelnick, of course, runs a third-party publisher and has his own set of unique opinions for his business that might not compare directly to Microsoft’s own business objectives. Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter told GI.biz that Microsoft putting ****** Ops 6 could lead to up to six million in lost sales; he estimated that 25% of existing Game Pass subscribers would have bought it anyway. Pachter said Microsoft could see as many as four million new Game Pass subscribers thanks to ****** Ops 6. Microsoft has not yet provided any specifics on ****** Ops 6 unit sales. The game is also available on PlayStation and PC, where it’s enjoying strong year-over-year sales compared to 2023’s Modern Warfare III. ****** Ops 6 welcomes its first major update, the Season 1 launch, on November 14. It adds new multiplayer maps and modes, along with more guns and even a power drill melee *******. November 14 is also the day when ****** Ops 6 gets integrated into Call of Duty: Warzone, and when the new Warzone map, Area 99, arrives. Source link #****** #Ops #Game #Pass #Helped #Bring #Lapsed #Players #Activision #Boss Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Are luxury beauty advent calendars a rip-off? Are luxury beauty advent calendars a rip-off? Getty Images They’re all over your TikTok and Instagram – people unboxing the latest extravagant beauty advent calendar. Influencers excitedly wonder what eyeliner, serum or hand cream will be behind door one, and gush over the beautiful box it has come in. But are these products, which can cost hundreds of pounds, actually worth the money? Yes, says TikToker Cissy Jones from Manchester. We’re just over a week into November and the 27-year-old, who is a social media manager at fashion brand PrettyLittleThing but also makes TikToks on her personal account, has already posted a dozen advent calendar videos. Everything from chocolate, to beauty products and wine, and even a Pets At Home calendar for her dog. “There’s one – the Harrods 12-day one – where every product in it is something that I would buy,” she says. “So I’m saving money.” That idea of saving money is something that brands latch on to with their marketing. A calendar may cost £250 but it’s actually “worth £1,000”, they say, if you add up all the individual items. “But you do have to want the actual products,” says Cissy. “Otherwise, it’s a bit of a waste of money.” Cissy Jones/TikTok Cissy Jones says there is massive interest in beauty advent calendars online Retailers can afford to make such seemingly good offers because there’s a lot of margin built into beauty products, analysts say. And rather than aiming to make a big profit on them, they view advent calendars as a marketing tool to get you to buy more products afterwards. “A lot of retailers recognise advent calendars are a great way of getting new products to the consumer and a way to get them to convert,” says Natalie Berg from NBK Retail. However, Sarah Johnson from Flourish Retail says that while there are many lovely bespoke calendars out there, “a lot [of companies] just use advent calendars to shift stock that may not be popular, rather than having to discount it”. The size of the items in advent calendars can vary – with some offering full-sized bottles, some smaller versions, and some a mix of the two. But smaller sizes may be what people want, says Ms Berg, as it’s common to want to try something out before fully committing. Loraine Hogan has been buying beauty calendars for several years now. It’s something she and her daughter do together. “There was a bit of excitement attached to getting a beauty calendar. It was something to share together around Christmas time. It’s our little treat.” She believes they do represent value for money. “You get to sample items people might not necessarily choose for themselves.” With so many products out there, Cissy Jones’s advice is to look for a brand you like and to look for value for money, in terms of the total cost of all the items individually versus the price of the calendar. However, even if a product may seem like good value for money, for some, spending more than £200 on an advent calendar is simply a luxury they cannot afford. Nihal Nihal doesn’t think it is worth paying hundreds of pounds for a calendar unless you’re going to use every product in it As a result, many scam websites have sprung up, trying to take advantage of people looking for a good deal on an expensive item. Emma Jones and Nihal, who did not want us to use her last name, got in touch with the BBC after falling for fake adverts claiming to sell the Space NK £250 advent calendar for £28.99. Both women were attracted by the apparent discount, and say they would not pay full price. “I wouldn’t feel comfortable spending that amount of money, mainly because I wouldn’t have that amount of spare cash,” says Emma. “They can be very expensive – I’m not the type that would pay full price,” Nihal says. “I don’t think it’s worth it. If you’re going to use every single product then maybe yes. But sometimes in these prepacked stuff, you’ll probably only use two or three of these products.” But part of the reason beauty advent calendars are so popular is because shoppers still want to treat themselves, says Natalie Berg. And many are willing to pay full price – and beyond. Sephora/Harrods Many beauty calendars are already sold out, such as these from Sephora and Harrods The likes of Space NK, Harrods and Sephora have all sold out of their main calendars already. The Harrods beauty calendar was priced at £250 but claimed to include items worth £1,600, while Sephora’s £199 calendar said it included items worth £1,000. But you can find people selling them on eBay, asking for as much as £550 for the Harrods one and £399 for the Sephora one. “It goes back to supply and demand – dynamic pricing,” says Sarah Johnson. It might make sense to buy it even at an overinflated price, she says, if the retailer is sold out and you can’t get it anywhere else, especially if you perceive it as still making a saving on the total value of all the items. This begs the question though of why firms don’t just make more. Ms Johnson points out that it’s a seasonal product and they don’t want to over-order and be left with surplus stock that they would then have to discount. Space NK told the BBC that it produced 30% more stock this year than last year but due to “unprecedented” demand still sold out within two and a half weeks. It plans to increase production next year. Despite the expensive nature of beauty calendars, Ms Johnson says there is a “value perception” there. “People could buy it to break it out and give [individual items] as gifts. There’s an element of people treating themselves and also being quite savvy and saving themselves money in the long run.” With more and more of these calendars on ***** now, there was a thought a few years ago that we might have reached “peak” advent calendar. But Cissy disagrees – and thinks the opposite is the case. “They always sell out every year, so I feel like there’s room for more.” Source link #luxury #beauty #advent #calendars #ripoff Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

BioWare finds time for N7 Day in Dragon Age: The Veilguard BioWare finds time for N7 Day in Dragon Age: The Veilguard Electronic Arts BioWare has been busy lately with the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the first Dragon Age title in over a decade. The developer released a new patch on Thursday, which includes a surprise N7 Day Easter egg. The official Dragon Age account posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Patch 1 would feature a special cosmetic armor for player character Rook. All players need to do is head to the Lighthouse and complete the quest “The Singing Blade.” You’ll then find a chest next to the workshop with the armor. Happy #N7Day! Make sure you download the latest patch for #DragonAge: The Veilguard – there’s a gift waiting for you Instructions: – After patching, you’ll find a chest next to the Workshop – Chest appears after completing the Harding Mission “The Singing Blade” – If “The… pic.twitter.com/hREYbTdnqi — Dragon Age (@dragonage) November 7, 2024 November 7 is known across the video game landscape as N7 Day, or a way to celebrate all things Mass Effect and potentially reveal some updates. It’s been a long time since a proper Mass Effect game. While BioWare is working on Mass Effect 4, it appears to be a long way from a gameplay reveal (although it got a short teaser on N7 Day 2023). The company still uses it to promote new merchandise, small teasers for upcoming projects, and other goodies. BioWare just released the new Dragon Age, so it told fans to not expect much this year. “This year is a little different as we just launched Dragon Age: The Veilguard as a studio; so we’re purposefully keeping things lighter as we celebrate the launch of the game,” a statement posted on X read. The Next Mass Effect – Official Teaser Trailer However, BioWare did restock its official store with a ton of new merchandise, including an N7 trenchcoat, a crop top, hoodies, T-shirts, bookends, and a nearly 10-inch-tall Wrex statue. BioWare also announced some game crossovers; No Man’s Sky, for example, will be getting the Normandy for the second time. Oh, and Variety revealed that a Mass Effect TV show is in development at Amazon. So for a reportedly “lighter” year, there was still a lot of gifts for fans. Patch 1 also fixed a ton of issues in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, including how companion skill points would reset, NPC necks would grow “unexpectedly,” and DLSS options would be grayed-out on 40-series Nvidia GPUs. Source link #BioWare #finds #time #Day #Dragon #Age #Veilguard Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A-League Women: Perth Glory full-back Grace Johnston not resting on laurels in second season A-League Women: Perth Glory full-back Grace Johnston not resting on laurels in second season Emerging Perth Glory defender Grace Johnston says she is not taking her place in the starting 11 for granted as she enters her sophomore season in the A-League Women. Source link #ALeague #Women #Perth #Glory #fullback #Grace #Johnston #resting #laurels #season Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Borderlands Movie’s Massive ******** Detailed By Lionsgate Exec Borderlands Movie’s Massive ******** Detailed By Lionsgate Exec The Borderlands movie may not get much attention during Oscar season, but it’s probably going to be a contender at the Razzies for the worst film of 2024. The reviews were brutal and it made only $31 million worldwide in its first month of release. Now, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer is opening up about the ******** of the movie, and he didn’t ****** words. “Nearly everything that could go wrong did go wrong,” Feltheimer told investors during a conference call. “It sat on the shelf for too long during the pandemic, and reshoots and rising interest rates took it outside the safety zone of our usual strict financial models.” Borderlands director Eli Roth put together an impressive cast for the film, including Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack ******, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Ariana Greenblatt. According to Borderlands stunt coordinator Jimmy O’Dee, Roth originally shot Borderlands as an R-rated movie. Deadpool director Tim Miller oversaw the pricy reshoots that transformed it into a PG-13 film. The final worldwide total for Borderlands was reportedly $33 million against a budget of $110-120 million. The movie may have been a disappointing flop, but Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick touted its impact in a separate investors call earlier this week. Zeknick indicated that the movie led to a significant uptick in Borderlands video game sales. That may ease the pain for the game’s parent company–which wasn’t on the ***** for the film’s costs–since a theatrical sequel isn’t in the cards. Source link #Borderlands #Movies #Massive #******** #Detailed #Lionsgate #Exec Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Your iPhone Is About to Get an Awesome New Charging Feature Your iPhone Is About to Get an Awesome New Charging Feature According to reports, Apple is gearing up to roll out a neat charging feature to iPhones. iPhone Battery Intelligence feature With iOS 18, Apple already gave the newest iPhones — specifically, iPhone 15 or 16 models — a convenient new charging feature. It’s called Charge Limit and, as its name suggests, lets you set a charging limit less than 100 percent so your iPhone doesn’t fully charge. This is beneficial for the long-term health of your iPhone’s battery. Now, it appears Apple is gearing up to roll out another iPhone charging feature. Only this time, it’s aimed to save you time. It’s called “BatteryIntelligence” As first spotted by 9to5Mac, there’s code in the second beta of iOS 18.2 for a feature called “BatteryIntelligence.” It promises to give you an estimate of how much time it’s going to take your iPhone to fully charge (or reach the charge limit that you’ve set). When you start charging your iPhone, you’ll get a notification that gives you an estimated charging time. This way, you’ll know exactly how long the iPhone is going to take to charge and therefore be able to plan around it. The “BatteryIntelligence” feature isn’t yet available in the betas. – Credit: Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol Obviously, this promises to be helpful when charging your iPhone at home, but it could also come especially in handy when using a unfamiliar charger (plus adapter and cable) as it might not be as fast. Your iPhone will automatically detect how much charge its receiving and calculate how much time it’ll need to fully charge. A number of Android smartphones have had a similar feature for some time, but this promises to be the first time something similar comes to iPhone. When’s it coming? We’re not exactly sure. The feature is not in the current public beta of iOS 18.2 — it’s just ******* as code and currently disabled. This means that it could appear in a future iOS 18 beta, but it probably won’t come in the next software update, iOS 18.2, that’s expected in early December. As for which iPhones it’ll work with, we’re not exactly sure, either. There’s a good change that it’ll be similar to Charge Limit and only work on new iPhones. If it’s an Apple Intelligence feature, it’ll only work with the iPhone 16s and the Pro-model iPhone 15s. Source link #iPhone #Awesome #Charging #Feature Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sony Reveals New PS5 Sales Figures, Says A Mix Of Single-Player And Live-Service Games Are Coming Sony Reveals New PS5 Sales Figures, Says A Mix Of Single-Player And Live-Service Games Are Coming Sony just revealed new sales numbers for PS5, and set expectations on what kinds of games will be coming in the future for the console. In a new financial report from Sony, the company said it shipped 3.8 million PS5 consoles during the second quarter of the fiscal year from July 2024 to September 2024. That was 29% drop from the same time ******* last year. The new lifetime total units shipped is now 65.5 million, making the amount just shy of the 67.5 million PS4 units shipped when it was in the same ******* of its lifespan. On the bright side, Game & Network Services division brought in about $7 billion, a 12% year-over-year increase. Sony attributed this to third-party games on the PS5 platform, including “an action RPG title from China,” which is most likely referring to ****** Myth: Wukong. The game sold 18 million copies within the first two weeks of release. Sony’s Network services revenue increased 18% year-over-year during the same time ******* last year. According to Sony, this was a result of subscribers joining higher tiers of PlayStation Plus and increased subscription prices. Sony also commented on its upcoming portfolio of releases, saying that it will continue to have a mix of both single-player and multiplayer games. It acknowledged that while Helldivers 2 was a huge success, the cancellation of The Last of Us multiplayer game and removal of Concord provided lessons on how to move forward with its live-service plans. Sony previously stated that it would not have any more major first-party releases until April 2025. However, the single-player follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yotei, is slated for next year, and Haven Studio’s live-service game, Fairgames, is still in development. Source link #Sony #Reveals #PS5 #Sales #Figures #Mix #SinglePlayer #LiveService #Games #Coming Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Sometimes people don’t see me as the surgeon’ ‘Sometimes people don’t see me as the surgeon’ Olimpia Zagnat/BBC Elena Theophilidou is a surgeon at one of the busiest major trauma units in England Growing up in Cyprus, Elena felt she was different to other ****** – she liked maths, biology, and preferred wearing trousers rather than skirts. But it was a family tragedy which helped shape her determination to study medicine. “My parents lost their first child because he had Down’s syndrome, so he ***** when he was about four years old,” she says. “And I guess that’s always been playing on my mind.” Now a consultant surgeon at one of the busiest major trauma units in England, Elena Theophilidou has spoken of her successful career, as well as the challenges she has faced as a female doctor – including sometimes having to remind patients that “I am the surgeon”. ‘Tough years’ “I think the first time I carried a bag with me was when I was 20, when I actually came to university,” says Elena with a chuckle. “I wasn’t your typical girl, as you would imagine them to be.” Biology just “made sense”, and maths was something she was good at. But Elena started wondering “what am I going to do with numbers?” She says that, although it sounds like a cliché, the thought of being able to help others led her to choosing medicine. “I still don’t think of it as a nine-to-five job. Because it isn’t really. As a consultant, I’ve never thought, ‘can’t be bothered with work today’,” she says. She grew up in a Greek family, in which the ****** of her brother was something they never talked about “extensively”. “I sort of grew up with it because he ***** before I was born, so I never met him,” she says. “But it was always something that was in the background. “It was quite devastating for my parents. But I think maybe that triggered the idea of medicine.” Olimpia Zagnat/BBC Elena’s department treats patients who have been injured in stabbings, crashes or major incidents Elena’s path to becoming a surgeon in an emergency department was not an easy one. As a teenager, she set her sights on studying medicine in the ***. “I had to do [the A-levels] in my own spare time, and obviously coming from a foreign country to the ***, you had to have top marks to even be considered for medicine,” she says. “So it was a tough four or five years before even coming to medical school.” Aged 18, she moved to London and began studying to be a doctor. Eventually, came the opportunity to specialise in surgery. “Unfortunately, my surgical placements were all with, let’s say, school surgeons who would have different mentalities to what we have today,” she says. She says she faced “unprofessional behaviours, in terms of bullying and toxic environments”. “I guess we’re quite lucky in this day and age that things have changed in terms of professional contact and how people should be behaving, and especially when it comes to treating patients and colleagues,” she says. “I know I’ve had a lot of difficulties that probably if I wasn’t a woman I wouldn’t have had, and I’m sure quite a lot of trainees, especially female trainees, would agree with this statement.” Elena, however, has high praise for her colleagues at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham. “We are quite lucky in the East Midlands because we are one of the deaneries that have quite a lot of female trainees, and especially female consultants in surgery, who I’ve had as role models,” she says. ‘Grown-up man’ stereotype Elena’s main job is working with the major trauma team, but is also involved with the team that deals with patients that have acute surgical issues. “When you’re a consultant, you have a position of responsibility in terms of not only towards your patient, but also towards the team that you have with you,” she says. Elena says she has never experienced misogyny from patients – but admits she sometimes has to “remind them that I am the surgeon”. “Sometimes they don’t see me as a surgeon walking into the room. So that’s something that I’ve experienced quite early on,” she says. “I think people have a stereotypical image of surgeons in their head. It’s more like a ‘grown-up man’ who walks into the room. “I’ve never experienced misogyny, but maybe just having to remind people from time to time that I perform their operation.” But things and times are changing in medicine, says Elena, and “more education is out there”. “In the last year, I’ve had a couple of female medical students coming to me and say ‘oh, I didn’t know you could be a female consultant surgeon’,” she says. But Elena says it is important for young students to see women who took surgery on as a career, and look at them as role models. Olimpia Zagnat/BBC Elena hopes her story will inspire other young women who want to become doctors or surgeons Elena does not shy away from the fact that being a woman has sometimes felt like a disadvantage. As a youngster in Cyprus, she says she would hear phrases like “oh you’re a woman, if you become a surgeon or a doctor you won’t have time for your family, you won’t have a family”. “Those ideas are at the back of your head. But if this is what you want to do, you just go ahead and do it,” she says. “Find what you love doing day to day, because your career is a long time, and it takes a lot – probably like 20, 30 years of your life. So it’s important to do what you enjoy and then just go for it.” Source link #people #dont #surgeon Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Gears of War: E-Day: everything we know so far Gears of War: E-Day: everything we know so far Microsoft and The Coalition have opted to take the Gears of War franchise back to its roots with Gears of War: E-Day, a prequel that will follow beloved characters Marcus Fenix and Dominic (Dom) Santiago during their first ****** against the invading Locust horde. This new mainline entry will feature everything fans have come to love about the series alongside fresh experiences only achievable on the newest hardware. Of course, some players may be disappointed to hear that the next game isn’t Gears 6 — but there’s good news on that front. Fans eager to know what happened after the conclusion of Gears 5 can rest easy knowing that the team isn’t abandoning that storyline. “We’re super proud about Gears 4 and Gears 5 and the stories that were told,” Brand Director Nicole Fawcette told Xbox Wire. “We’re not retreating from that storyline in any way. But in [this] moment, we had an opportunity to write our next step, and this one just felt too good to miss.” There’s clearly still a lot of story left to be told in the Gears of War universe. So while we wait to see what’s next in the tale in a future Gears 6, here’s everything we know about Gears of War: E-Day. Release date Xbox Game Studios The first trailer for Gears of War: E-Day didn’t share a release date, but it’s safe to assume we’ll hear more about this sometime next year. Holiday 2025 seems like a reasonable guess for a release window, but Microsoft has a tendency to announce some games with cinematic trailers extremely far ahead of their eventual launch, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see it pushed into 2026. Platforms Xbox Games Studio Gears of War: E-Day will launch on Xbox Series S|X and PC. There have been rumors of the series coming over to PlayStation 5, too — especially as more and more Xbox Game Studios games are making their way there — but there has been no official confirmation from either company, so we wouldn’t recommend holding your breath for that. Trailers Gears of War: E-Day | Official Announce Trailer (In-Engine) – Xbox Games Showcase 2024 Microsoft announced Gears of War: E-Day with its very first trailer during the Xbox Games Showcase 2024. Though it doesn’t show any gameplay, it gives us a glimpse of the prequel’s stars — younger versions of series mainstays Marcus and Dom — as they ****** off a Locust. It ends with them staring out over a fallen city filled with emergence holes, driving home the game’s focus on the shocking initial ******** of the Locust horde. We are so back. On today’s 18th anniversary of Gears of War, we’re proud to share that John DiMaggio and @RealCarlosFerro are reprising their roles as the iconic voices of Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago in Gears of War: E-Day. pic.twitter.com/x9uaH9R0sR — Gears of War (@GearsofWar) November 7, 2024 Despite being set 14 years before the events of the first game, both John DiMaggio and Carlos Ferro will be reprising their roles as Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago, respectively, for the prequel. Multiplayer Xbox Games Studio While the Gears of War franchise is well-known for its surprisingly emotional (and undoubtedly *******) shooter campaigns, you can also always count on an equally intense multiplayer component. While neither Microsoft nor The Coalition have detailed much of anything about this so far, both co-op and competitive multiplayer has been confirmed for this exciting prequel entry. Preorder Like all first-party Microsoft games, Gears of War: E-Day will be available on day one for Game Pass subscribers on both Xbox and PC. As such, subscribers will be able to download and play it on launch day with no additional purchase necessary. If you’re not interested in Game Pass, however, and just want to buy the game outright, you can also wish-list it right now on Steam. Source link #Gears #War #EDay Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Douro delights Douro delights Mogens Johansen is pleasantly surprised by a river that delivers more than is expected of it Source link #Douro #delights Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

GTA Parent Company Boss On State Of AAA Games: “It’s Hard And Getting *******” GTA Parent Company Boss On State Of AAA Games: “It’s Hard And Getting *******” Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick has commented on the state of the AAA video game market, saying “it’s hard and getting *******.” He gave this answer in response to a question from GI.biz about what he perceives to be the challenges of the AAA space today, against the backdrop of games like Star Wars: Outlaws coming up short in terms of financial performance. “I think it’s hard and it’s getting *******. And that’s true of all entertainment businesses as they begin to mature,” he said. “The quality threshold that the consumer demands always goes up.” Zelnick claimed Take-Two is uniquely positioned to succeed in this challenging market because its core goals are to be the “most creative, the most innovative, and the most efficient company in the entertainment industry.” You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos. GTA 6 (Grand Theft Auto VI) Official Trailer Size:640 × 360480 × 270 Want us to remember this setting for all your devices? Sign up or Sign in now! Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos. This video has an invalid file format. Sorry, but you can’t access this content! Please enter your date of birth to view this video JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031Year20242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975197419731972197119701969196819671966196519641963196219611960195919581957195619551954195319521951195019491948194719461945194419431942194119401939193819371936193519341933193219311930192919281927192619251924192319221921192019191918191719161915191419131912191119101909190819071906190519041903190219011900 By clicking ‘enter’, you agree to GameSpot’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy enter Those are very lofty ambitions, of course, and Zelnick said if Take-Two can even manage to “come close to achieving those goals,” then it stands to find success with its products. But Zelnick agreed that, as the video game industry has matured, the “quality demands” of players have increased over time. Take-Two makes AAA games, and not just any AAA games, but some of the biggest in gaming. Take-Two’s next big release is 2025’s Grand Theft Auto VI, which is arguably the most anticipated video game in history and one that no doubt carried a significant development budget. Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden recently commented on the state of the AAA video game industry, saying, “If we’re just going to rely on the blockbusters to get us through, I think that’s a ****** sentence.” Layden said rising development costs for AAA games have encouraged studio executives to make safe bets, leading to a “collapse in creativity.” Take-Two makes sequels, but also believes in funding new IP. In fact, Zelnick also recently said that if Take-Two doesn’t invest in new IP, the company runs the risk of “burning the furniture to heat the house, and that doesn’t end well.” As for Star Wars: Outlaws, many believed the game would be as close to a guaranteed hit as there could be given the popularity of the Star Wars series and the appetite for single-player games. However, Outlaws underperformed Ubisoft’s expectations. Ubisoft isn’t giving up on the game, however. Source link #GTA #Parent #Company #Boss #State #AAA #Games #Hard #******* Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Missing Green Lake kayaker planned his disappearance, likely in Eastern Europe Missing Green Lake kayaker planned his disappearance, likely in Eastern Europe GREEN LAKE, Wis. (WFRV) – The Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office provided an update on a kayaker who was reported missing on Aug. 12. The missing man, 45-year-old Ryan Borgwardt, was not found but has been deemed to be not in the lake and is reportedly on the run. Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office gives update on missing kayaker case Numerous efforts went across 54 days to search for Borgwardt. On Oct. 7, multiple law enforcement groups gathered together and decided to go in a different direction. This direction led them to find out that Borgwardt’s name was run on Aug. 13. by law enforcement in Canada. An analysis of a laptop given to them by Borgwardt’s wife revealed that he had planned his disappearance and tried to conceal his efforts to mislead investigations. Borgwardt allegedly replaced his hard drive and cleared the browser on the date of his disappearance, syncing it into the cloud on Aug. 11, and took photos of his passports. Authorities say he also moved funds into a foreign bank and changed his email address while communicating with a woman from Uzbekistan. In addition, he reportedly took out a $375,000 life insurance policy and purchased airline cards. The Sheriff’s Office said that no charges have been decided upon at this time. At this time, officials believe him to be alive and likely in Eastern Europe. Potential school ********* averted at Wisconsin elementary school, teen suspect researched, ‘practiced’ beforehand “Ryan, if you are viewing this, I plead that you contact us or your family,” Sheriff Mark Podoll said. “We understand that things can happen but there is a family that wants their daddy back.” No additional details were provided. Local 5 will update this story as needed. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 – Green Bay, Appleton. Source link #Missing #Green #Lake #kayaker #planned #disappearance #Eastern #Europe Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Save $100 On Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones With This ****** Friday Deal Save $100 On Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones With This ****** Friday Deal Over at Best Buy, you can get a pretty fantastic set of premium Bose headphones at a big discount as part of the retail chain’s Early ****** Friday *****. Normally $429, they’re on ***** for $329 right now, and in case they sell out, Amazon will also match this price. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headset The bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones offer multiple Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) modes, including an “immersion” mode that combines ANC with Bose’s Immserive Audio. The spatial audio settings can also be customized using the companion mobile app. The headphones are fully wireless and connect to your devices via Bluetooth 5.3, or to other Bose audio gear with the SimpleSync 2.4Ghz mode, and have a battery life of up to 24 hours. All ****** variants of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are eligible for the discounts at Best Buy and Amazon, including Lunar Blue, ******, White Smoke, and the 60th Anniversary Diamond Edition. There are a few other headphone options available at ****** Friday discounts right now. If you’re shopping around for other ANC options, Sony’s XM5 are on ***** for $298 (normally $400). Alternatively, the older–but slightly more affordable–XM4 headphones are down to $226 (was $348). If you’d like to stick with Bose, the standard QuietComfort are also pretty good, especially when they’re available for $199 instead of their usual $349. More ****** Friday headphone deals For those of you looking to share your music, the LG 4.1 channel soundbar is down to just $180 at Best Buy, saving you a hefty chunk othat comes bundled with a wireless subwoofer and rear speakers. You’d normally pay $400 for the set, but you can get it for $180 right now, making this a very affordable all-in-one home theater system. Be sure to check out Best Buy’s full ****** Friday ***** for even more discounts, and check out GameSpot’s ****** Friday hub for all the latest deals from other retailers. Source link #Save #Bose #QuietComfort #Ultra #Headphones #****** #Friday #Deal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nancy Pelosi blames Joe Biden for election loss as finger pointing intensifies Nancy Pelosi blames Joe Biden for election loss as finger pointing intensifies Former US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said Democrats might have fared better in Tuesday’s election if President Joe Biden had exited the race sooner. Pelosi – one of the most powerful politicians in Washington – told the New York Times that “had the president gotten out sooner, there may have been other candidates in the race”. Her remarks are the latest finger pointing from Democrats after the party lost hold of the White House and potentially both chambers of Congress on Tuesday. Pelosi is widely reported to have led the Democrats’ push to oust Biden, who ended up leaving the race at the end of July after weeks of pressure following a poor debate performance against Donald Trump. As Biden ended his campaign, he quickly endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris to take his place. Pelosi told the New York Times: “The anticipation was that, if the president were to step aside, that there would be an open primary.” An open primary would have involved a number of Democratic candidates competing to be elected by party members to succeed Biden as their White House nominee. Pelosi argued that Harris would have done well in such a primary process and it would have made her “stronger going forward”. “But we don’t know that. That didn’t happen. We live with what happened,” the California congresswoman, who was re-elected to her 20th term in the House on Tuesday, said. “And because the president endorsed Kamala Harris immediately, that really made it almost impossible to have a primary at that time. If it had been much earlier, it would have been different.” Speaking to political news outlet Politico, Harris aides also ***** the blame at Biden’s feet and said he should have bowed out sooner. “We ran the best campaign we could, considering Joe Biden was president,” said one unnamed aide. “Joe Biden is the singular reason Kamala Harris and Democrats lost tonight.” However, a former Biden aide told Axios, another political news outlet, that Harris was making excuses. “How did you spend $1 billion and not win?” said the aide, adding an expletive. An unnamed former Biden aide told Politico this week that former President Barack Obama’s advisers were to blame because they “publicly encouraged Democratic infighting to push Joe Biden out, didn’t even want Kamala Harris as the nominee”. Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat, blamed the election loss on those who plotted to oust Biden. “For those that decided and moved to break Biden, and then you got the election that you wanted, it’s appropriate to own the outcome and fallout,” he told political outlet Semafor in an interview. Congressman Tom Suozzi, New York Democratic congressman, said the election loss was partly due to the party’s focus on “being politically correct”. He said the party had struggled to counteract *********** ******* lines on “anarchy on college campuses, defund the police, biological boys playing in ******’ sports, and a general ******* on traditional values”. Ritchie Torres, another New York Democratic congressman, posted on X, formerly Twitter, blaming “the far left”. He said ********* within the party had “managed to alienate historic numbers of Latinos, *******, Asians, and Jews from the Democratic Party with absurdities like ‘Defund the Police’ or ‘From the River to the Sea’ or ‘Latinx’”. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who ran for president as a Democrat in 2016 and 2020, accused the party in a lengthy statement of abandoning working people. “While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the ********* people are ****** and want change,” he wrote. “And they’re right.” He argued Democrats probably wouldn’t learn from the election outcome. But Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison responded on X that Sanders’ accusation was “straight up BS”, saying Biden was “the most-pro worker President of my life time”. Source link #Nancy #Pelosi #blames #Joe #Biden #election #loss #finger #pointing #intensifies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Best Buy Has Awesome Early ****** Friday Laptop Deals Best Buy Has Awesome Early ****** Friday Laptop Deals Early ****** Friday deals are now live at Best Buy, and a nice list of laptops is included in the event. Products from Lenovo, HP, Dell, Asus, and Microsoft are part of the event, with models seeing discounts up to $750. Whether you’re shopping for an affordable rig to stream content or a premium gaming laptop, there’s bound to be something that catches your eye. One of notable deal is the 15.6-inch HP Victus gaming laptop, which part of Best Buy’s first round of limited-time Door Buster deals. The laptop is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5-7535HS processor, AMD Radeon RX 6550M graphics card, 8GB RAM, and a 512GB SSD–which, in plain terms, are modest gaming specs, but considering the laptop is just $430 (down from $800) until November 10, it’s a solid deal on an entry-level model. The rest of the laptop deals are part of Best Buy’s main ****** Friday *****, so they’re sticking around longer than the Door Buster deal above. One exciting deals is for the Asus Vivobook Pro 15 OLED Laptop. Equipped with the premium Intel Core Ultra 7, 16GB RAM, RTX 3050, and 1TB SSD, it’s capable of handling most tasks with ease. The 15.6-inch OLED display should also look great whether you’re gaming, streaming movies, or knocking out some work. The RTX 3050 is a bit underpowered for heavy gaming, though everything else about the laptop makes it an absolute steal at $800 (was $1,300). Microsoft Surface, Dell Inspiron, and Lenovo Yoga 7i The HP OmniBook X is also down to $800 (was $1,200). You won’t get an OLED display, but its 2.2K IPS display should still produce vibrant images. Other notable specs include a Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, and a generous 1TB SSD. For something with more versatility, check out the Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1. With a 16-inch 2K touchscreen that can fold around to be used like a tablet, it’ll likely be a good option for creators and artists. Toss in an Intel Core Ultra 5 125U, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD, and you’ve got a nice laptop for just $500 (was $900). The biggest discount is for the ultra-deluxe Dell XPS 16. Featuring a large and vibrant 16.3-inch OLED touchscreen display, Intel Evo Edition Core Ultra 9, 32GB RAM, and RTX 4060, it’s undoubtedly the most powerful laptop on this list. You’ll also benefit from a 1TB SSD. The laptop looks as luxurious as you’d expect, with a glass touchpad and streamlined footprint that makes it a great travel companion. Need something super affordable? It’s hard to beat the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14-Inch HD Laptop. It won’t handle gaming or intense programming tasks, but it’s good for basic video streaming and word processing. And at just $130 (was $250), it’s about as inexpensive as it gets. Check out even more laptop discounts below, or check the all the early ****** Friday deals at Best Buy. Best Buy Early ****** Friday Laptop Deals HP OmniBook X (Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $800 ($1,200) HP Victus (Ryzen 5-7535HS, RX 6550M, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $430 ($800) HP 15.6-Inch Touchscreen (Intel 12th Gen Core i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $400 ($630) Lenovo IdeaPad 14-Inch (Intel Celeron N4020, 4GB RAM, 128GB eMMC) — $130 ($250) HP 15.6-Inch Touchscreen (Intel 12th Gen Core i7, 16GB, 512GB SSD) — $510 ($800) Dell Inspiron 2-in-1 (Intel Core Ultra 7, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $700 ($1,150) Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 (Intel Core Ultra 5 125U, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $500 ($900) Asus Vivobook Pro 15 OLED (Intel Core Ultra 7, 16GB RAM, RTX 3050, 1TB SSD) — $800 ($1,300) Microsoft Surface Pro + Keyboard (Snapdragon X Plus, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,000 ($1,350) Dell XPS 16 OLED (Intel Evo Edition Core Ultra 9, 32GB RAM, RTX 4060, 1TB SSD) — $2,300 ($3,050) Microsoft Surface Laptop (Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $1,100 ($1,300) Source link #Buy #Awesome #Early #****** #Friday #Laptop #Deals Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Police probe launched after body of teenager discovered in bushland southwest of Sydney Police probe launched after body of teenager discovered in bushland southwest of Sydney The body of a teenage boy has been discovered in bushland southwest of Sydney. Source link #Police #probe #launched #body #teenager #discovered #bushland #southwest #Sydney Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket Pushes Past 30 Million Downloads, Tops App Store Chart Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket Pushes Past 30 Million Downloads, Tops App Store Chart Just a tad over a week since launching, Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket has hit a major milestone: 30-plus million downloads. It’s also the No. 1 free game on the App Store and Google Play Store, topping other mobile juggernauts like Roblox and Monopoly Go. On X, the official Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket account revealed the impressive download number and thanked players for “your support.” A question was also pondered: “How many packs have been opened, then?” T-t-t-thirty million?! How many packs have been opened, then? On behalf of everyone working on the game and me, thank you for all your support! Seriously. If you haven’t downloaded it, try it and let us know what you think – pic.twitter.com/rIGuS0mOep — Pokémon TCG Pocket (@PokemonTCGP) November 8, 2024 Speaking of opening packs, there’s a wild theory spreading around about how to game the system while doing so. The thought is that when tearing open one of your daily free packs that you should inspect the packaging for any imperfections, like a bent corner. These will then lead to a greater chance for rare cards. However, perhaps unsurprisingly, internet response has been mixed on the success rate for utilizing this strategy. Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket launched on October 30, after the app was unveiled in February during Pokemon Day. The game aims to streamline the Trading Card Game experience for your smartphone with auto-building assistance and rental decks. It’s not just smartphones where Pokemon has thrived, obviously. Earlier this week, Nintendo announced that Pokemon game sales have reached 99 million copies on Switch. The next major entry in the franchise will be Pokemon Legends Z-A in 2025. Source link #Pokemon #Trading #Card #Game #Pocket #Pushes #Million #Downloads #Tops #App #Store #Chart Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs proposes $50 million bail, is denied gag order Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs proposes $50 million bail, is denied gag order By Luc Cohen, Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) -Sean “Diddy” Combs on Friday proposed a new $50 million bail package backed by his Florida mansion that the music mogul hopes will win his release from the Brooklyn jail where he has been held for eight weeks on ********* **** trafficking charges. Combs has been denied bail three times since his arrest, with multiple judges citing a risk that he might tamper with witnesses. The rapper and producer on Sept. 17 pleaded not guilty to charges that he used his business empire including his record label Bad Boy Entertainment to transport women and male **** workers across state lines, to take part in recorded ******* performances called “Freak Offs.” In another development on Friday, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who oversees the ********* case, denied Combs’ request for a gag order barring his accusers from speaking publicly about the matter. His lawyers had argued that the approximately 30 civil cases accusing Combs of misconduct or ****** were interfering with his right to a fair trial. Combs, 55, has denied wrongdoing, and his lawyers have argued that the ******* activity described by prosecutors was consensual. In a court filing on Friday, defense lawyer Alexandra Shapiro asked Subramanian to release Combs on the $50 million bond, which would be backed by his $48 million Miami home and co-signed by several of his family members. Shapiro also proposed that Combs be monitored around the clock by security personnel, be subjected to home detention, and have no contact with alleged victims or witnesses. His trial is scheduled for May 5. In seeking bail, Shapiro said new evidence undermined part of the prosecution’s justification for detaining Combs. She said the evidence shed new light on a 2016 hotel surveillance video of him physically assaulting former girlfriend Casandra Ventura, known as Cassie. “The video is not evidence of a coerced ‘freak off,’ but rather a minutes-long glimpse into a complex but decade-long consensual relationship,” Shapiro wrote. Shapiro also said it is impossible for Combs to prepare for trial from behind bars because of the “incredibly voluminous” amount of material to review, especially without a laptop computer. She also said his preparation has been stymied by conditions at the jail, including frequent lockdowns and even officers taking away the pens he uses to take notes. Detention is stripping Combs of “any real opportunity” to be ready for trial, violating his rights under the U.S. Constitution, Shapiro said. (Reporting by Luc Cohen and Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler and Will Dunham) Source link #Sean #Diddy #Combs #proposes #million #bail #denied #gag #order Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

10 N64 Games Way Ahead of Their Time 10 N64 Games Way Ahead of Their Time Amplitude5h ago(Edited 5h ago) You do kind of need limits on streaming, though. You’re temporarily renting a PC to play your games on and using pretty massive amounts of data. You cant really just leave that run 24/7 Not saying NVidia made the right move here by attacking literally all of the top GeForce Now users, but they definitely made an absurdly generous move by *not* having limits prior to this. Anyway, this is just another reason why streaming can never be the future for games. GeForce Now is by far the best as far as bit rate, resolution, hardware (4080), price, and response rate (heck, its not like they even sell you games. You connect it right to Steam and stream the supported games you already own) – but even GeForce Now is completely awful compared to a local install. Source link #N64 #Games #Ahead #Time Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pollution hits record levels in Pakistan city Pollution hits record levels in Pakistan city Reuters A thick blanket of smog has derailed normal activity for most people Smog starts slow. At first, you cannot see it but you can smell it. It smells like something is burning. And it intensifies as the temperature drops. Then the smoke and fog start to envelop you and the city around you. Now you can see it. You are walking through the smoke, a thick ceiling of it hanging overhead. If you are not wearing a mask or you lower it for a moment, you will immediately inhale the bitter air. Your throat might start to feel itchy and sore. As it gets worse, you start sneezing and coughing. But it’s worse for others: children, the elderly, those with breathing difficulties. The hospitals know to expect the influx. Lahore and its 13 million residents have now been choking for a week; the air quality index has passed the 1,000 mark repeatedly this month – anything above 300 is considered hazardous. Pakistani officials have scrambled to respond to the crisis – its scale unprecedented even in a city which deals with smog at this time each year. Schools are closed, workers have been told to stay home and people urged to stay indoors – part of a so-called “green lockdown”, which has also seen motorbike rickshaws, heavy vehicles and motorbike parking banned from hot spot areas. By the end of the week, Lahore High Court had ordered all the markets in the Punjab province to close by 20:00 each night, with complete closures on Sundays. Parks and zoos have also been shut until 17 November. The problem, according to Nasa scientist Pawan Gupta, is that pollution levels in the city “typically peak in late November and December”. “So this is just beginning. The worst pollution days are probably still ahead of us,” he warned. The smoke that has enveloped Lahore, in Pakistan’s Punjab province, can be seen from space – as can part of the cause. Satellite images from the US space agency Nasa shows both the thick layer of smog and the multiple concentrations of ***** in the region between the Indian capital, Delhi, and Pakistan’s Lahore. The same image, six weeks earlier, shows clear skies and – crucially – far fewer fires. A major cause of the smog is the fires which are caused by the burning of stubble after harvest by farmers in both Pakistan and India – a quick way to clear their fields ready for the next crops. Reuters Pakistan authorities accuse Indian farmers of causing 30% of the problem This year, Nasa estimates it will count “between 15,500 and 18,500 fires ”, according to Hiren Jethva, a senior research scientist at Nasa’s Goddard Space Flight Center and Morgan State University, higher than most years. According to Pakistan’s environment protection authorities, around 30% of Lahore’s smog comes from across the border in India. The Indian government has this year doubled fines for farmers caught stubble-burning as it tries to deal with the issue. But much of Lahore’s air pollution comes from its five million motorbikes and millions of other vehicles’ exhausts. On Friday, Lahore’s high court identified heavy traffic emissions as the main cause of the smog, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan. Then there are the industries in the city’s outskirts – like the coal-fired brick kilns – adding even more pollution to the air. And in the final months of the year, it all combines with cold air flowing down from Tibet, creating the smog which is currently sitting over the city. Getty Many people, like this vegetable vendor, have no option but to go out and earn their living in smog EPA The state’s high court has ***** much of the blame on vehicle emissions It is clear the toxic air is making people *****. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Air Quality Index (AQI), a value of 50 or below indicates good air quality, while a value above 300 signals Hazardous air quality. The WHO guidelines say the average concentration of PM2.5 level should be below five. Abid Omar, founder of Pakistan’s Air Quality Initiative, which collects data from 143 air quality monitors across the country, says the readings in Lahore “have hit beyond index on every day in November”. “Some locations in Lahore have exceeded 1,000,” he says, adding: “On Thursday we had one reading of 1,917 on the AQI scale.” Getty Images Visibility ******** very poor due to thick smog By Tuesday, it was widely reported 900 people had been admitted to hospital in Lahore with breathing difficulties. “More and more people are coming with complaints of asthma, itchy throats and coughing,” says Dr Irfan Malik, a pulmonologist at one of the biggest hospitals in Lahore. He has already seen a surge in patients complaining of respiratory tract illnesses – “particularly worrying because we have not yet seen our first cold wave of the winter season”. The danger is a constant concern for Lahore resident Sadia Kashif. “Like every mother, I want to see my children run and play without fearing pollution,” she tells the BBC. “I see my children struggle with coughs and breathing problems these days, and it is a painful reminder that our air has become extremely toxic.” But the current “green lockdown” has left her unimpressed. “It is easy for the government to shut down school rather than taking real steps to address the crisis,” says Kashif. Getty Emissions from brick kilns around Lahore also contribute to toxic air For years, authorities have struggled to find a solution to Lahore’s pollution problem. The government hopes short fixes will provide reprieve, but says long term solutions – like improving public transport – will take time. In the meantime, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced this week she intends to write a letter to her counterpart in Indian Punjab to invite them to engage in “climate diplomacy”, since it impacts both regions. Delhi says it is yet to hear from Pakistan on the issue. Getty Officials are using a number of short-term measures like spraying water to bring down dust particles However, Omar points out air pollution is not a seasonal problem but a persistent issue. “Lahore is much more polluted than Delhi with pollution episodes that last longer and reach higher peaks,” he notes. And it is getting worse, he believes. As per his own analysis of data, October has seen a 25% rise in pollution level compared to the same ******* last year. Governments on both sides of the border need to act swiftly to deal with the issue, he argues. “The roadmap to clean air is clear, but the present policies from both India and Pakistan aren’t enough to significantly reduce pollution.” It has left him sceptical of the change in the near future. “I tell people, blue skies are an indicator of good governance,” Omar says. Source link #Pollution #hits #record #levels #Pakistan #city Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Everything new in Fortnite Chapter 2 Remix: map details, new weapons, kicks, and more Everything new in Fortnite Chapter 2 Remix: map details, new weapons, kicks, and more Fortnite Chapter 2 Remix is finally here, and players are again dropped onto the OG Chapter 2 island that has returned with a remixed hip-hop twist. The anticipation around the season has been at an all-time high even before it began since Chapter 2 has been one of the most popular eras of Fortnite to date. If you’ve just booted up the game and want to catch up on everything that’s new, we’ve got a full rundown on all you need to know about Fortnite Chapter 2 Remix. Fortnite Chapter 2 Remix complete content rundown Chapter 2 map returns with a twist Epic Games Fortnite has revived the iconic Chapter 2 island but with POIs from Seasons 1, 2, and 3. However, a new Snoop Dogg boss has taken over The Agency, which is now known as The Doggpound alongside Eminem setting up base at Spaghetti Grotto. Furthermore, a newer version of the The Shark will be added in the coming weeks because the Ice Spice boss will spawn in the area, so the location will be themed accordingly. As of today, there are 17 POIs on the island, three of which serve as boss spawn points and allow players to unlock vaults containing the best weapons loot in the game. Additionally, swimming across lakes, fishing, and Motorboats have returned as well, which allows players to traverse the island in more dynamic ways than the traditional road vehicles that have been running rampant during the entirety of Chapter 5. Hip-hop icons take over the island Epic Games While Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 2 was all about GHOST and SHADOW organizations being engaged in a battle, that’s not the case with Remix. Rather, the season brings out a more chilled-out vibe and the island has been taken over by hip-hop icons like Snoop Dogg, Ice Spice, and Eminem. The Agency has been converted into Snoop’s Doggpound, The Shark is Ice Spice’s POI and The Grotto houses Eminem’s Mom’s Spaghetti restaurant where you can even get your hands on a new minigun. There’s no war between factions; rather, defeating a boss will make them your ally while you enjoy a mythic ******* they wield and all the spoils the Keycard vaults have to offer. However, before you take up a ****** against these bosses, it’s better to disguise yourself as a Henchman by entering the Phone Booths, which have returned to the island as well. But wait, the fun’s not over yet — Juice WRLD skin is finally arriving on November 21, with a free version of the outfit that will be available to players soon. Battle Pass full of remixed skins Epic Games This season’s Battle Pass isn’t just about collabs unlike the last season. It instead gives a twist to classic Chapter 2 skins Midas, Meowscles, 8-Ball, Guff, Skye, TNTina, and Chaos Agent. The remixed version of these classic skins are Meowdas, Chaos Director, Undercover Skye, 1-Ball, and Dynamo TNTina. You can grab them before December 1 by purchasing and progressing along the 50 Battle Pass levels. Return of Hitscan weapons Epic Games After a long wait of over two years, Hitscan weapons have made a comeback to Fortnite with Chapter 2 Remix. Players can now pick up the OG Chapter 2 weapons from the island and won’t have to worry about bullet drop or travel time anymore. The only projectile weapons in the game are ******* rifles, for which you still need to account for bullet drop. But if you’re using a Pump Shotgun or an ******** Rifle, just aim and hit your shot instantly to eliminate your ******. Cars, Choppas, and Lowriders to move around the map Epic Games Fortnite Chapter 2 Remix has brought back OG vehicles such as OG Bear, Whiplash, Trucks, and Island Prevalent Cars. Furthermore, Choppas have made a comeback and are available at numerous POIs across the map. However, one new vehicle mechanic with Hydraulics have been added, thanks to the new Lowrider Cadillacs that allow you to jump your car up high and boost past your enemies. Some have even identified a glitch where you can spam the Charge Jump button on Hydraulic Cars to make them fly way up high in the sky. New cosmetic item brings the drip Epic Games Lastly, a new cosmetic item called Kicks (also called Shoes) have been added to the game where players can cop the first ever pair of Air Jordan 1s from the Dynamo TNTina section of the Remix Battle Pass. The initial lineup of Kicks will feature Nike and Jordan brands alongside Fortnite originals. Kicks will be compatible with over 500 of the most popular Fortnite Outfits to start, with more than 95% of Outfits compatible by spring of next year. With all the new additions that have arrived in Fortnite with Chapter 2 Remix, make sure to stay tuned for all the latest in the season right here. Source link #Fortnite #Chapter #Remix #map #details #weapons #kicks Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Belkin’s Travel Bag for Vision Pro has pockets and is way cheaper than Apple’s own case Belkin’s Travel Bag for Vision Pro has pockets and is way cheaper than Apple’s own case Apple’s now selling a Belkin-made carrying case for the Vision Price It’s half the price of the Apple-made alternative with plenty of pockets Since Apple launched Vision Pro in February 2024, the brand has always made a carrying case to accompany – and ultimately protect – the $3,500 Spatial Computer. It’s not cheap at $199 / £199 /AU$349, but you get a white, puffy, custom-built case to securely carry the headset and the battery and accessories like straps. It’s also a perfect accessory to bring to, say, a campfire because it looks like a giant marshmallow. Now, though, there is another official or rather officially approved option for touting your Apple Vision Pro around, and it’s half the price of Apple’s own case, has more pockets, and features a dedicated slot for an AirTag. Launched quietly on Apple’s online store the same day four new Macs – the 16-inch MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, and 14-inch MacBook Pro – became available, Belkin’s Travel Bag for Apple Vision Pro is priced at $99.99 / £99.95 / AU$159.95. It’s a smaller, more compact gray tote that can easily fit the Vision Pro, a battery, both straps, and other accessories. (Image credit: Belkin) For easy travel, the Travel Bag has a handle for quick ****** and a larger sash that might be best for bringing it on trips, into an office, or to a friend’s house. The main compartment opens up via a zipper, and it has a dedicated spot inside – as well as a tie-down strap – to secure the Vision Pro. Above that, you can store the Vision Pro battery, and you’ll find more room for extra headbands, cables, and even a power brick. On the front is a zipper pocket and an open one for other odds and ends. You’ll also find a spot for an AirTag. But maybe the best thing here is that Belkin’s bag is a much more affordable option that takes up less space and seemingly has more storage space for various odds and ends. (Image credit: Belkin) Its arrival at Apple’s online store came a few days after Belkin’s Head Strap for Apple Vision Pro landed at $49.95 / £44.95. It’s essentially a companion top band for Apple’s Solo Knit headband and is all about increasing comfort and hopefully reducing the feel of weight on your head when using the Vision Pro. We’ll be going hands-on soon with the Belkin Travel Bag and Head Strap for Vision Pro, but if they’re anything like the brand’s Battery Holder, which was available at launch, these should be pretty handy. Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable ****** Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content. If you already have a Vision Pro and are keen to pick up either the Travel Bag ($99.95 / £99.95 / AU$159.95), Head Strap ($49.95 / £44.95), or Battery Holder ($49.95 / £49.95), all three are available from Belkin’s online store, Apple’s online shop, and select Apple stores across the ******* States. You Might Also Like… Source link #Belkins #Travel #Bag #Vision #Pro #pockets #cheaper #Apples #case Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]