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ChatGPT blocked 250,000 image generations of presidential candidates ChatGPT blocked 250,000 image generations of presidential candidates In this photo illustration, the OpenAI logo is displayed on a mobile phone screen with a photo of Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. Didem Mente | Anadolu | Getty Images OpenAI estimates that ChatGPT rejected more than 250,000 requests to generate images of the 2024 U.S. presidential candidates in the lead up to Election Day, the company said in a blog on Friday. The rejections included image-generation requests involving President-elect Donald Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Vice President-elect JD Vance, OpenAI said. The rise of generative artificial intelligence has led to concerns about how misinformation created using the technology could affect the numerous elections taking place around the world in 2024. The number of deepfakes has increased 900% year over year, according to data from Clarity, a machine learning firm. Some included videos that were created or paid for by Russians seeking to disrupt the U.S. elections, U.S. intelligence officials say. In a 54-page October report, OpenAI said it had disrupted “more than 20 operations and deceptive networks from around the world that attempted to use our models.” The threats ranged from AI-generated website articles to social media posts by fake accounts, the company wrote. None of the election-related operations were able to attract “viral engagement,” the report noted. In its Friday blog, OpenAI said it hadn’t seen any evidence that covert operations aiming to influence the outcome of the U.S. election using the company’s products were able to successfully go viral or build “sustained audiences.” Lawmakers have been particularly concerned about misinformation in the age of generative AI, which took off in late 2022 with the launch of ChatGPT. Large language models are still new and routinely ***** out inaccurate and unreliable information. “Voters categorically should not look to AI chatbots for information about voting or the election — there are far too many concerns about accuracy and completeness,” Alexandra Reeve Givens, CEO of the Center for Democracy & Technology, told CNBC last week. WATCH: AI likely to be less regulated and more volatile under second Trump presidency Source link #ChatGPT #blocked #image #generations #presidential #candidates Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

When Trump’s victory became clear, online claims of election ****** quieted When Trump’s victory became clear, online claims of election ****** quieted By the time the polls opened on Election Day, baseless claims of voter ****** had been building on social media for months, fueling doubts about the integrity of the election. Posts proliferated on X and other platforms pointing to hiccups like technical issues with voting machines, power outages and spelling errors on ballots as examples of a supposedly brewing ***********. And at 4:30 p.m. on Election Day, former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that there was “a lot of talk about massive cheating” in Pennsylvania — which officials said had “no factual basis whatsoever.” But as the votes were tallied and it became clear that Trump was on his way to a decisive victory, the deluge of posts questioning the integrity of the election fell to a trickle, researchers say. “I think this shows that these narratives are pushed when they serve a purpose, and they are stage setting often for efforts to dispute unfavorable results,” said Max Read, a senior researcher at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. “And then once that stage setting and those claims are no longer needed, they’re not pushed anymore.” The shift was stark in Elon Musk’s “Election Integrity Community,” a group of nearly 65,000 started by the platform owner’s political action committee encouraging members to report “voter ****** or irregularities.” The group had already become a repository for speculation and unfounded rumors before Election Day. When the polls opened, hundreds of posts an hour were shared until the early hours of the morning on Wednesday, when the race was called for Trump in Pennsylvania, all but eliminating a winning path for Vice President Kamala Harris. After that, the posting drastically diminished. Read’s team at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue also found that mentions across the platform of voting machines in Pennsylvania and Michigan soared on Tuesday afternoon but dropped to hardly any by Wednesday morning. On Tuesday morning, a software error caused voting machines to be temporarily down in Cambria County, a county in southwestern Pennsylvania with a population of about 131,000. Voters used paper ballots and a court order extended voting hours from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. But some on social media baselessly suggested the technical issues were something nefarious, a plot to discard votes in a county Trump won by a wide margin in both of the last two elections. Danielle Lee Tompson, who leads the Center for an Informed Public’s research on election rumors at the University of Washington, said the narrative around Pennsylvania voting machines echoed the conversation around election issues in Maricopa County, Arizona, in 2022. In that election, some ballots were printed with ink too light to be read by tabulators, so they were placed in a secure box and counted separately at the state’s election headquarters. Claims that the errors were intentional fueled a lawsuit challenging the results that was later dismissed. “On Election Day, we can always expect there to be irregularities or glitches or problems at polling sites,” Tompson said. “The question is will those issues be contorted into a larger narrative that election ****** is happening.” While the volume of election rumors has drastically decreased, false claims are still spreading about races that have not yet been called. In Arizona, where *********** Senate candidate Kari Lake trails Democratic candidate Ruben Gallego, social users on the right are using the fact that Gallego had more votes than Harris by Friday to cast doubt on the validity of his lead. Meanwhile, turnout numbers are being twisted by both the left and the right to cast doubt on election results. While millions of votes are still being counted, some point to higher turnout in 2020 as evidence that there are 20 million “missing votes.” On the right, some claim this is evidence that 2020 was stolen from Trump; on the left, some say it’s grounds for a recount. But the volume of posts questioning Harris’s loss was nowhere near the “Stop the Steal” efforts that followed Trump’s 2020 election loss, according to both Tompson and Read’s research. No elected officials cast doubt on the outcome the way Trump pushed election denial when he lost in 2020. Harris urged all Americans to accept the results of the election in her concession speech on Wednesday. “A fundamental principle of ********* democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results,” Harris said. “And anyone who seeks the public trust must honor it.” More Julia Ingram Julia Ingram is a data journalist for CBS News Confirmed. She uses data analysis and computation to cover misinformation, AI and social media. Source link #Trumps #victory #clear #online #claims #election #****** #quieted Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

ChatGPT blocked 250,000 image generations of presidential candidates ChatGPT blocked 250,000 image generations of presidential candidates In this photo illustration, the OpenAI logo is displayed on a mobile phone screen with a photo of Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. Didem Mente | Anadolu | Getty Images OpenAI estimates that ChatGPT rejected more than 250,000 requests to generate images of the 2024 U.S. presidential candidates in the lead up to Election Day, the company said in a blog on Friday. The rejections included image-generation requests involving President-elect Donald Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Vice President-elect JD Vance, OpenAI said. The rise of generative artificial intelligence has led to concerns about how misinformation created using the technology could affect the numerous elections taking place around the world in 2024. The number of deepfakes has increased 900% year over year, according to data from Clarity, a machine learning firm. Some included videos that were created or paid for by Russians seeking to disrupt the U.S. elections, U.S. intelligence officials say. In a 54-page October report, OpenAI said it had disrupted “more than 20 operations and deceptive networks from around the world that attempted to use our models.” The threats ranged from AI-generated website articles to social media posts by fake accounts, the company wrote. None of the election-related operations were able to attract “viral engagement,” the report noted. In its Friday blog, OpenAI said it hadn’t seen any evidence that covert operations aiming to influence the outcome of the U.S. election using the company’s products were able to successfully go viral or build “sustained audiences.” Lawmakers have been particularly concerned about misinformation in the age of generative AI, which took off in late 2022 with the launch of ChatGPT. Large language models are still new and routinely ***** out inaccurate and unreliable information. “Voters categorically should not look to AI chatbots for information about voting or the election — there are far too many concerns about accuracy and completeness,” Alexandra Reeve Givens, CEO of the Center for Democracy & Technology, told CNBC last week. WATCH: AI likely to be less regulated and more volatile under second Trump presidency Source link #ChatGPT #blocked #image #generations #presidential #candidates Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Troy Baker didn’t think he was the right fit for Indiana Jones Troy Baker didn’t think he was the right fit for Indiana Jones On December 9, Indiana Jones will get his first video game adaptation in over a decade with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. With over three hours of cinematic cutscenes, multiple tools at players’ disposal, and a globe-spanning adventure, the game is one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year. With the release date approaching and preorders for the game already available, Digital Trends caught up with Executive Producer Todd Howard and Indiana Jones actor Troy Baker to discuss The Great Circle and the wild few years they’ve had with the success of the Fallout and The Last of Us series adaptations. Both talked about the effort and insecurity behind turning an iconic character into a video game hero once again. Like a lot of skeptics, Baker didn’t believe he was cut out for it originally — and neither did Todd Howard. Digital Trends: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle takes place between Raiders of the Lost Ark and Last Crusade, so it focuses on a younger Indy. When you went to make the game, did you get any tips or advice from Harrison Ford or Steven Spielberg about how Indy would move, act, and talk? Howard: They’re aware of the project, but we really used the movies as our guide. We looked at Raiders and said this is the character, this is the time ******* in his life, and these are his mannerisms. Baker: We have 40 years of source material, so there’s a lot to learn from. To prepare for the role, I would wake up every morning and watch some of Raiders, then I’d listen to John Williams’ score, and watch Temple and Crusade. What I found is that Harrison Ford is the auteur of that character, along with Lucas and Spielberg. But the Indy we all know and love is also created by how we all felt watching those movies. My idea of Indy will be a little different from Todd’s, even though we’re watching the same character in the same movie. For me, it’s not just about understanding his mannerisms and movements, it’s about understanding what’s behind it all. That’s what really helped us take the character they created and make our own story for him. Troy Baker stars as Indiana Jones Bethesda/MachineGames I have to say, you did a fantastic job of recreating his voice in the game. Baker: You know, I didn’t originally think I’d be right for the role. Back in 2019, Tom Keegan, a director I’d never worked with before, reached out to my agent and asked if he could call me. He said that they were casting for an Indiana Jones game and he’d like me for the role. I said, “Great I’ll give you two names and one of these two people will be a great fit.” He said, “Thanks, but I like you for this role.” So I agreed to put myself on tape, and I told him that if he thinks it’s good, he can send it on, but if it’s not, then ***** that tape (laughs). He ended up liking my audition and everything culminated in one final Zoom call with everyone, including Todd. And Todd gets on and says, “I didn’t want you in my game.” It was a ***** of a way to start a meeting. Howard: I’ll be honest, when they first said they wanted Troy for the game, I gave an eye roll. I believe my exact line was, “What, Troy Baker’s the guy to solve every lead actor issue in a game now?” (laughs) It just felt like a cop-out in some way. But then Troy’s audition came in, and it was just so good. It wasn’t just the voice, but also the mannerisms. We even did a bunch of ****** tests with Troy and some of the other possible actors, and every time, Troy won. Betheada/MachineGames I’ve already seen some chatter online with people wondering if this will just feel like Uncharted or Tomb Raider … which is ironic since both of those games are heavily inspired by Indiana Jones. Aside from Indy’s character, what would you say to anyone who is worried this will feel too similar to other franchises? Howard: Our game has a lot of cinematics. There’s over three hours of scenes in it, but at its heart, it’s still a game. There’s also certain things that work well for movies and things that work well for video games. Games do geography well and they can put you in a character in ways a movie can’t. It’s a new unique way to experience the franchise. Baker: I also feel like it isn’t a “do you pick up this or that,” I feel like a lot of people will pick up both. When you watch Indy, you want to be there, cracking that whip and solving mysteries, and that’s exactly what this game allows you to do. Bethesada/MachineGames This game is releasing after you’ve both had a pretty massive few years. Todd, you work on Fallout, which just received an acclaimed, Emmy-nominated series adaptation, and Troy, you’re the voice of Joel in The Last of Us, which has had a widely praised Emmy-winning series adaptation. What’s it been like navigating these few years? Howard: For Fallout, it was a long journey. There were a lot of pitches to do Fallout as a movie or TV show, and then I met Jonah Nolan and his crew at Kilter, and it felt like we melded on what this could be. My mode was ‘Don’t treat it like it’s a video game, this is source material for a linear story.’ It’s been great to see so many people experience the world of Fallout who never would have played the game. Baker: I think what led to the success of both Fallout and The Last of Us was that they kept the creators involved. Even if it’s a spiritual connection to the people who brought these franchises into the world, keep them involved and engaged, as opposed to just going, “Yeah, yeah, we get it.” Do you think there are any other games out there that would be perfect to adapt into a movie or TV show? Howard: Indiana Jones, I feel like Indiana Jones would make a good movie (laughs). Baker: Oh yeah, someone should really do that! Source link #Troy #Baker #didnt #fit #Indiana #Jones Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Dell G16 gaming laptop just dropped below $1,000 The Dell G16 gaming laptop just dropped below $1,000 Dell This deal from Dell proves that you don’t need to spend more than $1,000 on gaming laptop deals to walk away with a dependable machine. There are options like the Dell G16-7630. We highly recommend this offer which brings the standard price from $1,250 down to $950. We’re not sure how much time is remaining on this $300 discount, so if you’re interested in this nice gaming laptop under the $1,000 threshold, you better push through with your purchase as soon as possible. It features an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 with 8GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a solid Intel Core i7 processor at up to 4.90 GHz in Turbo. Why you should buy the Dell G16-7630 gaming laptop The Dell G16-7620 is a powerful budget gaming laptop, and its successor, the Dell G16-7630, fits that description even better. For less than $1,000 with Dell’s offer, you’ll get a machine that’s equipped with the 13th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card, and 16GB of RAM that our guide on how much RAM do you need says is the best place to start for gaming. That’s especially true considering this laptop is equipped with DDR5 memory, the fastest on the market right now. The Dell G16-7630 isn’t going to challenge the breakneck speeds of the top-of-the-line models of the best gaming laptops, but it will be enough to enjoy your picks from the best PC games. The screen of the Dell G16-7630 is relatively big and sharp at 16 inches and with QHD+ resolution, and with a 240Hz refresh rate, quick movements on the display will be smooth. The gaming laptop also comes with a 1TB SSD, so you’ll have plenty of space for your favorite titles, and with Windows 11 Home pre-loaded, you can start downloading and installing them right after you unbox this machine. Gamers shouldn’t settle for laptop deals that aren’t designed for gaming if they’re on a tight budget, because there are some nice gaming laptops that you can get for less than $1,000. One of them is the Dell G16-7630, with this configuration featuring the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card available with a $300 discount from Dell that drops its price from $1,250 to only $950. We’re not sure how much time is remaining before this offer expires though, so you’re going to want to secure your own Dell G16-7630 gaming laptop immediately. Source link #Dell #G16 #gaming #laptop #dropped Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pierotti’s first goal for Lecce lifts club off bottom Pierotti’s first goal for Lecce lifts club off bottom Argentine forward Santiago Pierotti scored his first goal for Lecce to help stave off another Serie A defeat with a 1-1 draw against Empoli. Antonio Gallo crossed from the left for the centrally positioned forward to head a late equaliser for the home team. It was Pierotti’s first goal in 22 Serie A appearances since joining Lecce from Argentine club Colón de Santa Fe in January. Lecce started the game bottom of the table after losing five of their previous seven matches, but Friday’s point lifted them above Monza and Venezia before they play Lazio and Parma, respectively. Pietro Pellegri had fired inside the left post from outside the penalty area in the 33rd for Empoli, his second goal in as many games. Pellegri’s goal for the 1-0 win over Como last weekend was his first since his summer switch from Torino. Source link #Pierottis #goal #Lecce #lifts #club #bottom Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nintendo Executives Emphasize Commitment To “New Ideas,” Not “******* Budgets” Nintendo Executives Emphasize Commitment To “New Ideas,” Not “******* Budgets” In a new interview, Nintendo executives stated that they are skeptical of big budgets and want to rely instead on “new ideas.” Nintendo itself conducted the interview as part of its earnings briefing for this fiscal year, which ends March 2025 (you can find the full English translation here). During the interview, various Nintendo executives–including Mario-creator Shigeru Miyamoto–were asked about the company’s recent efforts, such as the launch of Nintendo Music and the announcement of the Switch 2’s backward compatibility. When asked about rising development costs throughout the video game industry, Miyamoto replied that the company wishes to cultivate good ideas and refine games until the developers are confident in what they’ve made. While this does have costs, not all games need to be expensive. Miyamoto said, “it is possible to create appealing products based on intriguing ideas, without incurring significant costs.” Senior executive officer and corporate director Ko Shiota emphasized an efficient development environment. Because developers are already familiar with the Nintendo Switch, the company wishes to “maintain a similar basis for development environments,” according to Shiota. In conclusion, Shiota added, “I believe the most important thing for Nintendo is how we create new ideas. ******* budgets do not necessarily equate to better ideas.” In the same interview, Miyamoto said that he is not a genius. Nintendo also emphasized that it would generally prefer to “organically expand” rather than acquire new companies. News about the Nintendo Switch successor has been scarce, but leaks suggest an official announcement is set for sometime in the next five months. Alleged first images of the Switch successor leaked back in September. Source link #Nintendo #Executives #Emphasize #Commitment #Ideas #******* #Budgets Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Get $50 off a Samsung 1TB SSD with this Best Buy deal Get $50 off a Samsung 1TB SSD with this Best Buy deal Samsung One of the best SSD deals around is available at Best Buy today: You can buy the Samsung 990 Evo 1TB SSD for just $70 meaning, you’re saving $50 off the regular price of $120. That’s a huge saving on something that will be a massive upgrade to your PC, boosting performance speeds compared to a regular hard drive. It also means more room — SSD speeds are a better option than any of the external hard drive deals happening. If that instantly sounds appealing, read on while we take you through all you need to know about this deal. Why you should buy the Samsung 990 Evo 1TB SSD If you’ve read through our SSD buying guide, you’ll know the Samsung 990 Evo 1TB SSD has a ton of potential. It promises read/write speeds of up to 5,000/4,2000 MBps while also being highly energy efficient. That means up to 70% improved performance per watt over the 970 EVO Plus that came before it. It uses Samsung’s fine tuned Smart Thermal Control and heat spreading label to provide effective thermal control so there are no performance drops, circumventing one issue with these kinds of SSDs. The Samsung 990 Evo 1TB SSD is compatible with both PCIe 4.0 x4 and PCIe 5.0 x2, so it’s all good for your future proofing plans. If you’re still unsure about the difference between SSD and HDD, trust us when we say that SSD is faster. Besides the raw performance, the Samsung 990 Evo 1TB SSD also comes with Magician Software for easy updates. Adding to the simplicity, the Samsung 990 Evo 1TB SSD is super easy to install once you open up your PC. It’s hard to pick fault in this, especially at this price. Usually priced at $120, the Samsung 990 Evo 1TB SSD is currently reduced by $50 at Best Buy, down to a bargain price of $70. That’s a budget price for a great, easy upgrade to your PC. Check it out now by tapping the button below to be one step nearer to improving your PC’s performance. It’s a super easy upgrade that will make a big difference to your PC. Source link #Samsung #1TB #SSD #Buy #deal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What to know about the House push to expand some Social Security benefits What to know about the House push to expand some Social Security benefits WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is expected to try next week to pass a Social Security-related bill to ensure benefits for workers who are also eligible for other pensions despite a surprise move by hard-right Freedom Caucus leaders to derail the effort. It’s a quick turnaround to salvage what had been a bipartisan effort to pass the bill during what’s now the lame-duck post-election ******* of the Congress. Here’s what’s going on: WHAT DOES THE BILL DO? The measure that would repeal the so-called “government pensions offset” has been gaining support in the House — a robust 300 lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have signed on to it. The bill summary says the government pensions offset “in various instances reduces Social Security benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers who also receive government pensions of their own.” The bill would repeal that provision and reinstate full Social Security benefits. HOW WAS THE BILL ADVANCING? To force the legislation forward, the sponsors of the bill, *********** Rep. Garrett Graves of Louisiana and Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia used a rarely successful process called a discharge petition. They collected the minimum 218 signatures needed from House lawmakers to dislodge the bill from committee and send it to the floor for a vote. The move is often seem as an affront to House leaders, particularly the House speaker and the majority leader who determine the floor schedule. But Spanberger and Graves — who both did not seek reelection — had little to lose. Besides, Johnson backed the bill before becoming speaker. HOW DID CONSERVATIVES BLOCK IT? Two leaders of the ************* House Freedom Caucus intervened when the rest of Congress was away from Capitol Hill, mostly in home states for Election Day. The Freedom Caucus chairman Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., and former chair Rep. Bob Goode, R-Va., used a routine pro forma session of the House on Tuesday to swiftly table part of the measure. The Freedom Caucus tends to block new spending. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the bill would add some $196 billion to the federal deficit over a decade. Graves said that’s the amount people are missing out on without reinstating full Social Security benefits. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? In tabling the legislation the conservatives actually set back its procedural rule, but not the bill itself. The legislation is expected to move forward with a House vote anyway, possibly in the week ahead. That said, passage will now be tougher, requiring a supermajority threshold rather than a simple majority as had been planned under the rule that the Freedom Caucus leaders turned back. WHO WOULD BENEFIT IF THE BILL PASSES? The summary says the legislation, if approved, would repeal the provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who receive other benefits, such as a pension from a state or local government. It says the bill also eliminates the so-called “windfall elimination provision” that “in some instances reduces Social Security benefits for individuals who also receive a pension or disability benefit from an employer that did not withhold Social Security taxes.” If it passes the House, it’s unclear if the bill has enough support to clear the Senate. But the wide margin in the House indicates potentially broad support. It would then go to President Joe Biden’s desk. If signed into law, the summary says the changes are effective for benefits payable after December 2023. Source link #House #push #expand #Social #Security #benefits Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Part Science, Part Magic: An Illuminating History of Healing With Light Part Science, Part Magic: An Illuminating History of Healing With Light Philippa Martyr/The Conversation For millennia, humans had one obvious and reliable source of light – the Sun – and we knew the Sun was essential for our survival. This might be why ancient religions – such as those in Egypt, Greece, the Middle East, India, Asia, and Central and South America – involved Sun worship. Sun worship – such as to the Greek **** Helios – was common to many cultures. (Neoclassicism Enthusiast/ CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) Early religions were also often tied up with healing. ***** people would turn to the shaman, priest or priestess for help. While ancient peoples used the Sun to heal, this might not be how you think. Since then, we’ve used light to heal in a number of ways. Some you might recognize today, others sound more like magic. From Warming Ointments to Sunbaking There’s not much evidence around today that ancient peoples believed sunlight itself could cure illness. Instead, there’s more evidence they used the warmth of the Sun to heal. The Ebers Papyrus, from ancient Egypt, had recipes for ointments that needed to be warmed by the Sun. (Wellcome Collection) The Ebers Papyrus is an ancient Egyptian medical scroll from around 1500 BC. It contains a recipe for an ointment to “make the sinews […] flexible”. The ointment was made of wine, onion, soot, fruit and the tree extracts frankincense and myrrh. Once it was applied, the person was “put in sunlight”. Other recipes, to treat coughs for example, involved putting ingredients in a vessel and letting it stand in sunlight. This is presumably to warm it up and help it infuse more strongly. The same technique is in the medical writings attributed to Greek physician Hippocrates who lived around 450-380 BC. The physician Aretaeus, who was active around 150 AD in what is now modern Turkey, wrote that sunlight could cure chronic cases of what he called “lethargy” but we’d recognize today as depression: Lethargics are to be ***** in the light, and exposed to the rays of the Sun (for the ******** is gloom); and in a rather warm place, for the cause is a congelation of the innate heat. Classical Islamic scholar Ibn Sina (980-1037 AD) described the health effects of sunbathing (at a time when we didn’t know about the link to skin *******). In Book I of The Canon of Medicine he said the hot Sun helped everything from *********** and asthma to hysteria. He also said the Sun “invigorates the brain” and is beneficial for “clearing the *******”. It was Sometimes Hard to Tell Science from Magic All the ways of curing described so far depend more on the Sun’s heat rather than its light. But what about curing with light itself? ******* mystic and visionary Jakob Lorber believed sunlight cured pretty much anything. (Merkur Pub Co/Biblio) English scientist Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) knew you could “split” sunlight into a rainbow spectrum of colors. This and many other discoveries radically changed ideas about healing in the next 200 years. But as new ideas flourished, it was sometimes hard to tell science from magic. For example, ******* mystic and visionary Jakob Lorber (1800-1864) believed sunlight was the best cure for pretty much anything. His 1851 book The Healing Power of Sunlight was still in print in 1997. Public health reformer Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) also believed in the power of sunlight. In her famous book Notes on Nursing, she said of her patients: second only to their need of fresh air is their need for light […] not only light but direct sunlight. Nightingale also believed sunlight was the natural ****** of bacteria and viruses. She seems at least partially right. Sunlight can ***** some, but not all, bacteria and viruses. Chromotherapy – a way of healing based on colors – emerged in this *******. While some of its supporters claim using ******** light for healing dates back to ancient Egypt, it’s hard to find evidence of this now. The 1878 book The Principles of Light and ****** paved the way for people to heal with different ******** light. (Getty Research Institute/Internet Archive Book Images/Public Domain) Modern chromotherapy owes a lot to the fertile mind of physician Edwin Babbitt (1828-1905) from the ******* States. Babbitt’s 1878 book The Principles of Light and ****** was based on experiments with ******** light and his own visions and clairvoyant insights. It’s still in print. Babbitt invented a portable stained-glass window called the Chromolume, designed to restore the balance of the body’s natural ******** energy. Sitting for set periods under the ******** lights from the window was said to restore your health. The Spectro-Chrome made one entrepreneur a lot of money. (Daderot/CC0) Indian entrepreneur Dinshah Ghadiali (1873-1966) read about this, moved to the US and invented his own instrument, the Spectro-Chrome, in 1920. The theory behind the Spectro-Chrome was that the human body was made up of four elements – oxygen (blue), hydrogen (red), nitrogen (green) and carbon (yellow). When these colors were out of balance, it caused sickness. Some hour-long sessions with the Spectro-Chrome would restore balance and health. By using its green light, for example, you could reportedly aid your pituitary ******, while yellow light helped your digestion. By 1946 Ghadiali had made around a million dollars from sales of this device in the US. And Today? While some of these treatments sound bizarre, we now know certain ******** lights treat some illnesses and disorders. Phototherapy with blue light is used to treat newborn ******* with jaundice in hospital. People with seasonal affective disorder (sometimes known as winter depression) can be treated with regular exposure to white or blue light. And ultraviolet light is used to treat skin conditions, such as psoriasis. Today, light therapy has even found its way into the beauty industry. LED face masks, with celebrity endorsements, promise to ****** acne and reduce signs of ageing. But like all forms of light, exposure to it has both risks and benefits. In the case of these LED face masks, they could disrupt your sleep. Top image: Person bathing themselves in sunlight, AI representation of sun healing. Source: vxnaghiyev/Adobe Stock The article ‘Part Science, Part Magic: An Illuminating History of Healing With Light’ by Philippa Martyr was originally published on The Conversation and has been republished under a Creative Commons license. Source link #Part #Science #Part #Magic #Illuminating #History #Healing #Light Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

All Pokémon TCG Pocket Secret Missions, Rewards & How to Complete All Pokémon TCG Pocket Secret Missions, Rewards & How to Complete Pokémon TCG Pocket encourages you to open packs, perform Wonder Picks, battle the AI and real-life opponents, and complete Missions. The latter is very interesting as Pokémon Pocket has unadvertised Secret Missions—but we know what they are and what they reward you with. I don’t know what it is, but knowing a secret most people don’t is invigorating. It doesn’t make you feel special, but it’s cool having exclusive knowledge unknown to anyone else. Most of Pokémon TCG Pocket’s mechanics and functions are out in the open—even the famous Bent Pack Trick—but the community is largely in the dark about Secret Missions. Daily Missions and Premium Missions are all well and good, but if you didn’t know, Pokémon TCG Pocket has several Secret Missions that take weeks to complete. How Many Secret Missions Does Pokémon TCG Pocket Have? Secrets no more. Credit to The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Pocket has seven Secret Missions for you to chase, and believe me when I say—it could take you a long time to even finish one of them. Depending on your propensity to procure Poké Gold, it’s conceivable that weeks pass before you tick off any of the missions. Each Secret Mission revolves around collecting cards in the Genetic Apex set. It’s entirely feasible more missions are added in Pokémon TCG Pocket’s next expansions, but for now, let’s concentrate on the initial Secret Missions. Every Pokémon TCG Pocket Secret Mission & Rewards To complete every Secret Mission in Pokémon TCG Pocket, you need to own every card in the Genetic Apex set. This is a brutal proposition as this requires a ton of luck, time investment, and probably money. Without further ado, check out the list in full, their requirements, and your luxurious rewards for managing each impressive feat. Secret Mission Name Mission Requirements Mission Rewards Complete the Kanto Pokedex! Complete the Kanto Pokedex by collecting all 151 Kanto region Pokemon cards. Mew Genetic Apex Museum 1 (Charizard) Collect full art cards of Gloom, Pinsir, Charmander, Rapidash, Lapras, Alakazam, Slowpoke, and Meowth. x36 Wonder Hourglass x12 Pack Hourglass x10 Shop Tickets Genetic Apex Museum 2 (Mewtwo) Collect full art cards of Bulbasaur, Cubone, Golbat, Weezing, Dragonite, Pidgeot, Ditto, and Porygon. x36 Wonder Hourglass x12 Pack Hourglass x10 Shop Tickets Genetic Apex Museum 3 (Pikachu) Collect full art cards of Squirtle, Gyarados, Electrode, Diglett, Nidoqueen, Nidoking, Eevee, and Snorlax. x36 Wonder Hourglass x12 Pack Hourglass x10 Shop Tickets The Gym Leaders of the Kanto Region 2 Collect full art cards of Brock, Misty, Lt. Surge, Erika, Koga, Sabrina, Blaine, and Giovanni. x48 Wonder Hourglass x12 Pack Hourglass x12 Shop Tickets The Immersive 4 Collect full art cards of Charizard Ex, Pikachu Ex, Mewtwo Ex, and Mew. x48 Wonder Hourglass x12 Pack Hourglass x20 Shop Tickets The Legendary Flight Continues Collect full art cards of Articuno Ex, Zapdos Ex, and Moltres Ex. x48 Wonder Hourglass x12 Pack Hourglass x20 Shop Tickets As you can see, these missions must be swiftly cleared. You get some of Pokémon TCG Pocket’s best cards, but you also get much-needed consumables: Hourglasses and Shop Tickets. I hope this guide helps, and if you enjoyed it, check out more Pokémon TCG Pocket tips: How to get the Promo 10 Mewtwo Card and how to get free packs. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Pokémon #TCG #Pocket #Secret #Missions #Rewards #Complete Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Millions of Aussies to endure ‘abnormally hot’ severe heatwave as storms set to batter east coast of NSW, Qld Millions of Aussies to endure ‘abnormally hot’ severe heatwave as storms set to batter east coast of NSW, Qld Millions of Aussies are bracing for unrelenting heatwave conditions over the coming week, with the east coast set to be battered by storms of up to 30mm over the weekend. A hot air mass over the country’s north caused temperatures to exceed 45C at six separate locations in Western Australia, Queensland and NSW – getting as high as 45.9C at Roebourne in WA’s Pilbara region. The “abnormally hot” temperatures are set to remain elevated amid a three-day heatwave warning for parts of Queensland. The severe heatwave warning, issued by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), covers the Peninsula, Gulf Country, Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders, Central Highlands and Coalfields, Central West, North West, Maranoa and Warrego, Darling Downs and Granite Belt, Wide Bay and Burnett and Southeast Coast forecast districts. Maximum temperatures are forecast to hit the high 30s to low 40s, the BOM’s warning states. Camera IconA hot air mass over the country’s north is causing temperatures to soar above 45C across multiple locations in Western Australia, Queensland and NSW. Supplied / Weatherzone Credit: News Corp Australia Overnight, the mercury will only dip to the mid-to-high 20s, “tending mid-teens to low 20s in the southeast districts”. Brisbane is forecast to hit maximum temperatures of 30C over Saturday and Sunday. According to Weatherzone, the heatwave gripping the three states is “abnormally hot” for the month of November. “In the Pilbara, Onslow Airport’s running average maximum temperature for the first week of November was 39.4C, which is 5C above the long-term average,” a Weatherzone spokesman said. The soaring heat in the eastern states could be tempered by a trough and low pressure system developing over the weekend, which is forecast to dump falls between 10-30mm over northeast NSW and southeast Queensland. The cloud cover will develop over late Saturday morning and spread in the afternoon. Thunderstorms are forecast to bring damaging winds, lightning strikes, and hail, which may also cause flash flooding over the Wide Bay and Burnett, southern Central Highlands and Coalfields and eastern Maranoa and Warrego districts. Camera IconA three-day heatwave has been issued for multiple regions across Queensland, extending into the NT. Supplied / BOM Credit: SuppliedCamera IconThe heatwave warning was continued from Friday. Supplied / BOM Credit: Supplied In NSW, the warning has been extended to the Northern Rivers and Northern Tablelands regions. On Friday, a combination of gusty winds and 30C temperatures resulted in a total ***** ban for the greater Sydney region. A grassfire which broke out at Sydney Airport as a result of an engine ******** was exacerbated by the unfavourable conditions. Melbourne is tipped to reach just 21C over the weekend while Adelaide is expected to remain cloudy with temperatures as high as 26C Canberra is forecast for a maximum of 27C over the weekend, Perth 26C after storms on Friday, Hobart 19C and sunny, and Darwin a steady 35C . Camera IconQueensland and NSW are also set to be battered with storms over the weekend. Pictured is the GFS Thunderstorm Risk and ECMWF Accumulating Precipitation on Sunday. Supplied / Weatherzone Credit: Supplied The months from April to October were Australia’s third warmest on record – behind 2013 and 2005 in the Bureau of Meteorology’s 115-year data set. Sky News meteorologist Rob Sharpe predicts November and December could experience extra rain and warmer-than-usual weather. “There were few significant climate influences for the seven-month stretch, with El Nino officially ending as the season began,” he said. Australia is seeing less rainfall than it is used to in the cool season – with this reduction most pronounced in the southern half of the country. “northern Australia’s ‘dry season’ rainfall has remained quite steady with a marginal rise in this statistic,” Mr Sharpe said. “Therefore, when looking at the map from the most recent seven months it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see the red shading mainly in the south and the blues in the north.” Camera IconThe capital cities could see rain throughout the day. NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui Credit: News Corp Australia Source link #Millions #Aussies #endure #abnormally #hot #severe #heatwave #storms #set #batter #east #coast #NSW #Qld Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ridiculous Red ***** Redemption 2 mod turbo-charges horses and wagons just like GTA’s ‘Fast Traffic’ Ridiculous Red ***** Redemption 2 mod turbo-charges horses and wagons just like GTA’s ‘Fast Traffic’ VGChartz’s Mark Nielsen: “This time we’re saddling up for a look at Red ***** Redemption II, one of the biggest critical and commercial successes of the last ten years. It conveniently went completely under my radar, allowing me to look at it now. I was ten years late to the first game, this time it’s only six, so at this rate I’ll definitely be playing Red ***** Redemption IV on launch day. I’m looking forward to that, but for now let’s see how the second game fares in 2024.” Source link #Ridiculous #Red #***** #Redemption #mod #turbocharges #horses #wagons #GTAs #Fast #Traffic Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mississippi Senate paid ****** attorney less than white ones, US Justice Department says Mississippi Senate paid ****** attorney less than white ones, US Justice Department says JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi Senate discriminated against a ****** attorney by paying her about half of what her white colleagues were paid for doing the same job, the U.S. Justice Department says in a lawsuit it filed Friday. “Discriminatory employment practices, like paying a ****** employee less than their white colleagues for the same work, are not only unfair, they are unlawful,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Kristie Metcalfe worked as a staff attorney for the Mississippi Senate’s Legislative Services Office from December 2011 to November 2019. Attorneys for the nonpartisan office write bills and handle other legal questions for the 52 senators. Many of them stay on the job for decades. The Senate office employed only white attorneys for at least 34 years before Metcalfe was hired, and she was the only ****** attorney on staff during her time there, the lawsuit said. Metcalfe’s starting salary was $55,000, while other Senate staff attorneys were paid $95,550 to $121,800, according to the lawsuit. The other attorneys received pay raises about a month after Metcalfe was hired, making their salary range $114,000 to $136,416. Metcalfe did not receive a raise then. The current governor, *********** Tate Reeves, presided over the Senate as lieutenant governor from January 2012 until January 2020 — most of the time Metcalfe worked for the Senate. The Associated Press sought comment about the lawsuit Friday from Reeves and current Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who is also a ***********. “We do not comment on pending litigation,” said the current secretary of the Senate, Amanda Frusha White, who works for Hosemann. Metcalfe’s salary remained $40,000 to $60,000 less than her lowest-paid white colleague during her years on the job, the lawsuit said. It also said the Senate hired another attorney, a white man, in December 2018 and set his salary at $101,500, which was $24,335 more than Metcalfe was being paid at the time. Metcalfe and the new attorney both had eight years’ experience practicing law, although the new attorney had not yet worked for the Legislature. They were assigned the same types of work for the Senate, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit said Metcalfe complained about the pay disparity to with then-Sen. Terry Burton, a ***********. As the Senate president pro tempore, Burton was chairman of the Rules Committee, which sets staff salaries. He denied Metcalfe’s request to equalize her salary with that of her new colleague, the lawsuit said. She resigned about 11 months later. Source link #Mississippi #Senate #paid #****** #attorney #white #Justice #Department Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The best Christmas gifts for everyone on your 2024 holiday list The best Christmas gifts for everyone on your 2024 holiday list This time of year has a lot of merry and bright things to be excited about, but it can be stressful if you’re stumped on what to get your mom, dad, best friend, coworker or kids’ teacher as a holiday gift. Whether you enjoy or dread buying gifts for people, it’s safe to say we all want to give our loved ones things they will enjoy and appreciate. But there’s a lot of noise, junk and bad deals disguised as good deals to sift through as we get closer and closer to the holidays. Allow us at Engadget to help you through it. Here, you’ll find all of our holiday gift guides collected in one place, so you can more easily find the best Christmas gifts you need this year. Are you looking for white elephant gift ideas? Are you struggling to come up with a good gift for the father figure in your life? Are you just looking for a good board game to pick up for your own family? We’ve got you covered with gift ideas for all of those scenarios and more. We’ll update this post as more of our gift guides hit the internet, so check back for even more gift ideas throughout the season. Table of contents Best white elephant gift ideas According to legend, the King of Siam would give a white elephant to courtiers who had upset them. The recipient had no choice but to simply thank the king for such an opulent gift, knowing that they likely could not afford the upkeep for such an animal. It would inevitably lead them to financial ruin. This story is almost certainly untrue, but it has led to a modern holiday staple: the white elephant gift exchange. These gift ideas will not only get you a few chuckles, but will also make your recipient feel (slightly) burdened. Read more: The best white elephant gift ideas Best board game gifts We could all use more time away from screens of all types and sizes, and board games are a fun way to do that and bond with friends and family. You can find plenty of unique sets out there now, from word puzzles to whodunnits to calming playthroughs that showcase the beauty of the little things in life. From games with giant monsters to those with haunted mansions, we’re sure at least one of our suggestions will be a hit with you and your loved ones. Read more: The best board games to gift this season Best retro gaming gifts A million new video games seem to come out every week, but for some of us, nothing beats the classics. If you know someone who is way into retro gaming but don’t feel like hunting through eBay and local shops for gear to add to their collection, we’re here to help. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite gift ideas for the nostalgic gamer in your life, from video upscalers for old consoles to retro-themed books and artwork. Read more: The best retro gaming gifts for the holidays Best gifts for coffee lovers When it comes to making a great cup at home, coffee nerds are constantly learning and love to try new things. Whether the person you’re shopping for is a newly indoctrinated pour over lover or obsessive over every brewing parameter, we’ve compiled a list of the best gear for coffee geeks that you can get this holiday season. Read more: The best gifts for coffee lovers Best cooking gifts There are few things more rewarding than making good food for your friends and family. But after a while, it’s easy to get bored with the same tried and true recipes. And what better way to inject some fun into your favorite home chef’s routine than with a brand-new kitchen gadget? To help you find the right gift for the cook in your life, we’ve put together a list of our favorite kitchen gadgets across a wide range of prices and categories. Read more: The best cooking gifts Best tech toys for kids We’re all having a bit of a budget crunch this year, but the good news is that when it’s time to bestow presents on the young ones (or young at heart), you don’t have to break the bank. Our list of our favorite tech, science and design toys is stacked with items under $100, with plenty of reuse packed in so the fun can extend far beyond the holiday season. Read more: The best tech toys for kids Best gadgets for your pets In Engadget’s Slack rooms, our pets are high on the list of stuff we chat about — just behind work-adjacent tech stuff, insane current events, video games and food. We’ve bought plenty of high- and low-tech stuff to keep our furry friends fed, occupied, safe and happy and we’ve put together the best of what we tried here. Perhaps you’re shopping for your own very good boy or girl, or maybe you have a dutiful **** parent on your list — either way, the gadgets gathered here will make great gifts, according to the enthusiastic tail wags (or aloof meows) of our own fur *******. Read more: The best gadgets for your pets Check out the rest of our gift ideas here. Source link #Christmas #gifts #holiday #list Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Moment car explodes on quiet New York street Moment car explodes on quiet New York street Surveillance video shows the moment a car exploded on a quiet residential street in Queens, New York. The blast smashed windows of five homes and five cars but caused no injuries. Division 13 New York ***** Department Deputy Chief George Healy said a pressurised cylinder being stored in the car experienced a ******** but that the cause of the ********** ******** under investigation. Mr Healy added it is unlikely there was foul play involved. Source link #Moment #car #explodes #quiet #York #street Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

CoD: ****** Ops 6 Patch Notes Detail New 10v10 Playlists And Another Recon Combat Specialty Nerf CoD: ****** Ops 6 Patch Notes Detail New 10v10 Playlists And Another Recon Combat Specialty Nerf A small update arrived to Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 on November 8, and the patch notes include several fixes across multiplayer and Zombies, as well as another nerf to the game’s overpowered Recon Combat Specialty bonus. A playlist update also adds larger and more chaotic player counts for multiplayer matches. ****** Ops 6’s Recon Combat Specialty bonus basically gives players wallhacks for a brief time after respawning, highlighting ****** players on the map in red. This was a really overpowered feature at launch, but a recent update nerfed the time down from 2 to 1.5 seconds. Unfortunately, that still wasn’t impactful enough, so now Treyarch has further reduced the highlighted duration down to just 1 second. You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos. 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 Now Playing: Call of Duty: Warzone – Official Area 99 Launch Trailer Treyarch has resolved issues with XP earn rates. This includes an issue where the match bonus was being improperly scaled across game modes, and an error that caused match bonuses to not always be awarded in Search and ********. Additionally, the update refreshes the multiplayer playlists for ****** Ops 6. Stakeout 24/7 is added into the rotation. There’s also a new 10v10 Moshpit playlist, which features a mix of Team Deathmatch, Domination, ***** Confirmed, and Hardpoint on the game’s standard 6v6 maps. For Zombies, the update patched an exploit that allowed certain field upgrade Augment effects to persist beyond their intended duration, and another that previously allowed players to launch tactical rafts into the air on Terminus. The full patch notes can be found below, as shared by Activision. Season 1 arrives to ****** Ops 6 and Warzone on November 14. Here are all the major highlights for the update, including new multiplayer maps, 7 DLC weapons, another Zombies map, and ****** Ops 6’s integration into Warzone. MULTIPLAYER Maps Lowtown Addressed an issue where players could get outside of the intended playspace on Lowtown. Featured Playlists Stakeout 24/7 10v10 Moshpit Maps: Red Card, Rewind, Vault, Vorkuta, Lowtown, Derelict, Skyline, Scud, Nuketown Modes: TDM, Domination, ***** Confirmed, Hardpoint These Featured Playlists are scheduled to go live at 10 AM PT which is after the publication of these notes. Perks Recon Combat Specialty Further reduced the duration that enemies are highlighted after respawning from 1.5 to 1 seconds. We will continue to monitor data and feedback on Combat Specialties throughout post-launch. XP Earn Rates Resolved an issue where match bonus was being improperly scaled across game modes. Resolved an issue where match bonus was not consistently being awarded in Search and ********. Challenges Removed the “Get 50 Eliminations using Weapons with no Attachments” Daily Challenge. Stability Added various stability fixes. ZOMBIES Weapons Resolved an issue where weapons with a default scope would show an extra attachment pip when viewed in game. Gunsmith Resolved an issue where the players Multiplayer Loadout would be present when previewing their Zombies Loadout. Field Upgrades Closed an exploit that allowed certain Field Upgrade Augment effects to persist beyond their intended duration. Vehicles Closed an exploit that allowed players to launch Tactical Rafts into the air on Terminus. Stability Added various stability fixes. Source link #CoD #****** #Ops #Patch #Notes #Detail #10v10 #Playlists #Recon #Combat #Specialty #Nerf Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

President Elect Donald Trump Fills Top Roles as Republicans Set to Win Senate and House President Elect Donald Trump Fills Top Roles as Republicans Set to Win Senate and House Just three days after Election Day, the transition is already underway for President-elect Donald Trump’s second term. The new administration is moving swiftly to fill top roles, while Republicans are on track to take control of both chambers of Congress. After securing his historic second White House term as the 47th president, Trump’s team is looking ahead to day-one priorities, including carrying out his campaign promise to deport an estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants and rescind any of the Biden’s administration policies that expanded opportunities for migrants to live and work in the U.S. The President-elect is also already starting to fill out his administration. New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is said to be the administration’s top candidate for U.S. Ambassador to the ******* Nations. However, no official decision has been made. Women are among the first names to fill administration roles including the appointment of Susie Wiles. Trump’s campaign manager will serve as the White House Chief of Staff. Wiles, the daughter of football legend Pat Summerall, is the first woman to hold the influential role. There’s quite the shake-up in Washington D.C., from the Oval Office to Capitol Hill. The latest election results appear to put House and Senate Republicans on track to control both chambers of Congress next year. The GOP carrying the Senate with 53 seats following a major upset out of Pennsylvania. *********** David McCormick flipped Democratic incumbent Bob Casey’s seat. Like Trump and Republicans across the map, McCormick significantly erased Democratic support. Meanwhile, lawmakers in other states are prepared to challenge the new Trump administration. “As attorney general, I will continue to use the full force of the law, the full authority of my office to address injustice, to stand up for all people, especially those who have been long overlooked and undervalued, to safeguard reproductive rights,” said Rob Banta, California’s Attorney General. California Governor Gavin Newsom echoed the Attorney General calling for a special session of the state legislature to help fund potential legal challenges to Trump policies affecting women’s rights, immigration, and climate. The governors of Illinois and New York are making similar pledges to defend their states against Trump’s second-term policies they deem harmful. The president-elect’s new mass deportation plan, according to some estimates, could cost upwards of $88 billion a year. Mr. Trump dismissed those price concerns in an interview with NBC News saying, “There is no price tag to safety.” Source link #President #Elect #Donald #Trump #Fills #Top #Roles #Republicans #Set #Win #Senate #House Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Earn More Money in Planet Coaster 2 and Expand Your Horizons Earn More Money in Planet Coaster 2 and Expand Your Horizons You need money. We all need money, but we’ll have to settle for virtual cash in a game like Planet Coaster 2. At least in that world, you have total control and can plop down an entire roller coaster in your backyard. I tried that once, and the city sent a zoning expert to shut everything down. Anyway, you can earn more money in Planet Coaster 2, and I’d like to help your amusement park flourish with a few tips! Best Ways to Make More Money in Planet Coaster 2 Without a constant and ever-growing source of income, you can’t reinvest in your park to open additional rides, like rollercoasters and carousels, or expand your offerings to the new waterpark mechanics. But earning more money in Planet Coaster 2 is easier said than done, right? Nope, here are a few tips: Lower the Entry Fee to Free Screenshot by Insider Gaming First and foremost, open up your Park Management screen. It’s the top-most icon on the top left-hand side of the screen. Here, you can alter your Park Options, including the price of admission for the various ticket and pass types in the game. Here, I recommend lowering your entry tickets to $0.00. That’s right; allow everyone free entry to your for-profit amusement park. Doing so will entice more visitors to check out your park, where you stand to make money. With the ticket prices free, people can spend more on drinks, food, merchandise, and the rides themselves. Jack up those prices, baby! Add Scenery to Rides Screenshot by Insider Gaming Don’t forget about the scenery as you expand your park, plopping down a new ride or two along your most recent expansion. It’s easy to ignore scenery, as everything little bit costs money. It’ll feel as if you’re hemorrhaging money initially. But trust me when I tell you it’s an investment with long-term gains. The scenery in Planet Coaster 2 directly increases ride and park appeal, which increases the Prestige of your attractions. As appeal and Prestige increase, so does guest happiness. They’ll spend more time at your park, riding the rides and buying merchandise, making you money. Relax! Screenshot by Insider Gaming I like to watch whatever show I’m binging while playing a game like Planet Coaster 2. Inevitably, you still encounter slow periods of gameplay where it’s often best to sit back and relax. For instance, once you’re profitable, with a handful of rides and attractions bringing in customers, speed up the game and chill. Now’s a good time to catch up on Reddit, read a chapter in your book, or catch a few moments of your favorite show while your park works in the background, constantly ticking up those dollar signs with every passing second. Would you like to share a few Planet Coaster 2 tips and tricks with us? Comment below, or visit our community forum to discuss Frontier Developments and its games! If you’ve yet to try the game, there’s a good chance it’s because you’re waiting to hear about Planet Coaster 2 on Game Pass, right? Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Earn #Money #Planet #Coaster #Expand #Horizons Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Intel’s Battlemage might beat Nvidia and AMD to the punch Intel’s Battlemage might beat Nvidia and AMD to the punch Out of all the GPU news we’ve been getting in the last few weeks, information about Intel Arc Battlemage has been pretty scarce, Now, it appears that Intel might still surprise us. According to a new *****, Intel’s next-gen desktop GPUs might join the ranks of the best graphics cards as early as next month. Launching in December would certainly give Intel an unexpected edge over AMD and Nvidia, and it’s an edge that it could really use right now. As always with these types of leaks, we’re working with a vague message and reading into it to try and figure out what’s going on. In this instance, the gossip comes from Golden Pig Upgrade Pack on Weibo, a user with a pretty good reputation. The leaker shared that they were “looking forward to the wonderful performance of Battlemage next month.” There’s also a clarification in there that adds that they’re talking about the desktop version, which is important, as Battlemage architecture has already made an appearance in Intel’s Lunar Lake processors. This time, we’re talking about the desktop versions, and Intel has been pretty quiet where those are concerned. Golden Pig Upgrade Pack / Weibo Two key takeaways from that cryptic message are that Intel might launch Battlemage in December — which is a whole lot sooner than expected at this point — and that these GPUs will offer “wonderful performance.” Let’s unpack both claims. Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming For starters, the release date for Battlemage has been uncertain until now. Early this year, Intel’s Tom Petersen said he hoped we might hear more about Battlemage before CES 2025. However, after a quiet year with few updates, leakers adjusted their expectations for all three GPU manufacturers. Nvidia and AMD are now both said to launch their respective next-gen RTX 50-series and RDNA 4 graphics cards at CES 2025 in January, and most leakers expected Intel to do the same. If Intel manages to surprise us all and release Battlemage in December, it’ll be good news for Team Blue. For starters, when faced with next-gen competition, Battlemage might struggle to compete, but against current-gen counterparts, the difference won’t be as big. The holiday season is also a good time to sell new graphics cards, so if Intel can snag some of those sales, that would give Battlemage an early boost. The performance claim is just as interesting to me as the release date speculation. For months, leakers have been indicating that Intel might be aiming for the mainstream segment with Battlemage, and that the most high-end version of the GPU has been canceled. A recent benchmark showed an unnamed Battlemage GPU with just 20 Xe cores, which is lower than the last-gen flagship Arc A770. Will Intel deliver more competitive performance with Battlemage after all? Remember not to take any of the above at face value, as all of this is just speculation until Intel announces Battlemage. However, if the ***** proves to be true, Intel might get a chance to launch its next-gen cards a month or two before AMD and Nvidia. Source link #Intels #Battlemage #beat #Nvidia #AMD #punch Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Man thrown lifeline backs whistleblower in court battle Man thrown lifeline backs whistleblower in court battle A former tax official who blew the lid on heavy-handed debt recovery tactics has suffered a major legal ***** in his ****** for whistleblower protection. Source link #Man #thrown #lifeline #backs #whistleblower #court #battle Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

***** Sells Humankind Developer Amplitude, Completes Restructuring of ********* Business ***** Sells Humankind Developer Amplitude, Completes Restructuring of ********* Business ***** announced today that it has sold the Paris-based developer Amplitude Studios, developer of Humankind and Endless Dungeon. Source link #***** #Sells #Humankind #Developer #Amplitude #Completes #Restructuring #********* #Business Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ireland 13-23 New Zealand: All ******* end Ireland’s 19-game unbeaten home run Ireland 13-23 New Zealand: All ******* end Ireland’s 19-game unbeaten home run Ireland: Keenan; Hansen, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe; Crowley, Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Bealham; McCarthy, Ryan; Beirne, Van der Flier, Doris (capt). Replacements: Herring, Healy, O’Toole, Henderson, O’Mahony, Murray, Frawley, Osborne. New Zealand: Jordan; Tele’a, Ioane, J Barrett, Clarke; McKenzie, Ratima; Williams, Aumua, Lomax, S Barrett (capt), Vaa’i, Sititi, Cane, Savea. Replacements: Bell, Tu’ungafasi, Tosi, Tuipulotu, Finau, Roigard, Leinert-Brown, Stephen Perofeta. Sin-bin: J Barrett (39) Referee: Nic Berry (Australia) Source link #Ireland #Zealand #******* #Irelands #19game #unbeaten #home #run Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The voice of AOL’s ‘You’ve got mail!’ has ***** at 74 The voice of AOL’s ‘You’ve got mail!’ has ***** at 74 If you’re at least in your mid-30s (give or take), you know the voice of Elwood Edwards, realize it or not. He recorded the phrase, “You’ve got mail!” and three other lines for Quantum Computer Services in 1989. That company later rebranded to America Online, and the rest is early internet history. Edwards ***** on Tuesday. WKYC first reported (via Variety) that Edwards passed away one day before what would have been his 75th birthday. He was a longtime off-camera presence at the Cleveland TV station, working as a graphic designer, camera operator and jack-of-all-trades employee. His wife, Karen Edwards, worked at Quantum when she heard the company’s then-CEO talking about needing a voice for the software that would soon bombard mailboxes across the US. “So, she volunteered my voice,” Edwards said in a 2012 video. “And on a cassette deck in my living room, I recorded the phrases that you’ve come to know.” He was paid a grand total of $200 for his voiceover work. The new-message catchphrase, recorded in Edwards’ calm and welcoming voice, became a cultural phenomenon in AOL’s ‘90s and early 2000s heyday. Of course, that included inspiring the 1998 Nora Ephron rom-com’s title. Edwards also contributed three (lesser known but still remembered by many) AOL sayings: “Welcome,” “File’s done” and “Goodbye.” In the 2012 video, he’s depicted getting hounded by various employees, prompting him to say the thing. (AOL is currently owned by Yahoo, Engadget’s parent company.) “So, that’s the story behind the catchphrase,” he said in the clip, “which, well, I have a certain amount of trouble trying to escape.” Source link #voice #AOLs #Youve #mail #***** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Data center cooling systems and technologies and how they work Data center cooling systems and technologies and how they work One of the most vital tasks for any data center is environmental monitoring and management. High temperatures and humidity levels can damage IT equipment, causing them to fail. Such conditions can also lead to uncomfortable conditions for personnel working inside the data center. Fortunately, many systems and technologies can help monitor and manage data center cooling to keep temperatures and humidity levels in the optimal range. What is data center cooling? Data centers use a lot of power, which translates into heat. The more equipment packed into a facility, the greater the heat generated. The term data center cooling refers to the collective equipment, tools, systems, techniques and processes that ensure ideal temperatures and humidity levels within a data center facility. Proper data center cooling ensures an entire facility has enough cooling, ventilation and humidity control to keep all equipment within desired temperature ranges. Why is data center cooling important? High temperatures and humidity levels are undesirable conditions for IT and electrical equipment. Most IT devices and equipment produce heat and need to get rid of it quickly so their performance isn’t affected. Excess heat and humidity can damage devices and equipment, causing them to malfunction and stop working. Damaged equipment can lead to the risk of ***** and other safety issues. These risks increase operational costs, as equipment must be repaired or replaced more frequently. As most data centers run Class A1 and A2 equipment, facility managers must ensure their cooling systems are up to the task. This need to buy additional or up-to-date equipment to keep up with cooling requirements explains why experts predicted the global cooling market will grow by nearly 14% annually, with the U.S. cooling market reaching $8.24 billion in spending within the next four years. How does data center cooling work? Data center cooling removes excess heat from the air and replaces it with cooler air. This is typically done in one of several ways: Venting hot air outside and bringing outside air in, cooling it and circulating it in the facility. Recycling internal air by cooling it, usually through a hot and cold aisle design to maximize cooling efficiency. Venting hot air outside and then drawing pre-chilled outside air into the facility to cool it down. This approach is known as free cooling, and it only works for facilities in colder climates. Cooling or heating the facility to the highest recommended temperature and replacing equipment once it fails. Using this so-called heat cooling or close-coupled cooling method can be cheaper, as other cooling methods might cost significantly more than equipment replacement costs. Current data center cooling systems and technologies Air cooling and liquid cooling are two of the most popular types of data center cooling. Air cooling This cooling method is ideal for smaller or older data centers that combine raised floors with hot and cold aisle designs. When the computer room AC (CRAC) unit or computer room air handler (CRAH) sends out cold air, the pressure below the raised floor increases and sends the cold air into the equipment inlets. The cold air displaces the hot air, which is then returned to the CRAC or CRAH, where it’s cooled and recirculated. Hot and cold air aisles increase the efficiency of air-based cooling systems by enabling more targeted placement of intake and exhaust vents. This prevents hot and cold air mixing so the cooling CRAC or CRAH can work more efficiently. Also, a CRAH is more efficient than a CRAC, as it draws outside air in and cools it using chilled water instead of refrigerant. A CRAC functions like a residential AC unit that uses refrigerants to cool the air. CRAC units are more appropriate for small data center closets because they can’t keep up with enterprise-level data centers. Hot and cold aisle layouts In this layout, server cabinets and racks are arranged in a row pattern, with each row facing the opposite direction to the one in front of it. This equipment configuration has cold intake and hot air vents facing each other, creating alternating aisles of hot and cold air. CRAHs in each aisle either vent or pump in air so the cooling system works efficiently. Hot air is vented from the hot aisle, and cool air is pumped through the cold aisle. Doors and walls can be added to the layout to further direct airflow. Cabinets should be as full as possible to avoid empty spaces, gaps and cable openings that can ***** hot or cold air into the opposite aisle, causing the cooling system to work overtime. This diagram illustrates how hot and cold air circulates to maintain optimal temperature levels in the data center. Liquid cooling A relatively newer technology is liquid cooling. It’s a more efficient and cost-effective cooling system because it can be installed on data center devices that need it the most. Liquid is more efficient than air at transferring heat away from emitting sources. It can also support greater equipment densities and items that generate higher-than-average heat, such as high-density and edge-computing data centers. There are two main types of liquid cooling: Liquid immersion cooling. This method places the entire electrical device into dielectric fluid in a closed system. The fluid absorbs the heat emitted by the device, turns it into vapor and condenses it, helping the device to cool down. Direct-to-chip liquid cooling. This method uses flexible tubes to bring nonflammable dielectric fluid directly to the processing chip or motherboard component generating the most heat, such as the CPU or GPU. The fluid absorbs the heat by turning it into vapor, which carries the heat out of the equipment through the same tube. Importance of energy efficiency in data center cooling Cooling systems should be part of a data center’s overall energy-efficiency strategy. According to the latest stats, these systems typically consume a significant amount of the facility’s energy consumption — up to 33%. And with most facilities spending 50% of their operating expenses on energy bills, cooling is a good place to focus efficiency improvements. Ensuring a state of good repair of the facility infrastructure, such as HVAC and power systems, is a good first start. Next, operators can look at the IT hardware they use to confirm it’s always working optimally. Replacement and sunsetting processes can help by introducing more modern, efficient technologies as needed. Exploring new cooling technologies is another way to manage energy efficiency. New and evolved technologies, such as free cooling and liquid cooling systems, can greatly reduce cooling needs and increase energy consumption efficiency across the facility. Data centers are using technology such as energy-efficient HVAC systems and equipment racks with cooling systems to manage energy consumption. Future data center cooling systems and technologies Although liquid cooling is still relatively new, other data center cooling technologies are on the horizon, such as geothermal cooling methods, smart technologies that use AI and machine learning to better monitor and manage cooling, and evaporative cooling. Using nature to cool data centers Here are some ways data centers can use nature to cool their facilities: Geothermal cooling uses the near-constant temperature of the Earth below surface level to provide cooling. It’s a centuries-old idea, once used to keep food cold, adapted to our modern era. In data centers, geothermal cooling uses a closed-loop pipe system with water or another coolant that runs through vertical wells underground, filled with a heat-transferring liquid. Iron Mountain’s western Pennsylvania data center, Verne Global in Iceland and Green Mountain in Norway use geothermal cooling for their data centers. Evaporative cooling, or swamp cooling, takes advantage of the drop in temperature that occurs when water is exposed to moving air and begins to vaporize and change to a gas. A fan draws warm data center air through a water- or coolant-moistened pad, and as the liquid evaporates, the air is chilled and pushed back into the data center. It can cost a fraction of an air-cooled HVAC system and works best in low-humidity climates. Solar cooling converts heat from the sun into cooling that can be used in data center air cooling systems. The system collects solar power and uses a thermally driven cooling process to decrease the air temperature in a building. This is useful in areas with a lot of sunlight or for data centers looking to supplement their current cooling with a more environmentally friendly method. Kyoto Cooling is an enhancement of the free cooling method that uses a thermal wheel to control hot and cold airflows across the data center. Internal hot air is vented to the outside as the wheel rotates; the outside air then cools the wheel and the air that is drawn back into the facility. It uses between 75% to 92% less power to run than other CRAH systems, reduces carbon dioxide emissions and eliminates the need for water in the cooling system. The technology is used by ******* Airlines’ data center outside of Chicago and HP in its data center outside of Toronto. Using smart technology for data center cooling Because many of the newer data center cooling technologies require significant investment by facility owners, smart technology has become popular. Data center smart assistants, AI and machine learning technologies can monitor facilities more efficiently and make real-time adjustments to ensure optimal temperatures and humidity levels. Google, for example, uses smart temperature controls to reduce heat output and cooling usage. The company has also used its DeepMind AI product to reduce cooling energy use by 40% in 18 months. Data center cooling robots can move within the facility, monitoring temperatures and humidity levels in specific server cabinets. One challenge with monitoring temperatures in cabinets manually is that conditions change as soon as they’re opened. Companies such as OneNeck IT Solutions have developed a ****** sensor probe that fits into standard cabinets. The ****** moves up and down a belt-driven rail inside the cabinet to collect temperature data for each rack. It then transmits the data via Bluetooth to connected devices so data center ***** can create a full heat map of the cabinet. Data center demand will only increase, so facility owners and their customers must look at more efficient and cost-effective cooling solutions — whether it’s less environmentally harmful options, such as geothermal and free cooling, or investing in newer technologies, such as liquid immersion cooling for high-powered servers. Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2022 and was updated by the author in 2024 to include more recent considerations for data center cooling technologies. Julia Borgini is a freelance technical copywriter, content marketer, content strategist and geek. She writes about B2B tech, SaaS, DevOps, the cloud and other tech topics. Source link #Data #center #cooling #systems #technologies #work Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]