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AI helps ****** dogs navigate the real world AI helps ****** dogs navigate the real world Four-legged ****** dogs learned to perform new tricks by practising in a virtual platform that mimics real-world obstacles – a possible shortcut for training robots faster and more accurately Source link #helps #****** #dogs #navigate #real #world Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

GeForce Now introduces a 100-hour monthly playtime cap GeForce Now introduces a 100-hour monthly playtime cap Nvidia’s GeForce Now is undergoing significant changes. Its Priority membership has been rebranded as the “Performance” tier, bringing an enhanced gaming experience at the same price. Performance members can now stream games at up to 1440p resolution and in ultrawide formats, with settings saved across sessions. This upgrade aligns the Performance tier closer to Ultimate, the highest tier, which supports 4K streaming and high refresh rates through GeForce RTX 4080-powered servers. Nvidia One of the most notable changes coming in 2025 is the introduction of a 100-hour monthly playtime cap for both Performance and Ultimate members, aimed at managing Nvidia’s cloud infrastructure. Nvidia also mentions in its blog post that this limit will affect only a small percentage of its player base, with over 94% of users typically playing well within this timeframe. To offer flexibility, Nvidia will allow up to 15 unused hours to roll over to the following month. Users who reach their limit can purchase extra playtime, with additional 15-hour blocks available at $2.99 for Performance members and $5.99 for Ultimate members. Nvidia To thank loyal members, Nvidia is offering unlimited playtime through 2025 (until January 2026) for those who maintain an active subscription by December 31, 2024. This allows existing members to enjoy uninterrupted access for an entire year before the new caps take effect. Nvidia is also offering a limited-time 25% discount on Day Passes, allowing players to try out the new Performance and Ultimate memberships for 24 hours. Performance Day Passes are now $2.99, while Ultimate Day Passes cost $5.99. The Day Pass also includes a new feature: if users choose to upgrade to a monthly subscription within 48 hours of their Day Pass expiring, they can apply the cost of the pass toward their membership. Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming With over 2,000 titles and new weekly additions, GeForce Now is undoubtedly one of the most extensive cloud gaming libraries available, catering to various gaming preferences. Nvidia’s recent updates demonstrate its commitment to maintaining a premium experience while managing infrastructure effectively to meet the demands of cloud gamers. Source link #GeForce #introduces #100hour #monthly #playtime #cap Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Amid Trump trade worries, China tariffs give Canada ‘firm’ ground: Freeland – National Amid Trump trade worries, China tariffs give Canada ‘firm’ ground: Freeland – National Chrystia Freeland says that a unified stance towards China will give Canada a “firm foundation” in upcoming trade negotiations with the ******* States and president-elect Donald Trump. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Freeland spoke to reporters Friday after the first meeting of the newly revived cabinet committee on Canada-U.S. relations, which she will again chair. She compared the committee to the task force struck during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing ministers together regularly to address an “urgent issue.” In this case, it’s the Canada-U.S. relationship, which is set to see the border and trade relations in the spotlight under the incoming Trump administration. Trump, who was declared the winner of the 2024 U.S. presidential election on Wednesday, promised during the campaign that he would levy blanket tariffs on all goods coming into the country as part of his economic strategy. He also said he would look to renegotiate the Canada-******* States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which was signed under his first administration. Story continues below advertisement 1:59 What economic impacts the U.S. election could have on Canada News that Trump is set to return to the White House in 2025 has spurred consternation among leaders in Canada’s steel and aluminum industries. The first Trump administration levied 25-per cent tariffs on ********* steel and 10-per cent tariffs on aluminum in 2018, a tactic that lasted for roughly a year and saw Canada impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods. Get weekly money news Get expert insights, Q&A on markets, housing, inflation, and personal finance information delivered to you every Saturday. But Freeland said Friday that Canada “learned a lot” from its negotiations with Trump in his first term. “What’s important about that whole experience is that Canada and the ******* States agreed, at the end of the day, that it didn’t make sense for our two countries to have those tariffs imposed,” she said. “To me, that is a very powerful proof point of really the fundamental economic rationale, the fundamental economic benefit that both countries get from the economic relationship.” Story continues below advertisement Freeland also pointed to shared steps taken this year in Canada and the U.S. to levy tariffs against ******** steel, aluminum and electric vehicles. Positioning the geographic neighbours as a ******* front against China, Freeland argued that the U.S. will see in Canada a reliable trading partner who can match the ********* juggernaut on its economic and geopolitical priorities. “Canada is very aligned with the ******* States in that respect. And that’s a final area where I see a firm foundation for our work together,” she said. David MacNaughton, Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. during Trump’s term in office, told Mercedes Stephenson on The West Block last week that ********* officials on both sides of the aisle were “pleased” that ********* trade policy had aligned with the U.S. on China. “I think we’ve got to be seen to be in lockstep with them as far as what the China relationship is, because if we’re not, we’re going to have real problems,” he said. 23:22 The West Block: Trump 2.0 raises ‘worrisome’ U.S.-Canada border concerns, former ambassador says Trending Now Woman’s family wants it known her ****** by ex-RCMP officer was intimate partner ********* 3 charged in One Direction singer Liam Payne’s ****** Brian Kingston, the president of the ********* Vehicle Manufacturers Association, told Global News this week that he sees Canada being able to carve out exemptions from Trump’s tariff proposals by becoming a preferred source for critical minerals as the U.S. shifts away from China. Story continues below advertisement “If a Trump administration moves more aggressively on its approach to China, Canada is perfectly placed to be that strong partner and ally and to help that transition take place. So I think there is an opportunity,” he says. “If we combine that with an effort to increase our mining capacity and be that supplier of choice to the Americans, I think we could come out of this in a much better position.” Freeland, who met with ********* steel producers in Hamilton, Ont., on Thursday, acknowledged that the country has more to do on the trade front, particularly in cracking down on circumvention that can see exporters send steel through friendly borders to skirt costly tariffs. More on Money More videos But when she was asked Friday whether she was the right person to negotiate with Trump in a second and final term, Freeland was adamant that she was ready for the renewed pressure. She also highlighted her relationship with Robert Lighthizer, Trump’s former trade czar who is expected to play a key role in the president-elect’s second administration as well. “In my experience, President Trump respects strength and he respects people and countries who are strong and clear in defending their countries, in defending their national interest,” Freeland said. “That’s what I’ve always done, and that’s what I will continue to do.” Story continues below advertisement — with files from Global News’s Sean Boynton 2:21 Business Matters: What Trump’s election could mean for Canada’s interest rates and the loonie &copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. Source link #Trump #trade #worries #China #tariffs #give #Canada #firm #ground #Freeland #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Amid Trump trade worries, China tariffs give Canada ‘firm’ ground: Freeland – National Amid Trump trade worries, China tariffs give Canada ‘firm’ ground: Freeland – National Chrystia Freeland says that a unified stance towards China will give Canada a “firm foundation” in upcoming trade negotiations with the ******* States and president-elect Donald Trump. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Freeland spoke to reporters Friday after the first meeting of the newly revived cabinet committee on Canada-U.S. relations, which she will again chair. She compared the committee to the task force struck during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing ministers together regularly to address an “urgent issue.” In this case, it’s the Canada-U.S. relationship, which is set to see the border and trade relations in the spotlight under the incoming Trump administration. Trump, who was declared the winner of the 2024 U.S. presidential election on Wednesday, promised during the campaign that he would levy blanket tariffs on all goods coming into the country as part of his economic strategy. He also said he would look to renegotiate the Canada-******* States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which was signed under his first administration. Story continues below advertisement 1:59 What economic impacts the U.S. election could have on Canada News that Trump is set to return to the White House in 2025 has spurred consternation among leaders in Canada’s steel and aluminum industries. The first Trump administration levied 25-per cent tariffs on ********* steel and 10-per cent tariffs on aluminum in 2018, a tactic that lasted for roughly a year and saw Canada impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods. Get weekly money news Get expert insights, Q&A on markets, housing, inflation, and personal finance information delivered to you every Saturday. But Freeland said Friday that Canada “learned a lot” from its negotiations with Trump in his first term. “What’s important about that whole experience is that Canada and the ******* States agreed, at the end of the day, that it didn’t make sense for our two countries to have those tariffs imposed,” she said. “To me, that is a very powerful proof point of really the fundamental economic rationale, the fundamental economic benefit that both countries get from the economic relationship.” Story continues below advertisement Freeland also pointed to shared steps taken this year in Canada and the U.S. to levy tariffs against ******** steel, aluminum and electric vehicles. Positioning the geographic neighbours as a ******* front against China, Freeland argued that the U.S. will see in Canada a reliable trading partner who can match the ********* juggernaut on its economic and geopolitical priorities. “Canada is very aligned with the ******* States in that respect. And that’s a final area where I see a firm foundation for our work together,” she said. David MacNaughton, Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. during Trump’s term in office, told Mercedes Stephenson on The West Block last week that ********* officials on both sides of the aisle were “pleased” that ********* trade policy had aligned with the U.S. on China. “I think we’ve got to be seen to be in lockstep with them as far as what the China relationship is, because if we’re not, we’re going to have real problems,” he said. 23:22 The West Block: Trump 2.0 raises ‘worrisome’ U.S.-Canada border concerns, former ambassador says Trending Now Woman’s family wants it known her ****** by ex-RCMP officer was intimate partner ********* 3 charged in One Direction singer Liam Payne’s ****** Brian Kingston, the president of the ********* Vehicle Manufacturers Association, told Global News this week that he sees Canada being able to carve out exemptions from Trump’s tariff proposals by becoming a preferred source for critical minerals as the U.S. shifts away from China. Story continues below advertisement “If a Trump administration moves more aggressively on its approach to China, Canada is perfectly placed to be that strong partner and ally and to help that transition take place. So I think there is an opportunity,” he says. “If we combine that with an effort to increase our mining capacity and be that supplier of choice to the Americans, I think we could come out of this in a much better position.” Freeland, who met with ********* steel producers in Hamilton, Ont., on Thursday, acknowledged that the country has more to do on the trade front, particularly in cracking down on circumvention that can see exporters send steel through friendly borders to skirt costly tariffs. More on Money More videos But when she was asked Friday whether she was the right person to negotiate with Trump in a second and final term, Freeland was adamant that she was ready for the renewed pressure. She also highlighted her relationship with Robert Lighthizer, Trump’s former trade czar who is expected to play a key role in the president-elect’s second administration as well. “In my experience, President Trump respects strength and he respects people and countries who are strong and clear in defending their countries, in defending their national interest,” Freeland said. “That’s what I’ve always done, and that’s what I will continue to do.” Story continues below advertisement — with files from Global News’s Sean Boynton 2:21 Business Matters: What Trump’s election could mean for Canada’s interest rates and the loonie &copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. Source link #Trump #trade #worries #China #tariffs #give #Canada #firm #ground #Freeland #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump tariffs could cost *** £22bn of exports Trump tariffs could cost *** £22bn of exports The *** could face a £22bn hit to its exports if Donald Trump imposes a blanket 20% tariff on all imports into the US, according to a new analysis. *** exports to the world could fall more than 2.6% due to lower trade with the US and knock-on effects globally, economists at the University of Sussex’s Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy (CITP) said. This fall could happen if the President-elect went through with his repeated campaign promise to levy a 20% tax on all imports, and a 60% tariff on ******** imports. The decline in trade would be the equivalent of an annual hit to *** economic output of 0.8%. Although Trump’s aggressive pledges could be a negotiating tactic, the “possibility of these tariffs being imposed is certainly there”, researcher Nicolo Tamberi said in a blog post. The main *** sectors likely to be hit would be fishing, petroleum, and mining, which could see exports fall by around a fifth. The pharmaceutical and electrical sectors would also be hit. Even businesses that are not exporters themselves could be affected. For example, firms supplying transportation services, which rely on strong trade flows, would take a hit. Insurance and finance services also support the underlying goods trade. However, some sectors could benefit from reduced China exports to the US. Textiles and clothing could see gains due to reduced competition, if ******** exports were hit by much higher Trump tariffs. Just how sharp the increase in border taxes under Donald Trump might be ******** unclear. Some diplomats have pointed to more pragmatic suggestions about lighter tariffs for US allies. But Trump’s top adviser on trade, former Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, is a strong supporter of the tactic. The Foreign Secretary David Lammy recently told the BBC’s Newscast podcast: “We will seek to ensure and to get across to the ******* States – and I believe that they would understand this – that hurting your closest allies cannot be in your medium or long-term interests, whatever the pursuit of public policy in relation to some of the problems posed by China.” But the British ambassador in the US under Trump’s previous administration, Lord Darroch, has warned the *** should not underestimate the risks. “I’m a pessimist,” he told BBC Newsnight on Thursday. “Trump did tariffs in his first term on steel and aluminium. He wants to go much ******* this time. He believes in it – it’s not a bluff. I think he will do it.” Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey have both said they will continue to make the argument for free trade. The *** might be in a position to have to choose whether to try to cut a side deal with the Trump White House to avoid tariffs. Alternatively the *** could join with other Western and ********* allies to send a clear message to Trump and the US Congress that ********* exporters would also be badly hit by such policies. The CITP numbers only assume that the US sets tariffs on the world, and do not assume a likely trade retaliation from Europe or Asia. The IMF recently warned that a large scale trade war would drive up inflation and lead to the world economy shrinking 7%, effectively the size of the French and ******* economies combined. Source link #Trump #tariffs #cost #22bn #exports Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Players Discover New Counter-Strike 2 Bug That Almost Guarantees ********** Side a Victory Players Discover New Counter-Strike 2 Bug That Almost Guarantees ********** Side a Victory Just when you thought Counter-Strike 2 had shown us all its quirks and features (not the good kind), the community has uncovered yet another game-breaking bug. This time, it’s not just a visual glitch or a minor inconvenience—it’s something that could potentially decide the outcome of crucial matches. A highly discriminating T-sided bug. | Image Credit: Valve/YouTube As Valve continues to iron out the kinks in their latest iteration of the world’s most popular competitive shooter, players are beginning to wonder if CS2 was really ready for prime time. And with the Shanghai Major 2024 looming on the horizon, this newly discovered bug couldn’t have come at a worse time. Another Day, Another Counter-Strike 2 Bug ⛶ ⛶ A still of Counter Strike showing the expensive stickers in action ⛶ ⛶ ⛶ A recent post on the r/GlobalOffensive subreddit has captured the attention of the CS2 community, showcasing a particularly frustrating bug that seems to give the ********** side an unfair advantage: In the clip, we witness what should have been a clutch victory turn into an inexplicable defeat. Despite doing everything right—from the precise flicks and spray control to the textbook positioning—our unfortunate player falls victim to what can only be described as Counter-Strike 2‘s latest “feature.” The community’s reaction has been a mix of frustration and gallows humor: Comment byu/lulzxddd from discussion inGlobalOffensive What makes this particularly concerning is that it’s not an isolated incident. Just three days ago, the same subreddit was buzzing about the new “Bluetooth Defusing” bug on *****, leading to some creative player solutions: Comment byu/lulzxddd from discussion inGlobalOffensive The community’s creative naming of these bugs—from “Bluetooth Defusing” to “Wifi Defuse”—shows how players are maintaining their sense of humor despite the frustration. But with competitive integrity at stake, these networking-themed jokes might not be so funny when millions of dollars are on the line. Valve’s Ever-Growing To-Do List A ticking time ***** at this point? | Image Credit: Valve/YouTube With the Shanghai Major 2024 just around the corner, the timing of these discoveries has led to some pointed criticism from the community: Comment byu/lulzxddd from discussion inGlobalOffensive The irony isn’t lost on long-time fans of the series, who’ve taken to sarcastically defending Valve‘s track record: Comment byu/lulzxddd from discussion inGlobalOffensive While Counter-Strike 2‘s marketplace continues to thrive (because who doesn’t love a good skin trading session?), the core gameplay issues are becoming increasingly hard to ignore. It’s particularly concerning given that CS2 was marketed as “your favorite first-person shooter’s favorite first-person shooter”—a tagline that’s starting to feel more like a punchline with each new bug discovery. For now, players will have to remain vigilant and perhaps keep a close eye on their teammates’ defuse attempts, just in case the ***** decides it’s having an existential crisis. Let’s just hope Valve can sort these issues out before the Shanghai Major, or we might end up with some bittersweet clips and very interesting post-match interviews. Have you encountered any game-breaking bugs in Counter-Strike 2? Share your war stories in the comments below! Source link #Players #Discover #CounterStrike #Bug #Guarantees #********** #Side #Victory Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

These AI features could make me use Paint and Notepad These AI features could make me use Paint and Notepad Microsoft Your everyday Windows apps are going to get a whole lot smarter. As Microsoft mentions in its Windows Insiders Blog, using the Windows 11 Paint and Notepad app will improve thanks to new AI features that the tech giant is adding to make it more helpful for users. It’s still in early testing, and there is no official information about when or if it’ll roll out to all users. For starters, the Notepad app for Windows 11, after getting an update that added autocorrect and spellcheck, is now getting a new Rewrite ability that helps you rewrite highlighted text following any instructions you add. You can customize how the AI responds in three ways: asking for something longer, using a different tone, or choosing a different format. You’ll also have a Replace button you can click on to apply the generated text. Additionally, Microsoft says you can use the feature by selecting the text, right-clicking on it, and choosing Rewrite. You can also use the Ctrl + I keyboard combination. Microsoft also mentions: “The previous versions are still preserved in the current dialog, so you can easily revert to earlier versions if needed. If you prefer, you can disable the rewrite feature in app settings.” The feature is only available for testers in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, France, and Italy. A Microsoft account is needed to use the features, and for now, there is no official information on whether any other countries will be added to the list. Microsoft also claims that the Notepad app will be 35% faster, and some Windows 11 users might even see a 55% performance boost. Microsoft Switching tracks, the Paint app for Windows 11 is also getting a feature called generative fill that you can use to add an AI-generated element to an image. Microsoft uses the example of someone selecting the area to add an image with text in the prompt below. The castle is created and added to the image by simply clicking the Create button. If you don’t like the result, you can ask the AI to try again. You can also use another helpful AI feature called generative erase, which lets you erase any undesirable elements in the background. You brush over the area of the object you want to erase, and the feature will do the rest. But there is a catch to the generative fill feature: It’s only going to be available on Copilot+ PCs with a Snapdragon CPU initially. This is bad news for Windows 11 users with a “normal” PC since the feature requires the PC to have a powerful NPU, which is a prerequisite. Paint already had its first AI feature, Cocreator, launched earlier this year, which aligned with the deprecation of Paint 3D. Of course, Microsoft is being cautious about the new features, especially in light of the whole saga around Recall. It said it will “monitor feedback and see how it lands” before it rolls them out to other users. Source link #features #Paint #Notepad Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How Did Democracy Work in Ancient Athens? How Did Democracy Work in Ancient Athens? “Favoring the Many Instead of the Few” No exploration of Athenian democracy would be complete without reflecting on Pericles, one of its most influential leaders. In 430 BC, during a state ******** for soldiers who had fallen early in the Peloponnesian War, Pericles delivered a powerful oration, captured by Thucydides.* In this famous speech, known as the ******** Oration, Pericles articulated a vision of democracy that emphasized individual freedom balanced with collective responsibility. He declared, “Our constitution does not copy the laws of neighboring states; we are rather a pattern to others than imitators ourselves. Its administration favors the many instead of the few; this is why it is called a democracy.” Unlike oligarchies or monarchies of the time, Athenian democracy was driven by the people, not elites. For Pericles, true democracy meant equal opportunity and merit-based advancement, where one’s role in society depended on ability rather than wealth or birth. Though restricted to male citizens, this ideal was groundbreaking in the ancient world. Pericles praised Athenians for balancing personal freedom with civic duty, a combination that he saw as key to their success. Athenians, he said, “live exactly as we please,” while respecting public law and order. Pericles observed, “We do not feel called upon to be ****** with our neighbor for doing what he likes,” but that “all this ease in our private relations does not make us lawless as citizens.” This blend of freedom and responsibility was a core Athenian value and is foundational to modern democratic ideals. For Pericles, active civic participation was essential to a functioning democracy. As he put it, “We regard him who takes no part in these duties not as unambitious but as useless.” This vision of democracy, which demanded active contribution rather than passive observation, ******** one of Pericles’ most enduring legacies. His words challenge modern readers to reflect on the level of commitment and responsibility that democracy requires. Pericles understood that for democracy to thrive, its citizens must be informed, engaged, and willing to prioritize the public good over personal interests. * Thucydides, “The History of the Peloponnesian War,” London, J.M. Dent; New York, E.P. Dutton. 1910. Source link #Democracy #Work #Ancient #Athens Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Donald Trump says he has no plans to sell DJT stock, calls for probe into “market manipulators” Donald Trump says he has no plans to sell DJT stock, calls for probe into “market manipulators” President-elect Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Friday to reiterate that he doesn’t plan to sell shares of Trump Media & Technology Group. He also called for an investigation from “the appropriate authorities” into “market manipulators or short sellers,” whom executives at the company and shareholders have previously blamed for volatility in the stock, which trades under the ticker symbol DJT. DJT shares jumped shortly after Trump’s post, gaining as much as 16% on Friday. The stock rose $3.15, or 11.4%, to $30.84 in early afternoon trading, partly reversing a 23% plunge on Thursday that had trimmed some of the company’s gains in the run-up to the November 5 election. Trump, who is the biggest shareholder of Trump Media with a 57% stake, said the business has been the target of “probably ******** rumors and/or statements” that he said allege he plans to sell shares of the company, which owns the Truth Social platform. In September, Trump had vowed not to sell his stake after a lock-up ******* expired for Trump Media insiders, allowing them to sell for the first time since the stock went public in March. Trump Media, whose DJT ticker is the same as Trump’s initials, has seen extreme volatility on Nasdaq, with its shares swinging wildly on news related to the president-elect. That has prompted comparisons of DJT with meme stocks, or companies that trade on social media buzz rather than financial fundamentals such as revenue and profit growth. Trump’s call for an investigation into trading of the stock highlight potential conflicts of interest between his role as the nation’s chief executive and his business interests, with his holdings in the company valued at $3.6 billion as of Friday afternoon. As president, Trump will not only have oversight of many federal agencies, but will also appoint the head of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the agency that regulates the securities industry. Although there’s no requirement that presidents sell their financial assets when they take office, most U.S. presidents have opted to put their business holdings into a ****** trust, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy institute. A ****** trust is managed by an independent trustee, and the president or other official who created the trust isn’t allowed to advise or consult with the trustee on business decisions. During Trump’s first term as president, he chose not to place his company, the Trump Organization, into a ****** trust, opting instead to hand over management of the company to his oldest two sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, along with its longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg. (Weisselberg was released from jail in July after pleading guilty to giving false testimony about the size of Trump’s ******** apartment as part of a civil ****** trial.) Trump’s arrangement during his first administration was flagged by some ethics experts as problematic, with former chief White House ethics lawyer Norm Eisen writing in 2017 that it ******* to resolve the conflicts of interest between Trump’s business holdings and his role as president. Trump Media stock price chart Trump Media has attracted short sellers, or investors who seek to make a profit when a stock tumbles. That drew accusations from Trump Media CEO Devin Nunes, a former *********** congressman, that these investors have manipulated the stock. Nunes has requested investigations by lawmakers and the Nasdaq stock market, where DJT is listed. Because of Trump’s majority ownership of DJT stock, the stock would likely drop if he sold his shares “for any reason,” noted S3 Partners in a November 6 research note. In his post on Truth Social Friday, Trump said he believes in Trump Media, and refuted claims that he is interested in selling shares. “THOSE RUMORS OR STATEMENTS ARE FALSE. I HAVE NO INTENTION OF SELLING!” Trump wrote. “I hereby request that the people who have set off these fake rumors or statements, and who may have done so in the past, be immediately investigated by the appropriate authorities.” More Aimee Picchi Aimee Picchi is the associate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and personal finance. She previously worked at Bloomberg News and has written for national news outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports. Source link #Donald #Trump #plans #sell #DJT #stock #calls #probe #market #manipulators Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Australia Aims to Protect Kids with World’s First National Social Media Ban Australia Aims to Protect Kids with World’s First National Social Media Ban Australia’s states and territories unanimously backed a national plan Friday to ban most forms of social media to children younger than 16. *********** Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held a virtual meeting with leaders of the nation’s eight provinces to do what is “necessary to protect kids.” “Social media is doing social harm to our young Australians and I am calling time on it. The safety and mental health of our young people has to be a priority,” he said during a news conference. The measure would make platforms including X, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook responsible for enforcing the age limit. Leaders had been discussing for months about setting a limit and considered options for ages 14 to 16 years old. Most states supported the limit at 16, although Tasmania preferred 14. “We think these laws will make a real positive difference,” Albanese said. The prime minister cited evidence that there are risks to physical and mental health of children from excessive social media use. “If you’re a 14-year-old **** getting this stuff, at a time where you’re going through life’s changes and maturing, it can be a really difficult time and what we’re doing is listening and then acting,” he said. However, critics of the national plan say most young users are tech savvy enough to get around such laws. Last month, more than 140 experts in the technology and child ******** fields signed an open letter to Albanese opposing a social media age limit saying it was “too blunt an instrument to address risks effectively.” Government officials have likened the proposed social media age limit to the laws that restrict the ***** of alcohol to adults aged 18 and older across Australia. Children still find ways to drink, bypassing the prohibition. Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, argues that there are stronger tools available in the app stores and operating systems that allow parents to control what apps their children can use, saying they are a “simple and effective solution.” Others argue the ban is problematic for other reasons. Lisa Given, professor of information sciences at RMIT University, told *********** Broadcasting Corp, “There’s no doubt that they’re also facing bullying and other challenges online, but they actually need the social supports to know how to navigate the platforms safely and so they need more support from parents, from care-givers, not less access to a single or multiple platforms.” Australia’s legislation will be introduced into Parliament within two weeks, and the age ban would take effect a year after it passes into law, giving platforms time to work out how to exclude children. “I’ve spoken to thousands of parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles. They, like me, are worried ***** about the safety of our kids online,” Albanese said. The government has yet to offer a technical solution. Australia considers its county’s ban on social media a “world-first national approach,” because it has the highest age limit set by any country with no exemptions for parental consent and no exemptions for pre-existing accounts, Reuters reports. Social Media Protections for US Kids As CBN News has reported, Florida has signed one of the more restrictive social media laws in the U.S. Starting in January 2025, it will ban children under 13 from creating social media accounts and require parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds. Florida is not the only state to take action to limit teens’ exposure to social media. Last year, Utah had imposed a ban for people under the age of 18 from using social media without consent from a caregiver, The Guardian reports. However, a federal judge recently blocked the state from enforcing the law by issuing a preliminary injunction. NetChoice, a tech industry trade group, filed a lawsuit against the state saying the law violated the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment by unduly abridging the social media companies’ free speech rights, Reuters reports. “The court recognizes the state’s earnest ******* to protect young people from the novel challenges associated with social media use,” Chief U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby wrote, adding that “even well-intentioned legislation that regulates speech based on content must satisfy a tremendously high level of constitutional scrutiny.” In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams designated social media as an environmental toxin and public health hazard. “It’s a situation where kids can’t stay off the platforms, and as a result of that, they have been trapped in an environment that harms their mental health,” Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives Paul Renner said earlier this year. ***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you keep receiving the latest news.*** Source link #Australia #Aims #Protect #Kids #Worlds #National #Social #Media #Ban Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

15,800-year-old Engravings of Fish Traps Are Oldest Depictions of Fishing 15,800-year-old Engravings of Fish Traps Are Oldest Depictions of Fishing LEIZA, MONREPOS and Durham University At the Ice Age site of Gönnersdorf near Neuwied am Rhein, researchers from the Archaeological Research Centre and Museum for Human Behavioral Evolution MONREPOS, a facility of the Leibniz Centre for Archaeology (LEIZA), together with scientists from the University of Durham in England, have made a significant discovery. Using modern imaging methods, detailed engravings of fish on slate slabs became visible, overlaid with grid-like patterns. These patterns are best interpreted as depictions of nets or fish traps and provide the first archaeological evidence of early fishing techniques in the late phase of the Late Paleolithic (ca. 20,000–14,500 BC). The engravings add practical and symbolic elements to the known repertoire of Ice Age art and indicate that fishing also had a social component in the life of the hunter-gatherer societies of that time. A slate slab with engravings of fishing on. (© Robitaille et al., 2024/PLOS ONE) Gönnersdorf: A Window into Ice Age Life The Ice Age site of Neuwied-Gönnersdorf is one of the most important and richest late Ice Age sites in Europe and contains artistic treasures from prehistoric times. Hundreds of mostly small, flat slate slabs show images of prey such as wild horses, woolly rhinoceroses, reindeer and mammoths – animals that were crucial to the survival of the late Ice Age people who inhabited the camp site 15,800 years ago. In addition to these detailed images, several hundred engravings of highly stylized female figures have made the site world famous. Now it also provides the earliest known evidence of Stone Age fishing techniques. Slate slabs depicting mammoths and a bird from the Magdalenian settlement in the Neuwied Basin near Gönnersdorf (Rhineland-Palatinate). (Landschafts Museum) Modern imaging techniques have revealed several depictions of fish covered in grid-like patterns. These patterns are interpreted as fish nets or traps. Although it is known that fish were part of the diet of Paleolithic hunters and gatherers, there is no evidence of how the fish were caught. The Gönnersdorf engravings thus represent the earliest known depictions of net or trap fishing in ********* prehistory and make it clear once again that technologies that are rarely preserved in archaeological find contexts may have much older origins than generally assumed. Fishing as Part of Daily and Symbolic Life Researchers are currently beginning to identify individual artists and their specific “styles” by examining the nature of the cutting marks. In addition, the shapes and surface structures of the slate slabs often seem to have influenced the choice and placement of motifs – a phenomenon known as pareidolia. The brain interprets natural shapes, such as those of the slabs, as meaningful objects, similar to how we occasionally recognize faces in clouds. The fish engravings show that fishing was integrated into symbolic and social practices and expand the known repertoire of representations in Ice Age art, in which, in addition to the depiction of the animals themselves, their exploitation strategies were also artistically implemented. The investigations into the significance of the slate slabs and their use in the everyday lives of Ice Age hunters and gatherers are embedded in an interdisciplinary cooperation project between the Departments of Archaeology and Psychology at Durham University and MONREPOS. Funded by a ****** initiative of the ******* Research Foundation (DFG) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the research team combines expertise from archaeology and visual psychology. Using the latest imaging techniques such as Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI), the scientists are investigating the interplay between visual perception and the design and use of art objects in the context of everyday environments in the late Ice Age. Top image: A slate slab from the Stone Age site of Gönnersdorf shows a fish trap. Source: © Robitaille et al., 2024/PLOS ONE This article was originally published under the title, ‘Oldest depictions of fishing discovered: Ice Age slates reveal 15,800-year-old engravings of fish traps’ by Leibniz Center for Archaeology as a press release. References Robitaille et al. 2024. “Upper Palaeolithic fishing techniques: Insights from the engraved plaquettes of the Magdalenian site of Gönnersdorf, Germany.” PLoS ONE 19(11): e0311302. Source link #15800yearold #Engravings #Fish #Traps #Oldest #Depictions #Fishing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Project ARC Preview PUBG Studios' tactical shooter from the top-down | TheSixthAxis Project ARC Preview PUBG Studios' tactical shooter from the top-down | TheSixthAxis A small spin-off from PUBG Studios, Project ARC is a great top-down take on the tactical shooter. TSA goes hands on. Source link #Project #ARC #Preview #PUBG #Studios039 #tactical #shooter #topdown #TheSixthAxis Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

US Congressman accuses SMIC of making 7nm chips for China, violating U.S. sanctions US Congressman accuses SMIC of making 7nm chips for China, violating U.S. sanctions Although the U.S. government has imposed strict restrictions on Huawei and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC), the former can still access leading-edge process technologies, and the latter can obtain advanced production tools. Michael McCaul (R, TX), who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is calling on the U.S. Commerce Department to investigate SMIC’s potential production of chips for Huawei and its violation of the U.S. export controls, reports Reuters. McCaul urged the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) within the Commerce Department to visit SMIC’s fabs. He suggested that SMIC may be aiding Huawei in evading U.S. export restrictions, a concern shared across both parties, and emphasized the importance of more stringent enforcement of trade controls. McCaul called into question SMIC’s recent achievements, such as making Huawei’s HiSilicon Kirin 9000S application processors for smartphones and HiSilicon Ascend 9000B processor for AI applications on N+2 manufacturing technology (7nm-class), along with the Ascend 910C made on SMIC’s N+3 fabrication technology (6nm-class). He deduces that these advances clearly indicate that SMIC continues to advance its process technologies in a potential violation of U.S. export laws. The U.S. export controls imposed in 2022 require makers of fab tools to obtain an export license on equipment that could be used to make FinFET-based chips on 14nm/16nm-class process technologies. However, this only applies to fabs that can already make semiconductors on the said production nodes. As result, these restrictions are sidestepped by channeling advanced fab equipment to unrestricted fabs that formally do not support sophisticated process technologies. Policies set during the Trump administration allowed U.S. exporters to obtain licenses to sell certain products to Huawei and SMIC, enabling billions of dollars in sales, but also opening doors to circumventing restrictions. Back in October it was revealed that SMIC has both an unrestricted legacy fab and a restricted advanced logic fab, connected by a wafer bridge allowing wafers to move between the two. This interconnection essentially makes the fabs function as a single facility, enabling SMIC to produce advanced processors, such as the Kirin 9000S and Ascend 910B, at its advanced fab, while the facility labeled as a legacy fab legally acquires tools necessary for making chips on 7nm-class nodes. In response, McCaul recommended suspending all existing export licenses for SMIC unless China permits a thorough audit of the company’s facilities and records. He emphasized that without transparency, the U.S. risks inadvertently supporting technological advancements that could strengthen China’s AI and military sectors. The Commerce Department acknowledged the receipt of McCaul’s letter and indicated that it would respond through official channels. Addressing prior similar critiques, the department defended its track record, asserting that it has implemented some of the toughest restrictions on China to date. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Both Huawei and SMIC are on the U.S. Entity List due to suspected links to the ******** military-industrial complex and alleged sanctions violations. Inclusion on this list generally limits U.S. companies from selling to these firms without export licenses that are supposed to be reviewed with a presumption of denial, but which are still granted. As a result, Huawei and SMIC can not only advance their semiconductor prowess, but actually thrive, introducing innovative process technologies. Source link #Congressman #accuses #SMIC #making #7nm #chips #China #violating #U.S #sanctions Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Watchdog to review police handling of ****** claims Watchdog to review police handling of ****** claims BBC The police watchdog will review how Metropolitan Police officers handled allegations of ******* misconduct against former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) will review two cases the Met Police investigated in 2008 and 2013 after the force referred itself. Hundreds of women have alleged the billionaire, who ***** last year aged 94, ****** or ********* assaulted them. Police are looking into some claims and Harrods is also settling hundreds of claims. In a documentary which aired in September, the BBC revealed Al Fayed was accused by 21 women of ******* offences while he was alive. Since the documentary aired, more than 400 alleged victims have come forward with allegations of ********, harassment and ***** over a ******* of more than 30 years when they were his employees. However, questions have been raised around the Met’s investigations. Of the 21 women who made allegations before September this year, the Met did not pass full files of evidence to prosecutors on 19 of the women who approached them. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts. Source link #Watchdog #review #police #handling #****** #claims Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

**** of War Ragnarok for PS5 finally lets Kratos solve puzzles in peace **** of War Ragnarok for PS5 finally lets Kratos solve puzzles in peace Ghosts of Sparta rejoice, for you can now think in peace without your smart-**** son reminding you how slow-witted you are. The latest patch for the PS5 version of **** of War Ragnarok adds the option first seen in the PC port to tone down the boy’s excessive and unsolicited hints when Kratos is contemplating the game’s many puzzles. Stick a sock in it, Atreus. Game Version 06.00 for PlayStation 5 adds the “reduced puzzle hints” feature. Although Atreus isn’t the title’s only overly helpful companion, he’s Kratos’ most frequent comrade in the award-winning game and therefore the most notorious culprit. Activating the option will pipe down all of your partners’ excessive hints throughout the game, a feature players would’ve loved to have had when Ragnarok arrived two years ago. The update also includes PS5 Pro enhancements, like a new mode that enables “Favor Quality” while keeping things running at a smooth 60 fps. The patch also lets owners of the new console unlock the framerate when running on variable refresh rate monitors, and the Favor Performance mode gets boosted to match the PS5 Pro’s boosted specs. Finally, it adds support for the AI-fueled PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution as an upscaling option. On both PS5 tiers, the update also adds a new accessibility option with audio descriptions for all the game’s cinematic scenes. You’ll also find the requisite bug fixes, including remedies for Brok losing his way to the shop in Freyr’s camp (********) and problems related to crafting hilts. Source link #**** #War #Ragnarok #PS5 #finally #lets #Kratos #solve #puzzles #peace Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

MiniTool Data Recovery review: buy once and use it forever MiniTool Data Recovery review: buy once and use it forever MiniTool Power Data Recovery MSRP $69.00 “MiniTool’s Power Data Recovery is a useful utility that works well with HDDs and thumb drives with a nice free tier and an affordable lifetime purchase option.” ***** Free version allows 1GB of data Affordable lifetime plan Accurate previews Easy to use ***** ******* to restore SSD files Support is via email MiniTool Power Data Recovery is a file restoration app from the company best known for its Partition Wizard that helps segment and format drives in ways that Windows can’t. It makes sense to expand that expertise into related products. I’ve reviewed some of the best data recovery software available and tested Power Data Recovery to find out whether it can recover lost files and folders from various storage devices. I also researched pricing and contacted customer service to ensure it has good value and support. Specs MiniTool Power Data Recovery Platforms Windows Devices 1 (Personal), 3 (Personal Ultimate) Support Email for technical questions, chat for sales Free version? Yes with a 1GB cap Tiers and pricing MiniTool Power Data Recovery has free and paid plans, with an attractive lifetime option. MiniTool MiniTool offers a free version of its Power Data Recovery software. It might be all you need if you’re not missing a large amount of files. You can restore up to 1GB of data at no cost. While that’s a generous amount, the best free data recovery software provides even more. If you have a more serious problem, like an unbootable PC, you’ll need the paid version. With MiniTool Power Data Recovery Personal or Ultimate, there are no size limits on data recovery. MiniTool offers three options for home users: a monthly subscription, an annual plan, or a perpetual license with lifetime upgrades. With the paid app, you get live chat support, unlimited data, a Windows bootable version, and more. Like other file restoration apps, the best value comes when you choose a long-term plan. Power Data Recovery Personal costs $69 per month, which is a bit expensive. For $20 more, you can subscribe for a year, which lowers the monthly expense to less than $8 a month. As affordable as that sounds, the best value comes from Power Data Recovery Personal Ultimate. A one-time fee of $99 provides a lifetime subscription. While the monthly and annual plans support only one PC, Personal Ultimate can be installed on three computers without transferring the license. A lifetime subscription to MiniTool Power Data Recovery costs the same as only a year of EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Pro or Stellar Data Recovery Premium. Design MiniTool shows occasional ads for its other utilities when using the free version of Power Data Recovery. Digital Trends I started with the free version and installation was straightforward. In under a minute, I had MiniTool Power Data Recovery running to help restore my missing files. An ad for MiniTool System Booster popped up at the bottom right. A checkbox allowed me to stop that message from appearing again. A similar prompt appeared as a notification within the data recovery app and surfaced periodically. I noticed, but it wasn’t frequent enough to annoy me. The layout is easy to understand. Power Data Recovery starts with a list of my logical drives, which includes partitions. There’s also a tab to see physical drives. At the bottom, the app lists specific locations like the Desktop or Recycle Bin and also provides a button to choose a specific folder to restore. Power Data Recovery’s default scan settings work well and you can find other file types. Digital Trends The left sidebar has a section for other tools, inclusing one to adjust scan settings. The app defaults to scanning for the most common file types and works with most filesystems like ****, exFAT, NTFS, and HFS+. I doubt I’d ever need to make any changes, but it’s nice to have to option to restore other file formats. ISO and UDF were grayed out, so I selected the key icon at the top right and entered my license code to unlock Power Data Recovery Personal. I still couldn’t select those options, so I made a note to ask customer support about that. Features MiniTool Power Data Recovery shows an accurate preview of what can be restored. Digital Trends I started testing MiniTool Power Data Recovery by loading an external hard disk drive (HDD) with a collection of files and nested folders. I deleted all 165 files and two folders, then started a scan. Power Data Recovery quickly found all the files, and I was pleased to see that I could resize the window to view a large preview with all the filenames intact. The preview also showed the nested folders, but lost the first letter of the names. I selected the files I wanted to restore, chose a folder on another drive as instructed by the app, and checked the results. MiniTool’s Power Data Recovery successfully saved everything, matching the preview. I started an HDD quick format to test MiniTool Power Data Recovery. Digital Trends A more challenging HDD test is to recover files after a quick format. I started with a full format to thoroughly erase the drive, then loaded it with my test files. After a quick format, the scan gave a less satisfying preview. I could restore 111 files with the original filenames and 159 “raw” files with numeric filenames grouped by file type. I saved both and recovered all my files, only losing 55 filenames. I moved on to a much more challenging task — restoring files from a fast and efficient solid-state drive (SSD). I ran the same tests as above and MiniTool Power Data Recovery saw the names of the files I deleted, but there were no previews. Saving didn’t help. All files were damaged and unusable. Like most other data recovery apps, MiniTool couldn’t restore lost SSD files. Digital Trends Knowing how unlikely it is to restore SSD files, I had low expectations for the quick format test. As I anticipated, the app couldn’t even recover filenames. That’s not unusual and in my tests, only one data recovery app has ever restored lost SSD files: EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Pro. I also tried a damaged USB thumb drive with some files that Windows couldn’t see. Power Data Recovery helped me recover several lost photos. Support MiniTool customer service has live chat for sales and very fast email support for technical questions. Digital Trends MiniTool says it provides 24/7 support, with priority given to paid subscribers. When I used the support option in the Power Data Recovery app, it opened a browser tab for MiniTool’s website help center. I didn’t find a chat option there, so I chose the contact option. The usual chat button at the bottom right opened a chat window requesting my name, email, and question. I asked about the unselectable ISO and UDF filesystems in the scan settings. The reply advised me to wait no more than two minutes before trying email support. The message clarified that the chat was “ for Download, Purchase, and License.” That sounded like sales and billing, so I emailed MiniTool support, leaving the chat window open in case someone replied. After several minutes, I gave up on live chat and moved on with more tests, expecting the email reply to take at least a few hours. To my delight, support got back to me in less than a minute, explaining that my guess about live chat was correct. Nevertheless, this was the fastest email response I’ve ever received. and I learned that ISO and UDF options become available after I attach a device with that filesystem. Privacy and security MiniTool has a clear privacy policy that indicates no data is shared with third-party companies beyond what’s required to process payment and provide the services you need. MiniTool itself might send promotional offers about its software, but I felt safe from spam or unnecessary data collection. Power Data Recovery doesn’t require a cloud connection and it doesn’t upload files for processing. I couldn’t find any record of a MiniTool data breach, so I don’t have any concerns about the company storing my name, email, and payment data. Overall, I think my data is private and secure. Is MiniTool Power Data Recovery right for you? MiniTool Power Data Recovery’s free app is a great way to test how well it works and could be all you need. The 1GB restriction allows you to restore hundreds of photos and documents, and even some videos. That might be enough for a small external drive or thumb drive. To restore files lost from a larger drive with gigabytes of storage, a paid plan is required. MiniTool’s prices are affordable, particularly the lifetime plan that allows use on three computers. My recommendation is to try the free version first. If that works, but you need more, Power Data Recovery Personal Ultimate offers good value. However, you might get similar results with inexpensive or free data recovery software like Recuva. MiniTool is a trusted brand and the results were nearly perfect in one test and good in two others. Like most competing solutions, Power Data Recovery couldn’t get any of my SSD files back. For a challenging recovery job, check out our guide to the best data recovery software. MiniTool doesn’t make macOS software, so check our list of the best data recovery apps for Mac computers. Source link #MiniTool #Data #Recovery #review #buy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bar & Bites: George Kailis’ Magic Apple Wholefoods brings clean-eating not dull-eating to Cottesloe beach Bar & Bites: George Kailis’ Magic Apple Wholefoods brings clean-eating not dull-eating to Cottesloe beach Magic Apple Wholefoods offers wholesome, clean-eating dishes and drinks at stunning beachfront location Source link #Bar #amp #Bites #George #Kailis #Magic #Apple #Wholefoods #brings #cleaneating #dulleating #Cottesloe #beach Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How To Make **** In Minecraft How To Make **** In Minecraft There are plenty of ways to clear an area or get rid of some pesky blocks in Minecraft. However, demolishing a space with **** is easily the most satisfying way to do so. **** is more of a gimmick item in Minecraft, but it does have some solid uses. Before you can even think about what to ***** up with your ****, though, you need to know how to craft it and how to set it off. How to make **** in Minecraft The crafting recipe for **** is quite simple and requires only two ingredients. Only one of those items is somewhat difficult to get, so you shouldn’t have any trouble crafting **** once you’ve established yourself in Minecraft. You can see the full crafting recipe for **** below: At a crafting table, place two blocks of Sand in the top and bottom middle boxes and two more blocks of Sand in the middle of the outer columns. Fill the rest of the crafting table with Gunpowder to make one **** The crafting recipe for **** in Minecraft The blocks of Sand are extremely easy to acquire, as all you need to do is find a body of water. Mine sand with any tool and gather as much as you need from around or in the water. Alternatively, if you find yourself flush with Red Sand, that works as a replacement to regular Sand blocks. As for the Gunpowder, that’s a little trickier to get in Minecraft. Gunpowder can’t be crafted, but it can be obtained as a loot drop from various mobs. The most common mob to drop Gunpowder are Creepers, which can drop a maximum of five Gunpowder with a higher Looting level. You need to ***** the Creeper before it can explode to get the Gunpowder, easily done with a bow and arrow. Witches and Ghasts also have a chance to drop various amounts of Gunpowder. None of these mobs have a guaranteed chance to drop Gunpowder, so you’ll have to get lucky. Gunpowder can also be acquired from certain chests in dungeons, desert temples, shipwrecks, and woodland mansions. This applies to both Java and Bedrock Edition. How to use **** in Minecraft Once you have the necessary crafting ingredients and have **** in your inventory, it’s time to set it off in Minecraft. There are several ways to activate ****, but the simplest way is to use Flint and Steel on it. Flint and Steel can be crafted using the recipe below: Place a piece of Flint and an Iron Ingot next to each other on a crafting table The crafting recipe for Flint and Steel in Minecraft Flint is mainly acquired when mining gravel, as there’s a 10% chance to mine a piece of Flint when doing so. This chance increases if you’re using a Fortune-enchanted pickaxe, with the chances increasing the higher level enchantment you use. Flint can also be found in village chests. As for Iron Ingots, those are made by putting Iron Ore in a furnace and smelting the ore down into ingots. You need a heat source, such as coal, to power the furnace. With your Flint and Iron Ingot, make a Flint and Steel. Then, place your **** down and use the Flint and Steel on the ****. If done correctly, the **** will start moving and turn a white ****** for a brief second. After a few seconds, the **** will explode, also exploding any other nearby **** along with it. The ********** destroys any block or structure nearby, so make sure nothing important is near when you activate the ****. There are other methods to activating ****, such as through redstone activation or by contacting lava, but Flint and Steel is the most common way to set it off in Minecraft. Source link #**** #Minecraft Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Buggy Windows Update starts automatically ‘upgrading’ Windows 2022 servers to Windows Server 2025 Buggy Windows Update starts automatically ‘upgrading’ Windows 2022 servers to Windows Server 2025 System administrators have taken to Reddit to report a bizzare situation where Windows Server 2022 systems are unexpectiedly being upgraded to Windows Server 2025. Fatboy40 reports on Reddit that this problem occured on a client’s servers with no way to revert back to Windows Server 2022. From the standpoint of a typical Windows user, upgrading from 2022 to 2025 might sound like a great idea, but this type of behavior can turn into a nightmare for system administrators/IT. Operating system upgrades for server-grade applications need to be vetted and tested by IT to insure that any software the associated business/enterprise software running on the new version of Windows doesn’t break compatibility. Windows 2022 Servers Unexpectedly Upgrading to 2025, Aaaargh! from r/sysadmin Fatboy40 says that three days ago, all of their client’s Windows 2022 servers had upgraded to Windows Server 2025 or “were about to do so.” The cherry on top is that this update was being pushed despite the fact that Windows Server 2025 technically requires new licensing — since Windows Server 2025 is classified as an all-new version of Windows Server and not an update such as Windows 11 24H2. But it seems that the update was accidentally classified by Microsoft as both an optional update and a security update for Windows Server 2022 machines, according to an employee from third-party update service Heimdal. “Our team discovered this discrepancy in our patching repository,” wrote Andrei from Heimdal via Reddit “as the GUID for the Windows Server 2025 upgrade does not match the usual entries for KB5044284 associated with Windows 11. This appears to be an error on Microsoft’s side, affecting both the speed of release and the classification of the update. After cross-checking with Microsoft’s KB repository, we confirmed that the KB number indeed references Windows 11, not Windows Server 2025.” The worst part? This type of upgrade on Windows Server is technically not officially supported, unlike Windows 10 to Windows 11 upgrades. As a result, system administrators are stuck in the mud without any official method of downgrading their operating systems back to Windows Server 2022 if they don’t have third-party solutions that offer system restore functionality from previously made backups. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Buggy #Windows #Update #starts #automatically #upgrading #Windows #servers #Windows #Server Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

7 Ways Middle-Class People Become Rich in Retirement 7 Ways Middle-Class People Become Rich in Retirement In the U.S., people in the middle class often live a comfortable life — but that doesn’t mean all of their needs are met. Certain things, like homeownership and healthcare, can still be major financial stressors for middle-class individuals. This is true of those who are still working and those who are retired. Be Aware: I’m a Retired Boomer: 3 Things I Wish I Had Done Differently To Better Prepare for Retirement Longevity For You: 5 Subtly Genius Moves All Wealthy People Make With Their Money If you’re retiring in the middle class and want to continue to build wealth — either for your own goals or for your descendants — you have options. GOBankingRates spoke with several financial professionals to see what they suggest. Here’s what they said are some of the best ways for middle-class people to become wealthy in retirement. Trending Now: While you should ideally have at least some money in investment accounts, chances are you also have some savings in the bank. But don’t leave your money in a traditional account — use a high-yield account instead. While this won’t make you rich on its own, it can help your money grow and lead to more wealth over time. “A high-yield savings account is a must-have for all. Whether it is for your emergency fund, your renovation fund or vacation fund,” said Melissa Murphy Pavone, CFP, CDFA and director of investments at Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. “It is a secure way to grow your money, while preserving liquidity.” If you already have a high-yield savings account, check the rate and compare it with other options. If you find a bank with higher yields, you might want to make the switch as this can help your money grow faster. Explore More: 7 Things You’ll Be Happy You Downgraded in Retirement Chris Urban, CFP, RICP and founder at Discovery Wealth Planning, suggested taking on a part-time job in retirement. On the one hand, this lets you enjoy certain social benefits that come with staying in the workforce. Financially, it’s also a great way to keep building your nest egg or generational wealth. Plus, if you’re able to live on the extra money you’re earning from your part-time job, you can draw less from your retirement or investment accounts. This means the money in those accounts can continue to grow unhindered. While not for everyone, having a certified financial planner (CFP) could help if your goal is to become rich. Story Continues “Creating financial wealth is an ongoing journey. Having a CFP in your corner will offer valuable personalized advice and holistic financial planning,” said Pavone. “When advising a client on creating an income stream in retirement, I stress the importance of assembling a team of professionals to help navigate the complexities of the process successfully.” Besides a CFP, this team can also include a certified public accountant (CPA). With the right team — and the personalized guidance they can provide — Pavone said it’s often easier to create a road map to wealth. “Together, the team of professionals will address not only the financial considerations and tax implications, but ultimately optimize the outcome for the client’s financial future,” she said. This might be tricky if you’ve already cut as many costs as you’re comfortable with, but downsizing can free up extra cash for more investments. This, in turn, can help you build long-term wealth. “Perhaps you downsize your home, move to an area domestically or internationally with a lower cost of living and/or generally reduce your overall expenses perhaps through minimal lifestyle adjustments,” said Urban. Large or small, these changes can get you in a better position financially. This is especially the case when you’re able to cut costs enough to where you can comfortably live on Social Security or other retirement benefits. “You could be in a situation where sources of guaranteed income (i.e., Social Security, pensions, etc.) provide enough income to cover most (or all) of your living expenses and then your retirement and investment accounts can just largely remain invested and continue to grow over time,” said Urban. Lowering your expenses does more than free up some extra cash each month. It also gives you more money for investments that can build upon themselves and, ultimately, make you wealthy. “The best way to retire rich is follow the advice of The Rolling Stones and get time on your side early in your career,” said Paul Tyler, a licensed insurance agent and CMO of Nassau Financial Group. “Simply live on 80% of a middle-class salary and consistently invest the other 20%. At even a ************* growth rate, you can end up with a shockingly large nest egg when it comes time for you to retire.” “For many people, being wealthy in retirement means not having to worry about how you’ll afford basic living expenses. Having a regular source of income to supplement Social Security can give retirees peace of mind,” said Jennifer Schell, a certified annuity specialist for Annuity.org. Getting a fixed annuity is one way to boost your retirement income and free up more money for other investments that can make you wealthy. “You can grow your retirement savings at a guaranteed interest rate that’s often higher than what a CD or savings account would offer,” said Schell. “And when you’re ready, you can turn on that income stream and know that you’ll continue receiving predictable income each month for as long as you live.” Just because you’ve retired doesn’t mean you should forget about your investments. If you want to continue to build wealth in retirement, review and diversify your investments every so often to ensure they’re meeting your goals. “By spreading investments across a variety of asset classes, sectors and geographies, one can navigate the ups and downs of markets with greater ease,” said Khwan Hathai, certified financial planner at Epiphany Financial Therapy. “This not only helps in managing risk but also aligns with a mindset that values stability and growth, acknowledging that wealth building is a marathon, not a sprint.” More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 7 Ways Middle-Class People Become Rich in Retirement Source link #Ways #MiddleClass #People #Rich #Retirement Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

****** Ops 6 Gets A New Multiplayer And Zombies Patch ****** Ops 6 Gets A New Multiplayer And Zombies Patch · · November 8, 2024 The game has only been out for two weeks, but Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 has received its sixth post-launch update from Activision. The latest ****** Ops 6 patch focuses exclusively on Multiplayer and Zombies. In this latest update, a couple of the ******* changes are adding Stakeout 24/7 and 10v10 Moshpit to the game’s featured playlists as well as a change to the Recon Combat Specialty perk. Within ****** Ops 6 Zombies, the changes range from loadout problems to vehicle exploits. You can get full details on the update below . For more on what else the developers at Raven and Treyarch are working on, check out the full list of known issues. Let us know what you think of the latest update in the official Insider Gaming forums. ****** Ops 6 Multiplayer and Zombies Patch Details 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 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. For more Insider Gaming, check out full details on all of the maps coming to Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 in Season 1. And don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #****** #Ops #Multiplayer #Zombies #Patch Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

TSMC to stop supplying advanced AI processors for all of its China customers: Report TSMC to stop supplying advanced AI processors for all of its China customers: Report After unintentionally producing an AI chiplet for Huawei via a proxy, TSMC is set to stop supplying sophisticated AI processors for all of its ******** clients from Monday, November 11, reports Financial Times, citing Ijiwei.com, which in turn cited emails sent by the foundry to its customers. This change concerns advanced process technologies (such as 7nm and below) and will have a significant impact on China-based developers of AI processors. This does not, however, mean that TSMC will cease to serve these customers completely. The new restriction is limited to AI processors and AI GPUs made on 7nm-class and lower nodes. Smartphone processors, chips for automotive applications, and other devices that cannot be used for military or dual-use applications are not affected, the Ijiwei report stated. Sources with knowledge of the matter reportedly told Ijiwei that future supplies of advanced AI processors to China-based entities would require some kind of approval process, which likely involves specialists from the U.S. Department of Commerce. It is unclear what TSMC plans to do with wafers containing advanced processors already in production, as well as with already processed wafers sitting in its stock. Perhaps, they will be shipped to actual customers if they get appropriate export licenses. TSMC currently makes AI processors for chip giants like Alibaba and Baidu (which are mentioned specifically in the FT report) that produce their custom processors (such as Kunlun and Kunlun II) at TSMC. TSMC also fabs hardware for several AI processor designers, such as Horizon Robotics and ****** Sesame International Holding, that design processors for applications like self-driving cars, according to Financial Times. For all of these companies, the new restriction will likely be a major setback, as they are highly dependent on processors made by TSMC. The U.S. has already banned ********* firms, including AMD, Intel, and Nvidia, from selling their most advanced AI and HPC processors to ******** entities and has also created extensive export controls aimed at stopping other developers and manufacturers using U.S. technology from developing and producing such processors for ******** companies. Nonetheless, chip developers (including China-based and U.S.-based Nvidia) have either tweaked the designs of their processors to meet U.S. export rule requirements or obtained an export license from the U.S. Department of Commerce. SMIC succeeded in legally importing advanced wafer-fabbing tools from ********* companies to its ‘legacy’ production facilities, only then using them at advanced fabs to make sophisticated chips for Huawei. As for Huawei, it used proxies to order chips from TSMC. In fact, the foundry’s decision follows a probe by the U.S. Commerce Department into how sophisticated chips produced by TSMC for a ******** customer ended up in a Huawei AI device, despite Huawei being under multiple U.S. sanctions. TSMC’s new restrictions reflect both a ******* to strengthen its own internal controls and to prepare for expected U.S. export limitations on chip sales to China before President Biden’s term ends. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Sources familiar with TSMC’s plans told the Financial Times that the new restrictions are unlikely to significantly affect the company’s revenue. In an official statement, TSMC did not outright confirm that it had sent the aforementioned email to its ******** clients, but it emphasized its commitment to being a ‘law-abiding company,’ dedicated to adhering to all relevant rules and regulations, including export control requirements. Source link #TSMC #stop #supplying #advanced #processors #China #customers #Report Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Justice Department brings charges in thwarted Iranian plot to ************ Trump Justice Department brings charges in thwarted Iranian plot to ************ Trump An Iranian man picks up a newspaper with an image of the U.S. President-elect, Donald Trump, published on its front page in downtown Tehran, Iran, on November 7, 2024. Morteza Nikoubazl | Nurphoto | Getty Images The Department of Justice on Friday charged an Iranian man and two others in a plot to ***** then-candidate Donald Trump. Iran’s government directed these actors to “target our citizens, including President-elect Trump, on U.S. soil and abroad,” Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a news release. The three who were charged are Farhad Shakeri of Iran; Carlisle Rivera of Brooklyn, New York; and Jonathan Loadholt, of Staten Island, New York. According to the ********* complaint, an official with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps allegdly told Shakeri in mid-to-late September to focus on surveilling and assassinating Trump. Shakeri told the Iranian official that it would “cost a ‘huge’ amount of money,” the complaint alleges, adding that he understood that Iran was “willing to continue spending a lot of money in its attempt” to have Trump *******. Around Oct. 7, the Iranian official tasked Shakeri with providing a plan within seven days to ***** Trump, he told law enforcement in recorded interviews, the complaint says. The Iranian official warned Shakeri that if he was unable to offer an ************** plot by the deadline, then the IRGC would “pause its plan to ***** [Trump] until after the U.S. presidential elections” because the official assessed that Trump would “lose the election and, afterward, it would be easier to ************ [Trump],” the complaint alleges. Shakeri told FBI officials that he didn’t intend to propose a plan to ************ Trump in the timeframe set by the IRGC, it says. Prosecutors allege Shakeri is “an IRGC asset” living in Tehran and is an Afghan national who immigrated to the U.S. as a child. Around 2008, he was deported from the U.S. after serving about 14 years in New York State prisons following a robbery conviction in 1994. On Thursday, Rivera was arrested in Brooklyn and Loadholt in Staten Island. Prosecutors also allege that they were recruited as part of a ********* network to silence and ***** an ********* journalist known to be a strong critic of the Iranian regime and its human rights abuses. Source link #Justice #Department #brings #charges #thwarted #Iranian #plot #************ #Trump Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Earth-Shattering Amount of Money Marvel Rivals Studio Employees Were Allegedly Trying to Launder The Earth-Shattering Amount of Money Marvel Rivals Studio Employees Were Allegedly Trying to Launder NetEase Games, the studio behind games like the upcoming Marvel Rivals and Destiny: Rising, is in trouble as some of its senior employees have been arrested for money laundering. Several news media outlets have reported that these employees have been held by NetEase’s internal team as the matter is still under investigation. NetEase Games’ latest video game, Marvel Rivals, will be released on 6th December (Image via NetEase Games) NetEase’s General Manager, Xiang Lang, was also among the arrested employees who reportedly tried to launder around 2 billion yuan, or $280 million while working at the studio. It has been confirmed that these employees are no longer associated with NetEase, and are all set to face strict legal action. This news comes just a few weeks before the release of NetEase’s latest game, Marvel Rivals. NetEase Games’ Senior Employees Have Been Held For Money Laundering The detained employees were also a part of Marvel Rivals‘ development team (Image via NetEase Games) As per Leifeng, some of the NetEase Games employees of the development team of Marvel Rivals and Destiny: Rising have been “taken away by NetEase’s internal anti-*********** department” as they are suspected to be involved in money laundering. The website has also revealed that “the contract value involved in this case is roughly 2 billion yuan,” (about $280 million), and the actual amount involved is estimated to be between 800 million and 1 billion yuan. NetEase’s General Manager, Xiang Lang is also under investigation, plus, employees working under him are also accused of purchasing traffic for many of NetEase’s top products. The news outlet also confirmed that Lang, along with the other detained employees, have “no longer been found in NetEase’s internal system today.” Considering the amount of money involved, it’s safe to say that these employees will face strict action. NetEase Games’ Forced Gamers To Give Marvel Rivals A Good Rating Some players have compared Marvel Rivals to Overwatch (Image via NetEase Games) NetEase Games’ latest video game, Marvel Rivals, is all set to release for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on December 6th, 2024. Earlier this year, many creators asked for key codes to gain access to the playtest, to which NetEase agreed but only on one condition: No negative reviews. After streamer Brandon “Seagull” Larned criticized the agreement on X, NetEase Games announced that it is amending the contract. In an official statement provided to PCGamesN, the studio apologised for “inappropriate and misleading terms” and promised to work with content creators to come up with a better contract. Obviously, this arrest of some its employees will affect Marvel Rivals, however, NetEase seems optimistic about the game’s future. The highly-anticipated 6v6 PvP, third-person hero shooter title will be free-to-play and is all set to feature 26 characters from Marvel Comics. NetEase Games has described the project as one of their “most ambitious game development projects.“ Do you think NetEase Games’ poor management of its employees will ruin Marvel Rivals? Share your opinions in the comments! Source link #EarthShattering #Amount #Money #Marvel #Rivals #Studio #Employees #Allegedly #Launder Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trying to get the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU? It seems only scalpers have it and they’re jacking up the price Trying to get the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU? It seems only scalpers have it and they’re jacking up the price The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor sold out in most retailers Scalpers have been doubling the prices on preorder listings As components sell in waves, this issue will be fixed soon Trying to get ahold of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, one of the best processors on the market right now? Good luck, since it’s sold out pretty much everywhere. According to Digital Trends, just minutes after the first listings went live, they immediately sold out. Naturally, resellers have been capitalizing on this opportunity by selling the “preorders” for a higher price than what they initially paid – in other words, scalping. The retail price is $479 and most of these listings on eBay are $900 and over. Though none of those have sold as of this writing, one buyer recently purchased a chip for $564. Even we at TechRadar can confirm how difficult it’s been, as we haven’t been able to secure one from a standard retailer as of yet. You can keep checking on online retailers like Amazon, Newegg, and B&H Photo, but of course, they’re all out of stock as of now. Even AMD’s official online store has no stock despite a limit of one per customer. There is one place you can get your hands on the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and that’s at Micro Center. However, you’ll have to go to its brick-and-mortar store to get your hands on one there right now. There is another silver lining to this and it’s that scalpers won’t be having the last laugh. As more come back in stock in waves, demand will eventually lower enough to make their jacked-up listings worthless. This could take another few months for this to happen, so keep checking back with the official retailers until you can get your hands on one too. Some lucky buyers on the AMD subreddit are already celebrating getting a hold of one themselves, so it’s not impossible. Meanwhile, you can also check out more of the best AMD processors if you need your fix now. Why is the Ryzen 7 9800X3D so sought after? It’s a little surprising that the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is already garnering a lot of attention, as the rumors and reports have been positive in terms of performance. According to one report, it will have eight Zen 5 cores with a 4.70GHz base clock speed, which can be boosted up to 5.20GHz, 96MB of 3D V-Cache, and may have an 8% performance boost over AMD’s current high-end gaming processor. Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable ****** Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content. In terms of overclocking, ***** have been pushing the processor to its limits and finding out it can hit as high as nearly 7GHz for clock speeds. One user ran Counter-Strike 2 at 1080p (max graphics settings) and hit 1,262.9 frames per second (fps). There was another test with Valorant and the CPU averaged close to 1,100 fps at 1080p resolution (maxed-out settings), reaching over 1,500 fps at times. It’s clear how big this processor is, and why so many scalpers saw a golden opportunity to take advantage of it. But with any large tech launch, given enough patience and anyone who wants it will be able to buy it legitimately in a matter of months, if not sooner. You might also like Source link #AMD #Ryzen #9800X3D #CPU #scalpers #theyre #jacking #price Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]