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On PocketGamer.fun this week: Playing the villain and Children of Morta On PocketGamer.fun this week: Playing the villain and Children of Morta Regular readers of Pocket Gamer will be aware that we released a brand new website called PocketGamer.fun. It’s a site we’ve made in collaboration with domain specialists Radix, intending to help you find your next favourite game quickly. So, if you’re looking for distilled recommendations, head over to the site, be greeted with dozens of great games and download any that take your fancy. Alternatively, if you’re happy with a little more reading, we’ll regularly post articles like this one to update you on what we’ve posted on the site in the last week or so. Joining the dark side Most games see you becoming the hero, with the ultimate goal of saving the world from some kind of all-powerful evil. That’s great and all, but have you ever wondered what it might be like on the other side of that equation? To be the villain who’s trying to hatch an evil scheme? Well, it turns out there are actually a few options available if you want to live out those dark fantasies. Just keep it to the virtual world and not real life, alright? I won’t be held responsible for anyone inspired to take up villainy full-time. Game of the Week Children of Morta When it was released on PC, Children of Morta went down well with critics and the gaming public, netting itself a healthy 82 on Metacritic. So, it was pretty exciting to hear it was coming to mobile, giving a new audience a chance to get their hands on its roguelike goodness. And you know what? It turned out pretty good, as Will noted in his Children of Morta review. Check out PocketGamer.fun If you haven’t visited our new site, please do! And while you’re there, bookmark it, pin it, or however you prefer to track your favourite websites. We update it weekly, so check back often for more recommendations of must-play games. Source link #PocketGamer.fun #week #Playing #villain #Children #Morta Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Adani Group investor GQG Partners’ shares ****** 25% — on pace for record loss Adani Group investor GQG Partners’ shares ****** 25% — on pace for record loss Rajiv Jain, founder and chief investment officer of GQG Partners, during an interview in New York, US, on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. Christopher Goodney | Bloomberg | Getty Images Shares of Australia-listed GQG Partners plunged as much as 25% on Thursday and were set to post their worst day on record, after Adani Group Chair Gautam Adani was charged with ****** in New York. If losses hold, it will be the investment firm’s steepest one-day fall since its listing on Oct. 2021. Stock Chart IconStock chart icon Shares of Adani Group companies also nosedived, as Indian stock markets opened for trade. The Nifty 50 index was down 0.75%, while the BSE Sensex was 0.73% lower. GQG is Adani Enterprises’ fourth-largest shareholder, owning about 3.94% of the firm, according to LSEG data. In a statement sent to CNBC, GQG said that it was are monitoring the charges, adding that “our team is reviewing the emerging details and determining what, if any, actions for our portfolios are appropriate.” The investment firm also pointed out that its portfolios have “diversified investments,” saying that over 90% of clients assets are invested in issuers unrelated to the Adani Group. GQG has reaped rich rewards investing in Adani whose shares tumbled after a short-seller report in January 2023 by New York’s Hindenburg Research accused the company of ******. Rajiv Jain, chairman and chief investment officer at GQG Partners, told CNBC in January this year that his profits on Adani stood at about $4 billion, but he was likely done investing in the group. Hindenburg had charged Adani Group of “brazen stock manipulation and accounting ****** scheme over the course of decades,” sending shares plunging by more than 54% in the first quarter of 2023. Source link #Adani #Group #investor #GQG #Partners #shares #****** #pace #record #loss Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How to increase carrying capacity in Stalker 2 How to increase carrying capacity in Stalker 2 Every decision you make in Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl has weight to it, including what you fill your backpack with. Not only are you limited based on how big your inventory is but every item you put in it has an associated weight that adds to your total. Try to carry too much and you will become encumbered and have a difficult time moving. The last thing you want is to find a valuable stash with a great new **** or piece of gear and not be able to carry it all back to a town. There are no skill trees or levels in Stalker 2, so you might think that the weight limit you start with is what you’re stuck with for the whole game, but we can show you how to increase your carrying capacity. If you’re exploring the Zone, check out our other Stalker 2 tips and tricks. How to increase carrying capacity GSC Game World There are a few ways to upgrade your carrying capacity, and both revolve around upgrading your body armor. At any upgrade vendor, select your armor from the list of upgrades and select the top upgrade slot. Here, you can find the Swen-on Pockets upgrade at the end of the upgrade list. This will increase your capacity by 10%, which isn’t much, but the most we’ve found you can get. Unlocking this upgrade will require you to first get the previous upgrades, so start investing in this tree early. GSC Game World While it won’t directly increase how much you can carry, the Fastening System upgrade on armor reduces its weight by 2, thus freeing up that weight for other things. Again, it is small, but Stalker 2 isn’t going to make things easy on you, so we have to take whatever minor edges we can get. Source link #increase #carrying #capacity #Stalker Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Uncertainty after Australia foreign students bill hits opposition Uncertainty after Australia foreign students bill hits opposition Australia’s debate over capping foreign student numbers is “not over” despite a controversial bill unexpectedly losing support, a top industry body says. The bill, part of efforts to slash overall migration to Australia, had been opposed by most universities who say it would damage the higher education sector and its global reputation. The government argued the legislation was needed to make the industry more sustainable and ease pressure on housing, and it was expected to easily pass with opposition support this week. However in a surprise eleventh-hour move, Australia’s opposition leader said his coalition would vote against the bill as it didn’t go far enough. Though some universities have expressed support at the bill’s apparent demise, they also say it extends the uncertainty surrounding the industry – which is worth about A$50bn (£25.7bn, $32.7bn) to the economy. Luke Sheehy, head of Universities Australia, told the BBC the news brought “no sense of relief” for him. “I just knew that we would be looking at international students [used] as cannon fodder in a phoney war on migration right through to the election now,” said Mr Sheehy, whose organisation advocates for 39 universities. The cap proposed limiting new enrolments at 270,000 for 2025 – a significant cut on the number in 2024. It had been due to come into effect in just six weeks. Some universities have made job cuts and rejected student applications in anticipation of the new laws, and the BBC was told foreign students were already choosing to study elsewhere as a result of the reduced confidence in the sector. The legislation, currently before the Senate, has not been formally withdrawn by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labor government but it cannot pass without the support of the main opposition ********-National coalition or the Greens, who also oppose it. Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton called the bill “a dog’s breakfast” and vowed to introduce “deeper cuts” if he wins the upcoming election, due by May. The Greens, on the other hand, described the bill “dog whistling that shamefully scapegoated international students for the housing crisis they did not cause”. The government has accused Mr Dutton of hypocrisy, arguing he has often talked “tough” on cutting immigration to the country, which has reached record levels in recent years. The expected ******** of the bill would mean an existing visa policy, which has been widely accused of exacerbating problems by funnelling most international students to a select few city-based universities, will remain in place. The Group of Eight (Go8) – a body which represents Australia’s top ranked universities – said the bill would have hurt students and staff and that common sense had prevailed. But the industry has been left scrambling again, with only a few months left until the 2025 academic year begins. Observers say some universities could now receive a spike in students when they had a expected a cut, and others – predominantly in regional locations – will no longer expect as many, putting them under greater financial pressure. “The most devastating part of this discussion is that we still don’t have a resolution,” Mr Sheehy said. “We’re nowhere closer to providing the certainty, stability and growth the government promised us all those many months ago when they proposed caps.” Source link #Uncertainty #Australia #foreign #students #bill #hits #opposition Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

This ****** Friday deal brings the DJI Osmo Mobile 6 gimbal down to an all-time-low price This ****** Friday deal brings the DJI Osmo Mobile 6 gimbal down to an all-time-low price The DJI Osmo Mobile 6 gimbal is on ***** via Amazon for just $89, as part of an early ****** Friday deal. This knocks 36 percent off the price and represents a record low for the camera-stabilizing device. For the uninitiated, this product keeps a steady lock on smartphones so as to provide smooth camera and video footage. The Osmo Mobile 6 is a step up from its predecessors in nearly every way. It features a newly-designed handle that’s more comfortable to hold and a larger clamp to accommodate all of those modern giant phones. The clamp can also wrap itself around smaller phones in bulky cases. DJI This model boasts a built-in extension rod, so it doubles as a selfie stick. It also features the company’s ActiveTrack software. This allows for increased stability over longer distances and will actually track subjects as they turn, spin or move. Another new feature is Quick Launch for iPhone models. This automatically forces the phone into the camera view when the gimbal is unfolded. There’s a built-in status panel to check battery levels, a timelapse feature, gestural controls and a whole lot more. It’s a nifty little gadget. On the downside, this is a lot of money for a smartphone clamp, even at $89. This is for people who prioritize top-tier footage. Check out all of the latest ****** Friday and Cyber Monday deals here. Source link #****** #Friday #deal #brings #DJI #Osmo #Mobile #gimbal #alltimelow #price Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

****** gifts Pyongyang zoo with lion, brown bears ****** gifts Pyongyang zoo with lion, brown bears Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment ****** has gifted North Korea with over 70 zoo animals Russian President Vladimir ****** has gifted North Korea’s main zoo more than 70 animals, including a lion and two brown bears, in yet another display of burgeoning relations between Moscow and Pyongyang. ******’s environment minister, Alexander Kozlov, brought the animals to the North Korean capital on board a cargo plane, Kozlov’s office said on its official Telegram channel on Wednesday. The shipment of animals from Moscow also included two yaks, five cockatoos and dozens of pheasants as well as mandarin ducks, Kozlov’s office said. The gift comes weeks after the US and South Korea revealed that North Korea had sent thousands of troops to ****** alongside Russia in Ukraine. Watch: ****** gifts North Korea zoo animals While in Pyongyang the Russian environment minister also paid a courtesy visit to Kim. This isn’t the first time in recent memory that Russia has sent animals to North Korea. Earlier this year, ****** gifted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un 24 pure-bred horses, reportedly as thanks for artillery shells provided by North Korea. ****** and Kim have strengthened their alliance in recent months as both countries face sanctions from the West. Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment The shipment of animals from Moscow also included two yaks, five cockatoos and dozens of pheasants of different species and mandarin ducks Source link #****** #gifts #Pyongyang #zoo #lion #brown #bears Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Dragon Age Voice Actor Got The Job By Sending In Beat Poetry Dragon Age Voice Actor Got The Job By Sending In Beat Poetry The world of Dragon Age is host to a slew of fantastical characters, voiced by a who’s who of big names in the world of voice acting–with some sci-fi and fantasy celebrities sprinkled in. From Freddie Prinze Jr. voicing the mighty Iron Bull to Kate Mulgrew as the mysterious Flemeth, one cast member landed the job with a very unconventional audition tape. Claudia ******, who made her mark in sci-fi as Aeryn Sun in Farscape, auditioned for the part of Morrigan in Dragon Age: Origins by sending in a recording of her doing a beat poetry version of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back.” Dragon Age creator David Gaider said that the character went through several concepts, but couldn’t deny ****** the opportunity and listened. “I lost my ******** mind,” Gaider said on his Bluesky account. “Yes, I still have the recording. No, you cannot have it.” Gaider continued with bringing ****** on board and adjusting the character to fit her voice. “Naturally, we jumped on that immediately. As I recall, this was met with resistance from higher up–they had this image of Morrigan as young, like 18 years old (no idea where this came from), and complained that Claudia sounded ‘too old.’ [Voice director] Caroline [Livingstone} and I were determined, so we pushed ahead. We had to agree to get Claudia to sound ‘younger,’ which I was dubious about. The first two sessions we asked her to pitch her voice up and it was awful.” When both Livingstone and Gaider were working with ****** to get her to focus on “sounding right,” they told her to use her natural voice. It worked. “We loved her performance so much we had the feeling that the team would love it too and forget their nonsense,” Gaider added. “They did.” The character of Morrigan was a touchstone for Gaider and opened up the door for ****** to continue her video game voice work in big game franchises like Uncharted and Destiny. She reprises the role once again in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. “[Morrigan] is the heart of [Dragon Age: Origin]. Way beyond her initial inspirations. Some said ‘she’s just an ice queen’ like some I’d written (Viconia, Bastila, etc.) but such categories are very reductive, I find. She had a voice I could instantly slip into, every time, without fail.” Source link #Dragon #Age #Voice #Actor #Job #Sending #Beat #Poetry Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Moment world’s tallest woman and shortest woman meet Moment world’s tallest woman and shortest woman meet The world’s tallest woman and shortest woman enjoyed afternoon tea together in London, meeting in celebration at The Guinness World Record Day 2024. Footage shows Rumeysa Geligo, a researcher from Turkey, towering over Jyoti Amge, an actor from India, who stand at 2 metres and 15.16cm (7ft 0.7), and 62.8cm (24.7in), respectively. Source link #Moment #worlds #tallest #woman #shortest #woman #meet Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mister Antonio is Bart Bonte’s newest minimalist puzzler, out now on Android and iOS Mister Antonio is Bart Bonte’s newest minimalist puzzler, out now on Android and iOS Mister Antonio is Bart Bonte’s newest release, out now on iOS and Android The indie developer is best known for his series of puzzlers named after colours But this new game is focused squarely on feline wish fulfilment If you’ve been a longtime reader of the site you’ve probably read some of our previous articles about the enigmatic solo developer Bart Bonte. His series of minimalist puzzlers, all named after colours, have frequently popped up in our coverage. But today’s subject is a little different as Bonte delves into the world of feline wish fulfilment with Mister Antonio. Out now on iOS and Android, Mister Antonio sees you fulfilling the demands of your cat, whether that be yarn ****** or a certain sequence of them. Navigating between microplanets you’ll need to carefully plan out your route to grab the necessary items in the right sequence, all while obstacles help or hinder you, depending on your movements. If you’ve ever been put off by the more minimalist nature of Bonte’s other releases, Mister Antonio may be the puzzler that you’ve been waiting for. But don’t expect the cutesy subject matter to mean that Mister Antonio will go easy on you, as it promises plenty of challenge. Purrfectly done Given the subject matter and the slightly more approachable gameplay, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mister Antonio turns out to be a fairly big success for Bart Bonte. After all, if there’s one thing you can say about his previous releases, it’s not that they have snappy names. In terms of challenge, from what I’ve seen so far it looks like Mister Antonio will deliver a very accessible but no less engaging series of puzzles for aficionados and newbies alike. Of course, if Mister Antonio still isn’t enough to scratch your puzzling ***** once you’re done with it, there’s no need to stop there. Why not dig into some of the picks we’ve selected for our ranking of the top 25 best puzzle games for iOS and Android? Source link #Mister #Antonio #Bart #Bontes #newest #minimalist #puzzler #Android #iOS Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

*********** teenager the fourth tourist to **** *********** teenager the fourth tourist to **** *********** teen Bianca Jones has become the fourth tourist to have ***** in a suspected mass poisoning in Laos. The 19-year-old’s family confirmed her ****** to the media on Thursday. Hours earlier, the US State Department told the media that an ********* man ***** in the tourist town of Vang Vieng. Two Danish women, aged 19 and 20, also ***** last week in Laos, authorities confirmed, while Jones’ friend Holly Bowles and a British woman are reportedly on life support in hospital. The deaths remain under police investigation, but news reports and testimonies from fellow tourists suggest they may have consumed drinks laced with methanol, a deadly substance often found in bootleg alcohol. *********** Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Department of Foreign Affairs had confirmed Ms Jones’s ******. “Our first thoughts in this moment are with her family and friends who are grieving a terrible and cruel loss,” Albanese said on Thursday afternoon. “This is every parent’s very worst ***** and a nightmare that no one should have to endure.” The US State Department said it was “closely monitoring” the situation with regards to the ********* victim, adding that it was up to local authorities to determine the cause of ******. Source link #*********** #teenager #fourth #tourist #**** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

All rare gadgets in Lego Horizon Adventures and what they do All rare gadgets in Lego Horizon Adventures and what they do Reliving Aloy’s first adventure in Lego Horizon Adventures is a streamlined but faithful retelling of the first game. However, instead of the massive open-world experiences that made the Horizon series some of the best PS5 games, this entry changes the formula to fall more in line with the best Lego games. It is a much smaller game compared to those, with way fewer collectibles. This makes it much easier to play in co-op, but it isn’t without a few things you can gather up. Rare gadgets are pieces of equipment you can wear to enhance or add new abilities. Here are all the rare gadgets in the game and what cool effects they have. Every rare gadget in Lego Horizon Adventures Sony Interactive Entertainment Lego Horizon Adventures only has 10 rare gadgets in total that you will unlock as you progress through the story. They each serve a unique purpose and are worth experimenting with as you attempt to clean up any remaining Trophies. Blast Boots — Blast ***** from your feet when you double jump. Hot Dog Cart — Summon a hot dog cart to randomly toss explosives. Brick Separator — A high-damage ******* that knocks enemies back. Frost Wave — Sends out a wave that freezes enemies. Rush Boots — Rush around enemies with lightning speed. Gravity ***** — Toss a ***** that sucks enemies in before exploding. Shell-Walker Shield — Raise a shield that blocks projectiles and charge attacks. Tripcaster — Set up an electrified tripwire. Hunter’s Decoy — Summon a decoy to distract enemies. Elemental Drone — Create a drone that attacks with a random elemental effect. Source link #rare #gadgets #Lego #Horizon #Adventures Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

DOJ pushes for Google to break off Chrome browser after antitrust case DOJ pushes for Google to break off Chrome browser after antitrust case U.S. Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter speaks about the antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment during a press conference as Attorney General Merrick Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco look on during a press conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, U.S., May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno Ken Cedeno | Reuters The Department of Justice is calling for Google to divest its Chrome browser, following a ruling in August that the company holds a monopoly in the search market. Chrome, which Google launched in 2008, provides the search giant with data it then uses for targeting ads. The DOJ said in a filing on Wednesday that forcing the company to get rid of Chrome would create a more equal playing field for search competitors. “To remedy these harms, the [Initial Proposed Final Judgment] requires Google to divest Chrome, which will permanently stop Google’s control of this critical search access point and allow rival search engines the ability to access the browser that for many users is a gateway to the internet,” the 23-page filing reads. Search advertising accounted for $49.4 billion in revenue in parent company Alphabet’s third quarter, representing three-quarters of total ad sales in the *******. The DOJ’s request represents the agency’s most aggressive attempt to break up a tech company since its antitrust case against Microsoft, which reached a settlement in 2001. In August, a federal judge ruled that Google holds a monopoly in the search market. The ruling came after the government in 2020 filed its landmark case, alleging that Google controlled the general search market by creating strong barriers to entry and a feedback loop that sustained its dominance. The court found that Google violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act, which outlaws monopolies. Last month, the DOJ indicated it was considering a breakup of Google businesses, including potentially breaking up its Chrome, Play or Android divisions. Additionally, the DOJ suggested limiting or prohibiting default agreements and “other revenue-sharing arrangements related to search and search-related products.” That would include Google’s search arrangements with Apple on the iPhone and Samsung on its mobiles devices, deals that cost the company billions of dollars a year in payouts. Google has said it will appeal the monopoly ruling, which would draw out any final remedy decisions. However, the most likely outcome, according to some legal experts, is that the court will ask Google to do away with certain exclusive agreements, like its deal with Apple. While a breakup is an unlikely outcome, the experts said, the court may ask Google to make it easier for users to access other search engines. WATCH: What DOJ’s focus on Google means for the tech company Source link #DOJ #pushes #Google #break #Chrome #browser #antitrust #case Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nelly Korda takes top honours in LPGA Awards Nelly Korda takes top honours in LPGA Awards Nelly Korda has capped her best season by capturing the top two honours at the LPGA Awards in Naples. The 26-year-old Florida native received the Player of the Year Award and the Annika Major Award, which goes to the major winner who had the best overall results in the season’s big five events. Korda won seven events in 2024, including the Chevron Championship, her second career major title. “It’s been crazy, it’s been such a fun year, full of ups and downs, but I am so, so grateful for my team sitting right here,” Korda said. “It’s been an amazing year and I’m so grateful to be doing what I love.” Korda entered the year with six career LPGA tournament wins but she added victories at the LPGA Drive On Championship, the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship, the Ford Championship, the T-Mobile Match Play, the Mizuho Americas Open and The Annika in addition to the Chevron Championship. She missed the cut at both the US Women’s Open and the Women’s PGA Championship before tying for 26th at the Evian Championship and tying for second at the Women’s British Open. With Lilia Vu having won Player of the Year in 2023, US golfers have captured the honour in consecutive years for the first time since Betsy King and Beth Daniel did so in 1993 and 1994, respectively. New Zealand’s Lydia Ko was awarded the Heather Farr Perseverance Award, given for “hard work, dedication and love of the game of golf.” Ko, 27, earned the gold medal at the Paris Olympics to become the youngest player to earn Hall of Fame status since the current format went into place. Ko’s three official victories this year included a major, the Women’s British Open. “2024 has felt like a fairytale, one word, fairytale,” Ko said. “I can’t believe it, even now while looking at some of the highlights. I still get goosebumps.” Source link #Nelly #Korda #takes #top #honours #LPGA #Awards Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Visions Volume 3 is coming in 2025 Visions Volume 3 is coming in 2025 Yesterday, at the Disney APAC Content Showcase in Singapore, the company revealed Volume 3 of . This anthology of nine short animations from nine separate anime studios is set to release next year. In keeping with tradition from prior volumes, each studio is allowed considerable creative freedom and will likely produce shorts with distinctive art styles that fans will recognize instantly. Based on the Star Wars website’s , we can immediately see four returning studios: Kamikaze Douga, Kinema citrus Co., Production I.G and TRIGGER. These studios are responsible for anime adaptations of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Made in Abyss, Haikyu!! and ***** la *****, respectively. To improve the diversity of styles, Disney invited five new studios to create the remaining shorts. They are ANIMA (collaborating with Kamikaze Douga), David Production, Polygon Pictures, Project Studio Q and WIT Studio. ANIMA is an animation studio specializing in 3D CG movies, and you may know it as the studio behind cutscenes from Xenoblade 3, certain ***** Emblem Heroes movies and Pokemon Unite. David Production animated ***** Force and Undead Unluck, among many other anime. Some Star Wars: The Clone Wars episodes and Tron: Uprising were Polygon Pictures’ work. Project Studio Q is a less-known name, but it’s responsible for some 3D animation in DARLING in the FRANXX episodes. As for WIT Studio, it’s of Spy x Family and ******* on Titan (the first three seasons) fame. With such a stacked roster of studios, Disney is sparing no expense on this anthology. The wait might be long, but Volumes 1 and 2 are still available on Disney+. Source link #Visions #Volume #coming Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra ****** Units Surface, Showcasing Design Tweaks With Rounded Corners Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra ****** Units Surface, Showcasing Design Tweaks With Rounded Corners Samsung Galaxy S25 series is expected to launch in January, this time comprising four models rather than the usual three: the base Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra, and a new Galaxy S25 Slim variant that may debut later. The top-of-the-line Galaxy S25 Ultra model may feature certain tweaks to its iconic boxy design, and recently surfaced ****** units of the purported handset corroborate this change. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is likely to get a more rounded appearance this time around. The ***** suggests a design strategy shift compared to the existing Galaxy S24 Ultra. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra ****** Units ***** In a post on X (formerly Twitter), tipster @Jukanlosreve shared a couple of images of the ****** units of the purported Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. The ***** suggests that the South Korean technology conglomerate’s flagship non-foldable smartphone will undergo design changes, favouring rounded edges over flat ones. Two of the four colourways of the smartphone, including a ****** shade, are also showcased with the ****** units. ****** Units of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Photo Credit: X/Jukanlosreve This marks the second time that ****** units of the Galaxy S25 Ultra have surfaced, showcasing its tweaked design. With its purported smartphone, the company is speculated to move away from the boxy design that has become synonymous with Samsung’s Ultra models in recent years. However, it may still have similar design elements carried over from the current models, including the placement of power and volume buttons on the right spine and an identical rear camera layout. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Specifications (Expected) Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is expected to be equipped with a 6.86-inch AMOLED screen with thinner bezels than its predecessor, as per reports. The purported handset may sport a 200-megapixel primary camera, a 10-megapixel 3x telephoto camera, a 50-megapixel 5x telephoto camera, and an upgraded 50-megapixel ultrawide camera. It is expected to be powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, with support for up to 16GB of RAM. The phone could pack a 5,000mAh battery with support for 45W charging. A recent report indicates that the handset’s bill of materials (BoM) is at least $110 roughly Rs. 9,300) higher than its predecessor, hinting towards a price hike in select markets. Source link #Samsung #Galaxy #S25 #Ultra #****** #Units #Surface #Showcasing #Design #Tweaks #Rounded #Corners Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bees help tackle elephant-human conflict in Kenya Bees help tackle elephant-human conflict in Kenya “We used to hate elephants a lot,” Kenyan farmer Charity Mwangome says, pausing from her work under the shade of a baobab tree. The bees humming in the background are part of the reason why her hatred has dimmed. The diminutive 58-year-old said rapacious elephants would often ******** months of work in her farmland that sits between two parts of Kenya’s world-renowned Tsavo National Park. Beloved by tourists — who contribute around 10 percent of Kenya’s GDP — the animals are loathed by most local farmers, who form the backbone of the nation’s economy. Elephant conservation has been a roaring success: numbers in Tsavo rose from around 6,000 in the mid-1990s to almost 15,000 elephants in 2021, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). But the human population also expanded, encroaching on grazing and migration routes for the herds. Resulting clashes are becoming the number one cause of elephant deaths, says KWS. Refused compensation when she lost her crops, Mwangome admits she was **** with the conservationists. But a long-running project by conservation organisation Save the Elephants offered her an unlikely solution — deterring some of nature’s biggest animals with some of its smallest: ******** honeybees. Cheery yellow beehive fences now protect several local plots, including Mwangome’s. A nine-year study published last month found that elephants avoided farms with the ferocious bees 86 percent of the time during peak crop season. “The beehive fences came to our rescue,” said Mwangome. – Hacking nature – The deep humming of 70,000 bees is enough to make many flee, including a six-tonne elephant, but Loise Kawira calmly removes a tray in her apiary to demonstrate the intricate combs of wax and honey. Kawira, who joined Save the Elephants in 2021 as their consultant beekeeper, trains and monitors farmers in the delicate art. The project supports 49 farmers, whose plots are surrounded by 15 connected hives. Each is strung on greased wire a few metres off the ground, which protects them from badgers and insects, but also means they shake when ********** by a hungry elephant. “Once the elephants hear the sound of the bees and the smell, they run away,” Kawira told AFP. “It hacks the interaction between elephants and bees,” added Ewan Brennan, local project coordinator. It has been effective, but recent droughts, exacerbated by climate change, have raised challenges. “(In) the total heat, the dryness, bees have absconded,” said Kawira. It is also expensive — about 150,000 Kenyan shillings ($1,100) to install hives — well beyond the means of subsistence farmers, though the project organisers say it is still cheaper than electric fences. – ‘I was going to ****’ – Just moments after AFP arrived at Mwanajuma Kibula’s farm, which abuts one of the Tsavo parks, her beehive fence had seen off an elephant. The five-tonne animal, its skin caked in red mud, rumbled into the area and then did an abrupt about-face. “I know my crops are protected,” Kibula said with palpable relief. Kibula, 48, also harvests honey twice a year from her hives, making 450 shillings per jar — enough to pay school fees for her children. She is fortunate to have protection from the biggest land mammals on Earth. “An elephant ripped off my roof, I had to hide under the bed because I knew I was going to ****,” said a less-fortunate neighbour, Hendrita Mwalada, 67. For those who can’t afford bees, Save the Elephants offers other solutions, such as metal-sheet fences that clatter when shaken by approaching elephants, and diesel- or chilli-soaked rags that deter them. It is not always enough. “I have tried planting but every time the crops are ready, the elephants come and ******** the crops,” Mwalada told AFP. “That has been the story of my life, a life full of too much struggling.” ra-rbu/er/kjm Source link #Bees #tackle #elephanthuman #conflict #Kenya Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Western Digital PS5 SSDs On ***** For Great Prices At Amazon For ****** Friday Western Digital PS5 SSDs On ***** For Great Prices At Amazon For ****** Friday The WD ****** SN850X can hit speeds of up to 7,300MB/s, significantly faster than the required 5,500MB/s sequential read speed for full support on PS5. The 1TB model that’s on ***** includes a preinstalled heatsink, which is needed for installation in the PS5’s open M.2 slot. At face value, a 1TB SSD sounds like doubling your PlayStation’s storage space, but it’s actually an even more meaningful increase. The original PS5 has roughly 667GB of usable storage, while the PS5 Slim has about 850GB. If you want an even ******* upgrade, Amazon has the 2TB SN850X on ***** for $130. The only downside with this deal is that it doesn’t. come with a heatsink, so you will need to buy one separately and install it yourself. Thankfully, it only takes a few minutes, and heatsinks are cheap, including this $9 model. Anything above 2TB is probably overdoing it for most PS5 users, but the SN850X is also one of the best SSDs for PC, a platform where storage gets consumed by more than just games. Amazon has the 4TB SN850X with a heatsink on ***** for over $100 off. For a slightly cheaper 1TB option, check out Corsair’s MP600 for $80. This one also comes with a heatsink, and while it’s not as popular as the SN850X, it’s still plenty fast enough for PS5 users, with speeds up to 7,100MB/s. Source link #Western #Digital #PS5 #SSDs #***** #Great #Prices #Amazon #****** #Friday Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

MPs raise questions about Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ CV MPs raise questions about Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ CV PA Media Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s CV came under the spotlight at Prime Minister’s Questions, following claims she had embellished some of her past achievements. Reeves has previously said she worked as an economist at Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) before entering politics. However, her profile on the networking site LinkedIn has been changed to say the role at HBOS was in retail banking. Reeves worked as an economist for the Bank of England before joining HBOS and in a 2011 interview with the Independent she is described as working for HBOS’s retail division. In the same year, the biography on her Labour web page said: “Rachel spent her professional career as an economist working for the Bank of England, the British Embassy in Washington and at Halifax Bank of Scotland.” Tory MPs Graham Stuart and Alex Burghart – who was standing in for opposition leader Kemi Badenoch at the weekly Commons session – and Reform ***’s Lee Anderson all made reference to the row when putting questions to Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner. Rayner was standing in for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who is in Brazil for a G20 summit meeting of the world’s richest countries. Burghart raised a laugh on the Tory benches with a jibe about “real economists”, as he accused the government of “stoking” inflation. “This morning we had City economists, real economists, saying that next year inflation would hit 3%,” he told MPs. Later in the session, Anderson, asking about changes to inheritance tax for farmers, said: “Does the deputy prime minister agree with me that this decision should be thrown in the trash can along with Rachel from accounts’ CV?” Rayner deflected the question with a joke about Anderson’s own career. “He talks about CVs, it’s good to see [Anderson] doing well on his – once a Labour councillor then a Tory MP and now Reform chief whip,” she said. “Every time he switches party, he gets a promotion.” A few minutes later, ************* Graham Stuart said all MPs “recognise the authenticity” of Rayner’s back story including her time working as a carer. Stuart then referenced recent cases where people had got into trouble for lying about their experience and achievements. In June, Nick Adderly, the chief constable of Northamptonshire Police was sacked for exaggerating his naval rank and length of service. And last month, a woman was jailed for five years after lying about her experience and qualifications to get a job as a senior nurse in a unit for ***** and ********** *******. Stuart asked if Rayner agreed that “serious consequences are right and just in such cases”. “I know where he is trying to go with this,” replied Rayner before going on to defend Reeves. “Our chancellor in the last four months has shown more competence than the last four chancellors he had,” she said. *** Parliament/ PA The questions continued after PMQs, as reporters sought to put the prime minister’s official spokeswoman on the spot. Asked if Sir Keir expected ministers to tell the truth on their CVs, she said the row “relates to the chancellor’s time before she was the chancellor”. But she added: “The prime minister is very clear that what is most important is having a chancellor who is able to balance the books and who is able to be straight with the public and restore the public finances.” And that was what Reeves had done, she told reporters. Asked if the PM was committed to Reeves remaining chancellor for the rest of the Parliament, she said: “It’s never for me in my position to speak to cabinet appointments, but the chancellor very much ******** the chancellor.” Reeves has often sought to underline her economic credentials by pointing to the roles she held before becoming an MP. However, the chancellor is facing claims that her role at Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) had more to do with administration and IT than economics. Reeves studied philosophy, politics and economics Oxford University and did a master’s degree in economics at the London School of Economics. Source link #MPs #raise #questions #Chancellor #Rachel #Reeves Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Methods 4: The Best Detective continues the quirky battle of the brains, out now on iOS and Android Methods 4: The Best Detective continues the quirky battle of the brains, out now on iOS and Android Methods 4: The Best Detective continues the Methods series of ****** thriller visual novels This part ups the ante as we head towards the conclusion Enjoy the fourth part of this quirky ****** thriller, out now on iOS and Android When it comes to solving ******* it takes the finest minds imaginable, the most experienced of criminologists, forensic pathologists and analysts imaginable must apply deductive reasoning to figure out whodunnit, whendunnit, and whydunnit. Or you can just collect 100 weirdos in the same building and hope for the best; unrelated, but Methods 4 is out now! The fourth instalment in the Methods series of visual novels, it continues the tale of one hundred detectives in the competition of a lifetime. You have to solve ******* perpetrated by the most fiendish ********** on the planet. Win, and the detectives receive a million dollars, lose and the ********** get the same; alongside parole no matter their ******. Part four of the Methods series continues the story, bringing you into further conflict with the masters of this bizarre game. You’ll need to continue to utilise simple deductive reasoning, examining ****** scenes and answering questions to determine the method and motive. Just one more thing- Methods follows the unusual release strategy of splitting a single release into multiple parts. Although with each being very reasonably priced at only $0.99, it’s hard to argue with the approach, since it means you can give this series a go with no strings attached. And with only one more part to go, things are definitely heating up. Offering a rather bizarre art style and gameplay seemingly influenced by ******-thriller visual novels like Danganronpa, Methods also comes to us on mobile from the same studio behind titles like Brotato. Quite the departure to go from bullet heaven to this, eh? If you want to figure out if Methods is right for you, check out Jack Brassel’s review of the first part of Methods: Detective competition and see what they thought of this quirky mix of ****** thriller and visual novel. Source link #Methods #Detective #continues #quirky #battle #brains #iOS #Android Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

'Un-***********': anti-******* graffiti ******* slammed 'Un-***********': anti-******* graffiti ******* slammed The prime minister and other leaders have called out a spate of vandalism in Sydney’s east after cars were graffitied with anti-******* slogans. Source link #039UnAustralian039 #antiIsrael #graffiti #******* #slammed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cloud streaming comes to the PlayStation Portal in new test Cloud streaming comes to the PlayStation Portal in new test Giovanni Colantonio / Digital Trends Sony is about to introduce more ways to use your PlayStation Portal. The company announced that it’s releasing a cloud streaming feature in beta that will let users stream certain games to the device without needing a console. This is part of a larger PS Portal update that will also bring along audio fixes and be available starting Wednesday. PlayStation hasn’t noted how long cloud streaming will be in testing for, but it’s looking for user feedback and is expected to change features over time. There are some limitations to be aware of, according to the PlayStation Blog post. This will only be available to PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers ($160 per year when you buy 12 months upfront), and wuill feature only 120 PlayStation 5 games in the PlayStation Plus catalog. A partial list includes Dave the Diver, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Ghost of Tsushima. This only applies to the PS5 versions of those games. That’s still a huge list of games to test, and when streaming, you can access all DualSense controller features like haptic feedback. Cloud streaming will also only support up to 1080p and 60 frames per second. This might seem small considering the PS5 Pro can stream games in up to 4K resolution, but there are always concessions with cloud streaming since it’s all over an internet connection. To get 1080p, you’ll need a minimum of 13 Mbps. There also won’t be some features available, such as the ability to stream games you already own, game trials, party voice chat, and 3D audio. This is only for streaming games in the PS Plus library to your PS Portal. The PS Portal is a unique device in the growing sea of gaming handhelds. You can get it for $200, which is relatively low compared to other options, but it only supports streaming, so its audience is pretty niche (although the people who love it really love it). At launch, it only allowed you to stream if your PS5 was on, but with this beta feature, you’ll be able to access PlayStation’s servers to stream games, much like how Nvidia GeForce Now works. Source link #Cloud #streaming #PlayStation #Portal #test Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

New York City Will Get Some Rain, but Not Enough to Ease Its Drought New York City Will Get Some Rain, but Not Enough to Ease Its Drought New York City was expected to receive some rain on Wednesday night. That would be a partial respite after weeks of abnormally dry conditions led the authorities to declare the city’s first drought warning in over 20 years, but not enough to ease the crisis. About 2.2 inches of rain was forecast to fall in the city, and slightly more in parts of New Jersey, between Wednesday night and Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service. The heaviest deluge was expected overnight and into Thursday. The rain in the city will start to ease the unusually dry conditions that led Mayor Eric Adams to declare a drought warning on Monday and urge residents to conserve water. Such a warning is the last step before a drought emergency, which would include mandatory water restrictions. Officials have said the rain will not be enough to fully replenish the city’s reservoirs, which are at about 60 percent of their total capacity, down from the usual 79 percent. It is “not a drought buster, but it will help, especially with ongoing ***** weather issues,” the Weather Service’s New York office said on social media. The extraordinarily dry fall in New York City and the Northeast has sparked wildfires across the region and brought some of the worst drought conditions in decades. Parts of southern New York State, including New York City, have been in a severe drought for about a week. About a quarter of New Jersey has been in an extreme drought for two weeks. A severe drought is the second level of a four level scale, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System, and an extreme drought is the third. The highest level is an exceptional drought. Moderate to heavy rain was expected to fall in the region overnight and into Thursday, before becoming lighter, the Weather Service said. Strong winds, with gusts of up to 30 miles her hour, were also expected overnight and into early Thursday. The Northwest is also expected to see its first snowfall of the season this week. About 2.5 inches were forecast to fall in West Milford, New Jersey, between Thursday and Saturday. Source link #York #City #Rain #Ease #Drought Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The 6 best OLED TVs for 2024 The 6 best OLED TVs for 2024 This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, Digital Trends and Yahoo Inc. may earn a commission. Digital Trends Editor’s note: The biggest shopping day of the year — ****** Friday — is almost here, and there are already TV deals you can grab. You can get Samsung’s 65-inch S90C for only $1,000. It’s a deal that we think makes it the best OLED to buy right now. You can save on more than just TVs on ****** Friday. Check out our other ****** Friday deals for more sales on headphones, streaming devices, phones, and more. If you’re on the hunt for the best TV for whatever you’re into — movies and TV, sports, or gaming (check out our list of the best gaming TVs) — sitting at the top of the TV pyramid are OLED TVs. In lieu of traditional LED backlighting, OLED TVs use millions of self-emissive pixels (that create their own light and are not backlit) to create rich colors, inky *******, and zero light blooming — in short, arguably the best picture in the business. Over the last several years, LG has been the predominant manufacturer of OLED TVss, but now the company competes with Samsung and Sony in the OLED marketplace. With numerous models and sizes to choose from, three of the best TV brands make OLEDs, and they’re all worth considering. To help you hone in on the best TVs, we’ve created this list of the best OLED TVs for 2024. Zeke Jones / Digital Trends Best overall OLED TVLG OLED Evo G4 LG G4 OLED Review ***** Unprecedented flexibility Awesome gaming performance ***** LG has done it again folks. One of our favorite TVs of 2023 was the amazing LG G3 Series, and now that set has been ousted from its throne… only to be replaced by the LG G4. Much like its older brother, the G4 leverages Micro Lens Array (MLA) technology to achieve the kind of brightness levels we’d expect from an LED-LCD. We’ve put the G4 through several picture tests and were absolutely blown away by its peak luminance, breathtaking colors, and next-level HDR performance. LG has long been a TV brand one gravitates toward for picture accuracy, and thanks to features like Filmmaker Mode on the G4, that reputation continues. As part of LG’s Gallery (what the “G” in G4 stands for) lineup, this OLED is designed to look like a piece of artwork when mounted to a wall. And if you purchase the 77-, 83-, or 97-inch version of the G4, the low-profile wall mount comes in the box (the 55- and 65-inch versions come with a tabletop stand). Each of the TV’s four HDMI ports are 2.1 certified, with resolution and refresh rate capped at 4K/120Hz. Action movies, sports, and gaming will look particularly great on the G4, and lower-res sources get the 4K upscaling treatment. While webOS 24 and the included LG Magic Remote may not be for everyone, we have no doubt that if you’re looking for the best OLED picture that money can buy in 2024, you’ll be hard-pressed to do better than the LG G4 Series. LG OLED Evo G4 Best overall OLED TV LG C4 OLED Douglas Murray / Digital Trends Runner-upLG OLED Evo C4 ***** Great ****** levels and ****** accuracy Stellar HDR highlights and vibrant colors Solid gaming optimizations ***** Lackluster off-angle viewing One of our favorite things about LG is that even though brands like Sony and Samsung have started getting very competitive with models like the A95L and S95D (these are QD-OLED TVs), LG hasn’t gone back to the drawing board to attempt to come up with picture tech that’s bolder and better. Instead, the company is sticking to its OLED roots, which leads us to the LG C4 OLED Evo. Available in sizes ranging from 42 to 83 inches, the LG C4 is a great TV for everything from movies and shows to video games. And thanks to features like Brightness Booster Max, spectacular highlights and HDR colors really stand out on this set; even in a brightly lit room. We do recommend watching from as centered of a seating position as possible though, as there’s a bit of a green overcast to the image when viewing off-angle. Calling all gamers: Not only does the LG C4 have four HDMI 2.1 ports and 144Hz refresh rate capabilities, but features like VRR support lead to some of the best response times and lag-free performance we’ve ever seen on an OLED. The LG C4 is also equipped with LG’s webOS 24 for accessing streaming service apps like Netflix and Disney+, or streaming tunes via AirPlay 2. Historically, OLED TVs have always looked the best in dark rooms, so if your living room is often bathed in sunlight, the C4 Series may not be the best fit for your home. For that, have a look at our list of the best QLED TVs instead. LG OLED Evo C4 Runner-up Zeke Jones / Digital Trends A wire-free flagshipLG M3 Wireless OLED LG M3 Wireless OLED Review ***** Gorgeous OLED picture quality Low-latency wireless for gaming Solid wireless signal connection ***** Wireless box needs true line of sight It was only a matter of time before a TV company decided to go wireless, at least in terms of AV connectivity. Sure, Samsung’s One Connect tech is great for consolidating wire clutter, but the LG M3 Series goes a step further by eliminating cable leads altogether. That’s right: The M3 Series wirelessly beams picture and sound to the TV via its Zero Connect Box. A line-of-sight peripheral that should be placed no further than 30 feet away from the M3 Series, you’ll be able to connect everything from streaming devices to gaming consoles to the Zero Connect. Caleb Denison, our editor-at-large, has had the privilege of seeing this bad boy in action, and reported that there is no discernible picture difference between a tried and true HDMI cable and the M3’s wireless tech. As for overall picture quality, the LG M3 is simply a ******. As we’ve come to expect from the kinds of OLED, LG’s M3 Series delivers excellent ****** and contrast, on top of class-leading brightness for an OLED display. LG’s phenomenal a9 AI Processor Gen 6 is responsible for the TV’s image upscaling, and it does a terrific job at further enhancing visuals for each and every frame. The M3 is also optimized for next-gen gaming, with resolution and motion clarity topping out at 4K/120Hz. You’ll be able to grab this model in 77-, 83-, and 98-inch sizes, and even though this is LG’s first foray into wireless TV tech, the ********** is already excellent and we can’t wait to see what future iterations of the M3 Series will look and sound like. LG M3 Wireless OLED A wire-free flagship More Zeke Jones / Digital Trends The best OLED for videophilesSony XR A95L Sony Bravia A95L Review ***** Outstanding ****** accuracy and brightness Excellent contrast and luminance Gorgeous game mode picture quality Incredibly good upscaling ***** Some deep features not available at launch We finished our review of the Sony XR A95L as very happy campers. In fact, we awarded the latest Sony QD-OLED flagship a perfect five out of five stars. This TV is seriously good, and because we’re dealing with a QD-OLED display, there’s plenty of brightness, colors, and contrast perks thanks to those onboard quantum dots. But we’re really just scratching the surface with those highlights; so let’s take a look under the hood. As we’ve come to expect from most Sony sets, the formidable A95L is equipped with the company’s Cognitive Processor XR (CPXR) as the main brains behind the picture. As it handles everything from frame-to-frame improvements and 4K upscaling, we’ve always been major fans of Sony’s picture engine, but when you combine the CPXR with the A95L’s native panel tech and XR Triluminos Max, you get movies, shows, and video games that look like they could leap right off the screen. This is also the first of Sony’s QD-OLEDs to be equipped with the Pentonic 1000 HDMI chipset, which allows for Dolby Vision gameplay at up to 120Hz. That’s on top of other gaming features like VRR support and HDMI 2.1 connectivity. As for the latter, only two of the TV’s four ports support the latest HDMI standard, and as our own Caleb Denison points out in his review, one of these ports is also the TV’s HDMI ARC/eARC port. This may pose a little trouble for those who may want to use the eARC connection for Dolby Atmos or HDMI CEC purposes, but one can always invest in an HDMI switcher if push comes to shove. Beyond that one minor hitch, the Sony A95L lives right on the cutting edge of TV tech, and other manufacturers should definitely be taking notes. If you’re in the market for a 55-inch model, you can take advantage of Best Buy’s $200 price cut on the Sony A95L. Sony XR A95L The best OLED for videophiles More Digital Trends A runner-up Sony OLEDSony Bravia 8 Series ***** Unbeatable ****** levels and rich colors Fantastic HDR performance Low input lag and fast response time ***** HDMI 2.1 is limited to two ports Not as bright as other OLEDs For 2024, Sony decided to part ways with the medley of random letters and numbers that generally make up its TV models. Instead, we’re getting simplified Bravia 3, 7, 8, and 9 Series labeling, and only one of these models is a 2024 Sony OLED: the Bravia 8 Series. And unlike the flagship Sony A95L QD-OLED, the Bravia 8 uses a WOLED panel. While this doesn’t really affect the TV’s contrast performance, the loss of quantum dots does make for a less vibrant image overall. But OLED TVs aren’t renowned for brightness to begin with (that’s where the best QLED TVs come into play); although the Bravia 8 does bring exceptional SDR and HDR brightness to the table. The Bravia 8 does an excellent job at standing up to ambient lighting and has a wide viewing angle, so every seat in the living room is the right seat. We’re also glad to see that Sony included a few gaming optimizations on the Bravia 8 too, including VRR support and an automatic Game Mode. In fact, the only drawback for gamers is that HDMI 2.1 is confined to two of the TV’s four HDMI ports. Available in 55-, 65-, and 77-inch sizes, the Bravia 8 has a 50-watt, 2.1 speaker system, which produces a surprising amount of audio for a TV. As for all things apps, games, and smart home, Google TV is the OS and streaming hub for the job. Indulge in Netflix, cast media using AirPlay 2, or call upon Google Assistant to dim your smart lights. The Sony Bravia 8 Series may not be the best TV for every Sony fan, but it’s still one of our favorite OLED sets of the year. And if you go with one of the smaller sizes, there’s a good chance you’ll find this TV on our list of the best TVs under $1,000 eventually. Sony Bravia 8 Series A runner-up Sony OLED Zeke Jones / Digital Trends Best Samsung OLEDSamsung S95D QD-OLED Samsung S95D QD-OLED TV Review ***** ***** Anti-glare treatment is polarizing ******* may appear lifted in bright rooms While we couldn’t help but leave the Samsung S95C in our roundup for the time being, 2024 has given us the incredible Samsung S95D. This is the third generation of Samsung’s QD-OLED technology, combining quantum dots and self-emissive pixels to deliver a TV with plenty of picture detail — especially when it comes time to dig into its ****** palette. At one time, brightness was a major concern when buying an OLED TV, but sets like the S95D lay those worries to rest. In our own picture tests, editor-at-large Caleb Denison clocked 1,450 nits for peak brightness performance. While this isn’t exactly on par with QLEDs like the Hisense U8N, this type of brightness is a huge step forward for all OLEDs, not to mention the TV’s anti-glare matte screen, which helps to cut down on how much ambient lighting interferes with your picture. The S95D is equipped with four HDMI 2.1 inputs, and supports 4K/144Hz with Variable Refresh Rate. Whether you plan on hooking up your console or gaming PC, you’ll get near-instant response time and super-low input lag with this Samsung QD-OLED. We were also quite impressed by the S95D’s built-in speakers, which brought far ******* sound to the table than we’re used to from any modern TV. Available in 55-, 65-, and 75-inch sizes, the Samsung S95D QD-OLED is further proof that Samsung knows exactly what it’s doing with OLED technology. Samsung S95D QD-OLED Best Samsung OLED Frequently Asked Questions What is an OLED TV? OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode, and its signature characteristic is that each pixel on the screen of an OLED TV emits its own light and ****** and can be turned completely off to deliver true ****** ******. OLED versus QLED: which is better? Be sure to check out our QLED versus OLED explainer. In general, OLED TVs produce a higher-quality image than QLED TVs, but there are caveats. QLED TVs get brighter, and so they’re the better choice for brightly-lit rooms. Is OLED better than 4K? Trick question! OLED is a description of a kind of TV display, whereas 4K refers to a TV’s native resolution. Like LED and QLED TVs, you can buy 4K and even 8K OLED TVs — the choice is yours. What should I look for in an OLED TV? If you’re a gamer, make sure your OLED TV supports HDMI 2.1 at the least, and in an ideal world, it should have Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync, too. If you’re a cinephile or video maven, find a model with the best picture processing. Is OLED the best TV technology? We think OLED TVs still currently produce the best overall image quality, but upcoming new formats such as QD-OLED, microLED and mini-LED-based QLED TVs are starting to threaten OLED TV’s crown. Do OLED TVs have HDR? Yes, all OLED TVs are compatible with at least HDR10 — the most common HDR format — while most offer support for HLG and Dolby Vision, too. Do OLED TVs have problems with *****-in? For the vast majority of buyers, *****-in will not be a problem, but it can happen. When it occurs, it’s usually because someone has set their OLED TV to show a TV channel or a video game that has on-screen graphics that don’t move much or at all and left it there for many hours each day, for many days in a row. Who makes the best OLED TV? We believe that LG Electronics makes the best overall OLED TV: the G4 Gallery Series. That said, Sony’s image processing is slightly better, so if image perfection is your main yardstick, a Sony OLED TV is a great way to go. While you’ll be hard pressed to find an OLED on our list of the best TVs under $500, this is a perfect example of getting what you pay for (at least when it comes to TV technology). Is an OLED TV worth it? Yes. OLED TVs are definitely expensive when compared to some other options, but their ****** levels, contrast, and ****** make for an awesome viewing experience. How do we test TVs? We’ve tested a lot of TVs. A lot. Our editor-at-large and resident TV expert, Caleb Denison, has been covering the TV and home theater space for decades. He’s one of the best int he business. But rather than trying to detail his reviewing process here, he’s ***** it all out in this excellent explainer on how he tests TVs. Glossary of terms Here’s a rundown of some of the most common terms associated with today’s TV technology. 4K Ultra HD This refers to a display resolution that is four times that of 1080p HD. A 4K Ultra HD TV’s pixel resolution is a 3,840 x 2,160 grid in a 16:9 aspect ratio, resulting in nearly 8.3 million pixels. This increase in density adds striking detail and realism to an image and allows larger screens to be viewed from closer distances without individual pixels becoming visible. High dynamic range (HDR) High dynamic range is probably most familiar to people through the HDR mode on their digital cameras. It’s designed to deliver a picture that has greater details in the shadows and highlights, plus a wider range of colors. HDR in televisions pursues the same goal. The ****** palette is wider, ******* are deeper, and ******* are brighter. Presently, there are two major HDR formats: HDR10 and Dolby Vision, with a third — HDR10+ — beginning to show up on new models, particularly those from Samsung. The first is the HDR standard, but Dolby Vision offers a premium experience. Consider a TV that supports both. HLG (hybrid log gamma) is another recent addition to the HDR collection, which supports over-the-air (OTA) broadcast content with HDR. Full-array local dimming (FALD) This refers to an LED TV’s backlighting system. A FALD display contains an array of LEDs spread out in a grid behind an LCD panel, rather than just at the edges of the TV. This LED array is broken up into zones that can be dimmed when necessary to achieve better ****** levels. Another benefit is more uniform brightness across the screen. Wide ****** gamut (WCG) These are the expanded ****** reproduction abilities of a 4K Ultra HD TV, which are closer than ever to what we see in a digital cinema. By approaching (or sometimes exceeding) the Digital Cinema Initiative’s (DCI) P3 ****** specification, a 4K UHD TV can produce billions of more colors than a 1080p HD TV. Quantum dots A layer of film loaded with tiny nanocrystal semiconductors is placed in a TV’s display panel to help produce a more accurate array of colors. Quantum dots work by producing a purer form of white light from a TV’s backlighting system, which helps the TV’s ****** filter perform more accurately. Phosphor-coated LED An alternative to Quantum Dots, phosphor-coated LEDs have a chemical coating to alter the light’s output. When used in a TV, this results in a purer backlight that’s more easily manipulated by a TV’s ****** filter, resulting in a wide ****** gamut and increased ****** accuracy. HDMI 2.1 The latest version of the HDMI spec. It offers new enhancements for video games like variable refresh rate (VRR) and automatic low-latency mode (ALLM) and the ability to pass 4K signals to the TV at up to 120Hz, for ultra-smooth motion. HDMI 2.1 is a requirement for 8K video sources like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. For most non-gamers, HDMI 2.1 is a nice way to future-proof yourself but it’s nowhere near a necessity yet. HDCP 2.3 The latest version of the High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection technology, which provides copy prevention specifically of 4K Ultra HD and 8K content. Any source device that requires HDCP 2.3 will require a TV with an HDCP 2.3-compliant HDMI port for a compatible connection. HEVC (H.265) Stands for “High-Efficiency Video Coding.” A compression technology developed to make large 4K UHD video files smaller and, therefore, easier to stream over broadband Internet connections. HEVC is said to double the data compression ratio over H.264, the predominant encoding technology used today for 1080p videos while retaining the same video quality. A smart TV or streaming set-top box must be able to decode HEVC to playback 4K Ultra HD video from sites like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. VP9 An alternative to HEVC developed by Google and used predominantly for encoding 4K Ultra HD YouTube videos. For a smart TV or streaming set-top box to play 4K Ultra HD YouTube videos, it must be able to decode VP9 videos. Source link #OLED #TVs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Day of the Devs livestream will showcase indie titles a day before the Game Awards Day of the Devs livestream will showcase indie titles a day before the Game Awards On December 12, The Game Awards will reveal some of the biggest upcoming games and honor the industry’s achievements yet again. The day before it’s set to take place, however, a Day of the Devs event will put a spotlight on indie developers and titles in a livestream that fans everywhere can watch online. This Game Awards Edition showcase will feature quite a lengthy list of developer partners, including Heart Machine, which is best known for 2D action role-playing game Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash, a 3D platformer set against a neon-******** landscape. Panic, the developer behind Untitled Goose Game, will also participate in the event, along with Annapurna, a publisher whose games include What ******** of Edith Finch. There’s also Riffraff Games that debuted its first title, Sleight of Hand, a “noir stealth sim” game about a former occult detective who must track down and defeat her former coven earlier this year. The event will showcase 19 indie titles in all and will feature seven world premieres, title reveals and release date announcements throughout. Indie games fans can watch it on the official Game Awards YouTube and Twitch channels on December 11, starting at 9AM PT/12PM ET. The Game Awards recently announced this year’s nominees, with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Astro **** leading the pack with seven nominations each. Metaphor: ReFantazio, a fantasy ********* RPG from the same team behind Persona 5, got six noms. Silent Hill 2 and the poker/roguelike game Balatro aren’t far behind, each with five nominations. All of those games, aside from Silent Hill 2, are shortlisted for Game of the Year, along with ****** Myth: Wukong and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Source link #Day #Devs #livestream #showcase #indie #titles #day #Game #Awards Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Adani Group shares nosedive after chairman Gautam Adani charged with ****** in New York Adani Group shares nosedive after chairman Gautam Adani charged with ****** in New York Signage of Adani Group at Adani Defence and Aerospace booth during the Aero India 2023 at Air Force Station Yelahanka in Bengaluru, India, on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images India’s Adani Group saw shares of its companies plunge Thursday after its billionaire chairman Gautam Adani was indicted in a New York federal court over his alleged involvement in an extensive bribery and ****** operation. The 62-year-old billionaire and the seven other defendants have been accused of paying over $250 million in bribes to Indian government officials to secure solar energy contracts that could generate more than $2 billion in profits. The Indian group’s flagship firm Adani Enterprises fell 10%, while the company in the eye of the storm Adani Green Energy tanked 17.28%. Adani Energy fell 20%. Adani Power lost 13.81%, Adani Port’s share price dropped 10%, while the group’s retail arm Adani Wilmar shed 7.87%. The benchmark NSE Nifty 50 Index slid 0.63% in its first hour of trade. Adani, along with two executives from Adani Green Energy Limited — his nephew Sagar Adani and Vneet Jaain — have been charged with misleading U.S. and international investors about the company’s adherence to antibribery and anticorruption standards while raising over $3 billion to finance energy projects. The five-count indictment in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn also accused Ranjit Gupta and Rupesh Agarwal, former executives of the renewable energy firm Azure Power Global, along with three former employees of the ********* institutional investor Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec — Saurabh Agarwal, Cyril Cabanes, and Deepak Malhotra. CDPQ said it is aware of the charges filed. “Those employees were all terminated in 2023 and CDPQ is cooperating with U.S. authorities,” the investor said in an email. This comes after the conglomerate spent the bulk of last year attempting to move beyond the allegations of accounting ****** and “brazen stock manipulation” made by shortseller firm Hindenburg Research. “Since releasing our January 2023 report identifying Adani as the largest corporate **** in history, we have never wavered in our view, nor has Adani ever refuted our findings,” Hindenburg said in a statement to CNBC on Thursday. The conglomerate had rebutted the claims, adding that it has “always been in compliance with all laws.” These charges do not change the “strong underlying fundamentals” of India’s market or the country’s growth trajectory, said Raymond James’ head of advisory solutions and market strategy, Matt Orton. “Once the dust settles, there will be even better opportunities for long-term investors in India,” he said. —CNBC’s Dan Mangan contributed to this report. Source link #Adani #Group #shares #nosedive #chairman #Gautam #Adani #charged #****** #York Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]