Pelican Press

The Remedy Connected Universe With Control and Alan Wake 2 Opens Doors for Hidetaka Miyazaki to Connect Elden Ring to a Prized Soulsborne The Remedy Connected Universe With Control and Alan Wake 2 Opens Doors for Hidetaka Miyazaki to Connect Elden Ring to a Prized Soulsborne There’s really no experience in gaming at the moment that is more unique than the Remedy Connected Universe (RCU), weaving psychological horror with the studio’s love for the zany into a shared narrative web. Agent Estevez in Alan Wake 2’s The Lake House DLC – Image Credit: Remedy Entertainment. But while this connected universe continues to grow with multiple games, movies, and TV shows on the way, another such universe may be forming very subtly under our noses. With Sam Lake showcasing how such narrative projects can work in gaming, it’s time for Hidetaka Miyazaki and FromSoftware to fully embrace their own shared universe as well. What’s the current state of Sam Lake’s Remedy Connected Universe? The First Responders in FBC: Firebreak – Image Credit: Remedy Entertainment. Okay, we know what got you from that intro, but before we get into the FromSoftware stuff, let’s address where Remedy’s currently at with its super ambitious project. So, what probably started as a small trend-chase attempt in the wake of the MCU and with Control’s AWE expansion, the project has now fully grown into something much more significant than Remedy’s individual games, all thanks to Alan Wake 2’s The Lake House DLC. Initially, most of us expected a few simple nods at the studio’s older games with each new title. At this point, though, it should be clear to any of us now that these fellas were laying the groundwork for a meticulously planned shared universe that’s becoming increasingly tangible all along. More importantly, and as mentioned in the intro too, Remedy isn’t stopping at games either. Partnering up with Annapurna, we’ll also be getting adaptations of Control and Alan Wake in the realm of prestige media, though it ******** to be seen how that plays out within the larger universe. The studio’s current projects include Control 2, which is nearing the end of production, and FBC: Firebreak, which is expected to arrive sometime soon. Both these titles are expected to further expand the studio’s ecosystem, bringing and showcasing different sides of a narrative whole. All in all, it’s a very deliberate approach to the whole thing, and honestly, it most certainly feels like a breath of fresh air when most other games’ “shared universes” end up being nothing more than glorified Easter egg hunts and small wink-nods. FromSoftware should make its quietly growing universe official now The Ancient Ruins of Rauh in Shadow of the Erdtree – Image Credit: FromSoftware. Time to address the elephant in the room. So, whether intentionally or not, we think that all this time, FromSoftware, too, has been building a connected universe of its own in a way. Now, that shouldn’t come as news to anyone. Most reading this might’ve already tried to form a similar theory: ******’s Souls‘ bad ending leads directly into Dark Souls. Then, that world slowly messes up, but people begin to discover the power of blood in Dark Souls 2. Finally, Dark Souls III’s “Blood of the Dark Soul” painting potentially connects that world to Bloodborne. Thematically, all these games connect the shared theme of people just ruining their own worlds in favor of maintaining a status quo or prolonging the existing powers’ rule for a little longer, too, so all those old theories do make some sense. But where things get really wild is when you can see a clear link forming between Bloodborne and Elden Ring. As many fans continue to theorize with their tin-foil hats on, both games feature surreal, dreamlike worlds, otherworldly entities, and beings from higher planes of existence. Could The Lands Between actually be some supermassive dream or a nightmare from Bloodborne, as some speculate? Could the Outer Gods of Elden Ring be the Great Ones of Bloodborne in another guise? For our money, there’s definitely weight to this theory. Now, we get it—many don’t quite like the idea of all these games being forced into a knot like this—the ambiguity and isolated bits of each game are part of the charm, after all. But let’s be real—wouldn’t it be cool if Bloodborne and Elden Ring served as the beginning of a larger Soulsborne saga? Plus, we’re not really asking FromSoftware to just jump on some hype train. When you think about it structurally, narratively, and thematically, the pieces are already there, too, so it’s up to Miyazaki to just make the call and get started. Plus, if anyone could actually build a connected universe that rivals—or even surpasses—all others in any form of media, it’s Hidetaka Miyazaki. It’s a bit of a stretch, at the end of the day, but it would, in our opinion, be the greatest gift FromSoftware can give to us all. But with all that said, what are your thoughts on this? Would you want to see a Soulsborne universe like this, or do you think FromSoftware should keep its worlds separate? Let us know in the comments below. Source link #Remedy #Connected #Universe #Control #Alan #Wake #Opens #Doors #Hidetaka #Miyazaki #Connect #Elden #Ring #Prized #Soulsborne Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The next Snapdragon X chip will be even more powerful than we thought The next Snapdragon X chip will be even more powerful than we thought As part of Qualcomm’s latest Investor Day, the company confirmed that its next PC chip, the Snapdragon X Elite Gen 2, will use the Oryon v3 CPU. This comes as a surprise to many, as the Oryon v2 was just announced last month alongside plans to use it with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset for smartphones. Since the current Snapdragon X Elite chip uses an Oryon v1 CPU, many assumed that the 2nd-gen chip would use the 2nd-gen CPU — but it seems the PC chips will be skipping over this generation entirely. Qualcomm So far, we know that the Oryon v2 is 30% faster and 57% more power efficient than the first generation and that the v3 will outdo the v2. Since the third generation is still in development and won’t get a proper release announcement until the next Snapdragon Summit almost a year from now, the details are pretty much nonexistent. For now, Qualcomm is just promising improvements to get audiences and investors hyped. To truly impress people, however, Qualcomm will have to deliver results that match current-gen Apple silicon — and we have no idea yet as to whether that will happen. Power efficiency is one of the major strengths of the Apple silicon chips, and the main reason battery life is so good on Macs. The latest M4 chips feature “efficiency cores” that can complete the same task as a “performance core” while using 93% less energy. If that number seems impressive, it’s because it is — so it will be no easy task for Qualcomm to match it. Competition is what keeps an industry healthy and exciting, however, so even the Apple fans out there should be rooting for Qualcomm is this case. Source link #Snapdragon #chip #powerful #thought Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Texas offers Trump land for migrant ‘deportation facilities’ Texas offers Trump land for migrant ‘deportation facilities’ Getty Images The land is in Texas’ Starr County in the Rio Grande Valley, on the border with the ******** state of Tamaulipas Texas authorities say they are prepared to offer President-elect Donald Trump 1,400-acres (567 hectares) of land along the US-Mexico border to build detention facilities for undocumented migrants. In a letter, the Texas General Land Office said the plot could be used to build facilities for “processing, detention, and co-ordination of the largest deportation of violent ********** in the nation’s history”. Trump has repeatedly pledged to deport millions of undocumented migrants and mobilise the National Guard to help carry this out. His plan, however, is likely to face enormous financial and logistics hurdles, as well as immediate legal challenges from rights groups. The letter, published online and sent to Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, notes that the owner of the recently purchased land had refused to allow a border wall to be built there and “actively blocked law enforcement” from accessing it. “Now it’s essentially farmland, so it’s flat, it’s easy to build on. We can very easily put a detention centre on there,” Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham said in an interview with Fox News, which first reported the offer. The state government in Texas, which launched its own unilateral border security operation after Trump left office, has been broadly supportive of Trump’s promises to strengthen the US-Mexico border. Buckingham said she was “100% on board with the Trump administration’s pledge to get these ********** out of our country”. But the Democratic governors of three other southern border states – California, Arizona, and New Mexico – have said they will not aid mass deportations. “Local and state officials on the frontlines of the Harris-Biden border invasion have been suffering for four years and are eager for President Trump to return to the Oval Office,” Trump transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “President Trump will marshal every lever of power to secure the border, protect their communities, and launch the largest mass deportation operation of ******** immigrant ********** in history.” What any new detention facilities would look like is unclear, although the incoming “border czar” Tom Homan has suggested they could be “soft-sided”. Facilities currently in use range from soft-sided, camp-like facilities used by Customs and Border Patrol to house undocumented migrants for short periods of time, as well as brick-and-mortar buildings used by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. County and state jails are also used, for which local jurisdictions receive compensation from immigration authorities. Stephen Miller, the top Trump adviser on immigration who has been picked as deputy chief of staff for policy, has previously said the Trump administration would build vast holding facilities to serve as staging centres for mass deportations. Getty Images Migrant detention facilities range from brick-and-mortar facilities to tent facilities, such as this one in Florida In a late 2023 interview with the New York Times, Miller said that the facilities would likely be built on open land near Texas’ border with Mexico. A 2024 spending bill signed by President Joe Biden allocated $3.4m (£2.69m) for ICE to house as many as 41,500 on any given day. “If Trump conducts mass deportations, ICE would ***** past that number very quickly,” Adam Isacson, a migration and border expert from the Washington Office on ****** America told the BBC. ICE data compiled by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University found that there were 38,863 immigrant detainees being held as of 2 November. The largest number – just over 12,000 – are held at facilities located in Texas. News of Texas’ offer to the president-elect comes as Democratic-run cities and states have vowed to not co-operate with Trump’s promises of mass deportations. On Tuesday, for example, Los Angeles’ city council passed a “sanctuary city” ordinance to bar using local resources to help federal immigration authorities. Kathleen Bush-Joseph, a policy analyst at the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute, said that the fact that ***********-led states are more likely to co-operate with the Trump administration’s immigration goals could create a “patchwork of protections” that differ widely across the country. “We might see the divide between red and blue states widen,” she said. Ms Bush-Joseph added that additional facilities in Texas could also mean that undocumented migrants detained in the US interior could ultimately be moved and processed there. “If you’re picking up people in blue states, and they don’t have detention facilities available, then do you try to move them to red states?” she asked. “That’s the question.”” Source link #Texas #offers #Trump #land #migrant #deportation #facilities Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Chaosdivers Are Less Than Thrilled by the Possibility of Becoming Official in Helldivers 2 Chaosdivers Are Less Than Thrilled by the Possibility of Becoming Official in Helldivers 2 Christopher|18h ago|Interview|0| ▼ Info Add Alt Source On November 14, 2024, at the G-STAR Conference (G-****) held at BEXCO in Busan, the two heads of Arrowhead Studio, the developer of Helldivers 2, Johan Pilestedt and Shams Jorjani, gave lectures. Developer Helldivers 2 Johan Pilestedt PC PS5 Shams Jorjani www-inven-co-kr.translate.goog Read Full Story >> www-inven-co-kr.translate.goog Source link #Chaosdivers #Thrilled #Possibility #Official #Helldivers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 (16-inch) review Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 (16-inch) review Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 (16-inch) MSRP $4,560.00 “If you’re on a quest for power, the Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 (16-inch) ***** at the end of the journey.” ***** Excellent overall and graphics performance Bright, vivid display Eye-catching design Comfortable, customizable keyboard Great webcam Healthy offering of ports ***** Prohibitively expensive Weak speakers I love an obnoxious laptop, and the Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 16-inch laptop is most certainly obnoxious and proud of it. From its dappled forged carbon fiber lid, to its overclockable Intel Core i9 HX processor and Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU, this is a laptop that isn’t afraid to throw its weight around. And why should it be? With specs that powerful, you can game, create content, and plow through any work that might fall into your lap. *****, you might find Jimmy Hoffa with this thing (OK, I’m being facetious with that last one, but the Legion 9i is a serious powerhouse). However, a pair of subpar speakers mar an otherwise great laptop. And we can’t forget the price, which will prevent all but the most deep-pocketed gamers from partaking in the awesomeness. But if you want an absolute force of one of the best gaming laptops available, the Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 (16-inch) is a must-see. Specs and configurations Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 Dimensions 14.1 x 10.93 x 0.75 ~.89 inches Weight 5.51 pounds Processor Intel Core i9-14900HX Graphics Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090/Intel UHD Graphics RAM Up to 64GB LPDDR5 5600MHz Display 16-inch 3,200 x 2000 mini-LED Storage Up to 2TB (RAID 0 1TB+1TB) PCIe SSD (Gen 4) Touch No Ports 2x Thunderbolt 4 ports, 2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A, 1x, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type C, 1x HDMI 2.1 Wireless ******* WiFi 6E* 802.11AX (2 x 2) and Bluetooth 5.1 Webcam 1080p + IR camera Operating system Windows 11 Pro Battery 99 watt-hour Price $3,840 Lenovo only offers one pre-built configuration of the Legion 9i Gen 9 on the company site, and the $4,560 price will definitely make more than a few wallets wince. The configuration I reviewed has a 2.2-GHz Intel Core i9-14900HX Meteor Lake Refresh processor with 32GB of 5600Mhz DDR5 RAM, two 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSDs in RAID 0 configuration, integrated Intel UHD Graphics, a Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 GPU with 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM, a 16-inch, 3200 x 2000 mini-LED, 16:10 aspect ratio display with a 165Hz refresh rate and 3-millisecond response time and Windows 11 Home. However, you can save yourself almost $1,000 if you purchase the system from B&H which currently has the laptop on ***** for $3,399. The base model of the Gen 9 can be found in the configure menu on Lenovo’s website. It costs $3,840 and halves the storage and drops the GPU to a 4080 GPU with 12GB of video memory. If you want to max out the specs, prepare to fork out $4,665, which will add Windows 11 Pro and 64GB of RAM to the mix. A unique, elegant design Sherri L. Smith / Digital Trends The Legion 9i doesn’t look like any other gaming laptop on the market. It doesn’t even look like any laptop in its line. That’s because Lenovo used forged carbon fiber for its lid that with the company’s eight-layer stamping method, the lid is 10% lighter and stronger than regular aluminum. In terms of looks, the lid falls somewhere in between one of those old-school composition notebooks and some elegant camouflage. And while that process makes for a lighter, tougher lid, the slightly textured panel is a one-of-one with each notebook sporting a different pattern. As nice as the lid looks, you’ll want to have a microfiber cloth handy as the lid is highly susceptible to fingerprints and smudges. There’s a small silver metal Lenovo plate embedded into the lower-left corner of the lid with a large RGB-backlit Legion emblem running vertically down the right. The camera and mic housing sits top center with its glossy metal covering protruding ever so slightly, The hinge connecting the lid and bottom of the laptop is large and extends into a rather large vent that has several ports. A thin RGB light strip creates a line of delineation between the hinge and vent. The notebook’s interior and undercarriage are made primarily of recycled magnesium ******** carbon ******. Compared to other gaming laptops, the palm rest is rather small, but there’s still enough room to accommodate most wrists and a small metal Lenovo tag in the lower-right corner. The trackpad is long instead of tall and sits below the island-style keyboard as it glows seductively. Above that is a large air vent with the power button sitting front and center. The 16-inch display is ensconced in matte ****** bezels with a small lip at the top making the lid easier to open. The Legion 9i’s undercarriage is almost all vent with two raised rubber feet to assist with airflow. The back foot has a middle divot stamped with Legion, which is a nice touch. You have a pair of bottom-******* speakers toward the front and two large vents along the sides. The bottom panel is held in place with six screws in case you want to access the laptop’s interior. The notebook has a solid array of ports and slots befitting a laptop of this size. You have a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port and a USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 port on the right with a physical camera disable switch. On the left sits an SD card reader and a headset jack. You’ll find the rest of the ports in the rear with another USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a HMDI 2.1 port, Ethernet port, and a proprietary DC-in jack. Compared to its competitors, the 5.51-pound, 0.75 ~0.89 inch x 14.1 x 10.93-inch Legion 9i is almost a lightweight. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (0.91 x 11.57 x 15.71 inches) is the big man on campus here at 6.83 pounds, but keep in mind that this is an 18-inch laptop. Next up, is the Alienware m16 R2 (0.93 x 14.33 x 9.81 inches), which weighs 5.75 pounds. And finally, we have the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (13.94 x 9.69 x 0.64 inches) that tips the scales at 4.1 pounds, which is the lightest of the bunch. Display and audio Sherri L. Smith / Digital Trends In the battle between matte and glossy displays, Lenovo has chosen matte for the Legion 9i. And while matte panels effectively cut down on glare and reflections, they’ve been known to deliver muted ******. I found the 16-inch, 3200 x 2000 mini-LED panel delivered great ****** and detail, which took some of the hurt from the many deaths I suffered while playing ****** Myth: Wukong. Speaking of which, thanks to the inclusion of Nvidia’s G-Sync software and the panel’s 165Hz refresh rate and 3ms response rate, my attacks, dodges, and parries were as smooth as butter, as were my myriad of deaths. The display achieved 100% of the sRGB ****** gamut. However, on the Adobe sRGB and DCI-P3 gamuts, the screen reached 88 and 99%, respectively. Both results are short of the 100% Lenovo claims. But in case the panel isn’t as vivid as you’d like, the laptop has Dolby Vision software to adjust the ****** temperature. My light meter clocked the display’s brightness at 692 nits, which is impressive for a matte panel. I knew when I took my initial tour around the laptop, I identified one of its few flaws: the bottom-mounted speaker. And sure enough, once I started streaming tracks on Spotify, the pair of 2W Harmon speakers produced mediocre audio. The volume couldn’t fill my medium-sized living room. Even worse, the low end is hollow more often than not with weak bass and percussion no matter the genre. And this is despite having Nahmic’s audio software preinstalled, which is one of the better apps out there. But the audio quality deteriorates when using the laptop on your lap. My thighs swallowed up the tiny speaker grilles, which in turn, muffled the audio. You’re definitely going to need a pair of headphones or a gaming headset if you have any expectation of good audio. Keyboard and touchpad Sherri L. Smith / Digital Trends Lenovo’s smile-shaped keys bring a smile to my face. While they’re not as good as what you’d find on the company’s ThinkPad line of laptops, the Legion 9i’s keyboard with its Chiclet-style keys with their 1.5mm key travel are super comfy to type on with firm feedback and no bottoming out. The keycaps are large with generous spacing. And while I rarely use the NumPad, I’m always glad to see it included. I surpassed my usual 70-words-per-minute average on the MonkeyType typing test, hitting 85 wpm. The keyboard features per-key backlighting, which allows you to create a custom light show with every key glowing in a different shade via the Lenovo Vantage app. This is also where you can set macros, monitor system health, adjust camera and display settings, and much more. The Legion 9i’s touchpad is smaller than what I’m used to nowadays, but it got the job done. Multitouch gestures such as pinch-zoom, two-finger scroll and three-finger tap performed seamlessly. The trackpad offers good palm rejection with strong feedback on the bottom corners. Webcam and connectivity Sherri L. Smith / Digital Trends The Legion 9i has one of the best integrated webcams I’ve seen this year on a gaming laptop. The ****** on the 1080p shooter is great, capturing the exact shade of bubblegum pink of my wrapped locs. Details were so sharp, you can see almost every wrinkle in my sunflower yellow shirt. It’ll definitely hold up in a video call or a live stream. And in some other webcam fun, the laptop has Tobii’s eye-tracking software preinstalled in the form of Tobii Aware and Horizon. The former dims the screen when you’re not looking at it while the latter lets you control a game using head-tracking. As for connectivity, the Legion 9i has a ******* WiFi 6E* 802.11AX (2 x 2) network card with Bluetooth 5.1. CPU performance Sherri L. Smith / Digital Trends Who ordered a ridiculous amount of power, because the Legion 9i has a double serving. The notebook sports a 24-core Intel Core i9-14900HX processor, one of the most powerful mobile processors on the market. The juggernaut came out swinging on the Cinebench R24 multi-core test, beating all competitors. However, it should be noted that Lenovo only edged out its predecessor by a few points. And as usual, the MacBook Pro 16 with its M3 Max chipset beat out all challengers. The M4 Max would surely push this comparison even further, though we’ve only tested the M4 Pro model so far. The single-core portion of the Cinebench R24 had a similar outcome with the Legion 9i leading the gaming laptops, and the MacBook being the overall winner. The Legion 9i managed to score a definitive victory over everyone during the GPU portion of Cinebench R24, including the MacBook. We got similar results on both the multi- and single-thread runs of Geekbench 6 test, with the Legion surpassing its gaming laptop rivals. It’s interesting to see how close last year’s Legion 9i is to its descendent. But as powerful as the new **** on the block is, it couldn’t overtake the MacBook 16 with its highly optimized chipset and operating system. Although the Legion is primarily a gaming laptop, it is more than capable of handling any video, photo, or audio editing project you have up your sleeve. Running the PugetBench tests for both Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro, the Lenovo maintained a slight lead over everything but the MacBook Pro. Gaming While it’s nice that the Legion can handle all your productivity and content creation tasks, you’re here to game. And with its Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090, the Legion 9i is more than ready for those marathon gaming sessions. That’s not to say there wasn’t some competition. While the Legion 9i achieved high marks on the 3DMark Time Spy test, it wasn’t enough to topple the ROG Strix Scar 18. The Legion however, is only a few points shy from matching the Scar. The Legion 9i got the upper hand on the 3D FireStrike test. 1600p resolution has become the sweet spot for many gamers, but at its 2000p native resolution, the Legion 9i frame rate never dropped below 90 frames per second, even on titles like Cyberpunk 2077, ****** Myth: Wukong, and Forza Horizon 5, which are some of the most graphically taxing games on the market. Thanks to the GPU and its 16GB of video memory, you can crank up all the settings to the max and that includes ray tracing. And if you want to squeeze every frame out of the system, feel free to enable Nvidia’s DLSS technology. My only other gripe with the Legion 9i is the fans. The laptop’s trio of fans are seriously loud with Performance mode enabled. It’s to be expected with a laptop of this caliber as is the heat exhaust blowing from the top of the keyboard deck. Battery life Gaming laptops this stacked are a series of checks and balances. Sure, you’ll get ridiculous power, but man, is that battery life going to *****. However, the Legion 9i lasted longer than expected with a time of four hours, nine minutes on the video playback test with the power setting on Best Performance at 100 nits of brightness. That’s a little longer than the Scar 18, but it falls short of the Alienware m16 R2 and the ROG Zephyrus G16. Still, that time is respectable for a gaming laptop, especially one with these heavy duty specs. Thanks to Nvidia’s Advanced Optimus software, which is essentially a MUX switch, the laptop can switch over to its integrated Intel UHD Graphics chip, when handling less graphically taxing tasks. That way, the laptop can last longer on a charge. Is it worth it? Sherri L. Smith / Digital Trends If you’re on a quest for power, the Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 (16-inch) ***** at the end of the journey. The desktop replacement is a certified ******, sporting a one-two punch of an Intel Core i9 processor and an Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU. Whether it’s gaming, creating content, or productivity, the Lenovo Legion 9i can handle it all with unflappable aplomb. On top of that, it’s got a lovely display, comfortable, customizable keyboard, a crispy webcam, and it’s got an interesting design. The only real flaw the notebook has is its weak speakers and of course, the exorbitant price, which is a shame as the Legion 9i is just a stone’s throw from perfect. Offering some more customization in terms of configurations may have allowed a more affordable entry point too. Sure the fans can get loud, but that’s to be expected in a gaming laptop. If you want something with longer battery life, consider the Alienware m16 R2 or the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16. But for people that want power, plain and simple. It’s a bit of a niche laptop at this price, but you’d be hard pressed to find something better than the Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 (16-inch). Source link #Lenovo #Legion #Gen #16inch #review Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

***** cyclone downs trees, crushing vehicles ***** cyclone downs trees, crushing vehicles Video shows damage from fallen trees in the aftermath of the “***** cyclone” that hit the US north-west and western Canada overnight. The weather event was caused by air pressure quickly dropping off the coast, rapidly intensifying the weather system. The strong winds, heavy rain and snow caused widespread damage to roads, cars and buildings, with power outages affecting at least 500,000 homes. Two people have ***** as a result of the weather system. Source link #***** #cyclone #downs #trees #crushing #vehicles Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Icarus M: Guild War is hosting a humungous airdrop event for ****** Friday 2024 Icarus M: Guild War is hosting a humungous airdrop event for ****** Friday 2024 Largest airdrop ever with 500,000 Vel on offer Event runs until December 1st Divided into two phases to maximise earnings Valofe has just announced a massive airdrop event for Icarus M: Guild War, which will bring a whopping 500,000 Vel Tokens to the MMORPG. This event is part of the ****** Friday celebration and it is already live, offering you a shot at improving your in-game experience, unlocking exclusive upgrades, and progressing faster than ever. The airdrop event in Icarus M: Guild War runs until December 1st, giving you two weeks to participate and maximise your chances of earning VEL Tokens. You’ll have access to two event phases, each offering significant rewards for completing specific tasks. Two phases are great as they significantly boost your chances of winning the giveaway. In the first phase, spending a minimum of 1,500 VEL Tokens during the event qualifies you for a giveaway where 200 participants will each receive 1,500 VEL. Even if you don’t win, there’s a consolation prize of 100 DS Roulette Tickets for everyone who takes part. The second phase shifts the focus to DS Roulette Tickets. By using at least 2,000 tickets during the event, you’ll enter another giveaway, where 200 winners will each earn 1,000 VEL Tokens. As with the first phase, participants who don’t win will still receive 100 DS Roulette Tickets as a consolation prize. To participate, make sure you meet the requirements, which include having a registered Play Wallet and an account at Level One Awakening or above. Only one Play Wallet can participate in the event, and you’re allowed to join both simultaneously in order to increase your chances of walking away with valuable rewards. Winners will be randomly selected, with rewards distributed between December 2nd and 22nd. The more tickets you use, the greater will be your chance of winning, so get ready to spend those tickets. While you’re at it, you can also check out this list of the best MMOs to play on Android right now! Download Icarus M: Guild War now by clicking on your preferred link below. Visit the official website for more information. Source link #Icarus #Guild #War #hosting #humungous #airdrop #event #****** #Friday Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Windows 11 24H2 update is causing even more problems The Windows 11 24H2 update is causing even more problems The Windows 11 24H2 update had already been giving users a real headache with problems such as bugs for visual layouts and flaws for certain wallpaper apps. And now, as Microsoft confirms in a support document, some people without administrative privileges can’t change the time zone in the Date & Time view, among myriad other issues related to the important Windows 11 update. A Feedback Hub post also reports a time issue after exiting Sleep Mode, specifically after about one out of every five overnight sleep cycles. There is also a report that the time is not syncing correctly following daylight saving time. Put differently, the update doesn’t break the time zone, but only affects the toggle or makes it very difficult to modify it. Switching gears a bit, the issues don’t end there since the Windows 11 24H2 update also brings audio bugs, such as USB audio issues that affect games. Windows Latest also spotted a bug that causes problems with sound, which rises to 100% when you use a USB digital audio converter (DAC) system. Microsoft says this is not the result of any modifications to user policies, permissions, or Windows 11 settings. If you have admin privileges, you won’t experience the issue, but Microsoft provides a workaround if you don’t. The software giant says you can change the time zone through the Date and Time section of the Windows Control Panel: “This can be accomplished by opening the start menu and typing ‘control panel,’ then selecting the top result. Once the Control Panel appears, you can use the search bar in the upper right of the window to enter ‘change the time zone.’ Select the top result. Or, the corresponding window can also be opened directly from the Run dialog (press the Windows key and R on your keyboard) using the command ‘timedate.cpl.’” Microsoft confirms it is actively investigating the problems and will provide users with a resolution in the following Windows update. Source link #Windows #24H2 #update #causing #problems Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘****** mark’: Lawmakers seethe over Ethics’ Gaetz report imbroglio ‘****** mark’: Lawmakers seethe over Ethics’ Gaetz report imbroglio Matt Gaetz is plunging the House into chaos, again. Members of the House Ethics Committee deadlocked over whether to release the findings of an investigation into the former Florida lawmaker, who is Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general. The inaction is triggering outrage among Democrats, who argue the committee is dragging out the process, while Republicans remain furious that Gaetz put them in this position. In a bid to force the release of the Ethics report, which is expected to cover several allegations, including that Gaetz had **** with a minor, Democratic Reps. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) and Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) are offering motions that would open up the decision to the full House. ************* allies of Trump and Gaetz are threatening retribution over such a move, but several Republicans are still insisting they want the report to come out. In a manifestation of the tumult, expelled Rep. George Santos, the recent subject of another Ethics Committee report, stopped by the Capitol to get in on the action. “This is awful,” said Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.). “It’s a ****** mark on the House of Representatives.” The havoc is the latest illustration of how Trump’s looming return to Washington is shaking the foundations of Capitol Hill and forcing *********** lawmakers to make a series of immediate, high-stakes calls about the integrity of the legislative branch. Several House and Senate Republicans want to see the report, a demand some of them reiterated after a Wednesday Ethics Committee meeting on the subject resulted in no clear action. Another panel meeting on the matter is scheduled for Dec. 5. Asked if he would still want the report to be given to the Senate, even if Ethics Committee Republicans didn’t support releasing it, Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said: “The Senate deserves to have it, so they can make a good decision.” Meanwhile, Democrats do not plan to let the GOP bury the findings of the Gaetz investigation, and that strain could pose a serious threat to the Ethics Committee itself. Rep. Susan Wild of Pennsylvania, the panel’s top Democrat, accused Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) of having “betrayed the process” by suggesting to reporters that the panel’s decision not to release the report was final. Guest countered: “That’s her choice, if that’s what she feels.” Internally, the panel doesn’t even seem to agree whether the Gaetz report is complete or still in draft form. Republicans publicly insisted the report wasn’t finished yet, though two people familiar with the process granted anonymity to speak about private deliberations countered that it was final. Gaetz has repeatedly denied the allegations against him. Even before Guest announced to a swarm of reporters that the committee hadn’t reached an agreement on releasing the report, Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) vowed to leapfrog House leadership and force a vote on the floor. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) then called Casten, according to a person familiar with the matter granted anonymity, and said he wanted to work together. Casten rejected the offer, so Cohen introduced his own motion to force a vote, leading to a floor pileup. If Cohen’s and Casten’s efforts to force a vote are allowed to move forward — which is still unclear, since they might not meet the rules of a so-called privileged motion — they would either need support, or absences, from a handful of Republicans. While GOP members may want the report out, it’s unclear if they would back those efforts if they thought the Ethics panel was still working it out. “I would hope that if you are at home and you are a ***********, a Democrat, an independent, that you would want to see the information on the nominee to become your attorney general or any other member of the Cabinet,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said, adding that it was “not a good sign” that there is information the committee apparently doesn’t want released. And California Rep. Pete Aguilar, the No. 3 House Democrat, said Wednesday he would “support ranking member Wild” and her calls in recent days for the report to be public. Though at least one Democrat was hesitant to support a bid to force the committee’s hand. “This committee will become partisan if we vote to release a report on any member. And so that’s my concern,” said Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), who is friendly with Gaetz. The hours-long Ethics Committee meeting and subsequent fury happened a week after Gaetz was tapped to be attorney general and abruptly resigned from the House. Gaetz told leadership that his decision to step down was tied to wanting to be able to fill his seat quickly, but dozens of his colleagues speculated that it was actually to avoid the release of the Ethics Committee’s report. Even as some Republicans have clamored for the report to be made public, Gaetz allies argue many are seeking retribution against a former lawmaker — one who made a lot of enemies in the chamber, most notably when he orchestrated the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and left the House without a speaker for three tumultuous weeks. “The Ethics Committee is not a fair investigation,” said Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), who attended a Freedom Caucus meeting this week where Gaetz made an appearance to thank his allies. “I don’t think anybody believes what happens in the Ethics Committee is actually unbiased.” And conservatives are threatening retribution of their own if Democrats successfully force a vote on the House floor to release the report, warning that it could pave the way for them to try to get Ethics reports involving current or former Democratic members. Those threats are unlikely to deter Democrats, who have been largely unified in wanting the Gaetz report to be released. “If you release this report, then you know, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Let’s start talking about releasing other reports,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said, adding that he would defer to the Ethics Committee. “I think that would be a valid move,” echoed Rep. Barry Moore (R-Ala.), when asked about the potential GOP countermove. “I mean, if they’re gonna try to dig up that sort of stuff, why not?” Mia McCarthy contributed to this report. Source link #****** #mark #Lawmakers #seethe #Ethics #Gaetz #report #imbroglio Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Las Vegas man who called 911 for help ******* by police in his home Las Vegas man who called 911 for help ******* by police in his home A 43-year-old father was fatally shot by police in Las Vegas after he called 911 for help while fighting off an intruder in his home. The family of Brandon Durham, including his 15-year-old daughter who was hiding in a nearby room when her father was *******, have asked for the officer to be fired. Mr Durham’s teenage daughter said she was “disgusted” with Las Vegas police as they treated him like “the suspect” not “the victim”. A lawyer for Alexander Bookman, the officer who shot Mr Durham, said he committed no *******. The incident last week brought police shootings back into the spotlight, occurring just days before the Justice Department opened an investigation into the ****** of Sonya Massey, who was fatally shot in July by an officer inside her home in Illinois. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said Mr Bookman, 26, had been placed on paid administrative leave while they conduct an internal review of the 12 November incident. Mr Durham had called 911 to report that two people were ********* outside and were trying to break into his home, police said in a press statement. Officers responding to the report found cars with broken windows outside. They also noticed damage to the house and heard yelling from inside, police said, prompting Mr Bookman to kick down the front door to enter. Body camera footage released by the police shows Mr Bookman walking through the home with his **** drawn, while screaming and ******** can be heard out of view. Turning the corner of an L-shaped hallway, the officer finds a shirtless Mr Durham wrestling over a ****** with a woman wearing a ski mask, later identified as 31-year-old Alejandra Boudreaux. Mr Bookman yells, “hey, drop the ******, drop the ******”, seconds before ******* a shot hitting Mr Durham and sending him and Ms Boudreaux to the ground. Mr Bookman then fires five more shots at Mr Durham and says “put your hands up”, body-worn camera footage released by police showed. Mr Durham was pronounced ***** on the scene. Ms Boudreaux was arrested and charged with four counts, including home invasion with a deadly *******. “I am disgusted in how the Metropolitan Police told my father, after ******** him, to stay down,” Mr Durham’s daughter told local news. “I’m disgusted that the Metropolitan Police will allow me to live fatherless for the rest of my life.” The family’s attorney has asked for an immediate arrest warrant for Mr Bookman. “Unlike a civil case, in which an individual’s negligence is at issue, ********* cases require proof of a person’s ********* intent,” David Roger, general counsel for the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, said in a statement to CNN. “While Mr. Durham’s ****** is tragic, Officer Bookman was doing his job and did not intend to commit a ******.” Citing a police report, local news outlets said Mr Durham and Ms Boudreaux were previously in a romantic relationship. Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said police did not find a **** on the scene, despite multiple reports of shots fired. The similar details between Mr Durham’s ****** and that of Sonya Massey, the Illinois woman who was shot and ******* by police in her home after calling for help, have renewed calls for police reform. Source link #Las #Vegas #man #called #******* #police #home Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How to fix reputation in Stalker 2 How to fix reputation in Stalker 2 Unless you played any of the previous games, it might come as a surprise to learn just how many immersive sim elements are in Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl. In a lot of ways, it is closer to a more ********* Fallout game than a pure FPS title, with lots of loot, quests, and characters to meet and talk to. One somewhat hidden mechanic is the reputation system. Stalker 2 won’t stop you from opening ***** on anyone you want, but not without consequence. Upset someone from a particular group, and you’ll find yourself being hunted by them until you do something about it. There are enough things in Stalker 2 trying to ***** you so if you accidentally angered a group and want to get back in their good graces, here’s how you can fix your reputation. How to fix your reputation in Stalker 2 GSC Game World If you’ve intentionally or accidentally shot or hurt a friendly NPC from one of the main groups in Stalker 2, you will instantly be put on their “****** on sight” list if it lowers your reputation enough. Thankfully, there are ways to get yourself a second or third chance, but only two. The first way is easiest, but takes a while. So long as you don’t keep attacking that group and avoid them so they don’t see and open ***** on you, eventually, they will forget the whole thing ever happened and forgive you. You can speed this process up by finding a bed and sleeping a couple of days. While they won’t ****** you on sight any more, they won’t fully forgive you. If you want to repair your reputation faster, you need to head to a location where that group has a leader and talk to them. You won’t be attacked going into a major town, so don’t worry about that. Once you find one of these leaders (there can be more than one), you will need to discuss what it will cost to be forgiven. Whether coupons or time is more valuable is up to you, but you need to spend one if you care about working with that faction again. Source link #fix #reputation #Stalker Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nvidia expects to sell more Blackwell chips than previously anticipated Nvidia expects to sell more Blackwell chips than previously anticipated After a quarter where Nvidia’s sales nearly doubled, investors and analysts are wondering how long the chipmaker can keep this kind of growth going now that it has a $140 billion annual revenue run rate. Those hopes fall on Blackwell, which is Nvidia’s name for a family of server products based around its next-generation AI chip. CEO Jensen Huang and CFO Colette Kress gave investors several new data points on how Blackwell’s launch is shaping up on a call with analysts on Wednesday. The duo emphasized that the rollout is on track, and they signaled that Blackwell sales over the next few quarters will be limited by how many chips and systems Nvidia can make, not how much it can sell. “Blackwell production is in full steam,” Huang said. “We will deliver this quarter more Blackwells than we had previously estimated.” The company’s positive comments on Blackwell are one reason why the stock is only down 1%, despite the company missing elevated expectations from bullish investors who anticipated Nvidia would significantly exceed its own forecasts. Huang and Kress’s comments also addressed fears about shipment delays that were spurred by reports that said Nvidia was making ongoing engineering changes to its systems to address problems. Some of Nvidia’s most important end-customers have already received some Blackwell chips, the company confirmed on Wednesday. Microsoft, Oracle and OpenAI have posted pictures of Blackwell-based server racks on their social media accounts, and on Wednesday, the company said 13,000 Blackwell chips have already been shipped to customers. “There’s still a lot of a lot of engineering that happens at this point,” Huang said. “But as you see from all of the systems that are being stood up, Blackwell is in great shape.” Those sample chips aren’t the bulk of the shipments that the company is expecting to make. They’re early versions intended to allow customers to start testing and get their systems and software ready for the volume shipments, which will start in Nvidia’s current quarter. “We will we’ll ship more Blackwells next quarter than this [quarter], and we’ll ship more Blackwells the quarter after that than than our first quarter,” Huang said. In July, Nvidia said it expected “several billion dollars” of Blackwell revenue in its current quarter, and on Wednesday, the company said it expects the amount of Blackwell sales for this quarter to be higher than its original forecast. Huang also said that Microsoft will soon start to preview its Blackwell-based systems to cloud customers. A limiting factor to producing more Blackwell systems is the amount of components that Nvidia’s suppliers can provide, Huang said. Additionally, it takes time to ramp up the velocity of a manufacturing process that has gone from zero shipments to billions of dollars of shipments in a few months. “It is the case that demand exceeds our supply, and that’s expected as we’re in the beginnings of this generative AI revolution,” Huang said. He also named some of Nvidia’s “great partners,” including TSMC, Amphenol, Vertiv, SK Hynix and Micron. “Almost every company in the world seems to be involved in our supply chain,” Huang said. Nvidia said that Blackwell’s ****** margins will be lower in the coming months than the 73.5% it reported in the third quarter, but the company said that margin will increase as the product matures. Huang pointed out that Blackwell comes as just the chip itself or in configurations that include an entire rack and other components. Nvidia’s overall message on Wednesday was that its new Blackwell chip is in short supply because companies like OpenAI need the fastest GPUs available as quickly as possible to develop next-generation AI models. As Blackwell rolls out, Nvidia’s current AI chips, which it calls Hopper, will be relegated to serving AI models, not creating new ones. Nvidia said that Blackwell sales will eventually exceed those of Hopper. “You see now that at the tail end of the last generation of foundation models, we’re at at about 100,000 Hoppers,” Huang said. “The next generation starts at 100,000 Blackwells.” WATCH: Nvidia can still grow even with Amazon and Microsoft entering the space: Susquehanna’s Chris Rolland Source link #Nvidia #expects #sell #Blackwell #chips #previously #anticipated Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Farewell Liam’ and ‘*** defies ******’ ‘Farewell Liam’ and ‘*** defies ******’ Some of Thursday’s front pages are dominated by the ******** of One Direction star Liam Payne. The Mirror has the headline “farewell, Liam” alongside photos of his former bandmates and ex-partner Cheryl. The Metro opts for the same headline. Payne ***** on 16 October after falling from the third floor of a hotel room in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires. The Sun has the headline “All For One”, with photos of Cheryl, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik. The i says “*** defies ****** as Ukraine fires British missiles into Russia”. Downing Street has not confirmed the reports but Defence Secretary John Healey said Ukraine’s actions “speak for themselves”. The Daily Mail says it is the first time *** weapons have been used on Russian territory since 1919. The FT also leads on Ukraine ******* ***-supplied missiles at targets inside Russia for the first time. It also has a story on how Ford plans to cut 4,000 jobs in Europe as it struggles with a drop in demand for electric vehicles. The Guardian also leads on the Ukraine attacks inside Russia with *** missiles. Below that it has a photo of Harry Styles at Liam Payne’s ********. The Daily Star claims that thousands of Britons want to treat themselves to £150,000 nuclear bunkers in case World War III breaks out. The Telegraph leads with reports that the military will be hit with £500 million worth of cuts. Writing for the paper, ex-defence secretary Ben Wallace warned that cuts would send a message to adversaries that the ***’s defences are weakening. Sign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox. Related Internet Links Daily Express Daily Mail Daily Mirror Daily Star Daily Telegraph Financial Times Guardian Independent Metro Sun The i Times Source link #Farewell #Liam #defies #****** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Apple ****** Friday deals include the 10th-gen iPad for a record low of $280 Apple ****** Friday deals include the 10th-gen iPad for a record low of $280 Apple ****** Friday deals have started popping up, and this is your chance to grab a new iPad for much less than usual. Our top pick for the best iPad for those on a budget, the 10th-gen iPad has dropped to $280, which is a record low and a $70 discount. The 10th-gen iPad is only slightly thicker and heavier than the iPad Air. It looks similar to the iPad Air, too — the tablet no longer has the Home button that its predecessor did, and it has a ******* screen with smaller bezels. Apple The device is powered by Apple’s A14 Bionic chip, which was first seen on the iPhone 12 and is powerful enough that we could edit RAW photos in Lightroom when we tested the tablet. When we ran a test for battery life, we discovered that the model could play movies continuously for 11 hours and 45 minutes on a single charge. Unlike previous models with Lightning ports, this one comes with a USB-C port for charging. Apple moved its front-facing camera to its landscape edge, as well. The company gave it a larger display, measuring 10.9 inches, so it doesn’t feel as cramped as previous models even with a lot of apps. While the iPad Air does have a better display overall with its lamination and anti-reflective coating, the 10th-gen iPad’s isn’t bad at all seeing as it costs significantly less, especially with this discount. Check out all of the latest ****** Friday and Cyber Monday deals here. Source link #Apple #****** #Friday #deals #include #10thgen #iPad #record Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

ChatGPT just improved its creative writing chops ChatGPT just improved its creative writing chops Sanket Mishra / Pexels One of the great strengths of ChatGPT is its ability to aid in creative writing. ChatGPT’s latest large language model, GPT-4o, has received a bit of a performance boost, OpenAI announced Wednesday. Users can reportedly expect “more natural, engaging, and tailored writing to improve relevance & readability” moving forward. GPT-4o got an update The model’s creative writing ability has leveled up–more natural, engaging, and tailored writing to improve relevance & readability. It’s also better at working with uploaded files, providing deeper insights & more thorough responses. — OpenAI (@OpenAI) November 20, 2024 GPT-4o, not to be confused with 01 (formerly Project Strawberry), is OpenAI’s latest publicly available model, surpassing GPT-4 and GPT-3.5. GPT-4o was first released in May 2024 and offers users double the performance at half the resource cost of its direct predecessor, GPT-4-Turbo, as well as state-of-the-art benchmark results in voice, multilingual, and vision tasks. Not only is it more efficient than older versions but it offers a host of additional capabilities. The model’s rapid response pace makes it especially useful for real-time translation and conversation applications. For example, ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode would not be possible without the near-instantaneous text, voice, and audio inference that GPT-4o offers (and that previous models did not). GPT-4o boasts improved reasoning skills over its predecessors as well, able to interpret a user’s spoken tone and intention, understand unique aspects of their tone, pace, and mood, and reply in kind. While GPT-4o is technically available to every OpenAI subscriber level, including the free tier, it is not available for unlimited use. Free-tier users will find that they can only access the new model a handful of times on ChatGPT before being shunted down to interact with the smaller GPT-4o-mini model. Plus, Teams, and Enterprise subscribers have a rate limit roughly five times higher. GPT-4o-mini is based on the same training data as its larger sibling, but leverages fewer variables (not to mention fewer compute resources) in its inference operations. Being lighter-weight and more responsive, GPT-40-mini has proven useful in a variety of small-scale applications including computer code generation. OpenAI claims GPT-4o mini is “the most capable and cost-efficient small model available today,” per CNBC, out-performing competitors like Google’s Gemini 1.5 Flash, Meta’s Llama 3 8b, or Anthropic’s Claude 3 Haiku in a variety of benchmarks. According to data from Artificial Analysis, 40-mini scored 82% on the MMLU reasoning benchmark, topping Gemini by 3% and Claude 3 Haiku by 7%. Source link #ChatGPT #improved #creative #writing #chops Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

House committee fails to reach agreement on whether to release Matt Gaetz report House committee fails to reach agreement on whether to release Matt Gaetz report House committee fails to reach agreement on whether to release Matt Gaetz report – CBS News Watch CBS News The House Ethics Committee will keep its report of an investigation into ******* misconduct allegations against former Rep. Matt Gaetz sealed for the time being after it was unable to reach a decision Wednesday on whether to release it. Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial pick for attorney general, was on Capitol Hill today attempting to win support among Senate Republicans. Nikole Killion has the latest. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Source link #House #committee #fails #reach #agreement #release #Matt #Gaetz #report Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Grassroots group brightens holidays for Ukrainian families in B.C.’s Okanagan Grassroots group brightens holidays for Ukrainian families in B.C.’s Okanagan Anna Vartanian was happy to put a gift under the Christmas tree that will eventually make its way to a Ukrainian child at a special event Tuesday night. “Each child wants to have a present, especially at Christmas,” said Vartanian, who fled the war in Ukraine with her family. “It’s a very magical day for all children. It’s a full circle moment for the mother of three who in 2022 was the recipient of these gifts herself after fleeing her home in war-torn Ukraine. 2:08 Ukrainian refugees in the Okanagan dealing with mental health challenges Now living in Kelowna, she remembers well how it felt to receive the presents for her children. Story continues below advertisement “It’s very supportive, it’s very helpful and wonderful,” she told Global News. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. The gifts that piled up under the tree are for a toy drive that a grassroots organization calling itself ‘Hearts and Hands 4 Ukraine’ launched three years ago. “The war had started in Ukraine and we just thought they have no family, they have no one here so why don’t we become their family,” said an emotional Mohini Singh, one of the organization’s founders. The pre-Christmas event at a private home attracted nearly 150 people hoping to brighten the holidays for the newcomers, many of whom still have family members in Ukraine where the war continues. “All you have to do is listen to the news and see what is happening in Ukraine and the people that come here are escaping and a lot of them come with very little,” said Gary Campbell, who has attended the event and donated toys since its inception. “And you know this is Canada. We like to support people.” Trending Now Paul Bernardo parole hearing ‘working to accommodate’ victims’ families in person Susan Smith denied parole 30 years after drowning her 2 children 1:47 Sharing Ukrainian culture through food in the Okanagan This year, the toy drive will support nearly 200 Ukrainian children in the Central Okanagan. Story continues below advertisement “That Christmas tree is spilling over with gifts,” Singh said. “It really represents the spirit of Kelowna, the kindness and generosity of the people in this city.” Vartanian said she will never forget the warm reception her family received after arriving in Kelowna. “Very welcomed because when you come to a new country you don’t know people and you see a group of people who are very supportive, who want to help,” Vartanian said. The support is critical during times of crisis — and especially at Christmas time when many people’s emotions are heightened. Those who missed the event but would still like to donate a toy can do so at the Ukrainian Orthodox Parish at 1935 Barlee Road in Kelowna. More on World More videos Source link #Grassroots #group #brightens #holidays #Ukrainian #families #B.C.s #Okanagan Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Stalker 2 Dev Admits It’s “Rough Around The Edges,” But Is “Committed” To Fixes Stalker 2 Dev Admits It’s “Rough Around The Edges,” But Is “Committed” To Fixes Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is out now, but it seems players should expect a bumpy ride, as even its developer is warning that it is “rough around the edges.” In a heartfelt message posted to social media, Ukrainian developer GSC Game World said the 15-years-later sequel, developed during Russia’s ongoing invasion, is a “love letter to Ukraine” and a “project of endless love and passion” from the team. However, GSC also didn’t sugar coat the state of the game at launch. A message from the GSC Game World Team. Before you step into the Zone, we’d like to take a moment to share something from the heart. pic.twitter.com/wuLRAkq7Ba — S.T.A.L.K.E.R. OFFICIAL (@stalker_thegame) November 20, 2024 “Stalker 2 is a massive game,” GSC Game World said in its statement. “We understand that in such a game, there may still be rough edges: we literally haven’t released anything of this scale before.” Numerous reviews, including GameSpot’s Stalker 2 review, took notice of the game’s technical problems, reporting numerous visual bugs and frequent crashes. GameSpot reviewer Richard Wakeling said the game’s “torrent of technical issues” ultimately hampers the game’s oppressive atmosphere. The first-person shooter combines elements of military sims and survival horror, as players attempt to survive a Chornobyl exclusion zone filled with mutants, hostile humans, and strange anomalies. GSC Game World, for its part, said it’s committed to the game and making improvements. “We’re absolutely committed to being here, monitoring your feedback, and quickly fixing any issues that need our attention,” GSC said in its statement. “In the first days after release, we’ll be working with hotfixes, rolling them out as precisely as possible, but as frequently as we can.” Larger updates and additional improvements will come over time, GSC said, which will include free in-game content. A content roadmap for Stalker 2 will be revealed in December. “We have big plans for the Stalker universe,” GSC said. “In a way, today is both a return and the beginning of a grand new journey.” Stalker 2 is available on Xbox Series X|S and PC, where it’s also available via Game Pass. Source link #Stalker #Dev #Admits #Rough #Edges #Committed #Fixes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Iceland volcano erupts for tenth time in three years Iceland volcano erupts for tenth time in three years More volcanic activity is occurring on the Reykjanes peninsula, some 30km southwest of Iceland’s capital Reykjavik. Source link #Iceland #volcano #erupts #tenth #time #years Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Path of Exile 2 announces Early Access price Path of Exile 2 announces Early Access price Grinding Gear Games has revealed the price for interested players to get Early Access to Path of Exile 2 at the strong price of $30. The plans will release tomorrow during a live event detailing what is available in the game as it launches. As announced on its forum, the new packs, dubbed Supporter Packs, will introduce Early Access keys and replace current Core Supporter Packs, which include cosmetics and points to spend on specific mechanics, like storage and other customization features. Unlike our usual tiers of core supporter packs, Early Access packs will begin at $30 USD. — Path of Exile (@pathofexile) November 19, 2024 Path of Exile 2 launches to Early Access early next month following a brief delay earlier this month. It’s not clear how long the game will remain in the state, but with the ambition behind the developer — 100 bosses, 240 active skills, 1,500 Passives, and more, it’s gonna take a while, we’re sure. Path of Exile 2 Early Access starts on December 6 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Source link #Path #Exile #announces #Early #Access #price Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Asia markets live: Nvidia results, Adani charges Asia markets live: Nvidia results, Adani charges CNBC Pro: HSBC names 3 ‘underappreciated’ ****** stocks to watch in 2025 — giving one 63% upside potential ****** markets will look “very different” in 2025 in light of China’s new policy measures, the slowing Indian economy and Southeast ****** countries’ investments into new infrastructure, according to HSBC. Still, several stocks can “benefit from these changes in Asia as they are best positioned to capture growth from these opportunities and that our analysts like from a bottom-up perspective,” the bank’s analysts noted. “In highlighting these stocks, we decided to look outside of consensus ideas, which are generally well owned, and our aim is to highlight quality stocks that are relatively underappreciated,” they said, naming three of their top ideas. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Amala Balakrishner ‘Significant corrections’ followed stock markets this stretched in the past, Deutsche Bank says The stock market has always pulled back when valuations are stretched as they are now, according to Deutsche Bank macro strategist Henry Allen in a note to clients this week. “[T]urning points can happen quickly, and … when valuations are stretched to start with, there can be limited scope for further gains,” Allen noted. “[E]xamples of high returns through history have often been followed by sizeable reversals.” The bank cited lofty current readings in the Cyclically Adjusted Price-to-Earnings (CAPE) ratio developed by economist Robert Shiller, arguing that “the CAPE ratio for the S&P 500 has only been higher on two other occasions in the last century” than it is today. During the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s and the ******* before the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, “there was little scope for further gains since valuations were already so stretched to start with, and they were each followed by a significant correction,” Allen wrote. “Indeed, on both the occasions the CAPE ratio has got as high as it is today, there was then a significant correction.” — Scott Schnipper Fed Governor Bowman says inflation progress has ‘stalled’ Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman said Wednesday that progress on bringing inflation back to the central bank’s goal has slowed. “We have not yet met our inflation goal and, as I noted earlier, progress in lowering inflation appears to have stalled,” Bowman said in remarks in West Palm Beach, Florida. “I see greater risks to the price stability side of our mandate, especially while the labor market ******** near full employment, but it is also possible that we could see a deterioration in labor market conditions.” Recent data has indicated that the Fed has neared its 2% inflation target, though the all-items consumer price index nudged higher in October and the core rate indeed has held steady around 3.3% since August. Inflation concerns caused Bowman to vote against the half-percentage-point interest rate cut in September, though she did vote for the quarter-point reduction earlier this month, which she would have preferred for the initial move. The policymaker said she approaches her role “in an independent way, relying on facts, analysis, my own experience and judgment,” and with the inflation mandate in mind. “In some cases, this approach has led me to depart from the views of my colleagues,” she said. — Jeff Cox Fed Governor Cook expects more rate cuts as inflation eases Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook said Wednesday that she sees inflation continuing to ease while the labor market “******** solid” despite some recent signs of weakness. Consequently, she expects the central bank to continue lowering its benchmark interest rate, though the path ahead is uncertain. “Going forward, I still see the direction of the appropriate policy rate path to be downward, but the magnitude and timing of rate cuts will depend on incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks,” Cook said in remarks at the University of Virginia. While inflation, particularly at the core excluding food and energy, ******** above the Fed’s goal, she expects progress to continue as housing services prices, such as rent, slow their ascent. — Jeff Cox Source link #Asia #markets #live #Nvidia #results #Adani #charges Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl Review | TheXboxHub S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl Review | TheXboxHub Review – S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl – one of the most immersive, grittiest, most brutal of games, for multiple reasons. Source link #S.T.A.L.K.E.R #Heart #Chornobyl #Review #TheXboxHub Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Could Trump reinstate forgiven student debt? Here’s what experts say Could Trump reinstate forgiven student debt? Here’s what experts say Mementojpeg | Moment | Getty Images Since President Joe Biden took office, the Education Department has canceled the federal student loans of nearly 5 million people, totaling $175 billion in relief, according to the White House. It has done so mostly by improving existing student loan relief programs that had long been plagued by problems, including the Public Service Loan Forgiveness initiative and income-driven repayment plans. Those borrowers should be in the clear, experts say. “Any regulatory changes must be prospective only,” meaning that eliminations to loan forgiveness programs would only impact new borrowers, explained Betsy Mayotte, president of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors, a nonprofit that helps borrowers navigate the repayment of their debt. “They aren’t allowed to change regulations retroactively,” she added. For that reason, even borrowers who have been pursuing forgiveness under an income-driven repayment plan or a program like PSLF, but have not yet received that relief, may be safe. The terms of a loan, which are spelled out in the master promissory note federal student loan borrowers sign when they take out the debt, can’t be change in the middle of repayment, experts said. In June, U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree in Wichita, Kansas, described student loan forgiveness as having an “irreversible impact,” in his decision to block one of the Biden administration’s relief measures. More from Personal Finance:****** Friday deals aren’t always the best28% of credit card users are still paying off last year’s holiday tabHere’s who can ‘easily afford’ holiday costs The retraction of student loan forgiveness is incredibly rare, Kantrowitz writes in a recent article in The College Investor. For example, in February, some borrowers saw their debts reinstated under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Yet that only occurred because the debt cancellation was granted through an error, and the borrowers were not yet eligible for the relief. “Don’t worry,” Kantrowitz said. “The president does not have the legal authority to reinstate forgiven loans.” Still, borrowers should keep a record of the notices they’ve received about their forgiven debt, and any loan documents showing a $0 balance, Kantrowitz said. In a new report, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau cites, among the errors reported by student loan borrowers, “balance reinstatements,” in which a loan servicer tacks a loan balance back on to one’s account. Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO Source link #Trump #reinstate #forgiven #student #debt #Heres #experts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Rubber Duck: Idle Squad Game is out now on iOS and Android, bringing yellow bullet heaven action Rubber Duck: Idle Squad Game is out now on iOS and Android, bringing yellow bullet heaven action Give bathtime a boost with the newly-released Rubber Duck: Idle Squad Game A mixture of auto-battler and bullet heaven, ******** hordes of enemies with a squad of rubber ducks Find it now on the iOS App Store and Google Play! Would bathtime really be the same without rubber ducks? These cutesy floating critters have been gracing bathtubs around the world since time immemorial. But what happens when the chips are down and action is needed? Well in real life we probably wouldn’t recommend it, but in Rubber Duck: Idle Squad Game you turn to this feathered anatidae! Rubber Duck: Idle Squad Game is an intriguing mix of squad-based auto battler and bullet heaven. You’ll assemble a squad of diverse rubber duckies with different themes and abilities, before pitting them against waves of enemies and bosses to ********. While nobody will dub Rubber Duck a groundbreaking new step in the field of interactive media, what it does offer is quite well done. Cutesy graphics, approachable gameplay and a genuinely fun little twist on a genre that, speaking personally, I feel has been done to ****** lately. Rubber Duck: Idle Squad Game is out now on iOS and Android! Duck, you ******* Yes like I said this isn’t exactly groundbreaking and has probably been done before. But Rubber Duck: Idle Squad Game, to me, looks to be a genuinely decent entry in the genre with plenty to offer. I think the mixing of auto-battler and bullet heaven game is a fun one, and it means that there’s plenty of action on-screen that you don’t usually get beyond tapping to activate ultimates in the former genre. Whether or not it’ll be able to distinguish itself outside of that though, will be up to how Rubber Duck does when it gets into your hands. If you’re looking to get more recommendations for top new releases and get ’em fast, you should also be checking in on our new site, PocketGamer.fun! Featuring plenty of fantastic, interesting new releases, there’s always something new to add to your to-play list. Source link #Rubber #Duck #Idle #Squad #Game #iOS #Android #bringing #yellow #bullet #heaven #action Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ukraine Strikes Inside Russia With U.S. Missiles Ukraine Strikes Inside Russia With U.S. Missiles The next two or three months in Ukraine are likely to be exceedingly violent, in a war that has already been the deadliest in Europe in the past 80 years. Marc Santora, who has been reporting from Ukraine since the beginning of the war with Russia, explains why. Source link #Ukraine #Strikes #Russia #U.S #Missiles Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]