Pelican Press

Russia’s advance and the return of Trump Russia’s advance and the return of Trump BBC/Joe Phua Anastasiia Bolvihina fled the besieged city of Pokrovsk with her two sons As the Russian army slowly advances in eastern Ukraine, it’s driving a tide of human suffering before it. With two months to go before a change of administration in Washington, Ukraine is wrestling with two problems: how to stem the advance, and how to prepare for Donald Trump. At a shelter in Pavlohrad, about 60 miles (100km) west of the slowly shifting front line, evacuees are constantly arriving from villages and towns overtaken by the war. Anastasiia Bolvihina, 31, is there with her two sons, Arseniy and Rostyslav. The family cat ***** sleeping among the few belongings the family have managed to bring with them from the village of Uspenivka, just outside the besieged city of Pokrovsk. The family hung on in their house as long as they could, but with explosions all around, shops closed and roads cut off one by one, they finally bowed to the inevitable. They packed up a few bags, locked the door and left. “We hoped the war would pass us and end soon,” Anastasiia tells me. Now, after two months without electricity or the internet, she has her laptop open on the bed and is catching up with the news. “We hope things will be better and the war will end,” she replies when I ask about political changes far away in the US. “I hope the new president will be better than the current one.” In an adjacent auditorium, dimly lit and warmed by a single bar heater, elderly evacuees are being looked after by volunteers. It’s a theatre of misery, with still, exhausted figures sitting or lying on camp beds, some apparently lost in thought 83-year-old Kateryna Klymko, from Sukhi Yaly near Kurakhove – another town slowly being overrun by the Russians – has just arrived. She briefly sobs as she describes how her house burned down, with all her possessions. “They bombed so much,” she says of the advancing Russian army. “It’s like the last judgement!” Could Ukraine still win, I ask? “**** only knows,” she sighs. “My heart aches from what I hear. We were bombed so much and so many people ***** there.” Russia launched an enormous ballistic missile strike on Dnipro overnight too. It was felt across the city and sent everyone including the BBC team to ***** shelters. The Biden administration’s latest decisions on Atacms and land mines are clearly designed to help Ukraine hold on to territory, both its own and in the Kursk region of Russia. Both could feature in negotiations next year, if that’s the path Donald Trump intends to pursue. So far, the US president-elect has given very few clues as to how he intends to end the conflict, beyond a typically vainglorious promise to end the war in 24 hours. Ukrainian politicians, from President Zelensky on down, seem keen to give Trump the benefit of the doubt. “I think he has taken a very smart approach,” former foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba told me, “by clearly setting out the goal – ‘I’m going to fix it’ – but without getting into details.” Despite Trump’s reputation – a zero-sum deal-maker with a curious admiration for Vladimir ****** – Dmytro Kuleba says people tend to oversimplify him. “He can hold a ******* picture in his head, and I’m sure it will not be simply transactional.” As the new administration is assembled and minds start to turn to how to realise Trump’s ambition, the former foreign minister believes one overriding factor will drive policy. “President Trump will undoubtedly be driven by one goal, to project his strength, his leadership,” he said. “And show that he is capable of fixing problems which his predecessor ******* to fix.” Projecting strength, Kuleba believes, will mean leaning on both sides. Walking away from Ukraine, he says, is not an option. Reuters Without US military aid, President Zelensky fears Ukraine would fall to Russia “As much as the fall of Afghanistan inflicted a severe wound on the foreign policy reputation of the Biden administration, if the scenario you mentioned is to be entertained by President Trump, Ukraine will become his Afghanistan, with equal consequences. “And I don’t think this is what he’s looking for.” Last weekend, President Zelensky said Kyiv would like to end the war through “diplomatic means” in 2025. The war, he said, would end “sooner” with Trump in the White House. It was classic Zelensky: part flattery, part challenge. Among many of those who have paid the heaviest price for Russia’s invasion, peace cannot come soon enough, even if that means further sacrifices. In Dnipro, a steady stream of injured soldiers comes through the doors of one of the country’s many prosthetic centres. Demian Dudlya, 27, lost a leg when his unit came under missile ******* 18 months ago. He’s already used to his carbon fibre limb and is even training for next year’s Invictus Games. But when it comes to the war, he’s less optimistic. “I think most likely two regions [Donetsk and Luhansk] will be taken from us, and Crimea,” he says. “I am not confident we will push them back from those regions. We have neither people nor weapons.” BBC/Joe Phua Demian lost his leg in a Russian missile ******* in 2023 Opinion polls paint a mixed picture but show that more and more Ukrainians want this war to end, soon. Especially here in the east, where the sirens sound several times a day. A growing ********* say they’re willing to give up territory to secure peace. “I think that the end of the war will happen, says 28-year-old Andrii Petrenko, when I ask him what he expects when Donald Trump takes office. Andrii is being fitted with his first prosthetic, after losing a leg three months ago. “Either they will agree and go to the 1991 borders, or the territories will be surrendered. The main thing is that the war ends and people stop dying.” Source link #Russias #advance #return #Trump Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

****** Frontline 2: Exilium reveals global release date following successful beta ****** Frontline 2: Exilium reveals global release date following successful beta ****** Frontline 2: Exilium, the sequel to the hit mobile shooter, now has a release date After a successful beta, the developers have revealed that it’ll be releasing on December 3rd You’ll be able to enjoy a new storyline, set ten years after the original alongside enhanced graphics ****** Frontline is one of those franchises that stands out by the sheer absurdity of the concept, as cutesily dressed, heavily armed ladies run and **** their way through a variety of urban environments. It’s now an anime and manga, but before all that, it was a mobile shooter. And its sequel, ****** Frontline 2: Exilium, now has a release date after a successful beta! That’s right, on December 3rd, just in time for Christmas, you can get your mitts on ****** Frontline 2 when it hits the iOS App Store and Google Play. The beta test, which ran from November 10th to the 21st managed to draw in more than 5000 players despite being invite-only, which seems a testament to the series’ popularity and anticipation for the sequel. Set ten years after the original, ****** Frontline 2: Exilium sees you once more taking on the role of a Commander leading an army of T-Dolls – robotic warrior women each armed with their own signature real-life ******* that they tend to be named after. Exilium boasts enhanced graphics and gameplay, as well as all that you’d expect if you’ve played the original. ****** to ***** While it’s always tempting to do a bit of *****-********* about the popularity of a series centred around ****** running around with deadly weapons, I think there’s something to be said about the fact it clearly appeals to ******* aficionados, shooter fans and those just there to collect waifus. Not only that but there’s a surprising amount of drama and genuinely quite engaging visual design going on here, so I’d say it’s well worth getting a bit excited for ****** Frontline 2. If you want to see what we thought of an earlier build of ****** Frontline 2: Exilium, be sure to check out our review! Source link #****** #Frontline #Exilium #reveals #global #release #date #successful #beta Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

RTX 5070 Ti rumor points to 8,960 CUDA cores and 300W TDP — Blackwell GPU may use the same GB203 **** as the RTX 5080 RTX 5070 Ti rumor points to 8,960 CUDA cores and 300W TDP — Blackwell GPU may use the same GB203 **** as the RTX 5080 Consumer desktop GeForce RTX 50-series (Blackwell) GPU rumors are again in full swing, surrounding the mid-range(ish) RTX 5070 Ti. Resident GPU leaker Kopite7kimi reports (though VideoCardz) that the RTX 5070 Ti, rivaling the best graphics cards, will purportedly come with 8,960 CUDA cores and a 300W TDP. The GPU will purportedly use the GB203 Blackwell GPU ****, the same GPU **** as the RTX 5080. As a result, the reference board design will also be the same between the 5070 Ti and 5080 since both share the same physical **** model. Memory specs were not shared. However, Nvidia could do a 256-bit interface with 2GB chips vs 3GB on the RTX 5080 to differentiate. Therefore, the RTX 5070 Ti could come with 16GB instead of the rumored 24GB on the RTX 5080. The RTX 5070 Ti’s 8,960 CUDA core count represents a noteworthy upgrade over RTX 40-series counterparts. Compared to its direct predecessor, the RTX 4070 Ti, the RTX 5070 Ti has 16% more GPU cores. Though core counts are less significant against the RTX 4070 Ti Super, the RTX 5070 Ti only has 6% more cores. Swipe to scroll horizontally Row 0 – Cell 0 RTX 5070 Ti RTX 5080 RTX 4070 Ti RTX 4080 GPU **** Model GB203 GB203 AD104 AD103 CUDA Cores 8,960 10,752 7,680 9,728 Power Draw 300W 400W 285W 320W The power draw is also a modest increase from the RTX 40 series. The RTX 5070 TI allegedly has a 5% greater power target than the RTX 4070 Ti and its Super-refreshed variant. However, it is worth mentioning that it is unknown whether the 300W metric references TDP or TBP. Compared to the RTX 5080 specs Kopite shared earlier, the RTX 5070 Ti represents an enormous downgrade in specs. The RTX 5080 has 20% more CUDA cores (10,752) and, as a result, could pull 33% more power (400W TBP). The RTX 5070 Ti is configured differently from its RTX 40-series counterpart. The 5070 Ti is reportedly equipped with the same **** as the RTX 5080 but has a larger margin for raw specs. On the contrary, the RTX 4070 Ti was closer to the RTX 4080 on the spec sheet, yet both GPUs use different **** models (AD104 for the RTX 4070 Ti, AD103 for the RTX 4080). The RTX 4080 features 15% more cores than the 4070 Ti and consumes just 35W more power. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Nvidia is expected to announce its next-generation GeForce Blackwell gaming graphics cards at CES 2025. According to the rumors, the lineup may comprise the RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5070. Source link #RTX #rumor #points #CUDA #cores #300W #TDP #Blackwell #GPU #GB203 #**** #RTX Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Briton Simone White ***** after suspected mass poisoning in Laos Briton Simone White ***** after suspected mass poisoning in Laos Briton Simone White has ***** after a suspected methanol poisoning thought to have ******* four others in Laos, south-east Asia. A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who has ***** in Laos, and we are in contact with the local authorities.” It comes after *********** teen Bianca Jones’ ****** was confirmed by her family, and 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, Danish authorities confirmed, declining to share more information due to confidentiality concerns. News reports and testimonies on social media from other tourists have suggested they may have consumed drinks laced with methanol, a deadly substance often found in bootleg alcohol. Many of the victims were staying at the ***** Backpacker Hostel with staff being told that guests had fallen ill after they ******* to check out on 13 November. Source link #Briton #Simone #White #***** #suspected #mass #poisoning #Laos Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Strands today: hints, spangram and answers for Thursday, November 21 NYT Strands today: hints, spangram and answers for Thursday, November 21 Strands is a brand new daily puzzle from the New York Times. A trickier take on the classic word search, you’ll need a keen eye to solve this puzzle. Like Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword, Strands can be a bit difficult to solve some days. There’s no shame in needing a little help from time to time. If you’re stuck and need to know the answers to today’s Strands puzzle, check out the solved puzzle below. How to play Strands You start every Strands puzzle with the goal of finding the “theme words” hidden in the grid of letters. Manipulate letters by dragging or tapping to craft words; double-tap the final letter to confirm. If you find the correct word, the letters will be highlighted blue and will no longer be selectable. If you find a word that isn’t a theme word, it still helps! For every three non-theme words you find that are at least four letters long, you’ll get a hint — the letters of one of the theme words will be revealed and you’ll just have to unscramble it. Every single letter on the grid is used to spell out the theme words and there is no overlap. Every letter will be used once, and only once. Each puzzle contains one “spangram,” a special theme word (or words) that describe the puzzle’s theme and touches two opposite sides of the board. When you find the spangram, it will be highlighted yellow. The goal should be to complete the puzzle quickly without using too many hints. Hint for today’s Strands puzzle Today’s theme is “You’re getting warm” Here’s a hint that might help you: where you sit to get warm inside. Today’s Strand answers NYT Today’s spanagram We’ll start by giving you the spangram, which might help you figure out the theme and solve the rest of the puzzle on your own: Today’s Strands answers FLUE BROOM CHIMNEY POKER MANTEL SCREEN HEARTH Source link #NYT #Strands #today #hints #spangram #answers #Thursday #November Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Flexispot’s fabulous E7 standing desk drops down to $329 for ****** Friday Flexispot’s fabulous E7 standing desk drops down to $329 for ****** Friday Standing desks have been a popular choice for a lot of PC, gaming, and WFH (work from home) setups since the pandemic and continue to be a great choice for home office setups. The flexibility to switch from a seated to a standing posture and anything in between has been touted as a slight health benefit to combat CVD and DVT, but the official jury on that is still in session. What I do know, is that my standing desk has been a godsend, and makes my home office a much more comfortable area to work in. Flexispot currently has a limited-time ****** Friday deal going where you can grab a Flexispot E7 standing desk for just $329, saving $170 off the original $499 MSRP price. This offer is for the legs – the main component of the standing desk, and there is an extra charge for your choice of table tops. You can of course source your own desktop and combine it with the E7 desk legs to make your unique standing desk. The Flexispot E7 standing desk has a massive weight capacity of 335 lbs, more than enough to support multiple monitors and a PC tower. The legs are constructed of carbon steel and use dual electric motors for a powerful controlled and precise movement up and down. The desk will move from as low as 22.8 inches to as high as 48.4 inches. Movement is controlled via a touchscreen control panel which can hold up to 4 memory height presets and also incorporates a USB charging port for conveniently charging your devices on your desk. Source link #Flexispots #fabulous #standing #desk #drops #****** #Friday Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Can Guardiola transform City amid worst coaching spell? Can Guardiola transform City amid worst coaching spell? Spanish coaching great Pep Guardiola is expected to extend his reign at Man City but, in the short term, he has his work cut out to extend their dominance. Source link #Guardiola #transform #City #worst #coaching #spell Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

WhatsApp adds voice message transcripts WhatsApp adds voice message transcripts WhatsApp added voice message transcripts on Thursday. Handy for when you’re in a loud environment (or if you prefer reading over listening), they’ll be rendered on-device, so they’ll remain encrypted and private. To set them up, head to Settings > Chats > Voice message transcripts and toggle the feature on. There, you can also pick your preferred language. Once set up, you can transcribe a message by long-pressing on it and tapping “transcribe.” The feature will roll out globally over the coming weeks, so you may not see it right away. WhatsApp says message transcripts are launching in only “a few select languages,” but the company plans to add more in the coming months. Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, has apparently earmarked this week for new messaging features. On Wednesday, Messenger added the ability to leave audio or video messages if a call goes unanswered. Also new in Messenger are AI video call backgrounds, HD video calling, background noise suppression and voice isolation. Source link #WhatsApp #adds #voice #message #transcripts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Networks lagging in compute tech evolution, says HPE Networks lagging in compute tech evolution, says HPE Noting that it was operating in an era of extraordinary transformation whereby artificial intelligence (AI) is already the bedrock for productivity, growth and efficiency, HPE CEO Antonio Neri has warned that development work in networking is not progressing at the same rate as other essential technology fields to produce the core technology that will support the generative AI (GenAI) workloads of the future. As he delivered the opening keynote at HPE Discover Europe, Neri noted that among the company’s core values was to have a lasting impact on society as it was solving technological and business challenges, with GenAI representing the “key shift” in the way this was going to happen. GenAI, he said, was not just about rapid growth – it racked up 50 million users less than a month after launch, while it took the mobile phone industry 12 years to do the same – but instead a major paradigm shift, driving “a profound transformation unlike anything that we have ever seen”. “AI is not just enhancing technology, it is enabling new worlds of interaction capabilities, regarding what is possible in our lifetimes,” said Neri. “It is transforming every sector, every line of business, and creating opportunities we couldn’t even imagine 18 months ago. The AI future is here, and it is calling us to action. Businesses that quickly bring AI into their enterprises will not just stay competitive, they will set a standard.” Neil MacDonald, executive vice-president and general manager of HPE’s compute business, said: “We are living in this moment of tremendous transformation where AI is either going to elevate what we do or disrupt those that don’t adapt to take advantage of it. We’re committed to supporting our customers whether they are building models, running services or running sovereign AI initiatives. And in the big picture, it’s not just about compute: that’s [just] one of the big changes. It’s about bringing together the networking, the storage, the compute, the services into a seamless experience.” Citing a study on the future of work by McKinsey predicting that up to 30% of the hours worked today will be fully automated by 2030, Neri observed that GenAI had the potential to fundamentally transform human productivity, meaning HPE had to be GenAI-ready, data-driven and connected. He said hybrid cloud would be key as it allowed enterprises to process data “where it makes most sense”, whether it was on-premise, or in a private or public cloud. At the show, Neri announced that HPE was introducing an option for disconnected management of private cloud services to offer a fully air-gapped management option. Such capability, he stressed, was only possible if businesses had a robust networking infrastructure connecting all of those points. However, Neri warned of a fundamental issue regarding the fundamental infrastructures on which these GenAI-centric, data-driven businesses would be based. “As we see what is happening in [networking], while servers and compute [development] is shifting dramatically, the network has to catch up,” he said. “There has been an incumbency there that has seen [the sector] not innovate [recently] as fast as maybe in the first decade and a half [of the century]. “Customers are telling us they need choice, they need flexibility, but also, they need a core foundation by which they can deploy these new capabilities in an accelerated way,” said Neri. “We said many years ago, the work will be *******. And we were right, and we see today, whether it is repatriation workloads because of data sovereignty issues, or because of cost issues, or because of AI – which by design is a data-intensive workload and hybrid because data [goes] everywhere – [then the] network needs to cope with the demands of connecting all that data to those models that are being trained, and networking is the core foundation of that.” Juniper Networks acquisition He said the pending acquisition of Juniper Networks, set for some time before early 2025, would become “very important” in solving these challenges. “With the AI loads, data needs to flow seamlessly between environments, and you just take all of them,” said Neri. “And that’s why [Juniper] is a huge plus for us as a company, and why working with HP will be supercharged by this acquisition, adding Juniper’s high-performance, AI-native networking solution to our security-first Aruba networking solutions.” HPE acquired Aruba Networks in 2015, and since then has been building its networking portfolio, including a leading campus and branch offering. Neri said that once it closes the Juniper acquisition, it will ultimately have an “industry-first” secure, AI-native network, purpose built with AI and for AI, to deliver a “top” end-to-end user and operator experience. Juniper Networks CEO Rami Rahim said the acquisition was about more than just combining strengths, but instead about transforming what networks can do for all those that use them, from delivering better experiences with traditional applications to meeting the growing demands of AI workloads. “AI is reshaping every industry, and to support that, networks have to evolve, and they’ve got to [do that] rapidly,” he said. “They have to change. The goal is to simplify the lives of network operators so that they can focus on better ways to help their customers, designers, programmers, students, staff, patients and guests to use their networks to work, live and play. We have worked with countless customers to reduce things like troubleshooting time and operational costs, and we’re getting very, very close to virtually eliminating all trouble tickets. “With our technology companies, like ServiceNow, we can reduce their trouble ticket status by 90% and more,” said Rahim. “Ultimately, we let IT staff focus on more strategic things. Like [motoring and cycling] retailer Halfords in the ***, who, during the pandemic, saw customers change their shopping habits, relying on online ordering and contact with pickup. When the pandemic eased, it capitalised on that change [and] made it easier for in-store shoppers to research, compare order products from their smartphones or in-store digital displays, all powered by a single, secure network.” He noted that Juniper has been building AI for networks for nearly nine years, and that with its Mist AI service it can automate and optimise networks in ways that were not possible before, predicting issues before they happen, reducing operating expenses by up to 85% in some instances and cutting network downtime significantly. Seamless and scalable As he closed out, Neri re-emphasised that customers needed “seamless, scalable solutions, without the operational headaches”, and that they would require a network architecture purpose-built for AI workloads and multiple levels of connectivity, and with a full networking stack, including security. “This is not just about hardware performance and scale,” he said. “For our customers to ultimately be successful, they need a network stack that’s open and, very importantly, flexible – that doesn’t lock [them] in. They need us to simplify deployment and management with automated operations that use AI ops, but also content-based networking. We’re ready to help our customers [and] meet and tackle these AI challenges right now.” Source link #Networks #lagging #compute #tech #evolution #HPE Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

FAA administrator plans to meet with Boeing CEO in Seattle FAA administrator plans to meet with Boeing CEO in Seattle By David Shepardson ARLINGTON, Virginia (Reuters) – FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker said on Thursday he plans to soon visit Boeing’s Seattle offices to meet with CEO Kelly Ortberg as the planemaker resumes 737 MAX production. Earlier this month, the Federal Aviation Administration said it would boost its oversight of Boeing as the planemaker prepares to resume production of its 737 MAX jets following a 53-day strike that ended two weeks ago. “We are working closely with Boeing to make sure the safety management system is driving their actions during” the restart of production, Whitaker said, who spoke to Ortberg earlier this month on the production plan. Boeing did not immediately comment. The FAA noted that it maintained its enhanced on-site presence at Boeing factories throughout the strike “and will further strengthen and target our oversight as the company begins its return-to-work plan.” Whitaker capped production at 38 737 MAX planes per month in January after a door panel missing four key bolts flew off an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 in flight that month, exposing serious safety issues at Boeing. The FAA said in October it was opening a new safety review into Boeing. That month, the Transportation Department’s Office of Inspector General criticized the FAA’s oversight of Boeing. At a holiday travel press conference at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, near Washington on Thursday, Whitaker did not directly answer whether he plans to remain as FAA administrator once President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20. But he said he plans to engage with the transition team. Whitaker has a five-year term that does not expire until 2028. “I’m looking forward to working with the incoming (transportation) secretary,” Whitaker said. “Right now, we’re focused on safety and trying to make this transition as smooth as smooth as possible.” (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Jonathan Oatis) Source link #FAA #administrator #plans #meet #Boeing #CEO #Seattle Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Microsoft Flight Sim 2024 Adds More Servers While Team Works “Around The Clock” To Fix Issues Microsoft Flight Sim 2024 Adds More Servers While Team Works “Around The Clock” To Fix Issues Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 has already become one of the most memorable launches of the year, but probably not in the way that developer Asobo Studio hoped. It debuted earlier this week with a number of bugs and performance issues that have left it virtually unplayable for many. Consequently, Flight Simulator 2024 has been review-bombed on Steam. Now, Asobo Studio is attempting to assure players that the team is working “around the clock” to fix it. In a statement on X, Asobo Studio noted that Flight Simulator 2024’s server capacity has been increased, but “access issues continue.” Many of the game’s issues stem from Asobo underestimating the servers it would need to keep the game running smoothly. The large number of players attempting to access the game has overloaded the servers. The team also apologized to players and promised to continue working on fixing those problems. We have increased our server capacity and are seeing more players accessing the sim, however, we are still seeing access issues continue. This is not the launch experience we want for our players and want to apologize to the community. We will continue to work around the clock… — Microsoft Flight Simulator (@MSFSofficial) November 21, 2024 In a short video on YouTube, Asobo CEO Sebastian Wloch went into further detail about how the servers ******* despite the team’s attempt to stress test them by simulating 200,000 players at once. According to Wloch, the team tried to fix the issue by limiting the number of players, which “worked well for maybe half an hour or so and then all of a sudden the cache collapsed again.” “So we’re restarting,” continued Wloch. “We’re trying to investigate, doing our best and going as fast as we can to make sure everybody can go in.” For now, there’s no time for when Flight Simulator 2024’s server issues will be resolved. It’s been a bumpy ride so far, but hopefully the team at Asobo will be able to stick the landing. Source link #Microsoft #Flight #Sim #Adds #Servers #Team #Works #Clock #Fix #Issues Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

7 fitness tracker ****** Friday deals under $70: Save on getting your steps in 7 fitness tracker ****** Friday deals under $70: Save on getting your steps in The ****** Friday sales are almost in full swing now, and there are loads of deals on the best fitness trackers and the best smartwatches at all price points, from the smallest fitness band to the biggest, most rugged adventure watch. While many serious fitness enthusiasts are looking for high-powered pieces of kit to help them hit their goals in 2025, with tons of specialist features to dig into, just as many people are looking for simple, cost-effective fitness trackers and step counters to make doing everyday activities a little bit easier. These basic band-style trackers, like the Fitbit Inspire 3 (reduced from $99 down to $69 at Best Buy), are unobtrusive to wear, tend to have a longer battery life than most smartwatches due to their reduced power output, and are able to track your steps per day, sleep, workouts, and general activity levels. Some may prompt you if you’ve been sitting down too long, while others have *******, brighter screens to offer guidance mid-workout. There’s never been a better time to snap up one of the best cheap fitness trackers than ****** Friday. Below, we’ve highlighted seven excellent (and crucially cheap) fitness trackers you can bag for under seventy bucks. Now that’s a ****** Friday deal worth running to get. Today’s best fitness tracker ****** Friday deals Altogether, if you’re taking your first steps into fitness or you’re replacing an existing tracker, you’ll find an option out there for you. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a more expensive tracker or a more powerful smartwatch, check out our guides to the ****** Friday Garmin deals, ****** Friday Fitbit deals, and ****** Friday Apple Watch deals. More of today’s ****** Friday sales in the US Amazon: TVs, smart home & air fryers from $12.99 Apple: AirPods, iPads, MacBooks from $89.99 Best Buy: $1,000 off 4K TVs, laptops & headphones Cheap TVs: smart TVs at Best Buy from $69.99 Christmas trees: top-rated trees from $54.99 Dell: best-selling Inspiron & XPS laptops from $279.99 Dreamcloud: mattress deals from $349 + free shipping Holiday: decor, lights, Christmas trees & PJs from $10.99 Home Depot: 40% off tools, appliances & furniture Lowe’s: holiday decor, appliances & tools from $17.31 Nectar: up to 50% off all mattresses Nordstrom: 46% off boots, coats, jeans & jewelry Samsung: $1,500+ off TVs, phones, watches & appliances Target: save on furniture, tech & clothing Walmart: cheap TVs, ****** vacs, furniture & appliances Source link #fitness #tracker #****** #Friday #deals #Save #steps Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Snow and ice shut schools as Storm Bert looms Snow and ice shut schools as Storm Bert looms Getty Images Several parts of the *** have seen heavy snowfall on Thursday as forecasters warn of Storm Bert’s arrival at the weekend. More than 100 schools across the Scottish Highlands and 30 in north Wales have closed, while almost 200 schools in Devon and Cornwall shut or were partially closed due to the snow. Yellow weather warnings have been issued for snow and ice in parts of the *** until Friday, with further warnings for rain and snow due to come into effect this weekend. This comes as the second named storm of the season is set to bring snow, rain and strong winds to parts of the *** on Saturday. Storm Bert, named by Ireland’s Met Éireann, is forecast to bring further disruption with gusts of 40-60mph (65-96km/h). Around Irish Sea coasts, gusts are expected to reach 70mph. The Met Office warned of possible travel disruption and flooding, and said parts of Wales and south-west England could see more than 100mm of rainfall. It also issued yellow weather warnings for rain and snow for Saturday and Sunday, and an amber warning of snow and ice in parts of the Highlands, Perth and Kinross and Angus. There is a yellow weather warning currently in place for much of Scotland, northern England and some of western and eastern England and Wales until 10:00 GMT on Friday. A yellow warning for snow and ice is also in place across Northern Ireland from 15:00 on Thursday until 10:00 on Saturday. BBC Weather Watchers/Cloud9Weather Devon saw heavy snowfall on Thursday On Thursday, the AA warned motorists to check forecasts before setting out on the road and to drive with “extreme caution”. Devon and Cornwall Police said it had received numerous calls about collisions due to the conditions, and urged drivers to check the weather before travelling. A number of train services were also cancelled in the area following the heavy snow. The AA said it predicted a “major increase” in its workload. In Inverness, bus services were suspended for the safety of drivers and passengers, travel company Stagecoach said. BBC Weather Watchers/John from Carmavy This furry friend was enjoying the snow in Carmavy Rain turned to steady snowfall over Dartmoor and Exmoor early on Thursday morning but as this turned heavier during the morning, heavy snow fell even at lower elevations. Snow also fell for some around the New Forest and South Downs on Thursday morning. While this area of snow, sleet and rain clears from southern England, heavy snow will continue in northern Scotland through into Friday morning. Wintry showers will also move into north Wales and parts of north-west England later on Thursday and through the night. Temperatures fell to -10C in Tyndrum, Scotland, on Wednesday night, but with a low of -8.7C in Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, it was England’s coldest night of the autumn so far. It was also the coldest night of autumn in Northern Ireland with -3.9C at Katesbridge. Temperatures will fall sharply again on Thursday night with a widespread frost and ice on untreated surfaces. BBC Weather Watchers/Janey girl Heavy snow covered much of Cornwall, as seen here at the Halvana Plantation in Bodmin Moor Meanwhile, the first amber cold weather alert of the season is in place for much of England until 18:00 on Saturday. The alert means there is an increased health risk to vulnerable people. As the weather turns colder, some may be eligible for cold weather payments – a government benefit to help with fuel bills during times of exceptionally cold weather. Those who qualify must already be receiving certain benefits and meet additional criteria outlined on the government’s website. The average temperature in the area must be 0C or less for seven days in a row or be forecast to be below freezing for seven consecutive days. People in England and Wales can check whether they are eligible via the government website. In Scotland, Winter Heating Payments are available to some people who meet the eligibility criteria. People in Northern Ireland can check their eligibility on this checker. Source link #Snow #ice #shut #schools #Storm #Bert #looms Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Army and its ‘fanatical’ coach aim for perfection. But is that enough? Army and its ‘fanatical’ coach aim for perfection. But is that enough? WEST POINT, N.Y. — Here is an Army football coach: Sunk into a large leather armchair facing other pieces of large leather furniture, in a room festooned with old drawings from his daughters and challenge coins gifted him by generals, wearing a gray knit sweater that’s a decent match for the crisply trimmed hair on his head, talking about obligation. The idea of it changes the longer you’re here, Jeff Monken thinks. At first, the focus is immediate success in the job at hand. Wins and bowl games and so forth, in his case. Then, classes of cadets move on. Their new responsibilities make football look silly, but they tell you what they learned is helping them lead soldiers protecting a country. The outlines of obligation expand. And you start to appreciate the victories yet to be won. “I could argue that I’m having more of an impact on people here than I could have anywhere else,” Monken says. “But personally – personally – I want to go play for a national championship. I’m not sure that can be done at an academy. Maybe it can. Maybe we can be the top Group of 5 and get into the playoff. But I can’t control that.” It’s mid-October and this 19,000-acre museum of a place, home to actual Civil War cannons and the first forward pass, is an epicenter of modern college football astonishment. Army – yes, that Army – is undefeated and nationally ranked with a view of the College Football Playoff. Down the hill from centuries-old Fort Putnam, steel hammers steel and machines move earth as part of a $170 million project to construct a new east side of Michie Stadium, flush with suites and club seats and a bar with a huge fireplace. If then and now sometimes work at odds here when it comes to football, they’re in total agreement at the moment. On Saturday, the No. 18 ****** Knights collide with history and No. 6 Notre Dame at ******* Stadium. By itself, it’s a movie. But what comes after could be a fascinating tangle of everything frustrating about college football, the demands of a place with a larger mission, and how far a coach and good soldier wants to go, assuming anyone notices him. The Army is doing what it can to make it easier for its football team and the man in charge. But easier isn’t easy. “Here, I got to be perfect,” Jeff Monken says. “It’s hard to be perfect at Army.” The current Cadet Chapel at the ******* States Military Academy sits atop its own hill, offering rapturous views of lower Hudson Valley foliage from the foot of its steps. It took over the spot from the first Cadet Chapel in the early 1900s. The old one giving way, though, was not the same as going away. It was disassembled, brick-by-brick, and then reassembled at the entrance to the West Point ********* a little less than a mile down the road. Which is another way of saying the people in this place aren’t afraid of painstaking work and heavy loads. By comparison, rebuilding a football program might seem like the odd chore. But it certainly was a chore. Army had posted one winning season in its previous 17 seasons when it hired Monken on Christmas Eve of 2013. In the previous 50 years, the ****** Knights had been ranked in the Associated Press poll for a total of six weeks. Most galling of all? Navy had won the Secretary’s Trophy 12 straight times. Nobody expected Army to be a modern-day powerhouse, but general football irrelevance and an annual broadside to morale was not an ideal regiment. “It wasn’t good,” says Luke Proulx, a defensive back when Monken arrived and now the program’s director of player development. “Everyone thought we were doing the things that we needed to do to win games. But it was made pretty clear that we were not doing the work requisite with getting a win on a Saturday.” It took Monken three years to produce a bowl team and fewer than eight to become the second-winningest coach in program history. As of this week, he’s 42 victories shy of Earl “Red” Blaik, whose name adorns the football field and whose bronze statue dominates the football center lobby. A less quantifiable appraisal of his achievements here, though, might be a more telling one: When academy superintendent Lt. Gen. Steven Gilland addressed the football team in the preseason, he declared the head coach the most disciplined person on the installation. “Most people, including some of our fans,” Army athletic director Mike Buddie says, “think that Jeff Monken is a West Point graduate.” In fact, Monken played wide receiver for Millikin University in Decatur, Ill., a couple hours south of home in Joliet, where his football life began as a waterboy for teams coached by his late father, Mike, a member of the state’s high school coaches Hall of Fame. Monken’s own nine-stop coaching journey – “There’s nothing else in my life I’ve ever wanted to do,” the 57-year-old says – started with a graduate assistant gig at Hawaii, where his approach told his fortune. He was single, so the football office was home. Need someone to monitor disciplinary conditioning at 5 a.m.? Monken raised a hand. “He was not a partier, not a go-out guy,” says Paul Johnson, the former Navy and Georgia Tech head coach who was then an assistant at Hawaii. “He worked in the cafeteria so he could eat free. That was his deal.” Can’t begrudge a 20-something grunt making $439.76 a month some industriousness. And, in any case, it carried Monken from Honolulu to two years of high school and Division III jobs back in Illinois all the way to the head coach chair at Georgia Southern in 2010 and, so far, the decade-plus of life at the ******* States Military Academy. (Literally so. Army’s coaches are housed on post, where there’s a commissary with curbside pickup and a K-8 school. West Point even has its own ZIP code.) But, no, he is not an Army grad. Just looks and acts and sounds like one. “You can’t win being void of talent,” Monken says. “We’re not void of talent. We got some talented guys on our team. But are we the most talented team on the field on Saturday? Probably never. But that means we got to do all the other things you’ve got to be tough for.” The temperature registered at 1 degree on the morning of the first winter workout Monken ran here, on the Michie Stadium turf. Because lockers weren’t kept to the standard expected by the new coaching staff, many players already were relocated and dressed in a visitors’ locker room that didn’t have heat. The workout itself comprised 13 stations, theoretically. If anyone made a mistake, everyone started the station over. “I hope not to embellish too much,” Proulx says, “but I think we went for about an hour and 45 minutes, no one’s wearing sleeves, no one’s wearing gloves, and we didn’t even get through one station.” It was an introductory lesson about both the program’s nonexistent margin for error and the fortitude required to avoid slippage. And since the Army hasn’t changed, neither has the approach. When Monken discusses his $15 million indoor practice field – and, truly, it’s as accommodating as any Power 4 facility – he calls it “the lightning shelter.” As in: That is the only reason his team uses it. A bye-week Tuesday practice in 2024 is minutes old when Monken stops a drill, annoyed. “Hold up, coach!” he barks. To rehearse proper technique for a dip-and-rip off the line of scrimmage, defenders have to grab a white towel laying 6 inches in front and a foot to the side as they come out of their stance. But 6 inches in front and a foot to the side means 6 inches in front and a foot to the side. Not closer. Not by a turf pebble. “Move the towel back!” Monken says, and after a quick reset, the drill begins anew. For two-plus hours, he stalks between fields and position groups, attentive to every technical success or glitch in any part of the operation. While “Born in the U.S.A.” plays during a water break, Monken leans down to attend to two yellow blocking pads. They’re partially unzipped. So Army’s head coach zips them all the way closed. “Everything he does, sometimes you might think it’s a little extreme, but it’s how he lives his life,” right tackle Lucas Scott says. “When you keep pushing that on a group of people, either they’re going to be made for it or they’re not. The guys that are made for it last.” Intimate instruction from the guy at the top of an org chart is uncommon enough. The ferocity of this is something else entirely. As he watched his very first practice as athletic director, Buddie saw his football coach picking up errant wrappers on the field. On a bye-week October afternoon, Monken walks into a conference room after a quarterback meeting disperses. While he makes small talk, he guides the chairs around the table back into place. “There’s no guy who’s more fanatical about details and fundamentals,” defensive lineman Cody Winkour says. Yet there’s only so much a coach can manipulate in this football program. There are only so many personal touches a man can apply when all the jersey nameplates read ARMY. Two phrases dominate the auditorium wall in the football building: DO YOUR JOB and FOLLOW THE PLAN. As Monken notes, the objectives and values were the same during a 2-6 start to the 2023 season as they are during the heady days of 2024. The difference? It has something to do with the inevitability of identity. Military academy offense – so, ultra-run-heavy option football – forever has relied on cut blocks. Then the NCAA tightened its blocking-below-the-waist rules heading into 2023. It spurred Monken to hire offensive coordinator Drew Thatcher from Division II Nebraska-Kearney and overhaul the scheme to rely less on what Army always had relied on. The ****** Knights attempted double-digit passes in each game during that 2-6 start. They were shut out three times en route to being the lowest-scoring offense, on a per-game basis, of Monken’s tenure. “I always felt like we could control games on offense here,” he says now. “I didn’t feel that way last year. It was a helpless feeling.” In a matter of months, Army has shed a sort of football personality disorder and once again thrives on complements. The retooled offense is voracious and efficient under new coordinator Cody Worley, ranking No. 1 in the country in rushing yards per game (334.9) and 22nd with 35.2 points scored per game. The defense, typically solid in most years under Monken, ranks second in the country in fewest points allowed per game (10.33, just .03 points per game behind Ohio State). The symbiosis – offense chews up clock, defense gets off the field quickly, repeat – is basically Army being all it can be. Consider a win at North Texas on Nov. 9: The ****** Knights went up two scores after a 21-play drive that lasted longer than a half-hour of real time, and then two fourth-quarter interceptions snuffed out the hosts’ attempts to rally. “That’s this place,” defensive coordinator Nate Woody says. “You don’t have to drill that into guys. It’s inherent in what they do every day: Working together, communicating, solving problems, doing it as a unit or as a team.” Another successful marriage of then and now. Thatcher left after that one disappointing season. Worley, who’d been on staff as quarterbacks coach since 2020, up-shifted into the coordinator role but didn’t roll a sizzle-reel of World War II-era offense to mark his promotion. Not every idea from 2023 was a bad one. It was maybe just too much of one idea. “We probably overcooked it,” is how Worley puts it. So he and the offensive staff pursued fusion and flexibility, not reinvention. Doing the predictable in unpredictable ways. Against East Carolina on Oct. 19, knowing its opponent had two weeks to prepare, Army was equipped to flip its season-long tendencies and run offense out of the shotgun twice as much as usual. And after a while of that, the ****** Knights called what Worley describes as a “Day 1, core play.” Quarterback Bryson Daily took a traditional snap, a linebacker mis-fit an assignment and the result was a touchdown. “Different presentations,” Worley says. “It may be the same play, but the speed is different. The fits are different up front. Even though it’s the same for us, it’s different for the defense.” Some stars aligning helps, too. Woody says leading tackler Andon Thomas reminds him of former Army linebacker Jon Rhattigan, who’s currently with the Carolina Panthers. The offensive line, in Monken’s estimation, is the most talented and possibly most ornery unit he’s had at West Point, all the way down to wrestling each other to settle arguments about who’s tougher. Savages, is how Daily refers to that group. “Mean. Tough. Violent,” right tackle Lucas Scott says. “The standard is really, really high in our room.” But when Worley describes the team’s personnel as “perfect,” there is no clearer illustration than the 6-foot, 220-pound Daily, who has evolved into a concrete thunderbolt. The Texan who had zero offers to play offense anywhere else in the Football Bowl Subdivision has accounted for 28 total touchdowns in nine games after 14 all of last season. An interception thrown against North Texas was his first of the year. Daily has rumbled his way into the periphery of Heisman Trophy chatter, bye-week appearances on “The Dan Patrick Show” and his head coach needling him by announcing he’ll be available for autographs after a team meeting. “I’ve been put in great situations and I’ve been lucky enough to capitalize on the situations I’ve been put in,” Daily says. “I think every time the guys see a post about me or post about an individual doing good, the guys internalize that, like, ‘Hey, that’s us. That’s us as an offense.’” All jobs on all fronts well done, at a place where failures are magnified tenfold when they’re not. Many of the current ****** Knights relearned this the hard way. They’ll sort of sidle up to a concession that, even at a place like West Point, some football orders might’ve been questioned early last season. That egos compounded the schematic hiccups. That the 4-0 finish to 2023 was a quietly critical realignment preceding all the noise they’re making in 2024. “Every guy on the team is taking personal ownership of, ‘This is what I gotta do today,’” second-leading rusher Kanye Udoh says. “Last year, when we were 2-6, there wasn’t the same level of everybody being bought in, up to that point, as it is now.” Nothing changes and everything changes. The Army football team wakes up before sunrise and leaves the practice field after dark, unbeaten and almost too busy to notice anyone noticing. Good day or bad day, there’s formation at 6:30 a.m. How they’re doing it is no mystery. How long it lasts is another story. Because nearly anywhere else, it’s enough to not be perfect. Army coach Jeff Monken, 57, is the second-winningest coach in program history. (David Jensen / Getty Images) Jeff Monken grew up on Tom Osborne and Woody Hayes and Joe Paterno. Or at least the college football coach archetype they represented. Longevity. Championships. There was a caption to the picture of them in Monken’s mind: I’m going to do that. Also, none of those guys coached at Army. “I’d like to have an opportunity to have that challenge at the highest level,” Monken says. “This is a hard job. People talk about other Power 4 (schools) – ‘That’s a hard job.’ ******* than the one I’ve got? What’s ******* than this job? Which one?” It’s not a complaint. He enlisted in his own way, though Johnson at the time did tell his former assistant that the Army job would afford Monken patience and a better salary. And Monken had the blueprint from his time at Navy, to boot. “Where he is,” Johnson says, “is a really good fit for him.” The results prove that. Over time, there have been conversations and maybe even close calls with schools inquiring about his services. And Jeff Monken is still the Army football coach. “If he gets the opportunity and it’s the right one, he’ll pursue it,” Buddie says. “He’s in Year 11. He’s earned that opportunity.” The part about the right one matters. Some places aren’t for Jeff Monken and Jeff Monken might not be for some places. The coach and his athletic director have discussed that very topic. Why haven’t there been any right ones, though? There’s loyalty involved – Johnson just about kicked Monken out of his office when Monken told him he might stay at Georgia Tech instead of taking the Georgia Southern job – and there are also biases and boosters and message boards afflicting the people doing the hiring. “There’s so many misnomers out there about, ‘You can’t recruit to the offense’ and ‘Fans won’t like it,’” Johnson says. “If somebody finally gives him a chance, they’ll be really happy they did.” In the meantime, Army offers a well-insulated refuge from transfer portal chaos and name, image and likeness negotiations. “That’s just a stressor, causing animosity among teammates,” Scott, the offensive tackle, says. The ****** Knights have two full-length practice fields and that indoor facility. They strive for power-conference level travel and technology. Nutrition is a priority, given the demands of a cadet’s day; there are the mandatory pair of robust mess-hall meals – “Heavy” and “Heavy Heavy” are the two options for the amount of food served at each table – and a nightly catered dinner at the football facility. “We maximize all of it,” Monken says, “because our guys need it.” Army finally started an athletic association in 2017 that allows it to profit from apparel and broadcast deals, raise funds and, as Buddie puts it, pay a head football coach “the going rate.” And while Army has clinched a spot in the ********* Athletic Conference championship in its first season in the league, membership alone creates an annual path to a College Football Playoff spot, however steep it may be. (A schedule ranked among the easiest nationally underscores that, as well as the significance of the Notre Dame showdown.) Inescapably, it is still the ******* States Military Academy. When Udoh talks about team bonding, he’s referring to eight days of Cadet Field Training and wearing night-vision goggles on two hours of sleep and ******* blank rounds into the dark. The program will never have “Taj Mahals with marble floors and fondue chocolate fountains and barber shops and slides,” as Buddie puts it, because it’s the Army. It’s supposed to be tough. It’s supposed to be a choice between two worlds. “I’m not going to be all ‘Pollyanna,’” Buddie says. “If a Power 5 had offered (Monken) a job in the last four or five years, would he have taken it? Maybe? But he’s not just, like, looking to get out. Now more than ever, I think people realize that the grass is not always greener. The challenges that we have here grow exponentially when Russia invades Ukraine – that makes it ******* for us to recruit. But he’s not having to negotiate with agents. He’s not having to negotiate with his starting quarterback every offseason. And I think there’s value in that, too.” Monken sees it. He grabs a notecard from his desk and starts the walk to a team meeting that begins at 1400 hours sharp. He points to a mostly empty hallway. “You know how many coaches got a line outside their office with kids wondering if they’re going to get paid more, are they going to get more playing time, or guys that walked in after four games and said, ‘I’m going to redshirt’?” Monken says. “I don’t deal with any of that.” Maybe it’s not worth losing sleep over in the end. Maybe it is, if he’s afforded the chance. Soon, he’s at the front of an auditorium with hip-hop music blaring over rowdy conversations. Nobody in the world wants to get shot at, as Monken notes, but there are people willing to do so for the sake of their country. And they’re in that room. “This place is hard,” Monken says. “Everything they do is a challenge here. But they stay here. They’re here for a reason.” (Illustration: Meech Robinson / The Athletic; photos: Dustin Satloff / Getty Images) Source link #Army #fanatical #coach #aim #perfection Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Review: Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire has got a fun premise, but a flawed ********** – Entertainium Review: Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire has got a fun premise, but a flawed ********** – Entertainium Angelus Victor said: When I first ***** my eyes on Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire, I was quite interested, because there were some raving comments about it paying a homage to a Dreamcast classic: Skies of Arcadia. While the marketing for this game was absolutely abysmal, with many of my friends not even knowing of its existence, it looked promising in the trailers. So I absolutely had to check it out for myself. So prepare for takeoff, we’re off into an adventure. Source link #Review #Sky #Oceans #Wings #Hire #fun #premise #flawed #********** #Entertainium Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Yes, Google is a near-monopoly, but selling off Chrome won’t make it better Yes, Google is a near-monopoly, but selling off Chrome won’t make it better Google’s Chrome browser is dominant; not in the way Google’s search engine is, but at 67% market share, according to Stat Counter, it sits comfortably atop competitors like Safari, Edge, and Opera, who are mostly fighting over scraps. For the US Government, which is now calling for the breakup of Google by having it sell off Chrome and, perhaps, Android, it’s not so much the market share that matters as much as how Chrome acts as a powerful fulcrum for Google’s other interests, chief among which is maximizing advertising revenue. Here’s how it works. Chrome is a web browser like Safari and others, but it’s also a search engine interface. The default search engine when Chrome is delivered to your desktop or smartphone is, naturally, Google. These days there are few people who only type websites into their browser address bar (so-called because we were only supposed to put the ‘address’ or URL for our desired website in there). Now we use our browser address bars as prompt fields. That’s right; long before the advent of AI, we were typing in fully-formed sentences and, invariably, getting canny answers from Google’s powerful search engine. I’ve argued here and elsewhere that Google’s search dominance comes by way of quality not coercion. That’s not all we’ve been getting. If I type, “Where do I find the best mattresses?” into my Chrome address bar, Google Search instantly returns a page of results. ‘Sponsored’ links occupy, by my estimate, 95% of the desktop web page results. I have to scroll down to perhaps the fourth result to see some suggestions from The New York Times. Google gets paid for those ads; and, essentially every time you search, for every result with ads, Google gets a cut. If Google isn’t serving partner ads, then it has ads delivered in search and through millions of websites by its own Doubleclick ad network. It’s a system that barters and then fills countless bits of unsold inventory (pages where a specific advertiser didn’t choose to sponsor the site or page) to the highest-bidding advertiser. Google gets paid here, too (as do publishers). That’s a lot of ads (Image credit: Future) The everything of Google Even if you’re not on Chrome, Google search is pervasive. The search company pays Apple up to $20 billion a year to be the default search engine in Safari’s address bar. If you own an Android phone, Chrome is often the default browser, or it’s at least pre-installed, and virtually all phones also feature Google Discover, which you can usually find by swiping right on your Android homepage. This feed is full of news and ads, with Google again getting paid for the latter. Google’s reach and, perhaps, control, are undeniable. Is it a monopoly? A US federal judge said yes in August. I’ve argued here, and elsewhere, that Google’s search dominance comes by way of quality not coercion. Google entered a crowded search market and later a browser market dominated mostly by Microsoft and Internet Explorer. None of these competitors rolled over. Google just did it better. Technology has a habit of choosing winners and losers. It’s also the nature of the ****** to start demanding standards and uniformity. If there were two dozen operating systems across our desktops and mobile phones, developers would strain and probably break trying to support them all. In fact, they wouldn’t do it; and they, along with consumers, would soon pick the winners and losers. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) Google in control Google is not blameless here. It’s hard to deny the power and control that dominating market share gives you, and while consumers might initially choose a laptop manufacturer and a platform, it’s ultimately the tech companies like Google that lead and make decisions for us. They choose how the platforms will work, and which third-party systems to invite. They’re the ones connecting the dots on the back end – and that again is a considered decision that’s usually hidden from our view. Chrome is not just a web browser; it’s an ecosystem, a platform inside platforms that we live and work in. I manage multiple email accounts, edit documents in Google docs, manage my photo library, post on social media, and, lately, conduct AI conversations all inside of Chrome, with every action and interaction passing by Google’s unblinking eye. (Image credit: Statcounter) I’m not complaining. Google Search is still the best search engine in the business, and Chrome is an excellent browser that is finally getting its resource-hogging issues under control. It still earns its place on my desktop. Will I be served by someone else owning Chrome and then taking the code in a different direction, perhaps away from its tight integration with the Google corpus? I don’t think so. I know Google definitely doesn’t think so. In a tersely worded response to the DoJ brief proposing the break-up, Kent Walker, Google & Alphabet President, Global Affairs & Chief Legal Officer, wrote: “DoJ’s approach would result in unprecedented government overreach that would harm ********* consumers, developers, and small businesses – and jeopardize America’s global economic and technological leadership at precisely the moment it’s needed most.” He added that it would hobble access to Google Search, endanger consumer privacy, and harm Google’s investment in AI. Handicapping Google Google is on the precipice of radically reimagining our search with deeper integration of AI overviews, Gemini-powered generative results that may soon overtake traditional Google Search results. Again, since Chrome is our de facto search prompt window, shifting the browser to another company means that it could be any AI that returns a result. Google’s AI is not necessarily the best, yet, but it’s in a strong competitive position against, for instance, OpenAI and ChatGPT. I like how these companies are pushing each other. A Google breakup won’t help the race, or put the US in a better position relative to the rest of the world when it comes to AI development. I also, ultimately, don’t want anyone to pull Google Search out of my Chrome. It’s a marriage I like, and one that works for me and, I bet, billions of others. Pulling them apart may make Google look less like a monopoly, but it won’t improve anyone’s life. I’d prefer that the DoJ and others focus on Google’s ad business and SEO control – there may be some more sensible remedies there. I don’t know what will happen next. Google is now been labeled a monopoly, and the DoJ is calling for a breakup that could even include Android. But the X-factor here is that we are about to see a new administration in the White House, and changes at the top of the DOJ. Those changes could mean this initiative is ******* off, or they could mean it’s accelerated; it could go either way, and your guess is as good as mine. Maybe ask Google Chrome – I’m sure it has the answers. You might also like Source link #Google #nearmonopoly #selling #Chrome #wont Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Forget Nvidia. This is the biggest tech earnings mover of the day and Goldman sees 70% upside Forget Nvidia. This is the biggest tech earnings mover of the day and Goldman sees 70% upside Shares of Snowflake surged more than 31% on Thursday, after third-quarter results beat analyst estimates on the top and bottom line. And analysts see even more gains in store. The sharp move higher puts the cloud-based data stock on pace for its best day ever. Snowflake executives on Wednesday upped their full-year product revenue forecast to $3.43 billion, or growth of 29%, compared to a previous estimate that called for $3.36 billion. SNOW YTD mountain Snowflake stock headed for its best day ever on Thursday. The company added on Wednesday that it plans to partner with the Amazon-backed artificial intelligence startup Anthropic. CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy also noted that Snowflake could grow its business involving the federal government. Goldman analyst Kash Rangan reiterated a buy rating on Snowflake following its third-quarter results, and maintained his price target of $220 per share. Rangan’s forecast implies more than 70% upside from Wednesday’s $129.12 close. “Given the company’s strong competitive positioning, we continue to view Snowflake as well positioned to capitalize on a generational shift of data and analytics to the cloud, with strong secular tailwinds including cloud adoption, big data, AI/ML [artificial intelligence/machine learning], and secure data sharing which we expect will drive durable growth for the foreseeable future,” Rangan said. JPMorgan, others bullish too JPMorgan Chase analyst Mark Murphy maintained an overweight rating on Snowflake stock, but increased his price target to $185 per share. Murphy’s forecast implies more than 47% upside moving ahead. “We expect Snowflake to continue to grow revenue at a rapid scale,” Murphy said. “We believe the combination of alignment to secular trends like data growth and digital transformation, very rapid revenue growth at scale, and a solid, efficient business model makes Snowflake an exceptional asset among software companies.” Elsewhere, Bank of America analyst Brad Sills was encouraged that demand trends showed stark improvement in the third-quarter, and said he’s encouraged by the company’s efforts to broaden its data engineering and AI segments. The analyst reiterated his neutral rating on Snowflake stock but increased his price target to $185 per share from $160, equating to more than 43% upside moving forward. “We look for more material traction outside the core before concluding that Snowflake has widened the competitive moat from pure play and hyperscaler platforms,” Sills cautioned. Wells Fargo’s Michael Turrin reiterated an equal weight rating on Snowflake following its quarterly results, but hiked his price target to $150 per share from $125. Turin’s outlook calls for roughly 16% upside ahead. Turrin ******** neutral on the stock largely because Snowflake’s multiple current sits at the higher echelon of its peers in the software segment, he noted. He added that he ******** optimistic that the company will remain a key player in the space, however. “While SNOW ******** a leader in cloud data, heightened competitive intensity coupled with a budding AI-led product cycle presents questions on the platform’s [long-term] differentiation and the company’s ability to sustain similar levels of growth into the future,” Turrin said. Source link #Forget #Nvidia #biggest #tech #earnings #mover #day #Goldman #sees #upside Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Postecoglou: Bentancur made mistake, we'll support him Postecoglou: Bentancur made mistake, we'll support him Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou says Rodrigo Bentancur is an “outstanding person” despite his “mistake” in using ******* language. Source link #Postecoglou #Bentancur #mistake #we039ll #support Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How does F1’s Las Vegas GP transform the Strip in 2 hours? ‘It’s a science’ How does F1’s Las Vegas GP transform the Strip in 2 hours? ‘It’s a science’ LAS VEGAS — Making a street race happen in Formula One is one of the toughest logistical challenges for the organizers of a grand prix. Each year in Monaco, Singapore and Baku, Azerbaijan, months of planning go into action to turn the center of a city into a racetrack for only a handful of days as the bumpy streets and beckoning walls pose a different challenge to the drivers than a normal circuit. But for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, that challenge is only multiplied by the fact its circuit, which proved a hit among the drivers last year, incorporates one of the most famous roadways in the world: the Strip. “I was in Singapore with the race and chatting to the promoter, and they were like, ‘We don’t understand how you open and close the track the way you do,’” said Emily Prazer, the chief commercial officer of F1 and the Las Vegas Grand Prix. “They keep the roads closed for seven days. Can you imagine us telling the (Las Vegas) council we’re keeping the roads closed for seven days? It would just literally never happen, ever.” As F1 embarked on its ambitious plan to return to Las Vegas after almost 40 years away (and insisted on having the Strip as part of its 3.8-mile track layout), it needed a plan to keep it open as long as possible before preparing it for F1 action each night. The task of opening and closing the roads that are part of the circuit is overseen by Terry Miller, the general manager of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The event site he’s responsible for covers 450 acres. “That’s a big area, not to mention the fact that we have more than 45 significant businesses around that track,” Miller told The Athletic. “One of those 45 businesses owns five different resorts. So the ability for us to manage the logistics of our track build is significant.” The circuit installation, including the barriers, fences and lighting, commenced after Labor Day weekend. Miller instructed his team to approach the track build a little differently than in year one: completing a lap in a similar fashion to the drivers. “This year, we were able to be a little more consistent and targeted as to how we were building the track,” he explained. “You have to build all the track lighting before you can put up any track barriers. “We started at one corner of the circuit, and we worked our way around the path (the driver takes) and added all of our track lighting, and then we followed that same pattern with our track barriers, and then we followed with all of our electronics.” A general view of the circuit along the Las Vegas Strip during previews ahead of the 2023 Las Vegas GP. (Dan Istitene / Formula 1 via Getty Images) As part of the agreement with the local authorities, no track barriers are put along Las Vegas Boulevard until 12 days before the race to try and minimize disruption. “They didn’t want to disturb Las Vegas Boulevard any sooner than necessary,” Miller said. “We did our internal logistics calculations, and we said we could try and get it done in 12 days prior to the race event.” Removing the barriers on the Strip is one of the first tasks after the race so it can be cleared before Thanksgiving four days later. Preparing the Strip for the F1 cars to use the track every night is a scientific process, according to Miller, who conducted an extensive analysis of how his track crew last year worked to open and close the circuit. “We’d spent a lot of time with spreadsheets and stopwatches because we got it down to: How much time does it take to move a block? How much equipment, how many crews can you use at one time before they get into each others’ way?” he said. “It was a science last year, and that allowed us going into this year to do a little more ‘lab work’ on the science of how do you put all of this in place.” A team of 140 people works to open and close the track, assigned across 42 locations that open and close each day. There are 3,500 track barrier blocks, stretching out to 7.6 miles in length, twice the lap distance. Under the night sky, the track is illuminated by 1,750 temporary light units. Each of the 140 workers is assigned a duty with a “very specific set of logistics and equipment,” according to Miller. Training for the track opening and closing started in June to cover a team of 180, ensuring alternates are on standby in case any of the 140 drop out. “We don’t just leave it to guesswork,” Miller said. “It’s pretty sophisticated in terms of how we move that 140 group of crew people through that process.” Transforming the track from “open” to “closed” involves three stages. It starts as a “warm track,” remaining mostly open to public use so traffic can pass around the center of Las Vegas. This ******* ends at midnight Thursday (to allow the safety car to complete its high-speed tests) and lasts until 5 a.m. At 3 p.m., a transition ******* begins to prepare everything for on-track action before it becomes a “hot track” at 5 p.m. This phase lasts until 2 a.m. Friday, covering the first two practice sessions before another transition ******* to get the track back to “warm” again. “We have identified the time it takes to move each barrier,” Miller said. “We’ve got barrier number one on this corner, and where it is staged will take three minutes to move into position, then it will take another five minutes for them to set it, put the debris fence in and lock up the spiral connections. We know down to the minute.” Although there is a two-hour window to complete the process, Miller wanted to work in a buffer. “We’ve got it in the matrix of exactly how we’re going to make the two hours work, and clearly what we do is we make sure that what we have established is a one hour and 45-minute window, so we’re training to that with the 15-minute interval,” he said. “It’s extremely detailed in terms of how we move through each one of these openings and closings.” It takes precision planning to coordinate the opening and closing of the Strip. (Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto via AP) Despite adding a support race, the Ferrari Challenge, to the schedule this year, everything has stayed the same for the open and closed track transition. A big buffer was put in place for the race’s first running in 2023, but the lessons from that year gave the organizers confidence that the race could handle something being added to the schedule. There can, of course, be incidents that lead to delays, such as the loose water valve cover that canceled FP1 and meant FP2 did not finish until 4 a.m. last year, but these are also planned for in conjunction with the FIA and the local authorities. “We’re also doing scenario planning with the local ***** department and police department, to everything from incursion of a spectator — ‘How the heck did they get on the track, what happens, how do we do that?’” Miller said. “So the level of planning that goes into this event is extraordinary.” By midnight Sunday local time, the race will be complete, and the post-race celebrations will begin. Miller’s team will immediately start the dismantling process. By 4 a.m., the track is back to “warm,” meaning cars can move around, and a degree of normality can resume for those driving in the middle of Las Vegas. “By Christmas, we will have picked up everything,” Miller said. It’s a sizable undertaking, but one was required to make F1’s dream of racing along the Strip possible. For Miller, even after a long and varied career in sports event planning and **********, it has been a completely different animal. “I’ve been involved in the design and construction of NFL stadiums, Major League Baseball stadiums, soccer facilities and Olympic facilities,” Miller said. “I’ve been doing it for 44 years now. Nothing compares to what I’ve seen here in Vegas for the F1 project.” (Top photo: Dan Istitene / Formula 1 / Formula 1 via Getty Images) Source link #F1s #Las #Vegas #transform #Strip #hours #science Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Three Kingdom Heroes brings top-level AI challenges to chess-like duels, coming soon Three Kingdom Heroes brings top-level AI challenges to chess-like duels, coming soon Koei Tecmo has announced a new entry in their Three Kingdoms franchise with Heroes A chess and shogi-inspired battler, it sees you taking on opponents using individual abilities But perhaps the biggest selling point is the challenging GARYU AI system The Three Kingdoms ******* of ******** history is a fascinating one, whether that’s the Arthurian tales of valour and strategy that lionize it, or the arguably even more intriguing attempts to sift truth from myth in this almost legendary era, which has proven a fertile ground for interactive media. One developer who’s explored it more than any other is Koei Tecmo with their legendary series of strategy titles, and now they’re bringing even more action to mobile with Three Kingdoms Heroes! For fans of the series, the familiar art-style and grand-scale operatic storytelling is there. But if you’ve ever been sceptical of trying it, Three Kingdom Heroes may be the most intriguing entry point into the franchise yet. This turn-based board-battler inspired by shogi and chess boasts a huge variety of abilities and stratagems wielded by famous figures from the Three Kingdoms *******. But perhaps the most intriguing feature of this upcoming release, hitting storefronts on January 25th next year, is not in the numerous visual, audio or gameplay features but instead in the intriguing, challenging GARYU system; an in-game AI trained to adapt and battle it out with you as an almost lifelike opponent. The only way to win is not to play Suffice it to say GARYU is what caught my eye here, and while I’m always sceptical about the AI buzzword, this system is developed by HEROZ, who also created shogi-dominating AI dlshogi. This system reportedly dominated the World Shogi Championships for two consecutive years and outwitted some of the top grandmasters of the sport as a result. Now, obviously, that’s probably not as clear-cut as you might expect. I mean, we all know the controversy behind chess “grandmaster” Deep Blue. But at the same time as far as selling points go, and for a ******* of history that so often focuses on ingenious martial gambits, I’d say the prospect of facing it off with a lifelike, challenging opponent has me sold. Source link #Kingdom #Heroes #brings #toplevel #challenges #chesslike #duels #coming Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Microsoft says Flight Simulator 2024 still suffers from access problems despite adding more server capacity to handle demand Microsoft says Flight Simulator 2024 still suffers from access problems despite adding more server capacity to handle demand After a troubled launch that has only grown more concerning as time goes on, Microsoft has provided an update on the ongoing situation with MSFS 2024 and its severe stability/crashing issues, and all is still not well. The team behind MSFS 2024 posted on X that more server capacity has been added to the simulator, helping improve player accessibility. However, this has not permanently fixed accessibility issues for all players. We have increased our server capacity and are seeing more players accessing the sim, however, we are still seeing access issues continue. This is not the launch experience we want for our players and want to apologize to the community. We will continue to work around the clock…November 21, 2024 Microsoft is continuing to struggle to meet the incredible amount of concurrent players playing (or trying to load) MSFS 2024. Playability issues began on launch day two days ago, when the vast majority of players couldn’t play the game, with some even unable to install the game at all, representing one of the worst game launches in history. The cheery on top was that Microsoft neglected to share any pre-launch codes with reviewers, preventing many 3rd-party reviewers, including Tom’s Hardware, from providing a thorough review of the game at launch. A day later, Microsoft provided a video update on the state of the game and clarification on the issues occurring. It turns out that Microsoft only tested the game’s servers with 200,000 simulated users before launch to ensure that the game could handle that many players. However, despite Microsoft’s preparation attempts, the backend was purportedly instantly overwhelmed on launch day and the days after. Obviously, player counts for MSFS 2024 are well over 200,000, which gives us an idea of how popular Microsoft’s new simulator is. MSFS 2024 is suffering from overwhelmed backend services responsible for virtually all game accessibility problems and the vast majority of game stability issues. The mission service database, in particular, is completely maxed out, resulting in many users being unable to fly missions in-game. Default planes are also missing from the user’s libraries. Thankfully, Microsoft is working on stopping these issues entirely. However, the trillion-dollar company has still not provided a roadmap or a deadline on when full game functionality will be restored to all players. We’re monitoring for more updates from the Microsoft team and will follow up as neccesary. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Microsoft #Flight #Simulator #suffers #access #problems #adding #server #capacity #handle #demand Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bank of America lifts Netflix target to $1,000 citing sports viewership Bank of America lifts Netflix target to $1,000 citing sports viewership Two catalysts may send shares of Netflix even higher in the months ahead, according to Bank of America. Analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich reiterated her buy rating on Netflix and hiked her price target by $200 to $1,000, implying more than 13% upside from Wednesday’s close. This comes as the stock has already soared more than 81% year to date. Netflix is also ahead more than 14% in the past month and nearly 27% in the past three. NFLX YTD mountain NFLX, year-to-date Reif Ehrlich sees last week’s boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul – which had 65 million live concurrent streams and 108 million total live viewers around the world – as a “knockout” opportunity for Netflix in live events. “The ****** was the most-streamed sporting event of all time and an emphatic proof point of Netflix’s ability to aggregate global reach at scale for live events,” the analyst told clients on Thursday. “Despite the reported technical issues, we see this event as a positive for Netflix’s ambition in live/sports and also as it relates to the company’s ability to drive growth in advertising.” “The ****** likely signals to sports leagues/promoters that Netflix can now deliver live viewership at a similar (if not greater) scale than linear television,” she continued. Broadcasting two NFL games on Christmas Day – one of which will feature a halftime performance by Beyoncé – and starting a 10-year contract with World Wrestling Entertainment’s “Raw” next year demonstrates Netflix’s ambition to more deeply pursue live programming. That, combined with its in-house ad tech platform, could spur even more upside, she said. “Live and advertising are complementary growth drivers, as more live programming drives additional high value, premium ad inventory,” Reif Ehrlich added. “Netflix’s ability to monetize this premium live inventory will be key to making advertising a multi-year growth driver.” Wall Street is mostly bullish on Netflix, with 32 of 48 analysts rating it a strong buy or buy, according to LSEG data. Most of the others (14) are neutral. Still, Netflix has an average price target of $787, implying about 11% downside from Wednesday’s close. Netflix gained 1.4% to ann all-time high of $896.40 in early trading Thursday. Source link #Bank #America #lifts #Netflix #target #citing #sports #viewership Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

This retiree accepted an investment broker’s invite for dinner at Ruth’s Chris — the decision cost him $158K This retiree accepted an investment broker’s invite for dinner at Ruth’s Chris — the decision cost him $158K This retiree accepted an investment broker’s invite for dinner at Ruth’s Chris — the decision cost him $158K There’s no such thing as a free lunch — or a free steak dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak House, for that matter. At least, that’s what one retiree learned the hard way, after a trip to the restaurant cost him a hefty portion of his retirement savings. Accredited investors can become the landlord of Walmart, Whole Foods or Kroger — and benefit from regular distributions without lifting a finger. Here’s how Car insurance premiums in America are through the roof — and only getting worse. But less than 2 minutes can save you more than $600/year These 5 magic money moves will boost you up America’s net worth ladder in 2024 — and you can complete each step within minutes. Here’s how George Wilson, who shared his story with Business Insider, said he sometimes attended free presentations — usually held at a nice restaurant — on how to make money in retirement. He hadn’t acted upon any advice until that fateful night in 2010, when he attended a presentation at Ruth’s Chris and met broker David Escarcega. Escarcega encouraged Wilson to invest in a fixed-income alternative product from GWG Holdings, a now-bankrupt firm. The high-yield securities were based on life insurance policies purchased on the secondary market, according to Business Insider. While investors like Wilson earned a whopping 9% monthly return, brokers were earning up to 8% in commissions from GWG. Long story short, GWG’s insurance contracts had been overvalued and, after a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation, GWG filed for bankruptcy in 2022 and halted dividend payments. The steak dinner (and Wilson’s decision to invest) ended up costing him $158,000 of his retirement savings. The first few years for Wilson went well, with regular monthly payouts, and in 2017 he renewed his investment. But at that point, unbeknownst to Wilson, Escarcega had been barred from selling securities after misrepresenting investment risks, according to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), a self-regulatory organization. More than a decade after that fateful dinner, Wilson is still fighting to get back his investment. While a recent arbitration decision awarded him $267,252 in compensation, including damages for emotional distress, all claimants received a payout of $103,000. So, after costs, Wilson still won’t be able to recoup his initial investment. Hosting a “free” lunch or dinner is common practice in the industry: taking potential clients out for a lavish meal and pitching them on investment opportunities (usually high-commission, high-risk products). Story Continues While this doesn’t mean all advisers and all “free” meals are dodgy, it does mean you shouldn’t be enticed to invest your retirement savings by a top sirloin steak. If something seems too good to be true, it just might be. If you’re considering alternative investments, you should be savvy enough to know what you’re getting into. In the case of GWG, there were red flags, but a rookie investor wouldn’t necessarily catch them, especially after a few years of high returns. But, in general, if yields are consistently outsized, then there’s a chance you’re taking on more risk that you may realize. Read more: Jeff Bezos and Oprah Winfrey invest in this asset to keep their wealth safe — you may want to do the same in 2024 A good adviser can be invaluable in helping you protect and grow your retirement savings. But how do you find one? First, understand the different types of advisers out there. A fee-only adviser charges a fee for service (typically hourly or annually, or a flat rate) and doesn’t earn commission on the ***** of investment products. A fee-based adviser might also charge a fee for service, but they could be earning commission (which could influence their advice). If you’re not paying for service — and you’re getting free meals at fancy restaurants — then you should proceed with caution. The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) can help you find advisers in your zip code. You can also ask family and friends, but you’ll still need to be cautious, since Wilson also advised his ex-wife and a friend to invest with GWG. Ask a potential adviser about their credentials, if they’re a fiduciary and if they earn commission. Then, do your research. If, for example, an adviser holds a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) or Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) credential, they’re required to act as a fiduciary, which means putting their clients’ interests ahead of their own. They also have to abide by a code of ethics; otherwise, they lose their designation. These credentials can be verified with the CFB Board or CFA Institute. FINRA also has a search tool called BrokerCheck where you can find out if any disciplinary action has been taken against an adviser; it also has a list of brokers who have been barred. Before investing a chunk of your retirement savings into any kind of alternative investment, it’s useful to get a second (or even a third) opinion. That might mean talking to a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or even an attorney. And, next time you get invited for a “free” meal, you might want to think twice. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Source link #retiree #accepted #investment #brokers #invite #dinner #Ruths #Chris #decision #cost #158K Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Why UNC star RJ Davis couldn’t resist returning for his fifth season — and one more shot Why UNC star RJ Davis couldn’t resist returning for his fifth season — and one more shot Welcome to the heartbeat. Take a seat. The Davis family living room in their White Plains, N.Y., home is, in many ways, ordinary. Two well-worn, cream-******** sofas directly across from each other. A circular coffee table between them. Floor-to-ceiling bay windows, with decorative candles on the ledge. And the soundtrack to it all? Usually, barking, courtesy of the family Yorkshire terrier, Diggy. “Any life decisions we make,” RJ Davis said, “yep, in that living room.” About five years ago, there was something else in that space, too: a poster board. On it, Davis, then a high school senior, had written the names of each of his four college finalists, the schools the four-star guard was considering attending. To make his choice, Davis used one of his mother Venessa’s favorite practices. “***** and *****,” she said. “As a psychologist, it’s something you use a lot.” With Venessa and the rest of his family — father Rob, younger brother Bryce and, of course, Diggy — gathered in the living room, Davis worked through his options. When he’d finished writing, the decision was obvious: North Carolina. If he only knew then what the next four years would hold. An up-and-down freshman season that ended with Roy Williams’ shocking retirement. Then a slog of a sophomore year — until the Tar Heels turned into a rocket ship and manufactured one of the most miraculous Final Four runs in March Madness history. That led to hype entering Davis’ junior year, all of which promptly went up in flames as UNC became the first preseason No. 1 team in the modern era to miss the NCAA Tournament. And, finally, Davis’ senior season, when he sprouted into a full-blown star, posting one of the best individual campaigns in the baby blue blood’s storied history. 𝘽𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚.@ariidavis_ is the 2024 ACC Preseason Player of the Year! pic.twitter.com/pMR3OiwYtT — ACC Men’s Basketball (@accmbb) October 15, 2024 This spring, at the end of April, the Davis family once again gathered in their operations center. Another decision needed to be made: Would Davis — a first-team All-********* last season and one of college basketball’s most recognizable figures — return to college for a fifth season, available because of the COVID-19 pandemic, or go pro? Because Davis is only 6 feet, the feedback he received from the NBA Draft advisory committee suggested he’d go late in the second round or undrafted entirely. But coming off his best season, what more could he prove to scouts? “I’ve always had dreams and aspirations of playing at the next level, of playing in the NBA,” he said, “and it’s like, why not right now?” Davis settled into one of the sofas. Time to talk. The first weekend of April, Davis was exactly where he’d dreamed of being: Phoenix, the site of the Final Four. Just not for the reason he’d hoped. That’s because the past two seasons, Davis had a singular motivation: a redo. Ever since North Carolina magically stormed through the NCAA Tournament in Hubert Davis’ debut season, advancing all the way to the 2022 national title game, he wanted another ****** at college hoops immortality. He was 20 minutes and a 15-point halftime lead versus Kansas away from hanging a seventh NCAA championship banner in the Dean Smith Center, and then, whoosh, everything evaporated. He’s one of five active players left from that team but the only one still wearing Carolina blue. Last season, Davis unequivocally became “the guy” for the first time in his college career, especially after his three-year backcourt mate, Caleb Love, transferred to Arizona. And he did everything in his power to will the Tar Heels back to that stage while rewriting UNC’s record books. Davis went from averaging 12 points and three assists per game during his first three seasons in Chapel Hill to setting career highs in points (21.2 per game), 3-point percentage (39.8), assist-to-turnover ratio (better than 2-1) and steals (1.2). But most importantly, he led UNC to its first ACC regular-season title and No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament since 2019. A redo, suddenly, seemed like a very realistic possibility. Then came the Sweet 16. Red-hot Alabama. And Davis, for the first time all season, went cold. He’d made at least one 3-pointer in all 36 games to that point but went 0-for-9 from deep in a 2-point loss to the Crimson Tide. “Shots I normally make,” Davis said. “Had I made one 3 …” His voice trailed off. “I kind of felt like it was my fault, just because we were so close to reaching … everything.” A week later, Davis was there in the desert as a finalist for the Naismith College Player of the Year Award, presented annually at the Final Four. Even brushing elbows with the biggest names in the sport, being recognized for his on-court excellence, Davis couldn’t shake one underlying thought: I’d rather be playing. He couldn’t bring himself to turn on any of that weekend’s Final Four games. On one hand, Davis’ jam-packed trophy case spoke for itself, including ACC Player of the Year and the Jerry West Award (given annually to the nation’s top ********* guard). He etched himself into North Carolina lore, in the same stratosphere of excellence as some of the school’s best guards, names such as Phil Ford, Ty Lawson and, yes, even Michael Jordan. By virtue of his accomplishments, his jersey is going the same place theirs did: the Smith Center rafters. But at the same time, he couldn’t stop ruminating. On the loss to Alabama. The what-ifs. Every minute detail that added up to defeat. By the time he landed back in Chapel Hill, offseason roster-building was already in full swing. Hubert Davis was holding end-of-season meetings with all his players. And Davis knew what his head coach was going to ask, whenever they sat down: So, RJ, what are you going to do? Tyler Hansbrough doesn’t play much basketball these days. “My knees,” the now-39-year-old joked. “If I’m on the court, my knees are gonna have some issues.” But Hansbrough still works out regularly, even sneaking over to the Smith Center for a lift when he can. One day in April, he was finishing a session when a familiar face approached. “Rarely do I try to give anybody advice,” Hansbrough said, “but he actually asked me.” It makes sense why Davis sought Hansbrough out. The star guard spoke to plenty of people in his circle about what he should do: Armando ******, his four-year teammate and close friend; Cam Johnson, arguably UNC’s top active NBA player; Theo Pinson, who won the program’s last championship in 2017; and even Marcus Paige, now on North Carolina’s coaching staff. But nobody could offer the perspective Hansbrough could. That’s because about 15 years ago, Hansbrough was in the same bind. After his standout junior season, when the 6-foot-9 forward was the unanimous national player of the year, averaging a career-best 22.6 points and 10.2 rebounds, he, too, had a pro decision to make. Had he declared, based on feedback that then-coach Williams had gathered, Hansbrough learned he likely would’ve been a late lottery pick. Tyler Hansbrough didn’t regret his decision to return to UNC for another run. (Rich Clarkson / NCAA Photos via Getty Images) But like Davis, he couldn’t get his mind off a recent NCAA Tournament heartbreak. UNC had just lost to Kansas in the 2008 Final Four, only its third defeat all season, and Hansbrough hadn’t been at his best. “Everyone thinks that whenever you get a chance to go to the NBA, you have to go. But if you believe in yourself and you think you can be a pro, one more year in college, that’s not going to derail your pro chances,” Hansbrough said. “One more year wasn’t going to change anything for me, and I felt like I could improve.” And? “And we had a chance to win a national championship.” The rest is history. Hansbrough came back, and his decision was validated when UNC did win the national title his senior season. Hansbrough was right about his pro prospects, too; the Indiana Pacers selected him 13th in the 2009 NBA Draft, the same late-lottery range that was forecast for him a year prior. The other consideration Hansbrough mentioned to Davis? Name, image and likeness, which didn’t exist in his heyday. Davis knew NIL wouldn’t be the primary factor in his decision — “If money wasn’t involved, I’d still be playing basketball,” he said. But by virtue of his record-setting senior season, he’d earned a bevy of endorsement deals: Crocs, Verizon and one of his favorites, JBL. (Although it probably wasn’t his neighbors’ favorite; Davis’ JBL speaker may or may not have earned him a noise complaint at his apartment complex. “There’s a bass boost, so I always press that,” Davis said with a wry smile, “and the next thing you know, it’s *****.”) Hansbrough explained his thought process to Davis in UNC’s weight room and left him with one final thought. “You can listen to all the most important people in your life,” Hansbrough said, “and you can take their advice — which you should value — but you’re the only one that has to live your life.” Not long after his talk with Hansbrough, Davis returned to White Plains. “I like to go home and get grounded,” he said, “because that’s where I feel safe, and that’s where my heart lives.” Still unsure of what he’d do, the guard continued training. Most days, he met with his skills trainer, Ross Burns, at the local Life Time Fitness, and he regularly drove to Connecticut to meet with a strength and conditioning specialist. And between those sessions, it wasn’t uncommon for Davis to swing by his old high school, Archbishop Stepinac, for an early morning or late-night ********* session. “My good companions here in the building are our maintenance guys,” said Patrick Massaroni, Davis’ high school coach at Stepinac. “We make it work.” Other schools poked around Davis, his parents said, seeing if he’d consider entering the transfer portal, but UNC and the NBA were the only options he considered. Whenever he thought he’d made up his mind, that lingering memory of not winning a championship reared its head. “My mind,” he said, “was changing every day.” GO DEEPER Men’s college basketball preseason All-Americans: Sears, Flagg, Davis lead the way With the May 1 deadline for Davis to decide rapidly approaching, he had to stop waffling. So, back to the living room for final deliberations. Bryce — now a freshman at Albany — wasn’t in town, so Davis FaceTimed his younger brother and put the phone in his lap. Rob and Venessa sat across from him on the opposite sofa. Diggy scurried across the hardwood floor. Rob and Venessa reiterated what Hansbrough said: It’s your life, and you have to live with your choice. With his mind racing, Davis stepped outside to gather his thoughts. He sat down on the family’s front porch steps and made a phone call. To Williams, the coach who recruited him to UNC in the first place. He walked around the block on the phone, and then came back to the family living room. “Whatever they talked about, he didn’t share,” Venessa said, “but it seemed to settle him, for sure.” Davis didn’t make up his mind right then, but a few days later, Davis came downstairs from his bedroom and announced he’d made his decision. Davis kept his decision close to the vest. He told his parents, obviously. Hubert Davis. But he didn’t even text his teammates. “I wanted,” he said, flashing a toothy grin, “to keep people on their toes a little bit.” So on the night of April 30, Davis set a timer on his phone for 3 a.m. and went to sleep. When the alarm went off, he woke up and posted a highlight video to Instagram with a simple two-word caption: “I’m back.” And then … Davis put his phone on “Do Not Disturb” and went back to bed. The ultimate mic drop, letting the college basketball world stir while he slept. “It wasn’t like I was saying no to my dreams (of playing in the NBA); it’s more so, I’m putting them on pause,” Davis said. “Besides the year I had this past year, there was no greater feeling than playing in that Final Four and playing in that national championship my sophomore year. I just remember watching the ball go up, and the buzzer sound hit, and we were on the losing side. … I want to be on that winning side.” His decision finally behind him, Davis drilled down on his ********* the rest of the summer, motivated by that 0-for-9 showing against Alabama. How much of his training was done through an NBA lens, knowing he’ll likely have to play point guard because of his size? Not much. “That’s where guys get in trouble: They start listening to critics or scouts and start thinking they’ve got to change something,” Burns said. “No. Really, just keep being the dominant, elite shooter and scorer you are — and because you’re going to have more eyeballs on you, be a facilitator.” So far, so good on that front: Through three games, Davis has 14 assists against just three turnovers. No. 10 UNC plays Hawaii on Friday and begins play Monday in the Maui Invitational. There is so much still on the table for Davis this season, but three things stand above the rest. A December rematch with Alabama as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge. The chance for Davis, if he scores the same number of points he did last season, to tie Hansbrough atop UNC’s, and the ACC’s, all-time scoring list (albeit with an extra season). “That’s hard to put into perspective,” he said. “Once I graduate and officially leave, then it’ll hit me. Like, wow, I really accomplished a lot of great things here.” And finally? Hang a banner. Complete the redo. “I’m just going to fulfill this moment,” Davis said, “and make the best of it.” (Top photo of Elon’s Nick Dorn and UNC’s RJ Davis: Grant Halverson / Getty Images) Source link #UNC #star #Davis #couldnt #resist #returning #season #shot Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Mini Crossword today: puzzle answers for Thursday, November 21 NYT Mini Crossword today: puzzle answers for Thursday, November 21 The New York Times has introduced the next title coming to its Games catalog following Wordle’s continued success — and it’s all about math. Digits has players adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing numbers. You can play its beta for free online right now. In Digits, players are presented with a target number that they need to match. Players are given six numbers and have the ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide them to get as close to the target as they can. Not every number needs to be used, though, so this game should put your math skills to the test as you combine numbers and try to make the right equations to get as close to the target number as possible. Players will get a five-star rating if they match the target number exactly, a three-star rating if they get within 10 of the target, and a one-star rating if they can get within 25 of the target number. Currently, players are also able to access five different puzzles with increasingly larger numbers as well. I solved today’s puzzle and found it to be an enjoyable number-based game that should appeal to inquisitive minds that like puzzle games such as Threes or other The New York Times titles like Wordle and Spelling Bee. In an article unveiling Digits and detailing The New York Time Games team’s process to game development, The Times says the team will use this free beta to fix bugs and assess if it’s worth moving into a more active development phase “where the game is coded and the designs are finalized.” So play Digits while you can, as The New York Times may move on from the project if it doesn’t get the response it is hoping for. Digits’ beta is available to play for free now on The New York Times Games’ website Source link #NYT #Mini #Crossword #today #puzzle #answers #Thursday #November Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]