Why Trump wants to ban barcodes on ballots, and what it means for voters and election officials
Why Trump wants to ban barcodes on ballots, and what it means for voters and election officials
MATTHEW HATCHER // AFP via Getty Images
Election workers scan ballots at the scanning stations of the Philadelphia City Commissioners Office and Election Warehouse on Election Day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 5, 2024. – MATTHEW HATCHER // AFP via Getty Images
Why Trump wants to ban barcodes on ballots, and what it means for voters and election officials
President Donald Trump’s new executive order on regulating elections is striking for the way it asserts broad powers for the executive branch that go far beyond what’s prescribed in the Constitution or sanctioned by courts. Experts expect the order to face legal challenges for that reason.
But what’s also striking about the order is how it seeks to dictate some arcane details of the way voting systems work in some of America: Specifically, it bans the machine-readable barcodes or QR codes that are sometimes printed on ballots to help speed up vote counting, Votebeat reports.
Trump framed this move as a return to secure, paper-based voting. But in reality, the vast majority of Americans already use paper-based systems to vote, and barcodes and QR codes are an integral part of some of those systems. Getting rid of them as quickly as Trump envisions could create confusion, hassles, and steep costs for the jurisdictions that use them, which include some of America’s largest cities. It would slow down vote counts, and wouldn’t necessarily improve their accuracy.
So the language of the Trump order naturally raises questions about how barcodes and QR codes are used in our voting systems, and why the administration is directly targeting these codes as an urgent threat to election security and integrity.
Here’s a closer look at some of those questions:
How are barcodes and QR codes used on ballots?
A fairly typical voting system that’s widely accepted in U.S. elections involves hand-marked paper ballots. Voters check or fill in boxes for their choices, or write them in, and then insert the completed ballot into a machine that reads the selections and tabulates the results.
Some counties in recent years have adopted a different system. In these jurisdictions, including some of the largest metropolitan counties in America, voters use a computer with a touchscreen display to make their selections. Once they’re finished, the computer prints out a completed paper ballot that includes both a human-readable summary of their selections and a barcode or QR code that encodes the same information. Voters have a chance to review the printed ballot before inserting it into a tabulation machine for counting. The machine reads the coded selections, while leaving a paper record that can be double-checked by a human later.
Not all machine-printed ballot systems rely solely on the codes. In many cases, the tabulators can read the marked bubbles or text selections, as with the hand-marked ballot systems. But counties that use barcode-based systems say they allow for faster, more efficient counting without sacrificing accuracy.
What did Trump’s executive order say about QR codes on ballots?
While the Constitution gives state legislatures and Congress the power to determine how elections are run, Trump is aiming to regulate them in part through the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, an agency that helps develop guidelines for states and local governments to ensure that their voting systems are secure and accurate, and oversees certification of new systems.
Trump’s order directs the EAC to amend the federal Voluntary Voting System Guidelines to say that voting systems are not allowed to use QR codes or barcodes in the counting of votes, except when necessary to accommodate voters with disabilities.
Trump’s order gives the EAC 180 days to review and potentially recertify voting systems under these updated standards, and rescind certifications based on previous guidelines.
The VVSG sets minimum standards for how election systems should operate. Although they’re officially voluntary, most states use them as benchmarks when choosing election equipment, and many states have laws requiring new voting equipment to meet current VVSG standards, effectively making compliance mandatory at the state or local level.
On March 27, a coalition of civil rights groups released a letter to the EAC saying it would be ******** for the agency to take action in response to Trump’s executive order. The president “has no authority to direct the Commission” to modify the VVSG, the groups wrote, adding that any such changes must follow the timelines and processes set in federal law.
What is Trump’s concern with systems that use barcodes and QR codes?
The concern involves the demand for voter-verifiable paper records, a system that blends paper ballots with machine verification and tabulation for accessibility, efficiency, and security. Election security experts consider this the gold standard because it ensures that voters can check their selections before casting their ballot, and it creates a physical record that can be used for an audit or recount later if needed. Nearly all U.S. states have transitioned to these types of voting systems, including some that rely on barcodes or QR codes. (Louisiana and some parts of Texas still use electronic systems that produce no paper records.)
Trump’s executive order affirms support for voter-verifiable paper records as the nationwide standard. But his opposition to barcodes responds to the concerns of critics and some election security experts who say barcode-based systems don’t produce voter-verifiable paper records, because what the machine tabulates is based on a code, not the selections that humans can read. The voter can’t truly verify what the machine is reading.
The QR code could theoretically be inaccurate, or manipulated to misrepresent votes, without the voter’s knowledge, these critics argue.
This debate isn’t new. Colorado’s Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in 2019 that the state would eliminate QR codes from ballots as a proactive step to avoid any vulnerability. And former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein fought, unsuccessfully, to have this type of voting machine decertified in Pennsylvania on these grounds.
Georgia passed legislation last year requiring QR codes to be removed from ballots by 2026.
Have there been inaccuracies involving ballots with QR codes in past elections?
One notable case is from Northampton County, Pennsylvania, in 2023, where the choices represented by the machine-generated code differed from the selections that appeared on the human-readable printout. But in this case, county officials said, it was the code that accurately reflected the voter’s choices. A programming error had caused the text version to incorrectly display voters’ choices in a judicial retention race. But the votes were tabulated correctly based on the code.
Barcodes or no barcodes, every state but Alabama requires post-election audits to ensure the accuracy of results.
Which states or counties will be most affected by this order? What would banning QR codes on ballots mean for them?
According to Verified Voting, an organization focused on election technology, there are 1,954 counties spread across 40 states that use voting machines that print QR or barcodes. Some have only a small number for use only by voters with disabilities (and would therefore not have to get rid of them), while other jurisdictions use them for all voters.
Among the users are some very large jurisdictions, including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Dallas. The executive order would require those jurisdictions to replace or update all of their machines on a short timetable, costing potentially millions of dollars.
In debates leading up to Georgia’s ban, the costs associated with eliminating QR codes were estimated at up to $66 million for new equipment and software updates.
Portage County, a 70,000-person county in central Wisconsin, just spent $750,000 to switch to ExpressVote machines, which print voters’ choices on a paper ballot and encodes them in machine-readable barcodes—the type of voting machines that may be disallowed under this order.
What’s currently allowed under the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines?
The most updated guidelines, VVSG 2.0, were passed in 2021. No voting systems designed to these standards are yet on the market, but the agency has three systems currently in its certification process.
The VVSG 2.0 guidelines require a voter-verifiable paper trail, according to Kristen Muthig, the EAC’s director of communications. Barcodes are allowed if they “include human-readable representations of the ballot for a voter or auditor to verify,” Muthig told Votebeat. This means codes can be used to speed up machine tabulation, but they cannot be the sole record of a voter’s choices—there must also be printed text that clearly reflects those choices.
How would this change affect voting?
Counties using barcode-assisted systems would need to replace expensive equipment, retrain poll workers, and educate voters, all under tight timelines ahead of the November election. That could cause disruptions and confusion during the initial implementation phases.
Moreover, the removal of QR codes could affect the speed and efficiency of vote tabulation, as optical scanning systems can process QR codes more quickly and accurately than human-readable text.
This story was produced by Votebeat and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
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Space Marine’s New 4K Version Skips PS5, Launches Day One On Game Pass
Space Marine’s New 4K Version Skips PS5, Launches Day One On Game Pass
***** has announced the Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Master Crafted Edition, and it’s not coming to PlayStation 5–at least not right away. The new version is coming for Xbox Series X|S and PC, but there is no word yet on a potential release for the PlayStation 5.
The game launches on June 10, and it’ll be available through Xbox Game Pass. On PC, people can buy it through Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Given the day-one launch for Game Pass, some are theorizing that Microsoft might have cut a deal with ***** for this. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer previously talked about trying to give players a choice about where they play their games, as opposed to doing “slimy platform things to force you to do what I want.” Space Marine is a *****-published game, however.
The game, developed by Relic Entertainment, was originally released in 2011 for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. The new Master Crafted edition marks the first time Space Marine will be playable on any Xbox other than Xbox 360 because it never came to the backwards-compatible program for newer Xbox consoles.
The Master Crafted edition is developed by SneakyBox and features 4K resolution, modernized controls, an overhaul to the interface, improved character models, and remastered audio. Producer Vaidas Mikelskas told IGN that the game “isn’t just a technical upgrade–it’s a thoughtful restoration.”
Space Marine 2 followed in 2024, and Space Marine 3 is now in the works.
For more, check out GameSpot’s rundown of all the big announcements from the recent Warhammer Skulls event in the gallery below.
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Three *** doubles Glasgow mobile speeds in ***-first Open RAN trial
Three *** doubles Glasgow mobile speeds in ***-first Open RAN trial
Mobile operator Three *** recently completed the first stage of a “landmark” trial resulting in the ***’s first deployment of open radio access network (Open RAN) technology in a dense urban environment, building on earlier trials that had taken place in rural locations.
The trial is part of the Small Cells ORAN in Dense Areas (Sconda) project, a partnership between Three ***, Mavenir, AWTG, Freshwave, PI Works, the Scotland 5G Centre and Accenture, with the support of Glasgow City Council and financial backing by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
Sconda seeks to address the unique technical and commercial challenges of urban areas and will be the first in the world to integrate Open RAN and traditional RAN in a high-density, high-demand environment handling live traffic.
The project will see the creation, integration, optimisation and delivery of an Open RAN network in Glasgow City Centre, integrated with the existing Three *** Core Network and operating alongside its traditional RAN. Sconda will create a small cell densification layer in high-demand urban hotspots to offload the macro traffic and provide a better customer experience.
The Glasgow trial was designed to test the viability of deploying Open RAN in a complex city setting. The centre of Scotland’s largest city was selected to assess how the technology performs in busy, high-traffic areas, where integration with existing infrastructure and multiple technologies presents additional complexity.
The specific Glasgow City Centre location chosen was identified as a current hotspot for Three customers, both in footfall and mobile traffic. The project will handle live traffic from Three customers, aiming to provide improvement in both coverage and capacity. The project will further look to enable automation of network performance within the challenging radio environment of Glasgow city centre.
The trial results are encouraging and provide a strong foundation for further scaling and optimisation of Open RAN in cities
Iain Milligan, Three ***
It will also aim to demonstrate how Open RAN can be deployed, integrated and managed within the wider Three network in Glasgow, and evaluate how Open RAN compares with the quality and capacity of a traditional RAN network.
By installing compact Open RAN-compliant small cells on street furniture, Three *** said it has delivered “impressive results”. Specifically, the company revealed that both 4G and 5G speeds doubled at peak times, with 5G speeds reaching up to 520Mbps. The improved performance is also said to help ease congestion on surrounding network sites by increasing overall capacity.
Following the successful trial of 18 live sites in Glasgow, the project will now move into its final deployment phase, expanding to a total of 34 Open RAN small cell sites across the city centre.
Commenting on the Glasow trial, Three *** chief network officer Iain Milligan said: “This is the ***’s first Open RAN trial to tackle the real-world complexity of a dense urban environment. Urban deployments bring a different level of technical and operational challenge compared to rural environments. We’ve had to navigate integration with legacy systems, security layers and evolving software – all while delivering measurable improvements for customers. The trial results are encouraging and provide a strong foundation for further scaling and optimisation of Open RAN in cities.”
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Ukraine and Russia Begin Largest Exchange of Prisoners of War – The New York Times
Ukraine and Russia Begin Largest Exchange of Prisoners of War – The New York Times
Ukraine and Russia Begin Largest Exchange of Prisoners of War The New York TimesUkraine and Russia exchange hundreds of prisoners, part of the biggest swap of the war CNNRussia, Ukraine begin large prisoner exchange, expected to continue in coming days ABC NewsRussia is offering Ukrainian POWs to ‘switch sides and occupy Europe together’ Euronews.comZelenskyy says 390 Ukrainians returned in prisoner swap with Russia The Indian Express
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New Starfield Update Improves Performance For Low-End PCs
New Starfield Update Improves Performance For Low-End PCs
Bethesda Game Studios has released update 1.15.216 for its sci-fi RPG Starfield. This month’s patch isn’t the most flashy, but it adds some important features like Very Low display settings and an increase in the file size limit for Creation Kit mods.
Adding Very Low display settings is meant to improve Starfield’s performance on low-end PCs. As the game has struggled with performance issues since launch, these new display settings should at least make playing Starfield a much smoother experience for some people. Many Starfield players will likely care about the bug fixes and improvements to Creation Kit more, though. Mod creators can now add new icons to Starfield, upload creations that are up to 2 GB in file size, and bundle their mods on the Creation Store.
Bethesda also used this update to highlight a new mod from Kinggath Creations, a professional modding group known for its Creations in other Bethesda games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. It’s called Watchtower and adds a whole new storyline to Starfield where you have to take on the titular new faction, which sees you as a threat to humanity. Watchtower also brings some gameplay features, such as the ability to call orbital strikes.
Watchtower is now available to check out in Starfield’s Creation Store. You can check out the full list of patch notes for Starfield update 1.15.216 below.
FEATURES
Added Very Low display settings to improve performance on some devices.
Creation Kit: Added the ability for Creators to add new icons to the game.
Creations Store now supports bundling Creations.
Creation Kit: Creations up to 2GB in size can now be uploaded.
BUG FIXES
GENERAL
Creations: Resolved a possible error when restoring load order if a large number of mods were installed and then deleted.
Creation Kit: Resolved a possible ****** when loading a plugin with an ingredient form.
Addressed a possible control lock that could occur when changing views at the same time as sitting in a pilot seat while landed.
Addressed a rare movement lock that was possible during forced dialogue scenes.
Addressed a control lock that could occur if a vehicle Creation was disabled while a loaded save depended on it.
Addressed a rare control lock that could occur when immediately opening a menu after loading a save during take-off.
Fixed an issue that could prevent exiting a vanity camera (PC).
Fixed a possible ****** related to moving or removing buildings at the Main Outpost in Andraphon.
Resolved a rare ****** that could occur when entering the Unity.
Addressed an issue where rapidly pressing quicksave could result in some quicksaves being removed.
General ****** and stability fixes.
Creations UI fixes and improvements.
GAMEPLAY
Skills: The Cargo Link and Robots build limits from the Outpost Management skills should now persist after going through the Unity.
Weapons: The Space-Adept legendary effect no longer has a negative modifier for terrestrial damage.
Gameplay Options: Addressed an issue with some interiors that prevented cargo access.
Gameplay Options: Clarified the status effects text for Malnourished and Hydrated.
Fixed a Grav jumping issue that could occur after being hailed in Freestar or UC space.
Fixed a rare issue that could impact items displayed in the Razorleaf.
Resolved an issue with missiles that could prevent XP awards.
Fixed a player placement issue that could occur if a new creation was installed and a save was loaded into the UC Vigilance.
Resolved an issue where creatures could get moved to water if they ever became stuck.
Addressed an issue where dropped items could lose there stolen status.
At Hell’s Gate: The Crucible Blade no longer damages ships in orbit when used inside a ship.
At Hell’s Gate: The Crucible Blade audio will now play correctly after loading a save or fast travelling.
The Bounty Board in the Tracker’s Alliance HQ now has the correct audio interactions.
GRAPHICS
Updated resolutions to include 32:9 and 32:10 resolutions as well as more 16:9, 16:10, and 21:9 resolutions.
Performance: Resolved an issue that could cause frame rate to drop when opening the scanner on long play sessions.
Celestial bodies should now remain visible in the sky after entering and exiting an interior.
QUESTS
All That Money Can Buy: Fixed a rare issue that caused the Trade Tower elevator to be inoperable.
In Memoriam: Addressed an issue where completing “At Hell’s Gate” with Sarah as the companion could prevent completion of the quest.
Perfect Recipe: Shonda will now recover if she was downed while collecting Ashta meat.
The Starjacker: Adjusted dialogue options that appear for characters playing after entering the Unity.
Top of the L.I.S.T. – Resolved a control lock that could occur after selling survey data to Phil Hill.
Trackers Alliance: Resolved an issue where bounty scanner quests could time out.
Trackers Alliance: Fixed a rare issue where either killing or stunning the target would not complete the bounty missions.
Worlds Apart: Fixed an issue that allowed the player to leave the planet too quickly after exiting the temple.
LOCATIONS
Mannequins will now persist as intended in the New Atlantis **********.
Player should now be able to modify the shelves and cabinets in the Core Manor in Akila City.
Resolved an issue that could prevent scanning some flora.
At Hell’s Gate: The Plasma Research Facility now shows up on the surface map.
Fixed a visible opening in the Deserted Biotics Lab.
Vent Hazards are now displaying correctly on Jemison.
UI
Ship Builder: Resolved an issue with the ship upgrade menu when only one module is available for upgrade.
Ship Builder: Addressed a selection issue when using large fonts.
Ship Decoration: Updated the names of Empty ship modules.
All buttons should now work in the Vehicle Builder menu with large fonts enabled.
Localization: Text for the Dehydrated debuff is no longer cutoff in Spanish and Polish when large fonts is enabled.
Localization: The bounty boards in the Tracker’s Alliance HQ are now localized consistently.
Localization: Strings for both Hydrated and Dehydrated status effects regarding sneak attacks are fully localized.
VEHICLE
A keyboard binding is now available for the boost button. (PC)
A marker for the vehicle will now show up on the player’s compass.
Resolved a camera issue that could occur for players with maxed out Surveying skill.
Improved logic for exiting the vehicle when partially obstructed.
The vehicle will now deploy when landing at locations other than spaceports or landing pads.
Addressed a visible artifact with the Rev-8 when boosting in foggy conditions.
Shattered Space
Va’ruun outpost modules are now available to players after entering the Unity.
Skills: Killing enemies inside gravity bubbles on Dazra will now count towards the Gymnastics skill.
Addressed an issue with the buttons on the lift on the Mourning level in Dazra.
Weapons: The Penumbra now deals bonus headshot damage.
Performance: Addressed an issue that could cause slight stutters in the Well and outside Dazra.
The Va’Ruun Schimaz’s blade is no longer pixelated on the Data Menu.
Fixed a lens flare flicker with the Citadel on Dazra.
Zealous Overreach: Adjusted Mirek’s dialogue options to account for characters that have been through the Unity.
Zealous Overreach: Resolved issue that could occur if the player cleared Shadow Station Epsilon prior to speaking to Ekris.
Starfield is available now for PC and Xbox Series X|S. A PS5 port still hasn’t been announced, although a recent Creation Kit error suggests it’s coming.
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The five Walyalup (Fremantle) Dockers players helping turn the club’s season around
The five Walyalup (Fremantle) Dockers players helping turn the club’s season around
Walyalup (Fremantle) coach Justin Longmuir often says the gap between the Dockers’ best and their worst is too big. But perhaps that is starting to close. Here are the five players making it happen.
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Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Finally Reached the Overwhelmingly Positive Review on Steam
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Finally Reached the Overwhelmingly Positive Review on Steam
N4G Unlocked: “Pictos are an important building block of your character’s power, so getting the best ones is practically mandatory. So, we have compiled a list of the top 8 Pictos and Luminas in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that the community deems the best and that practically all of your characters should have.”
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Intuit shares pop 9% on earnings beat, rosy guidance
Intuit shares pop 9% on earnings beat, rosy guidance
Shares of Intuit popped about 9% on Friday, a day after the company reported quarterly results that beat analysts’ estimates and issued rosy guidance for the full year.
Intuit, which is best known for its TurboTax and QuickBooks software, said revenue in the fiscal third quarter increased 15% to $7.8 billion. Net income rose 18% to $2.82 billion, or $10.02 per share, from $2.39 billion, or $8.42 per share, a year earlier.
“This is the fastest organic growth that we have had in over a decade,” Intuit CEO Sasan Goodarzi told CNBC’s “Closing Bell: Overtime” on Thursday. “It’s really incredible growth across the platform.”
For its full fiscal year, Intuit said it expects to report revenue of $18.72 billion to $18.76 billion, up from the range of $18.16 billion to $18.35 billion it shared last quarter. Analysts were expecting $18.35 billion, according to LSEG.
“We’re redefining what’s possible with [artificial intelligence] by becoming a one-stop shop of AI-agents and AI-enabled human experts to fuel the success of consumers and small and mid-market businesses,” Goodarzi said in a release Thursday.
Goldman Sachs analysts reiterated their buy rating on the stock and raised their price target to $860 from $750 on Thursday. The analysts said Intuit’s execution across its core growth pillars is “reinforcing confidence” in its growth profile over the long term.
The company’s AI roadmap, which includes the introduction of AI agents, will add additional upside, the analysts added.
“In our view, Intuit stands out as a rare asset straddling both consumer and business ecosystems, all while supplemented by AI-prioritization,” the Goldman Sachs analysts wrote in a note.
Analysts at Deutsche Bank also reiterated their buy rating on the stock and raised their price target to $815 from $750.
They said the company’s results were “reassuring” after a rocky two years and that they feel more confident about its ability to grow the consumer business.
“Longer term, we continue to believe Intuit presents a unique investment opportunity and we see its platform approach powering accelerated innovation with leverage, thus enabling sustained mid-teens or better EPS growth,” the analysts wrote in a Friday note.
WATCH: Intuit CEO: This is the fastest organic growth in over a decade
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Buy this beat-down internet stock whose shares can rally more than 20%, Baird says
Buy this beat-down internet stock whose shares can rally more than 20%, Baird says
Investors should buy the dip on Wix.com , according to Baird. Analyst Vikram Kesavabhotla upgraded the web development platform’s shares to outperform. While Kesavabhotla trimmed his price target by $25 to $190, the refreshed target still suggests upside of 22.6% over Thursday’s close. Kesavabhotla’s call comes amid a rough patch for shares. Wix.com has fallen more than 27% this year, while the S & P 500 has slipped less than 1% over the same *******. “We think this has provided an attractive entry point into a high quality business that continues to enhance its offering,” Kesavabhotla said of the stock’s recent underperformance in a Thursday note to clients. Beyond the product itself improving, Kesavabhotla said expectations for the company now appear to be “more reasonable” following its first-quarter earnings report. He said the release helped ease concerns tied to Wix.com’s ability to meet guidance for the 2025 fiscal year. Looking more broadly, Kesavabhotla also said the company has several “attractive” long-term drivers for its investment case. With the upgrade, Kesavabhotla joined the majority of analysts polled by LSEG with a buy-equivalent rating. WIX YTD mountain Wix.com, year to date
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Why off-price retailers could benefit amid macro uncertainty
Why off-price retailers could benefit amid macro uncertainty
00:00 Speaker A
Retail woes hitting deckers and Ross stores. Deckers issuing a weaker than expected outlook for the current quarter and declining to share an outlook for fiscal 2026 citing macroeconomic uncertainties. Similar story unfolding for Ross withdrawing its full-year outlook due to the expected impact of tariffs. Joining us now Sutarita Kadali Forester research retail analyst. Sutarita, great to speak with you. I know that you see off-price retailers being able to hold up in this environment. Why?
00:47 Sutarita Kadali
Well, when you have any type of uncertainty or concerns about the economy, there is always a flight to value. Um, so certainly the areas that you’re going to see people going to are the warehouse clubs, you’ll see them going to off price like TJX and Ross, and you’ll see them going to some of the value mass merchants. And that’s why we continue to see, um, companies like Walmart and even Amazon thriving in this environment.
01:45 Speaker A
And so for consumers who are looking for any type of of easing of their overall needed spends right now and then versus the discretionary spends where we’re clearly see we’re clearly seeing some pressure there. How are you kind of navigating that that that discretionary dollar flow right now and and tracking that Sutarita?
02:24 Sutarita Kadali
Well, it’s a lot like what we saw during the pandemic where you did see the success and the growth in the essentials category. So we expect, um, anyone who is a value merchant in those in that category, whether it is the mass merchants, the club channel, um, to do particularly well and to pick up share because as people are cutting back, what are they in fact going to be spending on? They’re going to be spending on, of course, essential goods. So it’s grocery, it’ll be, um, over-the-counter, um, items. It’ll be the things that they they absolutely need. Discretionary, even for discretionary, you are still going to see that flight to value. And that is where off price ultimately has has a benefit. The numbers for Ross and Deckers today weren’t terrible. They’re actually much stronger, I would say, than um, than uh, than what may be the uh, you know, kind of, I think conventional wisdom may have suggested. The issue was really their outlook. And the fact that the earnings were lagging indicators. These are just numbers through March. And we still haven’t seen the shoe drop with full respect to the tariffs. And we don’t know when that’s going to be. It’s probably going to be this summer. Um, it may not be ever if there are negotiations and deals cut.
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Zenless Zone Zero Version 2.0 kicks off next month with Where Clouds Embrace the Dawn
Zenless Zone Zero Version 2.0 kicks off next month with Where Clouds Embrace the Dawn
Zenless Zone Zero Version 2.0, Where Clouds Embrace the Daw,n is coming soon
It arrives June 6th with an entirely new area to explore and additional characters
There are more quality-of-life tweaks to enjoy, too, including a new 3D map
I’d make another summer pun, but I think that’s overheated by now! (Editor’s note: I’m so sorry, reader.) Regardless, warmer weather seems to come alongside major new updates. And for fans of Zenless Zone Zero, it’s not just their first anniversary and Xbox launch to look forward to, but also the launch of Version 2.0, Where Clouds Embrace the Dawn, that’s coming June 6th.
This update will take you to an entirely new district of New Eridu, which is different from the wider city. The Waifei Peninsula will see you meeting new characters and uncovering secrets that require your Proxies to go from the main city of Failume Heights and explore the Lemnian Hollow.
With its distinctive theming, you’ll be able to take on the management of your own Suibian Temple, offering a brand new minigame to play where you upgrade the facilities and earn in-game rewards by defeating Bangboos, completing commissions and collecting resources from the Hollows.
Outside the district
Naturally, to help you cope with the new challenges you’ll face in the Waifei Peninsula, you’ll also have a host of new allies on your side. Yixuan, known as the Grandmaster, is an S-rank agent with her own distinct mechanic called Adrenaline, and can bypass enemy defences. There are six more agents too, including the enormous panda-like Pan Yinhu, who’ll be able to join your team and lend their own abilities!
Version 2.0 also introduces some major quality-of-life changes to help you with navigating New Eridu! A brand-new 3D map is paired up with new Fissure Beacons that let you restore HP, revive fallen agents and jump back into the action much more quickly.
Planning on jumping into Zenless Zone Zero? Be sure to check out our constantly updated list of Zenless Zone Zero codes to ensure that you’re getting all the free boosts and gifts that are available!
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New Studies Dismiss Signs of Life on Distant Planet – The New York Times
New Studies Dismiss Signs of Life on Distant Planet – The New York Times
New Studies Dismiss Signs of Life on Distant Planet The New York TimesK2-18b: Astronomers double down on claim of strongest evidence for alien life New ScientistPossible sign of life in deep space faces new doubts Phys.orgHave We Really Found A Planet That Shows Strong Signs Of Biological Life? Well, Not Exactly, But It Is Still A Possibility. TwistedSifterInsufficient Evidence For DMS And DMDS In The Atmosphere Of K2-18 b astrobiology.com
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Check Out Metal Gear Solid Delta’s Remade Version Of The Iconic ‘Snake Eater’ Opening Movie
Check Out Metal Gear Solid Delta’s Remade Version Of The Iconic ‘Snake Eater’ Opening Movie
Konami has released the remade version of Metal Gear Solid 3’s famous opening movie, which will kick off Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater when it arrives this August. This clean version of the intro cinematic allows fans and newcomers to more clearly enjoy the newly recorded vocals for the classic “Snake Eater” song.
Although this new version retains the James Bond-like motion graphics and slithering snake skeleton, it features completely new scenes compared to the 2004 original. For example, this updated version highlights the members of the Cobra Unit who were absent from the original. “Snake Eater” has also been re-recorded by its original performer, Cynthia Harrell.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a complete remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5. The original story and voice acting have been preserved, but the game features enhancements such as 3D audio and new graphical flourishes, such as Snake’s clothing degrading over time. The control scheme has been reworked and modernized, but fans can still play using the classic control setup. Additionally, the remake lets players choose between experiencing the game using a new third-person behind-the-shoulder view and the original game’s overhead viewpoint (known as Legacy Style).
You can pick up Naked Snake’s revamped adventure when it launches on August 28 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Check out previous trailers showing off gameplay, as well as our list of upcoming video game remakes.
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Trump’s Harvard international student ban could derail Belgium’s Princess Elisabeth’s studies
Trump’s Harvard international student ban could derail Belgium’s Princess Elisabeth’s studies
Brussels — Belgium’s Royal Palace said Friday that Princess Elisabeth, who is first in line to the throne, is waiting to find out whether she can return to Harvard for her second year after President Trump announced a ban on foreign students at the university.
The Trump administration on Thursday revoked Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students in its escalating battle with the Ivy League school, saying thousands of students must transfer to other schools or leave the country. Harvard filed a lawsuit Friday against the Trump administration, arguing that its action violates the First Amendment and will have an “immediate and devastating effect for Harvard and more than 7,000 visa holders.”
The school said Friday that it would file for a temporary restraining order to block the Department of Homeland Security from carrying out the Trump administration’s move.
“We are looking into the situation, to see what kind of impact this decision might have on the princess, or not. It’s too early to say right now,” said the Belgian palace’s communications head, Xavier Baert.
Baert said that Princess Elisabeth, 23, had completed her first year of a graduate school program at Harvard and would spend the summer back in Belgium. “And we’ll have to see what happens next year,” he said.
Princess Elisabeth arrives for a traditional Christmas concert, Dec. 18, 2024, in Brussels, Belgium.
Philip Reynaers/Photonews/Getty
The princess is the first of four children born to King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, and has been studying for a Master in Public Policy. Last year, she obtained a degree in history and politics at Lincoln College at Oxford in the U.K.
Harvard enrolls almost 6,800 foreign students at its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, accounting for more than a quarter of its student body. Most are graduate students, coming from more than 100 countries.
About 1,000 of Harvard’s foreign students come from China, and the Trump administration has specifically accused Harvard of “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the ******** ********** Party on its campus.”
China’s Foreign Ministry said Friday that the ban on Harvard accepting international students “by the U.S. side will only damage its own image and international credibility,” as a university in Hong Kong publicly invited foreign students who could be denied access to the Ivy League school to join its student body instead.
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WA Football call on AFL to raise draft age to 19 amid concerns for mental health of juniors
WA Football call on AFL to raise draft age to 19 amid concerns for mental health of juniors
The State’s peak football body has called on the AFL to lift the minimum draft age by one year amid concerns on a growing mental health toll on the industry.
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#Football #call #AFL #raise #draft #age #concerns #mental #health #juniors
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Trump’s tariff pressures against Apple is ‘silliness’: Strategist
Trump’s tariff pressures against Apple is ‘silliness’: Strategist
00:00 Speaker A
We have Apple shedding more than $100 billion in market cap at the market opened today after the president threatened a 25% tariff on Apple if it doesn’t make iPhones in the United States. Apple is obviously down year to date at the moment. How are you thinking about Apple? Is it still investible?
00:24 Madison
I do believe it is, Madison. I mean, we it was our largest holding for many years and then as it continued to depreciate, we we sold it down and so we have what we would consider a minimum position of about 2%. And that’s largely because I think we’re we’re waiting to see what’s important to us is what they’re going to do with AI. And so we we think there’s better places to be adding to at this particular point. But I will say this, I I think this is silliness. I mean, this is what we call industrial policy, but usually industrial policy comes with incentives. And so, you know, governing the private sector via through social feels really uncomfortable to me. And I and I think if the shoe were on the other foot and someone told President Trump he couldn’t build golf courses in Scotland, I mean, I think I think they would he would have a very different view of the situation. It it is ridiculous to think that Apple can move all of their manufacturing back to the United States. It’s also ridiculous to think that consumers are willing to pay the three to $5,000 estimates on for an iPhone if they are built in the United States.
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iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15, MacBook Air (M4) and More Get Discounts During Vijay Sales Apple Days *****
iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15, MacBook Air (M4) and More Get Discounts During Vijay Sales Apple Days *****
Vijay Sales has announced its Apple Days ***** in India, with an array of discounts on the latest iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 models. The discount *****, which will begin on May 24, brings discounted prices for new iPad models, Apple Watches and AirPods as well. The new MacBook Air models with M4 and M2 chips are also confirmed to see price cuts during the *****. The electronic retail chain has partnered with different lenders to offer payment discounts for customers purchasing Apple products during the *****, which ends on June 1.
Vijay Sales Apple Days *****: iPhone 16 Series Discounts Revealed
The upcoming Vijay Sales Apple Days ***** brings an instant discount of up to Rs. 4,000 on iPhone 16 series for payments made on ICICI, Axis Bank, and Kotak Mahindra cards. With this offer, the 128GB storage variant of the iPhone 16 will be priced at Rs. 66,990, instead of the original launch price of Rs. 79,900. The iPhone 16 Plus will be offered for Rs. 74,990 for the base 128GB variant, instead of Rs. 89,900. The same storage variant of the newly launched iPhone 16e is listed for 47,990, instead of Rs. 59,900
Similarly, the 128GB model of iPhone 16 Pro will be priced at Rs. 1,03,990, down from the actual price of Rs. 1,19,900. During the Apple Days *****, the 256GB storage variant of iPhone 16 Pro Max will be available for Rs. 1,27,650, which is lower than its launch price of Rs. 1,44,900.
The Vijay Sales Apple Days ***** is promising up to Rs. 3,000 bank discounts on the iPhone 15 series and previous generation iPhone models. The iPhone 15 will cost Rs. 58,490 for the base model during the ***** instead of Rs. 79,900. The iPhone 15 Plus will start at Rs 66,990, while the iPhone 13 starts at Rs. 42,790.
Customers can also avail exchange bonuses of up to Rs. 7,500 when trading in eligible smartphones at Vijay Sales offline stores.
The retailer is also offering the iPad 11th Generation for Rs. 30,200, while the iPad Air will be available from Rs. 52,400. The iPad Pro price begins at Rs. 89,400.
Likewise, the MacBook Pro (M4) will start at Rs. 1,45,900 during the Vijay Sales Apple Days *****, while the MacBook Pro (M4 Pro) chip will have a starting price tag of Rs. 1,72,400. The MacBook Pro (M4 Max) will begin at Rs. 2,78,900. Vijay Sales will announce special offers on the MacBook Air series with M4 and M2 chips on May 25.
Additionally, the Apple Watch Series 10 will be available from Rs. 40,600 during the upcoming discount *****. The Apple Watch SE (2nd Generation) starts at Rs. 20,900, whereas the Apple Watch Ultra 2 will be offered from Rs. 79,700.
Vijay Sales will sell the AirPods 4 for Rs. 10,900 during its Apple Days *****. The AirPods 4 will cost Rs. 15,000. The AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) will cost Rs. 20,900. The ***** will bring the starting price of the Beats wireless audio range down to Rs. 5,500.
The ***** will be live on more than 150 Vijay Sales retail outlets and the Vijay Sales website starting May 24. The Apple Days ***** will conclude on June 1.
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Trump’s threat might not be enough to move production
Trump’s threat might not be enough to move production
FILE PHOTO: Apple CEO Tim Cook escorts U.S. President Donald Trump as he tours Apple’s Mac Pro manufacturing plant with in Austin, Texas, U.S., November 20, 2019.
Tom Brenner | Reuters
The once-solid relationship between President Donald Trump and Apple CEO Tim Cook is breaking down over the idea of a U.S.-made iPhone.
Last week, Trump said he “had a little problem with Tim Cook,” and on Friday, he threatened to slap a 25% tariff on iPhones in a social media post.
Trump is upset with Apple’s plan to source the majority of iPhones sold in the U.S. from its factory partners in India, instead of China. Cook officially confirmed this plan earlier this month during earnings.
Trump wants Apple to build iPhones for the U.S. market in the U.S. and has continued to pressure the company and Cook.
“I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone’s that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday.
Analysts said it would probably make more sense for Apple to eat the cost rather than move production stateside.
“In terms of profitability, it’s way better for Apple to take the hit of a 25% tariff on iPhones sold in the US market than to move iPhone assembly lines back to US,” wrote Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on X.
UBS analyst David Vogt said that the potential 25% tariffs were a “jarring headline,” but that they would only be a “modest headwind” to Apple’s earnings, dropping annual earnings by 51 cents per share, versus a prior expectation of 34 cents per share under the current tariff landscape.
Experts have long held that a U.S.-made iPhone is impossible at worst and highly expensive at best.
Analysts have said that made in U.S.A. iPhones would be much more expensive, CNBC previously reported, with some estimates ranging between $1,500 to $3,500 to buy one at retail. Labor costs would certainly rise.
But it would also be logistically complicated.
Supply chains and factories take years to build out, including installing equipment and staffing up. Parts that Apple imported to the United States for assembly might be subject to tariffs as well.
Apple started manufacturing iPhones in India in 2017 but it was only in recent years that the region was capable of building Apple’s latest devices.
“We believe the concept of Apple producing iPhones in the US is a fairy tale that is not feasible,” wrote Wedbush analyst Dan Ives in a note on Friday.
Other analysts were wary about predicting how Trump’s threat ultimately plays out. Apple might be able to strike a deal with the administration — despite the eroding relationship — or challenge the tariffs in court.
For now, most of Apple’s most important products are exempt from tariffs after Trump gave phones and computers a tariff waiver — even from China — in April, but Apple doesn’t know how the Trump administration’s tariffs will ultimately play out beyond June.
“We’re skeptical,” that the 25% tariff will materialize, wrote Wells Fargo analyst Aaron Rakers.
He wrote that Apple could try to preserve its roughly 41% gross margin on iPhones by raising prices in the U.S. by between $100 or $300 per phone.
It’s unclear how Trump intends to target Apple’s India-made iPhones. Rakers wrote that the administration could put specific tariffs on phone imports from India.
Apple’s operations in India continue to expand.
Foxconn, which assembles iPhones for Apple, is building a new $1.5 billion factory in India that could do some iPhone production, the Financial Times reported Thursday.
Apple declined to comment on Trump’s post.
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Schedule 1 Finally Respects Your Property’s Space In Beta Patch Notes
Schedule 1 Finally Respects Your Property’s Space In Beta Patch Notes
When you’re running a respectable drug empire in Schedule 1, space quickly becomes limited as you race to fill the available real estate with grow setups, mixing stations, and packing stations. Maximizing your income is the real aim of the game here, so that leaves precious little space for the horde of employee beds required to get a little help with labor. Now, in its open beta, Schedule 1 will no longer require employees to be registered to beds.
Instead, you’ll be able to place a locker, which has a much smaller footprint, and removes the possibility of employee pathways becoming entangled, leading to some very confused, and very stuck, NPCs. Solo developer TVGS does mention in the patch notes that existing employees will still need to be assigned to beds for “compatibility reasons” but that any new employees can use lockers instead.
Of course, the obvious solution is to fire everyone, remove their beds, place lockers, and rehire them–if you can be bothered.
Schedule 1 employees now take up far less space.
This beta includes the save file consolidation changes mentioned in the last set of patch notes, which means that NPCs and properties save under a single file, reducing the time saves take, and improving Steam cloud-syncing functionality.
Alongside these adjustments, the new storage unit can now house three employees, meaning efficiency is on the rise. Trash cans will now show the area they apply to as you’re placing them down, too.
As well as a host of bug fixes, item-slot filters have also been added to the game. This means that certain slots on storage shelves can have specific items blacklisted, so your perfectly organized farmhouse will no longer descend into chaos when left in the hands of your employees.
Rounding off the patch notes, TVGS says that an in-game voting system is in the works, with the first vote likely to commence next week. Here, you can vote on which features you’d like to see in the next major update. Those features are “likely” to be a cartel update, a police expansion, or the addition of Shrooms to manufacturable products.
These updates are only on the beta branch of the game. To access it, right-click Schedule 1 in your Steam inventory and select properties. Then, click “betas” and select the “beta” branch. As some of these features are experimental, make sure to back up your save before changing over.
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Trump threatens Apple with a 25% tariff if it doesn’t build iPhones in America – CNN
Trump threatens Apple with a 25% tariff if it doesn’t build iPhones in America – CNN
Trump threatens Apple with a 25% tariff if it doesn’t build iPhones in America CNNWhy Trump’s iPhone tariff threat might not be enough to bring production to the U.S. CNBCApple Stock Falls After Trump Threatens Tariffs on Foreign-Made iPhones Barron’sTrump threatens 25% import tax on Apple unless iPhones are made in the US. Follow live updates. The Boston GlobeTrump’s ‘Little Problem’ With Tim Cook Is a Big One for Apple Bloomberg.com
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South Africa crime statistics debunk ‘white genocide’ claims
South Africa crime statistics debunk ‘white genocide’ claims
South Africa’s latest crime statistics debunk claims that a genocide is being committed against white people, the country’s police minister has said.
The widely discredited allegation was amplified by US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, in an extraordinary meeting with his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa.
Trump told Ramaphosa that white farmers in South Africa were being killed and “persecuted”.
On Friday, South African Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said that between January and March, five out of the six people killed on farms were ****** and one was white.
The white victim lived on a farm, while the ****** people who were killed comprised two farm owners, two employees and one manager.
Mchunu said that in the previous quarter, from October to December 2024, 12 murders on farms were recorded. One of the 12 – a farm owner – was white.
It is the first time that South Africa’s crime statistics have been broken down by race, but Mchunu said he had done so as a result of the recent genocide claims.
“The history of farm murders in the country has always been distorted and reported in an unbalanced way,” he said.
In February, a South African judge dismissed the idea of a genocide as “clearly imagined” and “not real”, when ruling in an inheritance case involving a wealthy benefactor’s donation to a white supremacist group.
Claims of genocide in South Africa have been circulating for years, catching the attention of right-wing groups in the US.
Ramaphosa visited the White House on Wednesday in an attempt to reset the countries’ relations after Trump granted asylum to nearly 60 Afrikaners – descendants of mainly Dutch settlers who arrived in the 17th Century – saying they were “victims of unjust racial discrimination”.
During the meeting, which was broadcast live, Trump ambushed Ramaphosa with videos and images intended to support his claim of a white genocide.
The BBC found that this “evidence” contained numerous falsehoods.
“We have respect for the US as a country, we have respect for the people in that country and for President Trump, but we have no respect for the genocide story. It is totally unfounded and unsubstantiated,” Mchunu said on Friday.
Crime remains a huge problem in South Africa, the minister acknowledged, but added that all sections of society are impacted.
Mchunu also rejected allegations, repeated by Trump, that government was expropriating land held by white farmers.
Earlier this year, Ramaphosa signed a controversial law which allowed the government to seize privately-owned land without compensation in some circumstances. The South African government says no land has been seized yet under the act.
The law follows years of calls for land reform in South Africa, where the white ********* possess the vast majority of privately held land and wealth in the country, more than 30 years since the racist system of apartheid ended.
Relations between South Africa and the US have slumped since Trump took office in January. As well as offering asylum to Afrikaners, the US leader has cut aid to South Africa and expelled its ambassador.
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How Championship play-off final could tighten US grip on Premier League
How Championship play-off final could tighten US grip on Premier League
To make money.
With most US investors in English football keeping a low profile and attending few matches, the motive seems to be financial rather than reputational.
While former American owners of Sunderland and Aston Villa have lost significant amounts of money after getting involved in English football, others have been a lot more successful.
Although they are despised by many United fans, the Glazers have profited hugely from their ownership of the club, through dividends and the ***** of shares that have grown in value, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe spending £1.25bn on a 28% stake last year.
Despite their worst season in decades, and hundreds of millions of pounds of financial losses, United were recently rated the second most valuable club in the world, external at $6bn (£4.4bn).
With closed leagues, there are few opportunities to invest in US pro sports, and when they arise it is very expensive, so the global game of football is an attractive option, especially with NBC’s coverage of the Premier League, the Welcome to Wrexham documentary series and the Ted Lasso TV show fuelling interest.
Investors will also be banking on Lionel Messi’s participation in the MLS and the USA’s hosting of this year’s Club World Cup and the 2026 World Cup to help grow the game.
US investors also believe that more revenue can be extracted from English football, whether through media rights, ticketing or sponsorship.
As a ********* investor in Burnley, former NFL star JJ Watt is among a number of US personalities to take a stake in British football clubs.
In March he told BBC Sport: “You look at an American football (NFL) club – right now they’re all valued at billions and billions of dollars.
“You come over here (to the ***) and the valuations are different and there’s more opportunity.
“I wanted to be involved, be in the board meetings, learn and grow, while also injecting something, bringing something to the club in terms of eyeballs to the game.
“Another thing that brings you to English football is the history, tradition, passion and supporters.”
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A Simple Setting Makes the Ultra-Nightmare Difficulty Even Tougher in Doom: The Dark Ages
A Simple Setting Makes the Ultra-Nightmare Difficulty Even Tougher in Doom: The Dark Ages
Doom: The Dark Ages has a captivating gameplay that showers players with its bloodbath. In general, the gameplay speed is pretty balanced, and lets players enjoy the game as it is. However, that can be tweaked to fit player preference.
Without even modding the game, you make the gameplay faster or slower to match your tempo. If you’re the hardcore type of gamer, sliding the difficulty to Ultra-Nightmare with Game Speed at 150% will pose some challenge. A challenge to become as worthy as the Doomguy.
Turning up the Game Speed poses some challenges in Doom: The Dark Ages
Finding the game too easy? Just increase the difficulty to max! | Image Credit: id Software
Doom: The Dark Ages is one of the best titles available on Xbox Game Pass. What makes it even more amazing is the quality it upholds in terms of gameplay. When starting a chapter, players can use the difficulty modifiers, which allow them to customize their gameplay experience.
No gamer in the world is the same; some prefer their games to be difficult, while others prefer being casual. There is no shame in either of them, as tastes in games vary for all. Having the option to enjoy both sides in Doom: The Dark Ages is a boon from the developers themselves.
Now, if you’re a hardcore gamer who likes to enjoy Soulsborne or other hard roguelikes, you can make Doom: The Dark Ages more challenging. You may think, setting the game difficulty to Ultra-Nightmare is the most difficult, then we’ve got some news for you. You can make it harder by changing the gameplay speed to 150%, which makes everything fast.
So you’ll have dodge, parry, and shoot enemies faster while making sure you don’t get hit. One small mistake will cost you a lot, which is a tall order. However, that’s what it means to play the game in the “highest” difficulty mode. If you’re down for it, we’ll tell you how to do so.
How can you change the Game Speed in Doom: The Dark Ages?
When you start Doom: The Dark Ages, you’re presented with various difficulty settings ranging from Aspiring Slayer to Ultra-Nightmare. All these difficulty presets affect the stats in the game, which affect your experience. However, you can further customize your experience by using the Difficulty Monifiers.
In the chapter selection menu, you need to hover over a chapter to get the Difficulty Modifiers options. You can open it by pressing the designated button or clicking on the option. Here you’ll be presented with various options to customize your experience.
For instance, you can adjust the Parry Window, Damage to Player, Daze Duration, and more. If you scroll down a bit, you’ll be able to find the Game Speed option with a slider. Move the slider to the right-most edge to set the Game Speed at 150% to scale up the difficulty.
Do keep in mind, the game is fairly difficult at speed speed, so make sure you’re well-versed with the game mechanics or you’ll suffer a lot during gameplay. If you’re a casual player, but wish for a more fast-paced experience, you can keep everything else easy, but just turn up the Game Speed. Not difficult, but not very easy either.
Do you like your video games hard, or do you like to enjoy them casually? Did you use the Difficulty Modifiers in Doom: The Dark Ages? How was your experience with that? Let us know about it in the comments below.
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Trump’s threat might not be enough to move production
Trump’s threat might not be enough to move production
FILE PHOTO: Apple CEO Tim Cook escorts U.S. President Donald Trump as he tours Apple’s Mac Pro manufacturing plant with in Austin, Texas, U.S., November 20, 2019.
Tom Brenner | Reuters
The once-solid relationship between President Donald Trump and Apple CEO Tim Cook is breaking down over the idea of a U.S.-made iPhone.
Last week, Trump said he “had a little problem with Tim Cook,” and on Friday, he threatened to slap a 25% tariff on iPhones in a social media post.
Trump is upset with Apple’s plan to source the majority of iPhones sold in the U.S. from its factory partners in India, instead of China. Cook officially confirmed this plan earlier this month during earnings.
Trump wants Apple to build iPhones for the U.S. market in the U.S. and has continued to pressure the company and Cook.
“I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone’s that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday.
Analysts said it would probably make more sense for Apple to eat the cost rather than move production stateside.
“In terms of profitability, it’s way better for Apple to take the hit of a 25% tariff on iPhones sold in the US market than to move iPhone assembly lines back to US,” wrote Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on X.
UBS analyst David Vogt said that the potential 25% tariffs were a “jarring headline,” but that they would only be a “modest headwind” to Apple’s earnings, dropping annual earnings by 51 cents per share, versus a prior expectation of 34 cents per share under the current tariff landscape.
Experts have long held that a U.S.-made iPhone is impossible at worst and highly expensive at best.
Analysts have said that made in U.S.A. iPhones would be much more expensive, CNBC previously reported, with some estimates ranging between $1,500 to $3,500 to buy one at retail. Labor costs would certainly rise.
But it would also be logistically complicated.
Supply chains and factories take years to build out, including installing equipment and staffing up. Parts that Apple imported to the United States for assembly might be subject to tariffs as well.
Apple started manufacturing iPhones in India in 2017 but it was only in recent years that the region was capable of building Apple’s latest devices.
“We believe the concept of Apple producing iPhones in the US is a fairy tale that is not feasible,” wrote Wedbush analyst Dan Ives in a note on Friday.
Other analysts were wary about predicting how Trump’s threat ultimately plays out. Apple might be able to strike a deal with the administration — despite the eroding relationship — or challenge the tariffs in court.
For now, most of Apple’s most important products are exempt from tariffs after Trump gave phones and computers a tariff waiver — even from China — in April, but Apple doesn’t know how the Trump administration’s tariffs will ultimately play out beyond June.
“We’re skeptical,” that the 25% tariff will materialize, wrote Wells Fargo analyst Aaron Rakers.
He wrote that Apple could try to preserve its roughly 41% gross margin on iPhones by raising prices in the U.S. by between $100 or $300 per phone.
It’s unclear how Trump intends to target Apple’s India-made iPhones. Rakers wrote that the administration could put specific tariffs on phone imports from India.
Apple’s operations in India continue to expand.
Foxconn, which assembles iPhones for Apple, is building a new $1.5 billion factory in India that could do some iPhone production, the Financial Times reported Thursday.
Apple declined to comment on Trump’s post.
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#Trumps #threat #move #production
Pelican News
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