Pelican Press

Essex Police discloses ‘incoherent’ facial recognition assessment Essex Police discloses ‘incoherent’ facial recognition assessment Essex Police has not properly considered the potentially discriminatory impacts of its live facial recognition (LFR) use, according to documents obtained by Big Brother Watch and shared with Computer Weekly. While the force claims in an equality impact assessment (EIA) that “Essex Police has carefully considered issues regarding bias and algorithmic injustice”, privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch said the document – obtained under Freedom of Information (FoI) rules – shows it has likely failed to fulfil its public sector equality duty (PSED) to consider how its policies and practices could be discriminatory. The campaigners highlighted how the force is relying on false comparisons to other algorithms and “parroting misleading claims” from the supplier about the LFR system’s lack of bias. For example, Essex Police said that when deploying LFR, it will set the system threshold “at 0.6 or above, as this is the level whereby equitability of the rate of false positive identification across all demographics is achieved”. However, this figure is based on the National Physical Laboratory’s (NPL) testing of NEC’s Neoface V4 LFR algorithm deployed by the Metropolitan Police and South Wales Police, which Essex Police does not use. Instead, Essex Police has opted to use an algorithm developed by Israeli biometrics firm Corsight, whose chief privacy officer, Tony Porter, was formerly the ***’s surveillance camera commissioner until January 2021. Highlighting testing of the Corsight_003 algorithm conducted in June 2022 by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the EIA also claims it has “a bias differential FMR [False Match Rate] of 0.0006 overall, the lowest of any tested within NIST at the time of writing, according to the supplier”. However, looking at the NIST website, where all of the testing data is publicly shared, there is no information to support the figure cited by Corsight, or its claim to essentially have the least biased algorithm available. A separate FoI response to Big Brother Watch confirmed that, as of 16 January 2025, Essex Police had not conducted any “formal or detailed” testing of the system itself, or otherwise commissioned a third party to do so. Essex Police&rsquos lax approach to assessing the dangers of a controversial and dangerous new form of surveillance has put the rights of thousands at risk Jake Hurfurt, Big Brother Watch “Looking at Essex Police’s EIA, we are concerned about the force’s compliance with its duties under equality law, as the reliance on shaky evidence seriously undermines the force’s claims about how the public will be protected against algorithmic bias,” said Jake Hurfurt, head of research and investigations at Big Brother Watch. “Essex Police’s lax approach to assessing the dangers of a controversial and dangerous new form of surveillance has put the rights of thousands at risk. This slapdash scrutiny of their intrusive facial recognition system sets a worrying precedent. “Facial recognition is notorious for misidentifying women and people of colour, and Essex Police’s willingness to deploy the technology without testing it themselves raises serious questions about the force’s compliance with equalities law. Essex Police should immediately stop their use of facial recognition surveillance.” The need for *** police forces deploying facial recognition to consider how their use of the technology could be discriminatory was highlighted by a legal challenge brought against South Wales Police by Cardiff resident Ed Bridges. In August 2020, the *** Court of Appeal ruled that the use of LFR by the force was unlawful because the privacy violations it entailed were “not in accordance” with legally permissible restrictions on Bridges’ Article 8 privacy rights; it did not conduct an appropriate data protection impact assessment (DPIA); and it did not comply with its PSED to consider how its policies and practices could be discriminatory. The judgment specifically found that the PSED is a “duty of process and not outcome”, and requires public bodies to take reasonable steps “to make enquiries about what may not yet be known to a public authority about the potential impact of a proposed decision or policy on people with the relevant characteristics, in particular for present purposes race and sex”. Big Brother Watch said equality assessments must rely on “sufficient quality evidence” to back up the claims being made and ultimately satisfy the PSED, but that the documents obtained do not demonstrate the force has had “due regard” for equalities. Academic Karen Yeung, an interdisciplinary professor at Birmingham Law School and School of Computer Science, told Computer Weekly that, in her view, the EIA is “clearly inadequate”. She also criticised the document for being “incoherent”, failing to look at the systemic equalities impacts of the technology, and relying exclusively on testing of entirely different software algorithms used by other police forces trained on different populations: “This does not, in my view, fulfil the requirements of the public sector equality duty. It is a document produced from a cut-and-paste exercise from the largely irrelevant material produced by others.” Essex Police responds Computer Weekly contacted Essex Police about every aspect of the story. “We take our responsibility to meet our public sector equality duty very seriously, and there is a contractual requirement on our LFR partner to ensure sufficient testing has taken place to ensure the software meets the specification and performance outlined in the tender process,” said a spokesperson. “There have been more than 50 deployments of our LFR vans, scanning 1.7 million faces, which have led to more than 200 positive alerts, and nearly 70 arrests. “To date, there has been one false positive, which, when reviewed, was established to be as a result of a low-quality photo uploaded onto the watchlist and not the result of bias issues with the technology. This did not lead to an arrest or any other unlawful action because of the procedures in place to verify all alerts. This issue has been resolved to ensure it does not occur again.” The spokesperson added that the force is also committed to carrying out further assessment of the software and algorithms, with the evaluation of deployments and results being subject to an independent academic review. “As part of this, we have carried out, and continue to do so, testing and evaluation activity in conjunction with the University of Cambridge. The NPL have recently agreed to carry out further independent testing, which will take place over the summer. The company have also achieved an ISO 42001 certification,” said the spokesperson. “We are also liaising with other technical specialists regarding further testing and evaluation activity.” However, the force did not comment on why it was relying on the testing of a completely different algorithm in its EIA, or why it had not conducted or otherwise commissioned its own testing before operationally deploying the technology in the field. Computer Weekly followed up Essex Police for clarification on when the testing with Cambridge began, as this is not mentioned in the EIA, but received no response by time of publication. ‘Misleading’ testing claims Although Essex Police and Corsight claim the facial recognition algorithm in use has “a bias differential FMR of 0.0006 overall, the lowest of any tested within NIST at the time of writing”, there is no publicly available data on NIST’s website to support this claim. Drilling down into the demographic split of false positive rates shows, for example, that there is a factor of 100 more false positives in West African women than for Eastern European men. While this is an improvement on the previous two algorithms submitted for testing by Corsight, other publicly available data held by NIST undermines Essex Police’s claim in the EIA that the “algorithm is identified by NIST as having the lowest bias variance between demographics”. Looking at another metric held by NIST – FMR Max/Min, which refers to the ratio between demographic groups that give the most and least false positives – it essentially represents how inequitable the error rates are across different age groups, sexes and ethnicities. In this instance, smaller values represent better performance, with the ratio being an estimate of how many times more false positives can be expected in one group over another. According to the NIST webpage for “demographic effects” in facial recognition algorithms, the Corsight algorithm has an FMR Max/Min of 113(22), meaning there are at least 21 algorithms that display less bias. For comparison, the least biased algorithm according to NIST results belongs to a firm called Idemia, which has an FMR Max/Min of 5(1). However, like Corsight, the highest false match rate for Idemia’s algorithm was for older West African women. Computer Weekly understands this is a common problem with many of the facial recognition algorithms NIST tests because this group is not typically well-represented in the underlying training data of most firms. Computer Weekly also confirmed with NIST that the FMR metric cited by Corsight relates to one-to-one verification, rather than the one-to-many situation police forces would be using it in. This is a key distinction, because if 1,000 people are enrolled in a facial recognition system that was built on one-to-one verification, then the false positive rate will be 1,000 times larger than the metrics held by NIST for FMR testing. “If a developer implements 1:N (one-to-many) search as N 1:1 comparisons, then the likelihood of a false positive from a search is expected to be proportional to the false match for the 1:1 comparison algorithm,” said NIST scientist Patrick Grother. “Some developers do not implement 1:N search that way.” Commenting on the contrast between this testing methodology and the practical scenarios the tech will be deployed in, Birmingham Law School’s Yeung said one-to-one is for use in stable environments to provide admission to spaces with limited access, such as airport passport gates, where only one person’s biometric data is scrutinised at a time. “One-to-many is entirely different – it’s an entirely different process, an entirely different technical challenge, and therefore cannot typically achieve equivalent levels of accuracy,” she said. Computer Weekly contacted Corsight about every aspect of the story related to its algorithmic testing, including where the “0.0006” figure is drawn from and its various claims to have the “least biased” algorithm. “The facts presented in your article are partial, manipulated and misleading,” said a company spokesperson. “Corsight AI’s algorithms have been tested by numerous entities, including NIST, and have been proven to be the least biased in the industry in terms of gender and ethnicity. This is a major factor for our commercial and government clients.” However, Corsight was either unable or unwilling to specify which facts are “partial, manipulated or misleading” in response to Computer Weekly’s request for clarification. Computer Weekly also contacted Corsight about whether it has done any further testing by running N one-to-one comparisons, and whether it has changed the system’s threshold settings for detecting a match to suppress the false positive rate, but received no response on these points. While most facial recognition developers submit their algorithms to NIST for testing on an annual or ***-annual basis, Corsight last submitted an algorithm in mid-2022. Computer Weekly contacted Corsight about why this was the case, given that most algorithms in NIST testing show continuous improvement with each submission, but again received no response on this point. Homeland Security testing The Essex Police EIA also highlights testing of the Corsight algorithm conducted in 2022 by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), claiming it demonstrated “Corsight’s capability to perform equally across all demographics”. However, Big Brother Watch’s Hurfurt highlighted that the DHS study focused on bias in the context of true positives, and did not assess the algorithm for inequality in false positives. This is a key distinction for the testing of LFR systems, as false negatives where the system fails to recognise someone will likely not lead to incorrect stops or other adverse effects, whereas a false positive where the system confuses two people could have more severe consequences for an individual. The DHS itself also publicly came out against Corsight’s representation of the test results, after the firm claimed in subsequent marketing materials that “no matter how you look at it, Corsight is ranked #1. #1 in overall recognition, #1 in dark skin, #1 in Asian, #1 in female”. Speaking with IVPM in August 2023, DHS said: “We do not know what this claim, being ‘#1’ is referring to.” The department added that the rules of the testing required companies to get their claims cleared through DHS to ensure they do not misrepresent their performance. In its breakdown of the test results, IVPM noted that systems of multiple other manufacturers achieved similar results to Corsight. The company did not respond to a request for comment about the DHS testing. Computer Weekly contacted Essex Police about all the issues raised around Corsight testing, but received no direct response to these points from the force. Key equality impacts not considered While Essex Police claimed in its EIA that it “also sought advice from their own independent Data and Digital Ethics Committee in relation to their use of LFR generally”, meeting minutes obtained via FoI rules show that key impacts had not been considered. For example, when one panel member questioned how LFR deployments could affect community events or protests, and how the force could avoid the technology having a “chilling presence”, the officer present (whose name has been redacted from the document) said “that’s a pretty good point, actually”, adding that he had “made a note” to consider this going forward. The EIA itself also makes no mention of community events or protests, and does not specify how different groups could be affected by these different deployment scenarios. Elsewhere in the EIA, Essex Police claims that the system is likely to have minimal impact across age, gender and race, citing the 0.6 threshold setting, as well as NIST and DHS testing, as ways of achieving “equitability” across different demographics. Again, this threshold setting relates to a completely different system used by the Met and South Wales Police. For each protected characteristic, the EIA has a section on “mitigating” actions that can be taken to reduce adverse impacts. While the “ethnicity” section again highlights the National Physical Laboratory’s testing of a completely different algorithm, most other sections note that “any watchlist created will be done so as close to the deployment as possible, therefore hoping to ensure the most accurate and up-to-date images of persons being added are uploaded”. However, Yeung noted that the EIA makes no mention of the specific watchlist creation criteria beyond high-level “categories of images” that can be included, and the claimed equality impacts of that process. For example, it does not consider how people from certain ethnic ********* or religious backgrounds could be disproportionally impacted as a result of their over-representation in police databases, or the issue of unlawful custody image retention whereby the Home Office is continuing to hold millions of custody images illegally in the Police National Database (PND). While the ethics panel meeting minutes offer greater insight into how Essex Police is approaching watchlist creation, the custody image retention issue was also not mentioned. Responding to Computer Weekly’s questions about the meeting minutes and the lack of scrutiny of key issues related to *** police LFR deployments, an Essex Police spokesperson said: “Our polices and processes around the use of live facial recognition have been carefully scrutinised through a thorough ethics panel.” Proportionality and necessity: the Southend ‘intelligence’ case Instead, the officer present explained how watchlists and deployments are decided based on the “intelligence case”, which then has to be justified as both proportionate and necessary. On the “Southend intelligence case”, the officer said deploying in the town centre would be permissible because “that’s where the most footfall is, the most opportunity to locate outstanding suspects”. They added: “The watchlist [then] has to be justified by the key elements, the policing purpose. Everything has to be proportionate and strictly necessary to be able to deploy… If the commander in Southend said, ‘I want to put everyone that’s wanted for shoplifting across Essex on the watchlist for Southend’, the answer would be no, because is it necessary? Probably not. Is it proportionate? I don’t think it is. Would it be proportionate to have individuals who are outstanding for shoplifting from the Southend area? Yes, because it’s local.” However, the officer also said that, on most occasions, the systems would be deployed to catch “our most serious offenders”, as this would be easier to justify from a public perception point of view. They added that, during the summer, it would be easier to justify deployments because of the seasonal population increase in Southend. “We know that there is a general increase in violence during those months. So, we don’t need to go down to the weeds to specifically look at grievous bodily harm [GBH] or ******* or *****, because they’re not necessarily fuelled by a spike in terms of seasonality, for example,” they said. “However, we know that because the general population increases significantly, the level of violence increases significantly, which would justify that I could put those serious crimes on that watchlist.” Commenting on the responses given to the ethics panel, Yeung said they “failed entirely to provide me with confidence that their proposed deployments will have the required legal safeguards in place”. According to the Court of Appeal judgment against South Wales Police in the Bridges case, the force’s facial recognition policy contained “fundamental deficiencies” in relation to the “who” and “where” question of LFR. “In relation to both of those questions, too much discretion is currently left to individual police officers,” it said. “It is not clear who can be placed on the watchlist, nor is it clear that there are any criteria for determining where AFR [automated facial recognition] can be deployed.” Yeung added: “The same applies to these responses of Essex Police force, failing to adequately answer the ‘who’ and ‘where’ questions concerning their proposed facial recognition deployments. “Worse still, the court stated that a police force’s local policies can only satisfy the requirements that the privacy interventions arising from use of LFR are ‘prescribed by law’ if they are published. The documents were obtained by Big Brother Watch through freedom of information requests, strongly suggesting that these even these basic legal safeguards are not being met.” Yeung added that South Wales Police’s use of the technology was found to be unlawful in the Bridges case because there was excessive discretion left in the hands of individual police officers, allowing undue opportunities for arbitrary decision-making and abuses of power. Every decision … must be specified in advance, documented and justified in accordance with the tests of proportionality and necessity. I don’t see any of that happening Karen Yeung, Birmingham Law School “Every decision – where you will deploy, whose face is placed on the watchlist and why, and the duration of deployment – must be specified in advance, documented and justified in accordance with the tests of proportionality and necessity,” she said. “I don’t see any of that happening. There are simply vague claims that ‘we’ll make sure we apply the legal test’, but how? They just offer unsubstantiated promises that ‘we will abide by the law’ without specifying how they will do so by meeting specific legal requirements.” Yeung further added these documents indicate that the police force is not looking for specific people wanted for serious crimes, but setting up dragnets for a wide variety of ‘wanted’ individuals, including those wanted for non-serious crimes such as shoplifting. “There are many platitudes about being ethical, but there’s nothing concrete indicating how they propose to meet the legal tests of necessity and proportionality,” she said. “In liberal democratic societies, every single decision about an individual by the police made without their consent must be justified in accordance with law. That means that the police must be able to justify and defend the reasons why every single person whose face is uploaded to the facial recognition watchlist meets the legal test, based on their specific operational purpose.” Yeung concluded that, assuming they can do this, police must also consider the equality impacts of their actions, and how different groups are likely to be affected by their practical deployments: “I don’t see any of that.” In response to the concerns raised around watchlist creation, proportionality and necessity, an Essex Police spokesperson said: “The watchlists for each deployment are created to identify specific people wanted for specific crimes and to enforce orders. To date, we have focused on the types of offences which cause the most harm to our communities, including our hardworking businesses. “This includes violent crime, drugs, ******* offences and thefts from shops. As a result of our deployments, we have arrested people wanted in connection with attempted ******* investigations, high-risk domestic abuse cases, GBH, ******* assault, drug supply and aggravated burglary offences. We have also been able to progress investigations and move closer to securing justice for victims.” Source link #Essex #Police #discloses #incoherent #facial #recognition #assessment Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mega-Cap Tech Shows Signs of Life, but the Road Back to ATHs Is Still Long Mega-Cap Tech Shows Signs of Life, but the Road Back to ATHs Is Still Long At one point, tech was one of the worst-performing sectors in the this year, down more than 10%. While tech is still down on the year — lower by about 1.5% — it’s no longer scraping the bottom of the sector-performance barrel. (Unfortunately, that belongs to the energy, healthcare, and consumer discretionary sectors, all three of which are down about 5% so far in 2025). The rebound in tech can be attributed to the Magnificent 7. With the exception of Apple (NASDAQ:), every holding in the Mag 7 is outperforming the S&P 500 over the past month — and remember, about 30% of the S&P 500 is tech. Nvidia (NASDAQ:), Tesla (NASDAQ:), Microsoft (NASDAQ:) and Meta (NASDAQ:) have been major leaders amid the recent rally, particularly Microsoft and Nvidia given their size (with a combined market cap of more than $6.6 trillion). The year-to-date readings are a little lumpy, highlighting the tough performance from this group in Q1, while the one-year performance is mixed; a combination of massive outperformers, and a few mild under-performing stragglers. The data doesn’t tell the whole story, either. For instance, TSLA remains nearly 30% below its record high, nearly twice as much as the next worst-performer by that metric — Alphabet (NASDAQ:). In fact, five of the Mag 7 components are down more than 10% from their record highs, while the S&P 500 is down a little less than 5% from its record. The Bottom Line: It’s been a tough stretch for mega-cap tech, both in Q1 2025 and when we look back over the past few quarters (note: only three Mag 7 names have outperformed the S&P 500 over the past year). Like the overall market, these stocks are prone to volatility. However, if this group maintains momentum, it’s possible that the Magnificent 7 still has room to the upside given that many are still down notably from their highs. And if they continue to rally, this group could very well buoy US stocks, given their outsized weighting in the indices. The Setup — Amazon The one stock we didn’t mention above? Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:). And interestingly, its chart really stands out. That’s as shares have enjoyed a strong rebound from the recent lows, up about 25%, but have since pulled back to find support near $200. Not only is $200 a key technical area on the charts — having served as both support and resistance in the past — but it’s near where the 200-day moving average also comes into play. Amazon was in focus on Thursday on reports that Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square acquired a position in the stock. While Amazon has done great lately, consider just how far the stock fell from its high in Q1. In fact, shares are still down more than 16% from the highs. Bulls want to see the stock hold nearby support (~$200 and the 200-day). If AMZN can do that, investors will hope for more upside in the coming weeks. If support doesn’t hold, more downside is possible. It’s important to note that just because support holds, it doesn’t necessarily mean AMZN will hurry back to record highs. Nor does it mean that failure to hold this level will send shares back to the recent low. The $200 area is just one spot on the chart for active investors to keep an eye on. Options This is one area where options can come into play, as the risk is tied to the premium paid when buying options or option spreads. Bulls can utilize calls or call spreads to speculate on a rebound, while bears can use puts or put spreads to speculate on more downside should the support break. *** Disclaimer: Please note that due to market volatility, some of the prices may have already been reached and scenarios played out. Content, research, tools, and stock symbols displayed are for educational purposes only and do not imply a recommendation or solicitation to engage in any specific investment strategy. All investments involve risk, losses may exceed the amount of principal invested, and past performance does not guarantee future results. Source link #MegaCap #Tech #Shows #Signs #Life #Road #ATHs #Long Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

$8m loss sparks Football Australia ‘right sizing’ $8m loss sparks Football Australia ‘right sizing’ Interim chief executive Heather Garriock has warned Football Australia will have to undergo a “right sizing” after posting a $8.55 million loss at its annual general meeting that will poke at the sore points from the game’s unbundling. Close to five years since A-Leagues split from FA to run their own competition under the umbrella of the *********** Professional Leagues, the picture is increasingly bleak for both of the sport’s major bodies. A-League club distributions were down to just $530,000 this season, while FA’s deficit came on revenues of $124 million. FA were reluctant to divulge the breakdown of their sizeable loss, but a big part is understood to be $12 million owed to them by the APL. The APL are also believed to have grievances with FA over their financial arrangements but regardless of who owes who what, Garriock said the two factions enjoy a relationship that has never been more positive. Garriock’s comments came after an AGM in Sydney on Friday – that was closed off to the media – which signalled the re-election of Anter Isaac as chair. “The relationship with APL and Football Australia as it stands at the moment is the best it’s been and we need to build on that,” Garriock said. “By us having a strong A-League is only going to benefit our national teams and the investment in our national teams are at a record high … In terms of us cutting any national teams, absolutely not. “We’re investing heavily, and we continue to invest in our grassroots. “We need to focus internally, and that’s what we’re doing. “Anter spoke about the revenues and how we can make up that money. I think it’s about right sizing the business, and that’s what I’m here to do.” Isaac said FA was “rekindling” its relationship with the APL but would not “write off any amounts” of monies owed. “We have zero concerns about the commercial relationships that we have with APL,” he said. “Our relationship with APL is probably characterised in two ways. There’s the commercial relationship and then there’s the strategic relationship – on both counts, it’s very strong.” The elephant in the room remains whether Garriock has an appetite to take on the role of chief executive permanently. The former Matilda diplomatically tiptoed around the issue of replacing James Johnson, who quit earlier this month and was announced as having taken a role in Canada overnight. “I’ve been given a mandate from the board in this interim *******, and I’m fully focused on the interim *******, and I haven’t thought beyond that,” she said. Garriock said the next Matildas coach would be announced in June with Joe Montemurro seemingly sewn up as the man to lead the side into next year’s Women’s Asian Cup. Source link #loss #sparks #Football #Australia #sizing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown showcases casino ahead of July release Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown showcases casino ahead of July release Season 4 of the open-world driving game will arrive next in a couple of months, with the long-awaited casino system and some new cars. Source link #Test #Drive #Unlimited #Solar #Crown #showcases #casino #ahead #July #release Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Palantir CEO Alex Karp sells more than $50 million in stock Palantir CEO Alex Karp sells more than $50 million in stock Palantir co-founder and CEO Alex Karp speaks during the Hill & Valley Forum at the US Capitol Visitor Center Auditorium in Washington, DC, on April 30, 2025. Brendan Smialowski | Afp | Getty Images Palantir CEO Alex Karp has sold more than $50 million worth of shares in the artificial intelligence software company, according to securities filings. The stock transactions, which occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday between $125.26 and $127.70 per share. Following the stock sales, Karp owned about 6.43 million shares of Palantir stock, worth about $787 million based on Thursday’s closing price. The sales were connected to a series of automatic share sales to cover required tax withholding obligations tied to vesting restricted stock units, according to filings. Other top executives at the Denver-based company also unloaded stock. Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar sold about $21 million worth of Palantir stock, while co-founder and president Stephen Cohen dumped about $43.5 million in shares. Palantir shares have notched fresh highs in recent weeks as the company lept above Salesforce in market value and into the top ten most valuable U.S. tech firms. The digital analytics company has benefitted from bets on AI and a surge in government contracts as companies prioritize streamlining and President Donald Trump targets a federal overhaul with the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency. The stock has outperformed its tech peers since the start of 2025, surging nearly 62%, but investors are paying a high multiple on shares. In its earnings report earlier this month, the company lifted its full-year guidance due to AI adoption, but shares fell on international growth concerns. “You don’t have to buy our shares,” Karp told CNBC as shares slumped. “We’re happy. We’re going to partner with the world’s best people and we’re going to dominate. You can be along for the ride or you don’t have to be.” WATCH: Palantir CEO: We’re bringing revenue growth at much lower costs to regional banks Source link #Palantir #CEO #Alex #Karp #sells #million #stock Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump is asking Apple for the impossible, analyst says Trump is asking Apple for the impossible, analyst says President Donald Trump is asking Apple to do the impossible as he threatens more tariffs if the iPhone maker fails to bring production back to the U.S., according to Barton Crockett, Rosenblatt Securities senior analyst. “It’s hard to believe that this comes to pass. This tariff asking them to do something that is pretty well nigh impossible to do, to make iPhones at scale in this country, is not going to happen in an investable time frame, and certainly not while Trump is president,” Crockett said on CNBC’s ” Squawk Box ” Friday. Trump said in a social media post that Apple will have to pay a tariff of 25% or more for iPhones made outside the United States. Production of Apple’s flagship smartphone is now primarily in China, but the company has been shifting manufacturing to India in part because that country has a friendlier trade relationship with the U.S. “I would suspect that Apple is working really hard on what they can offer,” Crockett said. “They can’t make all their iPhones here, but perhaps they can start building something beyond what they have today to take the pressure off and but we’re really asking for the impossible, and it’s kind of hard to watch.” CEO Tim Cook’s technology company has become a frequent Trump target as the president pushes for Corporate America to bring factory jobs back to the U.S. and slaps steep tariffs on U.S. trading partners. Crockett believes that Apple can’t stay quiet for long as Trump ramps up his demand. He speculated that Apple could move a small portion of production to the U.S. to appease the president. “I think if they can put a facility somewhere that makes a few thousand iPhones, and put some R & D into robotics so that you can spin a story that at some point in the future…. ‘maybe we can make iPhones’,” Crockett said. “That’s not going to happen while Trump is president, but they can put something in the ground that creates a future path that they can talk to.” — With reporting from Jesse Pound. Source link #Trump #Apple #impossible #analyst Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Harvard sues Trump administration for blocking foreign student enrolment – BBC Harvard sues Trump administration for blocking foreign student enrolment – BBC Harvard sues Trump administration for blocking foreign student enrolment BBCHarvard sues Trump administration over ban on international student enrollment CNBCHarvard Sues Trump Administration Over Move to Bar International Students The New York TimesSupporting Our International Students and Scholars Harvard University5 things to know for May 23: Budget bill, Harvard, Charter schools, FEMA shakeup, Embassy shooting CNN Source link #Harvard #sues #Trump #administration #blocking #foreign #student #enrolment #BBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny Remaster Review | Cloud Dosage Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny Remaster Review | Cloud Dosage Zenzuu20h ago The reviewer was basically complaining that nothing had changed gameplay wise, whining about how he’s never been a fan of fixed camera angles, and comparing the combat system to modern action games. He completely missed the point, the remaster was never meant to be changed in any way. Source link #Onimusha #Samurais #Destiny #Remaster #Review #Cloud #Dosage Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Costco Stock at $1K: Dominance or Danger Zone? Costco Stock at $1K: Dominance or Danger Zone? Costco Wholesale Corp (NASDAQ:) recently saw its stock price decisively surpass the notable $1,000 per share threshold, a significant milestone for the retail giant. The most recent transit across the $1000 line seems to be holding steady, underscoring the company’s sustained operational strength and significant market presence. As of May 22, 2025, the shares traded at around $1,025, bringing its market capitalization to the vicinity of $455 billion. This achievement naturally prompts reflection among market participants, balancing the company’s consistent performance as a wholesale winner against considerations of its current valuation and potential for increased price fluctuations as the stock settles into this new range. The journey to and beyond this four-digit figure invites a closer look at the foundations of Costco’s success and the strategic considerations for investors attempting to navigate this new chapter. Key Strengths That Propelled Costco Past $1K Several core fundamental strengths have propelled Costco’s stock to its current levels. Central to its enduring appeal is the membership-based business model. This structure cultivates customer loyalty and generates a predictable, high-margin revenue stream from membership fees. In the second quarter of fiscal 2025, these fees amounted to $1.193 billion. As of early 2024, Costco boasted over 130 million cardholders. Critically, membership renewal rates serve as a key indicator of customer satisfaction and revenue stability; at the end of Q2 FY25, Costco reported a U.S. and Canada renewal rate of 92.9% and a worldwide rate of 90.5%. Costco’s strong customer loyalty fuels consistent sales growth. In the second quarter of fiscal year 2025, ending February 16, 2025, the company reported a 9.1% year-over-year increase in net sales, reaching $62.53 billion. For the first 35 weeks of fiscal 2025, net sales grew 8.2% to $180.05 billion. Costco’s success is also driven by its Kirkland Signature private-label brand, which enhances member value and generates significant sales. Furthermore, operational efficiency contributes to its strong performance. This efficiency is achieved partly through offering a limited number of SKUs, streamlining inventory management and leveraging high sales volumes for cost advantages. Costco has also consistently demonstrated a commitment to shareholder returns. The company has a track record of paying regular quarterly dividends and has increased this dividend for 22 consecutive years. The most recent increase brought the quarterly payout to $1.30 per share. Finally, the company’s e-commerce channel has become an increasingly important growth driver. In Q2 FY25, e-commerce comparable sales saw an adjusted increase of 22.2%, indicating successful adaptation to evolving consumer shopping preferences. Is Costco’s $1,000 Price Tag Justified? With Costco’s stock establishing itself above the $1,000 mark, attention naturally turns to its valuation. As of mid-May 2025, Costco’s trailing price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) stood at approximately 60.21, with its forward P/E (based on earnings estimates for the next fiscal year) around 56.87. The P/E ratio is a widely used metric to gauge how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of a company’s earnings. A higher P/E often suggests that investors expect higher earnings growth in the future compared to companies with lower P/Es. Costco’s P/E ratios exceed broad market averages and many retail peers. However, investors often justify this premium due to its consistent growth, predictable earnings, and resilience across economic cycles. Costco’s demonstrated ability to manage costs effectively and pass through inflationary pressures further supports this investor confidence. Nevertheless, when a stock reaches a significant psychological milestone like $1,000, a ******* of increased price volatility can occur. This is not uncommon and can be driven by several factors: some investors who have realized substantial gains may engage in profit-taking; others may reassess whether the current price fully incorporates future growth potential, leading to fluctuations in buying and selling pressure. The $1,000 level might also be tested as a new psychological support or resistance area. This phase is typically viewed as a ******* of price discovery as the market digests the new valuation landscape. Costco at $1,000: A Retail Powerhouse With a Premium Price Costco Wholesale’s stock surpassing the $1,000 mark clearly indicates its formidable business model, consistent execution, and enduring appeal to millions of members worldwide. While its current market valuation reflects high expectations for continued performance, the company’s fundamentals, strategic growth initiatives, and consistent return of value to shareholders present a compelling narrative. As the stock navigates this new price territory, strategic and disciplined investment approaches can offer investors a pathway to participating in this retail sector titan’s ongoing journey. Original Post Source link #Costco #Stock #Dominance #Danger #Zone Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Ukraine and Russia poised for biggest prisoner swap but details scarce Ukraine and Russia poised for biggest prisoner swap but details scarce Russia and Ukraine were set to take part in a major prisoner swap on Friday, described as the biggest since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. Officials from both countries agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each, during otherwise fruitless peace negotiations in Istanbul a week ago. US President Donald Trump earlier posted his congratulations on his Truth Social platform, claiming that the swap was complete and that “this could lead to something big???”. However, there was no confirmation from either side, and Ukrainian military sources told news agencies only that the process was under way. Unconfirmed reports suggested that the exchange could take place over three days across the Ukrainian border with Belarus. The swap was agreed in Turkey a week ago, when low-level delegations from Ukraine and Russia came face to face for the first time since March 2022, even though the meeting lasted only two hours and failed to make any progress towards a ceasefire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that there would be a second round of talks, when Moscow would hand a “memorandum” to the Ukrainian side. Trump said earlier this week that Russia and Ukraine would “immediately” start negotiating towards a ceasefire and an end to the war, after a two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since then, Putin’s Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky has accused him of “trying to buy time” to continue the war. Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has backed a suggestion from Trump that the ******** might mediate talks on negotiating a ceasefire, but Lavrov said that was “not a very realistic option”. The Russian foreign minister repeated an unfounded claim that Zelensky was not a legitimate leader and suggested new elections should be held before a potential future peace agreement is signed. Asked if Russia was ready to sign a deal, Lavrov said: “First we need to have a deal. And when it’s agreed, then we will decide. But, as President Putin has said many times, President Zelensky does not have legitimacy.” He said after an agreement was ready, Russia would “see who out of those in power in Ukraine has legitimacy”. “The key task now is to prepare a peace agreement which will be reliable and provide a long-term, stable and fair peace without creating security threats for anyone. In our case, we’re concerned with Russia.” Source link #Ukraine #Russia #poised #biggest #prisoner #swap #details #scarce Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Six car bays in Sydney’s CBD have sold for millions of dollars Six car bays in Sydney’s CBD have sold for millions of dollars If you thought the cost of real estate in Australia could not get anymore unaffordable, a handful of car bays in Sydney’s CBD have just sold for millions of dollars. Located within one of Sydney’s most enviable addresses, six car bays at 2 Phillip St went under the hammer for an eye-watering $3.65m. The 85sq m concrete slab is located on the ground floor of The Quay, a 29-storey residential building just 150m from Circular Quay and within walking distance to the Opera House and new Quay Quarter. Camera IconSix carparking bays at The Quay in Sydney’s CBD have just sold for $3.65m. Credit: Supplied The prime parking bays costing a soul destroying $600,000 each for 14sq m of space were sold by Collier executives James Cowan and Cameron Colquhoun. The ***** price was almost double a previous record for a car spot which sold for $304,700 in Bondi last year. In 2013, the City of Sydney restricted carparking in the city to encourage people to use public transport and reduce congestion. The restrictions led to limited parking and high costs in the city with off street parking costing drivers about $40 an hour. Source link #car #bays #Sydneys #CBD #sold #millions #dollars Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Future queen of Belgium caught up in Harvard foreign student ban Future queen of Belgium caught up in Harvard foreign student ban By Charlotte Van Campenhout BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Princess Elisabeth, the 23-year-old future queen of Belgium, has just completed her first year at Harvard University but the ban imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on foreign students studying there could jeopardise her continued studies. The Trump administration revoked Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students on Thursday, and is forcing current foreign students to transfer to other schools or lose their legal status in the U.S., while also threatening to expand the crackdown to other colleges. “Princess Elisabeth has just completed her first year. The impact of (the Trump administration’s) decision will only become clearer in the coming days/weeks. We are currently investigating the situation,” the Belgian Royal Palace’s spokesperson Lore Vandoorne said. “We are analyzing this at the moment and will let things settle. A lot can still happen in the coming days and weeks,” the Palace’s communication director, Xavier Baert, added. Elisabeth is studying Public Policy at Harvard, a two-year master’s degree program that according to the university’s website broadens students’ perspectives and sharpens their skills for “successful career in public service”. The princess is heir to the Belgian throne, as the eldest of four children born to King Philippe and Queen Mathilde. Before attending Harvard, she earned a degree in history and politics from the ***’s Oxford University. Harvard said on Thursday the move by the Trump administration – which affects thousands of students – was ******** and amounted to retaliation. (Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Frances Kerry) Source link #Future #queen #Belgium #caught #Harvard #foreign #student #ban Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Clean energy dollars are gushing to red states. Now GOP senators are in a bind. – The Washington Post Clean energy dollars are gushing to red states. Now GOP senators are in a bind. – The Washington Post Clean energy dollars are gushing to red states. Now GOP senators are in a bind. The Washington PostThe Republican Tax Bill Could Sharply Slow E.V. Sales The New York Times Thought Bubble: Green energy’s new foe AxiosRooftop Solar Takes Gut Punch in House Tax Bill WSJSenate Republicans look to curb House rollback of IRA tax credits Politico Source link #Clean #energy #dollars #gushing #red #states #GOP #senators #bind #Washington #Post Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown Review – Game Rant Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown Review – Game Rant Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown adds a turn-based tactical spin to the franchises’ colourful comic-book action. Playing as the heroes in a half-shell, you must outwit large groups of enemy ninjas in tightly crafted tactical scenarios. Source link #Teenage #Mutant #Ninja #Turtles #Tactical #Takedown #Review #Game #Rant Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Thermalright Royal Knight 120 SE Review: Offset and affordable Thermalright Royal Knight 120 SE Review: Offset and affordable Why you can trust Tom’s Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test. Thermalright is well known for delivering quality competitive coolers at rock-bottom prices, often raising the bar in performance and value. The company can do this because it typically directly manufactures its own products, having strong vertical integration as part of its business model. Its latest budget air cooler, the Royal Knight 120 SE, is currently available for just $30 on Amazon, making it one of the cheapest dual-tower air coolers you can buy. Will the Royal Knight 120 SE make our list of the best CPU coolers? Let’s take a look at the specifications and features of the cooler, then we’ll go over thermal performance with both Intel and AMD CPUs, as well as noise levels. Cooler specifications (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Swipe to scroll horizontally Cooler Thermalright Royal Knight 120 SE MSRP $31.99 (U.S.) Radiator Material Aluminum Lighting None Warranty 3 Years Socket Compatibility Intel Socket LGA 1851/1700/1200/115x AMD AM5 / AM4 Unit Dimensions (including fans) 120 (L) x 114 (W) x 155mm (H) Maximum TDP (Our Testing) >248W with Core i7-14700K >234W with AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D Today’s best Thermalright Royal Knight 120 SE deals Packing and included contents (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) The cooler packaging is a plain brown box that showcases the design of the heatsink. The inner contents are well protected by molded foam and plastic coverings. You may like (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Thermalright Royal Knight 120 SE at Amazon for $30.29 Included in the box are the following: 15mm TL-C12015B 120mm fan 25mm TL-C12B V2 120mm fan Offset Dual-Tower heatsink TF7 Thermal paste Mounting accessories for modern AMD & Intel platforms Installation Manual (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Features of Thermalright’s Royal Knight 120 SE Dual-tower heatsink The heatsink has two towers, with one side thicker than the other. It has a simple ****** and silver aesthetic, with no unnecessary bling. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Offset heatsink for RAM compatibility (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) The heatpipes of the cooler are angled to give the cooler an offset so that it doesn’t interfere with RAM slots. All sizes of DDR5, no matter how tall the heat spreader, are supported with this cooler. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Two fans of different thicknesses There’s more to a cooler than just the heatsink or radiator. The bundled fans have a significant impact on cooling and noise levels, as well as how the cooler looks in your case. This cooler arrives with two different types of fans. The first is a low-profile 15 mm fan that also helps avoid RAM compatibility issues. The center is more typical, at 25 mm thick. Swipe to scroll horizontally Model TL-C12B V2 Dimensions 120 x 120 x 25 mm Fan Speed Up to 1500 RPM Air Flow Up to 66.17 CFM Air Pressure Up to 1.53 mm H2O Bearing Type S-FDB MTTF 3-year warranty Lighting None (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Swipe to scroll horizontally Model TL-CD12015B Dimensions 120 x 120 x 15mm Fan Speed Up to 1800 RPM Air Flow Up to 59 CFM Air Pressure Up to 1.24 mmH2O Bearing Type S-FDB V2 MTTF 3-year warranty Lighting None Real-world testing configuration: Intel LGA1700 and AMD AM5 My results may differ from others because I emphasize results that are comparable to real-world use. This means that I test CPU coolers inside of a closed desktop case, which increases cooling difficulty compared to other testing methods – many will test CPU coolers outside of a case, on an open test bench. Open benches have lowered ambient temperatures, which makes weak coolers appear stronger than they are. Some publications have also used generic thermal plates to test cooling solutions. I reject both of these methods because they don’t accurately reflect the real-world conditions a CPU cooler is used in. Swipe to scroll horizontally CPU Intel Core i7-14700K GPU ASRock Steel Legend Radeon 7900 GRE Motherboard MSI Z790 Project Zero Case MSI Pano 100L PZ ****** System Fans Iceberg Thermal IceGale Silent My previous reviews have tested Intel’s latest platform, using the Core Ultra 9 285K Arrow Lake CPU. But we’re retiring this from our testing suite. Between BIOS changes and Windows updates, Arrow Lake’s thermal characteristics have changed in some scenarios, rendering much of our previous testing data useless. With today’s review, we’re also testing AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D. This is a beast of a CPU, providing the best gaming and multithreaded performance on the market. It can prove quite challenging thermally when PBO is enabled for overclocking. Swipe to scroll horizontally CPU AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D GPU MSI Ventus 3X RTX 4070 Ti Super Motherboard MSI X870E Carbon Wifi Case MSI MAG Pano 100R PZ AM5 and 1851 installation The installation of this cooler is simple for both Intel and AMD CPUs. 1. You’ll first need to apply the included backplate if you’re using an Intel CPU. AMD users will need to remove the default mounting mechanism. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) 2. Next, you’ll set the rubber standoffs on both Intel and AMD systems. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) 3. You’ll now want to take the mounting bars and place them on top off the standoffs, securing them with the included screws. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) 4. Apply the included thermal paste to your CPU. If you have any questions on how to do this properly, please refer to our handy guide on how to apply thermal paste. 5. Mount the heatsink on top of the CPU, using a screwdriver to secure the screws in the middle of the unit. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) 6. Attach the fans to the heatsink using the included clips, and then use the included PWM cable to connect the fans to the motherboard. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Thermalright Royal Knight 120 SE: Price Comparison Source link #Thermalright #Royal #Knight #Review #Offset #affordable Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

A video of a woman using a transparent ‘phone’ went viral. But can it actually help curb your smartphone addiction? A video of a woman using a transparent ‘phone’ went viral. But can it actually help curb your smartphone addiction? Is that transparent “phone” you’ve spotted on TikTok legit? It may be, in the future — but at the moment, it’s just a piece of plastic designed to make us reflect on our relationship with our real phones. It all started in May, with a TikTok of a woman holding what appears to be a transparent phone while standing in line at a boba shop. But the video — which received millions of views and had people describing the phone as something out of ****** Mirror or a sci-fi movie — didn’t actually involve any real tech. Instead, it was part of a social experiment spurred by tech content creator Catherine Goetze — aka CatGPT — who appears in the video. It was all to create a buzz around the “methaphone,” a piece of acrylic shaped like an iPhone. “My friend is actually the inventor and creator of these and he told me that what he wanted to test was, if we’re all so addicted to our phones, then could you potentially curb somebody’s addiction by replacing the feeling of having a phone in your pocket with something that feels exactly the same,” Goetze explained in a follow-up TikTok, which revealed the truth behind the acrylic “phone.” She credited toymaker Eric Antonow with creating the methaphone on her website. On his website, Antonow explained that the toy’s name, the “methaphone,” is a nod to methadone, a substance used as a harm reduction tool in the treatment of morphine and heroin addiction. “I include myself among people who do not like the current relationship with phones and their apps,” Antonow wrote. “I wanted a device that would make you think. It is a mirror for your phone feelings. You turn it over in your hands and questions might start to arise. Woah, how can this thing have such power and presence in my life? What would it be like to carry it around with me all day?” Goetze’s website now links to a form you can fill out if you want your own methaphone. In exchange, Goetze asks that people share feedback about their experiences using this piece of non-tech. “We’re all just individuals up against, what? The entirety of big tech?” Goetze asked in her TIkTok. “I think that’s why this little piece of acrylic feels so empowering. I mean, honestly, look, have I used my phone less in the past week that I’ve been carrying this around with me? Probably not. But just the idea that I could have something in my life — something I can touch and hold — and the conversation that this little guy is sparking online … that’s what really matters,” she said. Can an acrylic phone really curb smartphone addiction? People in Goetze’s TikTok comments are skeptical that the methaphone would help people curb a smartphone habit. One wrote, “I’m addicted to TikTok, not my phone.” Another added, “Nobody is addicted to holding phones, they’re addicted to the apps.” And a third noted that “As an older millennial that would not work for me. I grew up when there were no cell phones, so I’m addicted to the access to information, not the idea of holding the phone.” Kostadin Kushlev, an assistant professor at Georgetown University who explores how technology affects happiness, told Yahoo News that there has not been enough research on objects like the methaphone to say definitively that it will or will not help people curb their smartphone habit. There is some precedent for the methaphone, however, Kushlev noted, in that some people who quit smoking may wean themselves off of cigarettes or vapes by choosing to use nicotine-free devices that have the same feel as their preferred smoking device. However, Kushlev added that there are many reasons why people are so attached to their devices, and it doesn’t have to do with the physical object itself. “We live in an attention economy, and our attention is very valuable in terms of selling ads — and ultimately, the platforms we use, like social media and gaming platforms, know how to hook people,” he explained. One way they do this is through “variable reinforcement,” which is a concept that’s similar to how slot machines work. Since you never know when you’ll get a like or a comment, that unpredictability keeps you checking in and scrolling, in hopes you’ll get a notification that triggers a hit of dopamine. That makes the behavior more addictive over time. And the ability to create engagement is “the main metric by which these platforms judge success, and the main metric that can be measured,” he explained — meaning there’s a major incentive from companies to keep your eyeballs on your phone. So while the methaphone may be an interesting conversation starter, it’s likely not going to be the thing that helps you kick a smartphone habit for good. Source link #video #woman #transparent #phone #viral #curb #smartphone #addiction Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Harvard sues Trump administration over international student enrollment ban Harvard sues Trump administration over international student enrollment ban Harvard University is challenging the Trump administration’s decision to bar the Ivy League school from enrolling foreign students, calling it unconstitutional retaliation for defying the White House’s political demands. It is the school’s second suit against the Trump administration. In a lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in Boston, Harvard said the government’s action violates the First Amendment and will have an “immediate and devastating effect for Harvard and more than 7,000 visa holders.” “With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body, international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission,” Harvard said in its suit. About one in four Harvard students are international, according to school data. The school said it plans to file for a temporary restraining order to block the Department of Homeland Security from carrying out the move. Harvard enrolls almost 6,800 foreign students at its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Most are graduate students and they come from more than 100 countries. The department announced the action Thursday, accusing Harvard of creating an unsafe campus environment by allowing “anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators” to assault Jewish students on campus. It also accused Harvard of coordinating with the ******** ********** Party, contending the school had hosted and trained members of a ******** paramilitary group as recently as 2024. Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem said the action against Harvard will “serve as a warning” to other universities. Harvard President Alan Garber earlier this month said the university has made changes to its governance over the past year and a half, including a broad strategy to combat antisemitism. He said Harvard would not budge on its “its core, legally-protected principles” over fears of retaliation. Harvard has said it will respond at a later time to allegations first raised by House Republicans about coordination with the ******** ********** Party. The threat to Harvard’s international enrollment stems from an April 16 request from Noem, who demanded that Harvard provide information about foreign students that might implicate them in violence or protests that could lead to their deportation. Noem said Harvard can regain its ability to host foreign students if it produces a trove of records on foreign students within 72 hours. Her updated request demands all records, including audio or video footage, of foreign students participating in protests or dangerous activity on campus. An earlier suit from the university challenged more than $2 billion in federal cuts imposed by the Republican administration. Source link #Harvard #sues #Trump #administration #international #student #enrollment #ban Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Harvard sues Trump admin over international student enrollment ba Harvard sues Trump admin over international student enrollment ba FILE PHOTO: People walk on the Business School campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., April 15, 2025. Faith Ninivaggi | Reuters Harvard University on Friday filed a lawsuit seeking to reverse the Trump administration’s ban on private school enrolling international students over its purported tolerance of “anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators” on campus. The suit came a day after the Department of Homeland Security revoked Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign students under the F-1 visa program at the behest of Secretary Kristi Noem. DHS said Harvard was barred from enrolling future international students, and that current foreign students enrolled at the school had to leave the school or risk losing their legal status in the United States. “Yesterday, the government abruptly revoked that certification without process or cause, to immediate and devastating effect for Harvard and more than 7,000 visa holders,” the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts said. “This revocation is a blatant violation of the First Amendment, the Due Process Clause, and the Administrative Procedure Act,” the suit says. “It is the latest act by the government in clear retaliation for Harvard exercising its First Amendment rights to reject the government’s demands to control Harvard’s governance, curriculum, and the ‘ideology’ of its faculty and students.” Read more CNBC politics coverage DHS on Thursday said it revoked Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification because the Ivy League school’s leadership “has created an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students, and otherwise obstruct its once-venerable learning environment.” This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates. Source link #Harvard #sues #Trump #admin #international #student #enrollment Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump’s 5% NATO spend target ‘very, very difficult’ to meet: Greek PM Trump’s 5% NATO spend target ‘very, very difficult’ to meet: Greek PM Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and ******* Chancellor Friedrich Merz (not pictured) speak to the media following talks at the Chancellery on May 13, 2025 in Berlin, Germany. Sean Gallup | Getty Images News | Getty Images It would be challenging for NATO members to deliver on U.S. President’s Donald Trump’s defense spending demands, Greece’s prime minister told CNBC. The White House leader has frequently called for NATO nations to increase their security contribution to 5% of their gross domestic product — a target Greece’s Kyriakos Mitsotakis questions can be met. “I think 5% frankly, is very, very difficult,” he said in an interview with CNBC’s Silvia Amaro that was aired on “Europe Early Edition” Friday. “If we’re talking about hard defense spending, I think 3.5% is probably the ceiling of … what could be sort of accepted,” Mitsotakis said. He nevertheless noted that the 5% mark could be a long-term target if broader expenses such as critical infrastructure were to fall under the spending umbrella. “So it really depends on how we do the accounting,” he noted. NATO chief Mark Rutte has reportedly suggested that NATO members should increase defense spending to 3.5% of GDP, while committing an additional 1.5% to wider security-related matters. Many NATO countries have historically struggled to meet the alliance’s currently lower 2% target, earning Trump’s ire. NATO estimates suggest the U.S. spent around 3.4% of its GDP on defense in 2024, with only two other allies — Poland and Estonia — allocating a ******* share of their economic power to security matters over the *******. Germany backs Trump’s push for 5% NATO defense spending target Poland has also already committed to boosting its defense spending to a level as high as 5% in the coming years, while other countries have been more cautious, warning that such expenditures could be difficult for them to manage. ******* Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul last week also indicated that the country was backing Trump’s target. The result of Rutte’s suggestion was “indeed the 5% demanded by President Trump, that he believes are necessary, and we are following him in this respect,” he said. A decision about new defense spending targets could be made at the next NATO summit in late June. Speaking to CNBC, Greece’s Mitsotakis said Trump was right to demand more defense expenditures from NATO allies. “Donald Trump was right when in 2017 he said you’re not doing your fair share, because we didn’t,” he said. “We understand now that there is no free lunch and we cannot free ride.” Greece itself spent nearly 3.1% of its GDP on defense last year, NATO estimates. Athens has been consistently exceeding the 2% target for many years and began ramping up defense expenses further in 2020 amid long-running tensions with its neighbor Turkey over issues including maritime borders. “We spend more than 3% for very specific reasons, and we were also advocating very much for a change in European rules to encourage us to be able to spend more,” Mitsotakis said, adding that there had been some progress in this area. European Union fiscal rules have for years restricted the extent of debt and budgetary deficits that a member country can incur. Recently, the European Commission has made moves toward easing fiscal constraints as part a wider security package. Speaking to CNBC, Mitsotakis — who has previously said the European Commission’s plans could be more ambitious — noted it was also important to continue discussions about a potential European facility to support defense spending. Source link #Trumps #NATO #spend #target #difficult #meet #Greek Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

OpenAI employees thwarted in efforts to donate equity in AI startup OpenAI employees thwarted in efforts to donate equity in AI startup OpenAI CEO Sam Altman testifies before a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing titled “Winning the AI Race: Strengthening U.S. Capabilities in Computing and Innovation,” on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 8, 2025. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters OpenAI’s skyrocketing valuation over the past few years has turned a lot of employees at the artificial intelligence startup into paper millionaires. But when those employees want to donate a portion of their equity to charity, they’ve been unable to do so, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. The company has deprioritized the issue despite employees’ concerns, said the people, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation. For OpenAI, which has a highly unusual equity structure due to its origination as a nonprofit, it’s a matter of maintaining tight control over the shareholder base. An OpenAI spokesperson told CNBC that the company isn’t singling out philanthropic donations, and is just practicing good governance. “We have a cap table for a reason and need to keep that cap table well-managed and know who’s on it,” the spokesperson said. Equity donations via donor-advised funds (DAFs) are a major consideration at high-valued startups because salaries tend to be modest, and a significant portion of an employee’s net worth is wrapped up in their options or stock holdings. By donating their equity instead of cash, workers can receive charitable deduction benefits and potentially avoid capital gains taxes and other levies, leading to an organization receiving as much as 40% more than it otherwise would, experts told CNBC. Read more CNBC reporting on AI What makes OpenAI unique among tech startups is that it was set up as a nonprofit research lab in 2015, and has continued to operate with a nonprofit parent, even as the company has commercialized products like ChatGPT and headed down a distinctly for-profit path. Rather than traditional equity, employees receive so-called profit participation units (PPUs) that can’t be transferred without company approval. It’s a topic that’s come up repeatedly at OpenAI in Slack threads, all-hands meeting and internal discussions, but the company has continued to resist making changes that would loosen restrictions, the sources familiar said. Last year, OpenAI held an employee tender offer, allowing staffers to sell some of their equity to the company. Executives and members of the company’s finance staff told employees at the time that they should be able to expect a charitable donation opportunity soon after the tender, two people said. But the company has indefinitely pushed back the timeline, according to the sources. At this point, one person said, OpenAI is “at least a year late” in offering the opportunity to donate. Meanwhile, the value of employee holdings keeps going up. In March, OpenAI closed a $40 billion financing round led by SoftBank at a $300 billion valuation. That’s up more than tenfold from early 2023, which was soon after the public launch of ChatGPT, and up twentyfold from two years before that. Go back to 2019, and the company was valued at $1 billion. Based on that math, a staffer who joined in 2019 with $100,000 worth of equity in the company would now own a stake worth about $3 million. OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar said at an all-hands meeting ahead of the latest financing that the company’s priority was closing its funding round, according to a person familiar with the matter. After that, Friar said the focus would be the company’s for-profit conversion, and OpenAI would eventually turn its attention to allowing charitable donations through stock, the person recalled. ‘Mystified’ In questions submitted by Slack ahead of the meeting, employees asked a lot about donating equity, sources said. “I’m mystified why a startup would disallow employees from contributing, because it’s a great opportunity not only for their charitable giving impulses but also for their taxes,” Christina Kramlich, co-founder of wealth management firm Cantata Wealth, said in an interview. Kramlich, who’s based in the Bay Area and has worked at multiple tech startups, said DAFs are “an incredibly winning strategy, from the perspective of the contributing donor, as well as the recipient charity.” DAFs allow employees to receive an immediate fair-market-value tax deduction and to avoid taxes, amounting to anywhere from 20% to 40% of the stock value, that would be incurred if they sold shares and then donated the cash proceeds. Employees can advise the DAF on their charities of choice. Because DAFs are tax-exempt nonprofits, they get the benefit of liquidating the employee’s shares without incurring capital gains, which all leads to more money for the charity. OpenAI confirmed that it has partnered with Dechomai as its donor-advised fund. OpenAI said it has offered two equity donation opportunities in the past — in 2021 and 2022 — and that it made a special exception for at least one employee in 2023. But sources told CNBC they’re still frustrated with the shifting timelines and that it’s been so long since the last opportunity. Some private companies have what amounts to veto power over any move employees make with their shares, a way to exercise greater control over their cap tables. OpenAI doesn’t allow employees to transfer their equity without explicit board approval, according to an agreement viewed by CNBC. OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman appears on screen during a talk with Microsoft Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella at the Microsoft Build 2025 conference in Seattle, May 19, 2025. Jason Redmond | AFP | Getty Images Once the company restructures — and potentially goes public down the road — it will be easier for it to facilitate equity donations, an OpenAI spokesperson said. OpenAI may have a vested interest in keeping certain charities off its cap table, because many employees are passionate about different, sometimes competing, facets of AI safety. Nonprofits focused on such issues could be seen as antagonistic to the company’s aggressive commercialization efforts. The dispute over stock donations isn’t the first time employees and management have been at odds over stock ownership. With no IPO on the near-term horizon and a price tag that makes OpenAI too expensive to be acquired, the only way for shareholders to presently realize any value from their equity is through secondary stock sales. While OpenAI has implemented plans to allow stakeholders to sell a portion of their shares annually, it previously had the power to claw back vested equity, limiting participation, CNBC reported last year. Soon after that report, OpenAI reversed its policies toward secondary share sales, allowing current and former employees to sell in the tender offers. But the issue of donations remains a concern. And while employees await that opportunity, they’re dealing with an increasingly complicated corporate structure. Earlier this month, OpenAI announced that a nonprofit would retain control of the company even as it restructures into a public benefit corporation. Bret Taylor, OpenAI’s board chairman, said that the move will alter the equity structure “so that employees, investors, and the not-for-profit can own equity in that PBC.” WATCH: What OpenAI’s structure move means for investors Source link #OpenAI #employees #thwarted #efforts #donate #equity #startup Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Hotel Architect Preview – Thumb Culture Hotel Architect Preview – Thumb Culture “The Watford-based (the ***) indie games publisher Wired Productions and Gothenburg-based (Sweden) Pathos Interactive, are today super delighted and excited to announce their hotel management sim “Hotel Architect” (the game is currently in development for PC and is said to be released via Steam sometime in the future).” – Jonas Ek, TGG. Source link #Hotel #Architect #Preview #Thumb #Culture Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Marvel Mystic Mayhem Sets Pre-registration And Launch Marvel Mystic Mayhem Sets Pre-registration And Launch The pending game has revealed launch and Pre-registration details. Source link #Marvel #Mystic #Mayhem #Sets #Preregistration #Launch Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Thermaltake brings enthusiast immersion liquid cooling closer to market with the IX700 Thermaltake brings enthusiast immersion liquid cooling closer to market with the IX700 If we ever had to name one thing that we got to see at every single Computex over the last 10 years or more, we would certainly mention immersion liquid-cooled PCs. While these systems were built by different companies and by different people, they all have one thing in common: they have never made it to the market. In fact, they were never meant to. However, it looks like Thermaltake and Enermax are serious about changing that. Thermaltake is developing its off-the-shelf IX700 solution that comprises a tank and a massive heat exchanger (CDU, cooling distribution unit). The company originally demonstrated a prototype of its IX700 at CES earlier this year, and since then, the unit has evolved greatly, as we observed at Computex 2025. Not only has the tank gotten a display showing CPU and GPU temperatures as well as their load, but the whole device now looks more like a real product rather than a prototype, which highlights the company’s serious intention to bring it to the market. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) The CDU, which looks really massive, supports four 420-mm intake radiators and 12 140-mm exhaust fans. This gives us a basic idea about the capabilities of the device. A typical all-in-one cooler with a 420-mm radiator and three fans is typically rated for a 350W–420W thermal energy dissipation under sustained load at full fan and pump speed. In optimal conditions (low ambient temp, high airflow), peak dissipation might approach 450W, though this probably means a lot of noise unless we have very good fans. Since the heat exchanger essentially packs four of such cooling systems, we can expect it to be able to dissipate 1,400W – 1,800W, which is probably enough for a high-end workstation or an enthusiast-grade desktop. Keep in mind that this is a pre-production device, and its performance may be optimized going forward. You may like (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Perhaps the key thing about Thermaltake’s IX700 is that it is meant to be sold as a regular case, so enthusiasts will be able to build their own setups and perhaps experiment with different liquids. For now, the IX700 is not close to mass production, so it is hard to say when Thermaltake will start shipments of the system. As for pricing, the company’s representatives at the booth said that the company was looking at a $2,000 price tag for the whole setup, though something tells us that the retail price will be higher. Image 1 of 6 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Keep in mind that the IX700 will come without the dialectic cooling liquid, and at around $2,000 – $3,000 per liter, the cost of the liquid will well exceed the cost of the whole PC system, including the case. This perhaps makes Enermax’s approach to sell a pre-built immersion-cooled AMD Threadripper-based system with four GeForce RTX 5090 GPUs for $50,000 a bit more rational choice for those who actually need such an innovative cooling method. Follow Tom’s Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Thermaltake #brings #enthusiast #immersion #liquid #cooling #closer #market #IX700 Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Musk’s DOGE expanding his Grok AI in U.S. government, raising conflict concerns Musk’s DOGE expanding his Grok AI in U.S. government, raising conflict concerns Elon Musk looks on as U.S. President Donald Trump meets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 21, 2025. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters Billionaire Elon Musk’s DOGE team is expanding use of his artificial intelligence chatbot Grok in the U.S. federal government to analyze data, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, potentially violating conflict-of-interest laws and putting at risk sensitive information on millions of Americans. Such use of Grok could reinforce concerns among privacy advocates and others that Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team appears to be casting aside long-established protections over the handling of sensitive data as President Donald Trump shakes up the U.S. bureaucracy. One of the three people familiar with the matter, who has knowledge of DOGE’s activities, said Musk’s team was using a customized version of the Grok chatbot. The apparent aim was for DOGE to sift through data more efficiently, this person said. “They ask questions, get it to prepare reports, give data analysis.” The second and third person said DOGE staff also told Department of Homeland Security officials to use it even though Grok had not been approved within the department. Reuters could not determine the specific data that had been fed into the generative AI tool or how the custom system was set up. Grok was developed by xAI, a tech operation that Musk launched in 2023 on his social media platform, X. If the data was sensitive or confidential government information, the arrangement could violate security and privacy laws, said five specialists in technology and government ethics. It could also give the Tesla and SpaceX CEO access to valuable nonpublic federal contracting data at agencies he privately does business with or be used to help train Grok, a process in which AI models analyze troves of data, the experts said. Musk could also gain an unfair competitive advantage over other AI service providers from use of Grok in the federal government, they added. Musk, the White House and xAI did not respond to requests for comment. A Homeland Security spokesperson denied DOGE had pressed DHS staff to use Grok. “DOGE hasn’t pushed any employees to use any particular tools or products,” said the spokesperson, who did not respond to further questions. “DOGE is here to find and fight waste, fraud and abuse.” Musk’s xAI, an industry newcomer compared to rivals OpenAI and Anthropic, says on its website that it may monitor Grok users for “specific business purposes.” “AI’s knowledge should be all-encompassing and as far-reaching as possible,” the website says. As part of Musk’s stated push to eliminate government waste and inefficiency, the billionaire and his DOGE team have accessed heavily safeguarded federal databases that store personal information on millions of Americans. Experts said that data is typically off limits to all but a handful of officials because of the risk that it could be sold, lost, leaked, violate the privacy of Americans or expose the country to security threats. Typically, data sharing within the federal government requires agency authorization and the involvement of government specialists to ensure compliance with privacy, confidentiality and other laws. Analyzing sensitive federal data with Grok would mark an important shift in the work of DOGE, a team of software engineers and others connected to Musk. They have overseen the firing of thousands of federal workers, seized control of sensitive data systems and sought to dismantle agencies in the name of combating alleged waste, fraud and abuse. “Given the scale of data that DOGE has amassed and given the numerous concerns of porting that data into software like Grok, this to me is about as serious a privacy threat as you get,” said Albert Fox Cahn, executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, a nonprofit that advocates for privacy. His concerns include the risk that government data will leak back to xAI, a private company, and a lack of clarity over who has access to this custom version of Grok. DOGE’s access to federal information could give Grok and xAI an edge over other potential AI contractors looking to provide government services, said Cary Coglianese, an expert on federal regulations and ethics at the University of Pennsylvania. “The company has a financial interest in insisting that their product be used by federal employees,” he said. “Appearance of self-dealing” In addition to using Grok for its own analysis of government data, DOGE staff told DHS officials over the last two months to use Grok even though it had not been approved for use at the sprawling agency, said the second and third person. DHS oversees border security, immigration enforcement, cybersecurity and other sensitive national security functions. If federal employees are officially given access to Grok for such use, the federal government has to pay Musk’s organization for access, the people said. “They were pushing it to be used across the department,” said one of the people. Reuters could not independently establish if and how much the federal government would have been charged to use Grok. Reporters also couldn’t determine if DHS workers followed the directive by DOGE staff to use Grok or ignored the request. DHS, under the previous Biden administration, created policies last year allowing its staff to use specific AI platforms, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the Claude chatbot developed by Anthropic and another AI tool developed by Grammarly. DHS also created an internal DHS chatbot. The aim was to make DHS among the first federal agencies to embrace the technology and use generative AI, which can write research reports and carry out other complex tasks in response to prompts. Under the policy, staff could use the commercial bots for non-sensitive, non-confidential data, while DHS’s internal bot could be fed more sensitive data, records posted on DHS’s website show. In May, DHS officials abruptly shut down employee access to all commercial AI tools – including ChatGPT – after workers were suspected of improperly using them with sensitive data, said the second and third sources. Instead, staff can still use the internal DHS AI tool. Reuters could not determine whether this prevented DOGE from promoting Grok at DHS. DHS did not respond to questions about the matter. Musk, the world’s richest person, told investors last month that he would reduce his time with DOGE to a day or two a week starting in May. As a special government employee, he can only serve for 130 days. It’s unclear when that term ends. If he reduces his hours to part time, he could extend his term beyond May. He has said, however, that his DOGE team will continue with their work as he winds down his role at the White House. If Musk was directly involved in decisions to use Grok, it could violate a criminal conflict-of-interest statute which bars officials — including special government employees — from participating in matters that could benefit them financially, said Richard Painter, ethics counsel to former Republican President George W. Bush and a University of Minnesota professor. “This gives the appearance that DOGE is pressuring agencies to use software to enrich Musk and xAI, and not to the benefit of the American people,” said Painter. The statute is rarely prosecuted but can result in fines or jail time. If DOGE staffers were pushing Grok’s use without Musk’s involvement, for instance to ingratiate themselves with the billionaire, that would be ethically problematic but not a violation of the conflict-of-interest statute, said Painter. “We can’t prosecute it, but it would be the job of the White House to prevent it. It gives the appearance of self-dealing.” The push to use Grok coincides with a larger DOGE effort led by two staffers on Musk’s team, Kyle Schutt and Edward Coristine, to use AI in the federal bureaucracy, said two other people familiar with DOGE’s operations. Coristine, a 19-year-old who has used the online moniker “Big ******,” is one of DOGE’s highest-profile members. Schutt and Coristine did not respond to requests for comment. DOGE staffers have attempted to gain access to DHS employee emails in recent months and ordered staff to train AI to identify communications suggesting an employee is not “loyal” to Trump’s political agenda, the two sources said. Reuters could not establish whether Grok was used for such surveillance. In the last few weeks, a group of roughly a dozen workers at a Department of Defense agency were told by a supervisor that an algorithmic tool was monitoring some of their computer activity, according to two additional people briefed on the conversations. Reuters also reviewed two separate text message exchanges by people who were directly involved in the conversations. The sources asked that the specific agency not be named out of concern over potential retribution. They were not aware of what tool was being used. Using AI to identify the personal political beliefs of employees could violate civil service laws aimed at shielding career civil servants from political interference, said Coglianese, the expert on federal regulations and ethics at the University of Pennsylvania. In a statement to Reuters, the Department of Defense said the department’s DOGE team had not been involved in any network monitoring nor had DOGE been “directed” to use any AI tools, including Grok. “It’s important to note that all government computers are inherently subject to monitoring as part of the standard user agreement,” said Kingsley Wilson, a Pentagon spokesperson. The department did not respond to follow-up questions about whether any new monitoring systems had been deployed recently. Source link #Musks #DOGE #expanding #Grok #U.S #government #raising #conflict #concerns Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Peter Molyneux explains why his infamous Kinect game Project Milo was never released Peter Molyneux explains why his infamous Kinect game Project Milo was never released Peter Molyneux has shed new light on how his unreleased Xbox 360 Kinect experiment Project Milo came about, and why it ultimately never saw the light of day. During the Nordic Game conference in Sweden this week, former Bullfrog and Lionhead founder Molyneux was asked during a Q&A what happened to Project Milo (also known as Milo & Kate), which had players using Kinect’s camera and microphone to talk to a young boy. According to Molyneux (as reported by GamesIndustry.biz), when Kinect was first shown to him by Microsoft engineer Alex Kipman, the device had a huge field-of-view which could see the entire room, and while Molyneux thought it was “incredible” he didn’t want to use it for energetic party-like games. “He said, ‘what do you think?’, and I said, ‘well, firstly’ – when he did the demo, he was jumping all over the room – ‘I’m a gamer, I don’t want to play games standing up,”” Molyneux recalled. “That’s the first thing. It doesn’t appeal to me, I want to sit back, I want to smoke what I smoke, and I want to drink what I want to drink, and I don’t want to prance around like a *****.” Deciding to think of a more sedentary way to make use of Kinect, Molyneux took inspiration from his 7-year-old son Lucas and the way that children at that age are particularly receptive to taking on new information. “Anyone who’s a parent will probably experience this,” he explained. “There was this moment where you realise you’re crafting, inspiring a human being. Wouldn’t it be an incredible thing to create a game around that feeling? Wouldn’t it be incredible to create an experience around that? About inspiring, in Milo’s case, a boy. That was contentious in itself, because of course, lots of people go to the dark side with that [idea].” Molyneux then went into more detail on the development of the game – including how they got around the voice recognition by ‘cheating’, whereas today it’s “almost a solved problem” with the likes of AI chatbots – before explaining why it was ultimately never released. According to Molyneux, the first blow was that the Kinect shown to him was eventually downgraded significantly, affecting the possibilities for the game. “Unfortunately, as we were developing Milo, so the Kinect device was being developed,” he said. “And they realised that the device that Alex Kipman first showed off would cost $5,000 for consumers to buy. So they cost-reduced that device down to such a point, where the field-of-view…I think it was a minuscule field-of-view. In other words, it could only just see what’s straight in front of you.” The final death knell for Project Milo in Molyneux’s eyes, however, was when Microsoft decided to market Kinect as a party device rather than a gaming device, something he had already colourfully explained he wasn’t in favour of. “The death blow of Milo, which still breaks my heart to this day, was that it was decided that Kinect shouldn’t be a gaming device, it should be a party device,” he explained. “You should play a sports game with it, or dancing games with it. So, it just didn’t fit into the Microsoft portfolio, and unfortunately the project was cancelled.” Molyneux concluded that nobody ever “saw the complete experience” because Project Milo was ultimately never finished. “But it was a magical thing,” he said. “What was so magical about it? It wasn’t about heroes and aliens coming down, there wasn’t this ‘end of the world’ narrative scenario. It was just experiencing what it’s like to hang out with someone that loves you.” Source link #Peter #Molyneux #explains #infamous #Kinect #game #Project #Milo #released Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]