Pelican Press

Donut King collaborates with Ovolo Sydney for National Donut Day ‘Hot Cinni Hotel’ experience Donut King collaborates with Ovolo Sydney for National Donut Day ‘Hot Cinni Hotel’ experience An Aussie food giant is offering an exclusive new experience for those who prefer their getaways on the sweet side. Source link #Donut #King #collaborates #Ovolo #Sydney #National #Donut #Day #Hot #Cinni #Hotel #experience Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

After Egypt and Japan, It’s Time for Assassin’s Creed India After Egypt and Japan, It’s Time for Assassin’s Creed India From the sun-scorched sands of Egypt to the misty mountain shrines of feudal Japan, Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series has taken us on a global historical rollercoaster. We’ve walked with pharaohs, schemed with Roman senators, and even battled with the Pope, all through the hidden blade. But as the franchise keeps expanding its map, one glaring omission remains: India. A land of empires, spies, spiritual philosophy, and colonial conflict, it is more than ready for a full-fledged AC title. Now that we have explored the much-anticipated Japan, the next leap of faith should be unmistakably Indian. Empire, intrigue, and intruders: Assassin’s Creed in early Colonial India Let’s set the stage: it’s mid-1500s to early 1600s, the height of the Mughal Empire. The majestic courts of Akbar and Jahangir are alive with politics, philosophy, and betrayal. But the shadows are growing thicker. European powers: first the Portuguese, then the Dutch and British, are arriving with smiles, silver, and sharp intentions. They build trade posts, whisper in royal ears, and soon, manipulate weak links in India’s vast web of kingdoms. In this setting, an Assassin could operate as a spy or adviser in the Mughal court, part of the growing Brotherhood in the East, navigating deadly games of court politics while tracking the true threat: a secret order of Templars hiding among the colonizers and corrupt nobles. Imagine traversing the red sandstone corridors of Fatehpur Sikri, slipping through crowded alleys in Surat, tailing Templars through the lush coasts of Kerala, or uncovering secrets in the colonial trading ports of Goa. All this to collect information about Templars who are embedded in European trading companies to control India through manipulation and technological relics (Pieces of Eden). The Brotherhood then tries to fight back, allied with forward-thinking Mughal minds who seek balance and freedom. Unlike war-torn titles like AC Unity, this game could lean into diplomacy, stealth, and political maneuvering, an Assassin’s bread and butter. India at this time is a melting pot of ideas: Islamic, Hindu, Persian, European, and local traditions, all coexisting and clashing. This can be woven beautifully into character dynamics, moral choices, and missions. Add some Hidden Blades and a charismatic Indian Assassin? You’ve got a masterpiece. Ubisoft’s record with history (and India) Assassin’s Creed needs a subcontinental upgrade. | Image Credit: Ubisoft Let’s be real, Ubisoft’s record with historical accuracy is a mixed bag. The perfect example is Assassin’s Creed Shadows, while the in-game Japan looks stunning and culturally rich, the decision around the protagonist sparked valid debate about authenticity and representation. We don’t expect textbook-perfect portrayals (there’s always been some bending of timelines and events for dramatic effect), but when you set a game in a culture as rich and nuanced as India’s, there’s a certain responsibility to get the tone, character, and context right. It’s not like Ubisoft hasn’t flirted with Indian aesthetics before. In Far Cry 4, which was set in a Himalayan country and inspired by Nepal and Northern India, it gave us Ajay Ghale, one of the few Indian protagonists in AAA gaming, but he was practically mute. And then there’s Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India, a beautiful 2.5D side-scroller starring Arbaaz Mir, but let’s face it, it wasn’t the full mainline Assassin’s Creed experience. The demand for representation isn’t about ticking boxes, it’s about telling powerful, authentic stories. India has a deep bench of real historical figures, revolutionaries, visionaries, and villains who could tell a deep, intricate story. So Ubisoft, after Shadows, takes us East again. Let’s run across palaces, stalk European spies in moonlit ports, and fight for freedom in the land of empires. Source link #Egypt #Japan #Time #Assassins #Creed #India Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The egg-drop experiment… but make it peer review The egg-drop experiment… but make it peer review Feedback is New Scientist’s popular sideways look at the latest science and technology news. You can submit items you believe may amuse readers to Feedback by emailing *****@*****.tld Egg versus ground Feedback still gets pulse-raising flashbacks to the lockdown of early 2020, when we were home-educating Feedback Jr and consequently had to teach said child how to do things that we didn’t ourselves know how to do. A substantial amount of time was consumed doing various science-themed activities, like looking for “mini-beasts” and setting up experiments, but at least we were spared the pain of the egg drop experiment. This classic science practical challenges kids to design a device that will protect an egg from cracking if you drop it onto a hard surface from a specified height. Feedback would probably glue a ********* umbrella to the egg, in the hopes that this makeshift parachute would slow its fall, then call it a day and go to have an actual *********. Others, however, take the egg drop experiment more seriously. Hence the study published in Communications Physics on 8 May – although we note it was accepted on 1 April, which seems telling. Physics reporter Karmela Padavic-Callaghan describes the endeavour as “egg drop experiment but make it peer review”. The researchers “contest the commonly held belief that an egg is strongest when dropped vertically on its end”. This refers to the conventional wisdom that, if you drop an egg with the blunt end down, it should be less likely to break, because the shell has more stiffness in the vertical direction. By conducting “hundreds of experiments”, supplemented with “static and dynamic simulations”, the researchers determined that eggs are actually more likely to break if they land vertically, so you are better off dropping them horizontally. They say: “Orienting the egg along its equator allowed it to reach 0.3 mm higher than in the vertical orientation without cracking, confirming a real albeit small advantage of dropping the egg along its equator.” If any readers are planning to throw eggs at any prominent public figures, you now have empirical guidance on how to ensure they break on impact. Alien maths Will we ever know what unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), previously known as unidentified flying objects (UFOs), really are? Almost certainly not, according to a paper by Karim Daghbouche at ******* non-profit organisation GridSAT Stiftung. Suppose you see a flying saucer or something else weird in the sky. You could use reverse engineering to work out what it is. By studying how it manoeuvres, you can make inferences about what kind of engine it has, and so forth. But, says Daghbouche, reverse-engineering UAPs is extremely difficult. Due to “the inherent challenges in data-gathering” and the possibility of “unknown physics”, inferring anything concrete like “unconventional propulsion systems” will always be “computationally intractable”. In fact, says Daghbouche, the mathematical problem is so hard that it is “NP-complete“: a maths term for a specific type of ultra-difficult problem. Worse, it “may escalate to PSPACE-hard or to an Entscheidungsproblem“. The latter, for those not versed in this kind of mathematics, is genuinely impossible. News editor Jacob Aron says, simply, “Incredible”. Feedback is inclined to agree: if your set of possible explanations includes aliens with unimaginable technology, plus time travellers and visitors from alternative dimensions, it’s going to be tricky to focus in on just one answer. This might be another instance of a “no ***** Sherlock”, a scientific study that works through a great deal of complexity only to arrive at a blindingly obvious conclusion. But is it really an NSS if it’s NP-complete? Of course, one might consider the more human-centric explanations for UAPs, which rely on concepts like “honest mistake”. In which case, the problem ceases to be NP-complete and becomes decidedly tractable. Feedback was struck by the final line of the paper’s abstract, where it says that, due to the difficulty of figuring out what they are, “UAP are as analogous to modern smartphones in the hands of Neanderthals”. Feedback is pretty sure that a Neanderthal would be able to figure out how to use an iPhone, and, for that matter, to develop a semi-sensible interpretation of UAPs. Squared away Since we’re in a mathematical frame of mind, Brendan Ashe writes in to point out that we are in a square year: 2025 is 45². There won’t be another one until 2116. This reminded Brendan of a curious experience a few years ago. Enduring a long car journey, he and his son passed the time by googling famous people who were born in one square year and died in the next. There weren’t many, but Russian neurologist Ivan Pavlov (of dogs and bells fame) “was born in 43 squared [1849] and died in 44 squared [1936]”. Then there came a dark twist. As Brendan relates: “We were also excited to note that Pope Francis was born in 44 squared, and I immediately foretold the Pope’s death in 2025.” There is a special psychological hell for those of us who make a throwaway joke like this, only for it to come true. “Now my prophecy has been fulfilled, I can’t help wondering how guilty I should feel,” says Brendan. Got a story for Feedback? You can send stories to Feedback by email at *****@*****.tld. Please include your home address. This week’s and past Feedbacks can be seen on our website. Source link #eggdrop #experiment.. #peer #review Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Apple devices to power Georgia hospital in a first for the U.S Apple devices to power Georgia hospital in a first for the U.S A customer carries an Apple MacBook Pro laptop outside an Apple store in Walnut Creek, California, US, on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Apple devices will power a hospital in Georgia, a first for the company as it continues its push into the health-care sector. Emory Healthcare on Thursday announced that its Emory Hillandale Hospital will be the first U.S. hospital that runs on Apple products, including the iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch, iMac and Mac mini. The devices will also integrate with software from Epic Systems, the leading electronic health record vendor in the nation. Hillandale is using Apple products because they are user-friendly, require less IT support, offer cybersecurity advantages and have long-lasting hardware and battery life, Emory executives told CNBC. Since this is new territory for the health system, Emory said it will closely monitor the devices to ensure they improve the organization’s quality of care. “It can certainly be a game changer that’s not been done anywhere else in the country,” Emory Healthcare CEO Dr. Joon Lee said in an interview. “And like everything else, it’s not going to be without its challenges, but it really opens the door to multiple possibilities.” Emory Healthcare is an academic health system in Georgia that operates 10 hospitals and supports roughly 26,400 employees. Its Hillandale facility is a 100-bed community hospital on the outskirts of the greater Atlanta metro area. “At Apple, we believe in technology’s power to improve lives,” Dr. Sumbul Desai, vice president of health at Apple, said in a statement to CNBC. “We’re thrilled that Emory Hillandale Hospital is using Apple products to deliver exceptional care — because doctors and nurses should have the best technology in the world to serve their patients.” The health system’s interest in using more Apple products was partially inspired by the major CrowdStrike outage that rocked businesses, including Emory, last July, said Dr. Ravi Thadhani, the executive vice president for health affairs of Emory University. More CNBC health coverage Thadhani said more than 20,000 of the health system’s devices were “paralyzed” by a faulty CrowdStrike software update, but notably, all of its Apple products were still working. In the aftermath of the outage, executives asked engineers from Apple and Epic to visit Emory and explore a deeper integration. “They were working on each other already, you could get Epic on an Apple device, but it wasn’t quick and it wasn’t seamless,” Thadhani said. “And so they came, they descended here.” Epic is Emory’s electronic health record, or EHR, provider. EHRs are digital versions of a patient’s medical history that are updated by doctors and nurses. The software is often referred to as the “central nervous system” of a health-care organization, said Seth Howard, Epic’s executive vice president of research and development. Howard said Epic has worked with Apple for many years, deploying apps for the iPhone as far back as 2010. Last year, the company released Epic on Mac, which made its complete suite of applications available on Apple’s computer operating system macOS. “The Epic on Mac project was really an extension and natural next step for us on this journey with Apple,” Howard said in an interview. Emory was an early adopter. Before Emory decided to roll out Apple devices throughout an entire hospital, it conducted a smaller pilot across one floor of a facility. Thadhani said the feedback from doctors and nurses was “phenomenal,” which gave the health system confidence to expand the scope. If the launch at Hillandale is a success, Lee said the health system could deploy Apple products across other Emory facilities in the future. “Certainly our intent and hope is that it will show a difference, and that we can expand and it will also be a model for other health systems across the country,” he said. Source link #Apple #devices #power #Georgia #hospital #U.S Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘I don’t work for you’ : Jeffries’ broadside against GOP megabill included testy exchange – Politico ‘I don’t work for you’ : Jeffries’ broadside against GOP megabill included testy exchange – Politico ‘I don’t work for you’ : Jeffries’ broadside against GOP megabill included testy exchange Politico‘Crisis and chaos’: Leading Dem torches Trump in brutal takedown NJ.comHouse Democrats WV NewsHakeem Jeffries Slams GOP Budget Proposal as ‘Tax Scam’ That Will ‘Hurt Veterans, Seniors, and Children’ BKReaderLEADER JEFFRIES: “THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DO NOT SUPPORT THIS EXTREME AND TOXIC BILL” Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (.gov) Source link #dont #work #Jeffries #broadside #GOP #megabill #included #testy #exchange #Politico Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Elden Ring Nightreign’s Death Penalty Might Be the Most Punishing in Soulsborne History Elden Ring Nightreign’s Death Penalty Might Be the Most Punishing in Soulsborne History Difficulty in FromSoftware titles is no joke, and Elden Ring Nightreign is aiming to continue the tradition in a much more punishing manner. Their last title, Elden Ring, shared the same fate, and its DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, one-upped it by having the hardest boss in a Soulsborne title with Promised Consort Radahn, so much so that he had to be nerfed heavily. If you thought Elden Ring couldn’t get any harder, well then, reconsider your thoughts because FromSoftware isn’t holding back with Elden Ring Nightreign. This game’s death penalty might be the most punishing feature that’s ever been in a Soulsborne game. Each death will lower your level in Elden Ring Nightreign We all know how punishing Elden Ring was, even though it’s considered to be the easiest Soulsborne title to get into. So what did FromSoftware do to make things easier? Absolutely nothing. That’s right, because losing a battle against a boss will cost you your hard-earned levels in Elden Ring Nightreign. The staple death penalty in every Soulsborne title is that you lose all your runes/souls and get transported back to your last site of grace/bonfire. Once you respawn, you can go get them, but if you fail to retrieve them and die again, those runes are lost forever. That part is still intact in Elden Ring Nightreign, but it gets so much worse. Once you’re downed, you’ll enter a Near-Death state, during which your movement speed will be slightly better than a snail’s and you have no option but to crawl around, waiting for your teammates to revive you with a single strike. If they fail to do so within the required time, you’ll die, and the penalty fully kicks in. Not only do you lose all your runes when it happens, but you also lose one level every time you get killed until you’re back to level 1, and you respawn at a random location close to where you died. The fact that the max level in the game is 15 makes matters worse. To add more salt to the wound, any enemy present near your dropped runes has a chance to steal it for themselves. Of course, you’ll be able to retrieve them if you strike those fools down. FromSoftware is committed to making a game that’ll have players coping and seething in anger, but also an experience that feels deeply satisfying and rewarding. Elden Ring Nightreign, being a little experimental in the Soulslike genre, is naturally deviating from the usual formula. Night is no time to die in Elden Ring Nightreign Be extra careful when it’s dark! | Credit: FromSoftware If you’re fighting a boss during the day, you can die all you want, barring the obvious drawbacks, and spawn at a nearby random location. However, if you get downed at night, you’ll remain in that state until your Nightfarers in shining armor, i.e., your friends, revive you, and save the current run. All you need to do is ensure that whenever you’re downed while fighting a night boss, a teammate is nearby so they can revive you and you can rejoin the battle. That’s also possible during the day, but the revival window is extremely short, so they’d better be hot-tailing it to your location. One more thing that you need to keep in mind is to avoid getting knocked out frequently, as the more you get knocked out, the more time it’ll take for your friends to revive you. The bluish gauges above your head when you’re downed will indicate how much time you have left before you meet Fia, or to put it simply, die. So, before you purchase the game and become a Nightfarer, think about the anger and unbridled rage that will flow through your veins once you start dying. But manners maketh man, right? Or does punishing death penalty do it? Find out soon enough. Elden Ring Nightreign launches on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on May 30, 2025. Source link #Elden #Ring #Nightreigns #Death #Penalty #Punishing #Soulsborne #History Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Quordle hints and answers for Friday, May 23 (game #1215) Quordle hints and answers for Friday, May 23 (game #1215) Looking for a different day? A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing ‘today’s game’ while others are playing ‘yesterday’s’. If you’re looking for Thursday’s puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, May 22 (game #1214). Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers. Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc’s Wordle today column covers the original viral word game. SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers. You may like Quordle today (game #1215) – hint #1 – Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today? • The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*. * Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too). Quordle today (game #1215) – hint #2 – repeated letters Do any of today’s Quordle answers contain repeated letters? • The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1. Quordle today (game #1215) – hint #3 – uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today? • No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today’s Quordle answers. Quordle today (game #1215 – hint #4 – starting letters (1) Do any of today’s Quordle puzzles start with the same letter? • The number of today’s Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0. If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you’re not ready yet then here’s one more clue to make things a lot easier: Quordle today (game #1215) – hint #5 – starting letters (2) What letters do today’s Quordle answers start with? • S • G • A • C Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM. Today’s best Get Better At Wordle deals Quordle today (game #1215) – the answers (Image credit: New York Times) The answers to today’s Quordle, game #1215, are… Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. This was a no-hesitation, “first thought best thought” round for me, where I went with the first word that came into my head. Of course, breezing through games like this quickly has more to do with playing Quordle a lot than any actual skills, as all these words have appeared in the game before. How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below. Daily Sequence today (game #1215) – the answers (Image credit: New York Times) The answers to today’s Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1215, are… Quordle answers: The past 20 Quordle #1214, Thursday, 22 May: LOSE, GLOVE, STINT, EXCEL Quordle #1213, Wednesday, 21 May: NOVEL, CHOSE, DIRTY, DONUT Quordle #1212, Tuesday, 20 May: DECOY, SHAKE, MAPLE, PURER Quordle #1211, Monday, 19 May: LINK, HANDY, DITCH, WAIVE Quordle #1210, Sunday, 18 May: QUACK, ******, PURGE, DOWNY Quordle #1209, Saturday, 17 May: STRIP, RANGE, UNITE, GEESE Quordle #1208, Friday, 16 May: SHEEP, SNUCK, DRIFT, BREAK Quordle #1207, Thursday, 15 May: PAINT, CROUP, PEDAL, FLUKE Quordle #1206, Wednesday, 14 May: FAVOR, METER, PICKY, MAKER Quordle #1205, Tuesday, 13 May: SCENT, AGAPE, POLAR, YEARN Quordle #1204, Monday, 12 May: ROYAL, ARGUE, BUNCH, READY Quordle #1203, Sunday, 11 May: QUASH, MUNCH, ALTER, UNDUE Quordle #1202, Saturday, 10 May: RELIC, BADGE, CHAMP, SATIN Quordle #1201, Friday, 9 May: MINUS, CRIME, NOSEY, SLAIN Quordle #1200, Thursday, 8 May: ELUDE, GREET, POPPY, ELITE Quordle #1199, Wednesday, 7 May: QUOTH, TRUNK, BESET, NAIVE Quordle #1198, Tuesday, 6 May: UNITE, SOGGY, FILET, PORCH Quordle #1197, Monday, 5 May: WREAK, COWER, STEAD, ****** Quordle #1196, Sunday, 4 May: PINCH, SMOKE, SCARY, CANNY Quordle #1195, Saturday, 3 May: PLUSH, VERGE, WROTE, CONDO Source link #Quordle #hints #answers #Friday #game Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

White crosses shown by US president not graves, says man who erected them White crosses shown by US president not graves, says man who erected them The man who organised a display of white crosses in South Africa, an image of which was shown by Donald Trump on Wednesday, has said that the US president was wrong when he described it as a “burial site”. Rob Hoatson said the crosses were put up on the roadside in KwaZulu-Natal province as a memorial to a couple who were killed on their farm in 2020. During a sometimes-tense meeting at the White House, Trump showed his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, a video of the crosses to bolster his argument that white farmers were being targeted. While acknowledging there was violence in his country, Ramaphosa rejected the idea that the Afrikaner ********* were being systematically killed. “These are burial sites… over 1,000 of white farmers and… those cars aren’t driving, they’re stopped there to pay respects to their family member who was killed,” Trump said as the video was playing in the Oval Office. Mr Hoatson, a 46-year-old farmer, said that while he had no issue with the video being used without his knowledge, Trump was known to “exaggerate” and he was happy to set the record straight about the striking image. “It’s not a burial site, but it was a memorial. It was not a permanent memorial that was erected. It was a temporary memorial,” he said. The crosses were set up to mark the deaths of Glen and Vida Rafferty, 63 and 60, who were Mr Hoatson’s neighbours and were killed on their farm in August 2020. Two men were convicted of their ******* in 2022. The memorial consisted of more than 2,500 white crosses that stretched along both sides of a road near the couple’s farm. It has since been taken down. “But the big issue here is not really whether it’s a burial site or whether it’s a memorial,” Mr Hoatson told the BBC and went on to talk about the murders of white farmers calling them “unacceptable” and “unnecessary”. When asked how he thought President Trump behaved in the meeting, he said: “I think Trump placed the facts… at the foot of Ramaphosa and asked him to respond to them. “And I thought the response was somewhat pitiful. There wasn’t a response. “So when President Ramaphosa said (last night) he’d never heard of it, he’d never seen it, you know, it was addressed specifically to him. I don’t buy that. I don’t believe that.” In the Oval Office, Ramaphosa did say there was “criminality in our country” adding that “people who do get killed through criminal activity are not only white people, the majority of them are ****** people”. South Africa does not release race-based crime figures, but the latest numbers show that nearly 10,000 people were murdered in the country between October and December 2024. Of these, a dozen were killed in farm attacks and of the 12, one was a farmer, while five were farm dwellers and four were employees, who are likely to have been ******. Some Afrikaner activists have celebrated Trump’s comments to Ramaphosa saying it put “the farm ******* crisis on the international agenda”. But leading Afrikaner political columnist Pieter du Toit, said what happened was the result of “months and years of exaggeration, hyperbole and misinformation fed into the American right-wing ecosystem by a range of South African activists”. Source link #White #crosses #shown #president #graves #man #erected Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Former Bungie Employees Claim Toxic Corporate Culture Is Killing The Studio From The Inside Former Bungie Employees Claim Toxic Corporate Culture Is Killing The Studio From The Inside Bungie has been the center of several controversies lately, and last week, it was accused of using stolen art assets in its upcoming extraction shooter Marathon. While Bungie has responded to the accusations–saying that a former artist was responsible and that it was investigating further–there have also been recent allegations that the studio’s work culture has become tainted by toxic leadership. Speaker to former IGN editor Destin Legarie–who now runs the independent games coverage channel Save State Plus–former Bungie employees spoke out about the state of the studio, claiming that leaders were quick to shut down ideas and would publicly berate staff. It’s also claimed that Bungie’s leadership brought up the idea of adding a subscription service to Destiny, but this idea was strongly rejected by the developers. Another example of the corporate culture at Bungie was that the studio’s management allegedly expressed concerns over armor sets that could be earned in Destiny 2’s PvP mode Trials of Osiris, because its design looked too good and could “impact” sales of cosmetic DLC. “Everything happening to Bungie is because of greed,” one of these former employees said to Legarie, while another alleges that Bungie’s current problems stem “from a lack of player empathy, disconnected leadership, and a corporate-first culture.” Bungie has faced numerous problems over the years, including mass layoffs following the release of Destiny 2’s The Final Shape expansion. Luke Smith and Mark Noseworthy, two senior executives at Bungie, were part of these layoffs, and general sentiment around Marathon has been tepid as its developers ask fans to give the game a chance. “Marathon could launch as a solid multiplayer shooter that is brimming with potential but thin on content. And in the dog-eat-dog world of multiplayer games, that could be a major issue,” Tamoor Hussain wrote in GameSpot’s hands-on preview of Marathon. Source link #Bungie #Employees #Claim #Toxic #Corporate #Culture #Killing #Studio Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Israeli museum victim ‘was planning to propose’ Israeli museum victim ‘was planning to propose’ Yaron Lischinsky was preparing to propose to his girlfriend Sarah Milgrim. He had just bought an engagement ring, and planned to ask on a trip to Jerusalem next week. But on Wednesday night in Washington, they were shot dead by a man who shouted “free Palestine” outside the Capital Jewish Museum as they left an event billed by organisers as a discussion of the Gaza crisis that aimed to “turn pain into purpose”. Their deaths have shocked colleagues at the Israeli embassy, sparked international outrage and prompted Israeli leaders to blame “rising hostility” and antisemitism after ****** attacked the country on 7 October, 2023. The ambassador in Washington Yechiel Leiter, paid tribute to the pair as a “beautiful couple”. They were “to be engaged”, he said. “The young man purchased a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem.” Mr Lischinsky, 28, worked in the embassy’s political department while Ms Milgrim, 26, had been a part of the public diplomacy department for a year and a half. He was a *******-born Israeli citizen, served three years in the Israel Defence Forces and held a master’s degree in government diplomacy and strategy from Reichman University. He described himself on LinkedIn as “proud to call both Jerusalem and Nuremberg home” and as a wanting to “expand the circle of peace with our Arab neighbour”. Friends told the BBC that Mr Lischinsky was a Christian with great belief in Israel. Jenny Havemann, from Ra’anana, Israel, and said he was a “nice, modest calm and friendly” man, “a part of a Christian Zionist group, and he was very into bringing Germans and Israelis together”. Ronen Shoval, another friend described him as “a very devout Christian” who had moved to Israel from Germany. Many people wanted to understand his background. He was a serious Christian believer.” According to her LinkedIn profile, Ms Milgrim had master’s degrees in international studies from the American University and another in natural resources and sustainable development from the UN University for Peace, as well as a bachelor’s in environmental studies from the University of Kansas. Tech2Peace, an advocacy group training young Palestinians and Israelis and promoting dialogue between them, said Ms Milgrim was an active volunteer who “brought people together with empathy and purpose”. “Her dedication to building a better future was evident in everything she did,” it said. “Her voice and spirit will be profoundly missed.” The Israeli embassy said that its “entire staff is heartbroken and devastated” by the couple’s deaths. “No words can express the depth of our grief and horror at this terrible loss.” The shooting has led to heightened security at Israeli diplomatic missions around the world. The deaths come as the war in Gaza enters is nineteenth month, following the ******-led assault of 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Since then, Israel’s military response has killed more than 53,000 people in Gaza, many of them women and children, according to the territory’s health ministry. Aid agencies and foreign governments, including Britain, have warned of an escalating humanitarian catastrophe, with famine looming. Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, is in custody and being questioned over Mr Lischinsky and Ms Milgrim’s deaths. Source link #Israeli #museum #victim #planning #propose Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Death end re;Quest Code Z Review [Capsule Computers] Death end re;Quest Code Z Review [Capsule Computers] Travis Bruno of Capsule Computers writes: “When it comes to Compile Heart, you never quite know what to expect from the developer. Their titles have run the gambit from being difficult strategy RPGs to lighter more simplistic entries that revel in their odd designs. This can include the way their writing is handled as well, ranging from breaking the fourth wall for comedy and making tons of referential jokes to trying to tell a straightforward and serious storyline, fans never quite know what to expect. This is what made the Death end re;Quest games such a shock to longtime fans when they arrived, as these even more niche RPGs seemed like the cute and fan-service filled offerings on the surface but hid a brutal layer beneath that facade. Now after two releases in the main series, the franchise returns with a spin-off in Death end re;Quest: Code Z, but is this another successful endeavor or a misstep into a deadly trap?” Source link #Death #reQuest #Code #Review #Capsule #Computers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Joe Rogan Is Reportedly Attending Church ‘Consistently,’ Christian Apologist Reveals Joe Rogan Is Reportedly Attending Church ‘Consistently,’ Christian Apologist Reveals Joe Rogan, who recently voiced skepticism about the Big Bang theory of evolution, is reportedly attending church on a regular basis. The 57-year-old Rogan, one of the most prominent podcasters in popular media, is attending church “consistent[ly],” according to Christian apologist Wesley Huff, who is leading Apologetics Canada. Huff, who sat down for a marathon episode of Rogan’s podcast in January, said he and the well-known podcast host “have had on-and-off communication since then,” adding, “I can tell you for a fact that he is attending church and that has been a consistent thing.” He continued, “Things are happening. And he’s a very inquisitive individual, and I think for the better in that he’s communicating with me and other people in his life who are influences that can speak into, you know, these issues of reliability and trustworthiness and verisimilitude of something like the pages of Scripture, and where he should and shouldn’t be looking for the information in regards to that.” The apologist said he is “very encouraged” by his conversations with Rogan. “We’re seeing what I don’t think is an exaggeration to say somewhat of a resurgence in interest in these topics that we’ve been talking about,” Huff said, referring to the uptick in ****** sales. Huff spoke in late February on the “Living Waters” podcast about his conversation with Rogan, saying he found Rogan’s comments and questions about Jesus hopeful. “I definitely got the vibe that he was mulling over the question about Jesus in a very thoughtful way,” Huff said. “What I said to Rogan was, ‘If Jesus is simply a moral example, you just need someone to pattern yourself after; you don’t need someone to save you.’ Because, in that sense, you can save yourself. And I honestly think the Jesus of history — the Jesus we read about in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — does not give you that option. In fact, He gives you the opposite: He says you cannot do it. You will strive and you will strive and you will end up working your way to hell.” As CBN News Digital previously reported, Rogan caused waves recently, when he cast doubt on the plausibility of the Big Bang theory of evolution, admitting it’s much easier — and even more logical — to conclude there is a Creator, like the resurrected Jesus, who sparked the beginning of life. “It’s funny, because people will be incredulous about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but yet, they’re convinced that the entire universe was smaller than a head of a pin and that for no reason that anyone has adequately explained to me, instantaneously became everything?” he said. You can check out that full story here. As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective. Source link #Joe #Rogan #Reportedly #Attending #Church #Consistently #Christian #Apologist #Reveals Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Embracer Has 76 Games Coming Out Soon, But One Kingdom Come 2-Sized AAA Game Is Delayed Embracer Has 76 Games Coming Out Soon, But One Kingdom Come 2-Sized AAA Game Is Delayed Embracer Group, the Swedish gaming behemoth that employs thousands of people around the world, has announced that it plans to launch 76 more games in the semi-near future. The company also confirmed that it’s getting a new name–going forward, Embracer Group will be called Fellowship Entertainment. As part of the company’s latest earnings briefing, it said these 76 games will be a mix of new IP, sequels, and remasters. Some of them include Metal Eden, the Gothic remake, Reanimal, Wreckreation, the next SpongeBob game, Norse: Oath of Blood, Killing Floor 3, and the recently delayed Marvel 1943: Ryse of Hydra. For Ryse of Hydra specifically, Embracer said this game is likely to bring in a lot of revenue but won’t be as profitable due to “shared economics with several other partners” as a high-profile licensed game. All of these games are due to release in the fiscal year 2025/2026, which runs April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026. A big AAA game delay Embracer went on to say that it has two AAA games set for release by the end of March 2026, and these include Killing Floor 3 and Rise of Hydra. The company had planned for a third AAA game to launch during that timeframe, but the company said today that it needs “a few more quarters to polish” and is now coming in the FY 2026/2027 timeframe (April 1, 2026-March 31, 2027). What this game is remains a mystery, but the company said it’s expected to have “financial dynamics” similar to Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, a game that was a huge hit and has sold more than 3 million copies so far. Looking further out, the company said it has nine more AAA games coming in FY 2026/2027 and FY 2027/2028, and this excludes titles financed by partners. Embracer said there is a chance that “one or a couple” of the games shift to FY 2028-2029, but in general, the company said it feels more confident these days that it can release more AAA games at a rate of more than one per year. A name change and other updates Going forward, Embracer Group will be known as Fellowship Entertainment, which itself replaces the previous working name Middle Earth & Friends. The company’s management has denied that getting ride of the Embracer name has anything to do with backlash against the company over its mass layoffs, canceled games, and taking $1 billion from the Saudi government. “We’re really proud of everything we’ve built as part of Embracer, and grateful for the support and trust we’ve received over the years. Now, as we take the step to become a separately listed company, it feels both exciting and, honestly, a little bit scary–but in a good way,” Embracer said of its name change. Fellowship Entertainment will have about 6,000 employees spread throughout 30 countries, and the division will handle the commercial rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, along with Kingdom Come Deliverance, Metro, Dead Island, Killing Floor, Darksiders, Tomb Raider, and Remnant, among numerous other franchises. Some of the companies owned by Fellowship Entertainment include 4A Games, Aspyr Media, CrazyLabs, Crystal Dynamics, Dambuster Studios, Dark Horse, Deca Games, Eidos-Montréal, Flying Wild Hog, Gunfire Games, Limited Run Games, Middle-earth Enterprises, Milestone, PLAION, Tarsier Studios, THQ Nordic, Tripwire Interactive, Vertigo Games, and Warhorse Studios, along with 40+ others. Source link #Embracer #Games #Coming #Kingdom #2Sized #AAA #Game #Delayed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cooler Master is working on an all-aluminum case fan that spins up to 4,000 RPM Cooler Master is working on an all-aluminum case fan that spins up to 4,000 RPM Cooler Master’s latest MasterFan XT lineup is getting thicker, bulking up to 30 mm versus the typical 25 mm. This is a trend we’ve seen with new fans from from Hyte, Lian Li, and others, as the extra thickness increases the blade area, improving airflow and static pressure, or reducing the fan speed while maintaining the same performance as a standard 25 mm-thick fan. But while the standard XT fans will be made using the typical plastic blades and frame, and will come in standard 120 mm and 140 mm sizes to fit your case and cooling needs, the company also showed off an XT Pro model, with an all-aluminum frame and fan blades. A company representative says this reduces vibration and noise, also allowing for slower fan rotation and quieter operation. There’s a good chance that, if you’re paying extra for a premium metal fan, you care more about absolute air-moving performance than silent operation. And to that end, Cooler Master says its aluminum MF XT Pro fans will be able to operate at 4,000 RPM, 33% faster than the lesser XT models. That’s a speed more typical of server rooms than reasonably quiet-running PCs, so it will be interesting to hear what these spinners sound (as well as perform) like inside a case. But of course, in typical gaming or mainstream productivity workloads, these fans should never need to reach their max speed. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Still, when you’re going to ship a product with metal blades that’s designed to spin at extreme speeds, injuries and liability become a concern. A Cooler Master representative tells me that all of the Cooler Master MF XT Pro fans will ship with a fin grill to protect your fingers. Presumably that’s from the front, though. You’ll definitely want to make sure you turn off your PC before fumbling around inside the case if you have one of these fans in your next build. But physical dangers aside, there have been controversies about metal fans over-promising and under-delivering in recent years. So I’m OK with the fact that Cooler Master doesn’t have a release date yet for its MF XT Pro aluminum fans. I’d prefer the company keep working on them until they deliver the kind of class-leading performance to match what will certainly be a substantially higher price than most PC fans. Until then, we’ll just have to live with the typical plastic or, in the higher-end models, glass-reinforced liquid crystal polymer (LCP) fans available to PC builders today. 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. You may like Source link #Cooler #Master #working #allaluminum #case #fan #spins #RPM Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

U.S. tariffs pose a ‘real challenge’ to Europe, Barclays CEO says U.S. tariffs pose a ‘real challenge’ to Europe, Barclays CEO says Barclays CEO C. S. Venkatakrishnan speak during the Barclays Sustainable Finance conference in New York City, U.S., March 19, 2024. Brendan McDermid | Reuters Washington’s protectionist trade policies are posing a “real challenge” to European nations as they seek to raise their security contributions, according to Barclays CEO C. S. Venkatakrishnan. “I think Europe has a real challenge in adjusting to tariffs. It’s got to find space, fiscal space, to increase defense spending, and it’s got to look at consolidation in financial institutions, in within its market,” the executive told CNBC’s Steve Sedgwick on Thursday. The European Union currently faces a 25% U.S. import tariff on its steel, aluminum and cars and was in April struck with an additional 20% “reciprocal” levy under the White House’s fresh wide-spanning trade policies. The latter duty has been temporarily reduced to 10% during a 90-day reprieve that expires in July, paving the way for Washington and the 27-member European bloc to join the negotiations table for a more favorable trade agreement. A deal has yet to be struck, with markets mired in uncertainty and with concerns mounting over the EU’s economic growth outlook and potential inflationary and recessionary risks in the world’s largest economy. The trade developments affecting the two historically allied nations have cast a shadow on the EU’s efforts to overhaul its fiscal policies and galvanize defense spending under the bloc’s “ReArm Europe Plan.” The volatility has encumbered companies that seek to understand the impact of tariffs and regulation on their business model, Barclays’ Venkatakrishnan said. “You can look at the companies that have withdrawn earnings guidance over the year, and those are the industries that are more deeply affected. And there, they might decide — not now, but over time — that there needs to be further consolidation or further rewiring of their business models,” he said. “And then activity will increase, and we can help them. And then there are others who are … taking advantage of the relative calm to continue to expand their businesses.” British bank Barclays has had a notable presence stateside since absorbing the investment banking and capital markets businesses of collapsed Wall Street titan Lehman Brothers for $1.75 billion. The lender is navigating calmer seas at home, after Trump unveiled the broad outline of a U.S.-U.K. trade deal earlier this month and Britain scored another major win earlier this week through an agreement to reset its relationship with the EU after departing the bloc in 2020. Still, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour administration must battle the dragon of surging inflation and public skepticism over Finance Minister Rachel Reeves’ planned tax increases. A vocal Reeves supporter, Venkatakrishnan on Thursday said the current government remains “absolutely” on track with its economic steps and outlined the hurdles before the British economy: “We’re not seeing consumer distress. We’re in fact, seeing conduit continued consumer strength, but it’s coming because of people managing their balances and their finances prudently. So economizing. The job market is still strong,” he said. “But, as you see, even in the last couple of days, people are worried about inflation. People are worried about cost, whether it’s winter fuel bills or whether it’s more generalized inflation from tariffs, and the only real answer to that is growth.” Source link #U.S #tariffs #pose #real #challenge #Europe #Barclays #CEO Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

JDM: Japanese Drift Master Review – Drive Sideways | Terminal Gamer JDM: Japanese Drift Master Review – Drive Sideways | Terminal Gamer WTMG’s Leo Faria: “I would have legitimately given JDM: Japanese Drift Master an even higher score if it wasn’t for the somewhat lacklustre amount of content it offers as of now. The foundation for a truly spectacular love letter to Need for Speed Underground 2 can be clearly seen when you’re cruising around Japan with your ******* out ride. It’s an amazing game technically-speaking, it just needs more meat, some extra cars and modes. It actually feels original, and you can obviously notice the amount of love and effort put into every single corner of its map. Just add more sushi to this platter and it will become one hell of a feast.” Source link #JDM #Japanese #Drift #Master #Review #Drive #Sideways #Terminal #Gamer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Asus ROG Strix 1000W Platinum power supply review Asus ROG Strix 1000W Platinum power supply review 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. Asus is a globally recognized technology leader, renowned for delivering high-performance hardware solutions across a broad spectrum of consumer and enthusiast markets. With decades of engineering experience and a well-established presence in the gaming industry through its Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand, Asus’ product portfolio spans motherboards, graphics cards, displays, peripherals, and power supply units, with a myriad of products seeking to cater to everyone’s needs. We examine the Asus ROG Strix 1000P to determine if it deserves a spot in our best power supplies list. The Strix 1000P is a visually extravagant premium ATX 3.1 power supply unit that targets PC gamers and younger audiences. Developed in collaboration with Great Wall, one of the most reputable OEMs in the power supply industry, it combines visual flair with modern power delivery technologies, a fully modular interface, and compliance with the latest ATX specifications. Specifications and Design Swipe to scroll horizontally Asus ROG Strix Platinum ATX 3.1 Power specifications (Rated @ 50 °C) RAIL +3.3V +5V +12V +5Vsb -12V MAX OUTPUT 25A 25A 83.3A 3A 0.3A Row 2 – Cell 0 130W Row 2 – Cell 2 1000W 15W 3.6W TOTAL 1000W Row 3 – Cell 2 Row 3 – Cell 3 Row 3 – Cell 4 Row 3 – Cell 5 AC INPUT 100 – 240 VAC, 50 – 60 Hz Row 4 – Cell 2 Row 4 – Cell 3 Row 4 – Cell 4 Row 4 – Cell 5 PRICE $280 Row 5 – Cell 2 Row 5 – Cell 3 Row 5 – Cell 4 Row 5 – Cell 5 In the Box We received the ROG Strix 1000P in a large, rigid cardboard carton with fancy, colorful artwork covering all sides. Upon opening, the PSU is snugly contained within a nylon pouch, with thick foam inserts on all sides to prevent damage during shipping. You may like (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Accompanying the unit is a thoughtfully curated accessory set. Asus includes a standard AC power cable, ****** mounting screws, multiple nylon cable ties for basic bundling, and three reusable Velcro‑style cable straps. Additionally, users receive an assortment of stickers in alternate accent colors, enabling personalization of the chassis cutouts. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) The Strix 1000P’s fully modular cables are individually sleeved, matching the connectors’ ****** housings. All standard cables — 24‑pin ATX, 8‑pin EPS, PCIe, SATA, and peripheral — feature consistent ****** wiring and fitting. The sole exception is the 12 V‑2×6 pin PCIe cable, which integrates a purple 2‑pin voltage‑sense connector to monitor GPU voltage and dynamically adjust output. Cable flexibility is excellent, thanks to thin‑gauge sleeving and high‑strand‑count conductors, facilitating clean routing and tight bends with minimal mechanical resistance. The total quantity of connectors is very conservative for a unit of this power output. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Swipe to scroll horizontally Asus ROG Strix Platinum ATX 3.1 PSU Connector type Hardwired Modular ATX 24 Pin – 1 EPS 4+4 Pin – 2 EPS 8 Pin – – PCI-E 5.0 – 1 PCI-E 8 Pin – 4 SATA – 6 Molex – 3 Floppy – – External Appearance At 160 mm in length, the Strix 1000P slightly exceeds the ATX specification by 10 mm but remains compatible with the vast majority of mid‑tower and full‑tower chassis. The reviewed ****** variant is finished in a uniform satin‑****** powder coat that resists fingerprints and minor abrasions. Asus placed significant effort into making the unit stand out visually. The fan intake is covered by an integrated steel grille featuring repeated “STRIX” cutouts, clearly forgoing aerodynamics for brand reinforcement. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Aggressive decorative cutouts with polished chrome inserts cover the sides of the housing, creating strong visual contrast. Users can use the included stickers to replace the chrome parts with colors, if they so wish. A triangular, half‑panel sticker on the top surface lists the electrical specifications and certifications of the unit. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) On the rear, the AC inlet and rocker‑style on/off switch occupy the left side, followed by a toggle switch to engage or disengage Asus’s hybrid fan mode. The front of the unit is littered with the connectors for the modular cables, with a basic legend etched around them. Above the connectors, Asus subtly etched a ROG logo. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Internal Design The heart of the Strix 1000P’s thermal management is a Champion CF1325L12D 135 mm dual‑ball‑bearing fan. With a relatively low maximum speed of 1600 RPM, the dual-ball bearing fan offers superior long‑term reliability and temperature resilience compared to sleeve‑bearing counterparts. Dual‑ball bearings, however, are typically loud at higher speeds and thus manufacturers tend to avoid using them. Taking into consideration that Asus is also boasting about this unit’s thermal performance, it is very odd that they opted for a ball-bearing fan at all. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) The OEM behind the creation of the ROG Strix 1000P is Great Wall, one of the most popular ******** OEMs of PC PSUs. Its platforms are more commonly found behind top-tier products. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) The unit’s input filtering stage consists of four Y capacitors, two X capacitors, and two filtering inductors, forming a fairly standard configuration for a 1000W PSU. Two rectifying bridges are mounted on a fairly large heatsink following the filtering stage. The Active Power Factor Correction (APFC) stage resides on the primary “ROG” heatsink, which occupies roughly 30 % of the internal volume. It employs a GaN MOSFET paired with a fast‑recovery diode to minimize switching losses at high frequencies. Passive PFC components include a Rubycon 680 µF capacitor, a Nichicon 330 µF capacitor, and an encased inductor. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) The primary inversion stage uses a half‑bridge LLC topology, with two R6035VNX3 MOSFETs mounted on another large heatsink near the primary transformer. On the secondary side, six MOSFETs found on a vertical PCB right next to the transformer generate the primary 12V line, with a large dedicated heatsink tightly attached to them. DC-to-DC circuits on a large vertical daughterboard generate the 3.3V and 5V lines. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) The secondary side capacitors are a mix of Nippon Chemi-****, Nichicon and Rubycon products. There are a few electrolytic capacitors but most are solid-state products. All come from top-tier Japanese manufacturers. The unit’s heatsinks are massive for a unit of this power output and efficiency. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Cold Test Results Cold Test Results (25°C Ambient) For testing of power supplies, we use high precision electronic loads with a maximum power draw of 2700 Watts, a Rigol DS5042M 40 MHz oscilloscope, an Extech 380803 power analyzer, two high precision UNI-T UT-325 digital thermometers, an Extech HD600 SPL meter, a self-designed hotbox, and various other bits and parts. Image 1 of 5 (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) Under these conditions, the ROG Strix 1000P achieved 91.4 % average efficiency at 115 VAC and 92.9 % at 230 VAC across the 10 % to 100 % load range, comfortably meeting and exceeding 80Plus Platinum and Cybenetics Platinum requirements. The highest efficiency point was recorded at roughly 45 % load, where efficiency peaked at 94.2%. The unit is also highly efficient at very low loads, especially with a 115 VAC power supply. The fan does not engage until the load is greater than 400 watts, eliminating audible noise. Beyond this threshold, the fan begins spinning and speeds up linearly alongside the load, making a sharp jump at maximum load but never going anywhere near its maximum speed. Relatively speaking, noise figures are very low for a 1000W PSU, as are the unit’s internal temperatures. Hot Test Results Hot Test Results (~45°C Ambient) In our custom hotbox environment, the Strix 1000P’s average efficiency decreased marginally to 90.8 % at 115 VAC and 92.2 % at 230 VAC. The most pronounced efficiency decline was at mid‑load (50 %), where it dropped to 93.5%, representing a 0.7% reduction from cold‑room measurements. The unit showed absolutely no signs of thermal stressing. Image 1 of 5 (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) Fan activation shifted to near 300 W under hot conditions, engaging earlier to maintain safe internal temperatures. Ramp‑up was just a little more aggressive but still linear, with the fan hitting its maximum speed only if the unit is fully loaded for a significant amount of time. The low maximum speed of the fan prevents it from rising the dB(A) readings too high, although the ball-bearing engine is clearly audible when the unit is heavily loaded. The internal temperatures of the unit remain very low. PSU Quality and Bottom Line Power Supply Quality The Asus ROG Strix 1000P power supply demonstrated great electrical performance and power output quality overall. Ripple measurements under full‑load conditions revealed maximum peak‑to‑peak deviations of 28 mV on the 12 V rail, 12 mV on the 5 V rail, and 20 mV on the 3.3 V rail, all well below the ATX 3.1 specification limits of 120 mV, 50 mV, and 50 mV, respectively. The voltage ripple filtering is outstanding, with very low mV figures on the 12V voltage line. Asus slightly neglected the 3.3V line, which is very well within the expected performance parameters, but clearly not as well regulated and filtered as the 5V and 12V lines. During our thorough assessment, we evaluate the essential protection features of every power supply unit we review, including Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP), Over Power Protection (OPP), and Short Circuit Protection (SCP). All protection mechanisms were activated and functioned correctly during testing. The OCP limits were set at 130% for the 3.3V rail, 132% for the 5V rail, and 116% for the 12V rail, while Over Power Protection (OPP) triggered at 116% under hot conditions. The protection features work very well, with the OCP/OPP triggers modestly set for an ATX 3.1 unit. Swipe to scroll horizontally Main Output Load (Watts) 201.24W Row 0 – Cell 2 502.05W Row 0 – Cell 4 751.8W Row 0 – Cell 6 1001.25W Row 0 – Cell 8 Load (Percent) 20.12% Row 1 – Cell 2 50.12% Row 1 – Cell 4 75.18% Row 1 – Cell 6 100.12% Row 1 – Cell 8 Amperes Volts Amperes Volts Amperes Volts Amperes Volts 3.3 V 2.27 3.36 5.66 3.35 8.5 3.34 11.33 3.32 5 V 2.27 5.07 5.66 5.05 8.5 5.04 11.33 5.02 12 V 15.1 12.06 37.75 12.04 56.62 12.02 75.5 12.01 Row 6 – Cell 0 Row 6 – Cell 1 Row 6 – Cell 2 Row 6 – Cell 3 Row 6 – Cell 4 Row 6 – Cell 5 Row 6 – Cell 6 Row 6 – Cell 7 Row 6 – Cell 8 Swipe to scroll horizontally Line Regulation (20% to 100% load) Voltage Ripple (mV) Row 0 – Cell 3 Row 0 – Cell 4 Row 0 – Cell 5 Row 0 – Cell 6 Row 0 – Cell 7 Row 1 – Cell 0 Row 1 – Cell 1 20% Load 50% Load 75% Load 100% Load CL1 12V CL2 3.3V + 5V 3.3V 1.1% 10 8 16 20 12 20 5V 1% 12 8 10 12 10 12 12V 0.4% 12 16 20 28 26 20 Bottom Line The Asus ROG Strix 1000P ATX 3.1 is a premium power supply unit clearly tailored to the gaming and enthusiast demographic, with a particular appeal to younger audiences and PC modders who seek aggressive styling as much as performance. With its striking aesthetic, including interchangeable color accents, decorative chrome cutouts, and a stylized “STRIX” fan grille, the unit prioritizes visual presence, but not at the expense of functionality. It is fully modular and equipped with flexible, individually sleeved cables, making it suitable for clean builds with an emphasis on appearance. However, the total number of connectors is relatively conservative for a 1000-Watt PSU, limiting expansion for systems with multiple GPUs or large peripheral arrays. Features like the 12V-2×6 cable’s purple voltage-sensing pin attempt to introduce innovation, though the practical benefits of this remain questionable. The GPU voltage stabilizer feature seems to be a marketing gimmick more than anything else, and thankfully so. Otherwise, the PSU would be overvolting everything every time the GPU had a significant power demand. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Electrically, the ROG Strix 1000P performs very well and fully complies with the ATX 3.1 specification. Voltage regulation is excellent, staying within 0.4% for the 12 V rail and just above 1% for the minor rails. Ripple suppression is also impressive, with values of 28 mV for the 12 V rail, 12 mV for the 5 V, and 20 mV for the 3.3 V rail, all well below industry limits. These figures point to a design built for power delivery stability, suitable for high-end gaming PCs and workstations. The OCP and OPP protection features function correctly, with the trigger points modestly set for safety. Regarding thermal and acoustic performance, the Strix 1000P maintains very low internal temperatures, mostly because of its oversized heatsinks. Despite the fan’s dual ball bearing design, it only becomes audible under high loads or in very adverse environments. The zero-RPM mode is effective, keeping the unit dead silent up to around 300–400 watts, depending on ambient conditions. Once the fan is active, it ramps gradually and does not reach its maximum unless the PSU is heavily loaded for an extended *******. However, when it does reach higher speeds, the fan’s bearing noise becomes noticeable. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) In conclusion, the Asus ROG Strix 1000P is a well-engineered PSU that delivers excellent electrical performance and respectable thermal behavior. Its standout visual design and customization options are certainly meant to attract its intended gaming audience, though its very aggressive design and some design choices, such as the use of a ball bearing fan and the inclusion of the voltage-sensing pin, may raise questions about necessity versus marketing. At $280 for the ****** version and $235 for the white at the time of this review, it is priced significantly higher than other units with similar performance. While it does include a 10-year warranty, potential buyers should carefully weigh whether the aesthetic enhancements and brand premium justify the extra cost. MORE: Best Power Supplies MORE: How We Test Power Supplies MORE: All Power Supply Content Source link #Asus #ROG #Strix #1000W #Platinum #power #supply #review Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

UnitedHealthcare faces backlash and stock price decline UnitedHealthcare faces backlash and stock price decline Flags fly at half staff outside the United Healthcare corporate headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Dec. 4, 2024. Stephen Maturen | Getty Images News | Getty Images It took six months, countless hours on hold and intervention from state regulators before Sue Cover says she finally resolved an over $1,000 billing dispute with UnitedHealthcare in 2023. Cover, 46, said she was overbilled for emergency room visits for her and her son, along with a standard ultrasound. While Cover said her family would eventually have been able to pay the sum, she said it would have been a financial strain on them. Cover, a San Diego benefits advocate, said she had conversations with UnitedHealthcare that “felt like a circular dance.” Cover said she picked through dense policy language and fielded frequent calls from creditors. She said the experience felt designed to exhaust patients into submission. “It sometimes took my entire day of just sitting on the phone, being on hold with the hospital or the insurance company,” Cover said. Cover’s experience is familiar to many Americans. And it embodies rising public furor toward insurers and in particular UnitedHealthcare, the largest private health insurer in the U.S., which has become the poster child for problems with the U.S. insurance industry and the nation’s sprawling health-care system. The company and other insurers have faced backlash from patients who say they were denied necessary care, providers who say they are buried in red tape and lawmakers who say they are alarmed by its vast influence. UnitedHealthcare in a statement said it is working with Cover’s provider to “understand the facts of these claims.” The company said it is “unfortunate that CNBC rushed to publish this story without allowing us and the provider adequate time to review.” CNBC provided the company several days to review Cover’s situation before publication. Andrew Witty, CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s company, UnitedHealth Group, stepped down earlier this month for what the company called “personal reasons.” Witty had led the company through the thick of public and investor blowback. The insurer also pulled its 2025 earnings guidance this month, partly due to rising medical costs, it said. UnitedHealth Group is by far the biggest company in the insurance industry by market cap, worth nearly $275 billion. It controls an estimated 15% of the U.S. health insurance market, serving more than 29 million Americans, according to a 2024 report from the American Medical Association. Meanwhile, competitors Elevance Health and CVS Health control an estimated 12% of the market each. It’s no surprise that a company with such a wide reach faces public blowback. But the personal and financial sensitivity of health care makes the venom directed at UnitedHealth unique, some experts told CNBC. Shares of UnitedHealth Group are down about 40% this year following a string of setbacks for the company, despite a temporary reprieve sparked in part by share purchases by company insiders. In the last month alone, UnitedHealth Group has lost nearly $300 billion of its $600 billion market cap following Witty’s exit, the company’s rough first-quarter earnings and a reported criminal probe into possible Medicare fraud. In a statement about the investigation, UnitedHealth Group said, “We stand by the integrity of our Medicare Advantage program.” Over the years, UnitedHealthcare and other insurers have also faced numerous patient and shareholder lawsuits and several other government investigations. UnitedHealth Group is also contending with the fallout from a February 2024 ransomware attack on Change Healthcare, a subsidiary that processes a significant portion of the country’s medical claims. More recently, UnitedHealthcare became a symbol for outrage toward insurers following the fatal shooting of its CEO, Brian Thompson, in December. Thompson’s death reignited calls to reform what many advocates and lawmakers say is an opaque industry that puts profits above patients. The problems go deeper than UnitedHealth Group: Insurers are just one piece of what some experts call a broken U.S. health-care system, where many stakeholders, including drugmakers and pharmacy benefit managers, are trying to balance patient care with making money. Still, experts emphasized that insurers’ cost-cutting tactics — from denying claims to charging higher premiums — can delay or block crucial treatment, leave patients with unexpected bills, they say, or in some cases, even mean the difference between life and death. In a statement, UnitedHealthcare said it is “unfortunate that CNBC appears to be drawing broad conclusions based on a small number of anecdotes.” What’s wrong with the health-care industry Traders work at the post where UnitedHealth Group is traded on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Brendan McDermid | Reuters Frustration with insurers is a symptom of a broader problem: a convoluted health-care system that costs the U.S. more than $4 trillion annually. U.S. patients spend far more on health care than people anywhere else in the world, yet have the lowest life expectancy among large, wealthy countries, according to the Commonwealth Fund, an independent research group. Over the past five years, U.S. spending on insurance premiums, out-of-pocket co-payments, pharmaceuticals and hospital services has also increased, government data show. While many developed countries have significant control over costs because they provide universal coverage, the U.S. relies on a patchwork of public and private insurance, often using profit-driven middlemen to manage care, said Howard Lapin, adjunct professor at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. But the biggest driver of U.S. health spending isn’t how much patients use care — it’s prices, said Richard Hirth, professor of health management and policy at the University of Michigan. There is “unbelievable inflation of the prices that are being charged primarily by hospitals, but also drug companies and other providers in the system,” said Sabrina Corlette, co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University. Lapin said factors such as overtreatment, fraud, health-care consolidation and administrative overhead raise costs for payers and providers, who then pass those on through higher prices. U.S. prescription drug prices are also two to three times higher than those in other developed countries, partly due to limited price regulation and pharmaceutical industry practices such as patent extensions. While patients often blame insurers, the companies are only part of the problem. Some experts argue that eliminating their profits wouldn’t drastically lower U.S. health-care costs. Still, UnitedHealthcare and other insurers have become easy targets for patient frustration — and not without reason, according to industry experts. Their for-profit business model centers on managing claims to limit payouts, while complying with regulations and keeping customers content. That often means denying services deemed medically unnecessary, experts said. But at times, insurers reject care that patients need, leaving them without vital treatment or saddled with hefty bills, they added. Insurers use tools such as deductibles, co-pays, and prior authorization — or requiring approval before certain treatments — to control costs. Industry experts say companies are increasingly relying on artificial intelligence to review claims, and that can sometimes lead to inaccurate denials. “It’s all part of the same business model — to avoid paying as many claims as possible in a timely fashion,” said Dylan Roby, an affiliate at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. How UnitedHealth Group got so powerful Andrew Witty, CEO of UnitedHealth Group, testifies during the Senate Finance Committee hearing titled “Hacking America’s Health Care: Assessing the Change Healthcare Cyber Attack and What’s Next,” in the Dirksen Building in Washington, D.C., on May 1, 2024. Tom Williams | Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images While other private U.S. insurers employ many of the same tactics, UnitedHealth Group appears to have faced the most public backlash due to its size and visibility. UnitedHealth Group’s market value dwarfs the sub-$100 billion market caps of competitors such as CVS, Cigna and Elevance. UnitedHealth Group booked more than $400 billion in revenue in 2024 alone, up from roughly $100 billion in 2012. It has expanded into many parts of the health-care system, sparking more criticism of other segments of its business — and the company’s ability to use one unit to benefit another. UnitedHealth Group grew by buying smaller companies and building them into its growing health-care business. The company now serves nearly 150 million people and controls everything from insurance and medical services to sensitive health-care data. UnitedHealth Group owns a powerful pharmacy benefit manager, or PBM, called Optum Rx, which gives it even more sway over the market. PBMs act as middlemen, negotiating drug rebates on behalf of insurers, managing lists of drugs covered by health plans and reimbursing pharmacies for prescriptions. But lawmakers and drugmakers accuse them of overcharging plans, underpaying pharmacies and failing to pass savings on to patients. Owning a PBM gives UnitedHealth Group control over both supply and demand, Corlette said. Its insurance arm influences what care is covered, while Optum Rx determines what drugs are offered and at what price. UnitedHealth Group can maximize profits by steering patients to lower-cost or higher-margin treatments and keeping rebates, she said. The company’s reach goes even further, Corlette added: Optum Health now employs or affiliates with about 90,000 doctors — nearly 10% of U.S. physicians — allowing UnitedHealth Group to direct patients to its own providers and essentially pay itself for care. A STAT investigation last year found that UnitedHealth uses its physicians to squeeze profits from patients. But the company in response said its “providers and partners make independent clinical decisions, and we expect them to diagnose and document patient information completely and accurately in compliance with [federal] guidelines.” Other insurers, such as CVS and Cigna, also own large PBMs and offer care services. But UnitedHealth Group has achieved greater scale and stronger financial returns. “I think the company is certainly best in class when it comes to insurers, in terms of providing profits for shareholders,” said Roby. “But people on the consumer side probably say otherwise when it comes to their experience.” Backlash against UnitedHealth UnitedHealth Group Inc. headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Mike Bradley | Bloomberg | Getty Images No one knows exactly how often private insurers deny claims, since they aren’t generally required to report that data. But some analyses suggest that UnitedHealthcare has rejected care at higher rates than its peers for certain types of plans. A January report by nonprofit group KFF found that UnitedHealthcare denied 33% of in-network claims across Affordable Care Act plans in 20 states in 2023, one of the highest rates among major insurers. CVS denied 22% of claims across 11 states, and Cigna denied 21% in eight states. UnitedHealth did not respond to a request for comment on that report. But in December, the company also pushed back on public criticism around its denial rates, saying it approves and pays about 90% of claims upon submission. UnitedHealthcare’s website says the remaining 10% go through an additional review process. The company says its claims approval rate stands at 98% after that review. In addition, UnitedHealth Group is facing lawsuits over denials. In November, families of two deceased Medicare Advantage patients sued the company and its subsidiary, alleging it used an AI model with a “90% error rate” to deny their claims. UnitedHealth Group has argued it should be dismissed from the case because the families didn’t complete Medicare’s appeals process. A spokesperson for the company’s subsidiary, NaviHealth, also previously told news outlets that the lawsuit “has no merit” and that the AI tool is used to help providers understand what care a patient may need. It does not help make coverage decisions, which are ultimately based on the terms of a member’s plan and criteria from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the spokesperson said. Meanwhile, the reported Justice Department criminal probe outlined by the Wall Street Journal targets the company’s Medicare Advantage business practices. In its statement, the company said the Justice Department has not notified it about the reported probe, and called the newspaper’s reporting “deeply irresponsible.” Inside the company, employees say customers and workers alike face hurdles. One worker, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, said UnitedHealthcare’s provider website often includes doctors listed as in-network or accepting new patients when they’re not, leading to frequent complaints. Management often replies that it’s too difficult to keep provider statuses up to date, the person said. UnitedHealthcare told CNBC it believes “maintaining accurate provider directories is a shared responsibility among health plans and providers,” and that it “proactively verifies provider data on a regular basis.” The vast majority of all inaccuracies are due to errors or lack of up-to-date information submitted by providers, the company added. Emily Baack, a clinical administrative coordinator at UMR, a subsidiary of UnitedHealthcare, criticized the length of time it can take a provider to reach a real support worker over the phone who can help assess claims or prior authorization requests. She said the company’s automated phone system can misroute people’s calls or leave them waiting for a support person for over an hour. But Baack emphasized that similar issues occur across all insurance companies. She said providers feel compelled to submit unnecessary prior authorization requests out of fear that claims won’t be paid on time. Baack said that leads to a massive backlog of paperwork on her end and delays care for patients. UnitedHealthcare said prior authorization is “an important checkpoint” that helps ensure members are receiving coverage for safe and effective care. The company noted it is “continually taking action to simplify and modernize the prior authorization process.” That includes reducing the number of services and procedures that require prior authorization and exempting qualified provider groups from needing to submit prior authorization requests for certain services. An emerging startup ecosystem Sheldon Cooper | Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images While UnitedHealthcare is not the only insurer facing criticism from patients, Thompson’s killing in December reinforced the company’s unique position in the public eye. Thousands of people took to social media to express outrage toward the company, sharing examples of their own struggles. The public’s hostile reaction to Thompson’s death did not surprise many industry insiders. Alicia Graham, co-founder and chief operating officer of the startup Claimable, said Thompson’s ******* was “a horrible crime.” She also acknowledged that anger has been bubbling up in various online health communities “for years.” Claimable is one of several startups trying to address pain points within insurance. It’s not an easy corner of the market to enter, and many of these companies, including Claimable, have been using the AI ***** to their advantage. Claimable, founded in 2024, said it helps patients challenge denials by submitting customized, AI-generated appeal letters on their behalf. The company can submit appeals for conditions such as migraines and certain pediatric and autoimmune diseases, though Graham said it is expanding those offerings quickly. Many patients aren’t aware that they have a right to appeal, and those who do can spend hours combing through records to draft one, Graham said. If patients are eligible to submit an appeal letter through Claimable, she said they can often do so in minutes. Each appeal costs users $39.95 plus shipping, according to the company’s website. “A lot of patients are afraid, a lot of patients are frustrated, a lot of patients are confused about the process, so what we’ve tried to do is make it all as easy as possible,” Graham told CNBC. Some experts have warned about the possibility of health-care “bot wars,” where all parties are using AI to try to gain an edge. Mike Desjadon, CEO of the startup Anomaly, said he’s concerned about the potential for an AI arms race in the sector, but he remains optimistic. Anomaly, founded in 2020, uses AI to help providers determine what insurers are and aren’t paying for in advance of care, he said. “I run a technology company and I want to win, and I want our customers to win, and that’s all very true, but at the same time, I’m a citizen and a patient and a husband and a father and a taxpayer, and I just want health care to be rational and be paid for appropriately,” Desjadon told CNBC. Dr. Jeremy Friese, founder and CEO of the startup Humata Health, said patients tend to interact with insurers only once something goes wrong, which contributes to their frustrations. Requirements such as prior authorization can be a “huge ****** box” for patients, but they’re also cumbersome for doctors, he said. Friese said his business was inspired by his work as an interventional radiologist. In 2017, he co-founded a prior-authorization company called Verata Health, which was acquired by the now-defunct health-care AI startup Olive. Friese bought back his technology and founded his latest venture, Humata, in 2023. Humata uses AI to automate prior authorization for all specialties and payers, Friese said. The company primarily works with medium and large health systems, and it announced a $25 million funding round in June. “There’s just a lot of pent-up anger and angst, frankly, on all aspects of the health-care ecosystem,” Friese told CNBC. The Change Healthcare cyberattack UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 1, 2024. Kent Nishimura | Getty Images UnitedHealth Group also set a grim record last year that did little to help public perception. The company’s subsidiary Change Healthcare suffered a cyberattack that affected around 190 million Americans, the largest reported health-care data breach in U.S. history. Change Healthcare offers payment and revenue cycle management tools, as well as other solutions, such as electronic prescription software. In 2022, it merged with UnitedHealth Group’s Optum unit, which touches more than 100 million patients in the U.S. In February 2024, a ransomware group called Blackcat breached part of Change Healthcare’s information technology network. UnitedHealth Group isolated and disconnected the affected systems “immediately upon detection” of the threat, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, but the ensuing disruption rocked the health-care sector. Money stopped flowing while the company’s systems were offline, so a major revenue source for thousands of providers across the U.S. screeched to a halt. Some doctors pulled thousands of dollars out of their personal savings to keep their practices afloat. “It was and remains the largest and most consequential cyberattack against health care in history,” John Riggi, the national advisor for cybersecurity and risk at the American Hospital Association, told CNBC. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that blocks victims from accessing their computer files, systems and networks, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Ransomware groups such as Blackcat, which are often based in countries such as Russia, China and North Korea, will deploy this software, steal sensitive data and then demand a payment for its return. Ransomware attacks within the health-care sector have climbed in recent years, in part because patient data is valuable and relatively easy for cybercriminals to exploit, said Steve Cagle, CEO of the health-care cybersecurity and compliance firm Clearwater. “It’s been a very lucrative and successful business for them,” Cagle told CNBC. “Unfortunately, we’ll continue to see that type of activity until something changes.” UnitedHealth Group paid the hackers a $22 million ransom to try to protect patients’ data, then-CEO Witty said during a Senate hearing in May 2024. Sheldon Cooper | Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images In March 2024, UnitedHealth Group launched a temporary funding assistance program to help providers with short-term cash flow. The program got off to a rocky start, several doctors told CNBC, and the initial deposits did not cover their mounting expenses. UnitedHealth Group ultimately paid out more than $9 billion to providers in 2024, according to the company’s fourth-quarter earnings report in January. Witty said in his congressional testimony that providers would only be required to repay the loans when “they, not me, but they confirm that their cash flow is normalized.” Almost a year later, however, the company is aggressively going after borrowers, demanding they “immediately repay” their outstanding balances, according to documents viewed by CNBC and providers who received funding. Some groups have been asked to repay hundreds of thousands of dollars in a matter of days, according to documents viewed by CNBC. A spokesperson for Change Healthcare confirmed to CNBC in April that the company has started recouping the loans. ″We continue to work with providers on repayment and other options, and continue to reach out to those providers that have not been responsive to previous calls or email requests for more information,” the spokesperson said. The pressure for repayment drew more ire toward UnitedHealth Group on social media, and some providers told CNBC that dealing with the company was a “very frustrating experience.” The vast majority of Change Healthcare’s services have been restored over the last year, but three products are still listed as “partial service available,” according to UnitedHealth’s cyberattack response website. The road ahead UnitedHealth Group signage is displayed on a monitor on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images Witty’s departure and the company’s warning about elevated medical costs, combined with the fallout from Thompson’s ******* and the Change Healthcare cyberattack, could mean UnitedHealth faces an uphill battle. UnitedHealth Group appears to be trying to regain the public’s trust. For example, Optum Rx in March announced plans to eliminate prior authorizations on dozens of drugs, easing a pain point for physicians and patients. But policy changes at UnitedHealth Group and other insurers may not drastically improve care for patients, health insurance industry experts previously told CNBC. They said there will need to be structural changes to the entire insurance industry, which will require legislation that may not be high on the priority list for the closely divided Congress. The spotlight on UnitedHealth Group may only grow brighter in the coming months. The trial date for Luigi Mangione, the man facing federal stalking and ******* charges in connection with Thompson’s shooting, is expected to be set in December. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Source link #UnitedHealthcare #faces #backlash #stock #price #decline Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 8 Added to Apple’s Vintage and Obsolete Products List iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 8 Added to Apple’s Vintage and Obsolete Products List Apple has updated its list of vintage and obsolete devices to include two more iPhone models — iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 8. These smartphones are now considered outdated and their service and repairs will be limited. The Cupertino-based tech giant usually discontinues hardware service for certain products that are technologically obsolete due to difficulty in sourcing parts and carrying out repairs, although it still continues to support them through software updates. The iPhone 7 Plus was launched globally alongside the iPhone 7 in 2016, priced at Rs. 72,000 for the 32GB variant. It was discontinued in 2019 following the debut of the iPhone 11 series. Meanwhile, Apple introduced the iPhone 8 at its first event held at Apple Park in 2017. It made its debut with a starting price of Rs. 64,000 for the 64GB storage model, alongside the iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X. The phone’s distribution for ***** was stopped by the Cupertino-based tech giant in 2020 after the release of the iPhone SE (2020). While all configurations of the iPhone 7 Plus have been categorised as obsolete, only the 64GB and 256GB storage variants of the iPhone 8 have been added to the list. It does not mention the 128GB model, which was available for purchase for a longer *******. iPhone Models Deemed Vintage iPhone 4 (8GB) iPhone 5 iPhone 6s (16GB, 64GB, 128GB) iPhone 6s Plus iPhone SE iPhone 7 Plus iPhone 8 (64GB, 256GB) iPhone 8 (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 8 Plus (PRODUCT)RED iPhone X iPhone XS Max Which Models Does Apple Categorise as Vintage and Obsolete? As per Apple, a product is deemed vintage if their distribution for ***** has stopped more than five but less than seven years ago. While they are still eligible for service and repairs, it is subject to the availability of parts. Meanwhile, the company says a product is obsolete if it stopped distributing them for ***** more than seven years ago. All hardware services, including repairs, by Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs) are discontinued for such devices. Further, service providers cannot order parts from Apple for products categorised as obsolete. However, Mac laptops are still eligible for an extended repair ******* specifically for the battery, for up to 10 years from when the model was last distributed for *****, but it is still contingent on parts’ availability. Apple says Monster-branded Beats products are considered obsolete regardless of when they were purchased. Some of the most popular vintage models include the original iPhone, iPhone 4, iPhone 6S, and the iPhone X. Source link #iPhone #iPhone #Added #Apples #Vintage #Obsolete #Products #List Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Seekers Notes kicks off new Ancient Egyptian mysteries for summer Seekers Notes kicks off new Ancient Egyptian mysteries for summer Seekers Notes is debuting a suite of Egyptian-themed mysteries Check out the new Darkwood Mail and daily gifts for Darkwood Day Can you solve the riddles of the ancients? Time to jump in and find out Summer is just kicking off, and already we’ve had a bevvy of new updates in top releases ready for the hottest part of the year. But Mytona, the folks behind Seekers Notes, seem to think that the average summer update just isn’t enough. So now, they’re switching the focus to none other than Ancient Egypt. Yes, in this latest update, there’s nowhere hotter than the depths of the North-African desert. You’ll be challenged by a whole new location, Sphinx Hall, which plays host to themed challenges with rewards and creatures to gather. Reckon you can solve the riddles of the ancients? You’ll have to jump in and find out. There’s even more to enjoy besides the new Ancient Egypt-themed challenges, of course. There’s the updated summer Darkwood Mail and daily gifts to celebrate Darkwood Day. Meanwhile, you can also grab a new Desk Guardian with Caramel the Camel. Be sure to check out the new Darkwood Stories event and Magister’s Path guild competition too! Seeking out The hidden object genre is a very popular one, but it’s rare to see a long-term success on mobile. Usually, it’s more premium releases, such as the Golden Idol series, which tend to be one and done. So Seekers Notes joins a relatively short list of ongoing adventures in that sense. The new Ancient Egypt mysteries have been teased extensively, and promise some sort of time-bending adventure to solve. It’s rather fitting this is coming as the weather is heating up, although no doubt the challenge will be hotter than ever for fans of Seekers Notes! Enjoy your more cerebral, mystery-solving or globe-trotting adventures? Well, why not dig into our list of the top 12 best narrative mobile games you can play right now, for our own personal picks of top adventures available on iOS and Android? Source link #Seekers #Notes #kicks #Ancient #Egyptian #mysteries #summer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Shock and anger in South Africa after Oval Office ambush – NPR Shock and anger in South Africa after Oval Office ambush – NPR Shock and anger in South Africa after Oval Office ambush NPRFact-checking Trump’s Oval Office confrontation with Ramaphosa BBCTrump Casts Himself as a Protector of Persecuted White People The New York TimesLights, video, confrontation — Trump’s meeting with South African leader takes dramatic turn AP NewsGolfers, guile and gifts: South Africa’s president follows the new playbook for handling Trump NBC News Source link #Shock #anger #South #Africa #Oval #Office #ambush #NPR Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Console Users Waiting on a Patch That Fixes the Severe Frame Rate Drop in Oblivion Remaster Console Users Waiting on a Patch That Fixes the Severe Frame Rate Drop in Oblivion Remaster Console users have been suffering from an issue that causes a severe frame rate drop in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remaster for a while now, and they are still waiting on a fix. Source link #Console #Users #Waiting #Patch #Fixes #Severe #Frame #Rate #Drop #Oblivion #Remaster Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tanzania frees activist after Kenyan government’s demand Tanzania frees activist after Kenyan government’s demand Basillioh Rukanga BBC News, Nairobi Reuters Boniface Mwangi was arrested in Dar es Salaam on Monday An activist detained in Tanzania for three days has been released shortly after Kenya’s foreign ministry demanded his release. A top official in the ministry, Korir Sing’oei, said on X that Boniface Mwangi was “now back in the country”. Lawyer and fellow activist, Khalid Hussein, told the BBC they were together in Kenya’s coast region. The Kenyan activist was arrested in Dar es Salaam on Monday alongside Ugandan Agather Atuhaire by suspected military officers and their whereabouts remained unknown. They had been in the country to attend the court case of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is accused of treason. The Tanzanian authorities have not commented on Mwangi’s detention and deportation. But on Monday, President Samia Suluhu Hassan warned that she would not allow activists from neighbouring countries to “meddle” in her country’s affairs and cause “chaos”. Earlier on Thursday, Kenya’s foreign affairs ministry issued a statement saying it had not been able to access the activist. It said that despite repeated requests, it had been “denied consular access” or information about him, and expressed concern about his health. It urged Tanzania to “expeditiously and without delay” allow access, or release him, “in accordance with international legal obligations and diplomatic norms”. Later, Kenya’s state-funded rights commission said it had received the activist in Kwale county, following his release from Tanzania. KNCHR posted a picture of him alongside other people including his wife, Njeri, and fellow activist Hussein and said he was “in high spirits”. The commission said it was planning to transfer him to the capital Nairobi for medical attention. The activist was reportedly left at the Kenyan border on Thursday morning following his release by the Tanzanian authorities. KNCHR/X Kenya’s state-funded rights body shared a picture of Mwangi (centre) on Thursday On Wednesday, his wife told the BBC that she had last heard from him on Monday and had not been able to establish where he was. “I’m actually concerned for his life. I know my husband, he would have communicated, he’d find a way to call or text me and because he hasn’t, makes me very worried about what state he is in,” she told the BBC Newsday radio programme. Kenya’s foreign ministry on Thursday expressed similar concerns about the activist’s “health, overall well-being and the absence of information regarding his detention”. It said diplomats should have access to their nationals detained by a host nation in accordance with the Vienna Convention on consular relations. “In light of the above, the [ministry] respectfully urges the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania to expeditiously and without delay facilitate consular access to or release Mr Mwangi,” it said. Its statement came amid growing outrage, especially after Tanzania’s deportation of former Kenyan justice minister Martha Karua and other activists, who had also gone to attend Lissu’s hearing, over the weekend. In recent months, rights groups have been expressing concern at the apparent crackdown on Tanzania’s opposition ahead of elections in October. Additional reporting by Laillah Mohamed in Nairobi You may also be interested in:Getty Images/BBC Source link #Tanzania #frees #activist #Kenyan #governments #demand Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Grab This Free Fortnite Skin Before You Have To Pay For It Grab This Free Fortnite Skin Before You Have To Pay For It Fortnite is currently being dominated by the Star Wars: Galactic Battle event, including an interactive Darth Vader with an AI voice and even Darth Jar Jar. But outside of Star Wars, Fortnite is introducing a new character, Iridia Vayne, and the game is giving players a chance to win her skin for free. But you’ll have to move quickly to catch this giveaway. Starting on May 23, Fortnite players are invited to put a team together for Celestial Strike Quest, a new Party Up that will be releasing new quests daily until May 31. To unlock Iridia Vayne, teams will have to complete nine quests that alternate between earning XP in creator-made experiences and experiences that were created by Epic Games. Once the complete lineup of Celestial Strike Quest has been released, players will only have until June 7 at 11:30 AM PT / 2:30 PM ET to complete the event and get the Iridia Vayne skin. There are also other items that can be earned along the way, as detailed below. Complete 1 Party Up – Celestial Strike Quest: “Alien Boy” Jam Track by Oliver Tree Complete 2 Party Up – Celestial Strike Quests: Victory Plume Spray Complete 3 Party Up – Celestial Strike Quests: Opaline Slashers Pickaxe Complete 4 Party Up – Celestial Strike Quests: Confident Iridia Spray Complete 5 Party Up – Celestial Strike Quests: Peacock’s Dream Wrap Complete 6 Party Up – Celestial Strike Quests: Opaline Scabbard Back Bling Complete 7 Party Up – Celestial Strike Quests: High Five! Emoticon Complete 8 Party Up – Celestial Strike Quests: Origami Battalion Emote Complete 9 Party Up – Celestial Strike Quests: Iridia Vayne Outfit Given Fortnite’s history of bringing free skins back as paid items down the line, it’s likely that Iridia Vayne’s skin will also become available in the Fortnite shop in the near future. If you don’t mind spending money on it, you can always wait. Or you can play with a few friends and make it your mission to unlock every reward being offered in this quest. In other Fortnite news, the AI Darth Vader drew an unfair-labor-practice complaint from SAG-AFTRA, the guild that represents actors in Hollywood. Regardless, players have been having fun trying to get Vader to repeat profanities. Additionally, Fortnite is finally back on iOS after Epic Games’ protracted legal fight with Apple. Source link #Grab #Free #Fortnite #Skin #Pay Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Third-placed AFC Whyteleafe handed title after top two are docked points Third-placed AFC Whyteleafe handed title after top two are docked points It means the trophy has been handed Whyteleafe, who would have finished third with 95 points, and the club have been awarded automatic promotion to the eighth-tier Isthmian League Division One South East. Meanwhile, Jersey will take on Fleet Town and Redhill will face Cobham in the play-offs. “I feel great that we’ve been crowned champions and been promoted to Step Four, but at the same time it’s a very strange way to go about it,” Whyteleafe boss Kelly Waters told BBC Radio Surrey. “I feel quite sorry for Jersey and Redhill in the situation that they’ve had, I’ve experienced it myself before when I was managing at Balham and it’s painful. “But they have to enforce the rules to make sure people don’t use them inappropriately and in the end we’ve been a beneficiary of that and we couldn’t be happier to be back in Step Four.” The original Whyteleafe FC folded in 2021 and the current version of the club was formed shortly after by chairman and co-manager Waters. ‘Leafe entered the Surrey South Eastern Combination League in 2021-22. The club are now back at the same level Whyteleafe FC had been at at the time it folded. Source link #Thirdplaced #AFC #Whyteleafe #handed #title #top #docked #points Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]