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Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers can now borrow audiobooks from Audible’s library Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers can now borrow audiobooks from Audible’s library Amazon is battling back against . Starting today, Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers in the US, *** and Canada have access to library of a million-plus audiobooks. Individual subscribers and the primary account holders of the family plan can listen to one book a month at no additional cost alongside their music and ad-free podcasts. Naturally, Amazon doesn’t want to cannibalize Audible’s business. Along with a swathe of on-demand content, the latter’s Premium Plus subscription offers one audiobook credit per month. Redeem that and the title is yours to keep forever, even if you cancel your plan. Amazon Music Unlimited’s approach is more like a library. You can effectively borrow one audiobook from Audible’s catalog at a time. You can listen to the book as much as you want during that month. When your next billing cycle starts, you can try another one — or borrow the same audiobook for another month. You can, of course, subscribe to Audible or buy audiobooks ad hoc if access to one per month isn’t enough for you. As it happens, Amazon is offering new Music Unlimited subscribers three months of free access. Otherwise, Amazon Music Unlimited $10 per month or $99 per year for Prime members and $11 per month for other users. Last year, Spotify started offering Premium subscribers 15 hours of audiobook listening per month at no extra cost (which is not enough to listen to all of , for instance), with the option to add 11 hours of listening time for $11. The company later introduced an with 15 hours of listening time for $10 per month — just $1 less than it costs for a Premium plan with the same benefit plus much more. If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Source link #Amazon #Music #Unlimited #subscribers #borrow #audiobooks #Audibles #library Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Donald Trump joins Elon Musk for SpaceX Starship rocket launch | Donald Trump Donald Trump joins Elon Musk for SpaceX Starship rocket launch | Donald Trump Donald Trump joined Elon Musk in Texas on Tuesday to watch a successful test launch of SpaceX’s Starship rocket, a demonstration of the unprecedented closeness between the world’s richest man and the newly chosen president of the ******* States. Trump tweeted in advance of the launch: “I’m heading to the Great State of Texas to watch the launch of the largest object ever to be elevated, not only to Space, but simply by lifting off the ground. Good luck to @ElonMusk and the Great Patriots involved in this incredible project!” Musk, the SpaceX founder and chief executive, said he was “honored” to have Trump present at the launch. The Texas senator Ted Cruz also attended. After the rocket’s takeoff, it released its first stage booster back to Earth. SpaceX waived the booster’s return to the launch site, as was accomplished following a launch last month in a dramatic recapture, and opted instead for a fiery splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. No reason was immediately given for the booster setback, but Starship’s upper stage achieved the mission’s primary goal of a lengthy suborbital flight to evaluate hardware and software upgrades from earlier flights this year. Video of the landing showed it exploding into a ball of ***** as it hit the water. SpaceX will retrieve the stage for evaluation, but regardless of what it discovers, it will not consider its inability to capture the booster as a ********. The upper stage splashed down in the Indian Ocean 1hr 5min after its 4pm CT lift-off, and appeared to split into two halves. The segments were expected to sink and will not be recovered. Trump, meanwhile, will soon be tasked with making highly consequential decisions about the future of US spaceflight. SpaceX already benefits from billions of dollars in US government contracts, and it is poised to secure more. The company’s Falcon rockets and Dragon capsules provide Nasa’s only crew-capable craft for flights to the international space station, and the Starship landing system was chosen to return humans to the moon, a mission currently scheduled for 2026. With Musk almost inseparable from Trump since the election, christening himself the “First Buddy” and reportedly enjoying outsized influence in shaping the ***********’s second term, their ****** appearance at SpaceX’s Starbase complex in Boca Chica for the launch of Starship’s sixth test flight was more than just mutual cheerleading. Trump has yet to decide who he wants to be the next Nasa administrator as the agency approaches a pivotal moment in its history, and with Musk insisting he can get humans to Mars inside four years, government support, and more specifically dollars, will be crucial. Additionally, with speculation mounting that Nasa is considering dropping its own Space Launch System rocket program under a Trump administration, and relying more on the private sector for its return to the lunar surface and future missions to Mars, Musk may emerge with an even stronger hand. “The founder of this century’s most innovative space company, Elon Musk, successfully used his fortune, time, and energy to help elect Donald Trump to president of the ******* States,” Ars Technica’s senior space editor, Eric Berger, wrote this month. “It’s entirely possible that the sitting chief executive of SpaceX could be the nation’s most important adviser on space policy, conflicts be damned.” Trump, meanwhile, has made no secret of his ******* for humans to achieve the highly ambitious goal of reaching Mars during his second term of office, and he is reportedly keen to see for himself the progress made on what is the world’s most powerful rocket when fully configured.Tuesday’s launch was Starship’s sixth experimental flight, following closely on the heels of its first fully successful test in June, when it rose to almost 130 miles in altitude and orbited Earth before splashing down intact in the Indian ocean. skip past newsletter promotion A weekly ***** in to how technology is shaping our lives Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion A fifth flight last month provided the spectacle of the capture of Starship’s recyclable first stage rocket booster at the Texas launch site in a pair of giant calipers known as chopsticks. SpaceX was unable to repeat the capture on Tuesday during Flight 6, announcing in a tweet that it was sending the booster instead to a water splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. A ball of ***** was visible when it landed, but later video footage showed the booster, or at least a substantial remnant of it, bobbing on the surface. The ethos of the company is to incorporate expendable prototypes on a pathway to longer-term progress and discovery. Changes from the previous flight included removing more than 2,000 heat-shield tiles on the spacecraft’s nosecone and elsewhere to evaluate revised streamlining capabilities. As well as the heat shield experiment, SpaceX sent a successful command for Starship to reignite one of its Raptor engines in space for the first time. SpaceX intends to launch future Starship test missions almost monthly, including from Florida’s Cape Canaveral possibly from next year. With about 16m lbs of thrust, and a capacity to lift up to 165 tonnes from the Earth’s surface, Starship is almost twice as powerful as the Saturn V rockets that sent 12 astronauts to the moon between 1969 and 1972. Source link #Donald #Trump #joins #Elon #Musk #SpaceX #Starship #rocket #launch #Donald #Trump Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fetterman reacts to Oz being nominated for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Fetterman reacts to Oz being nominated for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (WHTM) — Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Jon Fetterman took to social media to react to Dr. Mehmet Oz being nominated for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator role. Taking to X, Fetterman wrote in a post on Tuesday that he would possibly vote for Oz, posting “If Dr. Oz is about protecting and preserving Medicare and Medicaid, I’m voting for the dude.” Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Oz was selected on Tuesday by President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for the CMS Administrator role. Donald Trump to nominate Dr. Oz for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services is the federal agency that provides health coverage to more than 160 million people through Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Health Insurance Marketplace. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. Source link #Fetterman #reacts #nominated #Centers #Medicare #Medicaid #Services Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Xbox Day 1 Release STALKER 2 Has an Open World Advantage That Makes it Superior to Hidetaka Miyazaki’s Elden Ring Xbox Day 1 Release STALKER 2 Has an Open World Advantage That Makes it Superior to Hidetaka Miyazaki’s Elden Ring STALKER 2 has just arrived. When the first version was released more than ten years ago, it was an unbeatable PC game that punished and challenged players with a devastatingly unforgiving nuclear wasteland. Nowadays it’s pretty much a must to play with mods if you don’t want to punch a wall in frustration each time you enter the Zone. STALKER 2 is released today. | Credit: GSC Game World. Open-world games that over-explain everything have become commonplace in today’s gaming landscape, keeping us on edge because we’re afraid we won’t grasp certain gameplay mechanics or get bored with the plot because there aren’t enough explosions. And that is where this upcoming title will be one step ahead of the likes of Elden Ring. You Are on Your Own in STALKER 2 I can watch a gameplay trailer for a game, close my eyes, and play the game in my head because true gems are so thoroughly focus-tested that homogeneity has become the norm. That indicates that a triple-A library needs to adapt and be creative. That is exactly what STALKER 2 does. The gameplay in STALKER games is never overly explained or spoon-fed to players. All of the ********* STALKER fans worked things out on their own. Very few instructions, hints, or pointers are provided. This game is really for big boys. NPCs and the occasional instruction that directs you are dropped in Todd Howard’s Bethesda open-worlds and Miyazaki’s Soulsborne games. You are literally on your own in STALKER games. They refuse to tell you *****. A game for real survivors. Many people may never play the game as a result of this. However, the majority of games now offer the ability to disable hints, direction markers, and clues on their maps for a reason. A sizable portion of gamers prefer the unadulterated, unpolished version, where they must solve all the puzzles by themselves. It will be a tribute to their style of gameplay in STALKER 2. PS5 Fans Won’t Be Finding Their Own Path in STALKER 2 STALKER 2 hasn’t been released on PlayStation. | Credit: GSC Game World Sadly, PS5 users won’t be able to ***** themselves in the Zone of STALKER 2 as the game is not going to be released on Sony’s long-hailed platform. This title is only available on the Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC. The game has made its debut on the Series X|S and Xbox Game Pass for PC. The game is also available for purchase on Steam. There is a possibility that the game will eventually be released on the PlayStation since the previous title, Call of Pripyat, was playable on the PlayStation 4. Details about STALKER 2‘s arrival on Sony’s system are still unknown, though. Several Xbox-only games, like Grounded, Sea of Thieves, and Hi-Fi Rush, have eventually found their way to the PlayStation, so maybe Stalker 2 will do the same and eventually arrive on the PS5. Now it’s up to GSC Game World if they are going to share the extreme fun of exploring the whole game all on your own, with the PS5 players. Source link #Xbox #Day #Release #STALKER #Open #World #Advantage #Superior #Hidetaka #Miyazakis #Elden #Ring Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Moon Rocks Brought From the Far Side Confirm Ancient Volcanic Activity Moon Rocks Brought From the Far Side Confirm Ancient Volcanic Activity Researchers have revealed insights into the Moon’s far side, analysing samples retrieved by China’s Chang’e-6 mission. This mission was the first time when nearly 2kg of geological samples from the far side of the Moon was brought back to the Earth. The findings, detailed in two separate studies published on November 15, in Science and Nature, provide a comprehensive view of volcanic activity on the Moon that persisted for billions of years. Decoding Lunar Dust and Lava Grains Dr. Qiu-Li Li, a researcher at the ******** Academy of Sciences in Beijing and co-author of an independent study published in the Nature journal, highlighted the importance of the findings, explaining that they shed light on prolonged volcanic activity and distinct mantle sources on the lunar far side. The mission, China’s second to the far side after Chang’e-4 in 2019, landed in the ancient South Pole-Aitken Basin, formed approximately four billion years ago by a massive meteor impact. The samples collected comprised fine dust particles ranging from 1 to hundreds of micrometres in size. According to Dr. Yi-Gang Xu, petrologist at the ******** Academy of Sciences in Guangzhou and co-author of another independent study published in the Science journal, these particles reflect a mixture of materials from various geological eras. The continuous bombardment by micrometeorites and solar particles over time has contributed to the formation and dispersal of such dust across the Moon. Isotopic analysis revealed that some grains originated from lava flows dated to around 2.83 billion years ago. Researchers working on the Nature study also identified lava grains as old as 4.2 billion years, underscoring the Moon’s extensive volcanic history. Implications for Lunar Evolution The studies collectively confirm that the Moon experienced sustained volcanic activity long before transitioning into the largely inactive state observed today. These findings contribute significantly to the understanding of lunar evolution and planetary geology. By returning and analysing these unique samples, Chang’e-6 has added valuable knowledge about the Moon’s far side, marking a significant step forward in lunar exploration. Source link #Moon #Rocks #Brought #Side #Confirm #Ancient #Volcanic #Activity Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

MPs to summon Elon Musk to testify about X’s role in *** summer riots | Social media MPs to summon Elon Musk to testify about X’s role in *** summer riots | Social media MPs are to summon Elon Musk to testify about X’s role in spreading disinformation, in a parliamentary inquiry into the *** riots and the rise of false and harmful AI content, the Guardian has learned. Senior executives from Meta, which runs Facebook and Instagram, and TikTok are also expected to be called for questioning as part of a Commons science and technology select committee social media inquiry. The first hearings will take place in the new year, amid rising concern that *** online safety laws risk being outpaced by rapidly advancing technology and the politicisation of platforms such as X. The MPs will investigate the consequences of generative AI, which was used in widely shared images posted on Facebook and X inciting people to join Islamophobic protests after the ******** of three schoolgirls in Southport in August. They will also investigate Silicon Valley business models that “encourage the spread of content that can mislead and harm”. “[Musk] has very strong views on multiple aspects of this,” said Chi Onwurah, the Labour chair of the select committee. “I would certainly like the opportunity to cross-examine him to see … how he reconciles his promotion of freedom of expression with his promotion of pure disinformation.” Musk, the owner of X, fumed when he was not invited to a *** government international investment summit in September. Onwurah told the Guardian: “I’d like to make up for that by inviting him to attend.” Former Labour minister Peter Mandelson, tipped to become the next *** ambassador to Washington, this week called for an end to the “feud” between Musk and the *** government. “He is a sort of technological, industrial, commercial phenomenon,” Mandelson told the How to Win an Election podcast. “And it would be unwise, in my view, for Britain to ignore him. You cannot pursue these feuds.” X did not respond when asked if Musk would testify in the ***, although it appears unlikely. The world’s richest man is preparing to take on a senior role in the Trump White House and has been highly critical of the Labour government, including weighing in on changes to inheritance tax on farms by saying on Monday that “Britain is going full Stalin”. During the riots that followed the Southport killings he said: “Civil war is inevitable.” The Commons inquiry comes amid fresh turbulence in the social media landscape as millions of X users move to Bluesky, a new platform, with many migrating in protest at misinformation, the presence of once-banned users such as Tommy Robinson and Andrew Tate, and updated service terms that allow the platform to train its AI models on user data. Keir Starmer said on Tuesday he had “no plans” to join Bluesky personally, or for government departments to open official account. The prime minister told reporters at the G20 summit in Brazil: “What’s important for a government is that we’re able to reach as many people and communicate with as many people as possible, and that’s the sole test for any of this as far as I’m concerned.” After Musk was not invited to the *** government investment summit, he said: “I don’t think anyone should go to the *** when they’re releasing convicted paedophiles in order to imprison people for social media posts.” One person jailed after the riots was Lucy Connolly, who posted on X: “Mass deportation now, set ***** to all the ******** hotels full of the bastards for all I care.” She was convicted under the Public Order Act for publishing material intending to stir up ******* hatred. X found the post did not violate its rules against violent threats. Onwurah said the inquiry would attempt to “get to the bottom of the links between social media algorithms, generative AI, and the spread of harmful or false content”. It will also look at the use of AI to supplement search engines such as Google, which was found recently to be regurgitating false and ******* claims about people in ******** countries having low average IQs. Google said the AI overviews containing the claims had violated its policies and had been removed. After the Southport killings on 29 July misinformation swept through social media, with accounts with more than 100,000 followers falsely naming the alleged attacker as a ******* asylum seeker. Ofcom, the *** communications regulator, has already concluded some platforms “were used to spread hatred, provoke ********* targeting ******* and religious groups, and encourage others to ******* and set ***** to mosques and asylum accommodation”. Next month, Ofcom will publish the rules on ******** harms under the Online Safety Act, which are expected to require social media companies to prevent the spread of ******** material and mitigate safety risks, including policing activity that provokes ********* or stirs up hatred, and false communications intended to cause harm. Firms will have to remove ******** material once they are aware of it and address safety risks in the design of their products. Source link #MPs #summon #Elon #Musk #testify #role #summer #riots #Social #media Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

stocks, news, data and earnings stocks, news, data and earnings U.K. inflation picks up in October A shopper browses fruit and vegetables for ***** at an indoor market in Sheffield, ***. The OECD recently predicted that the *** will experience the highest inflation among all advanced economies this year. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images U.K. inflation picked up sharply to a higher-than-expected 2.3% in October, data from the British Office for National Statistics showed Wednesday. The hike marks a sharp increase from the 1.7% rise recorded in September and exceeds the 2.2% forecast of economists polled by Reuters. Core inflation, which excludes energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, came in at 3.3% for the month, up slightly from 3.2% in September. Read more on the story here: *** inflation rises sharply to 2.3% in October, above expectations — Karen Gilchrist CNBC Pro: Burberry shares are down 40%. One hedge fund manager says the stock offers ‘good value’ right now Is it time to buy the dip in luxury retailer Burberry’s shares? The London-listed fashion house told investors earlier this month that it will refocus on heritage designs and statement pieces as part of sweeping revamp plans to revive its ailing fortunes. Hedge fund manager David Neuhauser made the case on CNBC’s Squawk Box Europe this week. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Ganesh Rao CNBC Pro: Three global stocks to own in 2025, according to Barclays The outlook for equity markets looks “decent” going into 2025, according to Barclays, as central banks cut interest rates and the global economy ******** resilient. The bank named “overweight-rated stocks in which our analysts have high conviction in 2025 and see value in owning on an individual basis. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Amala Balakrishner ********* markets: Here are the opening calls ********* markets are expected to open higher Wednesday. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 4 points higher at 8,106, Germany’s DAX up 46 points at 19,108, France’s CAC up 23 points at 7,252 and Italy’s FTSE MIB up 118 points at 33,567, according to data from IG. Earnings are set to come from Severn Trent and British Land. Data releases include U.K. inflation figures. — Holly Ellyatt Source link #stocks #news #data #earnings Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Euro Truck Simulator 2 Greece DLC Gets Release Date Euro Truck Simulator 2 Greece DLC Gets Release Date OtterX33d ago (Edited 33d ago ) Nice. 2 of my absolute favorite experiences in VR. Together w a wheel and full stick shift, the experience is incredible, ….the forceback feedback of the truck’s engine, knocking about as the truck is idling and then switching between gears. I really get lost in it, a great game for letting your mind relax and wander. Can’t wait to try this new mode out in VR! Source link #Euro #Truck #Simulator #Greece #DLC #Release #Date Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NASA’s Curiosity Rover Concludes Sulphur Study in Gediz Vallis; Mars Journey Continues NASA’s Curiosity Rover Concludes Sulphur Study in Gediz Vallis; Mars Journey Continues NASA’s Curiosity rover has completed its study of the Gediz Vallis channel. In this process it has captured a 360-degree panorama before moving towards a new target called the boxwork. This mysterious region, located on the slopes of Mount Sharp, has been under scrutiny to uncover the role of water in Mars’ transition from a wetter climate to a dry one. The rover’s findings, which include a unique discovery of sulphur stones, are expected to offer more fresh insights into the planet’s geological history and past habitability. Rare Sulphur Deposits Found in Gediz Vallis A major highlight of the mission has been the detection of pure sulphur stones in Gediz Vallis, which had gone unnoticed in previous imaging by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). Once Curiosity reached the region, these bright white stones revealed yellow crystals when crushed under its wheels. Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity’s project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, described the discovery as an intriguing mystery, noting that typical terrestrial sources of sulphur—volcanic activity and hot springs—are absent on Mount Sharp. Researchers are now analysing data to determine how these unusual deposits formed. Mars’ Geological Story Observations from Gediz Vallis have painted a complex picture of Martian history. Scientists believe that rivers, wet debris flows, and dry avalanches contributed to the formation of features such as the mound nicknamed “Pinnacle Ridge.” By studying these structures, the mission team is piecing together a timeline of events that shaped the channel during Mars’ climatic transformation. Boxwork Formation Curiosity’s next objective is the box work. It is a network of mineral ridges resembling spiderwebs. Kirsten Siebach, a scientist at Rice University, explained that these structures likely formed from minerals crystallising in fractures as water receded. Their vast expanse—spanning up to 20 kilometres—offers a rare opportunity to explore environments where early microbial life could have survived. The rover, which has travelled over 33 kilometres since its landing in 2012, continues its mission to uncover Mars’ secrets and search for signs of ancient habitability. Source link #NASAs #Curiosity #Rover #Concludes #Sulphur #Study #Gediz #Vallis #Mars #Journey #Continues Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Northern Rail passengers hit out at ‘rubbish’ service Northern Rail passengers hit out at ‘rubbish’ service BBC Clare Harland says her experience on Northern has been ‘absolutely rubbish’ Northern Rail has vowed to improve performance as customers hit out at its “rubbish” service. The rail firm, which was nationalised in 2020, cancelled more than 1,000 trains during the recent half term. A senior manager said the firm was “sorry” for its recent performance, which has “not been good enough”. Transport secretary Louise Haigh said an improvement plan the firm has proposed would “reduce cancellations and improve reliability for passengers”. Northern Rail has been trying to turn around its poor service for a number of years. It runs services across northern England and into the Midlands, including to stations in Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, and Nottingham. Passenger Clare Harland said her experience of Northern was “absolutely rubbish”. Trains are “either rammed, [or] they’re cancelled,” she said. “You try to leave [work] early, to get an earlier one, or you wait until you get one after about half past six, which you don’t want to do, obviously,” she said. Another passenger said Northern was “absolutely diabolical”. “I catch this train every single day,” he said. “It either doesn’t turn up on time, or doesn’t turn up full stop,” he said. “We’ve got ****** old rolling stock. It’s a sham, it really is.” Passenger Lisa Greenhalgh said she gets to the station 20 minutes early, and has then waited an hour and forty minutes for a train “on a number of occasions in the freezing cold, and you’ve had no update, so you don’t know what’s happening, and by then it’s too late to drive into Manchester, so you end up spending two hours out of the house and actually getting nowhere.” Some businesses also complained about Northern services. Norman Wallis says Northern is “********” his business Norman Wallis, owner of Southport Pleasureland, said: “We are a tourism destination, and basically, Northern [is] ******** us.” “Not just our business, but the hotels, the retailers, the restaurants. Everything in the town is being ******* off, because we haven’t got the lifeblood, which is the people – they haven’t got an easy way to get into Southport,” he said. “It’s extremely difficult, and on a Sunday, there are no services whatsoever, so we can’t get the staff in, we can’t get the people in.” The firm was brought under government control in 2020, but problems dogging the network continued. In July, Northern Rail was issued a “breach notice” by the Department for Transport for cancelling too many trains, which required it to work on a plan to fix the problem. The firm has said one of its main problems is train crew availability, pointing to high levels of sickness, and also that Sundays are outside contracted working hours. Between 13 October and 9 November this year, fewer than half of its services ran on time. Matt Rice, Northern’s chief operating officer, said the firm was “sorry for our recent performance, accept it has not been good enough and understand the impact this has on our customers”. He added that Northern Rail was “working hard to address issues with traincrew availability so we can improve reliability for our customers”, including agreeing a new rest-day working agreement for train drivers. It has also offered conductors a new deal to work on Sundays, he said, adding that the leadership of the RMT union will look at the offer before putting it to members for a vote. “We realise there is more to be done to address issues with performance and are now focused on delivering our improvement plan,” Rice said. In its latest improvement plan, Northern said that by 2027 it wanted 90% of its trains to be on time, with only 2% cancellations. It said it would improve its service by getting Sunday and rest day working agreements in place and by bringing in a “sickness action plan”. Northern said it was still dealing with problems sparked by a timetable change in 2018 that persists in putting together timetables and “challenges facing colleagues”. It wants to make its timetable less complex and also make sure its “aging” train fleet has targeted maintenance. Andy Burnham said Northern was ‘actively working against’ economic growth in Manchester Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, said there was “chaos throughout the day” in Manchester stations. “We’re in the busiest time of the year in Manchester. We say we want growth, but we’ve got a rail service that’s actively working against us getting that growth and bringing people into the city,” he said. “It needs to be sorted out now,” Burnham added. Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said the North has been “let down for too long by poor rail services [and] unacceptable levels of cancellations and delays”, and that theses were “holding its economy and its ambition back”. She said the firm’s improvement plan would “generate higher revenues for the taxpayer and boost the entire region’s economy”. Haigh added that the government was “modernising working practices”. The RMT union will ballot members about conductors volunteering for Sunday working and use a passenger assistance app to help customers. The firm will make more on extra revenues than it will spend on extra staffing under this agreement, the government said. Source link #Northern #Rail #passengers #hit #rubbish #service Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Lyft is bringing rider verification to the entire nation Lyft is bringing rider verification to the entire nation This past summer, Lyft began testing its in nine cities. Now, the feature will be available nationwide. The program mirrors , which went live for US customers in September. With either company, the verification system works about the same: rider names are cross-referenced against a database to ensure they are who they say they are. Failing that, riders can upload photos of government IDs to enroll. Ideally, verified identities will make drivers feel safer picking up complete strangers in their cars. Along with the verification program, Lyft is adding a few quality-of-life improvements. The app will now inform drivers if their passengers are in areas like bike or bus lanes. Drivers in some places will also find out if a route goes through a school or traffic enforcement. Additionally, Lyft is piloting a restroom finder for drivers. Like Uber and Waze, it’s also implementing real-time road alerts that allow drivers to mark accidents, heavy traffic or road closures. Source link #Lyft #bringing #rider #verification #entire #nation Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

El Ojo: Everything You Need to Know About the Mysterious Floating Island in Argentina’s Swamps El Ojo: Everything You Need to Know About the Mysterious Floating Island in Argentina’s Swamps El Ojo, a peculiar floating island located in the Paraná Delta of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, has captivated attention due to its perfect circular shape and unusual movement. Measuring 387 feet (118 metres) in diameter, the island drifts gently within an equally circular lake, creating an otherworldly and striking sight. Its distinctiveness ***** not only in its geometry but also in its eerie rotation, which causes it to grind slowly against the edges of the lake. How the Formation Occurred While its existence was known to the region’s inhabitants, the island gained broader attention after its discovery by the public in 2016 during research for a documentary. Since then, El Ojo has become a subject of mystery and speculation, with some locals associating it with ancient deities or even unidentified flying objects (UFO) activity. The origin of El Ojo ******** a matter of speculation. Scientists believe the island and its lake formed through a combination of erosion and water currents. Over time, the rotation caused by circular water flow has gradually shaped the island and the lake into their near-perfect forms. This natural process resembles similar phenomena observed elsewhere, such as the ice disks in Maine’s Presumpscot River. However, the exact timeline of its creation is unclear, with satellite imagery first capturing the island nearly 20 years ago. Cultural Beliefs and Theories Sergio Neuspiller, an Argentinian filmmaker and director, brought wider attention to El Ojo during his documentary research. He described its clear waters—an anomaly in the usually muddy delta—and its almost unreal symmetry in an interview given to El Observador. While some local communities revere the site, attributing it to divine or supernatural forces, others suspect the presence of a hidden ***** base or UFO activity. These claims remain unsubstantiated. El Ojo continues to intrigue scientists and storytellers alike. Despite its scientific explanation, its geometric precision and mystique ensure that it ******** a focal point of fascination within the Paraná Delta. Researchers and enthusiasts continue to study and debate its origins, blending science with cultural lore in their attempts to understand its place in the region. For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Rare 2,000-Year-Old Gladiator ****** Handle Found Near Hadrian’s Wall Hubble Telescope Captures Image of Merging Galaxies in Coma Cluster, 390 Million Light-Years Away Source link #Ojo #Mysterious #Floating #Island #Argentinas #Swamps Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Huawei Mate 70 Pro+ Officially Teased Ahead of Launch in China: Expected Specifications Huawei Mate 70 Pro+ Officially Teased Ahead of Launch in China: Expected Specifications Huawei Mate 70 series is confirmed to launch in China on November 26 at 2.30 pm local time (12:00 pm IST), and pre-reservations have already commenced. Ahead of its anticipated debut, one of the models in the lineup has been officially teased by a company executive on social media, showcasing its design elements. Notably, this development follows the listing of the Huawei Mate 70 series on the Huawei-owned online store Vmall, which provided the first glimpse at not only the design of the Huawei Mate 70 Pro+ but also confirmed its storage variants and colourways. Huawei Mate 70 Pro+ Design Teased In a post on the ******** social media platform Weibo, Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei Consumer Business Group, shared a short teaser showcasing the upcoming Huawei Mate 70 Pro+. The handset appears to sport a circular camera module at the back, comprising quad lenses and an LED flash. It also sports X-IMAGE branding at the back, referencing the company’s proprietary mobile photography technology system. The camera module is complimented by a gold ornamental ring which surrounds it. The smartphone shown in the teaser has the Gold and Silver Brocade colourway which is confirmed to be one of its shades, along with Feather White, Flying Blue, and Ink ******. The power and volume buttons appear to be placed on the right spine of the smartphone, and it features a curved frame. Huawei Mate 70 Series Specifications (Expected) As per reports, the Huawei Mate 70 series could be powered by a 6nm Kirin 9100 chipset, paired with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of onboard storage. It will run on HarmonyOS — the company’s latest operating system (OS) launched in China last month thar has been developed independently of Android. The base Huawei Mate 70 is tipped to sport a quad camera setup comprising a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 12-megapixel periscope telephoto sensor, a 40-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 16-megapixel infrared sensor. It may come with 66W fast charging support. Meanwhile, the Pro and Pro+ models may be equipped with a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto lens, a 40-megapixel wide-angle sensor, and a 16-megapixel infrared lens. Both smartphones are also reported to feature 100W fast charging support. Source link #Huawei #Mate #Pro #Officially #Teased #Ahead #Launch #China #Expected #Specifications Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Snow causes second day of school closures Snow causes second day of school closures Snow is causing a second day of school closures and travel disruption. About 20 schools will be shut on Tuesday in Wrexham, Powys, and Denbighshire. Meanwhile buses replaced trains between Llandudno, Conwy county, and Blaenau Ffestiniog in Gwynedd. The Met Office has issued six yellow warnings for snow and ice across the ***, with the warning for Wales in place until 10:00 GMT on Wednesday. Snow started falling across parts of the *** on Monday night, causing more than 140 schools to shut in Wales and several roads to close on Tuesday. Transport for Wales said 13% of its services had been disrupted due to severe weather on Tuesday. The *** Health Security Agency also issued the first amber cold weather health alert of the season, warning conditions could be dangerous for elderly and vulnerable people. Source link #Snow #day #school #closures Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Here's a Taste of Soul Reaver's Remastered Gameplay on PS5, PS4 Here's a Taste of Soul Reaver's Remastered Gameplay on PS5, PS4 Push Square: “Ahead of its PS5 and PS4 release in just a few short weeks, we’ve been handed a quick glimpse of gameplay from Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered.” Source link #Here039s #Taste #Soul #Reaver039s #Remastered #Gameplay #PS5 #PS4 Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Android 16 Developer Preview 1 Released: See Release Timeline, Eligible Devices, New Features Android 16 Developer Preview 1 Released: See Release Timeline, Eligible Devices, New Features Android 16 Developer Preview 1 has been released by Google. This is a bit early compared to Google’s previous Android launch schedules. The first developer preview of Android 15 launched in February 2024. The new developer preview comes a month after the public release of Android 15. Like previous developer previews, the Android 16 Developer Preview 1 is aimed at developers and will be initially available for download on Pixel smartphones. The preview will include bugs and broken features, and it will run from November 2024 until the final public release next year. The update brings a handful of new features like an embedded photo picker, medical record support, and an updated Privacy Sandbox. Android 16 Release Timeline, Features In a blog post on Monday, Google announced the launch of Android 16 Developer Preview 1. Over the past few years, the company has opted for the February launch window for its Android releases. Google also confirmed that a stable version of Android 16 would come in Q2 2025. It plans to have another release in Q4 of next year with new developer APIs. Photo Credit: Google Google will offer six major releases of Android 16 before the final release in the second quarter of next year. A second Developer Preview will arrive in December, while Beta releases start in January. Google is targeting Platform Stability in March and April while the final release is scheduled to take place in May. The first developer preview of Android 16 brings an embedded photo picker for apps. This functionality will provide a built-in way for users to grant app access to selected images and videos from both local and cloud storage, instead of their entire media library. Google is updating Health Connect in Android 16. With the update, Health Connect will let apps read and write medical records in FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) format. This API is currently part of an early access program. Further, Android 16 incorporates the latest version of the Privacy Sandbox on Android. Android 16 Developer Preview Compatibility Google Pixel 6a and newer models are eligible to receive the Android 16 update. The first developer preview with build number BP21.241018.009 will be available for Google Pixel 9 series, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Pixel 8 series, Pixel 8a, Pixel Fold, Pixel 7a, Pixel 7 series, Pixel 6 series and Pixel 6a. Over-the-air (OTA) images for all these smartphones are also available. The developer preview of Android 16 can be installed on a system through the Android Emulator in Android Studio. Source link #Android #Developer #Preview #Released #Release #Timeline #Eligible #Devices #Features Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Aussie icon Daryl Braithwaite reveals his surprise favourite song Aussie icon Daryl Braithwaite reveals his surprise favourite song Australia’s biggest musicians have revealed which songs and artists they’ve had on repeat as the industry celebrates the 2024 ARIA Awards. Source link #Aussie #icon #Daryl #Braithwaite #reveals #surprise #favourite #song Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Google’s latest Nest Learning Thermostat is $55 off ahead of ****** Friday Google’s latest Nest Learning Thermostat is $55 off ahead of ****** Friday There are tons of hot ****** Friday deals worth checking out already, but here’s one that can help you keep the temperature just right. Google’s fourth-generation Nest Learning Thermostat can be yours for $225, which is a $55 discount. The deal is available at Wellbots and you’ll need to use the code ENGBFNLT55 at checkout to receive the savings. Google unveiled the latest version of its Nest Thermostat back in August. This is a solid deal on a new product. Google Google’s latest Nest Thermostat is available for $55 off at Wellbots. It has a larger, more customizable display than previous models, and it employs AI for readings and energy-saving suggestions. $280 at Wellbots The thermostat employs AI to deliver what Google claims are more accurate readings and to make suggestions on how to save energy and cut down on your utility bills. The thermostat will tweak settings by itself too, depending on factors such as the ambient temperature. To measure that, a wireless temperature sensor is bundled with the device. The sensor can run for up to three years before a battery replacement is needed, according to Google. You can buy more sensors ($40 each or three for $100) and connect up to six to the Nest Thermostat while dotting them around your home. This model’s display is 60 percent larger than that of its predecessors. The display is more customizable too. You have a variety of faces to choose from, just like on a smartwatch. It’s possible to make the thermostat appear like a clock or to change its colors. One neat feature is that the Nest Thermostat uses integrated Soli radar sensors to determine how far away you are from it. It will automatically tweak the UI based on how close you are. The more you move back, the larger the font size will be to improve the legibility. Check out all of the latest ****** Friday and Cyber Monday deals here. Source link #Googles #latest #Nest #Learning #Thermostat #ahead #****** #Friday Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Einstein’s Most Famous Theory Just Passed Its Biggest Challenge Ever Einstein’s Most Famous Theory Just Passed Its Biggest Challenge Ever A giant ‘wall’ of galaxies has been found stretching across the Universe The mathematics Albert Einstein devised to describe the gravitational workings of the physical Universe in the early 20th century is still holding strong. In one of the biggest tests of general relativity to date, a huge team of astronomers has mapped the distribution of nearly 6 million galaxies across 11 billion years of the Universe’s history. The way gravity clumps these galaxies together along strands of the cosmic web against the outward pull of the expansion of the Universe, and the way that web evolves over time, is exactly consistent with predictions made by Einstein’s famous theory. It is, perhaps, the largest test of general relativity to date, spanning most of the 13.8-billion-year history of the Universe – meaning that the theory holds up at the biggest scales as well as the smallest. The findings have been submitted for publication, and are available in three new preprints uploaded to arXiv ahead of peer review. “General relativity has been very well tested at the scale of solar systems, but we also needed to test that our assumption works at much larger scales,” says cosmologist Pauline Zarrouk of the French National Center for Scientific Research. “Studying the rate at which galaxies formed lets us directly test our theories and, so far, we’re lining up with what general relativity predicts at cosmological scales.” Gravity is fundamental to the way the Universe works. We don’t know what it is or why it is, just that objects with mass tend to attract other objects with mass; that the strength of the attraction is directly proportional to the mass; and that it alters the geometry of space-time around a mass. It also behaves like a glue that draws the Universe together. Large filaments of gravitational fields generated by dark matter span the entire Universe in a sort of web; and most of the matter in the Universe is distributed along the strands and nodes of this cosmic web. It’s predictable and measurable and, so far, extremely well constrained and defined by the theory of general relativity. But finding flaws in the theory could reveal solutions to some remarkably thorny problems, such as the irreconcilable differences between quantum mechanics and classical physics. So scientists keep poking it to see if the Universe’s contents look just how general relativity says it ought to, on all scales. This brings us to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory-led Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), a huge international collaboration that is currently working to map the observable Universe to unravel its biggest secrets. It’s been operational since 2019; the new results are based on a detailed and extended analysis of just the first year of data obtained by the instrument. The DESI Collaboration used that data to conduct a painstaking survey of 5.7 million galaxies and quasars across the history of the Universe, mapping their growth, evolution, and distribution along the cosmic web from the early Universe 11 billion years ago. This simulation shows how tweaking gravity changes the distribution of galaxies in the Universe. (Claire Lamman and Michael Rashkovetskyi/DESI collaboration) They used the theory of general relativity to predict the cosmic web’s growth and distribution, and found that the Universe we live in has behaved the way relativity says it should, on an epic cosmic scale. Add more gravity, or take some away, and the Universe would no longer look the same. The result follows a paper earlier this year that measured the expansion rate of the Universe based on cosmic relics of acoustic waves that froze when the atomic fog that filled the early Universe cleared. The DESI Collaboration hopes that ongoing efforts will continue to shed light on the evolution of the Universe and, in turn, the mysterious forces that drive it. “This is the first time that DESI has looked at the growth of cosmic structure,” says physicist Dragan Huterer of the University of Michigan. “We’re showing a tremendous new ability to probe modified gravity and improve constraints on models of dark energy. And it’s only the tip of the iceberg.” DESI is at the Mayall Telescope in Arizona, seen here during the 2023 Geminid shower. (KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/R. Sparks) The results also placed constraints on the upper limit for the mass of the neutrino, a particle so ‘ghostly’ that we’ve been unable to weigh it precisely. The survey is still ongoing, as is the Collaboration’s work. The researchers are currently analyzing the data from the first three years of DESI’s operation. By the time the instrument completes its work, it will have collected data on more than 40 million galaxies and quasars. Among the keenest hopes is that it will help reveal the nature of dark matter, the mysterious invisible something responsible for generating extra gravity in the Universe; and dark energy, the mysterious invisible something responsible for driving the variably accelerating expansion of the Universe. “Dark matter makes up about a quarter of the Universe, and dark energy makes up another 70 percent, and we don’t really know what either one is,” says physicist Mark Maus of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California Berkeley. “The idea that we can take pictures of the Universe and tackle these big, fundamental questions is mind-blowing.” The team’s papers are now available on preprint server arXiv. Related News Source link #Einsteins #Famous #Theory #Passed #Biggest #Challenge Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Devs "Completely Underestimated" Excitement, Explain Server Issues Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Devs "Completely Underestimated" Excitement, Explain Server Issues Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is being slammed by login traffic much beyond what the developers expected, completely overwhelming a cache. Source link #Microsoft #Flight #Simulator #Devs #quotCompletely #Underestimatedquot #Excitement #Explain #Server #Issues Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

U.S. closes embassy in Kyiv warning of potential ‘air *******’ U.S. closes embassy in Kyiv warning of potential ‘air *******’ KYIV, UKRAINE – JANUARY 24: A view of the U.S. Embassy on January 24, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. According to media reports the embassy has ordered family members of embassy staff to leave the country and has also urged U.S. citizens in Ukraine to leave as well. Russia has amassed tens of thousands of soldiers on tis border to Ukraine, causing international fears of a pending military invasion. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) Sean Gallup | Getty Images News | Getty Images The U.S. closed its embassy in Kyiv on Wednesday, warning that it has “received specific information of a potential significant air *******” amid soaring tensions with Russia. The U.S. Embassy said in a statement that it was closing the building “out of an abundance of caution” and instructed embassy employees to shelter in place. “The U.S. Embassy recommends U.S. citizens be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced,” it added. Air alerts in Kyiv are a common occurrence, as the Ukrainian capital suffers frequent drone and missile attacks from Russia. But the latest alert comes amid rising tensions between Moscow and Washington, after reports that the White House on Sunday gave Ukraine permission to use U.S.-made long-range missiles to ******* targets on Russian territory. On Tuesday, Russia’s defense ministry said it had intercepted five U.S.-made ATACMS missiles, and destroyed one other, which had been used by Ukraine to ******* its border region of Bryansk. Ukraine has not officially commented on carrying out an ******* using long-range *********-made missiles. The Pentagon also declined to comment when asked about the development. The ******* drew a furious reaction from Moscow, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov calling the move an “escalation” by the West. A U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) is fired during a ****** training between the ******* States and South Korea, on October 05, 2022 at an undisclosed location. Handout | Getty Images News | Getty Images The Kremlin has repeatedly warned the West against allowing Ukraine to use its long-range weapons against targets on Russian soil. On Tuesday, President Vladimir ****** approved amendments to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, shifting the parameters in which Moscow can use nuclear weapons. The updated document now states that any aggression against Russia by a non-nuclear state that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered as a ****** *******. It also outlines that the Kremlin may use nuclear weapons in the event of a critical threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity — and that of its ally, Belarus — and that the launch of ballistic missiles against Russia would be seen among the conditions that could warrant a nuclear response. Source link #U.S #closes #embassy #Kyiv #warning #potential #air #******* Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Adobe’s ****** Friday deal slashes 50 percent off Creative Cloud plans Adobe’s ****** Friday deal slashes 50 percent off Creative Cloud plans Adobe is making it more affordable to access its apps if you pay for a subscription until ****** Friday this year. You can get the 100GB Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps plan for $30 a month instead of $60 if you sign up for a subscription until November 29. If you’re a student, you can get it even cheaper at $16 per month, or 70 percent less than its usual price. Take note that the offer is only available if you’re a first time subscriber, and it requires a one year commitment. You will be paying the discounted rate for the entirety of those 12 months, though, and it’s not until your subscription is renewed after the year is over that you’ll have to pay for its regular $60-a-month pricing. Adobe Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions are 50 percent off for ****** Friday. $30 at Adobe Creative Cloud for Teams is also discounted until November 29 and will cost businesses $45 per month per license, down 50 percent from $90. Meanwhile, Adobe Express for teams will set businesses back $5 per month per license instead of $8. Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps gives you access to 20 of the company’s creative apps. They include Photoshop, which is probably the Adobe app you’re most familiar with, as well as Illustrator, Premiere Pro, After Effects, InDesign and Acrobat. In addition, you’ll also get cloud storage space, social media templates and thousands of fonts with a subscription. If you want to make a website, you can use the plan’s access to Adobe Portfolio create it, and you can also use the included access to Adobe Behance if you want to showcase your creative work. Check out all of the latest ****** Friday and Cyber Monday deals here. Source link #Adobes #****** #Friday #deal #slashes #percent #Creative #Cloud #plans Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Men buy more from the middle aisle, boss reveals Men buy more from the middle aisle, boss reveals Alamy Men are buying more from Lidl’s middle aisle, its *** boss has said as the supermarket returned to profit after a loss-making year. Ryan McDonnell said the middle of Lidl, known for its unusual stock which ranges from power tools to inflatables, had a “big male following”. “We often get partners at odds with each other because men have disappeared up the aisle and are buying things they maybe already have,” he told the BBC. His comments came as Lidl reported a pre-tax profit of £43m, compared with a loss of £76m the previous year. It saw a 16.9% jump in annual sales for the year to the end of February 2024 with sales of nearly £11bn. It’s 30 years this month since Lidl arrived in the ***. It now has more than 960 shops and is the nation’s sixth biggest grocer. One of its quirks is “the middle of Lidl” and a trip to the retailer has become synonymous with shoppers returning with something they had not gone in for. Two-man canoes and flamethrowers “There are some interesting shopping habits in this aisle,” he said, adding he had known rows between couples after a man had become “intrigued by a gadget or two”. “I would say there are a lot of men in trouble when they come in here,” he said. There are Facebook pages, Reddit threads and YouTube videos dedicated to middle-aisle finds. “My mum came back with a two-man canoe despite not living near any suitable body of water,” one Reddit user posted on a thread about things people had found. “A flamethrower,” another user posted. “It was for getting rid of weeds.” Aside from the middle aisle, Mr McDonnell said there had been a lot of early spend on ****** pies, party food and panettone. He said Lidl had won a lot of new customers and many were in “confident mood” despite the tough economic backdrop. Lidl *** boss Ryan McDonnell said changes announced in the Budget would add tens of millions to the retailer’s costs Lidl is the fastest-growing supermarket chain in the *** this year but, like other retailers, it is now having to deal with the impact of the Budget. Supermarkets employ large numbers of people and profit margins are slim. Mr McDonnell warned tax rises announced in the Budget would add tens of millions of pounds to its costs in the coming year. The bosses of Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer have both warned shoppers could face higher prices as a result of an increase in employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs). On Tuesday, Lidl joined dozens of High Street giants in signing a letter to the Treasury warning job losses were “inevitable” and price rises “a certainty” as a result of measures announced in the Budget and other rising costs. The Treasury told the BBC the government “had to make difficult choices to fix the foundations of the country”. Mr McDonnell declined to put an exact figure on the extra cost of NICs, but said it was just one of a number of new costs coming down the track creating a cumulative burden for the industry. “We’re talking about National Insurance, National Living Wage, we’re talking about business rates. We have packaging and recycling taxes coming in. That’s a lot of pressure on business all at once,” he said. “I think the government needs to review how they intend to inspire growth.” However, he insisted Lidl’s investment plans in the *** would not change, with 18 more stores due to open in the next few months followed by 40 in the next financial year. Source link #Men #buy #middle #aisle #boss #reveals Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Diablo 4’s Aberrant Cinder Drop Rates After Mid Season Patch Are So High That Players Feel It Might Be Patched Soon Diablo 4’s Aberrant Cinder Drop Rates After Mid Season Patch Are So High That Players Feel It Might Be Patched Soon Diablo 4’s Aberrant Cinders’ drop rates have increased a lot after the recent updates. These in-game currencies are rewards given to players after completing quests, defeating enemies, and opening chests in Helltide zones. Diablo 4 needs a little fixing going forward. Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment However, the increasing amount of cinders currently available is a lot, which some players feel might hinder the experience of farming in the game by reducing the work-to-reward ratio in the long run. There is a high chance that it might get nerfed in the upcoming patch. You Can Be Very Rich In Diablo 4 At The Moment This is a great time to easily farm in the game. Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment Cinders are usually spent to unlock valuable items and rewards, such as loot cases, which are filled with a lot of rare and unique items. Players spend hours farming for this in-game currency so that they gather enough to unlock various things. However, after the mid-season patch update, there seems to have been an increase in the drop rate of cinders, which most fans are not big fans of. The update has enabled players to gather more cinders in less time, which eventually leads to faster and much easier acquisition of rewards. There is a high chance that this affects the balance of the game by making it way too easy for players. They might lose interest after a point since there will be no challenge left for them to beat. Players have recently reported feeling a reduced sense of achievement for obtaining awards, which might not be the best news for the future of the game. Comment byu/shibumi7126 from discussion indiablo4 Comment byu/shibumi7126 from discussion indiablo4 Developers of live-service games are often vigilant about the opinions of their player base. It is necessary to stay in touch for the betterment of the game. There is a high chance that the drop rates might be adjusted in the future if the developer feels like it might impact the game’s long-term balance. Obtaining Rewards Was Way More Difficult Before Mid-Season Patch The developer might come up with with fix soon. Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment Diablo 4 players have pointed out that farming in the Helltides events was way more challenging before. There is a high chance that this change might be intentional from the developer’s end to test out a new way. There are some players who are happy about this update since they are getting more rewards for less work. However, this might not be great for maintaining the long-term balance of the game. Things cannot become too easy for the players, or they will begin to lose interest in the game. Helltide events should be nerfed back to the way they were before. The limited ******* on top of a challenging task to acquire cinders will create more drama and will always keep the player on the edge of their seat. Source link #Diablo #Aberrant #Cinder #Drop #Rates #Mid #Season #Patch #High #Players #Feel #Patched Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Brandi Chastain: The story behind iconic photo of USA’s World Cup win Brandi Chastain: The story behind iconic photo of USA’s World Cup win The next three penalties were scored, so it all came down to the hosts’ final kick. It would be 30-year-old Chastain, previously dropped for the 1995 World Cup, to take the decisive penalty. The left-back, originally the sixth penalty taker, remembers the nerves setting in after being bumped to fifth by head coach Tony DiCicco and instructed to take the final kick of the game with her left foot. Chastain is right footed. “I’d never taken a penalty with my left foot in a game before, and certainly not in a World Cup final, and certainly not in front of 90,000 people,” she said. She stepped up to the line and placed the ball on the penalty spot. “I took a deep breath and waited for the whistle, and as Tony told me, I took it with my left foot.” Chastain, who went on to win 192 caps for her country, struck the ball emphatically past China goalkeeper Gao Hong. The stadium erupted, and the USA became World Cup winners. On the other side of the net, photographer Beck was in position. “Brandi makes the kick and I’m in a cocoon,” he says. “It just goes crazy – you could probably hear it in the *** – the sound of 90,000 people cheering and going crazy.” Chastain ripped off her shirt, her sports **** on show, and dropped to her knees screaming as her team-mates ran towards her. Source link #Brandi #Chastain #story #iconic #photo #USAs #World #Cup #win Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]