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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]

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Available Now, First Load May Take Up to 60 Minutes Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Available Now, First Load May Take Up to 60 Minutes Microsoft released the highly-anticipated Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 for both PC or Xbox Series X|S, but you may need some patience. Source link #Microsoft #Flight #Simulator #Load #Minutes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Hawks, Indigenous players settle Federal Court case Hawks, Indigenous players settle Federal Court case The Hawthorn racism scandal has ended after the AFL club settled their Federal Court case with Indigenous former players and their families, and apologised to the group for their experiences. The club and players released a ****** statement on Wednesday night, confirming the settlement after two days of mediation this week. The statement specified the settlement was reached “without determination of any parties’ allegations”. “Hawthorn accepts that the allegations were made in good ******, and has heard, respects, and accepts that they represent their truths,” part of the statement said. “Hawthorn is sorry and apologises that the former players, partners, and their families, in either pursuing a football career, or in supporting such a person, experienced ongoing hurt and distress in their time at the Club.” The settlement brings to an end a scandal that has lasted more than two years. Racism allegations against the club and its former coach Alastair Clarkson, his former assistant Chris Fagan and former ******** manager Jason Burt were first aired publicly in September 2022. Clarkson, Fagan and Burt have all strenuously denied any wrongdoing since then, while an AFL investigation found no adverse findings against the trio in May last year. AFL premiership star Cyril Rioli was the lead applicant in a statement of claim lodged in the Federal Court in July alongside his wife Shannyn Ah Sam-Rioli, former players Carl Peterson and Jermaine Miller-Lewis, his partner Montanah-Rae Lewis, and Hawthorn’s former Indigenous liaison officer Leon Egan. The claim included allegations of unlawful discrimination, including family separations and pressuring a pregnancy termination. Source link #Hawks #Indigenous #players #settle #Federal #Court #case Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bluesky hits 20 million users Bluesky hits 20 million users Bluesky has passed the 20 million user mark as the app continues its recent surge in growth. The decentralized service, which reached 15 million users less than a week ago, has just about tripled its user base in the last three months. Though it’s still far smaller than its rivals Threads and X, Bluesky’s current momentum is notable. The app has had several days over the last week where it added a million new users in a single 24-hour *******. That’s similar to the growth rate of Threads, which has been getting a million new sign-ups a day for “going on three months,” according to an update last week from Meta’s Adam Mosseri. Threads reached 275 million monthly users earlier this month and has added at least 15 million since the start of November. And while Bluesky ******** the underdog, there are other signs it’s gaining momentum. Bluesky has been the top app in Apple’s App Store for the last six days and has been the top non-gaming app in Google Play for four days, according to data provided by analytics firm App Figures. Meta’s Threads is currently in the number two spot on the App Store. Though Bluesky has experienced other periods of significant growth over the last year, the recent surge is far ******* than what the open-source service has previously seen. The latest growth for Bluesky seems to be at least partially furled by mounting frustration from some X users. There was a significant spike in traffic to Bluesky on November 7, the day after the presidential election, according to a report from analytics company SimilarWeb. That spike seemed to coincide with a surge in users trying to deactivate their accounts on X. Bluesky has also been keen to differentiate its policies from its larger rivals. Last week, the company pledged that it would not use its users’ content to train generative AI. X’s new privacy policy allows it to work with third-parties to train AI models on users’ past tweets. Bluesky’s CEO Jay Graber has also said that she doesn’t want to “enshittify the network with ads.” Threads, meanwhile, reportedly plans to start experimenting with its first ads in January. Source link #Bluesky #hits #million #users Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

US admiral says sending ******* and Ukraine weapons like Patriot missiles is eating into what’s needed for countering China US admiral says sending ******* and Ukraine weapons like Patriot missiles is eating into what’s needed for countering China Adm. Sam Paparo is concerned that the US is giving out vital defenses it needs to deal with China. “It’s now eating into stocks,” he said on Tuesday of advanced ******* shipments to Ukraine and *******. Paparo urged the Pentagon to start replenishing those stocks and expand beyond its original inventory. The US Navy’s top commander in the Indo-Pacific raised concerns on Tuesday that the Pentagon’s advanced weapons shipments to Ukraine and ******* could sap the strength it needs to deal with China. While speaking at the Brookings Institution, Adm. Samuel Paparo said he initially hadn’t been concerned with the weapons sent to the Middle East and Europe. “Up to this year, where most of the employment of weapons were really artillery pieces and short-range weapons, I had said: ‘Not at all,'” said Paparo, who’s been commander of US Indo-Pacific Command since May. “But now, with some of the Patriots that have been employed, some of the air-to-air missiles that have been employed, it’s now eating into stocks,” he added. “And to say otherwise would be dishonest.” In the last year, the US has been parceling out more sophisticated systems to ******* and Ukraine from its inventory. For example, it’s sent Kyiv at least two Patriot systems and an undisclosed number of missiles while deploying a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system — one out of the six in its arsenal — in *******. ******* has its own Patriot systems bought from the US and has said it’s retiring them in favor of a newer type of air defense. Paparo said advanced weapons aren’t reserved for any particular theater of US command but that deploying them in the Middle East and Europe affects the Pentagon’s worldwide “high-end capability.” “Inherently, it imposes costs on the readiness of America to respond in the Indo-Pacific region, which is the most stressing theater for the quantity and quality of munitions, because the PRC is the most capable potential adversary in the world,” Paparo said, referring to the People’s Republic of China. His solution is to spend more on building up US inventory. “We should replenish those stocks, and then some,” Paparo said. “I was already dissatisfied with the magazine depth. I’m a little more dissatisfied with the magazine depth. You know, it’s a time for straight talk.” Paparo’s warning echoes concerns from a formal congressional review published in July that found that US inventory may be severely lacking in scale for a war against Russia, China, or both simultaneously. In particular, the commissioners voiced a worry that the US could expend its munitions in three to four weeks, citing war games held to simulate potential battles in the Indo-Pacific. Some important ammunition like anti-ship missiles could run out in days, the review also said. Like Paparo, the review called for expanding and revitalizing US weapons production to produce higher quantities of advanced arms. Some in the Pentagon say there isn’t much time left to do so. Adm. John Aquilino, Paparo’s predecessor at Indopacific Command, said in March that China could be ready to invade Taiwan as early as 2027. In January last year, US Air Force Gen. Mike Miniham told officers in a memo that he personally felt Beijing could go to war in 2025. The four-star general retired in September. The US has budgeted about $850 billion this year for defense, and observers expect costs to approach $1 trillion a year in the coming decade. Press teams for the Pentagon and Indo-Pacific Command did not respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider Source link #admiral #sending #******* #Ukraine #weapons #Patriot #missiles #eating #whats #needed #countering #China Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

This ****** Stranding Fan Casting is So OP Even Hideo Kojima Will Have No Room For Complaints This ****** Stranding Fan Casting is So OP Even Hideo Kojima Will Have No Room For Complaints When it comes to adapting video games into movies, fans are often ready to get disappointed. But with the upcoming ****** Stranding adaptation with A24 and Hideo Kojima partnering together, maybe there is reason to hope. And as you’d expect, fans have started thinking of which actors will be a part of it. Hideo Kojima posing with a Ludens statue.| Image Credit: @hideo_kojima/Instagram One Reddit fan made a good joke about it by humorously re-casting the upcoming movie with its original game cast. What started as a *******-in-cheek meme quickly became a celebration of the original cast. It’s no surprise, considering the characters’ profound connections to their respective actors. This ****** Stranding Fancast Is So Good No One Can Disagree Image Credit: Kojima Productions ****** Stranding had a star-studded lineup, including Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, and Léa Seydoux, whose performances brought the game’s emotionally intense world to life. The meme post, shared by Reddit user Complete-Stuff-7043, quickly gained traction in the game’s subreddit This fan-casting was met with overwhelming approval from the community, with one commenter declaring it “spot on” and another humorously adding, “Anything besides the main cast we already had would be a sin.” Comment byu/Complete-Stuff-7043 from discussion inDeathStranding The game itself is a masterpiece of storytelling, blending a hauntingly beautiful post-apocalyptic world with deep emotional connections. Players step into the shoes of Sam Porter Bridges, tasked with reconnecting a fractured America. As a video game, it was a bold experiment in narrative gaming, blending themes of isolation, connection, and perseverance. Featuring an A-list cast and Kojima’s signature cinematic style, it already felt like an interactive movie. Comment byu/Complete-Stuff-7043 from discussion inDeathStranding Kojima’s decision to partner with A24 shows how he wants to preserve the artistic integrity of the project. Known for their innovative storytelling in films like Everything Everywhere All at Once and Hereditary, A24’s reputation aligns perfectly with Kojima’s vision. Hideo Kojima says he got offers from other studios about a live-action ‘****** STRANDING’ movie before choosing A24. “[Other studios suggested] ‘exploding in a flashy way with a large budget…’ but I don’t like that. I would like to make a slightly different movie with A24”… pic.twitter.com/3ytfT5Yv1X — DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 25, 2024 In interviews, Kojima explained why he chose A24 over other studios that offered big-budget, **********-laden blockbusters. “I want to make a slightly different movie with A24” A24 and Kojima Can Definitely Defy Expectations Image Credit: Kojima Productions This insistence on staying true to ****** Stranding’s tone is what sets Kojima apart. The game isn’t just about delivering packages in a post-apocalyptic America. It explores human connection in an apocalypse when the whole world is fragmented. A24 and ****** STRANDING will be made into a live-action movie “A24 was born into this world about 10 years ago, their presence is singular within the industry, they are like no other. The films they are delivering to the world are high in quality and very innovative. I… pic.twitter.com/4CiO8F1HUF — HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) December 14, 2023 Interestingly, Kojima himself won’t be directing the film because of his commitments to multiple gaming projects. But he’s promised to supervise the plot and collaborate with trusted filmmakers so the movie aligns with his creative vision. In an industry where game adaptations have often *******, Kojima’s hands-on approach and A24’s reputation for quality give fans hope that this project will be different. The idea of the original cast reprising their roles feels less like a fancast and more like the only logical choice. Whether it’s Norman Reedus’ charisma, Mads Mikkelsen’s intensity, or Léa Seydoux’s strength, these actors have already proven they are the heart of the game. Who do you want to see in the cast for the adaptation? Let us know in the comments! Source link #****** #Stranding #Fan #Casting #Hideo #Kojima #Room #Complaints Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What Trump’s return to the White House may mean for global bond yields What Trump’s return to the White House may mean for global bond yields Former US President Donald Trump arrives during a “Get Out The Vote” rally in Greensboro, North Carolina, US, on Saturday, March 2, 2024. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Donald Trump’s U.S. election victory has ratcheted up concerns about higher prices, prompting strategists to rethink the outlook for global bond yields and currencies. It is widely thought that the president-elect’s pledge to introduce tax cuts and steep tariffs could boost economic growth — but widen the fiscal deficit and refuel inflation. Trump’s return to the White House is seen as likely to throw a wrench in the Federal Reserve’s rate-cutting cycle, potentially keeping an upward bias on Treasury yields. Bond yields tend to rise when market participants expect higher prices or a growing budget deficit. Alim Remtulla, chief foreign exchange strategist at EFG International, said it would be “untenable” for the Fed to continue with its easing plans while yields rise. “Eventually, either the Fed has to pause rate cuts as the economy is no longer at risk of recession or the economy turns and yields implode as recession looms,” Remtulla told CNBC via email. “Trump’s election advances both possibilities as a trade war and increased fiscal spending work at cross purposes,” he added. The benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury yield has risen sharply since Trump’s election victory over Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in early November, before paring gains in recent days. The 10-year Treasury yield traded more than 3 basis points higher at 4.4158% on Wednesday morning. Yields and prices move in opposite directions. One basis point equals 0.01%. ********* bond market offers ‘more compelling value’ “In Europe, there’s been a slight reprieve on not-as-bad-as-expected data but also on the realization that Trump policies will take a quarter or two to enact,” EFG International’s Remtulla said. “There’s also a possibility that rhetoric out of the Trump campaign was for election purposes and that he’ll govern closer to the status quo. This would also help the euro zone avoid recession and lift [the euro],” he added. Germany’s 10-year bond yield, the benchmark for the euro zone, stood at 2.337% on Wednesday, marginally lower for the session. The yield on 2-year bunds, meanwhile, was up by around 1 basis point at 2.151%. Pedestrians walk in front of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) decorated with a giant national flag of the ******* States on November 6, 2024 in New York City. China News Service | China News Service | Getty Images Shannon Kirwin, associate director of fixed income ratings at Morningstar, said a significant chunk of investors were hoping for ********* bonds to hold up “fairly well” in the coming years, while the euro is expected to weaken. “Even before the U.S. election, the consensus among the bond fund managers I have spoken with was that the ********* bond market offered more compelling value than the U.S. market,” Kirwin told CNBC via email. “As a result, many managers had already positioned their portfolios to be slightly tilted towards ********* credit and away from US corporate bonds,” she added. In an effort to raise U.S. revenues, Trump has suggested he could impose a blanket 20% tariff on all goods imported into the country, with a tariff of up to 60% for ******** products and one as high as 2,000% on vehicles built in Mexico. For the ********* Union, meanwhile, Trump has said the 27-nation bloc will pay a “big price” for not buying enough ********* exports. “We’re hearing managers in both markets say they prefer to keep a bit of powder dry — for example by going up in quality or choosing to own a bit more cash than usual — in order to be able to take advantage of potential volatility down the road,” Kirwin added. What about Asia? Sameer Goel, global head of emerging markets research at Deutsche Bank, told CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia” on Tuesday that the escalating risk of higher U.S. inflation under a second Trump presidency doesn’t appear to have been priced in just yet. Asked how Trump 2.0 could impact ****** economies and regional currencies, Goel said it was likely to lead to widening inflation gaps between the U.S. and Asia, which could then trigger further currency weakness. “I guess, as always, different strokes as far as individual central banks and countries are concerned but I think there are more crosscurrents than offsetting here because tariffs could well end up being a lot more disruptive and damaging on growth,” Goel said. “On the other hand, it could be inflationary depending upon where energy prices go or alternative issues like currency weakness, which could feed back in for some countries more than it would be for elsewhere,” he added. For ****** currencies, analysts at MUFG said investors were yet to fully price in the potential scale of U.S. tariffs on China and elsewhere. A 60% tariff on ******** products, for instance, would require a 10% to 12% depreciation of the ******** yuan against the U.S. dollar, analysts at MUFG said in a research note published on Nov. 7. They warned the potential for tariff retaliation could make matters worse and there’s also a risk of other countries raising tariffs on China products. ****** currencies with higher exposure to China were thought to be more vulnerable to Trump tariffs, analysts at MUFG said, citing the Singapore dollar, Malaysian ringgit and South Korean won. Currency outlook Strategists at Dutch bank ING said in a research note published earlier this month that there is a tendency in financial markets to do “a lot of second-guessing” over possible outcomes. “Our advice is not to overthink it and instead take the firm view that the new administration’s plans for ******* fiscal and tighter immigration policy, when combined with relatively higher US rates and protectionism, all make a strong case for a dollar rally,” strategists at ING said in a note published Nov. 13. “Yes, the US economy may end up overheating — but 2025 should be the year when more air gets pumped into any potential dollar bubble,” they added. Stock Chart IconStock chart icon Euro-dollar year-to-date. ********* currencies, meanwhile, are expected to underperform. Strategists at ING said they estimate a peak of risk premium from late next year, which will mean that even if the euro can hold above parity with the U.S. dollar before then, “we see all the conditions for a structural shift from a 1.05-1.10 range to a 1.00-1.05 range” next year. Scandinavian currencies such as Sweden’s krona and Norway’s kroner were likely to be vulnerable to downside risk, ING said, while Britain’s pound sterling and the Swiss franc were poised to “marginally outperform” the euro. Source link #Trumps #return #White #House #global #bond #yields Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

[Interview] ‘Helldivers 2’, back to normal, past and future [Interview] ‘Helldivers 2’, back to normal, past and future Christopher|53m ago|Interview|0| ▼ Info Add Alt Source On November 14, 2024, at the G-STAR Conference (G-****) held at BEXCO in Busan, the two heads of Arrowhead Studio, the developer of Helldivers 2, Johan Pilestedt and Shams Jorjani, gave lectures. Developer Helldivers 2 Johan Pilestedt PC PS5 Shams Jorjani www-inven-co-kr.translate.goog Read Full Story >> www-inven-co-kr.translate.goog Source link #Interview #Helldivers #normal #future Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sharp 2.3% climb in October, above expectations Sharp 2.3% climb in October, above expectations Customers buy flowers on stalls at Columbia Road Flower Market in East London. Henry Nicholls | Afp | Getty Images LONDON — 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. This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates. Source link #Sharp #climb #October #expectations Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Department of Justice will reportedly push for Google to sell Chrome Department of Justice will reportedly push for Google to sell Chrome Google released Chrome in 2008 and it became synonymous with the company and its search engine. Well, that might no longer be the case if if the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has its way. The DOJ’s antitrust officials reportedly plan to request a federal judge orders Google to sell off Chrome, Bloomberg reports, citing sources familiar with the plan. In August, federal judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google “is a monopolist” in the search engine industry. Mehta further agreed Google used its “monopoly power by charging supracompetitive prices for general search text ads.” The company takes signed-in users’ data to create targeted advertising, however, Mehta ruled Google doesn’t hold the same monopoly power when it comes to the general search advertising market. In response to the ruling, antitrust officers also reportedly plan to suggest Google changes its data licensing policies. A new proposal would have Google syndicate search results separately and sell its click and query data. These moves could aid rival search engines and AI startups. The officers reportedly considered asking Mehta to force Google to sell of Android but have moved away from that request. The DOJ submitted initial proposals in October to remedy Google’s actions. Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs, stated, that the “government putting its thumb on the scale in these ways would harm consumers, developers and ********* technological leadership at precisely the moment it is most needed.” Mehta’s August ruling stems from a 2020 lawsuit filed by the DOJ and about one-fifth of the states, including Florida, Indiana and Texas. It argued that Google spent billions of dollars annually to device manufacturers, US wireless carriers and browser developers “to secure default status for its general search engine and, in many cases, to specifically prohibit Google’s counterparties from dealing with Google’s competitors.” According to testimony from Prabhakar Raghavan, Google’s chief technologist, the company spent $26.3 billion in 2021 to maintain its default search engine status — a majority of which likely went to Apple. A two-week hearing is set for April 2025 on changes for Google to implement, with a final ruling expected by August next year. Source link #Department #Justice #reportedly #push #Google #sell #Chrome Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Being in space makes it ******* for astronauts to think quickly Being in space makes it ******* for astronauts to think quickly There is a lot to keep track of when working in space NASA via Getty Image Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) had slower memory, attention and processing speed after six months, raising concerns about the impact of cognitive impairment on future space missions to Mars. The extreme environment of space, with reduced gravity, harsh radiation and the lack of regular sunrises and sunsets, can have dramatic effects on astronaut health, from muscle loss to an increased risk of heart ********. However, the cognitive effects of long-term space travel are less well documented. Now, Sheena Dev at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and her colleagues have looked at the cognitive performance of 25 astronauts during their time on the ISS. The team ran the astronauts through 10 tests, some of which were done on Earth, once before and twice after the mission, while others were done on the ISS, both early and later in the mission. These tests measured certain cognitive capacities, such as finding patterns on a grid to test abstract reasoning or choosing when to stop an inflating balloon before it pops to test risk-taking. The researchers found that the astronauts took longer to complete tests measuring processing speed, working memory and attention on the ISS than on Earth, but they were just as accurate. While there was no overall cognitive impairment or lasting effect on the astronauts’ abilities, some of the measures, like processing speed, took longer to return to normal after they came back to Earth. Having clear data on the cognitive effects of space travel will be crucial for future human spaceflight, says Elisa Raffaella Ferrè at Birkbeck, University of London, but it will be important to collect more data, both on Earth and in space, before we know the full picture. “A mission to Mars is not only longer in terms of time, but also in terms of autonomy,” says Ferrè. “People there will have a completely different interaction with ground control because of distance and delays in communication, so they will need to be fully autonomous in taking decisions, so human performance is going to be key. You definitely don’t want to have astronauts on Mars with slow reaction time, in terms of attention-related tasks or memory or processing speed.” It isn’t surprising that there were some specific decreases in cognitive performance given the unusual environment of space, says Jo Bower at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, ***. “It’s not necessarily a great cause for an alarm, but it’s something that’s useful to be aware of, especially so that you know your limits when you’re in these extreme environments,” she says. That awareness could be especially helpful for astronauts on longer missions, adds Bower. “It’s not just how you do in those tests, but also what your perception of your ability is,” she says. “We know, for example, if you’re sleep deprived, that quite often your performance will decline, but you won’t realise your performance has declined.” Topics: Source link #space #******* #astronauts #quickly Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Redmi A4 5G With Snapdragon 4s Gen 2, 50-Megapixel Rear Camera Launched in India: Price, Specifications Redmi A4 5G With Snapdragon 4s Gen 2, 50-Megapixel Rear Camera Launched in India: Price, Specifications Redmi A4 5G was launched in India on Wednesday as an affordable 5G smartphone under the Rs. 10,000 mark. The handset is equipped with a 50-megapixel rear camera and sports a 6.88-inch LCD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is powered by a 4nm Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 chip, paired with 4GB of RAM. The Redmi A4 5G packs a 5,160mAh battery that can be charged at 18W. It runs on Android 14, along with the company’s HyperOS skin. Redmi A4 5G Price in India, Availability Redmi A4 5G price in India is set at Rs. 8,499 for the 4GB+64GB RAM and storage configuration. It also comes a 4GB+128GB storage variant that is priced at Rs. 9,499. It is available in Sparkle Purple and Starry ****** colour options. Customers can purchase the Redmi A4 5G via the company’s website starting on November 27. Redmi A4 5G Specifications, Features The dual-SIM (Nano+Nano) Redmi A4 5G runs on Android 14-based HyperOS, and it will receive two years of OS updates and four years of security updates. It sports a 6.88-inch HD+ (720×1640 pixels) LCD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. The handset is equipped with a 4nm Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 chip, paired with 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM. For photos and videos, the Redmi A4 5G features a 50-megapixel primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture, along with an unspecified secondary camera. It also has a 5-megapixel selfie camera on the front, with an f/2.2 aperture. You get up to 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage on the Redmi A4 5G, which can be expanded to 1TB using a MicroSD card slot. Connectivity options include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Redmi A4 5G packs a 5,160mAh battery that can be charged at 18W, using the charger that ships in the box. It has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for biometric authentication and has an IP52 rating for dust and splash resistance. It measures 171.88×77.80×8.22mm and weighs 212.35g. Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details. Source link #Redmi #Snapdragon #Gen #50Megapixel #Rear #Camera #Launched #India #Price #Specifications Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Inflation rises to 2.3% in October after energy bills rise Inflation rises to 2.3% in October after energy bills rise *** inflation jumped last month in part due to rising energy prices, official figures show. The inflation rate, which measures price changes over time, hit 2.3% in the year to October, an increase from 1.7% in September. Annual gas and electricity bills rose by about £149 last month, but prices are rising much more slowly than in recent years. However, the rate, which is closely monitored to determine interest rates, is now back above the Bank of England’s 2% target. Source link #Inflation #rises #October #energy #bills #rise Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Rebirth Island Removed From Warzone Just Hours After It Returned Rebirth Island Removed From Warzone Just Hours After It Returned Rebirth Island has been removed from the Call of Duty: Warzone playlist due to “map-specific issues,” just hours after the popular map returned. Players are waiting on further updates from Treyarch to find out when the map is likely to be returned to rotation. It’s a busy time for Warzone, after its big integration with ****** Ops 6 and Season 1 launch last week. The update brought ****** Ops 6 operators, weapons, and even game features to Warzone, as well as the new Area 99 Resurgence map, however the integration hasn’t been without its hiccups. Players have experienced issues, especially with game audio, as well as with performance on PC. Players might have been looking forward to playing the popular Rebirth Island map when it was re-added to Warzone with this week’s playlist refresh, but the map was pulled from rotation just over three hours after it was added. #Warzone We’ve removed Rebirth Island from the playlist while we investigate map-specific issues. Other maps and modes remain unaffected. We will post updates here when we have more to share. — Call of Duty Updates (@CODUpdates) November 18, 2024 Treyarch has said that the issue in question is map-specific, and that “other maps and modes remain unaffected.” The post said further updates would be posted to the same account, but it’s currently unclear how quickly the issue is likely to be addressed. The Warzone developer has already been hard at work patching issues associated with the Season 1 launch, with the first patch coming the day after the season started. Other posts on the CoD Updates X (formerly Twitter) account show that the team has already resolved a number of issues, so hopefully players will be able to jump back into Rebirth Island soon–but for now, they’ll have to stick to exploring Area 99. Source link #Rebirth #Island #Removed #Warzone #Hours #Returned Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

3 Stocks that Make Sense for Value Investors to Buy Now 3 Stocks that Make Sense for Value Investors to Buy Now The underlying dynamic of the stock market is that people not only perceive the value of a company differently, but they speculatively count on other people to do so. This translates to a dichotomy between intrinsic value and perceived value. Therefore, value investors prioritize a company’s intrinsic value, preferably one that is currently mispriced to the point of being undervalued (under discount) by the wider market. Or, as Warren Buffett put it, “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”. If investors have a long-term outlook, they can bet on future value with companies that are showing above-average growth. Accordingly, they would prioritize future value over current value, making them growth stock investors. With that in mind, which stocks fit the bill for being presently mispriced? 1. Encore Capital Group Followers of macro trends could have noticed a rapid rise in delinquency rate on credit card loans. In Q3 2024, it reached the highest level since Q4 2011. This is to be expected as lockdown-******* excess savings depleted, having turned negative by this March. Combined with the eroding effect of inflation since 2021, after the Federal Reserve ballooned the money supply to historic proportions, the ability to repay debt is lower. Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:) is there to purchase delinquent consumer debt at a discount and then attempt to recover it. As of the November investor presentation, Encore collected $2.1 billion debt for the last twelve months through Q3 2024, split between the US at 72% and Europe at 28%. In that quarter, the company’s revenue went up 19% year-over-year to $367 million. More importantly, Encore’s net income increased by 58%, from $19 million to $31 million in Q3. The company’s debt-to-equity ratio is now 3.4, having exceeded $23 million in debt recoveries above forecast in Q3. Although Encore missed Q3’s EPS estimate, due to its underperforming subsidiary Cabot (NYSE:) Credit Management (CCM) in the ***, the US operations largely offset the loss. Image credit: Encore Capital Group Encore’s forward price to earnings (P/E) ratio is at relatively low 5.54 while price to book (P/B) ratio is 1.11. Presently priced at $48.73, ECPG stock is well under the bottom outlook of $58 per 5 analyst inputs aggregated by Nasdaq. The average ECPG price target is $61.6, while the top twelve months ahead is estimated at $65 per share. 2. Datadog Since the last coverage of this software-as-a-service (SaaS) company in November 2023, Datadog (NASDAQ:) stock is up 31%, from $99.81 to present $130.54 per share. As demonstrated by Adobe (NASDAQ:), CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:) and others, SaaS business model provides companies with predictable cash flows based on a subscription-based service. Datadog has another ***** by offering free basic service for network monitoring up to 5 hosts. Businesses can then scale up with their own expansion to the next tier with a leveled up 15-month network monitoring retention vs just 1-day. This provides companies an invaluable insight in how their online presence is monitored, managed, automated and optimized. Datadog beat its earnings per share (EPS) estimates for the last four consecutive quarters. The most recent Q3 EPS estimate was beaten at 87.5% positive surprise, having reported $0.15 vs estimated $0.08 EPS. Compared to a year-ago Q3 ‘23 *******, Datadog more than doubled its net income, from $22.6 million to $51.7 million. Even more impressively, the company has a very low debt to equity ratio of 0.28. While Datadog’s P/E ratio is expectedly high at 244.91, alongside P/B at 16.77, investors are still seeing DDOG as undervalued. After all, Datadog is outside the Big Tech circle. As such, there is more space for growth in a high-growth cloud-computing and monitoring market. Although Dynatrace (NYSE:) and New Relic (NYSE:) are Datadog’s competitors in that niche, it seems there is plenty of demand for all companies. Currently priced at $130.54 per share, DDOG’s average price target is $151.25 based on 36 analyst inputs. The low estimate is still above the present price, at $133, while the high estimate is $165 per DDOG share. 3. Nu Holdings Ltd Over the last five years, MercadoLibre Inc (NASDAQ:), the Amazon (NASDAQ:) equivalent for South America, grew its revenue from $2 billion to $18.5 billion. Although JP Morgan downgraded the company in October because its logistics expansion is taking a toll on profits, it ******** the case that e-commerce is projected for double-digit growth across the continent by 2026, per PCMI data. By providing digital payment solutions, Nu Holdings (NYSE:) is closely tied to that growth. Without its own e-commerce platform, Nu connects with marketplaces and digital retailers to drive online retail engagement. In other words, Nu is complementary to the smartphone + e-commerce combo, both of which boomed in South America. The digital bank reported 23% customer growth in the latest Q3 financial report, now serving 109.7 million customers with an activity rate of 84%. Without the burden of brick & mortar banking costs, Nu’s net income increased from $303 million to $553.4 million. Equally so, the company’s debt-to-equity ratio ******** low at 0.19 as of the end of September. Nu’s forward P/E is 23 while its P/B is 8.58. But considering the fact that most investors focus on US-based companies, it is likely that NU stock still has some headway. Like the previous two value stock picks, NU stock’s low estimate is also above its present price, at $15 vs $13.41 respectively. According to 12 analyst inputs, the average NU price target is $17.38, with the high estimate close at $18.9 per NU share. *** Neither the author, Tim Fries, nor this website, The Tokenist, provide financial advice. Please consult our website policy prior to making financial decisions. This article was originally published on The Tokenist. Check out The Tokenist’s free newsletter, Five Minute Finance, for weekly analysis of the biggest trends in finance and technology. Source link #Stocks #Sense #Investors #Buy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘******’s ***** threat’ and ‘Farmageddon!’ ‘******’s ***** threat’ and ‘Farmageddon!’ A number of the front pages carry warnings of an increasing nuclear threat from Vladimir ******, after he approved new rules for Russia’s military. “****** clears way for nuclear strike,” declares the Daily Mail‘s headline, after Ukraine fired US long-range rockets into Russia for the first time. The paper calls it a “dramatic escalation on the 1,000th day of the conflict”. The Times says ****** has raised the “nuclear stakes” by lowering the legal threshold for using atomic weapons, in retaliation for attacks on its territory with Western-supplied weapons. The paper says ****** has been weighing up altering his nuclear doctrine for several months. President ****** has “ramped up fears of nuclear war”, says the Daily Mirror. It labels him a “tyrant” – and, in a comment piece, the MIRROR says the Russian leader invaded his neighbour “in a bloodthirsty land grab” and now the victim he is pummelling is fighting back with US-supplied weapons. The Guardian reports that the ******* States is “incredibly concerned” about what it calls a “Russian hybrid warfare campaign” against the West. According to the paper, people briefed on discussions about Russia’s likely response say that potential hybrid attacks could include expanding “its campaign of sabotage and assassinations in Europe” or “further arming US adversaries in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific”. The farmers’ inheritance tax protest in London is also on the front pages. The Telegraph carries a large photo of Jeremy Clarkson – who owns a farm – talking to the media. He was one of the high-profile supporters to join thousands of farmers at Westminster. The Mail calls it “the day Clarkson’s farmer army parked on Starmer’s lawn”. The paper says protesting farmers have warned that “this is just the warm up” against what it calls the “government’s inheritance tax raid”. The Times reports that Labour MPs have privately warned that the plans to raise inheritance tax risk hitting the “average farmer”, rather than the intended targets. As the paper puts it, they are “non-farmers buying swathes of agricultural land to avoid inheritance tax”. The i describes the protest as a “farmer drama for Starmer”. The paper says it understands that Labour MPs in rural areas are lobbying ministers behind the scenes. But it adds that some insiders are digging in over the protest, saying: “They don’t vote for us anyway.” Farmageddon!” warns the Metro‘s headline. First class stamps are now so expensive, it can be cheaper to fly to Europe to post your Christmas cards, according to The Telegraph. It says Royal Mail’s decision to raise the price to £1.65 means that sending a letter from some countries abroad costs half as much as sending it domestically. Analysis found six foreign destinations where posting 100 cards would be cheaper than in Britain even when including the cost of a return flight. For instance, sending 100 cards from Belgrade to the *** would cost £78 and flights from Luton to the Serbian capital can cost as little as £33 – a total of £111 – still much less than the £165 the postage would cost in the ***. Source link #Putins #***** #threat #Farmageddon Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trombone Champ: Unflattened arrives on PS VR2 on November 26 Trombone Champ: Unflattened arrives on PS VR2 on November 26 Flat2VR Studios first PS VR2 title reimagines the rhythm game with immersive controls and offbeat humor. Source link #Trombone #Champ #Unflattened #arrives #VR2 #November Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Here’s ******** Against Super Micro Computer Is a Good Idea Here’s ******** Against Super Micro Computer Is a Good Idea I’m focusing on as a short because there’s an increasing number of red flags that suggest a high probability that SMCI is the Hotel California of accounting ******: you can check-in but you’ll never check-out. I think there’s a strong possibility that SMCI will not be operating in its current form 12-18 months from now. While I think there’s value to SMCI’s business, it’s a matter of determining what’s real and what’s accounting ******. It’s a low-margin business on which SMCI’s c-suite has been imposing accounting ****** to make the sales growth and profit margins appear ******* than reality. The incentive to do this, of course, is to boost the share price. On Wednesday SMCI filed a Notification of Late Filing with the SEC stating that it is unable to file its FY 2025 Q1 10-Q. It also stated that it needs additional time to find an auditor, for the Special Committee of the Board to complete its review of SMCI’s procedures and controls and for the audit firm that is eventually hired to prepare and complete the FY 2024 10-K and FY ’25 10-Q. The now must decide if it will delist SMCI or give the Company 180 days to fix the issues listed above. I have no idea how this will unfold but, quite frankly, this stock should not be trading given the complete lack of transparency with its financials for the last 5 quarters. In addition, NVDA pulled a big order for servers last week from SMCI. SMCI’s shares jumped 16.6% from the close in thin after-hours trading Friday after Barron’s reported that “a person familiar with the matter” told Barron’s that SMCI intends to submit a plan on Monday in an effort to avoid delisting. Details were lacking but as of Friday SMCI had not hired an auditor to replace E&Y. In fact, the Wall Street Journal published an article Friday morning titled “Is Anyone Crazy Enough to Audit Super Micro Computer?” The article referenced the possibility that E&Y found something missed by the previous accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche. D&T was fired by SMCI at the end of its FY 2023 (June 30, 2023). Thus, E&Y resigned as the auditor just 15 months after Deloitte was fired and before E&Y completed its FY 2024 year-end audit. In other words, despite SMCI’s denials, there has to be some serious problems with SMCI’s accounting. Prior to E&Y’s resignation, in April a former employee (Bob Luong) who was the Head of Global Services filed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging that SMCI continued to falsify revenue recognition shortly after SMCI settled with the SEC and was relisted on the Nasdaq in 2020. According to the court filing, Luong was terminated in April 2023 after refusing to comply with SMCI’s repeated requests to implement what Luong believed was revenue recognition accounting that violates SEC accounting regulations between late 2020 and 2022. The court filing has two pages of sordid details. This includes improper revenue recognition, recognizing revenue from incomplete sales and shipping products near quarter-end that SMCI knew had problems and would be returned for exchange after the quarter ended. In addition Luong alleges that SMCI would shift revenue services to hardware sales in order to boost the profit margin reported in the financials from hardware sales. Luong also cited circumvention by upper management of internal accounting controls. In December 2022 Luong was placed on involuntary administrative leave and fired in April 2023. Note that Deloitte was fired two-and-a-half months later. I suspect that Deloitte was putting up resistance for the same reasons listed by Luong in his lawsuit. Deloitte was SMCI’s auditor when the Company delisted in August 2018 for failing to file financial statements for two consecutive years. After regaining compliance in January 2020, the SEC charged the Company with widespread accounting violations in August 2020. SMCI settled with the SEC shortly there-after. I find it quite interesting that E&Y quit as SMCI’s auditor before it completed what would have been its first FY year-end audit in connection with the preparation of the 10-K to be filed with the SEC. Clearly E&Y discovered huge problems with SMCI’s accounting and controls and was unwilling to put its name on the Auditor’s Report which precedes the presentation of the financials in a 10-K. In my opinion the writing is on the wall for SMCI. This Company is riddled with accounting ****** based on all of the “footprints in the snow.” I continue to believe that SMCI will be trading under $10 within six to twelve months. The problem with using puts right now to express this view is that if the stock is delisted the options cease trading. That said, I think the after-hours report that SMCI is filing a plan of compliance with the Nasdaq (though I don’t see how the report has substance since an audit firm has not been hired). I hope the stocks pops this week because I would love to establish a longer-dated, OTM put position in this stock. I’ll be watching the price-action in the stock Monday at the open and I hope the stock runs into the mid-high $20’s. As an aside, there’s still the potential for this stock to get delisted. If you take a bearish view on SMCI with puts, there’s delisting risk, meaning that the options cease trading if there’s a delisting. However, if you short the stock, that short position can be carried over into the OTC market, likely under the symbol “SMCIQ.” I really believe this stock is a no-brainer short. NOTE: On Monday SMCI filed an 8-K in which t announced that it hired a new audit firm, BDO, and intended to file a Plan of Compliance. There’s just two problems. The 8-K contained a paragraph which would lead a discerning reader to conclude that the BDO engagement is contingent on BDO getting comfortable with the issues that led to the ******* of Deloitte and the resignation of E&Y. Note that E&Y quit before it completed what would have been its first annual audit of SMCI’s numbers. As it turns out, BDO is a shady “mid-tier” audit firm. The Public Accounting Oversight Board issued a report in which is stated that 86% of the audits by BDO that PCAOB insspected were deficient. This means that BDO had ******* to collect evidence to support at least part of its audit conclusion. I don’t know how this saga might play out in the near-term. But longer term, as the market figures out that the value-added of AI does not justify the massive market caps given to the AI-related companies. This is particularly true with the SMCI, which sports an operating margin that is below 10% – to the extent that operating margin can be trusted – and clearly does not command pricing power for what is basically a commodity product. Source link #Heres #******** #Super #Micro #Computer #Good #Idea Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

ASX falls after ‘inexplicable’ rally during Tuesday’s trading ASX falls after ‘inexplicable’ rally during Tuesday’s trading The ASX closed down on Wednesday as investors took advantage to take a profit following a record day of trading on Tuesday. Source link #ASX #falls #inexplicable #rally #Tuesdays #trading Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]