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Lorraine’s ITV show cut to 30 minutes as job cuts loom Lorraine’s ITV show cut to 30 minutes as job cuts loom Lorraine Kelly’s morning show on ITV will be cut from an hour to 30 minutes as more than 220 jobs across the station’s daytime output are expected to be cut, the broadcaster has announced. From January 2026, Good Morning Britain (GMB) will be extended by half an hour to fill the gap, running from 06:00 to 09.30 daily. Lorraine, which currently runs for almost the entire year, will now only air for 30 weeks out of 52, with GMB extended by 30 minutes during the weeks Lorraine is not on air, until 10:00. The 220 job cuts are expected to be made across daytime shows GMB, Lorraine, This Morning, and Loose Women. Entertainment outlet Deadline reports ITV’s daytime staff currently amounts to about 450 employees in total. Loose Women will remain in its current slot – 12:30 to 13:30 daily – but again, will now be cut to 30 weeks of the year. This Morning, hosted by Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard, is to remain in its 10:00 – 12:30 slot on weekdays across the year. Kevin Lygo, managing director of ITV’s media and entertainment division, said: “Daytime is a really important part of what we do, and these scheduling and production changes will enable us to continue to deliver a schedule providing viewers with the news, debate and discussion they love from the presenters they know and trust, as well as generating savings which will allow us to reinvest across the programme budget in other genres. “These changes also allow us to consolidate our news operations and expand our national, international and regional news output and to build upon our proud history of trusted journalism at a time when our viewers need accurate, unbiased news coverage more than ever.” ITV Studios, which produces the channel’s daytime shows, is consulting with its daytime teams about a proposal that would see its three editorially distinct shows – Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women – produced by one team sharing resources and operations from 2026. GMB will move across from ITV Studios to ITV News at ITN, bringing all its national news gathering into one hub. Scottish presenter Kelly has fronted Lorraine since 2010. Ranvir Singh and Christine Lampard present the show when Kelly is off. In February, ITV announced that soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale would see their content cut by an hour a week between them from next year. In the past few years, there has been a downturn in advertising revenue, part of a funding squeeze throughout the TV industry. Source link #Lorraines #ITV #show #cut #minutes #job #cuts #loom Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Colombian model killed days after ******** influencer shot dead on livestream – National Colombian model killed days after ******** influencer shot dead on livestream – National The fatal shooting of a Colombian influencer and model is being investigated as a femicide by authorities, less than a week after a similar incident in Mexico raised concerns over deadly acts of violence against women in both countries. According to police, María José Estupiñán, a 22-year-old student, model and social media influencer from Cúcuta in northeastern Colombia, was killed at her home on May 15 by a suspect posing as a delivery driver. Estupiñán was shot in the face when she opened the door. Surveillance footage of the incident obtained by police showed the assailant fleeing the scene shortly after it occurred. Magda Victoria Acosta, the president of the national gender commission of the Colombian judiciary, condemned the killing, saying women’s lives across the country were being unjustly ended as a result of gender-based violence. Story continues below advertisement 2:13 Questions about fatal Surrey RCMP shooting of mother from Colombia Previous Video Next Video “She was a young, enterprising woman with a whole life ahead of her, but those dreams are cut short like the dreams of many women in this country,” she said during a news conference. Following Estupiñán’s death, Colombian police said she had been abused by her former partner — who’s now a suspect — and suggested that the killing could have been a femicide, the targeted and purposeful killing of women and girls because of their gender. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. “It could be a case of femicide, since she filed several complaints for domestic violence in previous years, but that is a matter of investigation,” Cúcuta police Col. Leonardo Capacho said. Police also confirmed that there were existing accusations against the suspect. “According to what we have been able to verify, he indeed made some threats, and there were complaints against him. We are taking all urgent actions to establish what happened and bring those responsible for this act to Justice,” Col. William Quintero, commander of the Metropolitan Police of Cucuta, told local media. Story continues below advertisement The victim had previously reported her ex-partner for domestic violence, according to women’s rights lawyers. Moreover, the day before she died, a judge reportedly ruled in her favour and ordered her abuser to pay Estupiñán 30 million pesos — about C$9,900 — in damages. Women’s rights advocates in Colombia argue that state authorities could have prevented the killing but continue to sit idly by. More on World More videos Alejandra Vera, the director of feminist collective Woman, Speak Out and Move It, based in Cúcuta, told the Guardian that “the brutal ******* of María José is the result of a system that normalises violence against women,” adding that “Colombia is facing a pandemic of femicides — every 28 hours, a woman is a victim. Each crime reflects a systematic pattern of impunity and state negligence.” “María José, like thousands, did what the system demands. She reported the crime, presented evidence, and asked for help. But the state let her die,” Vera said. “There are no effective protection orders, no follow-up care for abusers, and no shelters with the capacity. Women are left completely unprotected, and the perpetrators know it.” Trending Now 3 kids dead, 19-year-old arrested for drunk driving in Toronto Inflation in Canada drops in April led by falling energy prices According to the Colombian Observatory of Femicides, in 2024, there were 886 femicides in Colombia, marking a seven-year high. Story continues below advertisement Estupiñán’s death came less than a week after 23-year-old beauty influencer Valeria Marquez was shot dead by a man who entered the beauty salon where she worked in Zapopan, central Mexico, near Guadalajara, while she was livestreaming on TikTok. Her death is being treated as a femicide by local authorities. Seconds before the incident, Marquez was seen on her TikTok livestream seated at a table, holding onto a stuffed toy. She was heard saying, “They’re coming,” before a voice in the background asked, “Hey, Vale?” Marquez responded “yes” before muting the livestream. At the time of her death, Marquez had about 200,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok, and had said earlier on the livestream that a person had arrived at the salon when she was not there with an “expensive gift” for her. Marquez, who appeared concerned when telling the story, said she was not planning to wait for the person to come back. Story continues below advertisement Jalisco, the state where her ******* took place, is ranked sixth out of Mexico’s 32 states, including Mexico City, for homicides, with 906 recorded there since the beginning of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s term in October 2024, according to data consultancy TResearch. &copy 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. Source link #Colombian #model #killed #days #******** #influencer #shot #dead #livestream #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Musk says he’s keen to still be Tesla CEO in five years Musk says he’s keen to still be Tesla CEO in five years Elon Musk says he is committed to staying on as Tesla’s CEO for at least another five years, weeks after the electric vehicle maker’s chair dismissed reports that the board had approached executive search firms about finding his successor. Having reasonable control of Tesla was the most important factor in staying on as head of the company, he said on Tuesday at an economic forum in Qatar. “Yes, no doubt about that at all,” Musk said in response to a question on whether he planned to stick around as Tesla CEO. Moderator Mishal Husain pushed further: “No doubt about that at all?” Musk added, chuckling: “I can’t be still here if I’m dead.” Earlier this month, Tesla chair Robyn Denholm denied a Wall Street Journal report that said board members had reached out to several executive search firms to find a replacement for Musk. Musk said at the event that Tesla had already turned around sales, and demand was strong in regions apart from Europe where the company has faced protests over his political views. “In terms of political spending, I’m gonna do a lot less in the future. I think I’ve done enough,” Musk said. Tesla reported a 13 per cent drop in first-quarter deliveries and some investors are bracing for another yearly decline in 2025, due to backlash against his political moves and as customers waited for cheaper versions of the redesigned Model Y crossover, its best-selling vehicle. Musk also said that his internet service Starlink might go public at some point in the future but that there was no rush. Starlink has expanded rapidly worldwide to operate in more than 70 countries, with a strong focus on further growth in emerging markets such as India. There should be some United States AI regulations but the sector should not be over-regulated, Musk said. His artificial intelligence company xAI is ramping up its data centre capacity to train more advanced models, by raising billions of dollars, as competition in AI intensifies. Its supercomputer cluster in Memphis, Tennessee, called “Colossus”, is touted as the largest in the world. with AP Source link #Musk #hes #keen #Tesla #CEO #years Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Aston Martin Valkyrie Is Being Recalled in the U.S.A. The Aston Martin Valkyrie Is Being Recalled in the U.S.A. Aston Martin is recalling a small handful of examples of its Valkyrie hypercar in the United States over an issue that could potentially damage a wiring harness. Fewer than a dozen cars were impacted by the recall, which is dated May 8th. According to a filing with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, the Valkyrie’s problem is caused by screws of incorrect length that attach a panel to the rear fuse box. Aston Martin’s recall bulletin does not say if the screws are too long or too short, but the offending parts can apparently “clash with the wiring harness.” That can lead to heat damage to the fuse box, which could in turn lead to a loss of power steering, ***********, and other functions. Because the issue is with just one set of screws, the recall posting states that seven 9.53 mm screws are the only parts needed to complete the repair, and suggests that the job will only require an hour of labor. That should make for a relatively cheap and straightforward fix, even though the Valkyrie is one of the most expensive, complicated, and generally ambitious cars ever sold. An Aston Martin Valkyrie, being inspected upon delivery by a satisfied customer. Aston Martin The recall impacts just 11 cars, all built between May 2021 and October 2024. That number is more substantial when considering that Aston Martin planned to build only 275 Valkyries globally, with 40 of those units reserved for the track-only AMR Pro variant. That means that a recall of 11 cars still covers nearly 5% of all Valkyries ever built, and presumably, a much higher percentage of Valkyries sold in the U.S. You Might Also Like Source link #Aston #Martin #Valkyrie #Recalled #U.S.A Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Justin Sun Trump dinner Justin Sun Trump dinner Justin Sun, founder of blockchain platform Tron, poses for a photograph in Hong Kong, May 8, 2020. Calvin Sit | Bloomberg | Getty Images ********-born crypto mogul Justin Sun says he’s the top holder of the $TRUMP meme token and will be having dinner with President Donald Trump. The dinner competition — a sweepstakes offering gala access to the sitting U.S. president — was open to anyone in the world willing to spend millions of dollars on a digital coin tied to Trump. Late Monday night, Sun posted on X that he had secured the top spot in the $TRUMP token leaderboard, which earned him an invite to a private dinner with the president, as well as a VIP reception for the top 25 holders. “Honored to support @POTUS and grateful for the invitation from @GetTrumpMemes to attend President Trump’s Gala Dinner as his TOP fan!” he wrote. “As the top holder of $TRUMP, I’m excited to connect with everyone, talk crypto, and discuss the future of our industry.” Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwards Sun now holds $18.6 million worth of the Trump-themed meme token, on top of the $75 million he previously poured into World Liberty Financial — a separate Trump-linked crypto venture his sons have described as a decentralized bank designed to expand access to the financial system. 75% of the platform’s revenue flows directly to Trump-owned entities. Altogether, Sun’s stake in the Trump family’s crypto empire now tops $93 million. Born in China, Sun is the crypto entrepreneur behind the Tron blockchain and is in talks with the Securities and Exchange Commission to resolve civil fraud charges. The $TRUMP coin rose in value by about 2% on Tuesday to $13.27, according to Coinmarketcap.com. That values the circulating supply at $2.65 billion, making it the 39th most valuable cryptocurrency. Bitcoin is the most valuable at $2.1 trillion. Like with other meme coins, there’s no underlying product. The projects website says the coins “are not intended to be, or to be the subject of, an investment opportunity, investment contract, or security of any type. The SEC issued guidance in February saying that it does not deem most meme coins securities under U.S. federal law. This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates. Source link #Justin #Sun #Trump #dinner Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Don’t Fear Insider Selling: Sprouts Farmers Stock Has Room to Grow Don’t Fear Insider Selling: Sprouts Farmers Stock Has Room to Grow Insiders are selling Sprouts Farmers Market Inc (NASDAQ:), but investors should not be worried. The sales, made by insiders ranging from the CEO to the CFO, EVPs, and directors, are small and align with other companies that utilize share-based compensation. The critical takeaways for investors are that insiders own sufficient stock to have skin in the game, institutions are buying in Q2 2025, and the analysts’ sentiment is firming. Institutions, the single-largest individual group of investors in the market, own virtually all the remaining stock, about 99.4% of the floating shares. They were part of the volatility experienced in Q1 and early Q2, having sold on balance in Q1. However, they reverted to buying on balance in Q2, a strong market tailwind assuming the dynamic remains. It should remain in place based on the results, growth outlook, and analysts’ sentiment. Analyst sentiment is a primary driver of SFM stock price action in 2025. Their sentiment appears tepid at face value, but analysts’ trends have been bullish for years, including increasing coverage, firming sentiment, and a rising price target. The coverage increased by 100% to 14 analysts in the preceding 18 months, the consensus rating firmed to a Hold/Moderate Buy from weak Hold in the same *******, and the price target is rapidly rising. The consensus in mid-May assumes fair value, a 0% gain, but the revision trend is leading to the high-end of $200. That is an additional 15% gain and a new all-time high when reached. Sprouts’ Aggressive Growth Strategy Pays Off Sprouts Farmers Markets’ analysts’ sentiment and stock price action are tied to an aggressive expansion strategy. The grocery company is opening new stores quarterly and leaning hard into marketing, which drove 19% top-line growth in FQ1 2025, including a 12% comp-store increase. Other critical factors include the company’s profitability despite the aggressive strategy and the free cash flow. The free cash flow is noteworthy because the company has a healthy balance sheet and can repurchase shares. Sprouts Farmers Markets’ capital return is among the reasons sell-side interest, including analysts and institutions, is bullish. Since Q1 2024, including those made in Q1 2025, buybacks reduced the count by more than 2.25% and are expected to continue robustly. Balance sheet highlights at the quarter’s end included a slight reduction in shareholder equity offset by the share count decline, but no red flags were raised. The balance sheet is well-capitalized, total liability is only 2x equity, and the debt load is minute. The outlook for 2025 includes slowing growth, which is a headwind for market sentiment. However, the company’s forecasted 12% to 14% annual growth will still be industry-leading, outperformance is likely, and the slowdown is due to an increasingly difficult comp. The factor investors should focus on is that top-line growth is forecasted to continue through 2030 at a low-double-digit pace with margin expansion. The company’s capital return is reliable in this scenario and underpins a robust uptrend in the price action. Sprouts Farmers Market Share Price Is Growing, Growing, Growing Sprouts Farmers Market experienced turbulence in late 2024 and early 2025, but the uptrend is intact. The market confirmed that in March and April, it is poised to retest the all-time highs in May. The all-time high is the critical resistance point and an important inflection point for the market when crossed. A move to new highs would signal the next significant upswing in share price and could take this market to the $200 level or higher within a quarter or two. The risk for investors is that resistance will cap gains at the current highs and keep this market range-bound until later in the year. Original Post Source link #Dont #Fear #Insider #Selling #Sprouts #Farmers #Stock #Room #Grow Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Nvidia: Why a 200% Upside Isn’t Out of the Question Nvidia: Why a 200% Upside Isn’t Out of the Question NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:)’s CEO, Jensen Huang, made numerous announcements at the Computex 2025 conference that amount to one thing: NVIDIA remains at the center of all things AI. While competitors advance their technologies, they remain steps behind and may never catch up due to this critical factor: NVIDIA launched NVLink Fusion. NVIDIA NVLink is the technology linking NVIDIA GPUs and CPUs into functional supercomputers. It is the framework upon which most AI data centers are built and is now open to third-party manufacturers. Until now, NVIDIA GPUs were linked using NVIDIA’s NVLink and NVIDIA CPUs. Now, NVIDIA GPUs can be linked with third-party CPUs and ASICs, increasing the options for building semi-custom AI infrastructure and opening new revenue streams for NVIDIA. The system works with an NVIDIA chiplet that can be integrated into any ASIC or CPU. The initial announcement included commitments from numerous semiconductor manufacturers already planning to use the technology, and more, eventually all, are expected to join the network over time. Other critical announcements at the Computex 2025 conference include updates to existing technology, upcoming product launches, and services for AI developers. The crucial product update is the RTX Pro Server, which is now in volume production. It increases performance roughly 2x to 4x, depending on the AI model, compared to the original H100 AI GPU. Other updates include the expected launch of GB300 systems later this year, an advancement of the Grace Blackwell product line, and DGX Cloud Lepton, an SaaS service linking AI developers with crucial cloud resources and computing power. NVIDIA Analysts Raise Revenue Estimates Ahead of Q1 Release NVIDIA will report strong results for Q1 2025 and provide robust guidance for the year. The Computex 2025 announcements reaffirm the existing outlook and provide additional revenue streams, including a new project with Foxconn (SS:). Foxconn, a supplier to Apple (NASDAQ:), will build an advanced AI supercomputer in Taiwan using 10,000 of NVIDIA’s GPUs. The project will provide computing power for Taiwanese businesses, including Taiwan Semiconductor. The takeaway for investors is that analysts expect to see NVIDIA provide solid results and guidance and lift their targets ahead of the release. MarketBeat’s consensus in late May is up nearly 500 basis points month-to-month, forecasting more than 65% growth on the top line. The analysts’ trends in April and May included sufficient price target reductions to land the stock on MarketBeat’s Most Downgraded Stocks list, but investors need to look past that label. The consensus remains bullish, rated firmly at a Moderate Buy with coverage increasing and sentiment firming, and the price target assumes that more than 20% upside is still available. The Computex announcements are a catalyst, likely to lead the analysts to revert to price target increases and spur the rally back into action. As it is, the $165 price target is sufficient for a new all-time high likely reached in tandem or shortly after the Q1 earnings report. NVIDIA’s Industry-Leading Position in AI Is Assured for Another Few Years The net result of NVIDIA’s May 2025 news, including the deals in Saudi Arabia, is that its position as the AI industry leader is assured for another few years, highlighting the deep value opportunity that is still available. The stock trades at only 31x its current year earnings compared to over 45x in recent years, and only 20x compared to the 2030 forecast and 12x relative to 2035, suggesting significant gains lie ahead. Assuming the company only performs as expected over the next decade, it could rise by another 100% to 200% to trade in the range of 24x to 36x its 2035 forecast. The technical action in May is bullish. Although macroeconomic headwinds remain and market action is volatile, the rebound is strong and on track to retest all-time highs soon. A move to new highs would be significant, indicating a shift in market dynamics from wait-and-see into rally mode, and bring targets near $160 into play. Original Post Source link #Nvidia #Upside #Isnt #Question Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Trump struggles to convince Republican holdouts in Congress visit to push tax bill – Reuters Trump struggles to convince Republican holdouts in Congress visit to push tax bill – Reuters Trump struggles to convince Republican holdouts in Congress visit to push tax bill ReutersLive Updates: Trump Pushes GOP Megabill in Capitol Hill Visit The New York TimesTrump says GOP is unified as he delivers ‘pep talk’ for ‘big, beautiful bill’ Fox NewsTrump warns House Republicans, ‘Don’t f— around with Medicaid’ CNBCTrump administration live updates: President urges House GOP to pass budget; RFK Jr. faces grilling over cuts NBC News Source link #Trump #struggles #convince #Republican #holdouts #Congress #visit #push #tax #bill #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tom Cruise promises to keep making movies into his 100s Tom Cruise promises to keep making movies into his 100s Tom Cruise is probably best-known for his Mission: Impossible line of films, where he stars as Ethan Hunt, with the latest film, Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, making its rounds around the world, showcasing the final showing of Cruise as the protagonist of the series. But, it won’t be his last film and advanced age won’t change that, either. Speaking with THR, he amended a previous comment about how he’ll be making films into his 80s, though, it was amended not to lower the age the 62-year-old would continue to make films, rather it was to raise it. The filmmaker now asserts that he’ll be making movies into his 100s. “I actually said I’m going to make movies into my 80s; actually, I’m going to make them into my 100s.” Just because Cruise is no longer stepping back into the shoes of Hunt, though, doesn’t mean the series is entirely over, with Fandango reporting that the series will continue and new ideas are already brewing. Gabriel Stanford-Reisinger Editor-in-Chief Gabe has been a gamer since he was young, playing games like Pajama Sam, Freddi Fish, Guitar Hero, and whatever looked cool on GameFly. Ever since 2018, he’s been infatuated with the inner workings of the gaming and entertainment industries, covering a wide range of topics from video games to TV and film. Starting as a contributor for PSX Extreme, he’s worked his way up to its Managing Editor. Using what’s he learned over the years, he founded Smash Jump to remind everyone to smash jump. Source link #Tom #Cruise #promises #making #movies #100s Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Phison’s E28 controller’s 14.8 GB/s, 3,000K IOPS, and 7W power draw could make it the new king of PCIe 5.0 performance Phison’s E28 controller’s 14.8 GB/s, 3,000K IOPS, and 7W power draw could make it the new king of PCIe 5.0 performance Phison is demonstrating the capabilities of its upcoming flagship E28 PCIe 5.0 controller at Computex 2025, where it appears to excel over its rivals. The E28 thrashes competitors like Samsung’s fastest 9100 Pro offerings in random reads and writes, achieving parity in sequential reads and delivering impressive efficiency numbers. Building on its CES 2025 unveiling, the E28 is now roaring to life, driving a reference platform. The Phison E28 serves as the company’s long-awaited successor to the E26, which for a long while was hailed as the fastest PCIe 5.0 offering, eventually surpassed by SiliconMotion’s SM2508 and Samsung’s Presto. The E28 is fabbed using TSCM’s 6nm process, compared to the 12 nm-based E26, while supporting upwards of 32TB of TLC flash along with robust error correction technologies like LPDC and RAID ECC. It supports an eight-channel layout at 4200 MT/s along with AES-256, TCG Opal, and Pyrite encryption capabilities. Phison advertises the E28 with 14.8 GB/s and 14 GB/s sequential read and write speeds, only second to SanDisk’s WD SN8100. The E28 truly excels in random I/O, thrashing all competition with remarkable read and write IOPS of 2,600K and 3,000K, respectively. This effectively dethrones Samsung’s Presto-powered 9100 Pro by 400 IOPS across each department. The E28 is touted by Phison as the first controller to feature integrated AI processing, which supposedly makes future SSDs powered by these controllers a great fit for accelerating AI/ML workloads and the like. You may like Image 1 of 3 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) In some images we managed to grab, the Phison E28 reference platform almost breaches the 15 GB/s barrier, powering a Ryzen 7 9700X and Asus ROG Crosshair X870E equipped system. Phison claims 15% lower power consumption versus competing 6nm-based alternatives. In sustained workloads, when equipped with the MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VGG with the i9-14900HX, the controller’s average power draw peaked at 7.46W, a notable improvement over the E26. The figures also check out with exclusive benchmarks of the E28 we shared previously. Swipe to scroll horizontally Name Phison E28 Reference WD SN8100 Kingston Renegade G5 Samsung 9100 Pro Crucial T705 Flash Memory 218-Layer BiCS8 TLC NAND from Kioxia (Likely) 218-Layer BiCS8 TLC NAND from Kioxia 218-Layer BiCS8 TLC NAND from Kioxia 236-Layer Samsung TLC NAND 232-Layer Micron TLC NAND Form Factor M.2 2280 M.2 2280 M.2 2280 M.2 2280 M.2 2280 Controller Phison E28 SM2508 SM2508 Samsung Proprietary (Presto) Phison E26 DRAM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes TBW (for 4TB variant) N/A 2,400TB 4,000TB 2,400TB 2,400TB Sequential Reads 14.8 GB/s 14.9 GB/s 14.8 GB/s 14.8 GB/s 14.5 GB/s Sequential Writes 14 GB/s 14.0 GB/s 14.0 GB/s 13.4 GB/s 12.7 GB/s Random Reads 2,600K 2,300K 2,200K 2,200K 1,550K Random Writes 3,000K 2,300K 2,200K 2,600K 1,800K Phison reports that the E28’s initial production run has been successful, and the company is now moving to mass production. Consumer SSDs powered by this controller should arrive by the latter half of the year, though this timeline might stretch into 2026. Follow Tom’s Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Phisons #E28 #controllers #GBs #3000K #IOPS #power #draw #king #PCIe #performance Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Qualcomm: This Week Could Make or Break the Rally Qualcomm: This Week Could Make or Break the Rally Qualcomm Inc (NASDAQ:). closed just above $150 on Friday, up a solid 25% from its multi-year low set in April. While that rebound initially looked like the beginning of a breakout, momentum has since stalled. The stock has started to consolidate and now sits at the lower end of the trading range it occupied for much of last year. That sideways action is frustrating for long-term investors. Qualcomm is one of the most recognizable names in semiconductors, arguably the hottest sector in tech, but it continues to underperform many of its peers. Despite a relatively low valuation and a string of decent earnings reports, the stock has failed to generate the kind of momentum seen in rivals like NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ:). or Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:) Inc. Valuation Alone Isn’t Enough One of Qualcomm’s main bull cases continues to be its valuation. The company trades at a discount to most major semiconductor stocks on a forward price-to-earnings basis, a setup that has made it attractive to value-oriented investors. But that discount has yet to translate into real relative strength. For now, the market seems unconvinced that a cheap multiple is enough. The company’s modest guidance, plus a mixed reception from analysts, has made it difficult for the stock to build momentum despite the broader rally in chip names. Recent results were solid but unspectacular. Revenue trends in handsets and automotive were stable, while its Internet of Things segment posted modest gains. Qualcomm has done a respectable job managing through headwinds, but the lack of a clear upside catalyst is keeping enthusiasm muted. Analysts Are Divided Sentiment among Wall Street analysts reflects the stock’s uncertainty. Earlier this month, Susquehanna and Baird reiterated their Buy ratings, pointing to the company’s improving execution and continued relevance in key end markets. However, those positive calls have been offset by a series of Hold and Neutral ratings that show not everyone is convinced. Morgan Stanley’s Joseph Moore maintained an Equal-Weight rating and a $163 price target earlier this month after its earnings report. While acknowledging that the company’s fundamentals remain intact, he admitted to being surprised by the stock’s weakness. Moore flagged Qualcomm’s “optimized earnings power” and warned that it could be difficult for the company to expand beyond its current profit potential without a new growth driver. Wells Fargo’s Aaron Rakers took a more cautious view. He reiterated an Underweight rating and cut his price target from $175 to $140, citing Qualcomm’s exposure to China and consumer markets, as well as increasing risks tied to Apple (NASDAQ:) and tariffs. In his view, those headwinds outweigh the positives and warrant a more conservative outlook. The Setup for a Pivotal Week The next few sessions could prove pivotal with the stock now back near key technical support and showing signs of indecision. If shares can reclaim their recent highs and break through $160 with volume, it would restore confidence and validate the recent uptrend. But if the bulls can’t maintain the upward trajectory, it may reinforce the idea that Qualcomm is stuck in a holding pattern that no amount of value appeal can break on its own. The broader semiconductor space is also watching. With chip stocks continuing to power the NASDAQ higher, laggards like Qualcomm stand out more starkly. That visibility can work both ways, either creating pressure for a catch-up rally or drawing capital away toward faster-moving names. What Qualcomm Needs to Win Back Investors The market wants more from Qualcomm than stability. It wants vision, clarity, and a compelling reason to believe that the company can rejoin the list of elite semiconductor performers. That may require fresh product wins, new strategic announcements, or better-than-expected performance in its key segments. Until then, Qualcomm may remain a value trap, attractive on paper but hard to own with confidence. The next few trading days could go a long way toward determining which narrative takes hold heading into the summer. Original Post Source link #Qualcomm #Week #Break #Rally Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Three killed after floods ravage French Riviera region Three killed after floods ravage French Riviera region At least three people have died in floods caused by heavy rainfall and storms which have battered southern France since Monday. The bodies of an elderly couple were found in the seaside resort town of Le Lavandou, while another person died after becoming trapped in a car in Vidauban, local authorities reported on Tuesday. The rains have caused widespread damage across the region, flooding streets and causing power and water outages. At least two regional trains stopped their journeys overnight after railway tracks were damaged. The couple who died had tried to leave their home but were swept away, “surprised by the very rapid rise in water levels”, the Toulon public prosecutor said. An investigation has been opened into their deaths. “We are in shock at the scale of the natural disaster that struck the Cavalière district this morning,” officials in Le Lavandou said. They said the town centre had been inundated by 256mm of rain in just an hour. The town, about 30km (18 miles) east of St Tropez, is a holidaying destination along the French Riviera. “It was a truly violent, ******, incomprehensible phenomenon,” said local mayor Gil Bernardi, describing “roads torn up” and “bridges broken apart”. Le Lavandou was still suffering electricity and water outages on Tuesday and access had also been restricted as the town’s main road remained flooded. Meanwhile, officials further north in Vidauban said one person had died after the car they were in drove onto a flooded road and fell into a ditch. A passer-by tried to save both occupants – the driver and the passenger – but was only able to rescue the driver, Vidauban’s town mayor Claude Pianetti said. More than 500 calls have been made to emergency services in the Var region over the past day, authorities said. Several hundred emergency rescuers have also been deployed to the region, including from nearby cities like Cannes. Var was placed on further emergency warnings for thunderstorms and flooding on Tuesday morning, but these were later downgraded to the lowest level. More than 600 homes remain without electricity, local authorities said earlier. Heavy rains and hailstorms had struck south-west France on Monday night. The Bordeaux-Toulouse railway line has been affected with some trains on the route cancelled for the next few days. Source link #killed #floods #ravage #French #Riviera #region Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Watch: 'You don't do that to someone you love' – doorbell camera captures domestic abuse Watch: 'You don't do that to someone you love' – doorbell camera captures domestic abuse Hayley, a domestic abuse survivor, details years of violence and control. Source link #Watch #039You #don039t #love039 #doorbell #camera #captures #domestic #abuse Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

****** Ops 6 Season 4 Brings Back Fan-Favorite Villain As New Operator ****** Ops 6 Season 4 Brings Back Fan-Favorite Villain As New Operator Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 is gearing up for its next season, and we now know that a fan-favorite villain is returning as a playable Operator. Activision has announced that Stitch, the one-eyed scarred nemesis of series stalwart Russell Adler, will be headlining the additions coming in Season 4. As teased in a post on X, Vikhor “Stitch” Kuzmin will be playing a role in ****** Ops 6’s evolving narrative going forward. Stitch originally showed up in ****** Ops Cold War and also appeared in the original Warzone mode; he has extensive lore and has become an iconic character in the franchise due to his savage look and reminiscence to Batman villain Bane. Activision confirmed that Season 4 will be dropping next week, on May 29. When your enemy becomes your only option Stitch is out. Adler’s behind it. And Pantheon won’t see it coming. Season 04 of Call of Duty #BlackOps6 arrives on May 29 pic.twitter.com/Tr07wwkzz3 — Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) May 19, 2025 While Activision has yet to fully unveil the new season, eagle-eyed Call of Duty fans have spotted new additions in data files contained within ****** Ops 6. As shared by X account DETONATEDcom, Season 4 is expected to add an Olympia shotgun, a new revolver, brass knuckles, and the Grim Reaper scorestreak. We will likely get an official rundown of the upcoming season in the next few days. In addition to the normal seasonal content, ****** Ops 6 also received a DLC pack to mark Military Appreciation Month. The Call of Duty Endowment United Force tracer pack contains new items in addition to Operators based on real soldiers. All proceeds from the DLC, which costs $20, go to the Call of Duty Endowment, a charity that helps veterans transition to civilian careers following their retirement from the military. Source link #****** #Ops #Season #Brings #FanFavorite #Villain #Operator Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Diddy took ecstasy shaped like Obama’s face, jury told Diddy took ecstasy shaped like Obama’s face, jury told Sean “Diddy” Combs once took an ecstasy pill shaped like former US president Barack Obama’s face, the hip-hop mogul’s former personal assistant has testified at Combs’ racketeering and sex trafficking trial. David James, who worked for Combs from 2007 to 2009, told jurors during the second week of the trial in Manhattan federal court that he frequently saw Combs take drugs, including opiates during the day and ecstasy at night. James said he sometimes picked up drugs for Combs and his friends, and often brought narcotics and other personal items like lubricant and condoms to Combs’ hotel rooms. He said he once saw Combs take an ecstasy pill shaped like a “former president’s face”. When prosecutor Christy Slavik asked him which president, James responded “President Obama”. Prosecutors say Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, forced women to take part in days-long, drug-fuelled ******* performances known as “Freak Offs” from 2004 to 2024. They say his employees helped by buying drugs, booking and stocking hotel rooms, and giving Combs cash to pay male sex workers to take part in the parties. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers have acknowledged that Combs had substance abuse issues and was an abusive romantic partner but say the sex acts described by prosecutors were consensual. Last week, jurors heard testimony from prosecutors’ star witness: Combs’ former longtime girlfriend Casandra Ventura, a rhythm and blues singer known professionally as Cassie. Ventura said she took part in Combs’ Freak Offs for about a decade, first to please him and later because he blackmailed her with videos of the encounters. James on Tuesday described an incident in 2008 when Combs asked him to bring an iPod to his Miami hotel room. James said he saw a completely naked man wearing a *******, whom he did not recognise, scurry away when he entered the hotel room. He said he saw Ventura lying on the bed on her back – which he said was unusual because she always slept on her side – and that she did not react to him entering the room. “She didn’t move at all,” James said. James was not asked if he knew why Ventura was motionless. Ventura testified that she was heavily dependent on opiates during her relationship with Combs, and that she stopped using drugs in 2022. James said he heard the hotel room shower running, and assumed Combs was in the shower. He said he never discussed the incident with his boss. “I just didn’t really think it was my business,” James testified. “I thought they were doing some personal things.” 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National ******* Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Men’s Referral Service 1300 766 491 Source link #Diddy #ecstasy #shaped #Obamas #face #jury #told Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Returnal Dev Not Looking To Make Live-Service Or Free-To-Play Games Returnal Dev Not Looking To Make Live-Service Or Free-To-Play Games Returnal developer Housemarque, which is owned by Sony, has said it isn’t planning to make live-service or free-to-play games, not so long as people are “buying premium games.” Studio head Ilari Kuittinen told Eurogamer, “Our philosophy is that [our games] are an experience for a certain time of your life, and you experience that within a few days, or weeks, or whatever.” He added: “You don’t need to spend the rest of your free time with our games.” Creative director Gregory Louden said Housemarque is “fully focused on single-player and premium” games. Live-service games can be lucrative–if a game can break through popular ongoing games like Fortnite, Minecraft, GTA Online, and Call of Duty–and that’s proven to be challenging for some newcomers. Housemarque’s next game is Saros, and it’s a spiritual sequel to Returnal. It is set for release in 2026 for PS5, and for lots more, be sure to read GameSpot’s coverage of everything we know about Saros. There was a point in time when Sony was planning to release a dozen live-service titles by 2026, but the company later cut that number in half. One of Sony’s high-profile live-service games, Concord, had a disastrous launch in 2024 and was quickly shut down. Some of Sony’s upcoming live-service games include Bungie’s Marathon and Fairgame$ from Haven Studios. Both of those projects have encountered issues lately, as Bungie admitted to using unauthorized art in Marathon, while a report said Fairgame$ had a rough external test, with studio boss ***** Raymond departing the company. Source link #Returnal #Dev #LiveService #FreeToPlay #Games Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

New Microsoft database, analytics tools target agentic AI New Microsoft database, analytics tools target agentic AI Microsoft unveiled a swath of new database and analytics capabilities aimed at enabling agentic AI development and analysis, including a NoSQL database in Fabric and a chat feature in Power ***. Azure Cosmos DB is now in preview, while the new chat capabilities in Power *** are slated for general availability in the next few months. In addition, the tech giant introduced a digital twin builder, the ability to enrich custom-built agents with Fabric agents and the latest version of its SQL Server database, among other new tools targeting agentic AI. The new capabilities were revealed on May 19 during Build, Microsoft’s annual conference for developers in Seattle. Collectively, given that they aid agentic AI development, the new analytics and database features are significant, according to Stephen Catanzano, an analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group, now part of Omdia. “The announcements effectively help developers turn ideas into reality by providing integrated AI capabilities, simplified workflows and unified data access,” he said. “They connect operational and analytical data through tools like Cosmos DB in Fabric and enable AI-powered data interactions through chat experiences and streamline development.” With AI development the focal point, Microsoft in November unveiled features such as AI Functions in Fabric to analyze text, Fabric Databases and OneLake Catalog, a data catalog for Fabric that enables data governance and exploration. New capabilities Agents are the current vanguard in enterprise AI. Microsoft, like fellow tech giants AWS and Google Cloud and data platform vendors including Databricks and Snowflake, has made AI development a priority since OpenAI’s November 2022 launch of ChatGPT, which represented a significant improvement in generative AI (GenAI) capabilities. Many enterprises boosted their investments in AI development after ChatGPT was released because GenAI can make workers better informed and more efficient. With data the foundation for AI, many data management and analytics vendors responded by creating environments and added capabilities aimed at better enabling customers to build AI applications. After assistants and copilots initially were the most advanced GenAI applications, agents have emerged over the past year to become the major trend in enterprise AI. Microsoft’s latest database and analytics capabilities — in conjunction with numerous other new features unveiled during Build — aim to better enable developers as AI evolves, according to Frank Shaw, Microsoft’s chief communications officer, who spoke during a virtual media briefing ahead of the conference. “Our goal is to help developers turn their ideas into reality,” he said. Azure Cosmos DB is a NoSQL database in Fabric, Microsoft’s AI-powered data management and analytics suite. Using Azure Cosmos DB, which includes an integration with the Azure AI Foundry AI development environment, users will be able to bring semistructured data such as JSON files and certain documents into Fabric alongside their structured data to provide a more comprehensive foundation for analytics and AI-driven analysis. “Cosmos DB in Fabric is a big addition to bring enterprise-grade NoSQL capabilities into Fabric, enabling organizations to incorporate semistructured operational data alongside their structured and [providing] developers flexibility to build modern AI applications … with just a few clicks,” Catanzano said. Chat with your data, meanwhile, is a new feature in Power ***, Microsoft’s main analytics platform, which enables users to discover and deploy Fabric agents to aid data discovery and analysis. The feature expands natural language processing (NLP) capabilities beyond questions about a single report while it’s open on a user’s screen to queries across multiple reports, semantic models, applications and agents. Given that it significantly broadens the AI-powered chat capabilities of Power ***, it’s a valuable addition for users, according to Michael Ni, an analyst at Constellation Research. “By embedding agents into Power ***, Microsoft isn’t just adding another conversational *** feature — it’s activating a decision layer,” he said. Beyond Azure Cosmos DB and chat with your data, Microsoft introduced the following database and analytics capabilities, all of which are in preview: Enriching custom-built agents developed in Copilot Studio with prebuilt Fabric data agents that can use data from OneLake — a data lake in Fabric — to discover insights, trigger actions and automate processes within channels such as Teams and 365 Copilot. The use of Azure AI Foundry to create agents built on data stored in Azure Databricks. Digital twin builder in Fabric to make it easier and more efficient to develop digital twins that can be used for applications such as scenario planning. PostgreSQL database capabilities in GitHub Copilot to accelerate the development of GenAI applications. SQL Server 2025, including easy integrations with Azure and Fabric to streamline development. Shortcut transformations in OneLake to automatically transform data to the Delta Lake table format or apply AI-powered data transformations, such as document classification, as data gets ingested to prepare it for analysis or development. Translytical capabilities, a feature in Power *** that enables users to automate actions from within reports. The intent of the new database and analytics capabilities is to provide Microsoft users with a broad array of tools from which they can choose as they develop AI applications, according to Kevin Scott, Microsoft’s chief technology officer. “We’re going to give you a ton of tools to work with, and we hope you do something with them,” he said during a virtual media briefing. But beyond simply providing users with an array of new analytics and database tools, Microsoft is delivering them in an integrated manner that makes sense, according to Ni. They’re not piecemeal. They’re designed to work together — particularly within Fabric — and augment one another. “Microsoft’s latest announcements shift Fabric from a data and analytics platform to a runtime for decisions, AI agents and intelligent action,” he said. “They’re removing the friction between data, insight and action, providing developers with the infrastructure to build intelligent, agentic apps from day one.” Regarding the highlight feature beyond Azure Cosmos DB in Fabric and the chat capabilities in Power ***, enabling developers to combine custom-built agents with Fabric agents and integrate them throughout the Microsoft ecosystem is noteworthy, Ni continued. “Combined with Cosmos DB inside Fabric, Microsoft is fusing real-time operational context, expanded Fabric capabilities to orchestrate data from across the enterprise, and Power *** semantics to deliver low-friction conversations with all the data a user has access to — at scale and in context,” he said. Looking ahead While Microsoft’s latest database and analytics capabilities provide developers with new capabilities that foster agentic AI development, Catanzano noted that they do not directly address the large amounts of unstructured data that can make AI models and applications more accurate. Unstructured data such as text, images and audio files now make up more than 80% of the new data being created. While structured and semistructured data can provide enterprises with insights into their operations, the addition of unstructured data gives a more complete portrayal. In addition, with AI applications requiring large amounts of data to draw upon to reduce the occurrence of hallucinations, unstructured data can be valuable. Vendors such as Databricks and Snowflake are among those also making access to unstructured data priority in AI development. “Most other vendors are highly focused on dealing with the mountain of unstructured data,” Catanzano said. “Some of this covers it, but others are more broadly talking about their capabilities around it.” Eric Avidon is a senior news writer for Informa TechTarget and a journalist with more than 25 years of experience. He covers analytics and data management. Source link #Microsoft #database #analytics #tools #target #agentic Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ personal assistant tells jury about guns, drugs and lie detector tests Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ personal assistant tells jury about guns, drugs and lie detector tests NEW YORK (AP) — A former personal assistant to Sean “Diddy” Combs gave a glimpse into the hip-hop promoter’s world when he worked for him nearly two decades ago, testifying at the hip-hop promotor’s sex trafficking trial about his former boss’ use of guns, lie detector tests and drugs. David James’ testimony came in the second week of a trial in Manhattan federal court that is scheduled to last up to two months. If convicted of the charges he faces, including racketeering, the Bad Boy Records founder could be sentenced to at least 15 years in prison. James was one of several former Combs employees expected to testify, as prosecutors try to prove that Combs for two decades used threats and violence to control employees and associates and commit crimes. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he used threats and his powerful position in the hip-hop world to abuse women and others and subject Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, his decade-long girlfriend, to take part in drug-fueled ******* performances with other men that she said left her too drained to pursue her singing career. James, a personal assistant for Combs from 2007 to 2009, testified about a job that seemed to come with increasing perils until he realized his life was in danger and quit, with notice, after he was forced to drive a car in which an angry Combs sat in the back seat with three handguns on his lap. He said his job sometimes required him to ensure that hotel rooms where Combs stayed under the name “Frank ******” were stocked with what he needed for comfort, including fresh underwear, an iPod, apple sauce, vodka, baby oil, Viagra and condoms. There were also surprising moments, James said, like one in 2008 when Combs asked him to bring an iPod from his Miami home to a hotel room. Upon entering, James said he saw Cassie on the bed with a white comforter pulled up to her neck and an unfamiliar naked man wearing a ******* running from the room. Another time, he said Combs summoned him to his office to show him video he’d recorded at a party of James dancing wildly and told him: “Ok. I’m going to keep this footage in case I ever need it.” James said he took it as a threat to keep him in line. Cassie testified last week that Combs threatened to release videos of her having sex with male sex workers during the so-called freak-offs if she didn’t do as he said. James also described being required to take lie detector tests twice when Combs was trying to find out who stole cash in one instance and a watch in another. He said Combs was on drugs nearly every day, often taking Percocet by day and ecstasy by night. When he stocked Combs’ hotel rooms, he said, drugs were in a bag dropped off by security, including the pill meant to look like then-President Barack Obama. James testified that he was also involved in Combs’ attempt to confront his music industry rival Suge Knight at a Los Angeles diner in November 2008 — an incident that Cassie also testified about. James said he was with Combs’ bodyguard picking up food for Combs and his security staff at around 4 a.m. when the bodyguard spotted Knight and saw someone passing a gun to him. They fled the diner and went back to Combs’ home, about 10 minutes away, James testified. Combs, itching to go to the diner, was outside the house arguing with Cassie, who didn’t want him to leave, James said. James told jurors that Combs then ordered him to drive them — Combs and the bodyguard known as D-Roc — to the diner. James said he looked back at one point and saw Combs in the ********* with three handguns on his lap. When they got to the diner, he said, Knight and his entourage were gone. Combs told him to drive around the block, but Knight was nowhere to be found, so they drove back to Combs’ home, James said. “I was real shook up by it,” James testified. “This was the first time being Mr. Combs’ assistant that I realized my life was in danger.” Source link #Sean #Diddy #Combs #personal #assistant #tells #jury #guns #drugs #lie #detector #tests Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Real Fans Will “Find A Way To Make It Happen” If Borderlands 4 Costs $80, Says ****** Pitchford Real Fans Will “Find A Way To Make It Happen” If Borderlands 4 Costs $80, Says ****** Pitchford People like when the numbers go up in their video games, not when the number goes up to buy their video games. But Gearbox CEO and president ****** Pitchford believes “a real fan” will discover a way to pony up $80 for Borderlands 4 later this year–if that’s how much it costs. Last week, someone on X told Pitchford that Borderlands 4 “better not be” $80. For his part, Pitchford has previously stated he “doesn’t know” how much the co-op game will cost. But that didn’t stop the Gearbox boss from responding with his opinion on X if Borderlands 4 does retail for that premium price. “A) Not my call. B) If you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen,” Pitchford wrote. “My local game store had Starflight for ***** Genesis for $80 in 1991 when I was just out of high school working minimum wage at an ice cream parlor in Pismo Beach, and I found a way to make it happen.” A) Not my call. B) If you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen. My local game store had Starflight for ***** Genesis for $80 in 1991 when I was just out of high school working minimum wage at an ice cream parlor in Pismo Beach and I found a way to make it happen. — ****** Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) May 14, 2025 Earlier this week, Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick–who oversees Gearbox–talked about the lighting-rod topic of $80 video games. “Our job is not to turn a consumer upside down, shake them, and see how much change comes out of their pockets,” Zelnick told GI.biz. It’s one of the biggest stories in the industry this year, starting with Mario Kart World. Recently, Microsoft announced $80 first-party games are on the way this holiday season. Take-Two hasn’t revealed any $80 games yet, but some speculate that Grand Theft Auto VI could retail for $100. Borderlands 4 is set to launch September 12 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The game’s release date actually got moved up last month. Borderlands 4 is also coming to Switch 2, but a release date hasn’t been given for the title arriving on that platform. Source link #Real #Fans #Find #Happen #Borderlands #Costs #****** #Pitchford Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

AI startups have plenty of cash, while more unicorns are struggling AI startups have plenty of cash, while more unicorns are struggling Sam Altman, chief executive officer (CEO) of OpenAI and inventor of the AI software ChatGPT, joins the Technical University of Munich (TUM) for a panel discussion. Sven Hoppe | Picture Alliance | Getty Images Venture capital firms focused on artificial intelligence are driving much of the growth in the startup market, while companies in other areas are struggling to raise cash, according to a report from Silicon Valley Bank. About 40% of the total amount raised by U.S. venture funds last year was from funds that “list AI as a focus,” SVB said in its “State of enterprise software” report published on Tuesday. That’s up from 10% in 2021. AI companies accounted for 45% of U.S. venture investment in enterprise software, jumping from 9% in 2022. The dollars from AI megadeals — rounds of $100 million or greater — represented about half of all the money raised in the overall megadeal category. That’s a group that includes OpenAI and Anthropic. “Exclude AI investment and the story changes,” the SVB report said. “There is no meaningful uptick for companies not leveraging AI, with investment from this group essentially flat for the last year.” The challenge for the broader market is that exit activity remains tight, a theme that’s been in place since soaring inflation in late 2021 led to rising interest rates and a move out of risk. Many investors were bullish that President Donald Trump’s return to the White House would reinvigorate the startup economy due to the prospect of lower taxes and less regulation, but the aggressive tariff policy announced in early April led several companies to delay planned IPOs. The tech IPO market is showing signs of picking back up. Read more CNBC reporting on AI Trading platform eToro popped in its Nasdaq debut last week, and digital health company Hinge Health is preparing to go public in the coming days. AI infrastructure provider CoreWeave reported 420% revenue growth in its first earnings release as a public company on Wednesday, leading to a 56% surge for the week in the company’s stock price. “A recovery in exits is essential to reinvigorate returns and fuel the next cycle of expansion,” wrote SVB, which is now a division of First Citizens Bank. SVB collapsed in early 2023 after the bank’s clients withdrew billions from their accounts in the face of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes. While CoreWeave’s IPO represented a big win for venture investors, there aren’t many other examples of pure-play AI bets that have proven lucrative so far. OpenAI, Anthropic and other high-valued AI names like Perplexity and Scale AI have shown no indication that an IPO is on the horizon, and the companies are too high-priced to have many potential suitors. They also require continued investment in the billions of dollars to fund big infrastructure purchases and the costs of running massive AI workloads. With so much capital deployed to resource-intensive companies in AI and with a dearth of exits leaving venture firms short on returns, there’s not much money left for startups in other markets. “Many run the risk of ending up in no man’s land,” SVB said. “This is evident in the uptick in ‘Zombiecorns’ — those with poor revenue growth and unit economics.” WATCH: AI startups keeping American tech exceptionalism Source link #startups #plenty #cash #unicorns #struggling Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

French trade union says Ubisoft CEO will be summoned at harassment trial of three former execs French trade union says Ubisoft CEO will be summoned at harassment trial of three former execs Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot is set to be summoned during the trial of three former Ubisoft executives, which is set to take place in early June. This story contains references to ******* and racial harassment. The trial of former CCO Serge Hascoët, former vice president of editorial and creative services Thomas François, and former game designer Guillame Patrux initially started in March, but was adjourned until early June following a request from lawyers to have more time to get familiar with the case’s documents. Athe time, the plaintiffs’ lawyer Maude Beckers claimed that some information she requested from Ubisoft back in February 2024 had only been supplied four days ahead of the trial. The trial will now start on June 2, and French trade union Solidaires Informatique has stated that Guillemot will be summoned, along with human resources director Marie Derain, and Ubisoft itself (as a legal entity), for being allegedly complicit in “the systemic nature of harassment” at the company. There is no evidence that Guillemot or Deraine were directly involved in ******* harassment or bullying at the company, they are being accused of complicity. Complaints were filed simultaneously in the summer of 2021 by trade union Solidaires Informatique and two victims on their own behalf, which led to the arrests of Hascoët, François and Patrux in 2023. As previously reported by Le Monde, Hascoët is accused of lewd behaviour, posting intrusive questions of a ******* nature, and racist comments and behaviour. He is alleged to have asked a ******* employee if she supported Islamic State, and to have been responsible for her PC desktop image being replaced with photos of bacon sandwiches, and food being placed on her desk during her Ramadan fast. François is accused of systemic psychological and ******* harassment, with alleged behaviour including the watching of porn in an open-plan office, commenting on the appearance of female staff, regular public humiliation and hazing, and attempted ******* assault where he allegedly tried to forcibly kiss a young employee during a Christmas party as she was held by other colleagues. As vice president of editorial and creative services Thomas François worked on such titles as Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, Far Cry: Primal and Watch Dogs 2. Patrux, who was a designer on such titles as The Crew and Grow Home, is accused of psychological harassment. “Beyond the personal responsibility of these three executives, this trial will highlight Ubisoft’s responsibility in implementing a system aimed at keeping harassers in place while silencing their victims,” a statement from Solidaires Informatique says. “As [lawyer Maude] Beckers indicated during the March hearing, ‘this case is broader and involves many more people, both on the side of the victims and the defendants’. It is not a question of a few individual actions, but of a well-oiled mechanism of insularity, work organization, and management that allowed this violence to continue within the company for years.” Hascoet, who oversaw all of the company’s games as head of its influential editorial team, resigned in July 2020 after a significant number of accusations were made against him. François, who was vice-president of editorial and creative services, subsequently left in August 2020 following accusations of ******* misconduct. Following the initial allegations, Guillemot made a statement before a Ubisoft Forward event in September 2020, addressing the situation and the recent departures. “This summer, we learned that certain Ubisoft employees did not uphold our company’s values, and that our systems failed to protect the victims of their behaviour,” he said. “I am truly sorry to everyone who was hurt. We have taken significant steps to remove or sanction those who violated our values and code of conduct, and we are working hard to improve our systems and processes.” In October 2021, an anonymous survey of almost 14,000 Ubisoft employees found that 20 percent of respondents didn’t feel “fully respected or safe in the work environment” and that 25 percent had witnessed or experienced workplace misconduct over the past two years. During a Q&A at a media event in 2022, Guillemot again referred to the harassment allegations, saying: “Yes, we stumbled, and we have acknowledged that. We learned a lot along the way. And we’ve made meaningful progress with concrete action plans.” That same week, A Better Ubisoft – a group consisting of current and former Ubisoft employees – claimed that their concerns were not being heard, and that while many abusers at Ubisoft were axed, some were simply moved to new roles, different studios or even promoted, and also alleged that the HR people who dismissed their complaints and protect abusers were still at the company. In a statement given to GI.biz at the time, a Ubisoft spokesperson said: “The launch of the company-wide survey was one of many steps we’ve taken to ensure their insight fuels our action plan. In addition, we have regular global and local townhalls, office hours, and our Employee Resource Groups participate in frequent discussions with leadership teams, including Yves who meets quarterly with global ERG leaders. “Leadership also engages regularly with their relevant local employee representatives and we have three elected employee representatives on our Board of Directors. We are committed to engaging in meaningful discussions with our team members and will continue to ensure their feedback shapes our path forward.” Source link #French #trade #union #Ubisoft #CEO #summoned #harassment #trial #execs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

EU e-gates use at European airports uncertain for British travellers EU e-gates use at European airports uncertain for British travellers Simon Browning Transport reporter BBC It remains unclear whether *** passport holders will be able to use e-gates at EU airports this summer. The EU Commission has told the BBC that *** citizens will not have access to them until a new scheme to enhance border security comes into force in October, and even then it is up to individual countries. When asked if e-gates would be available this summer, the prime minister’s official spokesperson said it was up to individual nations to implement the changes and it would update on “the precise timelines for that… in due course.” Since the *** left the EU bloc, many popular holiday destinations have seen long queues of British travellers at airports as they wait for passports to be checked. The new European Entry/Exit Scheme (EES) gathers biometric data on citizens arriving in the EU from non-member, third-party countries, which includes the ***. After technology delays, it is now due to roll out in October 2025. Monday’s deal between the *** and the EU says there will be “no legal barriers to eGate use for British Nationals traveling to and from EU Member States after the introduction of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES)”. An EU Commission spokesperson told the BBC that the introduction of the EES will open the possibility of using e-gates for all non-EU citizens, including *** citizens and mean faster processing at borders. “Once the EES is in place, *** nationals will therefore be able to use e-gates where they are available, provided they are registered in the system.” Confusion over timeline However, Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden said it was “highly unlikely” passport holders would be able to use EU e-gates this summer. “The EU is introducing this new entry and exit scheme so nothing is going to happen before that’s in place, and that’s not yet in place. They’ve put the date back for that a few times, the latest date is the autumn, let’s see if that’s stuck to. “After that it’s up to the member states. But this gives us the possibility, I’d say the probability, that people will be able to use the e-gates in future, which is not a possibility at the moment.” Some EU countries already allow *** citizens to use their e-gates, so it is possible that talks with individual nations could result in more letting British passengers use their gates this summer. Surprise inclusion The inclusion of e-gates in the deal has surprised some in the travel industry, as they had understood the gates were always going to be available to *** passport holders in the EU once EES begins in October. Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, an independent travel group, said: “This new deal appears to offer little more than expanded access to e-gates which are already in use at some destinations and only after the long-delayed digital border system (EES) is introduced, currently planned for an October launch.” Currently, EU destinations which already allow *** passport holders to use e-gates often then require a secondary check and a passport stamp. The new deal and EES means *** passport holders will likely no longer require a stamp. The launch of EES has been in the pipeline for a while. It will see non-EU nationals needing to add their biometric data to a new EU database, which will be done at the point of departure to the EU, either at an airport, port or train station. Source link #egates #European #airports #uncertain #British #travellers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Justin Sun Trump dinner Justin Sun Trump dinner Justin Sun, founder of blockchain platform Tron, poses for a photograph in Hong Kong, May 8, 2020. Calvin Sit | Bloomberg | Getty Images ********-born crypto mogul Justin Sun says he’s the top holder of the $TRUMP meme token and will be having dinner with President Donald Trump. The dinner competition — a sweepstakes offering gala access to the sitting U.S. president — was open to anyone in the world willing to spend millions of dollars on a digital coin tied to Trump. Late Monday night, Sun posted on X that he had secured the top spot in the $TRUMP token leaderboard, which earned him an invite to a private dinner with the president, as well as a VIP reception for the top 25 holders. “Honored to support @POTUS and grateful for the invitation from @GetTrumpMemes to attend President Trump’s Gala Dinner as his TOP fan!” he wrote. “As the top holder of $TRUMP, I’m excited to connect with everyone, talk crypto, and discuss the future of our industry.” Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwards This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates. Source link #Justin #Sun #Trump #dinner Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Darth Vader in Fortnite, New AI Controversy Explained Darth Vader in Fortnite, New AI Controversy Explained Fortnite has once again somehow managed to put itself amidst major controversy, and this time it’s because of putting AI Darth Vader in their game. No, it isn’t about Darth Vader dropping the F-bomb; rather, it’s much more serious. SAG-AFTRA has filed an unfair labor practice charge against Epic Games’ subsidiary Llama Productions. According to them, Epic didn’t comply with the union before implementing the feature in the game. That’s not very “Epic” of them, ba-dum-tss. Jokes aside, it is a serious matter for Epic Games, and doesn’t really paint them in a good light. If not dealt with, some serious actions may be taken against them. Fortnite gets hit with a ULP filing for the use of AI Darth Vader The real Darth Vader is SAG-AFTRA, and they are coming for Epic Games. | Image Credit: Epic Games AI Darth Vader was added to Fortnite recently as a way to tribute the original actor, late James Earl Jones. The AI model is powered by Google Gemini 2.0 and trained using Flash v2.5 by ElevenLabs. However, it has sparked controversy, as it replaces other voice actors who’ve acted as Darth Vader. However, the late James Earl Jones himself signed over his Darth Vader voice rights. So there shouldn’t be any issue if companies use his voice for future projects. However, it does pose a threat to existing actors as they can seemingly be replaced due to AI. SAG-AFTRA and the National Labor Relations Board are strictly against that. SAG-AFTRA has Llama Productions as an official signatory to the collective. So they are legally responsible and bound to follow the union’s terms regarding the employment of performers. They even stated the same in their press release: We celebrate the right of our members and their estates to control the use of their digital replicas and welcome the use of new technologies to allow new generations to share in the enjoyment of those legacies and renowned roles. However, we must protect our right to bargain terms and conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of our members, including those who previously did the work of matching Darth Vader’s iconic rhythm and tone in video games. It is apparent that the labor union didn’t like the fact that Epic Games used the feature without asking them. If the idea was presented, it could have been outright denied. Moreover, the AI model dropping the F-bomb doesn’t help the situation. SAG-AFTRA has been vocal against the use of AI, and this legal came during their ongoing interactive media strike. So, Epic Games might have to remove the feature or have to pay a fine. What does the Union want from Epic Games? The union wishes to protect the people who come under their jurisdiction. Moreover, the late James Earl Jones isn’t the only person who has played the role of Darth Vader. Yet, Fortnite used the late actor’s voice instead of hiring someone else. Other voice actors can replicate similar vocals to fit Darth Vader. For instance, Scott Lawrence played the role in EA’s Jedi Survivor, and Epic could have hired him instead of using AI if they really wanted the OG Vader punch. SAG-AFTRA reinforces its stand against the use of AI by stating the following: Fortnite’s signatory company, Llama Productions, chose to replace the work of human performers with A.I. technology. Unfortunately, they did so without providing any notice of their intent to do this and without bargaining with us over appropriate terms. As such, we have filed an unfair labor practice charge with the NLRB against Llama Productions. Not just the gaming industry, but many others are trying to implement AI to make processes easier. However, replacing the human workforce where it isn’t required means robbing them of jobs. In the end, companies will make more profits while getting rid of certain people. That is not the future SAG-AFTRA wants to pursue. Do you think this legal action from SAG-AFTRA against Epic Games’ subsidiary, Llama Productions, makes sense? Will Epic Games get charged seriously for such use cases? Let us know in the comments below. Source link #Darth #Vader #Fortnite #Controversy #Explained Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

The rule of law in the EU remains in peril, MEPs say | News The rule of law in the EU remains in peril, MEPs say | News The report endorsed by the Committee on Civil Liberties with 50 votes in favour, 18 against, and four abstentions, takes stock of the Commission’s 2024 Rule of Law Report as well as developments across the member states. MEPs call firmer, more consistent enforcement of democratic principles by both member states and the Commission. To prevent backsliding, they ask for an “ever more comprehensive toolbox”, complemented by a “smart conditionality” mechanism to ensure that the suspension of EU funds cannot be misused against civil society and local authorities. They reiterate the call for a fully-fledged mechanism to protect and enforce EU values in their entirety, while proposing methodological improvements to the Commission’s annual exercise. Worrying trends and persistent issues Among worrying developments identified this year, MEPs point to restrictions to the right of assembly and a rapidly shrinking civic space. They underline the need for independent, effective judicial systems with highly qualified personnel, and stress the importance of assessing ongoing reforms in member states, while also condemning interference in corruption investigations and the misuse of judicial systems for political ends. MEPs call for better protection of vulnerable groups against discrimination, including EU-wide legislation criminalising hate crime and hate speech. They also highlight the obligation to uphold the international legal order and implement binding court decisions: member states need to ensure national judges’ access to the Court of Justice of the EU, apply its jurisprudence in full, and enforce the orders of the International Criminal Court. The report further raises: the need for more robust anti-corruption efforts at all levels,; a call for more transparency in interest representation, including new or improved mandatory registers and legislative footprint mechanisms; threats to media freedom and pluralism, especially SLAPPs and spyware; the spread of disinformation undermining democracy; persistent and new threats to equality for vulnerable groups (especially discriminatory measures against LGBTIQ persons) and the Commission’s intention to withdraw the Horizontal Equal Treatment Directive; the need for access to safe, legal abortion to be enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU; the rise of extremism, threats to electoral processes, and the use of technology to curtail democratic rights; and the deteriorating situation in Hungary. MEPs also call for a stronger mandate for the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and urge the Commission to apply conditionality mechanisms more readily. Quote Rapporteur Ana Catarina Mendes (S&D, Portugal) commented: “For the Union to deliver on its promise of rule of law freedom and fundamental rights for every person living in Europe, we need to strengthen our ability to monitor and act on backsliding in the rule of law and all European values. However, we see that some political forces are willing to renege on these values for short-term political gain, undermining not only the fundamental rights of vulnerable groups but also the rule of law mechanisms that protect them and support our entire societies. It is high time that we act responsibly and in line with our proudest democratic traditions, because it is becoming increasingly clear that everything is at stake.” Next steps The report is expected to be debated and voted on in the 16 – 19 June plenary session in Strasbourg, in anticipation of the upcoming 2025 Rule of Law Report by the Commission. Source link #rule #law #remains #peril #MEPs #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]