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FazzNoth

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  1. Five games deep, Sniper Elite delivers what I consider to be its best instalment since the original—thanks largely to the influence of games like Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and the Hitman reboots. Yet a lack of confidence in its core sniping conceit, as well as a truly dire story, drag down an enjoyable stealth game. It's probably not what a lot of people coming to Sniper Elite 5 care about but someone at Rebellion was intent on cramming numerous cutscenes into this thing and they are all, without exception, duller than the dead eyes of the Nazis left in the wake of protagonist Karl Fairburne. This macho American commando and sniper is a videogame gruff-man so generic he feels like he didn't even get to the end of the assembly line of the factory where they make these cookie cutter men. It's not impossible to imbue a Nazi killing machine with inner life and depth BJ Blazkowicz from Wolfenstein is subversive with his well of introspection. Karl, though, is boilerplate, and everything he says washes over me like white noise. Well everything except those moments of unintentional comedy, like at the game's outset where, after seeing their submarine destroyed, Karl utters "Nazi bastards" while a sad accordion plays. Accordions! Get it? Because it's set in France! The choices of the game's musical score are a not so subtle hint towards the level Sniper Elite is working on. It's the second world war through the lens of a teenage boy. Which doesn't matter in the grand scheme of shooting nazis, but certainly holds it back from having much in the way of character or tone—never tongue-in-cheek enough to pull off the macabre humour of Hitman or serious enough to engage with the realities of occupied France. The French resistance are present throughout and every time they showed up I couldn't help but wonder why they weren't the star of the show. Why weren't we some under-resourced sniper, having to use their wit and cunning to overcome the powerful nazi war machine? Someone with personal stakes and ties to the country? It's such a blindingly obvious way to breathe some life into proceedings but for whatever reason, the series seems married to its bargain bin action man. More Info: https://www.pcgamer.com/au/sniper-elite-5-review/
  2. Although there might be no major design change for the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold4, Samsung still has some surprises for us. Today, one of them has gotten revealed with a tipster claiming that the next-gen folding device will be much lighter than its predecessor. According to tipster Ice Universe, the Galaxy Z Fold4 will weigh 254 grams. Earlier rumours suggest that the device would go with between 258 and 260 grams, but it seems they are wrong. For comparison, the sucessor, Galaxy Z Fold3, weighs 271 grams. Therefore, that would be a 17-gram difference between the two devices, which is quite a big deal. You might be wondering what makes it possible, since the device is not going with a smaller display. The source mentions that it could be the hinge change, as the company is rumoured to install a thinner one on the Galaxy Z Fold4. The OPPO Find N that has the same form factor weighs 271 grams, but it's considerably smaller than the Galaxy Z Fold4 will be. Therefore, it's impressive that Samsung can achieve that, and we can't wait to hold the device in our hands! Are you excited about seeing the new Galaxy Z Fold device? Drop a comment to let us know, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more tech reports.
  3. Gannett, owner of USA TODAY and local media organizations in 45 states, on Wednesday announced a corporate restructuring that creates two new business units. The Gannett Media business unit will focus on news, content, operations like print and distribution, business-to-business marketing solutions (including advertising) and subscription growth through a “digital-first lens,” Gannett said in a news release. Maribel Perez Wadsworth, president of news for Gannett and publisher of USA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network, has been named president of the unit. The other unit created under the restructuring is Digital Marketing Solutions (DMS), which helps brands and businesses attract and keep customers, and includes LOCALiQ, a provider of digital marketing services. Kris Barton, Gannett’s chief product officer, becomes president of the new unit and will oversee operations that support marketing solutions, including customer services and product and engineering. “I think that this is a massive leap forward in terms of having our organizational structure really help to power the execution of our strategy,” Barton said. “We are a subscription-led business. That means that we are organizing this way to focus on that strategy.” Two other Gannett executives, Kevin Gentzel, the chief revenue officer, and Bernie Szachara, the president of U.S. publishing operations, are leaving the company in the coming weeks. Reed sent a note to employees lauding their service and acknowledging their "extraordinary stewardship during their tenure." Gannett shares closed down 0.5% Wednesday, ending the day at $3.91 on the New York Stock Exchange. “This reorganization ensures our consumer and B2B businesses are strategically optimized for our next stage of growth with incredibly experienced leadership at the helm while championing our culture of inclusion and driving our long-term goals for sustainable revenue and cash flow growth,” Reed said in the release. Wadsworth, a graduate of the University of Miami, has been with Gannett for more than 25 years. She started her career with the company as a reporter at the Rockford Register Star in Illinois. In 2015, she was appointed as Gannett’s first chief strategy and transformation officer. Wadsworth serves on the board of directors of the Associated Press and online learning community Skillshare, chairs the News Media Alliance and is president of the International News Media Association. “It is both a great privilege and responsibility to lead Gannett Media as we build a strong future,” Wadsworth said in the release. “My focus is on strengthening our journalism – this is our mission, and dramatically diversifying our content portfolio for growth – this is our promise as a vibrant, next-generation media company.” Barton has led product development for Gannett’s consumer and marketing products since 2017, when he was named chief product officer. Before joining Gannett, he led a global team as the chief product officer of ReachLocal, where he oversaw product and technology. The Brigham Young University graduate also worked as chief operating officer at multimedia software company Nero and held various leadership roles at Microsoft Corporation.
  4. PARAMUS, N.J., June 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Electronics has aligned with strategic partners across the AV industry to offer compatible software and hardware solutions that bring additional power, creative freedom and enhanced compatibility to its lineup of professional displays. This growing partner ecosystem, which launched last year, includes many of the leading solutions providers focused on digital signage, conference collaboration and mounting. "Sony's display solutions, including our professional BRAVIA lineup and Crystal LED video wall are chosen by the community because of their superior image quality, reliability and flexibility," said Theresa Alesso, President, Imaging Products & Solutions Americas, Sony Electronics. "Since we formally announced our AV Collaborative Alliances Program last year, the reception from partners and the community has been extremely positive. By combining our collective strengths with those of our collaborators, we're committed to creating more compatibility and integration and providing more value for our users in a growing range of vertical markets ? giving them yet another reason to seamlessly deploy our state-of-the-art displays." With a focus on interactivity, certification and compatibility, the program supports businesses across the AV spectrum, integrating with software solutions and hardware that address digital signage, IPTV, device management, computer vision and AI, AV control systems and unified communications. Charter Alliance Partners include: Appspace Crestron Draper Korbyt Navori Labs Peerless-AV Skykit Spectrio TSI Touch Webex by Cisco At InfoComm 2022, June 8-10 in Las Vegas, Sony will be showcasing key Alliance Partners and technology collaborators. See integrated conference collaboration solutions from Crestron (XiO Cloud®), Cisco (WebEx), Logitech and Pexip paired with Sony's BRAVIA professional displays including Airplay and Chromecast demos. Strategic digital signage collaborators will be demonstrating how Sony is strengthening its vertical market approach, including Spectrio (corporate), Navori Labs (retail), Skykit (education), Appspace (healthcare) and Korbyt (transportation). Hardware partners including Peerless-AV, Draper and TSI Touch will also support Sony's BRAVIA professional displays and Crystal LED video walls and create a richer experience for users and attendees. In related news, Sony's BRAVIA professional displays recently received certifications from both Crestron and Cisco. With prior certification for Crestron Connected, Sony has now integrated its latest Technology Operations Management Platform, XiO Cloud®, enabling businesses to access its workplace technology all in one place. As a certified partner, Crestron's XiO Cloud® platform allows customers to deploy, monitor and manage Sony's displays from a centralized location, reducing installation time and increasing uptime. The displays are also Webex certified and integrated with Webex Room Kit Series, the market leading devices for video meetings and virtual team collaboration. As the program evolves, additional partnerships, certifications and compatibility testing will be announced. For more information on the program and to see a full list of supported, compatible and Alliance Partners. https://www.lelezard.com/en/news-20417748.html
  5. Boris Johnson and wife Carrie led political homage to the Queen on her Platinum Jubilee today as tributes were paid to the Monarch's decades of public service. Mrs Johnson was in a cerise pink outfit with frill detail and large matching hat as she accompanied the Prime Minister - in sober morning dress - to the Trooping the Colour ceremony in central London this morning. Politicians from across the political divide came together today to praise the Queen on her Platinum Jubilee, with tributes pouring in from MPs who highlighted the monarch's years of selflessness. Former prime minister Theresa May tweeted: 'For 70 years, Her Majesty has been steadfast in her selflessness, in her dedication to duty and in her commitment to her country. For that we simply say: thank you, Ma’am. God Save The Queen.' And Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: 'The Queen has shared our greatest moments and suffered with us in our darkest days. This weekend, we celebrate Her Majesty.' Senior Tory MP Tom Tugendhat said the weekend of events was 'a celebration of the Elizabethan Age that has seen our lives transformed'. The former British Army officer said: 'Queen Elizabeth may not have decreed it but she gave the feeling of stability that allowed a speed of change and innovation that left others struggling with unrest and revolution.' Members of the Royal Family including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived for Trooping the Colour today as Prince Harry and Meghan join senior royals at an official engagement for the first time in more than two years. The Sussexes are also set to bring along three-year-old Archie and Lilibet, nearly one, for the public family reunion - and the children are likely to meet their cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis at last. He had earlier left No10 with senior military officials to join a day of pageantry. Former prime minister Theresa May tweeted: 'For 70 years, Her Majesty has been steadfast in her selflessness, in her dedication to duty and in her commitment to her country. For that we simply say: thank you, Ma’am. God Save The Queen.' https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10878055/Boris-Johnson-leads-political-tributes-Queen-Platinum-Jubilee.html
  6. The 2022 NHL Scouting Combine is taking place this week at the [insert bank name] arena in Buffalo. The famous fitness testing portion of the combine will be on Saturday, where these buff teenagers will be ogled by a bunch of overweight NHL scouts in their 50’s while they do gym workout tests which have basically no correlation to how good they will be at NHL hockey. Much more fun for us are the stories about the interviews with the NHL teams. There’s always some weird questions the players are asked because teams think this tells them something about the players’ personalities. It doesn’t, but they keep doing it anyway. This season it looks like there’s a new question which is catching players off guard: Because of course they all say lion. There’s no creativity in hockey. This made me wonder what animal would our Maple Leafs players be? I’m sure we can come up with some more interesting animals to describe them. For example, I would say Auston Matthews is a rhinoceros, Mitch Marner is a mongoose, and William Nylander is a kangaroo. Oh, and Pierre Engvall is a giraffe. I mean, that one is a given. https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nhl/thursday-e2-80-99s-ftb-which-animal-would-the-maple-leafs-say-they-are-like/ar-AAXZXuL?ocid=BingNewsSearch
  7. CNN’s new boss Chris Licht is fed up with the network’s excessive use of the “breaking news” banner on its reports, according to a memo he circulated to staff. Licht addressed the overuse of “breaking news” across the cable network as he shifts CNN away from the opinion-based programming pushed by his predecessor, Jeff Zucker. “We are truth-tellers, focused on informing, not alarming our viewers,” Licht said a memo, which was obtained by Axios on Thursday. The exec said he agreed with complaints from “people both inside and outside the organization” that the network overuses the “Breaking News” banner, even though it has become a “fixture” in cable news. CNN bureau chief Sam Feist has led a team in creating a new stylebook that provides guidelines for when to flash “Breaking News,” the memo said. “You’ve already seen far less of the ‘Breaking News’ banner across our programming,” Licht wrote, adding that the network is still tweaking the guidelines but will use the term only when “something BIG is happening.” The move to change CNN’s tone comes directly from David Zaslav, the CEO of CNN parent Warner Bros. Discovery. Zaslav said recently during a town hall meeting that CNN needs to be about truth and facts. “If we get that, we can have a civilized society,” Zaslav said at the time. “And without it, if it all becomes advocacy, we don’t have a civilized society.” CNN has been under a microscope for much of the year over its mishandling of high-profile scandals under former boss Zucker. Chief among them was Zucker’s handling of CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, whom he fired in December. The anchor was found to be secretly aiding the defense of his embattled older brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, over sexual harassment allegations that resulted in his resignation. https://nypost.com/2022/06/02/cnns-new-boss-orders-network-to-dial-back-labeling-everything-breaking-news/
  8. 'Every Farm' featuring diverse entertaining elements through farm management and social activities and an independent token system for actual profits Delivering joy of P&E through actual economic environment and independent token system simulating business management involving production, sales strategy, etc. 'EVERY FARM' is a business management simulation genre mobile SNG built with blockchain technology. This game is built-in with an independent token system based on blockchain technology, and it provides stable and wide variety of services through the world's first and innovative P&E platform WEMIX. 'EVERY FARM' is a mobile game where users cultivate crops at their farms, engage in business activities such as cooking and selling food at restaurants, and enjoy social networking with in-game friends to obtain in-game tokens and Wemix tokens. Wemade Connect has developed the game to allow users who engage in such cultivation and financial activities to be able to act as the lead in business management simulation. Users can consume ingredient items obtained through financial activities at restaurants to obtain hearts. And these hearts can be exchanged into tokens (Flero tokens), which can be freely exchanged with virtual asset Wemix tokens. Also, users can sell valuable crops, foods, and beverages in the game to interact with friends and enjoy a natural economic environment, where they compete with other users to produce more harvest and dishes faster. Wemade Connect CEO Ho-dae Lee explained, "Obtaining the Flero token and virtual assets in 'EVERY FARM' is simple. Just formulating strategies to produce and sell valuable crops, foods, and beverages, and interacting with your in-game friends to enjoy business management simulation will be enough to earn tokens and virtual assets." Meanwhile, Wemade Connect is hosting a level-up event in celebration of the release of 'EVERY FARM' until June 16. Users can receive '[ALS] Vine House' upon reaching level 10, and receive 50,000 gold upon reaching level 20 and 30, and receive 100,000 gold upon reaching level 40. https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/wemade-connect-officially-launching-mobile-p-e-game-every-farm-1031493559
  9. Previously, we reported that Apple may finally introduce an always-on display feature in its iPhones, starting with the Apple iPhone 14 Pro series. Well, today, another source is backing up the claim, this time by reliable Apple insider and tipster, Mark Gurman. Gurman shared a few insights and predictions regarding everything Apple in his latest column for Bloomberg, including how the tech giant is poised to implement a few significant upgrades in the upcoming iOS 16 and iPadOS 16. Among the potential upgrades mentioned by Gurman include notifications, iPad multitasking, Messages, Health as well as the lock screen. For the latter, Apple is reportedly planning ‘major enhancements’, including wallpapers that have ‘widget-like capabilities’. Gurman further claimed that iOS 16 will also support an always-on lock screen for quick glanceable information. However, this feature is reportedly only exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. This is because the always-on feature is set to utilise the LTPO screen touted to be featured on the iPhone 14 Pro series, which slows down the frame rate significantly to save on battery life. This is similar to what Apple is currently doing on the latest Apple Watch. While Gurman has an amazing track record in revealing Apple’s latest features before they come out, do take this information with a grain of salt as nothing is confirmed as of yet. Nevertheless, it would be interesting to see how Apple would be implementing these new features, should it turn out to be true. https://technave.com/gadget/Apple-poised-to-upgrade-the-lock-screen-in-iOS-16-including-an-always-on-display-feature-30220.html
  10. Amazon is launching a new Consumer Robotics Software Development Centre in Bengaluru which is going to support Amazon’s Consumer Robotics division. This Consumer Robotics Division launched its first robot Astro last year. The company is going to host a virtual event called Amazon Device: All About Astro to mark the opening of the new site on June 2. The robot called Astro is designed to help customers across a range of tasks like home monitoring, and it is powered by artificial intelligence, computer vision, sensor technology, and voice and edge computing. “Last year we unveiled our first consumer robot, but it certainly will not be our last. This new Consumer Robotics Software Development Center will help support our growing consumer robotics division and attract top talent to work on world-class technology products. India is an innovation hub; having the center here will help Amazon create better consumer robotics experiences for customers worldwide,” said Ken Washington, Vice President, Consumer Robotics, Amazon. The Amazon Devices: All About Astro is going to be a public event that will showcase the development of Astro along with the ongoing work at Amazon and the future of consumer robotics. The company will also showcase some demo videos of Astro at the event. https://www.businesstoday.in/technology/news/story/amazons-consumer-robotics-software-development-center-opens-in-bengaluru-335655-2022-05-30
  11. When foldable phones first hit the market in 2019, there were two distinct form factors pioneered by Samsung and Huawei. Samsung’s method was the inside fold, in which the screen closes on itself like a book, Huawei’s way was the outer fold, which sees the screen bend backwards and wraps around itself. There were pros and cons to both: Samsung’s inner fold method provides more protection, as the folded screen is closed up in folded form. However, this means a second outside display is needed in order for the device to be used in folded form. The necessity of the second display made the device thicker and heavier. Huawei’s outer fold method only required one display, so it’s thinner and lighter, but this also meant the soft, folding screen is exposed at all times. Personally, I preferred the Samsung method as the protection gives me peace of mind, and when Huawei itself went the inner fold method by 2021 with the Mate X2, everyone thought it was Huawei conceding, that Samsung’s method is the ideal way. It didn’t help that other Chinese foldables that have subsequently hit the market from Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo all followed the book-like inner fold method, too. But alas, it appears we spoke too soon, because Huawei is back with a new foldable, one that brings back the original outer fold design. Named the Huawei Mate Xs 2, the phone mostly looks identical to the original Huawei Mate X, at least if you’re only looking at it. Once you pick it up—which I recently had the chance to you’ll realize Huawei made subtle improvements across the board. A lighter, thinner foldable As mentioned, the outer fold method results in a thinner and lighter form factor than the dual-screen inner fold devices. This was true even back in 2019, when the original Huawei Mate X measured just 11mm in thickness when folded compared to the original Samsung Fold’s 15.5mm. But the new Mate Xs 2 further shred weight, coming in at just 255g. For comparison, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 weighs 271g, Vivo’s X Fold weighs a whopping 311g, and the original Huawei Mate X weighs 291g. Huawei managed to move down a weight class by shrinking the screen slightly (down to a 7.8-inch OLED panel compared to the original Mate X’s 8-inch) and using supposedly aerospace grade titanium alloy for most of its frame. The difference is noticeable in the hand as the Mate Xs 2 feels noticeably lighter than any big foldable I’ve handled lately. And it’s still 11mm thickness is no thicker than a new iPhone in a case. https://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/2022/05/30/huawei-hasnt-abandoned-its-original-foldable-vision-and-thats-good-news/?sh=49e5335d43b5
  12. The leaders of France and Germany have urged Russia’s Vladimir Putin to hold "direct and serious negotiations" with Ukraine’s president, the German chancellor’s office said. Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz spoke to Putin by phone for 80 minutes. The pair "insisted on an immediate ceasefire and a withdrawal of Russian troops", the chancellor’s office said. Russia’s leader said Moscow was open to resuming dialogue with Kyiv, according to the Kremlin. It did not mention the possibility of direct talks between Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian president earlier said he was not “eager” for talks, but added they would likely be necessary to end the conflict. France and Germany also urged Putin to release 2,500 Ukrainian fighters taken as prisoners of war at the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol. https://www.msn.com/en-za/news/other/world-news-today-france-germany-urge-putin-to-hold-direct-negotiations-with-zelensky/ar-AAXSvSE?ocid=BingNewsSearch
  13. Siliguri's Bengal Safari Park welcomes exotic kangaroos and monkeys The park's director said that three kangaroos and four exotic monkeys, which were rescued by different agencies in north Bengal from people allegedly transporting them illegally through this region, were handed over to them recently. On April 1, the three kangaroos were rescued and sent to the park. They were released into the enclosures a few days ago for visitors to watch them. Four exotic monkeys of three endangered species, which were sent to the park on May 9, are likely to be shifted to the enclosures in another couple of days so that visitors can watch the primates. The authorities said that the monkeys are in good health. Bengal Safari Park authorities have named four rare species of monkeys rescued from Phulbari before being trafficked. Of the four, three are female and one male. The kangaroos have been released into the enclosures for public view. Officials said four monkeys will also be soon released for visitors. The park authorities are now planning to bring more exotic animals to the park. There are plans underway to create additional infrastructure for animals like hippopotamus, giraffe and zebra that can be kept at the park. https://www.msn.com/en-in/travel/news/siliguris-bengal-safari-park-welcomes-exotic-kangaroos-and-monkeys-pics/ar-AAXT4PH?ocid=BingNewsSearch
  14. White House officials and Republican senators refused to do interviews to discuss gun control on Sunday’s news programs in the wake of the horrific Uvalde, Texas mass shooting where 19 children and two teachers were slaughtered. The White House reportedly turned down requests from CBS, CNN, and Fox News. No Biden officials appeared on Sunday news shows to discuss the Robb Elementary School massacre despite the left screaming for gun reform. Margaret Brennan, who is the moderator of CBS’ “Face the Nation,” reported that “the White House did decline our invitation for a member of the administration to come on the show today, saying they were leaving it up to Congress to act.” According to host Dana Bash, Uvalde is “so overwhelmed by loss, that the parents of 9, 10, and 11-year-olds have to wait weeks to bury their own children because the funeral homes are so busy dealing with the small, broken bodies from Robb Elementary School rooms 111 and 112.” “As these parents learn more about the excruciating delay by 19 law enforcement officials who waited outside the door where children were trapped with the gunman, as they learn about the young man who made violent threats but was able to legally buy a weapon of war, and as they call for action from their elected officials but say they know it’s unlikely, it’s hard to feel hope that things will change,” Bash said pushing with all her might for gun control to be implemented. “President Biden is on his way here to Uvalde this morning. He will try to comfort grieving families, as he’s done so many times before. Enough times that the political reality seems to have set in,” she intoned, further promoting a leftist agenda to do something about guns in America. Bash claimed that the show had “asked for a White House official to join us to talk about solutions this morning, but no one was made available.” She also stated that Republican lawmakers Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz also declined requests by the media outlet. “CBS’ characterization is just flat out wrong,” Michael Gwin, who is a spokesperson for the White House, said in a statement that was given to The Hill. “Given the President’s visit to Uvalde, the White House broadcast team chose to speak with one voice this Sunday – that voice was the President’s.” “We’re using every tool at our disposal to save lives from gun violence, and the President is using the full weight of his bully pulpit to press for change, but we can’t do it alone, Congress needs to act,” Gwin declared. Mediaite is reporting that a spokesperson for Fox News told them that the White House also turned down interview requests for “Fox News Sunday.” “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd reported that every single Republican senator declined to go on his NBC show to discuss the shooting as well. “We asked each of the Senate’s 50 Republicans, every single one of them, to join us and none agreed on this weekend,” Todd charged. However, a number of Republican representatives did appear on Sunday shows. Those included Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) on “State of the Union” and “Face the Nation,” Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) on “State of the Union,” Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) on “Fox News Sunday,” and Beth van Duyne (R-Texas) on “Sunday Morning Futures.” https://www.bizpacreview.com/2022/05/30/biden-officials-shun-sunday-news-shows-discussing-uvalde-shooting-and-gun-control-1244229/
  15. Hello, @GIVEN I'm glad to see you back in the community. Also, that you have a good activity as in the past. Don't forget that you also have to be active on TS3. PRO

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