FazzNoth

Nothing is confirmed until Apple says so but some experts in the know explain why. According to analyst Jeff Pu, who shared early details with 9to5Mac, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will get a new 48MP main camera. It's also reported that the smallest model will have a larger screen than last year because Apple will apparently skip releasing an iPhone 14 mini. The starting price is also tipped to mirror that of the iPhone 13 range, which is welcome news for our pockets. But if you thought those specs sound good, wait until you hear about the iPhone 15 rumours. Pu claims that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will go even further on camera tech. He expects they will pack a periscope camera with 5x optical zoom. That's up quite a bit from the 3x optical zoom found on current models. Given the iPhone's hefty price tag, some might want to hold off this year's upgrade and wait it out for 2023's line up. Unless you can afford to upgrade your iPhone every year, of course. That said, it's still too early to say. There's also concern that the upgrade might not even be enough for the iPhone 15. While a periscope lens does things differently resulting in a better optical zoom, many had hoped the tech giant might go a bit further. Samsung and Huawei already offer similar tech in their smartphones, allowing an optical zoom of up to 10x. So by 2023, Apple might find itself behind. We'll have to wait until September to see what Apple has in store for us this year. https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/18127091/iphone-15-rumour-camera-upgrade/

SoftwareReviews, a leading source for insights on the software provider landscape, has published its Data Integration & Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) Data Quadrant Awards, naming seven providers as Gold Medalists. Data integration software combines data from different sources, databases, data warehouses, and apps to provide a unified view. iPaaS is a solution that enables users to develop, execute, and govern data processes. SoftwareReviews identified the best data integration and iPaaS software providers for 2022 based on verified survey data collected from real end users. These providers have received high scores on the organization's Data Quadrant. Products are ranked by a composite satisfaction score (composite score or CS) that averages four different areas of evaluation: Net Emotional Footprint, Vendor Capabilities, Product Features, and Likeliness to Recommend. To learn more about Data Integration & iPaaS or to download full category and provider reports, visit the dedicated category page. View and download reports for all categories. About SoftwareReviews SoftwareReviews is the most in-depth source of buyer data and insights for the enterprise software market. By collecting customer experience data from business and IT professionals, the SoftwareReviews methodology produces detailed and authentic insights into the experience of evaluating and purchasing enterprise software. https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/the-top-data-integration-ipaas-software-revealed-for-2022-1031323887

SCOTTSBURG, Ind. (AP) — An overnight fire heavily damaged a century-old hardware store and lumber yard that abuts a southern Indiana city's historic downtown square, authorities said. Firefighters arrived at the scene in Scottsburg after 11 p.m. Wednesday to find heavy flames coming from the roof of the Vail True Value Lumber Co. building. Once crews realized they couldn't do much to save the building they shifted their focus to containing the blaze and protecting the city's historic square, said Scottsburg Fire Chief James Richey. “Once it’s through the roof, you’re chasing your tail at that point,” Richey told WAVE-TV, adding that “our main focus was to try to save the historic square which is less than 10 feet away." Richey said with the help from several other fire departments, crews were able to extinguish the flames without any additional fire damage to neighboring buildings. No injuries were reported. Vail True Value Lumber Co. announced in March 2020 that the business was celebrating its 100th anniversary. In a Thursday morning post on its Facebook page that included photos of the ruined building, the company thanked firefighters and said “we lost our home" of 102 years. Scottsburg, a city of about 6,700 people, is located about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Louisville, Kentucky. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/fire-strikes-century-old-indiana-lumber-yard-hardware-store/ar-AAVIP3n?ocid=BingNewsSearch

V2: Effect and Blur

Nickname: @FazzNoth Video author: Running With Scissors Name of the game: Postal 4: No Regerts Video link: Short description of the video: -

Yesterday, Google officially released version 100 of its Chrome browser, and today it's following suit by releasing version 100 of Chrome OS. While there weren't a lot of big features for Chrome 100 besides a new icon, the update for Chrome OS brings a handful of changes worth noting. Probably the most significant is a redesigned app launcher experience. When you press the "everything" button (where caps lock is on most keyboards) or click the circle icon on the lower left side of the screen, the new launcher pulls up in a window on the left side of your display rather than covering all your open windows. Longtime Chrome OS users might remember that this was how the launcher behaved years ago. Besides that visual change, Google has made it easier to organize the apps you have installed. You can choose to sort them alphabetically or by color, and new apps you add will stick to that organization scheme. From a functional perspective, Google has also improved search results that come up when you type in the launcher, automatically pulling up information for your query without having to open more details in a browser window. The search field also can look through all your open tabs if you're trying to find a specific site you had open. The next new feature is purely for fun — the camera app can now create GIFs. When you pop open the camera, you can choose to record a five-second video that'll automatically be turned into a GIF. Once that's done, you can share it to pretty much any app on your Chromebook or send it to an Android phone using the nearby share feature. Google also improved the dictation feature on Chromebooks. Previously, you could dictate text into any text field on your device, but today Google is adding some editing features. Chrome OS now recognizes commands like "delete" to remove the last letter or "move to the next character" to adjust where your cursor is. Asking for "help" will also pull up a list of commands that you can use if you're not sure how to accomplish a specific task with your voice. As is usually the case with most Chrome OS updates, these aren't exactly earth-shattering updates. But as Google now updates Chrome OS and the Chrome browser every four weeks, they're not all going to bring big features. But there are still a few quality of life improvements worth checking out once the update hits your device — I've always found managing the apps in my launcher a bit cumbersome, so I'm hoping today's update makes things a bit better. https://www.engadget.com/chrome-os-100-new-launcher-gif-camera-160047133.html

SS&C Blue Prism, a global pioneer in intelligent automation (IA), is being celebrated by CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, with a prestigious 5-star rating in its 2022 Partner Program Guide. CRN’s annual Partner Program Guide provides a definitive list of the most notable partner programs from industry-leading technology vendors that provide innovative products and flexible services through the IT channel. The 5-star rating is achieved only by select vendors that deliver the best of the best, going above and beyond in their partner programs to help push growth and positive change. The Partner Program Guide provides the channel community with a deep dive into the partner programs offered by IT vendors, service providers and distributors. Companies are scored based on their investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support, and communication. A 5-star rating helps narrow the field to find the best fit, identifying the most rewarding partner programs and providing crucial insight into their strengths. Customers and prospects have drawn significant benefit from SS&C Blue Prism’s partner ecosystem, a network designed to help partners and customers leverage all the resources and knowledge that SS&C Blue Prism has amassed as a market leader in intelligent automation. SS&C Blue Prism Partner Engage, a key program within the SS&C Blue Prism Connect framework, and a notable element within the company’s CRN Partner Program Guide submission, formalizes its go-to-market incentives to complement the business’ well-established certification program. As well as being rewarded for higher tier revenue growth and certification, partners are incentivized to drive high-quality intelligent automation solutions to new and existing customers to expand the reach of the SS&C Blue Prism digital workforce across the globe. Customers can be assured that SS&C Blue Prism partners are approved and certified, with proven skills, cross-functional expertise, use best practices and possess deep industry knowledge and experience. https://www.blueprism.com/resources/blog/five-star-crn-listing/

It’s unclear how shares in Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) will perform in the short term. On one hand, tech stocks overall have been recovering since the middle of March. In the case of AAPL stock, shares have been able to move back toward what they were trading for at the start of 2022. On the other hand, both company-related and external factors could put pressure on it in the months ahead. As a result of recent events, the company is cutting production of products like the iPhone SE and AirPods. These same recent events are also increasing the chance of a recession in both the U.S. and Europe. Increased chances of a recession alone could cause the tech stock rebound to reverse course, sending this company’s shares lower as well. However, if you’re looking at making Apple a long-term holding, I wouldn’t view these concerns as a deal breaker. These challenges will pass. Furthermore, it has a bevy of potential catalysts in play that stand to send its shares higher over a long timeframe. Most recently, another one has emerged: The launch of a subscription-based service for its hardware devices. If it comes to fruition, this, like its existing potential catalysts, is something that could help shares continue to perform well in the years ahead. AAPL Stock and Near-Term Price Direction As you would expect for such a massive enterprise, Apple has a steady stream of headlines detailing the latest developments with the company. Yet while this stream is a mix of both positive and negative developments, and shares have been bouncing back lately, the latter could again start to outweigh the former. Why? The issues behind the year-to-date roller coaster ride with AAPL stock (and the market overall) continue to be in play. Supply chain disruptions continue to be making an impact. The company’s heavy dependence on China leaves it vulnerable in many ways. And that’s not just due to recent news of key supplier Foxconn having to shut down a facility due to China’s latest coronavirus outbreak. Rising tensions between the U.S. and China are another reason. Inflation, and the Federal Reserve’s response to it via interest rate hikes, could affect customer spending. What’s for now an economic slowdown could morph into a recession. As the stock market looks forward, shares could start dropping before a recession officially begins. After making it back near $175 per share, the stock could fall back to around $150 per share. Or perhaps, even lower. Again, I wouldn’t view this as a reason to avoid Apple. There’s still plenty to support making this a long-term holding. https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/topstocks/subscription-based-hardware-could-be-a-winner-for-apple-stock/ar-AAVGBCu?ocid=BingNewsSearch

To administer this COVID test, Todd Kautz had to lay on his belly in the snow and worm his upper body into the narrow den of a hibernating black bear. Training a light on its snout, Kautz carefully slipped a long cotton swab into the bear’s nostrils five times. For postdoctoral researcher Kautz and a team of other wildlife experts, tracking the coronavirus means freezing temperatures, icy roads, trudging through deep snow and getting uncomfortably close to potentially dangerous wildlife. They’re testing bears, moose, deer and wolves on a Native American reservation in the remote north woods about 5 miles from Canada. Like researchers around the world, they are trying to figure out how, how much and where wildlife is spreading the virus. Scientists are concerned that the virus could evolve within animal po[CENSORED]tions — potentially spawning dangerous viral mutants that could jump back to people, spread among us and reignite what for now seems to some people like a waning crisis. The coronavirus pandemic has served as a stark and tragic example of how closely animal health and human health are linked. While the origins of the virus have not been proven, many scientists say it likely jumped from bats to humans, either directly or through another species that was being sold live in Wuhan, China. And now the virus has been confirmed in wildlife in at least 24 U.S. states, including Minnesota. Recently, an early Canadian study showed someone in nearby Ontario likely contracted a highly mutated strain from a deer. “If the virus can establish itself in a wild animal reservoir, it will always be out there with the threat to spill back into the human po[CENSORED]tion,” said University of Minnesota researcher Matthew Aliota, who is working with the Grand Portage Reservation team. E.J. Isaac, a fish and wildlife biologist for the reservation that’s home to the Grand Portage Ojibwe, said he expects the stakes to get even higher with the start of spring, as bears wake from hibernation and deer and wolves roam to different regions. “If we consider that there are many species and they’re all intermingling to some extent, their patterns and their movements can exponentially increase the amount of transmission that could occur,” he said. Into the wild Their research is meant to ward off such unwelcome surprises. But it carries its own set of risks. Seth Moore, who directs the reservation biology and environment department, recently almost got bitten by a wolf. And they sometimes team with a crew from the Texas-based company Heliwild to capture animals from the air. One chilly late-winter afternoon, the men climbed into a small helicopter with no side doors that lifted above the treetops. Flying low, they quickly spotted a deer in a forest clearing. They targeted the animal from the air with a net gun and dropped Moore off. Wind whipped at his face as he worked in deep snow to quickly swab the deer’s nose for COVID, put on a tracking collar and collect blood and other biological samples for different research. The men capture moose in much the same way, using tranquilizer darts instead of nets. They trap wolves and deer either from the air or on the ground, and trap bears on the ground. They knew of the young male bear they recently tested because they had already been tracking it. To get to the den, they had to take snowmobiles to the bottom of a hill then hike a narrow, winding path in snow shoes. When Kautz crawled part-way into the den, a colleague held his feet to pull him out quickly if necessary. The team also gave the animal a drug to keep it sleeping and another later to counteract the effects of the first. https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/wild-animals-latest-frontier-covid-19-fight-rcna22209

Just one business day after announcing its sudden end — surprising over 200 employees and failing to meet payroll Friday — the Black News Channel now has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Tallahassee-based outlet, which served Black and other underserved communities, said between 200 and 999 creditors are owed money and listed $10 million to $50 million in liabilities, according to documents filed in the Northern District of Florida Bankruptcy Court. Some of the creditors that are owed the largest amount of money include The Associated Press, $105,682; CNN, $123,366; CBS News, $96,012 and Comcast, $77,739. The Tallahassee-based outlet, which served Black and other underserved communities, said between 200 and 999 creditors are owed money and listed $10 million to $50 million in liabilities, according to documents filed in the Northern District of Florida Bankruptcy Court. Some of the creditors that are owed the largest amount of money include The Associated Press, $105,682; CNN, $123,366; CBS News, $96,012 and Comcast, $77,739. Initial coverage of closure: 'It's a sad day': Tallahassee-based Black News Channel ceases operations, airs last show According to an employee who asked to remain anonymous, staff received an email Thursday that their last three weeks of pay would be delayed. "This enraged many of my coworkers and many of them refused to even go into the office (Friday)," that person wrote in an email to the Democrat. The next day, the ceasing of operations was officially announced in a mass email to the network's staff just before 3 p.m. "It’s with a broken heart that I am letting you all know that, effective immediately, BNC will cease live production and file for bankruptcy," CEO Princell Hair wrote to the over 200 employees. "We are saddened and disappointed by this reality and recognize the stress that this puts on you and your families." A press release published by the organization Tuesday said they "processed and funded payroll on Monday." But an employee told the Democrat that he most of his colleagues have received partial payment but "are still owed 1 week's worth of pay" as of Wednesday afternoon: "I feel for the talented journalists, editors, designers, writers and producers who are suddenly out of jobs." https://news.yahoo.com/tallahassee-based-black-news-channel-192344150.html

Nickname: @FazzNoth Video author: IGN Name of the game: Sengoku Dynasty Video link: Short description of the video: In this upcoming game set in Feudal Japan, you are tasked with building your own village, protecting your settlement from the dangers of war, and building your dynasty, where you go from being a simple peasant to a man of legend. Sengoku Dynasty, the city builder game that features RPG and survival elements, also includes a co-op mode. The game is headed to PC.

Sony has today announced that they will be launching their new PlayStation Plus games service in June 2022. Providing PlayStation gamers with over 700+ games and “more value than ever“. Jim Ryan President & CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment has taken to the official PlayStation blog to reveal more details about what you can expect from the latest generation of PlayStation Plus first launched back in 2010. “Today, we are pleased to share with you official news about changes coming to our subscription services. This June, we’re bringing together PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now in an all-new PlayStation Plus subscription service that provides more choice to customers across three membership tiers globally. Our focus is on providing high-quality, curated content with a diverse portfolio of games*. Below is an overview of the three membership tiers. New PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium tiers The new Extra and Premium tiers represent a major evolution for PlayStation Plus. With these tiers, our key focus is to ensure that the hundreds of games we offer will include the best quality content that sets us apart. At launch, we plan to include titles such as Death Stranding, God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Mortal Kombat 11, and Returnal. We’re working closely with our imaginative developers from PlayStation Studios and third-party partners to include some of the best gaming experiences available with a library that will be regularly refreshed. More details to come on the games we’ll have on our new PlayStation Plus service. “ PlayStation Plus Essential Benefits: Provides the same benefits that PlayStation Plus members are getting today, such as: Two monthly downloadable games Exclusive discounts Cloud storage for saved games Online multiplayer access There are no changes for existing PlayStation Plus members in this tier. Price* for PlayStation Plus Essential remains the same as the current price for PlayStation Plus. United States $9.99 monthly / $24.99 quarterly / $59.99 yearly Europe €8.99 monthly / €24.99 quarterly / €59.99 yearly United Kingdom £6.99 monthly / £19.99 quarterly / £49.99 yearly Japan ¥850 monthly / ¥2,150 quarterly / ¥5,143 yearly PlayStation Plus Extra Benefits: Provides all the benefits from the Essential tier Adds a catalog of up to 400* of the most enjoyable PS4 and PS5 games – including blockbuster hits from our PlayStation Studios catalog and third-party partners. Games in the Extra tier are downloadable for play. Price*: United States $14.99 monthly / $39.99 quarterly / $99.99 yearly Europe €13.99 monthly / €39.99 quarterly / €99.99 yearly United Kingdom £10.99 monthly / £31.99 quarterly / £83.99 yearly Japan ¥1,300 monthly / ¥3,600 quarterly / ¥8,600 yearly PlayStation Plus Premium** Benefits: Provides all the benefits from Essential and Extra tiers Adds up to 340* additional games, including: PS3 games available via cloud streaming A catalog of beloved classic games available in both streaming and download options from the original PlayStation, PS2 and PSP generations Offers cloud streaming access for original PlayStation, PS2, PSP and PS4 games offered in the Extra and Premium tiers in markets** where PlayStation Now is currently available. Customers can stream games using PS4 and PS5 consoles, and PC.*** Time-limited game trials will also be offered in this tier, so customers can try select games before they buy. Price*: United States $17.99 monthly / $49.99 quarterly / $119.99 yearly Europe €16.99 monthly / €49.99 quarterly / €119.99 yearly United Kingdom £13.49 monthly / £39.99 quarterly / £99.99 yearly Japan ¥1,550 – monthly / ¥4,300 – quarterly / ¥10,250 yearly PlayStation Plus Deluxe (Select Markets) For markets without cloud streaming, PlayStation Plus Deluxe will be offered at a lower price compared to Premium, and includes a catalog of beloved classic games from the original PlayStation, PS2 and PSP generations to download and play, along with time-limited game trials. Benefits from Essential and Extra tiers are also included. Local pricing will vary by market. https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/new-playstation-plus-extra-and-premium-29-03-2022/

The National Cyber Security Centre has said more organisations should reconsider the risk of using Russian technology, including anti-virus software. But in a blog post published today, it said that for most individual users it is safe to use Kaspersky's software. Germany recently suggested replacing Kaspersky anti-virus. The Russia-headquartered firm said the German warnings were "made on political grounds". Critical Infrastructure. In 2017, The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) announced it would write to all government departments, warning against using Kaspersky products for systems related to national security. But in today's blog post, the NCSC's Ian Levy wrote: "We have no evidence that the Russian state intends to suborn Russian commercial products and services to cause damage to UK interests, but the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." The centre is now urging more groups to reconsider their use of Russian controlled technology including: wider public sector organisations that weren't covered by its 2017 guidance organisations providing services to Ukraine organisations that if compromised could represent a PR 'win' for Russia organisations providing services related to critical infrastructure "We've not seen - and don't expect to see - the massive, global cyber-attacks that some had predicted," the NCSC's Ian Levy says in his blog. But the Ukraine conflict has changed the balance of risks. The UK already had advice from a few years back regarding use of products like Kaspersky anti-virus but this was confined to those involved in national security. German authorities issued a new tougher warning calling for Kaspersky products to be removed after the Ukraine conflict began, raising questions about whether the UK would follow. And the NCSC started to get phone calls from members of the public worried about turning their laptops on because they ran Kaspersky. That has now led to a broader warning that a wider range of institutions - like those in critical infrastructure or who might be the targets of Russian retaliation - should think carefully about using any Russian products. But this new advice still does not apply to the general public - who are not thought to be at direct risk. German warnings Earlier in March, Germany's Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) said that against the backdrop of the invasion of Ukraine and threats against Nato and the EU, Russian IT manufacturers could be forced against their will "to attack target systems, or be spied on as a victim of a cyber-operation without its knowledge or as a tool for attacks against its own customers," The BSI found no evidence of current problems with Kaspersky products but recommended its anti-virus products were replaced with alternatives - but carefully, to avoid weakening defences. In response, the firm said the BSI decision was "not based on a technical assessment of Kaspersky products", and as a private global cyber-security company it "does not have any ties to the Russian or any other government". It added: "The security and integrity of our data services and engineering practices have been confirmed by independent third-party assessments." But the German warning raised the level of public concern, which the NCSC has sought to address. "It almost certainly remains the case that nearly all individuals in the UK (and many enterprises) are not going to be targeted by Russian cyber-attack, regardless of whether they use Russian products and services" Mr Levy wrote. "If your personal laptop uses Kaspersky AV (or other products) it's highly unlikely to be directly targeted...it's safe to turn on and use at the moment." https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-60854882

A family-owned hardware store based in San Francisco has opened its first outpost in Palo Alto at 251 California Ave. Nob Hill Hardware, owned by longtime Menlo Park resident Mihail Fechete, is located in the space that was once part of a larger FedEx Office, which is now next door occupying a smaller footprint. The shop is set to hold a grand opening in May. Greeting customers are walls of pliers, ratchets, hammers and other tools that one might expect to find in a hardware store, but the store also has various selections of kitchenware, party supplies and other miscellaneous items. The store is in the process of stocking its shelves, Fechete said this week, but supply chain issues have delayed the arrival of some merchandise. The owner expects the size of the selection to match that of his San Francisco store, with around 10,000 items. "I love hardware stores," said Palo Alto resident Doria Summa, who was browsing the shelves at Nob Hill earlier this week. "It's very small, but it seems to have a little bit of everything." Help sustain the local news you depend on. Your contribution matters. Become a member today. Fechete said his San Francisco shop, which coincidentally is located on another street also named California, has been performing well, even in the midst of the pandemic, and so he decided to broker a deal for the 3,155-square-foot space on California Avenue in May 2020. People seemed to have had more free time during the pandemic and embarked on their own home improvement projects, he said. Fechete said the new location seemed like a great opportunity to introduce his business to people closer to home. He opened his first store in San Francisco's Nob Hill neighborhood in late 2007 after spending a lot of time in and out of hardware stores as a contractor for nearly a decade. Fechete said he hopes to provide goods that people may not always find at a mega-hardware retailer, including small items like shoe polish, buttons or needles, as well as expert advice. The opening of the independent hardware store is a pleasant, and somewhat unexpected, surprise. Hardware stores tend to disappear more than they pop up, said Steven Staiger, a historian at the Palo Alto Historical Association, who briefly worked at Cambridge Hardware near California Avenue in the 1970s before it closed in 1997. https://almanacnews.com/news/2022/03/29/with-diy-projects-on-the-rise-nob-hill-hardware-expands-into-palo-alto

LAHORE: PTI’s estranged leader Jahangir Tareen’s like-minded group, has summoned a consultative session today to discuss the situation after Usman Buzdar’s resignation, ARY News reported on Tuesday. PTI yesterday named Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi of PML-Q as its candidate for the office of Punjab chief minister. The group’s consultative session has been summoned on 6:00pm today at Jahangir Tareen’s residence. Six members, who had earlier assured support to outgoing CM Usman Buzdar, are expected to rejoin Tareen group, thus the strength of the faction will reach to 20 members again. Sources said that Tareen group could support the candidature of the PML-Q top leader, however, the final decision will be taken by Jahangir Tareen. After PML-Q leader’s nomination, a member of the Tareen group Faisal Jabboana told the media that Pervaiz Elahi is a suitable person for the position. He added that Jahangir Tareen group members had already met Pervaiz Elahi, however, the group is due to take the final decision. Another group of disgruntled PTI members led by former senior minister Abdul Aleem Khan has also summoned a consultative meeting today to discuss the situation. Aleem Khan will decide the strategy of the group after consultation with other like-minded members. It is to be mentioned here that a Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) MNA, Javed Latif yesterday revealed that his political party could nominate PTI dissident Aleem Khan for the office of Punjab chief minister. The PML-N MNA Javed Latif, while talking to ARY News programme Off the Record, said that Aleem Khan could be the party’s candidate for Punjab CM slot. Latif said that political parties will have to take some decisions in compulsion for being the coalition partners. https://arynews.tv/tareen-group-meetx-today-discuss-political-developments-punjab/