Ga[M]er

Amazon is publishing two new mobile games through its Amazon Kids+ service, based on the original Amazon specials Super Spy Ryan and Do, Re & Mi. The new games are both published by Amazon Mobile, which makes them the first mobile games published directly by Amazon since 2015’s Til Morning’s Light and the internally-developed To-Fu Fury, as well as the first mobile games in a new line of Amazon Kids+ Originals. It also represents a continued focus on the children’s media market in Amazon’s current intiatives, along with the Amazon Glow’s recent emergence from beta. Super Spy Ryan is based on the 30-minute 2020 special of the same name, which itself is based on the multimedia content empire built from the po[CENSORED]r “Ryan’s World” YouTube channel. “Ryan’s World,” which features various kid-friendly skits that star pre-teen toy reviewer Ryan Kaji and his family, has 32.3 million subscribers at time of writing. The Super Spy Ryan game was developed as a collaboration between the Kaji family, and mobile game developers Pocket Watch and Amber Studio. It’s billed as a “fun, kid-safe, multiplayer romp for ages 6-9+.” It puts the player in the role of Ryan and friends as they avoid traps, play competitive minigames, and reclaim stolen presents from Ryan’s (fictional, animated) archnemesis Packrat. The game is explicitly designed with safety features for a child audience. Players in online multiplayer are randomly assigned spy-themed usernames, there are no chat features or friends lists, and parents have the option to turn on a single-player mode that lets a kid go solo against computer-controlled competition. Super Spy Ryan is now available for the Apple and Google Play app stores in the U.S., United Kingdom, and Ireland, and is “coming soon” to the Kids+ subscription for Amazon Fire tablets. It’s the third video game to be based on the “Ryan’s World” brand, following 2019’s Race with Ryan on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC and 2022’s mobile game Ryan’s Rescue Squad. Do, Re & Mi is likewise based on an Amazon Prime series of the same name, which features Kristen Bell (The Good Place, Frozen), Jackie Tohn (GLOW), and Luke Youngblood (Community, Harry Potter) as a trio of musical songbirds. The game, by Prague-based mobile developer About Fun, features Bell and Tohn reprising their roles in an educational music game designed for preschoolers. Its minigames include lessons on how to play bongos and the piano, how to read sheet music, and the basics of musical concepts such as the duet. Unlike Super Spy Ryan, the Do, Re & Mi game has no firm release date at time of writing, and is scheduled for release on the Apple app store at an unspecified point in the near future. https://www.geekwire.com/2022/amazon-is-publishing-new-mobile-games-for-the-first-time-since-2015/

Fortnite is back at it again with another new musical crossover, but this time with an entire festival. That’s right, Fortnite is going to be bringing the majesty of Coachella into the game with a few new skins and a bunch of music. It’s the perfect vibe for the festival, which has always been just as much about style as it is sound. The music will be in the game via the Icon Radio station and will have songs from over 30 different artists to listen to. Granted, you’ll probably not get to hear many of them if you’re only playing in the battle royale modes, but it’s always nice to have some new music to vibe to. The skins are the stars of the show here though. As of the 14th, both the Wilder and the Lyric outfits are available to buy. Each of these has their own collection of accessories along with alternate styles too. Then on the 21st, Alto and Poet will be in the shop, along with their accessories too. The coolest thing about all of these items is that they react to music in the game. That means you’ll get to see your outfit dancing along in its own way to whatever music you come across. It’s a great touch that adds a bit of extra flair to all of these skins and items, and it’s sure to make them po[CENSORED]r for a while to come. It’ll be interesting to see whether or not these skins can make their mark alongside the rest of the Chapter 3 Season 2 ones. We’ve had a lot of cool choices so far, but it’s always nice to have a few more. Outside of just looking good, you should definitely check out this tower defence map when you get a chance. https://www.pcgamesn.com/fortnite/coachella-skins

Lucknow, 1989. What was the world like back then? Old Monk kitne mein aati thi? And, mostly, what was love like? Through the stories of four couples finding and exploring love and all its side effects, Taj Mahal 1989 shows us how love goes beyond time.

As the coronavirus pandemic wears on and government aid sent at the beginning of the crisis runs out, Americans are feeling the impact of tight budgets. One-quarter of Americans said that they felt financially stressed all the time last year, according to a CNBC + Acorns Invest in You survey, conducted by Momentive. The online survey of nearly 4,000 adults was conducted March 23-24. Another 41% said they feel financially stressed sometimes, and 33% said they felt rarely or never financially stressed in the last year. More from Invest in You: Inflation could mean a big heating bill this winter. How to prepare As inflation rises, where to find opportunities to make and save money Your financial wrap-up: 4 savvy money moves to make before year-end The main cause of financial stress has been rising prices, as Americans grapple with the highest inflation in 40 years. Many people were unprepared to deal with these price hikes, said Susan Greenhalgh, an accredited financial counselor who runs Mind Your Money in Hope, Rhode Island. “We don’t really know how to deal with them, and how to address them,” she said, adding that having your eyes focused on your spending is always a good strategy. Shifting the budget Financial stress appears to be hitting those with lower incomes the hardest. Nearly 60% of people who had a household income of less than $50,000 said they’re under more financial stress now than they were a year ago, the survey found. That’s compared with 53% of people in households making between $50,000 and $100,000 annually and 45% of people making more than $100,000 who said the same thing. Those who are struggling the most may have to make some serious choices with their finances, said Tania Brown, an Atlanta-based certified financial planner and founder of FinanciallyConfidentMom.com. She recommends prioritizing the essentials before anything else — that includes, rent, food, utilities and basic medical expenses. “In this environment, legitimately other bills may have to go by the wayside,” she said. “Depending on your income, you’re fighting just to keep your home.” She also suggested reaching out to creditors for help and looking for programs that may lower the cost of utilities depending on income. It may also be a time to look at other monthly expenses and subscriptions to see what can be reduced or cut, including the cost of internet or cable. There are also a few ways to find deals on gas, such as using GasBuddy, carpooling or scheduling errands all at once to avoid making multiple trips. People can also make other changes to bring down bills, such as using heat and air conditioning less, or opting for meals without meat. In addition, if a family must dip into their emergency savings to stay afloat right now, Brown said they shouldn’t feel bad — the point of having such an account is for such situations. “You’re using it as intended,” she said. To be sure, most Americans aren’t feeling as stressed all the time about the pressures of inflation. Still, they might be in a very different financial situation now due to rising prices — some 52% said they’re under more financial stress now than they were a year ago. Because the cost of goods is likely to continue to rise in the short term, people should be checking in with their budgets on a more frequent basis because of how quickly prices are changing, said Brown. “You have to be a lot more proactive in reviewing your budget and actually looking at what you spent last month because the numbers may change,” she said. “Give yourself a lot more wiggle room.” That may mean saving less for a few months, rethinking your short-term financial goals or even looking for a raise or a job that will pay you more. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/11/25percent-of-americans-felt-financially-stressed-all-the-time-last-year-cnbc-acorns-invest-in-you-survey.html

At 2.5 m (8 ft.) tall, the ostrich is the world’s largest and heaviest bird. Its significant weight, up to 145 kg (320 lb.), prohibits the bird from taking flight. But the ostrich has many unique abilities that make it well-adapted to living in the savanna, desert, and open woodlands of central and southern Africa. The ostrich is equipped with long, muscular legs built for running. Unlike other birds, who have three or four toes, ostriches have only two toes on each foot which allows for greater speed. They can sprint as fast as 70 km/h (43 mph) and hold steady speeds of 50 km/h (31 mph). One stride can span 3-5 m (10-16 ft.)! When confronted with danger, ostriches can usually outrun any animals posing a threat. If fleeing the scene is not an option, ostriches use their powerful legs to kick. With a 10-cm (4-in.) talon on each foot, their downward kicks can cause serious harm to potential predators. Despite po[CENSORED]r belief, ostriches do not stick their heads in the sand when threatened. Sometimes ostriches flop on the ground with their heads outstretched in front of them. The pink/peach/grey coloring can blend in with the sandy ground making it appear like their heads are buried. Because the ostrich has an elongated neck and large protruding eyes shadowed by long lashes, it has been likened to a camel. (Its scientific name is Struthio camelus!) But the similarities do not end there. Ostriches can also withstand hot temperatures and go for long periods of time without water, usually getting enough moisture from the plants they eat. Their diet consists mainly of roots, leaves, and seeds, but ostriches will eat whatever is available. Sometimes they consume insects, snakes, lizards, and rodents. They also swallow sand and pebbles which help them grind up their food in their gizzard, a specialized, muscular stomach. Because ostriches have this ability to grind food, they can eat things that other animals cannot digest. Oftentimes groups of ostriches will graze among giraffes, zebras, gnus, and antelopes. Their presence is useful because they alert other animals when danger is near. Ostriches generally live together in groups of about ten, led by a dominant male and a dominant female. The dominant male defends the territory. His warning call is loud and deep. From far away, it can be mistaken for a lion’s roar. Ostriches also hiss to show their disapproval. During breeding season (March to September), the dominant male performs a ritualized courtship dance by shaking his wings and tail feathers. If the main hen is impressed, the two will mate. The other hens in the group may also mate with the dominant male or with other lesser males. Then the dominant male scratches out a shallow pit in the dirt to create a nest. The dominant female will lay around 7-10 eggs in the center of the nest, and the other females place their eggs to the outside. The communal nest may have as many as 60 eggs in it! Both the male and female ostriches take turns incubating the eggs. Each egg is 15 cm (6 in.) long and weighs 1.5 kg (3 lb.). Ostrich eggs are the largest in the world! If the eggs are kept safe from hyenas, jackals, and Egyptian vultures, they hatch after around 6 weeks. The chicks are born about the size of a chicken and grow 30 cm (1 ft.) each month! By six months, the young ostriches have grown nearly as tall as their parents. Although chicks can run as fast as 55 km/h (35 mph) at one month old, they are still fairly vulnerable to predators like cheetahs, lions, leopards, hunting dogs, and hyenas. When confronted, adults will try to distract predators or lure them away. Chicks are born with a spiky, greyish-brown down. They grow brown feathers after 4 months. Then around 3-4 years, ostriches reach sexual maturity. Males develop a striking black and white plumage while females continue to have a brown plumage. In the wild, ostriches live around 40 years. Conservation Status In the 18th century, ostriches were nearly brought to extinction by hunting because their feathers were very fashionable in women’s clothing. But by the mid 19th century, people started farming ostriches. This allowed farmers to simply pluck the feathers from their domesticated birds without having to kill them. Today, ostriches are classified as a species of least concern by the IUCN Red List. They have a large range, but their numbers are declining. They are threatened by habitat loss due to human development and agriculture. They are also still hunted for their feathers, skin, meat, eggs, and fat. What you Can Do to Help If you’d like to help ostriches, you can promote wildlife tourism in Africa. This encourages land conservation while creating jobs for the local community. You can donate to organizations like the African Wildlife Foundation which supports eco-tourism projects in the region. https://animalfactguide.com/animal-facts/ostrich/

Ford from the jump has said it is going to start production of the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning EV truck in Spring 2022, meaning… drum roll… it is perfectly on schedule. Dare we say, Ford is even a bit early, saying the first deliveries of Lightnings will begin April 26—before May, when it originally promised the truck would reach initial buyers—which is almost amazing. Shame on you for anticipating delays and supply chain issues, or the almost expected delays in a hotly anticipated product packing relatively new-to-its-maker tech. That production is about to begin is irrefutable fact, because Ford and UAW leaders are going to host a Ford F-150 Lightning Job #1 shindig for customers and employees on April 26, 2022. If there's no EV truck—"the first-ever full-size all-electric pickup to go on sale" according to Ford—well, that's a mighty embarrassing faux pax that even unlimited champagne, fancy appetizers, and party favors can't atone for. Not that we have confirmation of the champagne or fancy appetizers, but you get the point: Ford's confidence about Job 1 is backed by a par-tay. The Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, is going to be one poppin' factory as it starts pumping out Ford's EV truck before the month ends. Cheers. Pass the shrimp. For those not contemplating what to wear to the Ford F-150 Lightning launch event, the whole thing will be livestreamed on Ford's YouTube channel on Tuesday, April 26, at 1:30 p.m. EST. Ram and Chevy guys, tune in during work. Your Ford friends don't have to know. The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is going to beat its main competition—namely, GM and Ram—to production by a bunch. The Tesla Cybertruck? What Cybertruck? The Lightning came on strong, attracting 44,500 reservations in less than 48 hours in May 2021, when the order books first opened. By September, that number had grown to 150,000 and so on until December, when reservations for the electric F-150 were full, probably somewhere around 200,000 reservations. The start of production is just that, the start. Unfortunately, a bunch of reservation holders are going to need to exercise patience. A lot of patience. Even if Ford can quickly ramp up production to 150,000 Lightnings per year, which obviously won't happen in 2022, Ford won't be able to build EV F-150s fast enough to satisfy its customers' ravenous cravings. According to the website, the reservation system is still closed. Initial waves of reservation holders, invited by email to place orders, had until March 31, 2022, to submit orders. Since demand has been so high, not all reservation holders will have the chance the order model-year 2022 trucks. Crazy, right? Non-reservation holders who want an F-150 Lightning should sign up for updates by clicking the "Get Updates" box at the bottom of the F-150 Lightning homepage. The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning starts just north of $40,000, with higher trims easily doubling that figure. Its dual motors fed by the extended-range battery should produce 563 hp and 775 lb-ft of torque, accelerate to 60 mph in the mid-fours, and have a range of 320 miles. Towing tops out at 10,000 pounds and payload at 2,000 pounds; it'll have an independent rear suspension. On the inside, a 15.5-inch touchscreen and 12-inch instrument cluster will be offered. And there'll be BlueCruise for hands-free highway driving. About 95 percent of the accessories available for the gasoline F-150 carry over to the EV Lightning. We're glad the Lightnings are coming, but kind of bummed those initial models are spoken for. But, hey, Ford's big-time, big-deal new model is on track, and that's something a lot of competitors can't say about their big-time, big-deal new EVs... https://www.motortrend.com/news/2022-ford-f-150-lightning-begins-on-time/

Joe Root on Friday announced his decision to step down as England's Test captain. This comes following England's Test series losses against Australia and the West Indies. Joe Root on Friday announced his decision to step down as England's Test captain. This comes following England's Test series losses against Australia and the West Indies. In the Ashes, England faced a 0-4 drubbing and then the side lost the three-Test series against West Indies 0-1. Root is the most successful England Test skipper after having won 27 Tests, that puts him ahead of Michael Vaughan, Sir Alastair Cook, and Sir Andrew Strauss. "After returning from the Caribbean tour and having time to reflect, I have decided to step down as England Men's Test captain. It has been the most challenging decision I have had to make in my career but having discussed this with my family and those closest to me; I know the timing is right," said Root in an official statement released by the England and Wales Cricket Board. "I am immensely proud to have captained my country and will look back on the past five years with enormous pride. It has been an honour to have done the job and to have been a custodian of what is the pinnacle of English cricket," he added. Root was appointed England's skipper in 2017 as he succeeded Sir Alastair Cook. Root had led England to few famous wins, including a 4-1 home series win over India in 2018 and a 3-1 triumph away to South Africa in 2020. In 2018 he had become the first England men's captain to win a Test series in Sri Lanka since 2001, a feat he went on to repeat with a 2-0 victory in Sri Lanka in 2021. Root is already England's second highest Test run scorer of all time behind only Cook and scored 14 centuries as captain. His tally of 5,295 runs as skipper is the highest by any England captain and puts him 5th in the all-time list behind Graeme Smith, Alan Border, Ricky Ponting and Virat Kohli. "I have loved leading my country, but recently it's hit home how much of a toll it has taken on me and the impact it has had on me away from the game," said Root. "I am excited to continue representing the Three Lions and producing performances that will enable the team to succeed. I look forward to helping the next captain, my teammates and coaches in whatever way I can," he added. England will next square off against New Zealand in the three-match Test series, beginning June at Lord's Cricket Ground. https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/joe-root-steps-down-as-england-test-captain-2890481

The much-awaited Bollywood couple wedding of the year is done, and we can’t get over the beautiful pictures of the bride and groom – Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor. Looking adorable in ivory laden with gold detailing, the Sabyasachi bridal sari adorned by Alia Bhatt definitely took everyone by surprise. While many expected to see her take the red lehenga route, Alia ivory sari was a breath of fresh air and a perfect mood board for new age brides-to-be. From custom made kalires featuring cloud, birds and stars to the famous infinity/Ranbir’s favourite number 8 symbol on her wedding ensemble, there were many intricate and heart-warming details that stood out in Alia’s wedding ceremony look. Styled by celebrity fashion stylist Ami Patel, here’s a look at the 8 things that were handcrafted with love. The infinity symbol or 8, which is Ranbir’s favourite number, was creatively featured on Alia’s outfit. We spotted the symbol/8 on her sari blouse merged artistically with the gold tilla work. The symbol is also evident in her mangalsutra just above the diamond pendant. If you look closely in one of her images, you will be able to see the infinity/8 sign in the kalire as well. While most brides prefer to keep their hair tied into a bun, Alia let her hair loose. The soft waves complemented her bridal look. The matha patti which Alia chose looked similar to bejewelled headband giving us full royalty vibes. The Sabyasachi Heritage Jewellery featured uncut diamonds and hand strung pearls. Alia’s hair was done by Flavien Heldt. While we wait for Alia’s mehendi function images, where she has worn an outfit designed by Manish Malhotra, it’s currently her mehendi design that’s caught everyone’s attention. Alia mehendi designs were simple and she only applied it only on the front and back of her palm. The design looked inspired from floral motifs. The silver kalires worn by Alia were customised and featured intricate and creative details such as clouds, infinity symbol, stars, and birds. We love how she added a personal touch to this traditional accessory. Thus, inspiring new-age brides to think out of the box. Summer weddings are all about pastel colours and floral motifs and prints. Adding one more motif to the list, is Alia Bhatt’s sari which featured a butterfly motif. The sari looked like an enchanted garden with flowers and butterflies living in harmony. Alia looked radiant in the minimal makeup done by ace makeup artist Puneet B Saini. From the kajal to her nude lip colour, we love how Saini kept her look natural and fresh. The stunning embroidered handwoven tissue veil adorned by Alia complemented her sari and overall wedding look. According to an image posted by Diet Sabya, Alia got the wedding date, embroidered on the wedding outfit. The thread work design which looked handwritten read: The fourteenth of April 2022 and was surrounded by intricate gold embroidery and sequins. https://www.news18.com/news/lifestyle/alia-bhatt-ranbir-kapoor-wedding-8-things-that-stood-out-in-alias-wedding-look-4986667.html

The soldiers at the checkpoint scrutinised our passports, then waved us on. We were inside the grounds of the building that was being used as the headquarters of the resistance against Russia's invasion. Barbed wire, mines and machine gun mounts ring the building. Heavily armed soldiers were everywhere - the person I was about to meet is a marked man. The Kremlin would love to see Volodymyr Zelensky dead and his government replaced with a puppet regime installed by Moscow. But over the 50 days of this war, Ukrainian resistance has stunned the world. We passed our equipment through two sets of metal detectors and were ushered inside. Then it was down a series of long corridors, with sandbags piled up every few yards. A little hole was left in the pile near the top, through which the muzzle of an assault rifle might fit. Ukraine's President Zelensky to BBC: Blood money being paid for Russian oil An aide to the President led us to a door with a brass plate on it: the words read The Situation Room, in Ukrainian. Inside, the room looks modern, with giant plasma screens covering the walls and trendy office chairs on wheels sporting ergonomic backrests. But there was a problem. Interviewing people sitting on chairs with wheels can be tricky. Lost in their responses to questions, they tend to shift from side to side on the wheels. So we asked the president's aide for chairs with no wheels. "Umm," he says, "I'll have a look." He left the Situation Room and returned with two rather old-fashioned-looking chairs, all brown wood with patterned seats. "That'll do the trick," I say. But I could see the president's chief of staff's lip curl. "No, that won't do," he said. "The chair looks too old-fashioned in this room of modern computers and plasma screens. We're trying to project a modern image here." And with that, two more modern-looking chairs were produced - with no wheels. The discussion over the chairs highlighted so much for me about modern Ukraine. Since the end of the Cold War, a vibrant, young po[CENSORED]tion has looked West for its influences. Cheap Ryanair flights to Western Europe opened up possibilities. This administration wanted us to know that they were informal, different, ready to talk. I then heard several footsteps coming down the hall. Two soldiers entered the room and behind them was the president. As we greet, an aide handed him a phone. On it was a text message, from France. "Is it Emmanuel?" he asked the aide? "Yes," came the reply. "We have a connection and he calls me all the time," the president tells me. "Do you mind if I give him a quick call?" "Absolutely," I say, surprised that he asked me whether or not he should call the president of France back straightaway or try him later. But that's part of the measure of Volodymyr Zelensky, an affability and charm that comes so naturally. However, there were times over the next hour when I could tell he was angry and upset: when he recalled visiting the town of Bucha, about 25km (16 miles) north-west of central Kyiv, that Russian forces had occupied for several weeks. After they pulled out, a mass grave was discovered near a church and there were bodies lying in the street. I asked him if he believed Vladimir Putin is a war criminal. His response was that anyone connected with the Russian military, and their civilian masters, were war criminals. "Given everything that's happened, would you be able to sit around a negotiating table with with these people and talk peace?" I asked. "The window of opportunity is receding," he replied, pointing to the atrocities in Bucha and Borodyanka as the main driver of that thought. Mr Zelensky is, of course, a former comedian and actor. But during the hour I was with him, I saw a man mentally exhausted and in deep pain about the treatment of his people. A man who has been compared to Churchill and who many will remember for his leadership through the dark days of war. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61113079

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1Password released an early access version of 1Password 8 for iOS on Wednesday, which brings a redesigned interface and new backend to iPhone and iPad users. The new version of the app, which 1Password says will eventually make its way to all its supported platforms, has been available in early access mode for Mac since August, and was released for Windows in November. As a longtime user of 1Password 7, the redesign was immediately obvious when I opened the beta version of the app. As far as I can tell, almost every icon has been changed to be a little more fun and colorful, and the interface feels more modern now. 1Password 7 opened to a favorites screen with a few recently used passwords. Other than marking or unmarking logins as favorites, there wasn’t much you could do to customize the screen. This was always a little frustrating for me, because I basically never had any use for the screen, and would immediately bounce to search. 1Password 8, on the other hand, has a home screen that lets you access things like your vaults, categories, and lists of recently created or modified passwords. You can also change it to fit how you organize and access your passwords — if you’re a big user of categories, favorites, and tags, you can move those options to the top. If you dump everything into one folder, you can hide everything but “All Items”. The old (well, current) version of the app would let you know if one of your passwords had been compromised, and could alert you if the login you were viewing had a reused password, but there wasn’t a single screen that let you manage your overall security. The new version of the iOS app adapts the desktop version’s Watchtower section for mobile, which also gives you an overall security score. There’s been some controversy around 1Password 8, after the company announced that its Mac app’s user interface would be powered by Electron (the web browser tech behind apps like Slack, Evernote, and Discord) instead of native code like SwiftUI or AppKit. Some user s worried that the change would make the password manager more resource-intensive to run, or that it would feel less like a real Mac app. However you feel about that change, it’s not really a factor with this iOS app, which 1Password has said uses SwiftUI for the interface, and Rust for the core. Of course, there are other reasons you may not want to use an early access version of a password manager. While it’s been okay for me so far, there will probably be a few bugs for testers to catch. If your phone’s password manager is absolutely critical to your work and / or life, it’s probably best to wait until an official release, especially since this update is a major change from the previous version. If you’re okay with increased odds of flakiness, though, and want to try the redesign for yourself as soon as possible, you can join the TestFlight using the link in 1Password’s blog post. https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/13/23024443/1password-8-early-access-ios-iphone-ipad-beta-redesign-password-manager

Computer maintenance workers at Kyoto University have announced that due to an apparent bug in software used to back up research data, researchers using the University's Hewlett-Packard Cray computing system, called Lustre, have lost approximately 77 terabytes of data. The team at the University's Institute for Information Management and Communication posted a Failure Information page detailing what is known so far about the data loss. The team, with the University's Information Department Information Infrastructure Division, Supercomputing, reported that files in the /LARGEO (on the DataDirect ExaScaler storage system) were lost during a system backup procedure. Some in the press have suggested that the problem arose from a faulty script that was supposed to delete only old, unneeded log files. The team noted that it was originally thought that approximately 100TB of files had been lost, but that number has since been pared down to 77TB. They note also that the failure occurred on December 16 between the hours of 5:50 and 7pm. Affected users were immediately notified via emails. The team further notes that approximately 34 million files were lost and that the files lost belonged to 14 known research groups. The team did not release information related to the names of the research groups or what sort of research they were conducting. They did note data from another four groups appears to be restorable. Also unclear is whether the research groups who lost their data will be reimbursed for the money spent conducting research on the university's supercomputer system. Such costs are notoriously high, running into the hundreds of dollars per hour of computing time. Some news outlets are reporting that the backup system was supplied by Hewlett-Packard and that the failure occurred after an HP software update. The same outlets are also reporting that HP has accepted blame for the data loss and is offering to make amends. The team at the university reported that the backup procedure was halted as soon as it became clear that something was awry and university officials suggest that in the future, incremental backup procedures will always be used to prevent the loss of data. https://techxplore.com/news/2022-01-bug-backup-software-results-loss.html

Name of the Game : Wobbledogs Price : 11.99$ https://store.steampowered.com/app/1424330/Wobbledogs/ Offer ends up after Xhours: 19 April Requirements: MINIMUM: OS: Windows 7 Processor: Intel Core i5 Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4600 DirectX: Version 12 Storage: 2 GB available space Additional Notes: Lower-spec computers may still be able to run the game with fewer active dogs. RECOMMENDED: -

Super Planet’s fantasy AFK RPG – Zio and the Magic Scrolls, based on the famous webcomic Magic Scroll Merchant Zio has just launched its second major content update. Titled the Magic War, it deals with conflicts between the various classes, fun battles, new systems, and more. The premise of Magic War is a conflict between Mages, Warlocks, and Pilgrims, which follows the footsteps of the Webcomic serialized on Naver Webtoon. Like in the game Risk, players must join one of these factions and then begin conquering the others in order to capture them all. A lot of strategizing will be involved and players will have to constantly plan in order to succeed. The actual battle itself takes place in three rows, meaning players will need three hero groups that cannot have heroes or scrolls with overlaps, ensuring smart placement and strategizing. Each occupied territory will have a unique effect that can be used as an advantage. Another major factor of this war is the ability of players to change factions in occupied territories, which can shift the tide at any moment. To make gameplay more interesting, new systems and exclusive scrolls are being introduced for the Magic War. Camp buffs have been added alongside recommended heroes that change each season. To make things more competitive, leagues and rankings will be maintained, even within the same camp, pushing players on the same team to strive for the best as well. To top it all off, Super Planet is holding numerous events that will provide players with rewards like Diamonds, Magic Crystals, and more to prepare for this great battle. Zio and the Magic Scrolls is also celebrating 100 days of launch with some additional rewards for players. https://www.pocketgamer.com/zio-and-the-magic-scrolls/magic-war-content-update/

The first wave of DDR5 RAM doesn’t seem to offer much of a performance uplift for your gaming PC compared to DDR4, but AMD Zen 4 CPUs might change that when they land on shelves later this year. AMD Memory Enabling Manager, Joseph Tao, says that the company’s first DDR5-compatible platform, codenamed Raphael, is set to “make a big splash with overclocking” when it lands on shelves later this year. Tao didn’t go into a great amount of detail during the Meet the Experts webinar, simply teasing that “speeds that you maybe thought couldn’t be possible may be possible with this overclocking spec.” It’s anyone’s guess as to whether these improved speeds will have any affect on your games since memory frequencies aren’t as influential as capacity, but it will involve diving into your motherboard’s BIOS to tinker with timings. AMD is a little behind, given Intel Alder Lake ushered in DDR5 RAM support at the end of 2021, but more time in the oven could be just what the platform needs to rise above its rival. The main issue with overclocking DDR5 RAM on Alder Lake is that it often comes with higher latencies that aren’t worth it for gaming. Combine this with a prohibitive price point compared to DDR4, and you might as well stick with the gaming RAM you have. If Zen 4 changes this, then Ryzen 7000 CPUs are set to be a substantial upgrade for your gaming PC. You’ll need to fork out for a new gaming motherboard as AMD moves to the next-gen AM5 platform, but whispers suggest we’ll see PCIe 5.0 support, a 25% IPC (instructions per cycle) boost, more cores than you can shake a stick at, and AMD’s 3D V-Cache. https://www.pcgamesn.com/amd/zen-4-ddr5-gaming-pc

For over a decade, the first two entries in the Elder Scrolls series have been offered as free retro games through Bethesda’s website and, more recently, the Bethesda Launcher. Now that the studio is ending support for that launcher, The Elder Scrolls: Arena and The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall are finally coming to Steam. You will be able to transfer your games from the Bethesda Launcher to Steam as of April 27, as the studio confirms in a newly-updated support article. As part of that transfer process, games that were not previously available on Steam, including Arena, Daggerfall, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, and Creation Kits for Fallout 4 and Skyrim SE, will be added to Valve’s platform. Arena has been available as a free download from Bethesda’s website since 2004, and Daggerfall has been there since 2009. If you don’t mind standalone executables, you can grab them without worrying about any launcher migrations. (If you wanna play the best multiplayer game in the Wolfenstein series, too, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory has been open-source freeware for nearly 20 years.) The OG Elder Scrolls games are quite a bit different than the post-Morrowind series, with procedurally-generated worlds and even more open-ended roleplaying options. If you’re eagerly awaiting the Elder Scrolls 6 release date, Daggerfall in particular is a bit of must-play research – it takes place partly in Hammerfell, one of the locations fans have been speculating on as the setting for the new game. If you really want to dig deep, though, we’ve just published a dive into the true forgotten Elder Scrolls games with the devs who help bring them to life. Old games never die, nor should they. Check out our list of free PC games if you’re looking for more ways to play on a budget. https://www.pcgamesn.com/elder-scrolls-daggerfall/free-retro-games

With the whole world against them, Manju and Radha get ready for the toughest innings of their life. As the pressures of teenage years and selection day mount, Manju has to choose between what's meant to be and what feels right. Selection Day streams 28 December, only on Netflix.

Prices are rising at their fastest rate for 30 years, driven by a sharp increase in petrol and diesel costs. The UK inflation rate rose to 7% in the year to March, the highest rate since 1992 and up from 6.2% in February. Prices are rising faster than wages and there is pressure on the government to do more to help those struggling. The cost of living is expected to rise even further after the energy price cap was increased, driving up gas and electricity bills for millions. Inflation is the rate at which prices rise. If a bottle of milk costs £1 and that rises by 5p, then milk inflation is 5%. Fuel had the biggest impact on the inflation rate, with average petrol prices rising by 12.6p per litre between February and March, the largest monthly rise since records began in 1990, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. This compares with a rise of 3.5p per litre between the same months of 2021. Diesel prices also rose by 18.8p per litre this year, compared with a rise of 3.5p per litre a year ago. The rise in the inflation rate was higher than the 6.7% expected by analysts and was also driven up by furniture, restaurant and food prices. The figures for March do not yet reflect the average £700-a-year increase in energy bills that took place from 1 April when the energy price cap was raised. Since late last year, prices have been rising fast as pandemic restrictions have been eased and firms face higher energy and shipping costs which they have passed on to consumers. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is now adding to the pain, as the price of oil and other commodities climb higher. Russia is one of the world's largest oil exporters and demand for oil from other producers has increased since the invasion, leading to higher prices. Although the UK imports just 6% of its crude oil from Russia, it is still affected when global prices rise. Ukraine and Russia are also the world's main suppliers of sunflower oil and the war has hit prices. In the UK, the price of oils and fats for food increased by 7.2% in March, according to the ONS. Andrew Selley, chief executive of wholesaler BidFood, which supplies 45,000 caterers and food service businesses across the UK, said increasing electricity, fuel and packaging costs were impacting the price of all its products. But he told the BBC products affected by the war in Ukraine, such as wheat-based foods, sunflower oil, chicken and white fish, were particularly hard hit. "I've been in the business for over 30 years. I've never seen a situation where everything seems to be going up [in price]," he said, adding that some of these costs would ultimately be passed on to consumers. The firm had previously sourced a lot of its chicken from Poland but Ukrainian workers had returned to fight in the war and the country was keeping more of its chicken to feed refugees meaning it was now sourcing from other countries, driving prices up by a fifth. Sara Gerritsma, a student from Leicestershire with a partner and six year-old child, said she may have to give up her paramedic degree due to the rising cost of fuel. The 32-year-old only started the three-year course in October but she has a 2.5 hour roundtrip each day to get to university in Northampton, and her petrol costs have shot up by about £120 a month. "It would be really frustrating giving up my course. It was a big decision changing my career at 32," Sara told the BBC. "But recently we have sat down and gone through everything and thought, can I afford to be a full-time student?" The sharp rise in prices is also putting pressure on businesses. Paul White, who owns the pizzeria 6/CUT in Eccles, Greater Manchester, said the increase in the minimum wage, the end of VAT relief, and rising fuel and food prices have all hit his company. The restaurant is also spending £500 more a week on its energy bills. "We need to find an extra £1,400 a week to cover the costs of everything that's come on in the last few weeks," he told the BBC. He says he will have to put up prices, and is looking to charge each customer about 50p to £1 extra to cover his rising overheads. But he is also worried people might start eating out less as their budgets are squeezed. This is no longer a cost of living squeeze, but a financial throttling for many people. Price rises are accelerating and their wages, benefits and pensions are failing to keep pace. In the words of the ONS, there were "no large offsetting downward contributions" to the inflation rate. In other words, nothing is getting significantly cheaper. So avoidance of price rises is impossible. Even if you do not have a car and are avoiding surging fuel costs, lots of other necessities are getting more expensive. Experts say the only option is trying to budget as best we can, across every part of our lives. Most importantly, they also stress the importance of seeking early, and free, help before falling into unmanageable debt. Research for the consultancy Retail Economics found the least affluent UK households saw discretionary income fall by 5.2% or £26 in March, compared with the same month last year. The Retail Economics-HyperJar Cost of Living Tracker said households on average incomes had £52 each less spare cash, a fall of £52. Chief executive Richard Lim said it was a "real concern to see the least affluent families under this amount of pressure even before accounting for the energy price hikes". "The most disadvantaged households will experience the brunt of the crisis," he added. Jack Leslie, senior economist at the Resolution Foundation think tank, which focuses on those on lower incomes, warned the cost of living crisis would "continue to worsen before it starts to ease at some point next year". He said with wages not keeping pace with rising prices, people were facing "the biggest squeeze since the mid-70s." Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: "I know this is a worrying time for many families, which is why we are taking action to ease the burdens by providing support worth around £22bn in this financial year, including for the most vulnerable through our Household Support Fund." But Labour criticised the government for increasing taxes when "the cost of living is hitting households hard". Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey called for "unfair tax hikes" to be immediately reversed and said people needed "urgent help" with energy bills. And the SNP said the "cost of living crisis continues to spiral out of control with no sign of the UK government stepping up to the challenge to protect families and households". https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61090937

Black and white stripes make the zebra one of the most recognizable animals in the world. The plains zebra, also known as the common zebra, is the most abundant of three species of zebra, inhabiting the grasslands of eastern and southern Africa. The other two species are Grevy’s zebras and mountain zebras. On average, plains zebras are smaller than the other two species of zebra. They range in height from 1-1.5 m (3.5-5 ft.) and can weigh almost 450 kg (1000 lbs.). Plains zebras also have a different stripe pattern than the other species. They have broad stripes that run horizontally towards the back and vertically towards the front, meeting in a triangle in the middle of their bodies. They also have a stripe that runs down the center of their backs onto the tail. Finally, plains zebras have underbelly stripes. Although all plains zebras share these similarities in stripe patterns, no two zebras have exactly the same pattern. Zebras have very good hearing and eyesight, which helps them stay clear of predators such as lions, hyenas, and cheetahs. It also helps that they can run 56 km/h (35 mph) and pack a powerful kick. If one zebra spots a predator, it lets out a sharp two-syllable call. The young and female zebras run, while the males trail behind to defend them. If one is attacked, others circle around to help protect it from predators. Plains zebras are herbivores, meaning they eat plants. They spend the majority of their day eating, mostly grazing on grass, but also eating leaves and stems. To keep up with the frequent grinding of these foods, zebras’ back teeth continue to grow throughout their lives. Zebras are known to travel great distances to find food and water when the dry season arrives. When not eating or traveling, zebras do take the opportunity to sleep. In fact, they sleep standing up! But zebras only sleep when they are in large groups so that they can be alerted of danger. A typical plains zebra family consists of a male, called a stallion, several females, called mares, and their children. When a female becomes pregnant, it takes 13 months to have the baby, called a foal. These family groups are called harems. The harems will often join with other families to form large herds. Zebras can live up to 25 years in the wild. Conservation Status The plains zebra is listed by the IUCN as near threatened, with their po[CENSORED]tions decreasing. Plains zebras are threatened by habitat loss due to human development and farming. They are vulnerable to hunting throughout their range, especially when they move out of protected areas. Many are hunted for their skins. What You Can Do to Help If you would like to help the plains zebra, you can donate to the African Wildlife Foundation, whose initiatives help preserve critical zebra habitat and wildlife corridors. https://animalfactguide.com/animal-facts/plains-zebra/

UPDATE 4/13/22: Canoo and NASA announced on April 13, 2022 that the forward-control startup will indeed build a new astronaut carrier. From the concept image provided to us by Canoo, it will be a modified version of their Lifestyle Vehicle and a trio of them in the 22 minute long convoy to the launch pad. As customizable and open as Canoo says its Lifestyle is, we aren't surprised that NASA chose it. As a skateboard-style EV that has its controls fully integrated into its chassis, there's plenty of interior room to build out space for the fully suited fully suited astronauts, their flight staff, and their support gear to fit inside three Lifestyle Vehicels without resorting to something the size of an RV. While it would have been great to see a return of the original stainless steel RV-sized version of the "Astrovan," it's still fun to see that an American-made forward control vehicle will be used again. The original story continues below. With the next mission to the Moon—Artemis One—delayed but still underway, NASA has teased us with plenty of details about the mission, like how the astronauts will get there, and what they will ride around on while on the moon. There was one part of the mission that hasn't been announced yet but is equally critical: how to ferry those astronauts and their helpers to the launchpad. If this government website is correct, it looks like there's going to be a new forward-controlled "Astrovan" built by Canoo. Bloomberg first picked up that the U.S. General Services Administration's website was updated last week with details of a new NASA contract with Canoo. According to the government website, the contract is valued at $147,855 with Canoo, but is open to other bidders until later this month. Canoo didn't deny it when reached by MotorTrend, but only stated that NASA has contacted them without elaborating. It's possible things haven't completely finalized yet, but we'll probably know more very soon. We're excited, not just as fans of Futurama and space travel, but as the last Astrovan is embedded in history as the 1983 Airstream Excella featured an all stainless steel body, glimmering as it took the shuttle astronauts and their equipment specialists a 22-minute ride from Operations to the launchpad at the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida. The only issue is if the next wheeled shuttle can be called "Astrovan," as Boeing and Airstream have since built "Astrovan II" and may be funny about sharing the name. It's built off the Atlas motorhome that is based off of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis but modified for use by Boeing as part of their commercial crewed spaceflight program, the CST-100 Starliner. While Starliner has launched, it has yet to do so with a crew as it faced many issues during its first test flight—where it missed its target to reach and dock with the International Space Station—to issues with its propulsion system valves while waiting to launch on its second test mission. Again, while it hasn't been made official, word is that we'll learn something soon from NASA about its next astronaut shuttle. Meanwhile, we dream about the amazing looking Astrovan, imagining the sun reflecting off its stainless steel body as it drives to the launchpad. For a vehicle with such a simple job, it still looked as amazing as it was iconic while doing it. https://www.motortrend.com/news/canoo-nasa-astrovan-forward-control-astronaut-shuttle/

Rohit Sharma was a dejected captain after Mumbai Indians lost their fifth successive match of IPL 2022. Chasing 199, MI were cruising along but fell agonisingly short as Punjab Kings won a thriller by 12 runs after Odean Smith redeemed himself to pick 3 wickets in the final over. After the heartbreaking defeat at Pune's MCA Stadium, Mumbai Indians became the first team to lose the first five matches of an IPL season twice. Rohit Sharma was gutted with the two run-outs which derailed the MI chase. At the end of the 11th over, the 5-time champions had reached 116 for 3 thanks to a 25-ball 49 from Dewald Brevis. Tilak Varma had also done his bit to keep MI in the hunt with a 20-ball 36 while Suryakumar Yadav smashed a quick 43 to keep PBKS on their toes. However, Suryakumar was involved in mix-ups with Tilak Varma and Kieron Pollard before losing his own wicket in the 19th over. Rohit said he could not pick any faults in a match which he thought they should have won but regretted the fact that his team could not hold their nerves after coming so close. "There's hardly anything to find out from that game. I thought we played the game pretty well, came pretty close towards the back end of our batting innings," Rohit told the host broadcasters at the post-match presentation. "It's just that a couple of crucial runouts there was not needed, but that happens. At one stage we were cruising through and keeping up with the run rate as well, but in the end we couldn't hold our nerves. Credit to Kings with the way they bowled at the back end."' 'NOTHING WORKING' Mumbai Indians sprang a surprise by sending Tilak Varma ahead of the more experienced Suryakumar Yadav at a crucial juncture of the chase but Rohit Sharma defended the move. "If you're not winning games, you've got to try to find a way you can succeed as a team as a batting group. So we're trying to find different ideas, different thought processes. It doesn't seem to be working at the moment but I don't want to take anything away from the guys. We fought pretty well. "We batted brilliantly, but they held their nerves pretty good, the Kings, and they won the game. We've been not playing good cricket for a while and that's why we've been on the losing side, simple as that. The Kings batted pretty well up front and put pressure on our bowlers, got a 90-100 run partnership to begin with. But I thought 190-plus was chaseable on that pitch because that pitch was really good to bat on as you saw when we were batting as well. We just have to go back and see what we do as a team." Mumbai Indians next take on Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/ipl-2022/story/mi-vs-pbks-rohit-sharma-reaction-mumbai-5th-straight-loss-1937187-2022-04-14

KAMPALA, April 13 (Reuters) - Ugandan film producer Raymond Malinga, whose work will feature in an upcoming Disney anthology of animated films from across Africa, hopes the project will bring African animation to the world. "Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire", is a ten-part collection of short animations by producers from six African countries that is set to premier on the Disney Plus streaming platform later this year. Malinga, 32, is one of 14 film makers from South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Kenya who are contributing to the anthology of sci-fi and fantasy stories set in Africa's future. Oscar-winning film director Peter Ramsey is serving as executive producer on the project. "The narrative in Africa has been, you switch on the news right now, I bet you it's (about) something bad that just happened," Malinga told Reuters at his studio in Kampala. The positives gets lost in the narrative, Malinga says, and this should change. "For me (the anthology) is an opportunity to contribute to that conversation," he said. Malinga, 32, who holds a degree in animation and visual effects from a university in Malaysia, started his company, Creatures Animation Studios, in 2015. Their big break came in 2017 when their short animated film "A Kalabanda Ate My Homework" was showcased at the Cannes Film Festival and won six awards, including for best animation film, at the African International Film Festival in Nigeria the following year. His team, which has grown over the last few years to 10 people, works from a small dark studio sandwiched between cubicles of other startups in a makeshift innovation village built from repurposed shipping containers. African content is gaining po[CENSORED]rity globally thanks to growing commissions for series and short films by streaming services like Netflix and Multichoice's Showmax. read more In Africa, however, foreign content still dominates and Malinga said that the Disney anthology was an opportunity to combat stereotypes and bring African consumers more content that features people who are like them. As Malinga's studio brand and talent pool grows, he said, they are venturing into gaming and also exploring opportunities in virtual and augmented reality. His dream, he said, is to bring on the world stage African film and animation, to replicate the success of other African industries. "Afro music has started going around the world... we have some of our comedians going around and I am like, why not animation too, why not film?" Malinga said. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/ugandan-filmmaker-eyes-new-africa-narrative-after-disney-animation-deal-2022-04-13/