Ga[M]er

At about 50 cm (1.5 ft.) tall at the shoulder, 130 cm (4 ft.) in length, and 35-70 kg (75-150 lb.), the capybara takes the title of world’s largest rodent. Capybaras are semi-aquatic, spending a lot of time in the water. They inhabit southern Central America and northern South America in both savannas and rain forests near ponds, rivers, or lakes. A constant source of water is important to capybaras, who retreat into murky waters to escape from predators like jaguars, anacondas, caimans, pumas, ocelots, and harpy eagles. Capybaras are physically well-adapted to a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Their webbed feet help them maneuver in water and traverse soft, muddy ground. Their facial features are located towards the top of their large heads, allowing them see and breathe while swimming. Capable of staying submerged for up to 5 minutes, capybaras can press their ears against their heads to keep water out. Once they exit the water, their thin coat of coarse hair dries quickly. Spending the hottest portions of the day in water or wallowing in the shade, capybaras graze in the morning and evening when it’s cooler. They feed on grasses and aquatic plants, consuming 3-3.5 kg (6-8 lb.) a day. Capybaras have special digestive adaptations that allow them to absorb enough nutrients from their highly fibrous diet. A large fermentation chamber, or cecum, in their intestines stores and churns the fibrous materials while mixing in bacteria, enzymes, and gases that aid in digestion. Capybaras also eat their own droppings – an activity called coprophagy. Coprophagy allows them to ingest a higher percentage of proteins and other nutrients. Very social animals, capybaras live in small family groups of about 10-20. A typical group includes one dominant male, several females, their offspring, and a few subordinate males. The dominant male, usually the heaviest, stares down the other males in the group, driving them to the outer edges of the group. Here, the subordinate males act as sentinels (or lookouts), performing warning barks when a predator is near. In some cases, a subordinate male will challenge the leader. The two capybaras will charge each other, rear up onto their hind legs, and engage in a scuffle until one flees the scene. Usually, a group of capybaras has a ratio of one male to two females. The ratio is preserved because the subordinate males in the periphery of the group are more susceptible to predation. Also, juvenile males are sometimes forced out of the group once they reach sexual maturity, leaving them to fend for themselves. Without the protection of the group dynamic, these bachelors become easy targets. Being the dominant male has several advantages. Not only does he enjoy a position toward the center of the group, safer from predators, he also mates with all the females in the group. Capybaras mate in the water. After a 5-month gestation period, the female capybara will give birth to four to five babies. After a few days, when the babies join the rest of the group, they are communally nursed by all the females. In this way, all the offspring in the group stay together. Baby capybaras are not effective swimmers at first, so they stay on land, hiding under brushy cover. Their smaller stature and inability to swim well make them susceptible to predators like foxes, vultures, feral dogs, and piranhas. Capybaras can live 8-10 years in the wild, and around 12 years in captivity. Conservation Status Although capybaras are currently considered by the IUCN Red List to be of least concern of becoming extinct, their po[CENSORED]tions have been largely affected by hunting in the past. People eat capybara meat and produce leather from their skin. In the countries where capybara po[CENSORED]tions started to dwindle, hunting restrictions were enacted, and capybara numbers stabilized. https://animalfactguide.com/animal-facts/capybara/

New Suzuki Carry has won the 2022 Otomotif Award for the Best Pickup category in Indonesia. The Carry has successfully defended its title since it was the winner of this category in previous year’s award as well. Since the last 15 years of the Indonesian Otomotif Award, this was the second time (after 2021) that a nomination for commercial vehicles was made. This is a form of appreciation as well as support for the commercial vehicle segment, considering its proven contribution to the nation’s economy. Throughout 2021, the new Suzuki Carry Pickup was the backbone of PT Suzuki Indomobil Sales (SIS) in the commercial vehicle segment. It is the main contributor to Suzuki Indonesia’s car sales making up 58% of Suzuki sales in the country. The vehicle proudly carries the slogan ‘The King of Pickups’. According to Suzuki Carry customers in Indonesia, the key reason behind the success of new Carry is its performance & fuel efficiency, as well as low maintenance, durability, and ability to carry heavy loads which results in generating profit for commercial vehicle drivers & fleet operators. “Thank you for the appreciation from the 2022 Otomotif Award to New Carry. The Carry is the backbone product for Suzuki Indonesia with strong historical value in Suzuki’s journey. This award further spurs us to continue to present commercial and passenger vehicles that suit the needs of Suzuki lovers in Indonesia.” https://carspiritpk.com/suzuki-carry-wins-best-pickup-award-indonesia/

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 has made the cricketing world take notice of the talent possessed by 35-year-old Sheldon Jackson, not only as a batter but also as a wicketkeeper. Despite some ordinary batting performances so far in IPL 2022, Jackson has been able to impress everyone with his lightning fast glovework behind the stumps. Such has been his impact that one of his admirers also include former wicketkeeper-batter and current head coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise, Brendon McCullum. The former New Zealand captain seemed quite impressed by Jackson's technique with the bat and glovework and even likened his skills to that of MS Dhoni and Andre Russell. Brendon revealed how gifted Jackson is and possesses a "good ball-striking ability", something which reminds the former New Zealand captain of Andre Russell. "Sheldon continues to get better and better. He is 35, but you wouldn't know. His growth in the last two years has been significant. He has a good ball-striking ability. And very few players hit the ball as far as he does, he is not too far, if not the same, behind Andre Russell when he is striking the ball. I am sure with more opportunities, we will see a performance from Sheldon," McCullum was quoted as saying by 'Sportstar'. McCullum discusses Sheldon's wicketkeeping skills as well and said that he has got a "MS Dhoni sort of a feel about keeping". "The wicketkeeping skills have been superb. He has got a MS Dhoni sort of a feel about keeping; really fast hands, and an understanding of spin. He knows what the bowlers are doing. He is desperate to do well," he added. Sheldon remained unbeaten on three off three balls vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their opening match and was out for a golden duck vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). He did not feature in KKR's last game vs Punjab Kings (PBKS). https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2022/indian-premier-league-2022-brendon-mccullum-praises-kkr-star-says-has-got-an-ms-dhoni-sort-of-a-feel-2861350

Media personality, socialite, model, and businesswoman Kim Kardashian is an inspiration to many young women out there. However, the journey from being Paris Hilton’s stylist to an international celebrity has not been a cakewalk for Kim. The model, who recently appeared on the cover of Vogue Hong Kong, talked about the lessons she has learned ever since she rose to fame. During the interaction, Kim, who is 41, reflected on the differences between each decade of her life. Kim shared that for a long time, she did things just to please others, however, she has now decided to dedicate the last two decades to herself and do things that make her happy. She said that her 40s are about being “Team Me” and she feels really good, even though it created changes and caused her divorce. The businesswoman, who is gearing up for her family’s new show The Kardashians, said that she is now eating well, working out and having more fun with her family. “I think it is important to be honest with yourself about what really makes you happy. I’ve chosen myself. I think it’s okay to choose you,” Kim added. Talking about the past and what she thinks about her life in her 20s and 30s, Kim stated that her 20s were all about embracing the craziness and mistakes one makes when they are young. Further, she said that her 30s were about finding her self-confidence, care less about others’ opinions and living in the moment. As far as the new show, The Kardashians, is concerned, Kim revealed that it will focus on the family members, more individualistically, and their businesses, so they are excited to share that part of their lives in more depth. The show will air on Hulu, starting April 14 this year. https://www.news18.com/news/lifestyle/how-to-cope-with-stressful-situations-and-avoid-stress-eating-4940102.html

Sri Lanka's cabinet and central bank governor have all quit as anger grows over rising food and fuel prices. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has invited all parties to be a part of a new government. But as the economic crisis worsens in the country, those who've taken to the streets in protest say they won't stop until Mr Rajapaksa resigns. Across an island bubbling with anger and desperation, the chants and the placards are mostly directed at one man. "Go Gota Go," "Go Gota Go," they say. Gota is short for Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the country's controversial president who many blame for the dire situation people are facing. "He needs to go, he's robbed everything from us," said Nadhie Wandurgala who defied a country-wide curfew to protest on Sunday with her husband and two daughters. As she clutched a handmade poster she explained how her family had gone from living comfortable lives to daily discomfort - power cuts of up to 17 hours, a daily scramble to find gas to cook with, and long queues to get petrol for their car. "Even hospitals are running out of medicine, schools are running out of paper for exams, but the politicians get electricity every day." "They've never stood in long queues to get gas or kerosene," she said, her voice full of contempt for those in power. Nadhie isn't an activist or a seasoned protestor. She works for the city's clergy and prefers to stay away from politics. But she's typical of the groundswell of anti-government opinion which is uniting people from all backgrounds, faiths and ages. Sri Lanka cabinet quits en masse after protests As Sri Lanka runs low on foreign currency reserves, it has been unable to pay for imports of essentials such as fuel. A drop in tourism due to the pandemic is one factor, but many say the president has mismanaged this crisis. Experts say policies introduced by Mr Rajapaksa after he was elected in 2019 - steep tax cuts and an import ban - have exacerbated the crisis, as has his reluctance to get help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Mr Rajapaksa has blamed previous administrations for the current state of affairs, but many like Nadhie's daughter Anjalee say it's time for him to resign immediately and accept full responsibility. And as frustration grows, so have fears that his government is trying to stifle any criticism directed towards it. Sunday's curfew is just one measure designed to stop people from gathering. There was also a social media blackout and a special presidential notification prohibiting people from " being on any public road, in a park, on trains or on the seashore" unless they have written permission from the authorities. Nadhie and Anjalee were just some of the hundreds who risked arrest to attend a demonstration, taking to the streets despite the order to stay home. "I came out today because my rights have been taken away. We have nothing to lose at this point." "Why have they even introduced this curfew ? Is it to protect us?" Anjalee mused. "It doesn't make sense at all". "I would call these dictatorial, autocratic and draconian steps," opposition leader Sajith Premadasa told me at an impromptu protest on Sunday. Mr Premadasa and other members of his party were stopped at police barricades as they tried to enter the city's Independence square. "The supreme law of the land protects the right of the people to share their opinions, to demonstrate and to engage in peaceful democratic activities, so that right cannot be violated." This isn't the first time President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who runs the country alongside his elder brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has been accused of stifling freedom of expression. The brothers have a history which goes well beyond their election victory in 2019. Mahinda Rajapaksa has been president twice, while Gotabaya Rajapaksa is well known for his position as defence secretary when he was accused of perpetrating serious human rights violations in the final stages of Sri Lanka's civil war. Both also have a reputation of brutally cracking down on dissent. In 2019, months after Sri Lanka's Easter Sunday bombings Gotabaya Rajapaksa won the majority of po[CENSORED]r support, after promising to rule Sri Lanka with a "strong hand". "People thought they'd provide us with national security, but they didn't.. they failed at everything," said Roshinta, who says she did not vote for him. "I don't want to see my country go to waste because of this particular family. They are so adamant and greedy for power they'll probably stay on." On Thursday, the anger directed at President Rajapaksa went right to his doorstep, as protests outside his residence in Colombo turned violent. Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds, and authorities arrested dozens of protesters as well as some journalists covering the incident. In a tweet, the EU delegation in Colombo urged the Sri Lankan authorities to "safeguard democratic rights of all citizens, including the right to free assembly and dissent, which has to be peaceful." Human rights groups including Amnesty International said many of those detained had been assaulted in custody. Soon after Thursday's protests, a state of emergency was imposed on the island, giving security forces sweeping powers of arrest and detention - authorities said it was to ensure law and order was maintained. Overnight from Saturday into Sunday, officials in Sri Lanka's Western Province said they'd arrested more than 600 people for violating the curfew. On Sunday afternoon as we visited protests in Colombo, police with riot shields stood at a distance from demonstrators, watching on. "This is the first time in my life I've protested," said Sathsara as he stood by the side of a park wearing a t-shirt for one of his favourite bands, Oasis. "This is my last resort" The 29-year-old advertising copywriter who lives in the capital Colombo, usually spends his weekends going to gigs and eating out with friends, but all that's stopped. "We are at the prime of our lives, how are we going to achieve our dreams with all this happening?" With daily power cuts and the cost of food spiralling, Sathsara says his bank balance is depleting, while his desperation mounts. "Give us a government who can manage this. This one literally doesn't care about us," he said. At another protest of mostly young families, Suchitra, cradling his 15-month-old baby boy, told me he was exhausted by the power cuts which don't allow his son to sleep. "The politicians in parliament are unfit. They've put the country in turmoil," he said. "They've not kept to their promises, people can't suffer anymore." https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-60979177

In a world where most e-bikes are trying to blend in, JackRabbit, well… stands out. In fact, it’s unique enough that you’re either going to love it or at the very least be curious. As a pedal-free e-bike, it’s aimed at those in the market for a scooter rather than an electrified road bike. But, unlike a scooter, the JackRabbit can handle more than just paved sidewalk while remaining about as portable. All this to say, the JackRabbit bike is a curious proposition, but don’t let its quirky looks deceive you. First, let’s back up a little. The JackRabbit is an electronic bike, but it’s categorized as a scooter in some jurisdictions. Thanks, in part, to its size, at 48 x 21 x 39 inches (122 x 53 x 100 cm) it’s comically/helpfully small. There are no pedals, chains or gears – it’s throttle mode only, like a tiny electric motorbike. At 24lbs (11Kg) it’s also pretty light. The advertised range is 12 miles, the top speed is 20mph delivered by a 300W motor / 150Wh battery combo and it will cost you $1,200 new in a range of four spiffy colors. As alluded to above, comparing the JackRabbit to most other e-bikes doesn’t really make sense. This is something you’ll want to ride for short to moderate distances or for that famous last mile. It can fold down to a degree (you can pop out the handlebars and invert the front wheel) at which point it’s only slightly less portable than most scooters. That said, lugging it around is a little bit different – it doesn’t fold down as small, but you can also wheel it over/up things instead of just carrying it. Maybe you really just wanted a bike that did all the work for you, in which case, that is this. For example, if your commute is up to five miles each way across town, and you normally ride a bike, the JackRabbit could be a viable alternative if you want something that can cut through traffic but won’t mean showing up at the office needing a shower. Oh, assuming you’re under 6’2” that is (the maximum height according to the company). Or, if like me, you live in an apartment block and maneuvering a full-size bike downstairs with a small elevator is just straight-up hassle, the JackRabbit is a pure delight. No kidding, I have to stand a regular bike on end and hope no one’s waiting downstairs as I barge the door open with the front wheel. With the JackRabbit, I can actually just ride into and straight out of the elevator if I want. The first time you take the JackRabbit out, the center of gravity takes a little getting used to. Especially once you hit higher speeds which can make the ride feel a little invigorating – in the most danger-fun sense of the word. But it doesn’t take long before you’re settled in and starting to think about what street obstacles you can try to bunny hop off of/over. From there on out the ride is pretty smooth, though there are a few things to keep in mind. While the top speed is 20mph, it’s hard to get there in anything other than optimal conditions. The acceleration isn’t slow, but once you get to around 15/16mph it tails off enough that you need a clear road ahead to hit that top speed. This is still an improvement on the previous JackRabbit that seemed to take even longer to get there. Inclines are also not the JackRabbit’s forte. If you hit a modest gradient at a good speed you shouldn’t have any problems, but once things get steeper and/or you hit them slower you might have to help finish the job with your feet, like a kid on a balance bike. It’s not the most gracious thing, but you shouldn’t have to get off and push – unless you live somewhere like San Francisco. That said, this latest JackRabbit does a much better job of the model before it, so that’s something. Some other quirks of the JackRabbit’s size include your feet occasionally rubbing against the wheels, tight turns definitely require a little more forethought and I do wonder the addition of footrest pegs on the front wheel too might give an alternative riding style – almost putting you in a slight “chopper” seating position. But as much as the unusual dimensions of the JackRabbit present some minor challenges, they are also what makes it so much fun to ride. There’s something about its slightly “dirt bike” aesthetic that makes you want to deviate from the well-paved sidewalk and into more adventurous terrain. I live near a very long park that has everything from railway sleepers to block-paved cycle paths to small dirt tracks and gravel – the JackRabbit loves ate them all up. I also discovered that it can fit in the back of my small hatchback without any folding – it sits perfectly with one wheel behind each seat making it easily transportable, too. You can fold it down somewhat if you need to. The handlebars pop out easily and there’s a clip to hold them while the front wheel folds inwards. It shrinks the profile down enough if you either want to take up less space on the metro or simply stow it somewhere when not in use. It actually didn’t take long before I found myself just taking this thing out for fun rather than as a means of getting somewhere. Although it had already usurped my scooter and regular-size e-bike as a means of transportation, I was now just using it for the fun of the ride, too. And then that’s when it happened. Three LEDs to indicate battery power is not enough. I found this out about a mile away from home where, with one shiny LED remaining on the handlebar-mounted throttle, the JackRabbit suddenly lost most of its power. I pressed my thumb down in vain only to remain at a crawl – I had been having so much fun I had drained the battery and the three-LED power indicator clearly isn’t detailed enough to let you know you’re really in the danger zone. Luckily, where I live is very flat and I was able to push my way home without too much trouble. It turns out you can pump like a skateboard with one foot if you really don’t want to get off and walk this thing home. Worst of all, I had mentally calculated that I was well within the claimed 12-mile range, and tracing the route out on Google Maps suggests it was a shade over six miles. I subsequently discovered that each LED appears to remain on as you accelerate until it’s about to drop down to the next one. At which point the LED remains lit unil you apply the throttle and it dims. This is a way of letting you know you’re at the lower end of that section of the battery indicator. So it’s slightly more informative than just three LEDs, but it’s still not a great indicator of remaining time or range. I spoke with JackRabbit about this and we did some back and forth which included checking the battery with a voltmeter to make sure it wasn’t faulty. The company’s own testing is, like most of these things, done without going full speed and with a payload a bit lighter than me it seems. So my full-throttle approach and extra weight seem to be enough to drag down the range somewhat. For me, it’s less about the actual range (although that’s a factor) but more about having detailed information. Most scooters will give you either a numerical percentage of battery remaining, or a higher resolution graphical indicator. So for me, it’s more about not having the information I needed to know I was about to empty the proverbial tank. Thankfully, the batteries are removable and they are portable enough that you could definitely slip a spare into a backpack. But at $200 each, that’s a reasonable spend just to relieve some anxiety. It’s also slightly frustrating that if you have the previous JackRabbit, the battery from that won’t work on the latest model, despite being nearly identical. If there was another small addition that might help here, it would be regenerative braking. Right now, the JackRabbit doesn’t have it, but with just one rear brake to speak of, it seems something that might be easy to implement and enable a modest saving of power, especially as most inner-city commutes require a fair amount of stop-starting anyway. The above might sound like there are still quite a few areas for improvement, but the JackRabbit remains about the most enjoyable electric ride I’ve tried in a long while. It’s form factor is going to sing to some users while being a little impractical for others. But that’s true of scooters, bikes and any other form of transportation. The JackRabbit just presents another option. I would also strongly consider how many inclines are on your route. For the most part cities with moderate inclines, they shouldn’t present a challenge but hillier locations won’t be as much fun. But if you don’t want/need a full-size bike and you find scooters uncomfortable or impractical this is a refreshing alternative. Throw in the fact that you can also cover terrain that scooters can’t (or fit places where most bikes won’t) and the JackRabbit really does make a good, if specific, case for itself. The fact that it’s wildly fun is just an added bonus. https://www.engadget.com/jack-rabbit-ebike-scooter-review-144537677.html

The sun was shining when Kim Williams hopped in her Honda Odyssey to visit a friend at a nursing home. But an unexpected downpour on the drive back left her trapped in a maze of flooded streets. Williams made turn after turn to avoid rising waters in a century-old neighborhood in Norfolk before shutting off her minivan. "I knew that I would kill the car if I kept driving," Williams said of the storm from a few years ago. "I called the tow company and they said, 'We'll get to it when we can. We've got a very long list.'" The increasing threat of sea-level rise on Virginia's coast means that an afternoon rainstorm can strand drivers for hours, delay parents from picking up children and damage cars beyond repair – all without a tropical storm on the radar. The city of Norfolk is trying to do something about that: Officials have partnered with the tech firm FloodMapp and the Waze traffic app to warn residents of flooded roadways in real time. The project is being launched at a time when cities around the world are trying to adapt to climate change. And it's an example of how new technology will likely play an increasing role. The pilot program in Norfolk went live this month after two years of development. FloodMapp CEO Juliette Murphy said the firm's modeling has proved to be "incredibly accurate" along the streets of this low-lying city on the Chesapeake Bay. FloodMapp feeds data from rain forecasts, tide gauges and Norfolk's terrain into an algorithm. Drivers are warned on Waze when at least 6 inches (15 centimeters) of water has likely pooled on a specific roadway. New flood information is updated every 15 minutes. Kyle Spencer, who is helping Norfolk adapt to sea-level rise as its acting chief resilience officer, said a single storm can strand hundreds of vehicles. The plan is for Waze to eventually reroute drivers when a road floods with 12 inches (30 centimeters) of water. The app's accuracy will improve, Spencer said, because drivers will validate Waze's warnings. "It's kind of like a living thing," Spencer said. "The feedback loop can help make these models even better." Norfolk, a city of nearly 250,000 people, is an ideal testing ground. It's more threatened than any other place on the Atlantic Coast by the combination of sinking land and rising seas, said Molly Mitchell, a Virginia Institute of Marine Science professor. Water levels have risen by about 1.5 feet (.5 meters) since 1928. They're projected to rise by close to another 1.5 feet by 2050—or more depending on the Earth's rising temperatures. The Chesapeake Bay and the Elizabeth River form a crescent of water around three sides of the city, while other tributaries flow into its interior. During high tides, rains can overwhelm sewers and have nowhere to go but low-lying streets. Flooding affects truck traffic heading to and from port terminals. And it impedes the ability of U.S. Navy sailors to quickly reach the world's largest naval base, where piers are lined with aircraft carriers. Marc Rabinowitz, a now-retired psychoanalyst, lost his Saab in a nor'easter several years ago. Floodwaters blocked his commute to work. He turned down a one-way street the wrong way because it looked clear. "I got about halfway down, and water just starts filling up the car," he said. "The car clogs. It stops running. Luckily, a colleague who was walking to work starts pushing me off to the side." Drivers also face unpredictable "rain bombs," which can dump an inch of water in 30 minutes on an isolated area. Marc Vigeant, a project manager for a marine construction company, was caught in one in 2020 when he left work. Water pooled around him. He searched Google Earth for higher elevation and quickly drove his Toyota Corolla to a nearby parking lot. "By that time, I was trapped in there," Vigeant said. Williams, the driver stranded after a nursing home visit, said Norfolk's flooding can scuttle impromptu, but important plans. "There have been times when I've thought to visit my mother, but it's raining," she said. "I drive one or two blocks and the water is high. And I forgo the trip." The project in Norfolk shows how new technologies can help people adapt to climate change but it fails to address the root causes, said Jesse Goldstein, a Virginia Commonwealth University sociology professor who studies the green economy. "It's allowing the fossil-fuel-burning economy to try and hold on a little bit longer," Goldstein said. "The economy that makes Waze possible is creating the flooding. And now Waze is helping us adapt," Goldstein continued. "I don't say that to be holier than thou. It's just that we've got a deeply entrenched problem." More than half of all flood-related deaths in the U.S. in recent years happened in motor vehicles, said Andrew Stober, head of public partnerships for Waze, which has 140 million monthly users worldwide. "Making sure that people can steer clear of flooding is saving lives," Stober said. FloodMapp was recruited to Norfolk by city officials and RISE Resilience Innovations, a Virginia-based nonprofit that finances climate-related technologies with federal and state dollars. RISE gave FloodMapp a $300,000 grant following a contest that challenged companies to tackle the problem of navigating flooded roads. "A lot of people say, 'Well, why hasn't this been done before?' But it's not a simple task, it's not easy,'' said Paul Robinson, the executive director of RISE. Robinson said Norfolk is a fitting place for FloodMapp to work out any problems before entering "big markets like Philadelphia and Boston and New York." FloodMapp, which was founded in Australia, said it's already expanding in the U.S. and plans to sell its services to transit agencies, delivery companies and utilities. "We're seeing floods become more frequent and more severe," said Murphy, the firm's CEO. "Unfortunately, this is only getting worse." https://techxplore.com/news/2022-01-safety-app-drivers-debuts-flood-plagued.html

Minisforum B550 Mini PC Launches WIth Up To AMD Ryzen 7 5700G APU & Discrete Graphics Card Support Starting at $599 US Press Release: After the first glance last year, MinisForum finally launches the pre-sale campaign for its B550 mini PC today. One of the most powerful mini PC they ever made. The Minisofrum B550 mini PC will be using the AMD B550 chipset. MinisForum will sell it with two different CPU options including AMD Ryzen 7 4700G (base clock 3.6GHz, boost clock 4.4GHz) and AMD Ryzen 7 5700G (base clock 3.8GHz, boost 4.6GHz). Customers can replace the CPU with their own one if they want. It supports AM4 socket Ryzen 4000/5000 series CPUs with TDP lower or equal to 65W (so it doesn’t support 5950X/5900X/5800X ). The motherboard supports up to 64Gb of RAM and it has two M.2 2280 SSD slots. Depending on which CPU that you use, the B550 can support PCIe4.0. It has AMD RZ608 so it supports BT5.2 and Wifi 6. Since some of the CPUs supported don’t have an integrated GPU, the Minisforum B550 Mini PC has to work with a discrete GPU. So the computer package will come with an expansion dock that can be easily connected with the computer and discrete GPU. Please be noted that the package doesn’t include the discrete GPU nor the PSU to power the discrete GPU. Just 20.859cm x 24.088cm x 12.813cm with 1155g in weight, the B550 mini PC has lots of interfaces including 2xHDMI ports, 1xDisplay port, 4xUSB3.2 ports, 1xUSB-C port, 1xRJ45 2.5Gb Ethernet port, 1x line out and 1x mic. The package will also come with a small suitcase which is perfectly fit for the computer to protect it when you carry it around. https://wccftech.com/minisforum-launches-b550-mini-pc-starting-599-us-up-to-amd-ryzen-7-5700g-apu-discrete-egpu-support/

Name of the Game : Green Hell Price : 5.94$ https://store.steampowered.com/app/815370/Green_Hell/ Offer ends up after Xhours: 12 April Requirements: MINIMUM: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 7/8/10 64-bit Processor: 3.2 GHz Dual Core Processor Memory: 4 GB RAM Graphics: GeForce GTX 660, Radeon RX 460 or equivalent with 2 GB of video RAM DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 8 GB available space Sound Card: DirectX compatible RECOMMENDED: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 7/8/10 64-bit Processor: 3.2 GHz Dual Core Processor Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: GeForce 970, Radeon RX 580 or equivalent with 4GB of video RAM DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 8 GB available space Sound Card: DirectX compatible

The sizeable new The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Rebirth 5.8 update is here, bringing with it a number of notable changes to the excellent overhaul mod – including improving the Imperial Guards, revamping locations like the Shrine of Azura and Ebonheart, and adding weapons such as Skyrim‘s terrifying Ebony Blade. While The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is over ten years old and looking decidedly long in the tooth, the third RPG game Morrowind is fast approaching its 20th anniversary in May. With a finished Skyrim Morrowind mod conversion still a long way off, the best way to play it is with the fantastic Morrowind Rebirth overhaul mod – which itself is ten years old. Morrowind Rebirth 5.8 is out now, and it’s described as an “early celebration” of the upcoming anniversary. There are a lot of improvements, fixes, and additions in the new update, but perhaps the coolest is the introduction of Skyrim’s Ebony Blade – also known as “The Vampire” due to the way it leeches health from foes. It’s actually been in every mainline Elder Scrolls game apart from Morrowind, so it’s cool that the Rebirth team is readdressing that. Beyond that and a load of other weapons and armour additions, 5.8 adds “more variety” to the Imperial Guards, “more unique scroll inscriptions”, a “grand” overhaul of the Shrine of Azura, and reworked areas like Ebonheart, Fort Pelagiad, and Wolverine Hall. There are new models, new icons, and “hundreds of UV fixes and improvements”. If you’re bored of waiting on Skywind, Skyblivion, or – heaven forbid – The still in pre-production Elder Scrolls VI, have a replay through Morrowind on its 20th anniversary with Rebirth installed. It’s a whole new game. Get involved in the conversation by heading over to our Facebook and Instagram pages. To stay up to date with the latest PC gaming guides, news, and reviews, follow PCGamesN on Twitter and Steam News Hub, or download our free app for Overwolf. https://www.pcgamesn.com/the-elder-scrolls-iii-morrowind-game-of-the-year-edition/rebirth-5-8-skyrim-ebony-blade

Ozark follows Marty Byrde, a financial advisor wrapped up in a money laundering scheme. When the scheme goes wrong, Marty relocates his family from Chicago to Missouri, where he must work to make amends to a Mexican drug cartel, setting up a larger operation in the Ozarks.

A version of this story appeared in CNN's What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. (CNN)It's easy to hate the SAT and ACT, and many people have celebrated the waning influence of these tests as the coronavirus pandemic turbocharged a movement by colleges to de-emphasize them. In particular, making the SAT or ACT optional or scrapping the use of standardized test scores entirely is supposed to help diversify student bodies. When Harvard University announced these tests would be optional during the pandemic and then extended that policy through 2026, it meant qualified kids afraid of their scores might now apply, according to one education expert. Jeff Selingo, who wrote a book about sitting in on the admissions process at top schools, told CNN's Michael Smerconish in December that college admissions offices "would be looking at applications they would not have seen previously when they required test scores." Smerconish made the point that kids who spend all their time in test prep could learn an instrument instead. Although there's also the possibility they'd flip through TikTok. Why MIT is bringing tests back So it was a bit surprising this week to read that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is bringing back its standardized test requirement -- reversing its test-optional policy during the pandemic -- specifically because it helped them identify kids from diverse backgrounds. "Our research suggests the strategic use of testing can help us continue to improve both the diversity of our class and its collective success at MIT," Dean of Admissions Stu Schmill wrote in a blog post. It's a heavily footnoted and long post, which refers to MIT's research but does not share it. It's worth reading anyway. Schmill admits the SAT and ACT are imperfect tests but argues that since they are available in most communities, not requiring test scores "tends to raise socioeconomic barriers." Note: There are a lot of problems with standardized tests like the SAT, and many of them have to do with inequality in American schools and the fact that people who have the time and resources can prepare for the test. The College Board, the organization that administers the SAT, has tried, failed and tried again to tweak the test, but nobody has really been satisfied. I liked this CNN Opinion piece from Nicole Hemmer that argues college inequality is much larger than just testing. Paul Tough has written extensively about college admissions and argued in a New York Times Opinion piece last May that the SAT should be abandoned. He points to data that seems to contradict Schmill and MIT about the tests and diversity. It is compelling. MIT is a special case, Schmill argued, since it requires so much math and science from every student. The testing helps demonstrate ability in those areas. The school will still take a holistic approach to every applicant, looking at grades, test scores and life experience -- although Schmill also suggested there's quite a bit of grade inflation going on out there. More on that later. He also included this line to appease stressed-out college students (emphasis his): "You are not your test scores, and for that matter, you are also not your MIT application, either." MIT is bucking the trend The week before hyper-selective MIT announced its decision, the massive California State University System -- which has nearly 129,000 graduates each year, compared with MIT, which awards fewer than 4,000 degrees -- said it would ditch its SAT/ACT admissions requirements. "In essence, we are eliminating our reliance on a high-stress, high-stakes test that has shown negligible benefit and providing our applicants with greater opportunities to demonstrate their drive, talents and potential for college success," said Steve Relyea, CSU's acting chancellor. CSU joins California's other massive university system, the University of California, which officially abandoned standardized testing for admission in 2021. "We reached a conclusive decision that there isn't right now a test or an assessment that we feel comfortable using in our admissions process," UC Board of Regents chair Cecilia Estolano said in November 2021, when the decision was made. UC data suggested testing helps diversity But UC does have the data that tells it the hated standardized tests are better than high school grades at predicting how undergraduates will perform at the school. A report conducted by UC professors and released in January 2020 -- part of a years-long review of admissions processes -- used data from many years of students and concluded that admissions tests, which have since been abandoned, actually protected diversity. Record scratch. "The unexpected outcome of the statistical analyses in the Report is that ... because each applicant's test scores are viewed within the applicant's local context, they offer a means for protecting the diversity of the applicant pool," said UC Santa Cruz feminist studies professor Kum-Kum Bhavnani in prepared remarks from 2020. Bhavnani was UC's Academic Senate chair at the time. Henry Sanchez, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco and one of the authors of the report, said schools will find they need some tool like a test to differentiate between students. "You can get rid of all these tests, but you don't get rid of the structural bias in the K-12 schools and that is what affects how students will perform in higher ed," he said. The recommendation by the task force was for the UC system to de-emphasize the importance of standardized tests and develop its own test -- rather than continue to rely on organizations like the College Board, which administers both SAT and AP tests, and ACT Inc., which administers the ACT. They are technically nonprofits, but many in the higher education world have long complained they are part of a billion-dollar industry. To Schmill's point about availability and access to alternative tests, the UC system abandoned, for now, its own effort to develop an alternative test. I reached out to the UC Office of the President to ask about MIT's decision and UC's experience with not taking test scores into account. A spokesman declined an in-depth interview since there is not sufficient data and told me it was too early to draw any conclusions. "It would also be difficult to separate trends in student success outcomes from the pandemic's impact," the spokesman wrote in an email. "We continue to assess the impact of our test-free policy and our campuses are currently in the process of making admissions offers to a diverse, accomplished, and hardworking cohort of students for the fall 2022 academic term." What does all this mean for college applicants? I reached out to Mimi Doe, one of the co-founders of Top Tier Admissions, which admittedly caters to students who have the resources to pay for extra help applying to college. But Doe said her advice to all students going to college, regardless of their background, is to start early and to take the SAT and ACT seriously. Here are some interesting things I took away from our conversation. Test-blind is different than test-optional. Doe: Georgetown for instance, was test optional -- wink wink. Of their accepted students, only 7% did not submit scores. Grade inflation is real. Doe: I have done this work for 20 years and I look at high school profiles ... you are seeing now half the class has straight A's. There are more applicants than ever. The first reason, she said, is that more Common Applications and fewer required essays have made it easy to apply to many schools. But the move from testing has flooded the zone. Doe: The second reason is score optional. Baby, it's a free-for-all. Every kid who's No. 1 in their class, or who's No. 100 in their class out of 100, is going to apply to Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, Dartmouth, all these dream schools, because scores don't matter. I got to give it a shot. Colleges are looking for different things. Doe: They're looking for kids who go above and beyond around social justice issues and making their own communities better ... they don't want robots who just take 13 APs to get into college ... it's a qualitative and quantitative shift in college admissions. Students shouldn't suffer through activities they think will be attractive to colleges. Doe: Do what you love... We give kids permission to be authentic around their genuine interests, to understand where to spend their time, and to strip away the noise. Tests are a bummer. But they're not gone yet for top students. Doe: I believe (the SAT/ACT are) a colossal waste of a student's time and energy. That said, it's still a data point in admissions and has been in the past two years during Covid. So it's a fact of life if you're aiming for very top colleges. https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/02/politics/sat-act-standardized-tests-what-matters/index.html

The cougar, which is also commonly referred to as a puma, mountain lion or panther, is the second largest cat in North America. Unlike other big cats, however, the cougar cannot roar. Instead, the large feline purrs like a house cat. Cougars also have similar body types to house cats, only on a larger scale. They have slender bodies and round heads with pointed ears. They vary between 1.5-2.7 m (5-9 ft.) from head to tail. While males can weigh up to 68 kg (150 lb.), females weigh less, topping out at nearly 45 kg (100 lb.). The coat of the cougar is a grayish tan to reddish color with lighter parts on the underside. The tail has a black spot on the end. Inhabiting various ecosystems from mountains to deserts to sea-level, the cougar’s established range includes western North America, a small region in Florida, and most of South America. They make their home anywhere that there is shelter and prey. Generally they prey on deer but also feed on smaller animals if necessary, including domestic animals and livestock. Cougars have even been known to eat insects. Skilled and cunning hunters, cougars stay hidden from their prey until they can pounce with claws out-stretched. Cougars can also climb with ease and leap over 6 m (20 ft.). After killing a large animal, a cougar hides the carcass and eats in the coming days. For the most part, the cougar has no natural enemies and sits atop the food chain. However, they occasionally compete with other predators such as bears and wolves for food. During most of their lives, cougars are solitary creatures. They interact only to mate, which can happen at any time of year. Females can breed as early as 2-3 years old and give birth to 2-3 kittens at a time. They raise the young while the males return to their solitary lifestyles. At around two years old, cougar offspring will leave their mother to start their own life. Some travel far to establish their own territory as cougars need a lot of room to roam. A healthy cougar in the wild can live to around 10 years of age. In captivity, cougars can live as long as 20 years. Conservation Status Cougars have been long been killed by both sport hunters and farmers protecting their livestock. Other threats to cougar po[CENSORED]tions include habitat loss and fragmentation and automobile accidents. As a result, the cougar po[CENSORED]tion has significantly decreased. There are still, however, several thousand cougars in the wild, and as a result, they listed as being of least concern on the IUCN Red List. Although they once ranged widely throughout North and South America, cougars were largely wiped out from the eastern portion of the United States and Canada by European settlers in the 1700s. There is a small po[CENSORED]tion in Florida, a subspecies known as the Florida panther. The Florida panther is considered to be critically endangered, and agencies are working to maintain the current po[CENSORED]tion. Furthermore, in recent years, sightings of cougars in the northeast United States and eastern Canada have been on the rise. Although many are the result of former captive cougars who escaped or were released, there is a possibility of recolonization of cougars in the east. What You Can Do To Help It is difficult to stop habitat loss or reverse its effects, but there are some ways you can help. You can help persuade your congressperson to designate the cougar as a protected animal. This legally prevents the taking or injuring of cougars, unless they pose a threat. This law has been in effect in the state of California since the approval of Proposition 117 in 1990. You can also appeal to your congresspeople advocating the preservation of open land in order to maintain a livable habitat for cougars. In addition, you can donate directly to the Mountain Lion Foundation. https://animalfactguide.com/animal-facts/cougar/

The Acura NSX, from the first moment folks laid eyes on its wild shape at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show, captivated enthusiasts. Various car titles just keep writing retrospectives on a vehicle that has rightfully earned a reputation as a performance icon even as its successor lives on with less fanfare. The car that famously made Ferrari and Porsche quake, the reliable supercar, a car that Ayrton Senna honed—there's a lot of myth and mythos around the NSX, and decades of history. But beyond all that, there's still a car—a car that, to this day, is an experience even without all that context. And this well-preserved example, going up for auction this weekend at Mecum's Houston event, shows that an NSX in a good color combination and in great shape can still coax salivary glands into action. Red over tan and black—a classic combo, and very 1990s. The contrasts inside really highlight the radical (at the time) cabin arrangement, with the flat, wide, heavily sloped center console that flowed into the dash and over the passenger partition. The cabin may have looked dated for a while, but we think it's now aged into a graceful, classic middle age—something that can be said for the car itself, with those long-departed pop-ups and the integrated, swooping rear wing. With just 28,190 miles, the 3.0-liter V-6 out back is barely broken in, and purists will note it's the last year that the original mill was installed. For 1997, displacement was pumped to 3.2 liters, and goodies like a six-speed transmission and an LSD were added. Just as usable and reliable as any Honda from the era, the DOHC, VTEC-equipped mill can likely survive 10 times that mileage with appropriate attention and care. Speaking of which, Mecum says the car was overhauled last year, with that essential timing belt and water pump service taken care of. That's one headache job the new owner won't have to sweat about. Even though NSX prices have been creeping up over the years, from nearly a bargain at their $40,000 low point to hovering around or above six figures now, we maintain that these are driver's cars, and should be driven. Pop out the removable roof panel, crank up the stereo, get comfortable in those ergonomic seats, and point that 270-hp beauty down the road. You won't regret it. https://www.motortrend.com/news/1996-acura-nsx-t-auction-mecum-houston-2022/

PAK vs AUS, 3rd ODI, Highlights: Babar Azam scored an unbeaten century as Pakistan defeated Australia in the third and final ODI at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. With this win, Pakistan sealed the three-match series 2-1. Pakistan vs Australia, 3rd ODI, Highlights: Babar Azam Ton Guides Pakistan To Series-Clinching Win vs Australia PAK vs AUS, 3rd ODI, Highlights: Babar Azam scored an unbeaten century as Pakistan defeated Australia in the third and final ODI at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. With this win, Pakistan sealed the three-match series 2-1.Posted by Abhimanyu Bose Updated: April 02, 2022 10:19 PM ISTRead Time:1 min Pakistan vs Australia, 3rd ODI, Highlights: Babar Azam Ton Guides Pakistan To Series-Clinching Win vs Australia 3rd ODI Live: Pakistan to chase 211 against Australia in series decider.© AFP PAK vs AUS, 3rd ODI, Highlights: Babar Azam scored an unbeaten century as Pakistan defeated Australia in the third and final ODI at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. With this win, Pakistan sealed the three-match series 2-1. After a strong bowling performance saw the hosts bowl Australia out for 210, Babar Azam hit 105* off 115, while Imam-ul-Haq made an unbeaten 89, shortly missing out on a third consecutive ton, as Pakistan registered a thumping nine-wicket win. Earlier, Haris Raul and Mohammad Wasim Jr took three wickets each as Australia's top order crumbled, before Alex Carey (56), Cameron Green (34) and Sean Abbott (49) managed to take them to a respectable total. Australia then started well with the ball as pacer Nathan Ellis dismissed Fakhar Zaman in the fourth over. However, Babar and Imam continued their brilliant form as the hosts comfortably chased down their target in 37.5 overs. (SCORECARD) Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Wasim, Haris Rauf, Zahid Mahmood, Shaheen Shah Afridi Australia: Travis Head, Aaron Finch (capt), Ben McDermott, Marnus Labuschagne, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Jason Behrend Orff, Adam Zampa 3rd ODI, Australia in Pakistan, 3 ODI Series, 2022, Apr 02, 2022Match Ended PAK214/1 (37.5) AUS210/10 (41.5 https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/pakistan-vs-australia-3rd-odi-live-score-updates-2858480

Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu has made India proud by bringing home the crown after 21 years. She is currently enjoying her time giving interviews, making public appearances and modelling for big brands. While India praised her for winning the title for India in 2021, people are now trolling her for her weight gain. In an interview with PTI, Harnaaz shared that she believes in body positivity and these trolls do not matter to her. Giving back to the trolls, who are calling her fat after her recent appearance on a fashion show, Harnaaz told the news agency, “I am one of the courageous and confident girls who believe even if I’m fat, even if I’m thin, it’s my body, I love myself.” Talking about her weight gain, Harnaaz explained that changes in geographical conditions bring a change to people’s bodies. She went to New York for the first time, and food, weather and other things impacted her body. However, she is fine with how she looks. She also revealed that she has Celiac disease due to which she cannot consume wheat flour and many other things. Let’s look at the disease that Harnaaz is suffering from and get to understand it better. HOME » NEWS » LIFESTYLE » KNOW ALL ABOUT CELIAC DISEASE THAT MISS UNIVERSE HARNAAZ SANDHU IS SUFFERING FROM 1-MIN READ Know All About Celiac Disease that Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu is Suffering From She also revealed that she has Celiac disease due to which she cannot consume wheat flour and many other thingsShe also revealed that she has Celiac disease due to which she cannot consume wheat flour and many other things Celiac disease is a condition where a person is allergic to a protein, known as gluten Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu has made India proud by bringing home the crown after 21 years. She is currently enjoying her time giving interviews, making public appearances and modelling for big brands. While India praised her for winning the title for India in 2021, people are now trolling her for her weight gain. In an interview with PTI, Harnaaz shared that she believes in body positivity and these trolls do not matter to her. Giving back to the trolls, who are calling her fat after her recent appearance on a fashion show, Harnaaz told the news agency, “I am one of the courageous and confident girls who believe even if I’m fat, even if I’m thin, it’s my body, I love myself.” Talking about her weight gain, Harnaaz explained that changes in geographical conditions bring a change to people’s bodies. She went to New York for the first time, and food, weather and other things impacted her body. However, she is fine with how she looks. She also revealed that she has Celiac disease due to which she cannot consume wheat flour and many other things. Let’s look at the disease that Harnaaz is suffering from and get to understand it better. Advertisement WHAT IS CELIAC DISEASE? RELATED NEWS Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu Recreates Chaiyya Chaiyya Hookstep With OG Malaika Arora, Watch Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Sandhu: Whether a Girl Wants to Wear Hijab or Not, it is Her Choice Celiac disease is a condition where a person is allergic to a protein, known as gluten. In this condition, one small intestine becomes hypersensitive to gluten and is unable to digest it. WHAT ALL THINGS CAN’T BE CONSUMED IF YOU HAVE CELIAC DISEASE? Wheat Rye Barley Triticale Malt Brewer’s yeast Wheat starch WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF CELIAC DISEASE? Celiac disease is mostly hereditary. If someone in your family has gluten allergies, then you should get tested even without having any visible symptoms. What are the symptoms of celiac disease? If someone who has celiac disease consumes food having gluten, then they might suffer from the symptoms such as: Diarrhoea Fatigue Weight loss Bloating Acidity Abdominal pain Nausea and vomiting Constipation HOW CAN ONE CURE THE DISEASE? While there is no specific treatment for curing celiac disease, one can prevent symptoms and harsh effects by avoiding foods having gluten protein such as wheat flour, barley and others. https://www.news18.com/news/lifestyle/know-all-about-celiac-disease-that-miss-universe-harnaaz-sandhu-is-suffering-from-4932665.html

"Era defining", "new reality", "historic moment" - that's where we are right now in Europe. At least, that's what countless European politicians and commentators say, since Russian President Vladimir Putin began his invasion of Ukraine. Are they right? Yes and No, I'd argue. Starting with the Yes. On 24 February, President Putin shocked this continent out of complacency. His assault on Ukraine has brought large-scale death and destruction back to Europe, including whispers of possible nuclear war. His aim: not only to dominate Ukraine, but to roll back Western dominance militarily and - ideally - politically, in terms of liberal democracy, from the former Soviet sphere of influence. The action Western allies take together now will fundamentally affect Europeans' sense of self and safety for years to come. Nato is re-invigorated. The transatlantic military alliance, once dismissed by French President Emmanuel Macron as "brain dead", is simultaneously proving Mr Putin wrong to view the West as weak and disunited, while also providing military support, defence and deterrence to Nato's eastern flank that feels so exposed to the Kremlin's expansionist fervour. This - so far - is also proving to be a defining moment for the EU. The bloc had long talked up playing a bigger role on the world stage - and not solely in terms of economics and trade. Until now, that was a failed ambition. But the Russia-Ukraine crisis has unexpectedly elevated the EU into a credible geopolitical player. The speed with which Brussels co-ordinated sanctions against Russia - both within the EU, and with international allies - was frankly impressive. As were the unity of resolve amongst member states, and the bureaucracy-defying EU moves to enact never-before-used mechanisms to help Ukrainian refugees, and the Ukrainian military. Germany, one of the EU's biggest players, also took the world's breath away by suddenly saying goodbye to World War Two sensitivities and announcing huge investments in its military, the Bundeswehr. Key to the decision being applauded in the EU and further afield is that this is not a Germany newly flexing nationalist muscles. "This is about Germany helping to re-define Europe, not its own role," Ricarda Lang told me. She is the co-chair of the German Green Party in the coalition government. "It's about European sovereignty, not just in security and defence but also in terms of imports and energy." For years Germany has knowingly been reliant on the US for security, and on Russia for energy and trade. It is not the only EU country in that position. But as the bloc's richest and most powerful nation, Berlin is the most stand-out example. And this has weakened the West's hand when it comes to sanctions against Russia. EU countries pay Moscow up to €800m (£674m; $884m) for energy every day, which amounts to an estimated 40% of the Kremlin's income. This money goes towards funding the war against Ukraine, that the West is ostensibly fighting. "It's tragic it took a war like this, but now we Germans have woken up with a bang!" insists Marie Agnes Strack-Zimmerman, who heads the German parliament's Defence Committee. She assured me Berlin was now ready to take responsibility. The West looked at Germany with suspicion after two world wars, she observed, but that was decades ago, and - to be honest, she said - Germany was pretty comfortable enjoying being a Nato and EU member, without having to invest in its own army. "Germany's allies have waited too long for us to do our bit." Berlin has now pledged to build an efficient, modern military, and to keep up defence spending to Nato requirements. Under international pressure, trade and energy ties are being tackled, too. Bear in mind, though, that transforming the currently threadbare German military will take years, as will untangling the country from its deep-seated relations with Russia. For decades, Berlin was the dividing line between East and West Europe. Hopes for European unity were high after the fall of the iconic Berlin Wall, and the ensuing 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union. But fast-forward 30 years, and you hear talk of a new "Berlin Wall", though further to the east. Tiny Baltic country Latvia has a 200km (124 mile)-long border fence, separating the EU and Nato member on one side from expansionist Russia on the other. Col Sandris Gaugers is the commander of the Latvian Land Forces Mechanized Infantry Brigade. We spoke at his military base, just outside the capital, Riga. The base is also home to Nato forces, which have almost doubled in size since Russia invaded Ukraine. "I see a new Iron Curtain coming. Though this time, we'll be on the western side," the colonel told me. "We are living a new reality. For us Latvians the security environment is now gone. We spent 20 years in Iraq, in Afghanistan. Now our main focus is here. How do we defend our freedom and our country?" Priorities have now changed across Europe, he said. "People used to focus on economic wealth. Now it's about defending our values and way of life." Latvians and their Baltic neighbours in Estonia and Lithuania are trying hard not to say "I-told-you-so" to the West. They've been warning about President Putin for years. They feel they understand the Russian leader better than most. All three countries were once part of the Soviet Union. Latvia's Prime Minister, Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš, insists the West has to accept that "Putin is not like us". France and German leaders famously went on diplomatic visits to Moscow earlier this year, trying to dissuade President Putin from attacking Ukraine. Prime Minister Kariņš says agonising over finding the right words, or turns of phrase to persuade Mr Putin, is pointless. "He's hell-bent on destroying democracy and our way of life. "If we don't stop Putin. He will not stop at Ukraine." Mr Kariņš said the one good thing to come out of the current situation is that Nato and the EU are working closer together than they have in 30 years. That, he said, was a game-changer. And here we come back to whether this is an era-defining moment for Europe. Or maybe not. The EU is thrilled to have the US back and engaged in Europe. For all Brussels' talk of the bloc now building "strategic sovereignty" in defence and security, EU countries look to Washington when faced with Russian threats. EU defence plans, designed to complement - or to partly replace - Nato, depending which European politician you speak to, are nothing new. And so far, they've never worked. All EU countries agree that at the very least, it makes sense to pool resources and know-how: cyber, military, equipment and intelligence. Yet, no nation wants to go first. Each EU member has businesses or individuals benefiting from national contracts. The European Commission now wants to oversee the overhaul of defence capabilities. Few in the military are holding their breath, wherever they reside in Europe. As regards the renaissance in EU-Nato co-operation, in all likelihood, once the acute Russia-Ukraine crisis subsides, the US will turn its attention to what it truly sees as its foreign policy priority: the Asia-Pacific, not Europe. But the EU has its raison d'être back. Designed originally as a peace project, its vision fell by the wayside in recent times. Younger Europeans had no memory of war. They saw no urgency in uniting or fighting for peace on their continent. In that regard, this moment really is a new reality. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60960155

Heart Machine, developers of the acclaimed, stylish, and difficult 2D action RPG Hyper Light Drifter, have announced a new game set in the same universe: Hyper Light Breaker. Available via Steam Early Access some time in Spring 2023, Hyper Light Breaker is a 3D title with single player and co-op modes. As per the game’s Steam page, players will: Enter the Overgrowth, a new land in the world of Hyper Light. Play alone or with friends to explore massive biomes, defeat brutal monsters, create new builds, survive the mysterious Crowns and overthrow the almighty Abyss King in this action rogue-lite adventure from the creators of Hyper Light Drifter. An announcement trailer only shows a few glimpses of pre-alpha gameplay after an animated fight scene that matches the balletic action style of the original Hyper Light Drifter. Screenshots show a few different biomes, snaps of combat, and the main character tearing around on a hoverboard. The title card also shows a few different character silhouettes — perhaps different options for the game’s co-op mode. Heart Machine isn’t calling this a sequel explicitly, and there’s no clear indication what the story will look like. It isn’t the studio’s first foray into 3D, though: that would be last year’s Solar Ash. Fans will no doubt be hoping that the team learned the lessons of that title, which offered some fantastic movement mechanics but was let down by sterile world-building. Gearbox Publishing is working with Heart Machine to publish Hyper Light Breaker. The game will be available on PC, with no other platforms mentioned in the announcement. https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/1/23006014/hyper-light-breaker-sequel-drifted-announcement-steam-early-access-spring-2023

Vehicle traffic has long defied description. Once measured roughly through visual inspection and traffic cameras, new smartphone crowdsourcing tools are now quantifying traffic far more precisely. This po[CENSORED]r method, however, also presents a problem: Accurate measurements require a lot of data and users. Meshkat Botshekan, an MIT Ph.D. student in civil and environmental engineering and research assistant at the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub, has sought to expand on crowdsourcing methods by looking into the physics of traffic. During his time as a doctoral candidate, he has helped developCarbin, a smartphone-based roadway crowdsourcing tool created by MIT CSHub and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and used its data to offer more insight into the physics of traffic—from the formation of traffic jams to the inference of traffic phase and driving behavior. Here, he explains how recent findings can allow smartphones to infer traffic properties from the measurements of a single vehicle. Q: Numerous navigation apps already measure traffic. Why do we need alternatives? A: Traffic characteristics have always been tough to measure. In the past, visual inspection and cameras were used to produce traffic metrics. So, there's no denying that today's navigation tools apps offer a superior alternative. Yet even these modern tools have gaps. Chief among them is their dependence on spatially distributed user counts: Essentially, these apps tally up their users on road segments to estimate the density of traffic. While this approach may seem adequate, it is both vulnerable to mani[CENSORED]tion, as demonstrated in some viral videos, and requires immense quantities of data for reliable estimates. Processing these data is so time- and resource-intensive that, despite their availability, they can't be used to quantify traffic effectively across a whole road network. As a result, this immense quantity of traffic data isn't actually optimal for traffic management. Q: How could new technologies improve how we measure traffic? A: New alternatives have the potential to offer two improvements over existing methods: First, they can extrapolate far more about traffic with far fewer data. Second, they can cost a fraction of the price while offering a far simpler method of data collection. Just like Waze and Google Maps, they rely on crowdsourcing data from users. Yet, they are grounded in the incorporation of high-level statistical physics into data analysis. For instance, the Carbin app, which we are developing in collaboration with UMass Dartmouth, applies principles of statistical physics to existing traffic models to entirely forgo the need for user counts. Instead, it can infer traffic density and driver behavior using the input of a smartphone mounted in single vehicle. The method at the heart of the app, which was published last fall in Physical Review E, treats vehicles like particles in a many-body system. Just as the behavior of a closed many-body system can be understood through observing the behavior of an individual particle relying on the ergodic theorem of statistical physics, we can characterize traffic through the fluctuations in speed and position of a single vehicle across a road. As a result, we can infer the behavior and density of traffic on a segment of a road. As far less data is required, this method is more rapid and makes data management more manageable. But most importantly, it also has the potential to make traffic data less expensive and accessible to those that need it. Q: Who are some of the parties that would benefit from new technologies? A: More accessible and sophisticated traffic data would benefit more than just drivers seeking smoother, faster routes. It would also enable state and city departments of transportation (DOTs) to make local and collective interventions that advance the critical transportation objectives of equity, safety, and sustainability. As a safety solution, new data collection technologies could pinpoint dangerous driving conditions on a much finer scale to inform improved traffic calming measures. And since socially vulnerable communities experience traffic violence disproportionately, these interventions would have the added benefit of addressing pressing equity concerns. There would also be an environmental benefit. DOTs could mitigate vehicle emissions by identifying minute deviations in traffic flow. This would present them with more opportunities to mitigate the idling and congestion that generate excess fuel consumption. As we've seen, these three challenges have become increasingly acute, especially in urban areas. Yet, the data needed to address them exists already—and is being gathered by smartphones and telematics devices all over the world. So, to ensure a safer, more sustainable road network, it will be crucial to incorporate these data collection methods into our decision-making. https://techxplore.com/news/2022-02-car-traffic.html

NVIDIA has just announced a highly innovative approach to tackling carbon emissions in the world with their CNHC (Carbon Negative Heating Consortium) initiative and their first HeatForce (HEATFORCE?) Mark I generation of crypto-mining smart heaters. The idea is that instead of using your dumb 1500 watt space heater, why not swap in NVIDIA's smart heater which can (depending on your choice) either give you carbon zero or carbon negativity. NVIDIA tackles the wasted work problem with the Carbon Negative Heating Consortium NVIDIA starts with talking about the "Wasted Work" problem. Homes are heated either using gas or electric heaters (and rarely, heat pumps). Considering heat is the end product of pretty much all work done (computations) anyways, this is energy that could have been used to do valuable calculations before being wasted as heat. Based on the profitability rates of today's crypto, NVIDIA estimates that 1500 watts is sufficient to generate roughly $500 in profits (after accounting for your energy bill). Now let's talk about how this works. If you use a 1500W space heater for 8 hours per day per month, you will use roughly 360 KWH of electricity per month. The rate for CO2 production right now is roughly 0.85 pounds per KWH. This means you are contributing roughly 306 pounds in emissions per month. For those working with SI units, this is 163 KG of CO2 produced per month. Now it costs roughly $600 to remove (or sequester) 1 tonne of C02. In other words, NVIDIA's estimated $500 would be good enough to sequester 830 KGs per month. Now here is where NVIDIA gives users a choice, the heater will have two options: Carbon Zero and Carbon Negative. In Carbon Zero mode, roughly 17% of the total proceeds will go to a corporation that will use that to sequester your entire CO2 contribution from the air. You can pocket the rest in an embedded cryptocurrency hardware wallet. In Carbon Negativity, you can set how much more you want to contribute to carbon removal - all the way up to 100%. NVIDIA's HEATFORCE Mark I is powered by not one but two Ada Lovelace GPUs. These GPUs have been specialized for cryptocurrency mining and will not have any display ports and also rock a very high clock rate. We are looking at close to 500 MH/s of cryptocurrency production at roughly 1400W consumed. The company has also bundled a 1500W solid state PSU with the space heater. As far as heating performance goes, the HEATFORCE Mark I is capable of quickly heating up rooms 17x17 meters in size. It is also equipped with a medical grade HEPA filter that will remove up to 99.99% viruses, bacteria and allergens from the air. The "smart" features of the device are powered by NVIDIA's next-generation Grace SoC. It features Wifi 8 connectivity for uninterrupted pool-mining support and has an automatic temperature regulator (which is naturally a crypto hash rate regulator). It also contains PM2.5 and humidity sensors to calculate the US AQI of your room in real time. While we don't know the pricing yet, this is an incredibly good idea and hits a lot of points in one go. Not only are you getting a heating device which is actually using the energy before wasting it as heat, but you can actually contribute to removing CO2 from the environment. The medical-grade HEPA filter also means that you need to worry less about any pathogens or irritants in the air. https://wccftech.com/nvidia-announces-heatforce-crypto-mining-smart-heaters-that-can-achieve-carbon-negativity/

Name of the Game : House Flipper Price : 4.24$ https://store.steampowered.com/app/613100/House_Flipper/ Offer ends up after Xhours: 04 April Requirements: MINIMUM: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 7 (64-bit) or newer Processor: Intel Core i3 3,20GHz / AMD Phenom II X4 955 3,2 GHz Memory: 4 GB RAM Graphics: GeForce GTX 560 / AMD R7-260X DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 6 GB available space RECOMMENDED: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 10 64bit Processor: Intel Core i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 5 1600 Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: GeForce GTX 970 / AMD Radeon RX 580 DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 6 GB available space