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Musician Name : Annie Clark Birthday / Location : September 28, 1982 (age 38) Telsa USA Main instrument : Quitar Musician Picture : Musician Awards & Nominations : Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album, for work: St. Vincent (2015). Best Performance : Other Information : St. Vincent (1982 AD) is an American singer, singer, singer, musician, composer, and guitarist, born in Tulsa. Educated at Barclay College of Music (since 2001).
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The iPhone 12 scored lower than the iPhone 11 in GPU tests Early benchmarks of the A14 Bionic in the iPhone 12 show mixed performance results and raise questions about the GPU. Benchmarking service AnTuTu released its first results for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, giving us an idea of how much faster the A14 Bionic is compared to its predecessor and competing Snapdragon chips. iPhone 12: Release date, price, specs and more Best iPhone 12 deals — here are the best places to pre-order iPhone 12 vs. iPhone 12 Pro: Which new Apple phone is best? AnTuTu shows a roughly 20% CPU improvement for the A14 Bionic in the iPhone 12 over the A13 Bionic in the iPhone 11. The delta in scores between the A14 and A13 is comparable to what we're seeing in Geekbench 5 benchmarks. As you can see in the images above, the iPhone 12 scored a bit lower than the iPhone 12 Pro when you compare total scores. This likely comes down to a spec Apple didn't share during its presentation: the iPhone 12 Pro has 6GB of RAM while the iPhone 12 has only 4GB. What's more surprising are the GPU scores, which are actually lower than those from the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. According to AnTuTu's benchmarks, the iPhone 12 score a 201,085 whereas the iPhone 11 landed at 205,671. Similarly, the iPhone 12 Pro was even further behind at 196,812 compared to the iPhone 11 Pro's 215,338. Android phones running the latest Snapdragon 865 also scored higher on the GPU test, with the OnePlus 8 landing at 219,044. Apple promised up to a 50% performance delta between the A14 Bionic and rival chips. These benchmarks don't support those claims, but remember, we're still early in the game. We hope to get an iPhone 12 in for review in the coming days. When we do, we'll run our own benchmarks and compare the new iPhone 12 models to the top phones on the market.
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Our pick of the best remote desktop software around today As the coronavirus (aka Covid-19) continues to spread around the world, many companies have now introduced policies to accommodate remote working while also helping to limit the impact on productivity. We feature the best remote desktop software - but if you're looking for more tools, be sure to check out our guides to the best video conferencing software and the best online collaboration tools around today. Also take a look at our in-depth feature on everything else you need to set up your home office. Choosing the best remote desktop software will equip you with the tools needed to access and manage one or more computers from another device. Remote access is possible via both local networks and the internet, which means that, with the right software, anyone can access any device, anywhere in the world. With one of the remote desktop access applications we’ve listed below, you will be able to do any one of a number of things. For example, you could use your personal smartphone to access and manage files on your business PC or office laptop without having to leave your home. Having this versatility is great, especially during periods of sickness or difficulty when you’re unable to physically go to the office as it is the case now. No wonder that searches related to remote desktop have shot up significantly over the past few months as businesses scramble to find more about remote access. Using remote access software is simple. They generally take no more than a few minutes to set up, and you will usually have to install the software on the computer or other device you want to access the remote computer with. Many programs also need to be installed on the remote PC, while others are connected via a weblink or access code. Some versions of Windows come with built-in remote desktop software, but third-party tools often perform much better and come with significantly more features. This could be especially important if you’re planning on using the software regularly. There are a few other po[CENSORED]r uses for the best remote desktop software. For example, you can handle complicated tasks from a laptop by connecting remotely to a more powerful computer. Also, IT support staff regularly use remote access programs to control a client’s computer and deal with any issues. In the this article, we've briefly covered our top ten best remote desktop applications to help you choose the right one for your needs.
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Initial release date: October 16, 2020 Software developer: EA Vancouver Engine: Engine: Engine Publisher: A Sports Series: NHL Modes: Single video game, Team video game EA normally releases new NHL games during the Stanley Cup playoffs when the sporting world is focused on hockey, but complications due to COVID-19 led to a delay for NHL 21. The Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup weeks ago, and as a result, ice hockey has escaped the wider public sports consciousness as other leagues take hold. But NHL 21 is a compelling reason to care about hockey again, as this year's game delivers a major improvement to the story mode, adds a flashy new arcade-style mode in HUT Rush, and makes the on-the-ice gameplay better than ever thanks to a series of new skill moves that let you play with more style. Be A Pro 2.0 The biggest new addition for NHL 21 is the expanded and improved Be A Pro. After NHL 20 delivered basically no updates on the career-focused mode, NHL 21 offers a huge step forward thanks to a cinematic-style campaign of sorts, where you create a character and guide them through their career, beginning in either Europe or the Canadian Hockey League and competing for a spot in the NHL. The story beats play out through non-voiced dialogue sequences and cutscenes with coaches, media, and teammates. The main choices you make come from the Team or Star paths, and both have pros and cons to consider as you weigh your options to shape your career in the way you want to. As an example, my agent called me to ask if I wanted to attend a charity event for a wildlife protection company. I chose the "Team" response, and my brand rating improved because the simulation suggested my fans would see this as a sports star being humble and genuine. However, choosing this option came with a negative effect, too, as my agent told me it was a noble choice but I should also plan for my life after hockey and try to make as much money in my prime as possible. I enjoyed the struggle of making these choices, and I found myself choosing one option and then loading a previous save to see how things would have played out differently. The choices you have to make can be real head-scratchers and they generally seem believable and taken from real-world headlines. But while the conversation system and cutscenes are generally enjoyable and a step up from the past iterations of Be A Pro, they are at times very cheesy and contrived, so the conversations and their impact don't always resonate. I started my Be A Pro season in the Canadian Hockey League's Memorial Cup, and it was an enjoyable challenge to start my career as a low-level, poorly rated player who had to compete well with what few shifts I was given to win over my coach and teammates. Very few hockey players have a meteoric rise; it's often a slow grind, and this is faithfully represented in NHL 21's Be A Pro. The aim is to make it to the NHL by performing well enough to get signed by a team in the draft. To that end, NHL 21's Be A Pro mode delivers a multitude of feedback systems to help you improve. During games, a coaching system gives you live feedback about how you're performing and what you need to do better. After each game, a detailed statistics page po[CENSORED]tes with even more information and shows you sliders that represent how much further you need to go to improve. You can tailor your player to your liking with NHL 21's skill tree system, allowing you to decide what type of player you want to be and then building a skill profile that focuses on anything you want. As I got better and better, I enjoyed seeing my player grow and evolve with their OVR rating rising, and the intuitive feedback systems helped me to understand what to prioritize to become a better player and teammate. The rest of what makes Be A Pro so great this year are the more subtle improvements and attention to detail. There is a new radio show featuring NHL 21 commentator James Cybulski, who is a radio host in real life. It plays while you're moving through the menus and completing tasks like assigning skill points, checking the calendar, and tracking your progress, and it's exciting to hear Cybulski speak about what happened during the previous week and shower you with praise or discuss your less-than-ideal performance with his witty and informative commentary. It's a natural-sounding broadcast show, complete with Cybulski taking callers and flubbing his dialogue in some cases just as it would happen in real life. There is also a new Salary Perks option that lets you decide what to do with your earnings, which can become significant as you progress through your NHL career. Some of the options include supporting charities, buying cars and houses, or even investing your money into app development, and they impact your player's ratings, which further encourages you to invest in your player's life off the ice. For example, buying a sports car gets you a limited-time buff toward speed on the ice, while hiring a lawyer gets you +2 aggressiveness, which is pretty silly but fun to see at the same time. NHL 21's Be A Pro mode is a far cry from the Longshot and The Journey modes from EA's Madden and FIFA games, respectively--which are far more fleshed out and include voiced dialogue--but what is there for NHL 21's Be A Pro mode is entertaining and feels like a first step, and one that I hope EA builds upon in the future. Dangle Game Upgrades On the ice, NHL 21 excels yet again. The big new additions to the gameplay mix this year are a series of skill moves that make NHL 21 even more true-to-life and faithful to where the real NHL is at these days. Players like Alexander Spechnikov, Sidney Crosby, and Alexander Ovechkin are wowing fans with their skills, and this has seemingly inspired the flashy new skill moves in NHL 21. The new slip and chip dekes are relatively simple to execute, and they are useful for getting around defenders in the open ice. The bank net self-pass, which Crosby made famous, is particularly helpful to quickly change directions and keep defenders guessing. The more challenging dekes, the "no-move move" and the lacrosse goal, are aimed at the highest-skilled players and I found them to be extremely difficult to pull off. The lacrosse goal in particular is the hardest deke in the game--and it should be, given that it's only been performed in real life on camera a handful of times. The new skill moves are a welcome and enjoyable part of NHL 21, but they are not overpowered, and you don't necessarily need to use them to score goals. Like in real hockey, the majority of goals that are scored are the result of playing with speed, making hard passes, and putting in the effort to fight for the puck. It's a thrill to pull off some of the new skill moves during a game, especially against human opponents, but I scored the most goals--and had the most goals scored against me--by breaking the defense down with speed and making good and smart passes. Like in previous years, cycling the puck and waiting for a cross-crease scoring opportunity is the best way to win, even if it's not the flashiest way to do so. Also of note, your AI teammates, along with defenders, are smarter and more capable this year. In comparison to NHL 20, I found the AI to make better choices and skate together at a more capable level, and this contributes to making NHL 21 feel even more authentic to the sport. AI goalies are smarter in NHL 21, too--they get into position and reading shots better than last year, and as a result I found myself scoring fewer "cheap" goals, which helps make the game feel more true-to-life. The sloppy goals from previous games can still happen, but I experienced fewer of them in NHL 21. Several new desperation animations for goalies have been added this year, too, and they elicit some jaw-dropping sequences just as they do on a TV broadcast. There is still some weirdness to be found in NHL 21's gameplay. Player models do not always react to the action on the ice in a natural-looking way--there can be horror-show clips of players knocking into each other and limbs bending in inhuman ways, for example. And it's disappointing that the player models and the crowd animations are largely unchanged from last year. But these shortcomings are few and far between, and they don't negatively affect the experience in a consequential way. Excellent Controls And Detail The controls in NHL 21 are once again phenomenal. Using the recommended skill stick controls, the gamepad feels like an extension of your stick, and the controls feel intuitive and simple to grasp across the wide variety of moves you can perform. In particular, I found that poke checks are remarkably represented in NHL 21, providing a fine level of control to break up passes and give your opponents headaches as they try to enter the zone or make a move. Elsewhere, NHL 21 delivers subtle improvements to the presentation that help the game look and perform more realistically. Jerseys generally look more like the real deal, featuring crinkles on them that give the appearance that they are actually worn instead of just slapped onto the character model. The animations, too, appear smoother this year, especially the backskating and pivoting animations that are fluid almost to a level of a TV broadcast. Some of the skating animations are still a bit wonky, but for the most part NHL 21 has a stunning package of realistic-looking animations that ice hockey fans will appreciate. The attention to detail in NHL 21 is impeccable and makes the game feel like a true representation of hockey culture. PA announcers during intermissions talk about hot dog giveaways, commentators James Cybulski and Ray Ferraro have an excellent rapport and effectively balance being informative and entertaining at the same time. The way a player looks over their shoulder when entering the circle for a faceoff, how the crowd noise crescendos into a roar during the third period when the game is close, and how the ice creaks and cracks when playing on ponds are just a few examples of how NHL 21 successfully captures the spirit of hockey by getting the small details right. HUT Rush In addition to the updated Be A Pro, the other biggest new addition for NHL 21 is the HUT Rush mode, which is a great addition to the Hockey Ultimate Team mix. A less serious, more arcade-style mode, HUT Rush challenges you to rack up the highest score by completing skill moves and chaining them together for multiplier points. HUT Rush makes you play differently--no longer are you trying to score goals the basic way, because that won't be good enough. In HUT Rush, it's all about playing with style and using the new skill moves to do so. HUT Rush ties into the new skill moves nicely, providing an avenue for which to put the new skills to good use. There is a social competition element to HUT Rush as well, as your high scores go on a leaderboard that resets weekly, and I found myself coming back just in the first week to see how my stats compared to the global playerbase. Hockey Culture There are a multitude of modes to play in NHL 21 depending on what kind of experience you want, and I enjoyed the variety. Beyond the traditional 5v5 mode and the aforementioned HUT Rush and Be A Pro, the Threes and Ones modes return, and they remain as engaging and fun as ever with their less serious, more stripped-down mechanics. World of Chel returns as well, and this online mode succeeds in creating a hub of sorts for you to create a character and develop them. In World of Chel, you compete against other human players with leaderboards, a battle pass-style cosmetic system, and other progression rewards that represent the carrot to keep chasing. Hockey Ultimate Team offers literally hundreds of challenges to take part in, and this is before you even begin competing with other humans in online versus modes. The Franchise mode, however, sees only minimal updates--the main new feature, a trade deadline simulation, doesn't end up feeling very satisfyingly tense and demanding as you race to make trades against the clock. That said, Franchise remains a very strong offering that lets you live out the fantasy of being an NHL GM as you make all manner of choices to help your team succeed, from identifying draft picks, to maintaining and repairing the toilets in your stadium's bathrooms, to keeping your fans happy. You need to manage just about everything, and it can be a real head-scratcher to have to make decisions that might be good for your organization but bad for player morale. In that way, it feels realistic and true to the experience of the dilemmas that a real NHL GM might face. Simply put, NHL 21 represents a gigantic offering with each distinct part bringing something to the table that shows off a different corner of the hockey world and its culture. And speaking of culture, NHL 21 introduces new banners that pop up to tell you that offensive team names and other toxic behavior will not be tolerated. Further, NHL 21 has built-in player-reporting tools, so you can quickly and easily report offensive user-created team names you may come across. The NHL video game series and the sport it's based on is known to have a diversity and toxicity problem, and it's good to see EA take a step in the right direction to weed out some of the bad actors. However, with the game's online modes only just getting properly po[CENSORED]ted now, it's too soon to say if these reporting tools will be effective in thwarting bad behavior. NHL 21 is a fantastic ice hockey game that pushes the series forward with an enjoyable, engaging story mode in Be A Pro and a flashy, arcade-style way to play with HUT Rush. The new skill moves are a welcome addition to the mix to give players new ways to be slippery and keep defenders guessing, but the best part of NHL 21 is its solid foundation thanks to its excellent controls and presentation package that is getting even closer to mirroring a TV broadcast.
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KBB Editors’ Overview The smaller cousin of the large Ram ProMaster van, the compact 2021 Ram ProMaster City is sold as a Cargo Van and a Wagon in Tradesman and SLT forms. Offering best-in-class cargo space, payload, and fuel economy, the 2021 ProMaster City is far more maneuverable than a full-size truck. As such, it’s perfectly suited for small deliveries, with a roomy cargo bay that can be configured with the racks, shelving, or any special equipment a small business might need. The ProMaster City fits with ease in most garages. Passenger versions seat five, but they aren’t as modern inside as the Ford Transit Connect, the ProMaster City’s primary competition. The ProMaster City also lacks many safety-related driver-assists. How Much Does the 2021 Ram ProMaster City Cost? The 2021 Ram ProMaster City, in Tradesman Cargo Van form, has a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $24,530, plus a destination charge of $1,595. As a 5-seat Tradesman Wagon, the 2021 Ram ProMaster City starts at $26,330. In SLT form, the Ram ProMaster Cargo Van starts at $26,180, while the ProMaster Wagon SLT begins at $27,930. Priced as such, the Ram’s ProMaster is considerably less expensive than the larger Mercedes-Benz Metris, but above the cargo-only Nissan NV200. For the record, the 2021 Ford Transit Connect is priced similarly to the ProMaster City, with a starting MSRP of $24,655. Before buying your new Ram ProMaster Cargo Van or Wagon, please check the KBB.com Fair Purchase Price to see what others are paying for theirs. Driving the 2021 Ram ProMaster City The Ram’s 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, with 178 horsepower, provides good acceleration and acceptable passing power. Although the 9-speed automatic transmission isn’t as smooth as we’d like at slow speeds, it has been significantly improved since the first ProMaster City of 2015. Ride quality, thanks in part to a long 122.4-inch wheelbase, remains pleasantly compliant. The ProMaster City’s calling card is its maneuverability compared to a traditional cargo van. This compact Ram van’s turning circle is a decent 42 feet, and its brakes (front discs, rear drums) back) inspire confidence. While the tall body leans a bit in corners, it’s not to an excessive degree. From the ProMaster City’s driver’s seat, the outward view is excellent, aided by large windows and a low hood. The seats remain comfortable and supportive, but taller drivers may wish the steering wheel had more adjustability. Favorite Features LOW LOAD FLOOR The 2021 Ram ProMaster City’s cargo floor is only 21.5 inches off the pavement, greatly facilitating the loading process. The rear doors open wide, too. PO[CENSORED]R EQUIPMENT GROUP Optional on the ProMaster City SLT Wagon, the Po[CENSORED]r Equipment Group includes heated front seats, 2nd-row power windows, and a 6-speaker stereo. 2021 Ram ProMaster City Interior The 2021 Ram ProMaster City is versatile and practical. The ProMaster City Cargo Van has a pair of front seats divided by a low center console with armrest. Behind those seats is a big cargo compartment with an 87.2-inch cargo floor that has 48.4 inches between the wheel wells. While headroom abounds in the ProMaster City, there’s not enough room to stand up in back. The overall cargo volume of the ProMaster City Cargo Van is 131.7 cubic feet. While the Ram ProMaster City Wagon isn’t quite as nice inside as the Ford Transit Connect and Mercedes-Benz, it does have Uconnect 3 with a 5-inch infotainment display, as well as an optional navigation system and WiFi hotspot. The ProMaster City Wagon seats five, with plenty of room behind the folding 3-seat rear bench for lots of gear. The flat load floor behind the rear bench measures 55 inches from front to rear, and there’s 48.4 inches of space between the rear wheel wells. Max payload of the 2021 Ram ProMaster City Cargo Van is 1,890 pounds. For the 2021 Ram ProMaster City Wagon, it’s 1,713 pounds. Both are rated to tow a 2,000-pound trailer. 2021 Ram ProMaster City Exterior With vans, form follows function. Even so, we think the ProMaster City has pleasant albeit utilitarian lines. Cargo models are available with sliding side doors, which are standard on the ProMaster City Wagon. All versions of the 2021 Ram ProMaster City have rear doors that swing out 180 degrees for easy loading. The standard rear windows of the ProMaster City Wagon are optional on the ProMaster City Cargo Van. 2021 Ram ProMaster City Standard Features The basic Ram ProMaster Cargo Van is spartan by modern standards. But it does come with air conditioning, power windows, power door locks, a tilt/telescope steering wheel, and keyless entry. The 4-speaker AM/FM audio system has 5-inch Uconnect 3 display with USB and auxiliary inputs. Standard equipment on the 2021 Ram ProMaster Wagon includes a 60/40 split-folding rear seat and side-curtain airbags. Although Apple CarPlay and Android Auto aren’t available, Ram offers the ProMaster City with in-car Wi-Fi and a telematics system that lets business fleets monitor vehicle usage. If you want modern collision-avoidance systems like automatic emergency braking, you’ll need to look at the Ford Transit Connect because they’re not available on this Ram. 2021 Ram ProMaster City Options There aren’t that many options on the 2021 Ram ProMaster City, but they are important. They include heated front seats, a navigation system, satellite radio, a roof rack, onboard WiFi, and a cargo partition. With the new Lights and Wheels Group, you get fog lamps and 16-inch alloy wheels. With the Taxicab Group, you get vinyl bucket seats and an upfit interface connector, plus black 16-inch steel wheels with silver wheel covers. A Po[CENSORED]r Equipment Group includes heated front seats, 2nd-row power windows, and a 6-speaker stereo, while a trailer-towing package includes a Class III hitch receiver along with 4-pin and 7-pin wiring harnesses. 2021 Ram ProMaster City Engine All 2021 Ram ProMaster City vans are front-wheel-drive models powered by a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine that produces 178 horsepower and 174 lb-ft of torque. While that may not seem like much power for a fully loaded van, the compact ProMaster City feels strong around town, aided by its 9-speed automatic transmission. With its wide range of gearing, this 9-speed gearbox helps acceleration and fuel economy, which is rated by the EPA at 21 mpg city/ 28 mpg highway/24 mpg combined. In towing, the ProMaster City cargo van can pull up to 2,000 pounds, while the heavier wagon is limited to a slightly lower 1,915 pounds. With its 16-gallon tank and 28-mpg highway fuel economy, the 2021 Ram ProMaster City can go nearly 450 miles on a tank of fuel.
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In August, Dawn Batten, who runs an interiors Instagram account focusing on thrift and upcycling, found herself layering her favourite willow-pattern crockery with blush-pink bowls and plates from Poundland. “It was just me playing around with layering the plates to see what I could create from what I had,” she says. She didn’t know “tablescaping” was a term until she looked for a hashtag for the resulting picture. “I was hovering on one leg to take that photo,” adds Batten, which is classic tablescaping behaviour. Layering crockery is classic tablescaping, too. As it sounds, tablescaping is “a decorative arrangement of ornaments or other objects on a tabletop”. For the past few years, the trend – and the posting of the pictures of your dinner table groaning with tasteful crockery, candles and other accessories online – has mushroomed. But it was in lockdown, perhaps inevitably, that tablescaping became a phenomenon. With so many of us working from home, our social lives disappearing and desperate for some comfort, our focus on our homes was never sharper. As the pandemic took hold, so did sourdough baking, DIY projects, and loungewear. All of which pointed to a country whose nesting instinct was on high alert; and what could be more natural than the desire to make our immediate surroundings snug, restful, happy sanctuaries? Tablescaping, a small joy that can take a few minutes or a few hours, and makes dinnertime instantly prettier, was part of this national self soothing. Thanks to social distancing and unbridled screen time, the “tablescape” hashtag now has 455,000 Instagram posts and counting, and it is lifting sales during the crisis. As other industries languish, napkins and tablecloths are up 109% and 102% year on year at Argos, while, at Selfridges, during the past six weeks, sales of table linen have doubled. TV presenter Laura Jackson talks enthusiastically about setting the table with whatever you already own, sourcing napkins from charity shops and stealing a few sprigs from a hedge to put in a vase. There are broadly three types of tablescape. The first is themed and handmade, born of imagination and a glue gun. A meadow scene complete with Easter bunnies, for instance, or a Halloween table covered in cotton wool in place of dry ice, perhaps. The second is the rustic kind, in which the tablecloth is slightly creased, the candlesticks are artfully wonky and lemons are casually strewn across the table. The third is highly formal – essentially replicating silver-service dining with designer crockery and crystal glassware. This is where layering often comes in. “We like to work in a series of three,” says Louisa Preskett, of the high-end tablescaping rental company Maison Margaux; usually “place mat, dinner plate and pudding plate” and three glasses, too (wine, champagne and water). Add bamboo cutlery, and napkins “folded in a beautiful way”, tapered candles and flowers, “and you’ve got something really special”. Whatever your tablescaping tribe, napkins are high-priority. Decorative napkins, says Nick Vinson, an expert in design and interiors for Wallpaper* magazine, “have never been so po[CENSORED]r”. Vinson was alone for 10 weeks in lockdown, and used to “get a nice napkin out”, as a way to turn his elevenses snack into a proper treat. “Napkins used to feel so stuffy and alienating,” says Jackson. “But they don’t any more – they are fun and affordable. It’s like napkins are the new fashion.” In the before-time, the renewed interest in setting the table felt like a millennial craving for a more convivial way of life, a reaction against the previous generation’s rushed breakfasts and TV dinners. It was also a way of showing off, with social media posts from picture-perfect dinner parties acting as a fomo-trap for the uninvited. Nowhere was the one-cup-manship more pronounced than in the luxury world, which is where Preskett thinks the trend started, about five years ago. VIP guests were posted photographs of their table settings from brands’ events. The brands began competing. “So Hermes had to have a more fabulous tablescape than Louis Vuitton, which had to have a more fabulous tablescape than Cartier.” But in lockdown, with the hospitality industry on pause, tablescaping took a different direction. For one thing, it provided an income stream – or at least a trickle – to companies whose businesses might have capsized in the crisis. It may even help the fashion industry, with brands from Primark to Preen focusing on homeware as sales of party dresses plummet. The events designer Fiona Leahy is credited with po[CENSORED]rising the practice in the UK; her past creative hits include a Dior dinner with London landmark centrepieces, from which celebrity guests stole mini London Eyes and tiny London Bridges. “I’ve done things for work I would never have been able to do in real life,” she says, explaining how she has been accused of “taking my fantasies out on my tables”. She describes her aesthetic as “the opposite of baby shower”, meaning that while there may be a lot going on, the aim is to be “zeitgeisty – channelling moods and feelings using the medium of the table” rather than covering the table in bows for the sake of it. Lockdown changed the rhythm of her days considerably. “We were just at home with our tables, our napkins and our decisions in life,” she jokes, so she started posting photographs celebrating the art of dining for one, on a tray, (#trayscapes, inevitably). The idea was to show that “solitude can be celebratory”, she says. “The reason I love what I do is that it’s not decadent for the sake of it. There’s something very convivial about elevating the mundane by setting a tray or table.” Jackson, who runs supper clubs, as well as presenting TV shows, also encouraged her 129,000 followers to set the table once a day, even if they were eating something as simple as cheese on toast, and post the photographs with the hashtag #makeamealofit during lockdown. She has since launched a food delivery box, which costs £62 including tablescaping bits and dinner for two – about the same price as going out for dinner, but you get to keep the napkins. “I found structure really hard during lockdown,” says Jackson. “So I started to focus on setting the table to punctuate the day. You’re creating an experience, a sense of occasion.” In a time of mass powerlessness, it makes sense that some would seek control around the dinner table. Dining customs have always been about proving ourselves to be immune to the vicissitudes of the natural world. As Margaret Visser wrote in The Rituals of Dinner in 1991: “One of the more spectacular triumphs of human ‘culture’ over ‘nature’ is our own determination when eating to avoid touching food with anything but metal implements.” Still, not everyone is on board. Like many female-skewed pastimes, tablescaping has been dismissed and derided from the beginning. In the US, the high-profile chef Sandra Lee po[CENSORED]rised the term on her TV show in the 00s. “There were several personalities within the industry that were quite dismissive and even outwardly insulting about many terms I coined. I ignored them. Ironically, these same people now use my terms to describe their own decor/works,” she writes, over email. In Leahy’s world, “I’ve even heard people say ‘table escaping’ because they are so bloody sick of it.” And while it is Leahy’s job, she knows that parading “a gazillion fancy napkins” could be “perceived as Marie Antoinette-ish at a time when people are suffering”. Certainly, tablescaping has more than its share of wealthy proponents, their dedication to posting photographs of truckloads of expensive plates on social media during lockdown as ripe for psychological analysis as the rest of us bulk buying toilet roll. But, to be fair, many more are tablescapers on a budget, not in it for the display but the creativity. In the US, tablescaping is so established that it has become a competitive event at county fairs. “They call me the queen of theme,” says Bonnie Overman, an ophthalmic technician and multi-award-winning tablescaper. “What excites me is not the dishes, forks and spoons, but creating a theme,” she says. She tells me about gluing hundreds of sequins on to a tiny pair of high heels for a Wicked table and producing an ode to Breakfast at Tiffany’s with jewellery busts and a mirrored tabletop. In competitive tablescaping, participants are judged not only on show-stopping tableau, however, but on the correct deployment of cutlery, crockery and glassware for an imagined menu. Overman has had her disappointments, over the years, like the time she “screwed up Phantom of the Opera” because “I did not switch my forks. Every once in a while I do make mistakes,” she says. Ruminating on the highs and lows of a 25-year tablescaping career, in which six months of preparation can suddenly go down the pan over a misplaced spoon, she describes the process as “agonising. I have a love/hate relationship with it.” With county fairs closed indefinitely, and Overman being unable to work or see her grandchildren, she has started a YouTube channel, which, she says, “is the one thing that saved me from complete depression”. She hopes visitors to the channel – in which she shares a number of projects including tablescapes past – will be inspired to use crafts to make this Halloween and Christmas special: “We want to have some good memories from this year,” she says. “Everybody needs passions in life. If you go through the year without celebrating the holidays and having passions, life is just one big blob,” she says, speaking for tablescapers everywhere.
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Yesterday, a court in the Algerian capital convicted “Madame Maya”, who claimed to be the daughter of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, with 12 years imprisonment with execution, on the basis of serious corruption charges involving two ministers and a former police chief. Each of them received a sentence of 10 years imprisonment with execution. The "story of Maya," whose real name is Zulekha Nisnach, promised a confusing mystery, and, according to lawyers connected to the file, gave a strong impression of the state of delinquency and mani[CENSORED]tion of large institutions in the state, such as the Presidency of the Republic. During many years, "Maya" acted on the basis that she was Bouteflika's daughter, and she was indeed related to him, as she mentioned in the reports of the security investigation. But this relationship remained a mystery. During the trial, which lasted for a week, lawyers demanded that Bouteflika be summoned to hear him in the case, but the judge refused, bearing in mind that ordinary Algerians know that Bouteflika did not have a wife or children. Maya (40 years) was arrested last year, based on reports against her. The "daughter of the president" and government officials were followed up on charges of "money laundering", "exploiting influence", "granting undue privileges", "squandering public money", and "inciting a public agent (government employee) to grant undue privileges." And "smuggling of hard currency abroad." During the trial, the Minister of Public Works and Labor, Abdelghani Zaalan and Mohamed Ghazi, confirmed that Mohamed Rougab, the private secretary at Bouteflika, asked them to grant Zulekha projects and investment concessions, in their capacity as governors (before they became members of the government during the last years of Bouteflika's rule), and assured them The matter is related to orders issued by the president and pertaining to his daughter. They asserted that they could not refuse to implement these orders, which came to them from the presidency. The country's laws give the governor, as a representative of the government, broad authority to dispose of public money and government deals. Ghazi and Za’lan have been convicted by the judiciary in other cases, on charges of corruption. Regab stated in court that he had received a recommendation from Bouteflika regarding his supposed "daughter", and that he was forced to implement his orders, which he transferred to the governors. According to the investigation, Maya has chosen the states of Chlef and Oran in the west of the country to launch profitable projects. And she had what she wanted in a short time, thanks to sadness and Ghazi. The former police chief, Major General Abdelghani Hamel, also admitted that he prepared Zulekha with surveillance cameras, at the request of influential officials in the presidency. The presumed "daughter of Bouteflika" lived for a long time in the presidential residence, located in a tourist resort in the capital. It is noteworthy that Hamel is serving a 15-year prison sentence on corruption charges, and the judiciary has also indicted his wife and three sons with heavy prison sentences in the same case. In addition, the court in Oran yesterday convicted 4 people, with 4 months imprisonment, with execution, on charges of “insulting a statutory body,” “unarmed gathering,” and “harming the public order.” The facts go back to October 5, when activists in the po[CENSORED]r movement took to the streets of Oran, the largest city in the west of the country, to celebrate the 32-year anniversary of the witnessed po[CENSORED]r uprising (1988) to demand democracy and freedom, and an end to the one-party system. During the protests, dozens of demonstrators were arrested, while the capital witnessed similar protests on the same day, in which many activists and human rights activists were also arrested, and trials for them are expected before the end of the month. The four detainees in Oran announced a hunger strike in the prison, expressing their discontent with the ruling. The number of those arrested for expressing their political positions reaches 70, according to the "National Committee for Demanding the Release of the Prisoners of the Po[CENSORED]r Movement" that overthrew the rule and regime of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
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Musician Name : Marcelo Birthday / Location : Mohamed Morsi Abdel Azim Morsi Main instrument : Violin Musician Picture : Musician Awards & Nominations : - Best Performance : Other Information : Mohamed Morsi, known as Marcelio, is an Egyptian violinist who performs a unique performance using lasers with the violin god. He played different types of instruments because he settled on a violin machine with experience of about 15 years. He is a well-known Egyptian musician and violin player, known for his special style of playing and presenting many types of music, especially electronic music, and presenting international songs with the violin in a new way.
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Prime Day monitor deals to expect Prime Day monitor deals are in full swing during the second day of Amazon's annual shopping bonanza. Outside of Black Friday, Prime Day is your ticket to scoring a monitor on the cheap. Amazon's big sale started October 13 and ends October 14 at 11:59 p.m PT/2:59 a.m. ET. Prime Day deals are exclusively for Prime members. However, if you're not a Prime member, Amazon offers a free 30-day Prime membership trial as an incentive to join. You can cancel before your trial ends to avoid being charged $119 for a year of Prime. During Prime Day, we expect to see discounts on the best monitors from just about every manufacturer. Prime Day monitor deals will markdown a range of displays from brands like Acer, Asus, BenQ, Dell, HP, LG, Samsung and more. We should see discounts from $50 to $200 or more off standard and gaming-specific monitors. Amazon isn't the only retailer expected to offer Prime Day monitor deals next week. Best Buy, Target and Walmart announced sitewide sales that will run alongside Amazon's event. These stores will likely offer similar pricing on select monitors as well. We'll be rounding up the very best monitor deals from various retailers right here to ensure you get the best price. As a reminder, Prime Day ends October 14 and we expect tons of deals on the industry’s best monitors. Be sure to bookmark our Amazon Prime Day 2020 deals hub for this year’s exclusive discounts. If you can't afford to wait, here are the best pre-Prime Day monitor deals you can get right now. Computer monitor buying guide 2020 Go for the largest display that fits your workspace and budget Buy a 2K or 4K monitor if you can afford to splurge. Widescreen multimedia monitors are great for immersive PC gaming and maximum productivity. 60Hz and up is a good refresh rate, however, competitive gamers will benefit from 144Hz and up. Most monitors have a response time of 5ms. Gamers will want to get the lowest response time with 1ms being ideal. Best pre-Prime Day monitor deals LG 34-inch 1080p Ultrawide Monitor: was $399 now $346 @ Amazon BenQ Zowie 24" 1080p 144Hz Gaming Monitor: was $289 now $199 @ Amazon Samsung 32" 1440p 144Hz Curved Gaming Monitor: was $599 now $529 @ Amazon LG 34-inch 1080p Ultrawide Monitor: was $399 now $342 @ Amazon LG 34-inch 1080p Ultrawide Monitor: was $399 now $342 @ Amazon LG's 34WN650-W 21:9 UltraWide (2560x1080) monitor is great for everything from productivity to gaming. Enjoy an immersive experience whether you're working on data sheets and slides, attending class online, streaming a movie or battling the opposition in your favorite PC game.
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The new Google Analytics promises better ROI Marketers now have access to a new, more intelligent version of Google Analytics, one that should deliver a better return on investment. It will look to build on the App + Web property launched in beta last year, which enabled businesses to build a more unified picture of audience engagement across platforms. The new Google Analytics will employ machine learning to automatically inform users of important data trends and predict future customer behavior. The ability to run more detailed analyses is sure to be welcomed by marketing teams under increasing budgetary pressures. The other big change coming to Google Analytics is better integration across app and website platforms. Previously, app engagement was measured separately with Google Analytics for Firebase, while website engagement used Google Analytics. A more unified approach will now allow apps and websites to be measured together. Check out our list of the best SEO tools on the market The best web hosting for business The best onpage SEO tools available today Future-proof marketing With its new features, Google Analytics promises to be more adaptable, more forward-looking and more customer-centric. In the fast-moving world of online marketing, these innovations should make Google Analytics more relevant even as customer behavior and industry regulations shift. “Because the technology landscape continues to evolve, the new Analytics is designed to adapt to a future with or without cookies or identifiers,” explained Vidhya Srinivasan, Vice President of Measurement, Analytics, and Buying Platforms at Google in a blog post. "It uses a flexible approach to measurement, and in the future, will include modeling to fill in the gaps where the data may be incomplete. This means that you can rely on Google Analytics to help you measure your marketing results and meet customer needs now as you navigate the recovery and as you face uncertainty in the future.” As the default experience for marketers, the new Google Analytics is easy to access. Simply creating a new Google Analytics 4 property (previously called an App + Web property) will grant access to the latest innovations.
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Initial release date: October 16, 2020 Series: Mario Kart Platform: Nintendo Switch Publisher: Nintendo Modes: Single video game, Team video game Genres: Racing video game, Augmented Reality There's an old truism in gaming circles that Nintendo is a toy company at its core. This is both praise and critique, expressing a sense of wonderment over the company's ability to tap into childlike playfulness and bafflement at some of its esoteric hardware decisions. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit may be the purest recent expression of the "Nintendo as toy company" ethos. For one, it revolves almost entirely around an actual toy: a tiny camera-equipped go-kart that you race around your real-life house. But more broadly, it behaves the way the simplest toys do, by giving back only as much as the effort you put into creative play. That's because the core pillar of Mario Kart Live is making your own tracks. The game comes with four numbered gates that help define your track. These are made out of unfolding cardboard, like the natural evolution of Nintendo Labo. Once you've laid down your track and any real-life objects as hazards, you need to run through it once, pace-car style, before starting the race. Choosing the main Grand Prix mode po[CENSORED]tes your Augmented Reality (AR) track with four Koopaling opponents, and then you're off to the races. Once you're actually in a race, it operates like any other Mario Kart game. You keep your eyes on the screen--watching your real-life kart is a surefire way to lose--and you see visual effects like Item Blocks and virtual hazards littering the track. And while the kart actually moves relatively slowly in its slowest setting, it actually looks reasonably fast on-screen with the camera set so low to the ground. Surprisingly, seeing how well the usual suite of Mario Kart mechanics has been translated into this new format really is the magic moment of the game. Drifting actually works exactly as you'd expect it to, at least on the screen, as you drag a little askew and then get a sudden boost of speed. Mushrooms give you a longer boost, while hazards and obstacles slow or stop your kart completely. The physical kart even zips around noticeably faster at 150cc and 200cc than at the beginner 50cc. Seeing how well the usual suite of Mario Kart mechanics has been translated into this new format really is the magic moment of the game. Your reward for racing through these events and collecting coins is customization options. You can swap out your kart, your racer's outfit, and your horn. These are cute effects, and even though they only show up on-screen, they have a nice sense of variety to them. I'm partial to my Pirate Mario outfit, which swaps out his traditional cap for a giant tricorn and complements the ensemble with an eyepatch. But more significant are the track parts themselves. Those actually have an impact on gameplay by giving you an ever-growing suite of options for your DIY tracks. Gate types let you add new in-game effects to your four gates, while stage types add general hazards like lava or ice blocks. The best parts of Mario Kart Live are the ideas that should migrate back into the main series. A Magikoopa effect reverses the track on you spontaneously, similar to Mirror Mode but even more dynamic and skill-testing. My favorite addition, a G clef item, will spawn a line of music notes to collect and then reward you with an extra item box separate from the usual ones available at the gates. Other new ideas are less successful, especially due to the game's real-world physicality. A powerful wind effect is designed to make you feel as if your kart is being veered off-course, but in practice it just feels like you lose control of your remote go-kart at frustrating, inopportune moments. A similar struggle occasionally presents itself with the Magikoopa, since you may be mid-turn when the kart is suddenly instructed to interpret your steering in reverse. When you lose control of your kart this way, you raise the chances of slamming into an actual, real-world table leg, stair, or wandering pet. Unlike in a traditional Mario Kart game, Lakitu won't lift you out of danger automatically. You need to manually back out your kart and get back on-course yourself, compounding the frustration when it feels like control was taken from you by the wind. That real-world physicality manifests itself in other less-than-ideal ways too. Mario Kart games usually get a lot of mileage out of their verticality, and Mario Kart 8 made a point of wildly swirling anti-gravity tracks. But the go-kart toy struggles with relatively shallow inclines, so you can't reasonably make a track that takes full advantage of hills and valleys. I was never brave enough to try making a jump, and I can't recommend it--the toy is relatively hearty but I wouldn't risk damaging it, especially given the $100 price tag on them. After a while, all of your created tracks running across the same flat surface starts to feel samey, akin to the flat Mode-7 tracks in the very first Mario Kart game. Perhaps the biggest problem, though, is the way Grand Prix races are structured. These are a series of three races with different stage effects, but there's no option to change your track midway. On one hand, this is understandable--it would certainly slow down the feeling of a Grand Prix if you kept having to pause to rearrange all of your track pieces. But instead, you just run the same track for three races in a row. Instead of the classic Grand Prix, in which you tour a variety of different locations through the tracks, you're doing the same race over and over with slightly different set dressing. It makes the whole experience wear thin that much faster. Since you're making the tracks yourself, it's trivially easy to cheat the system and give yourself access to exclusive shortcuts that aren't available to your AI competitors, who will always follow the exact track line you draw without deviation. This would be resolved with human opponents, but for review we only had access to one kart toy. Expecting players to buy two of these toy sets for a tougher (and smarter) opponent seems like a difficult ask. That said, cheating the system is really only cheating yourself out of the experience. There's fun to be had in Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, but you have to invest in it. The more work you put into making your go-kart track craftwork unique, the more enjoyment you'll get out of racing, with or without some frustration and repetition. Mario Kart Live isn't going to have the long-term appeal of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but with some imagination and ingenuity, you can make it something special.
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DH1 : DH2 :
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Nickname : @HiTLeR. Tag your opponent : @Roselina ♣ flowers Music genre : Dance / Electronic Number of votes : 9 Tag one leader to post your songs LIST : @HiTLeR.
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DH1 : DH2 :
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KBB Editors’ Overview The 2021 Ford Ranger midsize pickup truck keeps things fairly simple. It only has one engine/transmission combination, two cab sizes, and two bed lengths with limited configurations. But simplicity doesn’t have to mean a lack of ability. Against the Chevy Colorado, Toyota Tacoma, and Honda Ridgeline, the Ranger compares well, with a 7,500-pound maximum tow rating and best-in-class payload numbers. It also sports high-tech infotainment and safety features. And its turbocharged 4-cylinder engine generates a strong 270 horsepower while still returning 26 mpg on the highway. To those who use their trucks for off-road adventures, the 2021 Ranger pickup offers FX packages for both all-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive variants. And the new-for-2021 Tremor Off-Road package (available in the top two trims with all-wheel drive and the SuperCrew cab) goes even further with a specialized Fox suspension, Continental General Grabber all-terrain tires, and a 6-switch auxiliary power bank for winches, lights, etc. How Much Does the 2021 Ford Ranger Cost? In its entry-level, rear-drive XL SuperCab form, the 2021 Ford Ranger has a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $24,820. A destination charge of $1,195 brings that to $26,015. The more recommendable mid-level XLT is about $4,000 on top of that. The top Ranger Lariat trim starts at $34,105. The roomier SuperCrew cab lifts these prices by around $2,000. All-wheel drive is almost $4,000, which seems pricey. Fully loaded, a 2021 Ranger Lariat SuperCrew 4×4 can exceed $46,000. The Ranger’s starting price is the same financial ballpark as the Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, and the redesigned-for-2021 Nissan Frontier, but some of those are base trucks with manual transmissions. The Honda Ridgeline starts at around $34k, yet that’s also an apples-and-oranges comparison since it comes with a V6 and a crew cab as standard. The Jeep Gladiator truck is more expensive, but comes with all-wheel drive and off-road talents as standard. Before buying, check the KBB.com Fair Purchase Price to see what others in your area are paying for their new Ranger pickup. The Ranger appears to be superior to the Nissan Frontier in the resale value department, about level with the Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, and Honda Ridgeline, but behind the Toyota Tacoma. Driving the 2021 Ford Ranger The 2021 Ranger pickup proves that a modern 4-cylinder engine is muscular enough to handle a hard day’s work. This truck’s turbocharged 2.3-liter engine develops 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. Linked to a 10-speed automatic transmission, the Ranger moves with authority, even when loaded with people and gear. The driving position feels just right, delivering a commanding view along with good support for the lower back and thighs. The suspension is clearly dialed in for work-truck duty, because the Ranger’s ride is far stiffer than the Honda Ridgeline and Chevrolet Colorado. The steering is at least direct and responsive, helping to make the Ranger feel more like a midsize SUV from behind the wheel, rather than a bulky truck. Take a good, long test drive to make sure the Ranger would be a good fit. Favorite Features TOW-OPTIMIZED BLIND SPOT MONITORING Ford excels in creating innovative features we never knew we needed but now can’t live without. The Ranger’s Tow-Optimized Blind Spot Monitor, for example, that extends its vision to include whatever is being towed behind the truck. The system can even memorize up to three trailer profiles with varying lengths. BANG & OLUFSEN 10-SPEAKER AUDIO SYSTEM In the top 2021 Ford Ranger Lariat trim with the Super Crew cab, buyers can opt for a high-end B&O audio system with bright highs, rich bass, and a volume knob that seemingly knows no limit (it has one, but your ears might give out first). 2021 Ford Ranger Interior SuperCab versions of the 2021 Ranger seats four, with comically tight rear quarters featuring a pair of small, upright seats and scant legroom. If friends, family, and/or workmates are going to be regular rear passengers, the 5-seater Ranger SuperCrew model has more rear legroom and proper rear doors for easy entries and exits. SuperCrew models also have a rear armrest, which is a nice touch for passenger comfort or for separating squabbling siblings. To acquire front seats with more than just 4-way adjustability and cloth covering means either stretching to the top-end Ranger Lariat trim, which has leather upholstery and power-adjustable front seats (8-way for the driver, 6-way for the passenger), or adding that extra comfort as an option in the XLT model. A manual sliding rear window is also offered, depending on trim and package. The base XL trim is staunchly utilitarian, but an optional STX package adds some nicer cabin materials and an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration (as well as 18-inch alloy wheels). 2021 Ford Ranger Exterior Perhaps surprisingly, the Ford Ranger doesn’t look like a small-scale F-150, its bigger brother and the best-selling vehicle in the United States. That’s not a bad thing. The Ranger has its own identity, which includes slightly slanted headlights, hexagonal grille, and an athletic stance overall. The Ranger comes as a SuperCab with a pair of rear-hinged half doors, or the larger SuperCrew with a pair of standard rear doors. Both models are 210.8 inches long. The difference is how they divide the area, with SuperCab models receiving a 6-foot bed and 4-door SuperCrew models having a 5-foot bed. There is no long-bed/SuperCrew permutation that some rivals offer. The new-for-2021 Black appearance package (applicable to the XLT and Lariat trims) has exterior elements and 18-inch alloy wheels all finished in every accountant’s favorite color. New paint choices this year are Cactus Gray, Carbonized Gray, Cyber Orange, and Velocity Blue. 2021 Ford Ranger Standard Features The 2021 Ranger midsize pickup truck comes in XL, XLT and Lariat trim levels. In its most basic form, the Ranger has a turbocharged engine and 10-speed automatic transmission, power windows, 16-inch steel wheels, and automatic on/off headlights. The basic audio system is a 4-speaker AM/FM unit with a 3.5-inch screen. Commendably, the Ford Ranger’s standard features also include a pre-collision warning system that detects cars and pedestrians in front and can ultimately apply the brakes to prevent a collision. It would still be a smarter call to consider the mid-level Ranger XLT, which adds the Co-Pilot360 safety system with blind-spot monitoring, trailer-tow monitoring, lane-keeping assistance, front/rear parking sensors, 17-inch wheels, 8-inch infotainment touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, and Wi-Fi. 2021 Ford Ranger Options At the top of the 2021 Ranger lineup is the Lariat, with leather upholstery, heated/power-adjustable front seats, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, push-button start, LED headlights, and 18-inch wheels. XL trim is eligible for the above-mentioned STX package. The XLT and Lariat trims can also be optioned with navigation and adaptive cruise control. The FX4 Off-Road package is available with any all-wheel-drive variant. It brings an electronic locking rear differential, front tow hooks, off-road suspension, skid plates, and a terrain management system for tackling conditions like mud, snow, ruts, and sand. The FX2 package for rear-drive models includes an electronic locking rear differential, skid plates, off-road wheels/tires, and Ford’s off-road instrument cluster that displays yaw, pitch, and roll in real time. We’ve mentioned the Black appearance package and the Tremor Off-Road package above. Naturally, the Ranger also offers pickup specialties like spray-in bed liner, tonneau cover, and an aluminum cross-bed toolbox. 2021 Ford Ranger Engine Every 2021 Ford Ranger pickup has a turbocharged 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine developing 270 horsepower. It’s linked to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is the standard arrangement, all-wheel drive (AWD) is optional with any trim. The Ranger’s engine has a stop/restart function to help save fuel at idling, but it can be turned off by the touch of a button. Although many rivals offer a choice of engines, including V6 and diesel options, the Ranger’s sole engine is competitive in the areas of power and towing. And its fuel economy is near best-in-class for a gasoline-powered engine. Another bonus is that the 2.3-liter turbo doesn’t require premium fuel. Only the diesel-powered Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon have better towing abilities, even then only by a couple of hundred pounds.
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Boss of UK’s largest chain joins others in industry urging politicians to reconsider forced closure Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The UK’s biggest gym chain could mount legal action after being told to close its venues in Liverpool, a decree it says has “no scientific basis” and will destroy businesses. PureGym said it was “extremely disappointed” at being ordered to close seven venues on the back of strict new tier 3 coronavirus restrictions in the area. Humphrey Cobbold, the chief executive of PureGym, urged politicians to reconsider the “retrograde step which has no scientific basis”. “If they fail to do so …they will be actively contributing to the wilful destruction of a sector that is an essential service where many operators are already in financial distress,” he said. Businesses would “not stand by and watch this destruction happen”, Cobbold said. “We will consider any and every course of action that can be taken to support our industry and members including recourse to legal processes if that is what it takes.” The government is already facing a legal challenge from within the hospitality industry where leaders have complained that new rules are not based on “tangible scientific evidence” . Gyms and leisure centres were among the last businesses to reopen in the summer and, to comply with social distancing rules, they have slashed their occupancy levels and introduced stringent cleaning regimes. The industry argues the safety protocols put in place have worked with the incidence of coronavirus estimated to be one in 100,000, by ukactive, the industry trade body, which has been gathering data since July. Glenn Earlam, the chief executive of the David Lloyd chain, said he was “astounded” by the decision to close gyms and leisure centres but allow restaurants to remain open. “Since our clubs reopened on 25 July we have had just eight cases from over 130,000 member visits in our two clubs in the area at Knowsley and Speke, with, most critically, not a single known in-club transmission case,” Earlam said. Huw Edwards, the chief executive of ukactive, said there had been no consultation and called for the closures to be delayed while the evidence was reviewed. “We continue to call for decisions to be made on the latest available scientific and operational evidence from our sector, which to date shows an extremely low prevalence of Covid-19 in our members’ facilities,” he said. Gym-goers would be “bitterly disappointed to not be able to exercise, especially as the nights get longer and the temperatures colder”, Cobbold added. “This decision will have a profound impact on some fitness facilities which are in a perilous state after the first lockdown and it will worsen the physical and mental health of the local po[CENSORED]tion.”
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The World Trade Organization has allowed the European Union to impose punitive tariffs on $ 4 billion of US goods and services annually due to Washington's support for Boeing. And the trade organization, which a year ago allowed Washington to impose sanctions on the European Union for its support of Airbus, considered that the specified amount “is proportional to the degree and nature of the adverse effects that have been identified,” resulting from illegal US support amounts to Boeing, according to the court report. The European Union and the United States trade accusations of providing illegal government aid to their aircraft manufacturers, and both of them have filed lawsuits before the Trade Settlement Body of the World Trade Organization. Last year, the World Trade Organization authorized US sanctions worth $ 7.5 billion on European goods and services. This was the largest amount of sanctions allowed so far by the World Trade Organization and was a result of European Union assistance to Airbus which was deemed inadequate under international trade regulations. Then Washington imposed punitive duties of 25 percent on European Union products such as wine, cheese and olive oil. It raised the 10 percent customs duty on Airbus aircraft to 15 percent in March. The European Union has already put together a list of US products it can charge for, from ketchup to auto parts. Once approved by the World Trade Organization, the European Union could impose new punitive tariffs starting October 27, a week before the US presidential election, while many EU leaders called for the fees to be imposed immediately if Washington did not agree to abolish the tariffs, and few expect them to. Do that. A source in the sector had previously considered that the WTO decision "opens the door for negotiations." Given the crisis the aviation industry finds itself in and the impact on Airbus and Boeing, the long battle in which tariffs raise aircraft prices does not serve the interests of the European Union or the United States. This is even more the case for Boeing, which is looking to resume sales of its 737 MAX aircraft once flights are allowed to resume. The aircraft has been decommissioned since March 2019 after two fatal accidents that killed 346 people, which also led to the suspension of sales of this model. Any tariffs would make the hundreds of aircraft ordered by European airlines more expensive.
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Musician Name : Maan Hamada Birthday / Location : Maan M. Hamade Main instrument : Piano Musician Picture : Musician Awards & Nominations : Maan Hamadeh was an honoree in Arouwad Awards Festival 2016 in Beirut as a Lebanese Musician. The recognition is given to preeminent actors, artists, musicians, political and public figures from the Arab World who are pioneers in their fields (meaning of Arabic word “arouwad” is pioneers). Maan received deservedly this award for being a bridge between different cultures, saving and representing heritage of Lebanese and Arabic music by rethinking songs and mixing twin sounded melodies from classical music and international pieces in his unique style IDT; also for new way of spreading music in Weekly Videos and Play Me projects. The Arouwad Awards was hosted by Arouwad Magazine and ceremonially passed to honorees on Arouwad Festival in collaboration with one of the top TV stations in Lebanon. Maan performed in the Award Festival playing a Lebanese music "Helwa Ya Baladi - Dalida" and “Mozart: Turkish March” in his own style. Best Performance : Other Information : Maan Hamadeh is a Lebanese pianist. He lives in Dubai and has played at Prague’s Vaclav Havel Airport. His musicianship had been mentioned in mainstream media. His YouTube video, Für Elise in Different Tastes, gained over 17 million views in two months and more than 50 million before April 2020. His first full-evening live concert was in Samqaniyeh el Chouf, Lebanon. As a part of Play Me project, Hamadeh was invited to Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport 0n 1 October 2015 to celebrate the International Music Day He played at Dubai's first pop-up piano
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Save $250 on the Galaxy Note 20 of your choice We already let you know about a solid 25% discount on Samsung's Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra, but the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra weren't going to let them have all the fun and are seeing a $250 price drop of their own for Prime Day. With Super AMOLED displays, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ processor, triple camera arrays and the unique S Pen experience the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra are some of the most powerful Android devices on the market today. One of the few gripes about these devices is the expense and with today's deal, you save 25% off the cost of the Galaxy Note 20 and nearly 20% off the price of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra grabbed one of the top spots on our best smartphones list as the best high-end Android smartphone and it's pretty easy to see why. The combination of the unique S Pen experience coupled with the top of the line hardware including the 108MP primary camera and Snapdragon 865+ processor make it virtually untouchable by other premium Android smartphones. Lengthy battery life and that buttery smooth 120Hz Super AMOLED 2X display further separate it from the competition. One of our only real complaints was that it was it pricey at $1,299 and while the sale price of $1,049 is hardly inexpensive, it feels like a much more reasonable price to pay for this fantastic hardware.. If you turn to the Galaxy Note line for the S Pen and productivity features then the Galaxy Note 20 is going to serve you just fine and for $749 on sale, it's right in line with some of the new more affordable flagship class of devices. While the cameras aren't quite as impressive and it drops the 120Hz display, neither affects the performance or productivity features of the device. If you were considering the Galaxy Note 20 or Galaxy Note 20 Ultra at launch but didn't feel like you could justify paying full price, save yourself $250 by picking one up today. Now that Amazon Prime Day 2020 has officially kicked off we are seeing tons of deals on the industry’s best smartphones. Be sure to bookmark our Prime Day phone deals page for this year’s exclusive deals on phones.
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Contract to run .eu domain-name registry is up for grabs Applicants must be based in the EU and be not-for-profit entities The European Union is now accepting applications to determine the next registry for the .eu Top-Level Domain (TLD) and the winner will oversee its 3.6m domain names beginning in October 2022. As reported by The Register, Directorate General for Communication Networks, Content and Technologies at the European Commission (EC) announced the rebid at the beginning of October. At the same time though, the commission's director of future networks Pearse O'Donohue has been personally contacting registry operators in an effort to encourage them to apply to take over control of Europe's TLD. The .eu TLD is one of the largest country code TLDs with 3.6m registrations and it also used by European Union institutions, agencies and bodies. The TLD aims to provide a clearly identifiable link with the European Union and the European Single Market while also allowing EU residents to register a domain name under the .eu TLD regardless of their place of residence. We've put together a list of the best domain registrars around These are the best website builders on the market Also check out our roundup of the best cloud storage services Applying to take over the .eu TLD In an effort to prevent corruption, the EC is requiring that all applicants to take over the .eu TLD be based in Europe and be non-profit companies. This move will prevent US-based registries including Afilias and Neustar from applying. While the EC is requiring all applicants to be not-for-profit entities, commercial entities including those that are for-profit can still apply by forming a consortium of firms or a group of contractors so long as this new organization is not-for-profit. Additionally, a key component of the .eu contract will be multilingualism to better represent the countries of the EU. However, this will put English-speaking registries such as the UK-based Nominet, Centralnic and Minds+Machines from applying.
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Initial release date: September 28, 2020 Publisher: miHoYo Ante Genres: RPG, open world action game Software Developers: miHoYo, Shanghai Miha Touring Film Technology Co., Ltd. Basic Edition: Play 4, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows When you hear the words "free-to-play," you probably think of very specific kinds of games: mobile time-killers, first-person shooters with loot boxes, MMORPGs. However, a story-driven, open-world action-RPG in a similar vein to Zelda: Breath of the Wild is probably not what springs to mind. But that's exactly what Genshin Impact aims to be. It delivers a large, lore-filled, graphically lush world with nuanced combat, character-building, exploration mechanics, and co-op crossplay across multiple platforms at the most appealing price point possible--free! And while it succeeds admirably for the most part, it stumbles in a few key ways that remind you that there's no such thing as a fully free-to-play game. Genshin Impact makes a great first impression. The anime-inspired visuals are inviting and colorful, and the fully voiced, nicely choreographed cutscenes give the game the feel of a premium product. It also gets you going with the gameplay very quickly; thanks to solid control design, you'll be running, swimming, climbing, dodging, gliding, fighting slimes, and slinging spells just a few minutes after the intro cutscenes wrap up. And once your first additional party member officially joins your posse, things start to get very interesting, as you'll start to learn the ins and outs of the elemental interactions that make Genshin Impact unique. Each character in Genshin Impact has one of seven elemental properties tied to them, which greatly affects what they can do for combat and exploration. While systems of strong and weak elements are extremely common in games, Genshin Impact takes things a step further, introducing unique and interesting ways for multiple elements to interact with objects and enemies. It starts with simple interactions: an object aligned with Dendro (nature) like a wood shield or structure burns with damaging flames when exposed to Pyro attacks, while pools of water can be frozen with Cryo element skills or used as a conduit for causing Electro damage in an area. Experimenting with other elemental combinations will yield more interesting results; setting an enemy on fire and following up with an Electro attack overloads them with energy and causes area damage, while using a windstorm can blow another source of elemental damage like Pyro or Hydro elsewhere while augmenting its strength. You can swap between four active characters with a tap of the D-pad, giving you the ability to strategically chain attacks to great effect. The system makes party formation interesting: Do you double up on elements for bonuses or field a team of different elements, just in case you run across unexpected challenges and puzzles where they could be useful? It's a fun and creative system that adds a lot of enjoyment to exploring Genshin Impact's world, Teyvat. And there's plenty to do here, too. Even though many areas of Teyvat haven't been made available to explore yet, there's still plenty to do and see. There are chests to find, teleportation spots to activate, all kinds of raw materials to accumulate, side quests to complete, and big baddies to try and slay. If you want to stop exploring and relax a little, you can try your hand at cooking food, forging weapons, and even conjuring up rare items through alchemy. If you're feeling particularly adventurous, you can even explore certain dungeons with others online using co-op play--and, thanks to cross-platform compatibility, it's easy to join up with others no matter what they're playing on. Setting up elemental combos with a team of players is very satisfying indeed. You'll get more party characters, weapons, and loot as you play through the game normally, but there is a way to get some extra goodies: by opening up your wallet. [Editor's note: Everything written here refers to version 1.0 of the game. As Genshin Impact is an ongoing games-as-a-service title, monetization methods and drop rates can change as the game evolves.] Genshin Impact's monetization revolves primarily around "gacha," a Japanese term referring to a loot box-style system. You spend in-game currency on a "wish" that will get you either a weapon or a new character, and buying 10 wishes at once guarantees a character or weapon of four-star or better rarity. While you can obtain said currency in-game for free in various ways, you can also buy it directly with real money. You can also use real money to buy upgrades like item sets or a Battle Pass that yields better rewards for your questing endeavors. Besides utilizing a confusing currency conversion system (you buy Genesis Crystals, which you can convert to Primogems, which you then convert to Fates to spend on Wishes), the gacha can be very punishing. If you're going for the top-tier gacha rewards, you're either going to need to be really lucky or prepared to spend a lot of time and/or money. The drop rate for the coveted five-star characters is a mere 0.6%. Fortunately, every 10-wish roll comes with at least one four-star weapon or character, and these are more than sufficient to take on the game's tougher challenges. It's also possible to not spend at all--if you carefully save the Fate and Primogems you acquire in-game, you can still assemble a formidable team. With a 10-wish costing about $20-$30 (depending on how many Genesis Crystals you buy at once), opening your wallet to try for the best stuff can get very pricey very fast. Despite this, Genshin Impact generally manages to dodge a lot of "pay-to-win" issues. Even if you get good characters and weapons, you still have to learn to use them well and gather materials to improve their abilities, which can only be achieved through gameplay, and the items you can buy aren't an immediate gateway to becoming overpowered. However, like many free-to-play titles, Genshin Impact is built around getting you to invest time in the game every day. You'll need to explore to find hunting and harvesting spots for materials needed not only for crafting and cooking, but also upgrading your characters and weaponry and increasing your Adventurer's Rank. The Adventurer's Rank in particular can be rather frustrating, particularly early on. Many features like co-op play, certain regions of the map, special dungeons, and even the ability to start crucial story quests are gated behind certain rank numbers, which restricts your play in an otherwise open-world adventure. While plenty of activities in the game yield experience points for the Adventurer's Rank, it can be tedious to spend time doing side quests and exploring areas you're not particularly interested in to open up parts of the game that you do want to see. Another major issue is that, while Genshin Impact is certainly a very nice-looking game, its world doesn't offer much that's all that interesting to see. The landscapes, dungeons, and enemies are generic and samey, with little in the way of interesting areas or architecture to make the world feel distinct from many other anime-inspired fantasy environments. The character design has a similar problem; while the characters certainly aren't unappealing, most of their designs don't really stand out as being particularly striking or memorable. One more important factor that might turn players off is that, because developer MiHoYo is located in mainland China, Genshin Impact is subject to rules imposed by the Chinese government regarding online chat, which means certain politically sensitive terms (like "Taiwan" and "Hong Kong") are censored in conversation during co-op play. While this is an issue that affects all games from China, some players will understandably not be comfortable playing a game that's subjected to such heavy government censorship. Overall, Genshin Impact is a solid game hampered a bit by the restrictions its free-to-play model imposes. The overall production values are high, and the core gameplay is solid. In particular, the elemental interaction system is a ton of fun and gives the game a distinct personality. But while there's a lot to do, having several chunks of Genshin Impact gated off until you've reached a higher rank is an obnoxious restriction for an open-world game to have--and once you finally do see what lies in those unexplored areas, it's often a bit underwhelming. Still, it's a solid start, and I'll certainly be interested in seeing how Genshin Impact continues to evolve in future updates.
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T/c
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