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WICHITA CO. (KFDX/KJTL) — In a press release Thursday, May 6, 2021, The Wichita Falls – Wichita County Public Health District announced that two animals have tested positive for rabies. This brings the total to three for 2021 in Wichita County. The Texas Department of State Health Services advised that an 8-month old calf was sold to an individual in another county in Texas, from an individual residing in Burkburnett. After being sold, the calf began exhibiting symptoms of rabies and subsequently died. There is no known exposure while the calf was still in Burkburnett. The second animal to test positive was a skunk that was found in downtown Burkburnett in daylight hours. An Animal Control Officer collected the animal and it was sent for testing which resulted in a positive result. The skunk is the third animal in Wichita County to test positive for rabies. The first rabies case was reported in Wichita Falls on April 16, 2021. The Health District and the Burkburnett Police Department have been in communication about this rising trend and would like to remind citizens to be cautious and informed. Burkburnett Police Department Administration is currently taking direction and leadership from Health District experts on best practice protocols and remedies to support public safety operations in response to this concern. Most wild animals are not infected with rabies but residents should always keep in mind that wild animals, by nature, are unpredictable and can carry disease. Any exposure to wild animals, alive or dead, in particularly, bats, raccoons, skunks, coyotes and foxes should be avoided. Children and pets should be watched closely while outdoors to ensure that they do not come in contact with or touch wild animals. If a wild animal strays onto your property, bring children and pets indoors, alert anyone else who may be in the vicinity and let the animal wander away. Residents are urged to call their local Animal Control if they observe a wild or domestic animal who is active during the day, appearing sick, fearless or aggressive. There should be no attempt to capture or shoot the animal. Be aware that rabies can only be transmitted by saliva. Exposure may occur if scratched by an infected animal or whenever saliva enters an open cut or mucous membrane (nose,mouth, eyes). Rabies is 100% preventable by following a few important guidelines: Ensure all pets: dogs, cats and ferrets, are current on their rabies vaccinations, as required by Texas State Law. Livestock owners are also encouraged to vaccinate horses and other livestock. Don’t let pets roam free. Stay away from all wild animals and unknown dogs and cats. Avoid wild animals-even if they appear friendly. Never coax a wild animal to eat from your hand. If you encounter a bat, do not handle it. Bats have extremely small teeth and you may not realize that you have been bitten. Teach your children to report all bites, scratches and encounters with wild or unknown animals. To reduce the risk of exposure to rabies from wildlife, we recommend the following: Don’t feed or water your pets outside. Even empty bowls will attract wild and stray animals. If you are feeding feral cats, feed early in the day and do not leave food out overnight as that will attract wild animals as well. Keep your garbage securely covered. Open garbage will attract wild or stray animals. Wild animals should not be kept as pets. Enjoy all wild animals from a distance and teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals – even if they appear friendly. If you see a wild animal acting strangely, report it to city or county animal control officials. If someone has been bitten or scratched by an unfamiliar or wild animal, contact a physician or the local Animal Control for immediate assistance. Residents are discouraged from purchasing or taking “free” animals, especially puppies and kittens, from people trying to sell or give them away on the side of the road or in parking lots. Domesticated animals can be quarantined for a period of time for rabies observation and wildlife will be euthanized and sent to the Department of State Health Services for rabies testing. You can contact the Burkburnett Animal Control at 940-285-1144 and the Wichita Falls Animal Services at 940-761-7824.

On-demand mechanic RepairSmith is headed to Texas. The at-home car repair and maintenance service, which makes house calls in customized Mercedes Sprinters and other vans, is now available in Dallas and Houston, it announced this week. The service will expand to Austin later in May. The shop-on-wheels, launched in LA in 2019, was recently named to Fast Company’s list of 10 most innovative transportation companies of 2021. The fast-growing Daimler-backed company wants to rev up in the Lone Star State. It’s no secret that Texans rely heavily on their cars. Our residents drive nearly 50 percent more miles per year than residents in other urban locations, the company points out. RepairSmith also notes the increase in the po[CENSORED]tion over the past year, along with an estimated rise in demand for car repair. Using data-driven logistics, the company aims to help customers get repairs within two to three days of booking. RepairSmith services individuals and business fleets The company wants to deliver convenient vehicle repair and maintenance services for both individuals and business fleets. Offerings include upfront price quotes and online appointment scheduling available seven days a week, the company says. Certified technicians are employees of the company and drive custom-outfitted vehicles, says RepairSmith. That means techs are equipped with quality tools and top-of-the-line equipment to perform on-site repairs for car owners at their home or work, as well as on-site for fleets, employers, and others. “We’re excited to announce this expansion as part of our mission to deliver convenient auto repair everywhere,” says Joel Milne, RepairSmith CEO, in a statement. “As RepairSmith continues to grow, we are seeking skilled technicians to join our team to deliver the best car repair service to Texans.” RepairSmith says it’s actively hiring in Dallas and other Texas cities. (Technicians can apply here.) Jump Start repair program supports nonprofits RepairSmith also wants to support the Texas community. The company’s Jump Start program offers access to free repair and maintenance services to support nonprofit organizations “that are dedicated to advancing socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic equality in their communities by providing access to food or personal care products, health and wellness resources, education, job training, family services, housing assistance, rehabilitation programs, or related assistance to at-risk po[CENSORED]tions,” according to the company. No-contact car repair delivered The company also offers a ‘No-Contact Car Repair,‘ a new service developed in the pandemic. RepairSmith expanded its service from two to more than 325 locations in 2020, according to Fast Company. Now the in-home repair service company is available in over 650 cities with its Texas expansion, the company said in a news release.

Elizabeth Holmes’ jet-setting, lavish lifestyle as CEO of Theranos took center stage on Thursday as her attorneys argued it was irrelevant to her criminal fraud case. “What she wore, where she stayed, how she flew and what she ate has nothing to do with this trial,” said Holmes’ attorney Kevin Downey, adding that its “inflammatory commentary that could do great damage.” But the government strongly disagreed, saying Holmes’ opulent way of living was bolstered by the alleged fraud. “In addition to her salary, the company provided for her luxurious travel on private jets and expensive lodging,” said John Bostic an assistant U.S. attorney. “The point here is the so-called success of Theranos was entirely the product of fraud.” The judge pushed back on the government’s argument, comparing her benefits to other CEOs and asking “what’s the value that she’s at the Four Seasons or a Motel 6?” Federal prosecutors cited an email between Holmes and a Theranos-paid assistant where she discusses dinner at an expensive restaurant and purchasing clothes and jewelry. Defense attorneys argued Holmes chose not to cash in her stock and didn’t ask for a higher salary, adding “there’s no question Miss Holmes was traveling almost exclusively on company business, much of which was not only encouraged but arranged by the board of directors.” Holmes’ ownership stake in Theranos was valued at up to $4.5 billion. Prosecutors say her spending more than kept pace and she was overtaken by her fame. Holmes “became a celebrity in Silicon Valley,” said Bostic. “She met dignitaries, politicians and other business leaders as a result, these things truly were benefits, intangible but benefits nonetheless and part of the fraudulent scheme.” As she walked into the courthouse, Holmes refused to answer questions from CNBC’s Scott Cohn on whether she’s concerned to have her wealth on display. A former Theranos executive who was close to Holmes told CNBC the embattled CEO didn’t see anything wrong with her spending while running the company on life support. “Having, at one point, three assistants was not fiscally sound,” says the former Theranos executive who asked not to be named. “It goes to her judgement and decision-making knowing the financial state the company was in.” Holmes’ meteoric rise was captured in countless high-profile media appearances with world leaders, creating her image as a business celebrity. “She became an immediate darling for a product that wasn’t even on the market,” the former executive said. “Elizabeth was touted as the next Steve Jobs and was suddenly invited to sit on stage with Bill Clinton. Part of it was her own doing but when people put you on stage with VIPs it validates your brands.” Reality came crashing down in 2018 when the shortcomings and inaccuracies of Theranos were exposed by a Wall Street Journal investigation. The judge is expected to make rulings on which evidence jurors can hear this week.

Each Saturday this summer, the News Tribune's Outdoors section will publish a list in print and online of big fish caught in our region. It’s called Nice Fish! It’s not a contest. It's just a listing of many of the larger fish caught throughout the Northland. Anyone can send in the information — it’s on the honor system — and we invite local guides, resorts, bait shops and outfitters to send in their customer’s big catches, too. To get your fish listed: Email your information to outdoors@duluthnews.com Or call the News Tribune at 218-723-5322. Be sure to list the angler's name, hometown, the body of water where the fish was caught, nearest town, the resort you stayed at (if applicable) and the length or weight of the fish. Minimum lengths and weights to make the list: Walleye, 8 pounds; walleye releases, 28 inches; northern pike, 12 pounds; northern pike releases, 31 inches; musky, 15 pounds; musky releases, 40 inches; largemouth bass, 5 pounds; largemouth bass releases, 18 inches; smallmouth bass, 4 pounds; smallmouth bass releases, 16 inches; crappies, 1 pound, 6 ounces; crappie releases, 13 inches; sunfish/bluegills, 1 pound; sunfish/bluegills release, 10 inches; perch, 1 pound; perch release, 13 inches; catfish, 10 pounds; catfish release, 20 inches; chinook salmon, 10 pounds; coho salmon, 3 pounds; Atlantic salmon, 4 pounds; lake trout, 10 pounds; lake trout releases, 30 inches; rainbow trout, 6 pounds; brown trout, 2 pounds; splake, 6 pounds; and lake sturgeon, 35 pounds. News Tribune Trophy Room wants your fish photos! We'd also like to see photographs of you and your big fish (or your daughter’s big fish or grandson’s big fish or wife’s big fish or buddy’s big fish). We'll publish some each Saturday in the printed paper and post more in our online photo gallery called the News Tribune Trophy Room. Email the photos to outdoors@duluthnews.com. Use jpg (jpeg) format and be sure to include all pertinent information, including the angler’s name, hometown, size of fish and where it was caught. Take better photos, protect those fish The News Tribune strives to promote proper handling of fish that are to be released. If you are going to practice CPR — catch, photograph and release — please make sure to: Move quickly. Get the fish back into the water, gently, as quickly as possible. Do not hold the fish by the eyes or gills. Keep your fingers away from the gills while posing for photos. Hold the fish horizontally and support it with two hands. Do not hold fish vertically. Fill the frame with person and fish, get as close to the subjects as possible. Have the sun at the picture-taker’s back and shining onto the subject’s face. Check so nothing unusual or distracting is in the background. Tilt the angler’s cap back, or remove it, so we can see their face. Try using flash to brighten the subject's face.

The World Video Game Hall of Fame on Thursday inducted the groundbreaking Microsoft Flight Simulator, franchise-inspiring Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? award-winning StarCraft and Animal Crossing, whose po[CENSORED]rity has surged during the pandemic. The four games were honored for their influence on po[CENSORED]r culture and the video game industry. They were chosen from a field of finalists that also included: Call of Duty, FarmVille, FIFA International Soccer, Guitar Hero, Mattel Football, Pole Position, Portal and Tron. Nintendo debuted the Animal Crossing game in 2001, offering a leisurely pace that appealed to a wider range of people than other titles of its time, said Racquel Gonzales, research historian at The Strong museum, where the World Video Game Hall of Fame is located. "These elements may help explain why its latest installment proved such a huge hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, when everyone was searching for a little neighborly sociability," Gonzalez said in a news release. Microsoft Flight Simulator has remained the most po[CENSORED]r and longest lasting simulator since its launch in 1982, The Strong said, providing realistic recreations of actual aircraft. "It's hard to overestimate what a groundbreaking program Microsoft Flight Simulator was when it debuted," said Jeremy Saucier, assistant vice president for interpretation and electronic games. "For the first time, amateur and professional aviators could navigate the skies—without ever leaving home." California-based developer Blizzard Entertainment debuted StarCraft in 1998, and it went on to win multiple awards. The multiplayer mode of the immersive, science-fiction game turned it into the largest esports title of its day, according to The Strong. "It's regarded as one of the best real-time strategy games of all time and significantly impacted many of the real-time strategy games that have followed in the past two decades," digital games curator Andrew Borman said. Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? was released by Brøderbund in 1985 and became a best-selling "edutainment" franchise that helped millions of students learn world geography as they searched for the mysterious title character. The game inspired a show on American Public Broadcasting in the 1990s and an animated series on Netflix. The World Video Game Hall of Fame, established in 2015 recognizes electronic games of all types—arcade, console, computer, handheld and mobile. Anyone can nominate a game and final selections are made on the advice of journalists, scholars and other experts on video games and their role in society.

Kingston is the latest memory manufacturer to announce the development of its DDR5 memory and more specifically, memory modules with overclocking support. Kingston Readies Overclocking Ready DDR5 Memory Modules, Will Start Shipping In Q3 2021 The memory manufacturer revealed that it has started the development of overclocking-ready DDR5 memory modules and has already sent out the first samples to motherboard partners (ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, ASRock, etc). The Kingston DDR5 memory modules are designed in compliance with XMP profiles but also opened up motherboard partners to allow manual adjustments to the PMIC (Power Management Integrated Circuit) beyond 1.1V. Following is the press release from Kingston: Kingston Technology DDR5 Overclockable Modules One Step Closer to Reaching Market Kingston Technology Company, Inc., a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, today announced it has sent overclockable DDR5 modules to its motherboard partners to begin qualification on the next-generation memory platform. Kingston engineered its DDR5 modules with a preset XMP profile, but also enabled our motherboard partners to manually adjust the power management integrated circuit (PMIC) beyond the 1.1V DDR5 spec, thus allowing maximum flexibility to overclock. Kingston expects to ship its DDR5 solutions in Q3. As stated above, the overclocked kits are expected to feature much faster speeds and tighter timings with the help of binned DDR5 DRAM ICs. There will also be faster memory modules in the future with other manufacturers reporting speeds of over 10,000 MHz in the research phase. We are expected to get 32, 64 and up to 128 GB memory capacities this year with speeds between 4800 MHz and 5600 MHz. TeamGroup previously reported that the voltages on DDR5 memory can be pushed up to 2.6V with LN2 cooling.DDR5 memory is expected to bring over twice the performance increase over DDR4 as seen in the previously leaked benchmarks. We have already seen DDR4 hitting speeds of over 7 GHz with OC so 10 GHz doesn't sound like a big deal for the next-gen memory as SK Hynix and Micron deliver faster DRAM chips to vendors.

I'm not sure it's possible for me to build a PC without cutting my hand on a PCI card or heatsink, but I like fiddling with little components and screws enough to accept some blood. That's why RIMS Racing (stylized "RiMS") caught my eye when it was announced a few weeks ago. I'm not big into motorcycle racing, but I am big into swapping little parts with other little parts, and the motorcycle customization in RIMS looks comprehensive. The announcement trailer that appeared in April didn't include any gameplay footage, though, so I asked publisher Nacon and developer RaceWard Studio if we could see some actual racing. They came through: Check out the first RIMS Racing gameplay trailer in the player above, or over on YouTube. It looks like a standard, graphically-nice racing game, but the Italian developer says that it's gone all in on simulating its licensed bikes. "Racing conditions, riding style and mechanical status of the components have a direct impact on the motorbike’s behaviour," says RaceWard. And then there's the most interesting bit, to me: "Players are able to fully disassemble their motorbike and replace every element to achieve the best possible setup by choosing over 500 official components: tyres, discs, callipers, pads, suspension, springs, air filters, exhausts, brake and clutch master cylinders, brake fluids, engine oils, ECUs, fairings... and many more." The bike in the trailer is the Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory, which features a buff 217 horsepower engine, "integrated winglets," and a "double-layered fairing." Is a double-layered fairing good? I don't know, but I look forward to developing opinions about fairings and saying things like, "Oh, this bike's fairing? Yeah, it's double layered." We don't get to see the customization system in the new trailer, but here's a screenshot of it (featuring a different bike), as well as some new screenshots featuring the Aprilia: What we do see in the trailer are two of the game's tracks: Germany's Nürburgring track, "considered one of the most difficult by a large number of drivers," and then a glimpse of the ultra-scenic Atlantic Road in Norway. RIMS Racing will release August 19 on just about everything: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and of course PC, on both Steam and the Epic Games Store. RIMS has a page on Steam now, if you want to find out more. It'll be interesting to see how it compares to MotoGP21, which just released at the end of April.

One week after Apple carried out its largest iOS and iPad update since September 2020's version 14.0 release, the company has followed up with a new patch for two zero-day vulnerabilities that let hackers execute malicious code on fully updated devices. Additionally, the new release of 14.5.1 also mitigates issues with a bug in the recent App Tracking Transparency feature included in the previous version. Both of these vulnerabilities are located in the browser engine Webkit, which provides web content for App Store, Mail and Safari as well as other various apps running on iOS, Linux and macOS. Apple described this attack as the processing of maliciously crafted web content resulting in arbitrary code execution. As of now, these two zero-days have been patched. So far, Apple has issued a notice that these vulnerabilities may have already been exploited. The company has also announced that the second zero-day was discovered by Chinese security research firm Qihoo 360, whereas an anonymous source reported the first vulnerability. At this time, Apple has yet to offer details regarding who is carrying out the exploits or who faces a risk of exploitation. Google's Project Zero vulnerability research team has assessed that these three new vulnerabilities make the total number of seven actively exploited Apple zero-days. In fact, out of 22 zero-days discovered in 2021 alone, nearly 33 percent have targeted Apple mobile OS. This makes iOS the software most targeted by zero-day after Chrome. Since these vulnerabilities have been patched, Facebook has taken some issue due to the new security restrictions not allowing the Facebook app to track user activity across other installed applications without explicit user permission. Furthermore, another bug may cause graying out of the App Tracking Transparency toggle in the settings menu, even after users have updated to iOS 14.5.1. Overall, Apple security and vulnerability research teams emphasize that these types of zero-days pose such a threat to both defenders and users due to the lack of knowledge surrounding their presence. After all, if hackers manage to execute evil code or access a privileged system before incident responders and researchers even realize the vulnerabilities in question exist, the attackers can steal a plethora of data, causing potentially immeasurable damage. Alongside patches for the discovered vulnerabilities, Apple has also confirmed a patch for the App Tracking Transparency feature bug. This fix will enable users to once again opt out of ad tracking on their Apple devices.

NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 3080 Ti custom models from MSI & Gigabyte which include the SUPRIM X & Gaming OC variants have once again been pictured. This time, the MSI model is being sold in UAE-based retailer outlets for an insane $3500 US pricing. MSI's & Gigabyte's Custom NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Graphics Cards Pictured, MSI SUPRIM X Variant Being Sold For Around $3500 US In UAE Both, the MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ti SUPRIM X & the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Gaming OC are models that have leaked before. The Gigabyte variant was listed a few days ago by online retailers for a price of $3152 NZD or $2250 US while the MSI SUPRIM X variant was spotted at a distribution center. Now both custom NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics cards have been pictured once again. The Gigabyte Gaming OC model will feature a triple-slot and triple-fan Windforce 3X cooler while MSI's SUPRIM X variant will feature the massive Tri Frozr 2S cooling system. Both cards will feature non-reference PCB designs and premium cooling compared to the Founders Edition model but will also come at a hefty premium, especially the MSI SUPRIM X, which is a top-of-the-line custom variant. Gigabyte already listed several custom NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti graphics cards over at EEC which include TURBO, EAGLE, VISION, GAMING, AORUS MASTER, and AORUS EXTREME offerings. Redditor, FaisalKhatib, over at the NVIDIA subreddit (via Videocardz) spotted the MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ti SUPRIM X at a local retailer in UAE. The graphics card is said to be available for purchase a whole month prior to its official launch for a price of $3500 USD which is completely insane. The Redditor states that it is common for retailers in the UAE to virtually inflate prices of unreleased products and sell them months before launch. This is a pretty common practice in the Middle East and South Asian countries where breaking NDA's don't have any repercussions and hence, these retailers can get away with this. The MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics card will literally pack everything from a massive triple-slot and a triple-fan heatsink to the latest TORX 4.0 fans, a brushed aluminum backplate, a powerful custom PCB design, dual BIOS design, and a lot more. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 'Rumored' Graphics Card SpecificationsNVIDIA's GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 12 GB FE (Founders Edition) graphics card is expected to feature the PG132-SKU18 PCB design and the GA102-225-KD-A1 graphics core. The GA102-225 GPU has also changed since the last time we saw them and will now feature 10240 CUDA cores within a total of 80 SM units. The GPU features a clock speed of 1365 MHz base and 1665 MHz boost, both of which are slower than the existing GA102 GeForce RTX GPUs. As for memory, the card will feature 12 GB of GDDR6X memory. Unlike the 19.5 Gbps speeds of the RTX 3090, the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is said to retain the same memory speeds as the RTX 3080 at 19 Gbps. Since we are getting 12 GB memory, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti will be using a 384-bit bus interface which equals a total bandwidth of 912 GB/s. So while we see an 8 GB VRAM reduction over the previous spec, the larger bus interface should drive higher memory bandwidth. The TGP for the card is set to be the same as the RTX 3080 at 320 Watts. That's definitely needed to feed the extra cores so NVIDIA might have to optimize the clocks a bit here. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is expected to feature an MSRP of around $999 US. The card is expected to be unveiled on 31st May followed by a hard launch on June, 2. The graphics card will rock the latest mining hash rate limiter which is supposedly hard to crack compared to the initial release which was bypassed within a few days.

A document released as an exhibit in the Apple v. Epic lawsuit that got underway Monday reveals that Epic dropped more than $11.6 million dollars on free games in the first nine months of its operation, between December 2018 and September 2019. GameDiscoverCo founder Simon Carless, who tweeted the image earlier today, explained that the document in question was one of several that were released prematurely: They weren't meant to go public until later in the trial, but were mistakenly included with Epic's documents, which were released today. All of the documents were quickly removed from the archive, but appear to have been restored since. The full doc paints a very interesting picture of the early days of the Epic Store, and reveals a remarkable disparity in what it paid for various games in order to be able to give them away. Edmund McMillen's The End is Nigh earned him $200,000, for instance, while Annapurna's What Remains of Edith Finch only drew $125,000. Epic paid PlayDead $350,000 for Limbo and $800,000 for Inside, but Alan Wake only warranted $150,000. The top getter was Batman: Arkham trilogy, which cost Epic $1.5 million, followed closely by Subnautica, at $1.4 million; the best bargain (for Epic, that is) was Metro 2033 Redux, which Deep Silver apparently decided to throw in for free. More interesting than the amount of money Epic threw around for these freebies, though, is the "UA Cost" column (aka user acquisition), which is the buyout price divided by the number of new Epic Store accounts that each game attracted. That metric, indie developer Rami Ismail said on Twitter, demonstrates that indie games are a very big part of attracting audiences: Big releases like the Arkham games draw huge raw numbers, but games like Oxenfree, Hyper Light Drifter, Super Meat Boy, and Fez add up—and at a fraction of the cost, too. In spite of all that expense and the number of users who have created accounts in exchange for free games, the actual impact of the regular givaways seems relatively minimal. The document indicates that only about 7% of EGS users who have acquired at least one free game have also made a purchase through the storefront, which does not strike me as a very impressive conversion rate. The numbers only go to mid-2019, which mean the doc doesn't tell us how much Epic spent for some of 2020's high profile giveaways, like Grand Theft Auto 5, and whether Epic's UA costs started to climb noticeably over time. If the chief goal is to attract new users, diminishing returns means it's going to become increasingly difficult to do so—and, you'd have to think, too costly to continue doing so at some point. Regardless of how it decides to proceed with weekly giveaways in future years, there's still a long way to go before the Epic Games Store stops burning money: CEO Tim Sweeney acknowledged in April that the Epic Store isn't currently profitable because "it has front-loaded its marketing and user acquisition costs to gain market share." He doesn't expect it to start making money until 2027.

The RSPCA is pushing for the extradition of a South Australian woman who failed to appear at a sentencing hearing after being found guilty of animal cruelty offences. She is believed to have fled to New Zealand with a number of animals in tow. If successful, it will be the first time the RSPCA would be granted an international extradition order. Dora Ryan has been found guilty of 33 animal cruelty offences since 2017 over the treatment of dogs and horses at a property at Baroota, near Port Pirie. She was found guilty of 27 charges of animal cruelty in March 2020 following a five-day trial, but failed to appear at a sentencing hearing in November 2020. She was due to face a second trial over a further six animal cruelty charges in November, but the magistrate found her guilty in her absence after she failed to attend the hearing. A warrant was issued for her arrest in November. She failed to appear at another sentencing hearing in March this year. Magistrate Mark Semmens told the court in November that imprisonment would be the “appropriate” penalty, but that he could not sentence Ryan in her absence. He also made an order allowing the RSPCA to seize all remaining animals. The RSPCA South Australia chief inspector, Andrea Lewis, told the Guardian that organisation was working with police in South Australia and New Zealand to investigate the possibility of extraditing Ryan to face charges. “It’s deeply concerning that Ms Ryan chose not to attend court to finalise the judicial process in this very serious matter, and appears instead now to be living in New Zealand,” she said. “Nonetheless, the magistrate’s verdict in this milestone case exemplifies what are – and aren’t – acceptable living conditions for animals.” Lewis said the RSPCA received a public tip-off in January that Ryan had moved to New Zealand, taking about 20 dogs and 20 horses with her. About 20 more dogs were seized by the RSPCA, and a number of horses and dogs are understood to have been sold by Ryan prior to her leaving the country. RSPCA SA is now in contact with its animal welfare counterpart across the Tasman, SPCA New Zealand. “I have spoken to them and provided them with quite a lot of information about the cruelty cases in Australia as well as information regarding what we know about her whereabouts and her activities in New Zealand,” Lewis said. The RSPCA inspected the Baroota property on 3 May 2017, after receiving a tip-off from a member of the public. At that stage, the RSPCA says, there were 75 dogs and puppies, 45 horses, seven sheep and 25 chickens on the property. Animal welfare inspectors seized 27 dogs – four German shepherds and 23 pomeranians – and more than 20 chickens. In finding Ryan guilty on 27 counts of animal cruelty in March 2020, Semmens said footage showing the condition that one of the German shepherds was in was “disturbing, to say the least”, and the need for veterinary care was “patently obvious to anyone viewing the footage”. Two of the German shepherds had to be euthanised, the RSPCA said. The pomeranians, allegedly part of a puppy farm, were kept in “squalid, dirty, improperly maintained and unkempt conditions” that were “inappropriate and inadequate for the pomeranian dogs to live in, let alone any dogs at all”. The RSPCA inspected the property again in May 2019 and seized five horses and one pomeranian. At that time there were 86 dogs and 56 horses on the property. One of the horses collapsed and died a short time after being seized, and RSPCA vets said the horse was 140kg underweight. The remaining four were rehabilitated. Ryan was found guilty in absentia at a hearing over six charges relating to those animals. Lewis said she hoped the RSPCA would be able to secure an extradition order. “We would love to see the matter finalised to its full capacity,” she said. “But even without her spending time in jail, what this case does is set out the standards as to what is unacceptable around animal breeding facilities.” Lewis said she hoped the case would prompt people looking to buy a new animal to do their due diligence about the breeder, “and not just be swayed by a cute picture”. Puppy farming is still legal in South Australia, but new standards for breeding facilities were introduced in 2017. Victoria introduced laws banning puppy and kitten farming in 2017. Western Australia was due to pass similar laws before parliament was prorogued for the state election.

NEW YORK, May 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Brooklyn is a known hot spot of the auto leasing business in the region and Presidential Auto Leasing is on the map of Brook for a reason. For over 10 years of relentless competition and improvement, the company has arguably earned a good reputation as evident by the high ratings online. The ultimate goal is always the same: to give the customers a ride they are looking for. Whether the service is run in Brooklyn or the Tri-State area, Presidential Auto Leasing customers are always treated as family around the clock. Bearing an empire state of mind, Presidential Auto Leasing has been ambitiously expanding, now offering a solid variety of services ranging from trade-ins and auto insurance to car hauling and auto body shop. Offering lease on a wide selection of exotic cars and special order of any vehicle directly from the manufacturer have further outlined a good image for the company. Even in the harsh reality of the COVID-19 times, Presidential Auto Leasing has remained loyal to its customers and has managed to keep up with the demand on cars once the factories were shut down indefinitely. No service or agreement was set back. The company just kept the wheels turning. Presidential Auto leasing quickly and efficiently moved all its services online to ensure the well-being of the customers and to help CDC in fighting the global pandemic. Just a quick look at the www.presidentialautony.com is enough to appreciate all the hard work done to move all of our services online. The current circumstances have proved us that auto leasing and technology is a good match, indeed. Also, from an own initiative, the company made a series of donations to essential workers when the city needed it most. With the cars actively coming back to market and new models being released despite the global pandemic, Presidential Auto Leasing & Sales is looking towards the bright future as never before.

ALPARAISO — As the city’s Park Board considers where to put the “active adult lifestyle center” that will replace the Banta Center, it’s looking at more than just the cost. We really want to make Valpo a retirement destination community,” said Deb Butterfield, who led the task force put together to advise the Park Board on this issue. Grandparents are moving to Valpo to be closer to their grandchildren, she said. The recently released city housing study was useful, Butterfield said. It showed the age 65-plus category grew 47% in the past decade. In addition, 62% of the housing growth in Valparaiso over the next 10 years is expected to come from residents over age 65. Butterfield, a former councilwoman, said the opportunity to offer input helped convince her to return to Valparaiso from Florida. The task force was asked to examine best practices as well as recommend a new location. Programming needs, after all, will shape the design of the new facility. The word “senior” is being dropped as the concept evolves. “People from early 50s on want to have active adult lifestyle communities available,” Butterfield said. Those communities could include ham radio enthusiasts, book clubs, fitness groups and others. An active adult lifestyle center would include programming for a wide variety of interests. A new facility could include an indoor walking track — a high priority given Midwestern weather — as well as an outdoor gathering space, a coffee shop, a large multipurpose room, a fitness area, computer/technology room and space for enrichment classes and other activities. The two locations included as finalists are a site adjacent to the new Boys & Girls Club being built immediately south of Old Fairgrounds Park and the former Whispering Pines nursing home. The Whispering Pines site is considered the front-runner, with a cost far less than building a new structure. Wherever the new center is built, green space will be an important feature of the design, Director of Parks and Recreation John Seibert said. The Boys & Girls Club site immediately brings to mind the opportunity for inter-generational interaction, including older adults serving as mentors to youngsters. But that can happen at either location, Seibert said. Both the Boys & Girls Club and Whispering Pines locations offer excellent opportunities for partnerships, Seibert said. Whispering Pines is near the Valparaiso Family YMCA, which attracts many older adults to its Silver Sneakers program. Community surveys offered additional insights to the task force. A total of 150 responses were received, Butterfield said. The Banta Center reopens Monday after being closed for months because of the pandemic. “I can tell you that folks are really excited about it. Phones are ringing off the hook,” Butterfield said. However, there is a low awareness of what Banta offers, she said. The marketability of a new site will be important as the concept develops, she said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced support for the Czech Republic in its diplomatic conflict with Russia during a phone call with Czech PM Andrej Babiš through the weekend, Blinken has tweeted. Two weeks ago, Babiš identified Russian secret service involvement in an explosion in an Czech ammunition depot in Vrbětice in 2014. A diplomatic rift between Prague and Moscow flared up on April 17 over the announcement that Russian GRU military secret service agents were behind explosions in an ammunition depot in Vrbětice, south Moravia, in 2014. May Day sees anti-government protests, art installations in Prague Some 250 people took part in a protest organized by the Free Bloc of unaffiliated MP Lubomír Volný on Střelecký Island in Prague's center Sunday morning and several hundred attended other May Day protest rallies against the government anti-coronavirus measures on Letná square Sunday afternoon. Many of the attendees of both events were not wearing respirators or face masks. Police officers and anti-conflict team members tried to enforce anti-epidemic measures, however the controversial anti-mask MP, encouraged protesters to walk around the island during his speech, as sports activities are allowed without a mask. Elsewhere in Prague, a May-Day art installation featuring paper pigs bearing the names of Czech political parties In flagrante delicto was discovered by Prague police at Karlovo náměstí Saturday morning. The installation has since been removed; the artist will likely receive a fine. Prague Castle to fully reopen to the public today Prague Castle will reopen to the public from May 3 after six-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. The entire castle complex, including its exterior and interior locations as well as exhibitions, will be open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The gardens and the upper part of the Stag Moat surrounding the castle have been open since mid-April. From Monday, visitor access will include St. Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, St. George's Basilica, Golden Lane, and the Daliborka prison tower. The castle will also open two new exhibitions Monday: the original manuscripts of 17th-century Czech philosopher and pedagogue John Amos Comenius, and a six-meter painting, part of the Slav Epic, by Czech Art Nouveau artist Alfons Mucha.Slavia Praha has won the Czech First Football League title again this season. The club won the Czech First League title before playing their Sunday evening match against Viktoria Plzen after city rivals Sparta Prague drew in their match with Liberec. Slavia has now become the top league champion three times in a row for the first time in the history of the independent Czech Republic, established in 1993 after Czechoslovakia's split. It has gained a total of 21 league champion titles counting those won during the existence of Czechoslovakia. Sparta Praha won the Czech top league five times in a row in 1997-2001Intense rain Saturday night, combined with mountain snow melt, slightly raised river levels in the Czech Republic Sunday. First-degree flood activity was recorded at five locations throughout the country. The Říčanský stream in Prague-Kolovraty crossed the second stage in the morning, the flood service of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute said Sunday morning. The Šumava Mountains, the Bohemian Forest, the Berounka, and Central Vltava river basin saw the most rainfall while heavy rains also affected mountain areas in the north of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia. Following the rainy weekend, this week's forecast calls for more cloudy skies and showers.

A research team led by Fuyuki Ishikawa at the National Institute of Informatics (NII, Japan) has developed a technique to search automatically for simulation configurations that test various behaviors of automated driving systems. This research was conducted under the ERATO-MMSD project funded by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST, Japan). The proposed technique iterates trials on simulations using an optimization method called evolutionary computation so that it discovers simulation configurations that lead to specific features of driving behaviors such as high acceleration, deceleration, and steering operation. The outcome of this research was presented in ICST 2021, a flagship conference on software testing held during April 12-16 2021. More attention is being focused on automated driving systems (ADS) or advanced driver assistant systems. New car models with Level 3 of autonomous driving are emerging, ones that do not require human drivers to supervise the driving operation under certain conditions. However, the ADS functionality being put into practical use is limited to specific situations such as traffic jams on highways or fixed routes. Increases in safety and reliability are required for use of ADS in environments with enormous situations such as urban areas. One of the key functions in ADS is path planning, which continuously updates direction and speed by examining the surrounding environment, including other cars and pedestrians. The path-planning functionality needs to handle not only safety but also multiple aspects such as the extent of acceleration/deceleration, steering operation, and lane conformance. Simulation-based testing is commonly used for ADS. A typical approach is that human testers enumerate scenarios. An example is "the ego-car is going to take a right turn, but a car is approaching from the opposite direction." However, the ADS behavior can differ in the same right turn scenario, for example, either taking a turn without the need for braking or decelerating and waiting for a long time before taking the turn. It is essential to check different behaviors the ADS can take before utilizing it in society. However, specific behaviors such as long deceleration are unlikely to occur when researchers run many simulations under configurations with different positions of other cars and so on. Moreover, the ADS has more possible specific behaviors, for example, simultaneous occurrences of strong acceleration and high amounts of steering operation. Configuring simulations to cause such specific behaviors intentionally is very difficult. In this research, the researchers proposed a technique for test generation that automatically searches for simulation configurations leading to specific features of driving behaviors such as high acceleration and deceleration and high amounts of steering operation. They used an optimization technique called evolutionary computation, which repeats simulation trials to adjust configurations so that specified driving behaviors last for a long period of time. In this way, the technique can discover simulation configurations, such as the positions of other cars, leading to the desired features of driving behaviors. The proposed technique also avoids only generating simulation configurations that only lead to dangerous situations such as collisions. Therefore, it reveals features of driving behaviors not limited to emergency situations. In addition, it can search for and trigger combinations of behaviors such as simultaneous occurrences of high acceleration and high amounts of steering operation. We applied and evaluated the test generation technique to a program of path planning offered by Mazda. The technique could generate specific behaviors that were rarely caused in random simulations. For example, it generated strong acceleration together with high amounts of steering operation as well as high acceleration following high deceleration in a scenario for a right turn at an intersection. These cases occurred only with very specific timings of other cars entering the intersection. In this way, the researchers showed the technique can intentionally trigger combinations of specific behaviors using simulation configurations that are very difficult for human engineers to design. Future outlook This research was conducted in the JST ERATO-MMSD project. In the project, the researchers investigated other techniques for discovering simulation scenarios that lead to crashes, techniques that explain the causes of crashes, and techniques that fix the behaviors to avoid the detected crashes. The research this time was to increase confidence in the system safety by checking various situations, in addition to the techniques for detecting and fixing problematic behaviors. Thus, the researchers established a comprehensive approach for testing of ADS with both tests for detecting problems and tests for checking diverse cases, which have been done for conventional software programs. Late 2020 featured a competition for test generation tools on advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) (in conjunction with the SBST Workshop to be held in May 2021). The ERATO-MMSD project submitted a tool called Frenetic to the competition. Frenetic made significant results in terms of the rates of generated failure cases and their diversity. This exactly came from the aforementioned research experience. The scientists provided comprehensive testing techniques for ADS. Although they used the program provided by Mazda in the evaluations, the techniques are generic and can be tailored for the specific demands of each automotive company. For example, they can adjust the techniques to the emerging framework called responsibility-sensitive safety proposed by Intel and Mobileye. They will endeavor to make the techniques available by tailoring them for emerging international standards, as well as the demands from each automotive company. Comment by Fuyuki Ishikawa "We have conducted active research on the path-planning component through collaboration with Mazda. We have established a holistic set of testing and debugging techniques, including the aforementioned one, by adapting techniques for conventional program code. The key of these techniques is to search for solutions such as desirable tests and desirable fix actions. We will extend and empirically validate the techniques given emerging standards as well as different demands in each ADS application."

More retailers have listed down NVIDIA's soon-to-be-released GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics card. The Ampere-based flagship is expected to make a formal debut in mid-May but retailers are listing the card now, giving us an idea of the pricing we can expect of the graphics card. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Custom Models Listed By Online Retailers, Gigabyte & MSI Variants For Gaming PCs We previously had the MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Ventus 3X OC listed by Polish retailer, X-Kom. Now, retailers based in Australia and New Zealand have listed down several Gigabyte and MSI RTX 3080 Ti custom models.NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti Custom Model Listings By ComputersPerth (Image Credits: Videocardz) The Australian retailer suggests that the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti has an NDA till late May which aligns with the rumored launch date of the card which is the 26th of May. The second retailer states that they expect stock around the 13th of May which is a few days before the unveil of the card which is the 16th of May. As for the pricing, the Australian retailer has the lowest prices of the two. ComputersPerth lists the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Eagle and Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Vision OC graphics cards for $1732.75 NZD which rounds up to around $1350 US. The second retailer, AqualiaTechnology, lists the MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Ventus 3X OC for $2543 NZD or $1800 US & the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Gaming OC for $3152 NZD or $2250 US. Do note that these are preliminary prices and from what we have learned from the past, the prices will definitely change on launch day but given the current market situation where demand exceeds supply, we should still expect to be paying far above the official MSRPs for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics cards. NVIDIA 3080 Ti 'Rumored' Graphics Card Specifications NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 12 GB FE (Founders Edition) graphics card is expected to feature the PG132-SKU18 PCB design and the GA102-225-KD-A1 graphics core. The GA102-225 GPU has also changed since the last time we saw them and will now feature 10240 CUDA cores within a total of 80 SM units. The GPU features a clock speed of 1365 MHz base and 1665 MHz boost, both of which are slower than the existing GA102 GeForce RTX GPUs. The final NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics card is expected to ship with the new GA102-202 or GA102-302 GPU core features the same specifications as the QS but is locked for mining. As for memory, the card will feature 12 GB of GDDR6X memory. Unlike the 19.5 Gbps speeds of the RTX 3090, the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is said to retain the same memory speeds as the RTX 3080 at 19 Gbps. Since we are getting 12 GB memory, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti will be using a 384-bit bus interface which equals a total bandwidth of 912 GB/s. So while we see an 8 GB VRAM reduction over the previous spec, the larger bus interface should drive higher memory bandwidth. The TGP for the card is set to be the same as the RTX 3080 at 320 Watts. That's definitely needed to feed the extra cores so NVIDIA might have to optimize the clocks a bit here. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is expected to feature an MSRP of around $999 US while ITHome has reported that a price of 7999 Chinese Yuan which is equal to around $1200 US is expected in the Asian-Pacific retail market. The graphics card will rock the latest mining hash rate limiter which is supposedly hard to crack compared to the initial release which was bypassed within a few days.

New Blood Interactive has detailed the updates that will be coming to Dusk this year, as well as a few that have just gone live for the chunky retro FPS. It's a hefty bunch of changes, including an optional 'classic' HUD, a revamped world map, and a weapon wheel, which should it make it easier if you're playing on a controller. Let's start with the changes that have just been added as part of the latest patch. You can now delete your saves from within the game, and play through the game's three episodes consecutively (without having to go back to the main menu), thanks to the new 'Continue' button. Speaking of buttons, there's now a 'Max Loadout' button that will let you easily take your full arsenal into a level. Small quality-of-life tweaks, sure, but they make a big difference. As for stuff that's coming later (there's no date given other than 2021), changes that have been made for the console versions will be added to the PC game "simultaneously" when they launch. The team have "completely redone the world map and loadout menus to be easier to read and navigate with a controller, keyboard, mouse and eyes", while you'll be able to switch between guns with the new weapon wheel. But surely the best upcoming addition is the optional 'classic' HUD: a lovely, horizontal slab of pixelated information that's only missing a gurning Doomguy in the middle of it. That's not all that's coming to Dusk, although the following features may not arrive as quickly. Steam Workshop and co-op support will be added to the final version of the game, while modders will find it easier to add new weapons, enemies and other bits. "Because we basically rebuilt the entire game to be 100% moddable at this point," New Blood says. If you want even more Dusk, but you'd rather solve puzzles than shoot monsters, then your peculiar demand will actually soon be granted, as its April Fool's spin-off puzzle game Dusk '82 has turned out to be a real game. There's not really any new info about that in the Steam post, but New Blood says to "let us know if you'd buy a Game Boy Advance version. We're not kidding."

Foreign Secretary announces £8 million of funding for BBC World Service to tackle harmful disinformation, challenge inaccurate reporting around the world and improve digital engagement. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announces multi-million pound uplift for BBC World Service Funding will help to tackle harmful disinformation and inaccurate reporting around the world and enhance its digital offer This follows the UK Government’s Integrated Review, which underlined the need to fight disinformation to protect the UK against state threats Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has today (1 May) announced £8 million of new funding for BBC World Service projects to tackle harmful disinformation, challenge inaccurate reporting around the world and improve digital engagement. Funding will support the BBC World Service’s investigative journalism, expanding the reach of its work to report in an unbiased and impartial way. This follows the success of their “Reality Check”, “Africa Eye” and “Arabic Investigations” programmes, which have challenged fake news around the world. The new package will also help to build international audiences, improving the digital platforms available to people in countries such as India, Kenya and Nigeria. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: In a world where states and criminal gangs twist the news to exploit others, it is vital to safeguard independent and objective news reporting around the world. This new funding will allow the BBC World Service to take impartial journalism to many more people around the world, by countering those who distort the truth to mislead the public. This new support comes shortly after the publication of the Government’s Integrated Review, which underlined the need to fight disinformation to protect the UK against state threats. Today’s announcement will help support efforts to counter those. Some states are using internet bots to push out disinformation on social media platforms, such as spreading fake news around the coronavirus pandemic, resulting in harmful content, that is often shared widely by tens of thousands of people on social media. This includes encouraging scepticism around vaccines or in some cases prime-time news outlets in some states are blaming the US for artificially creating – and profiting from – the pandemic. Welcoming the announcement, BBC Director General Tim Davie said: We welcome this investment in the World Service which builds on the significant results achieved since the funding programme began in 2016. Through this partnership, the World Service has achieved an all-time record audience of 351m, in 42 languages including English, with the BBC’s global News services now reaching 438m every week. More than a third of the total BBC News global audience – 151m – access BBC News digitally and this additional support will enable us to further strengthen our digital offer and tackle global disinformation. As the world continues to fight the Covid pandemic, the positive role of the World Service in providing trusted, impartial news has never been more critical. The funding announced today comes on top of previous funding for the BBC’s World2020 programme from the FCDO since 2016, which has meant impartial news is available in 12 additional languages. The additional support has helped increase the service’s international reach by 40 per cent to 351 million people each week, including across Asia and Africa. Notes to editors: The £8 million package, announced today is for 2021/22 and will go towards the BBC World2020 Programme to promote accurate, impartial news around the world. This additional £8 million brings the total FCDO funding for the World2020 Programme to £94.4 million. The £8 million consists of £3million to tackle disinformation and a further £5 million to reach further audiences and improve digital engagement. Since 2016, the FCDO has invested over £378 million via the World2020 Programme, which has contributed towards a 40% increase over four years in weekly audience reach across World Service channels to 351 million people a week, in particular in India and across Africa.

Whether you’re at a music festival, nightclub or even an orchestra, properly executed visuals should be a mainstay in any listening experience. That’s because well timed and thematically appropriate graphics don’t distract from the music itself — they enhance it. If you’re looking to add that extra bit of theatrical flare to your own audio experience, SYQEL is an AI-powered software that can enhance your music during playback by providing responsive and enticing visuals, and lifetime Lite Plans are on sale now for $50, or 66 percent off. SYQEL is an advanced music visualizer that is responsive and extremely easy to use. After a two-minute setup, you will be able to generate hypnotic illustrations to accompany your audio. Imagery appears in a variety of styles and pulls from a library of thousands of graphics. This SYQEL Lite Plan comes with over 5,000 2D visuals and your own personalized feed. You can create beautiful visuals for mic and desktop audio as well as radio or streamed content just as easily as you play it. You’re given lifetime access with this deal, so can enjoy every permutation and pattern the mesmerizing AI-generated imagery provides. You can also spread your subscription among three devices per license, including desktop and mobile. This software is perfect for anyone who wants to make a spectacle of their audio, whether they’re DJs, musicians, performers or those who just want to turn their music into a more entertaining experience. So if you plan on hosting a post-pandemic get-together this summer, SYQEL will pair perfectly with your carefully curated party playlist. The app works on any device, so wherever you are and however you’re playing music, you'll be able to deliver beautiful visualizations of your music. You can create fluid, enticing imagery to complement with your music experience now with SYQEL. Lifetime Lite Plans are currently $50, down 66 percent from the regular price of $149. Prices subject to change. Engadget is teaming up with StackSocial to bring you deals on the latest headphones, gadgets, tech toys, and tutorials. This post does not constitute editorial endorsement, and we earn a portion of all sales. If you have any questions about the products you see here or previous purchases, please contact StackSocial support here.

AMD has gone out of its way to prevent motherboard makers from offering Ryzen 5000 Desktop CPU support on AM4 based X370 motherboards. This was stated by an ASRock representative to customers asking if they will be receiving Zen 3 support on older 300-series boards. AMD Restricting Motherboard Makers From Offering Ryzen 5000 Desktop CPU BIOS Support on X370 AM4 Boards It looks like X370 and the rest of the 300-series chipset motherboards would only get Ryzen CPU support up to the Matisse Refresh Ryzen 3000XT series. For those who have been wondering why motherboard makers haven't been releasing BIOS support for the new Zen 3 based Ryzen 5000 CPUs, well it looks like we have an answer. The issue isn't that motherboard makers don't want to release the BIOS, in fact, they have been trying hard to release BETA BIOS support for all boards but AMD is actively preventing them from releasing support on older X370 motherboards. Following is the email posted by a forum member over at Hardwareluxx: Hi Jörg, Unfortunately, we received AMD's warning that X370 shouldn't support Vermeer CPU. Obviously, some customer didn't operate it under table, AMD noticed it and said ASRock shouldn't do this anymore. The attached file is BIOS and it is the last BIOS which I can provide for you in this case, please pass it to user under table. Thanks, AMD originally stated that the AM4 socket will be supported until 2020 and considering that Zen 3 based Ryzen 5000 CPUs are a 2020 release, they should also fall in the same category but it looks like AMD has stopped motherboard makers from doing so. In fact, even the 400-series boards, the X470 & B450 lineup, haven't got official Ryzen 5000 CPU support. The support for those products is only BETA which means that the responsibility of bugs and errors falls upon the board vendor and not on AMD themselves. We did talk to a few manufacturers and they say that BETA BIOS support for AMD Ryzen 5000 CPUs on X370 motherboards is indeed possible but AMD has restricted them from even a BETA release. Although there are no reasons as to why Ryzen 5000 CPUs won't be supported by X370 considering that some of the motherboards in the high-end stack are more than capable. Sure some boards do come with limited BIOS capacity but if users want to move over to a certain generation of Desktop CPUs, then why stop them from doing so.

Dieselpunk mech action in Iron Harvest will get a bit more truth, justice, and the American Way later this month as the Operation Eagle expansion releases on May 27th. The new DLC brings an all new faction, The American Union of Usonia, and their emphasis on air power to the battlefield. Of course this isn't just normal air power with planes or something, this is giant flying airships. The new American hero, Admiral Mason, apparently has a flying "colossal battleship" and I won't lie to you I am excited about that. The DLC will focus on a campaign for the new faction, playable in singleplayer or co-op, with 7 missions and 25 minutes of new cinematics. That's good to hear, since the singleplayer and cinematics were the best part of the main game. The introduction of air power also includes new units for every faction and paratroopers who can drop behind enemy lines. The DLC will also include "New playable allies from a yet to be revealed secret faction." Given the history of the world of 1920+ revealed in past games, that might be a group like the Nordic Kingdoms, Crimean Khanate, or Clan Albion. We'll see later this month.You can find Iron Harvest - Operation Eagle on GOG and Iron Harvest on Steam, where the DLC doesn't have a dedicated page yet.Jon Bolding is a games writer and critic with an extensive background in strategy games. When he's not on his PC, he can be found playing every tabletop game under the sun.

How can you love some animals but eat others? It’s a question posed frequently by vegan activists, often accompanied by a picture of a cute dog or cat juxtaposed with an equally adorable pig or cow. Yet, as compelling as the argument may be to activists, the meat-heavy diet of most Americans reveals that the public remains untroubled by the question. Or, as one po[CENSORED]r meme argues in response, “Because one is a friend and one is bacon.” Despite Americans’ food preferences, most of us like to think of ourselves as animal lovers — there’s about one cat or dog for every 2.4 people — and many Americans can even express pretty radical views about animal rights, at least when pollsters call. For example, 32 percent of respondents to one 2015 Gallup poll agreed that “animals deserve the exact same rights as people to be free from harm and exploitation.” Skeptical of such strong support for animal rights, I conducted a follow-up survey a few years later, finding an even higher rate — 47 percent — endorsed this view. (I’m a professor and researcher who studies social movements, food systems, and animal rights.) These results might lead you to believe that one-third to a half of Americans support giving animals substantial rights. But when respondents support animal rights in polls, they’re not actually talking about all animals. In reality, people have a classification system for animals in their heads, and then perceive and treat them differently based on those classifications. Case in point: 75 percent of my survey respondents identified as an “animal lover,” though only about 6 percent followed a vegetarian or vegan diet. How we sort animals into different categories is shaped by an intersecting and evolving mix of factors, based in human psychology, cultural norms, direct experience, and media exposure. Each year in the US alone, billions of animals are factory-farmed in terrible conditions, millions are confined in cages in medical labs, and countless animals’ habitats are cleared for development. Until we have a clearer picture of how people actually think about animals, we have little hope of changing public opinion, let alone the laws that govern how animals live and die. As a way to better understand these surprising poll results and their inconsistencies, I conducted a series of focus groups with diverse groups of Americans. What I found in my research demonstrates the serious barriers that stand in the way of change — while also pointing to some strategies to shift the way people think and eat. How we categorize and rank animals For the focus groups, I first screened participants by asking them the same Gallup poll question — whether they believe “animals deserve the exact same rights as people to be free from harm and exploitation.” When thinking about the poll question, many people told me their mental picture of “animals” was restricted to only those they considered pets. Regardless of their response to the poll, almost no one endorsed the idea that all animals deserved legal protection on par with humans. As one respondent put it, “There is definitely a hierarchy.” The conversations showed people slot different animals into different mental categories, a mostly unconscious sorting process that has enormous implications. The topic has received some attention in recent years from social psychologists and anthrozoologists, although there remains ongoing debate about what, exactly, these categories are, as does a recognition that there will be major differences across global cultures. The psychologist Hal Herzog put it in pithy terms with the title of his 2010 book: Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It’s So Hard to Think Straight About Animals. One study proposes four clusters based on the animal’s perceived warmth (defined as whether they have good intentions toward humans) and competence (defined as whether they have capability and skill). The groups included predators (low warmth, high competence), companions (high warmth, high competence), prey (high warmth, low competence), and pests (low warmth, low competence). While these existing categories are useful for scholars, they don’t really reflect how people discuss animals in their everyday lives. In order to inform research and practice, I wanted to understand how people make sense of these issues on their own terms. Based on my focus groups and some additional surveys, I came to identify four main categories of animals that people held within their mental schema: companions, wildlife, food/farm, and pests. From there, people connected each category to a different set of moral obligations and ideal forms of legal protection. Companion animals included household pets, mostly dogs and cats but also a host of other domesticated animals, such as horses and rabbits. These animals were spoken about with sincere love and affection, and participants supported strong laws to protect them. Wildlife brought to mind charismatic megafauna such as great apes, elephants, and whales. People believed these animals deserved respect and the ability to live free from human control, and many argued it was unethical to force them to perform as circus acts. However, respondents were ambivalent about the ethics of keeping wildlife in zoos, which they saw as having valuable educational and conservation possibilities. Food/farm animals referred not only to those most common in the American diet — pigs, chickens, cows, fish, and the like — but also to several so-called “exotic” animals less frequently consumed in the United States, such as an octopus or alligator. Here, participants expressed hope that these animals would not be subject to excessive cruelty, and in some instances recognized the moral ambiguity of their own meat consumption. Mostly, though, people just tried not to think much about it. “I feel kind of bad about eating pig,” one respondent explained, “because the more I learn about the animal, the more I realize it’s about as intelligent as a dog. … But bacon is delicious.” For all but the rare vegetarian, any cognitive dissonance was overwhelmed by the dominant ideology of “carnism,” which insists these animals were made to be meat. Finally, the category of pests included animals with little to no moral consideration or legal protection. “I don’t look at pests like that as animals,” another respondent said. “I don’t look at rats and roaches and stuff, even though they are animals, I don’t look at them as animals.” RELATED Pigs are as smart as dogs. Why do we eat one and love the other? Useful as this framework may be, these categories are not set in stone. Variations exist between individuals — a squirrel, for instance, might be considered a pest by one person, wildlife by another, or food by another. There’s also variation within a single individual: A person who generally considers turtles to be wildlife might consider them food at an international restaurant, or begin to categorize them as companion animals if, say, their child wanted one as a pet. This categorization is understandable, as it prevents us from having to spend too much time or mental effort in treating all animals equally. Even a devoted vegan draws distinctions between different types of animals, willing to swat at a mosquito or sometimes exterminate a cockroach, albeit with a twinge of guilt. What a legal system for animal rights could look like The categorization — and how participants talked about each group of animals — also tracks with actual law, which has resulted in a confusing and conflicting legal system for animals. For example, most state animal cruelty laws exempt “standard agricultural practices,” meaning farmed animals have little to no protection while dogs and cats do. A federal law that governs the proper treatment and humane handling of food animals does not apply to chickens, the most commonly slaughtered animal. Anti-cruelty laws are rarely applied to wild animals, and only a select few species are protected from so-called sport hunting. Given this grim legal landscape, some thinkers and activists are creating models for what a more humane legal system for animals could look like. Political theorists Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka, for instance, created the concept of a Zoopolis that recognizes the moral worth of all animals but creates a multitiered legal structure to accommodate different categories of human-animal interaction. In this world, domesticated animals would be granted a type of limited citizenship, wild animals a form of sovereignty, and liminal animals (the non-domesticated that live among humans, such as a raccoon in the city) a form of “denizenship” that allows for coexistence. Drawing parallels with human law, domesticated animals might be regarded in a way similar to children, wild animals like a sovereign nation, and liminal animals along the lines of a refugee or isolationist community. This vision would call for the end of most forms of animal farming, a new relationship between pets and their guardians (no longer “owners”), creative solutions for preserving wild habitats, and alternatives to mass “pest” extermination. In another approach, the nonprofit Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP) is working through US courts to shift the definition of animals from legal “things” to legal “persons” who are capable of bearing rights of their own. So far, the organization’s focus has remained only on animals such as great apes, elephants, and cetaceans (whales and dolphins). They say this is due to scientific consensus regarding their high levels of cognitive complexity, self-awareness, and bodily autonomy, meaning that these animals have a demonstrated ability to solve problems, interact socially, and decide how they want to spend their day-to-day lives. In one ongoing case, the NhRP is working to relocate Happy the Elephant from a solitary enclosure at the Bronx Zoo. The organization claims Happy’s fundamental right to liberty is being violated and hopes to relocate her to a court-approved elephant sanctuary instead. At this stage, the vision of Zoopolis remains very far off, and even the NhRP’s more limited legal arguments have consistently lost in court. Still, many see it as progress that its arguments are being taken seriously at all. The need for a more nuanced and incremental approach to animal rights I brought some of these legal proposals to participants in my focus groups. Not surprisingly, most were happy to endorse welfare reforms that prevented excessive cruelty against (most) animals. They also intuitively felt the appeal of Zoopolis-styled political systems and the NhRP’s species-specific approach to animal rights. However, respondents were baffled by how any of this could be implemented, and were concerned about the long-range implications. “We’re on this slippery slope,” one participant explained. “Where are they gonna stop?” People adamantly did not want to stop caring for their pets, and they weren’t ready to give up meat either. Most critically, the public’s resistance to one of the animal rights movement’s core tenets — that all animals deserve to be free from human exploitation, inherent in the Zoopolis idea — helps identify the fundamental challenges that remain, as well as some openings for engagement. One clear takeaway is that efforts to expand humanity’s moral circle to include animals are clearly important, but a one-size-fits-all approach probably won’t work. Instead, people who want to change social attitudes toward animals must be mindful of the multiple categories of animals that exist in people’s minds. This might call for an incremental approach, such as trying to shift which animals are included within which categorical boundary — for instance, moving pigs from the category of food to the category of companion. That’s the strategy some activists are taking, by rescuing neglected farm animals and documenting their lives on social media like they would a dog or cat. A po[CENSORED]r documentary such as the Oscar-winning My Octopus Teacher, while not an activist film, could also push people to move octopi squarely out of the “food” category. Other efforts could focus on advancing protections for species that already inspire moral concern, trying to make legal breakthroughs for animals who are most likely to succeed, like the NhRP does. In my focus group conversations, skepticism was often based as much in pragmatic confusion as it was in firm ideological opposition. If we give animals rights, how can they defend themselves in court? Could meat-eaters or pet owners be considered criminals? Where do we draw the line? Lacking answers to these questions, people often prefer to end the thought experiment entirely. Expanding the moral circle to include animals is long-term work that requires a mix of cultural, institutional, and technological change. To make this happen, researchers, advocates, and people who place animal welfare high on their list of issue priorities need to have a working understanding of how people actually think about animals. They should also have answers ready for common questions about what a future where animals have rights actually looks like, even if those responses are tentative and subject to change. By doing so, our society has a better chance to reduce animal suffering and help people become the animal lovers they say they already are. Garrett Broad is an associate professor in the Department of Communication and Media Studies at Fordham University, where his research examines contemporary social movements and the food system. He is the author of More Than Just Food: Food Justice and Community Change, as well as a variety of articles on food’s relationship to environmental sustainability, economic equity, and the health of humans and nonhuman animals.