_Happy boy

AMD has officially confirmed that its 3rd Gen EPYC Milan Server CPUs are all set for launch on the 15th of March. The launch will be hosted digitally featuring presentations by AMD's CEO, Dr. Lisa Su, and various other senior executives. AMD All Set To Launch 3rd gen EPYC Milan CPUs on 15th of March In Digital Keynote The AMD 3rd Gen EPYC Milan CPU family will be the last family to be featured on the SP3 socket platform. As such, AMD wants to make a final release for the platform which is grander in every proportion than Rome. From what we have heard and seen, the Zen 3 core powered EPYC Milan lineup is going to utterly crush everything that Intel has including its next-generation Ice Lake-SP Xeon lineup. SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) will host a digital global launch of the new 3rd Gen AMD EPYC processors on Monday, March 15, 2021 at 8 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. ET. The digital launch is slated to feature presentations by AMD President and CEO Dr. Lisa Su, Executive Vice President of Technology and Engineering and CTO Mark Papermaster, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Datacenter and Embedded Solutions Business Group, Forrest Norrod, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Server Business Unit, Dan McNamara and appearances by industry-leading data center partners and customers. The launch will be accessible on the 3rd Gen AMD EPYC launch site starting at 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET. A replay of the webcast can be accessed after the conclusion of the live stream event and will be available for one year after the event. via AMD AMD 3rd Gen EPYC Milan Server CPU Lineup - 7nm, Up To 64 Cores, 280W TDP Coming to the specifications, we are expecting to see at least 19 SKUs within the 3rd Gen AMD EPYC Milan family. These processors will be based on TSMC's 7nm process node and will be powered by the Zen 3 core architecture. The lineup will feature up to 64 cores, 280W TDPs, & increased clocks compared to the 2nd Gen EPYC Rome lineup. The top SKU within the family is going to be the EPYC 7763 which is going to feature 64 cores. The CPU is going to feature a base clock of 2.45 GHz and a boost clock of 3.50 GHz along with a 256 MB L3 cache and 32 MB L2 cache. Talking about the lineup, there are three 64 core SKUs, four 32 core SKUs, four 24 core SKUs, four 16 core SKUs, and a single 56, 48, 28, 8 core SKUs. The highest base frequency is offered on the EPYC 75F3 which is the 32 core part and features a 3.25 GHz frequency plus a 280W TDP. There are also four 'P' SKUs that are designed specifically for single-socket server configurations. The rest of the lineup is configurable in 2P or dual-socket configurations. You can see the full list mentioning the AMD 3rd Gen EPYC Milan SKUs along with their specifications in the table below:Both AMD EPYC and Intel Xeon 3rd Gen server CPU lineups will be going up against each other soon. AMD has so far been disrupting the server market space and gaining share by offering an insane value with their EPYC CPUs and their efficiency, node, performance, compute advantage within the space has increased by a huge factor in the last couple of years while Intel lacked by relying on the same process and architecture for years.

Half-Life's G-Man has always been a little uncanny valley. A straightforward, stone-faced businessman for whom the act of speaking human words appears to bring great discomfort. But in an attempt to redesign the interdimensional businessman, one fan's remodel has crossed the line into downright creepy. 3D modeller Gmadador posted a bizarre new look for G-Man—one based on his debut appearance in the original Half-Life. Here's how he looked back in 1998, for context. And here's Gmadador's redesign, all smooth-skinned and sinister. It's certainly a departure from Valve's own Half-Life 2 update (or his more recent "cool uncle" look in Half-Life: Alyx) for our suited pal, veering away from photorealistic pores to a sleeker, more alien look reminiscent of XCOM's Thin Men.While it brings me deep discomfort to see a familiar Half-Life face twisted this way, it's also a fascinating way to re-approach the character. The artist has very much honed in on G-Man's more unknowable qualities, and it's interesting to imagine this approach applied across the Half-Life 2 cast.As a bonus, the artist stuck the new model into one of G-Man's rare HL2: Episode 2 appearances—and while the gulf between his slimier rework and the base Valve models is stark, your man's looking creepy as ever. Maybe even more so.Our Andy K managed to chat with the actual G-Man, Mike Shapiro, last year. But while he spoke of the quiet exhilaration of playing such an enigmatic character, Andy wasn't able to make him do the voice. Shame. Let's hope that interview wasn't a Once In A Lifetime experience.

Well . I like DH2 it's good song . I like it a lot xd

Now that President Joe Biden's $1,400 stimulus checks are headed for a final vote in Congress, consumer advocates are putting renewed pressure on auto insurance companies to provide some more COVID stimulus cash of their own. In a set of class-action lawsuits filed in Nevada last month, plaintiffs claim that 10 leading auto insurers have kept premiums unreasonably high during the pandemic, a period when restrictions on business activity and other parts of normal daily life have caused overall driving to drop well below prepandemic levels, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. And that’s led to staggering increases in profits for auto insurers, according to research by consumer advocates. Progressive reported an 82% increase in net income, while Geico’s pretax earnings tripled during the second and third quarters of 2020, just to name a couple. Many insurers already have given customers some discounts on premiums, ranging from small one-time refunds to 15% to 25% reductions on some 2020 monthly bills, according to information contained in the Nevada lawsuits. "On three occasions in 2020, USAA returned dividends totaling $1.07 billion to all auto insurance policyholders due to fewer drivers on the road because of the ongoing pandemic," a spokesman for USAA, one of the defendants in the lawsuits, told The Associated Press. Still, many Americans may be wondering: Why am I paying full price for insurance now, in 2021, when my car still sits in the driveway and my insurance company is still reaping the benefits? Here’s how you can try to get more relief from your insurer, plus a few other strategies to slash your car insurance bill when money is tight.

How to smile, where to place a hand, which direction to face: young Vietnamese social media users are snapping up a po[CENSORED]r influencer's course on posing for the perfect photo. In communist Vietnam, where 70 percent of the po[CENSORED]tion is under 35, the classes are particularly po[CENSORED]r with young women. Instructor Pham Kieu Ly -- who has hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok -- set up the $130 course in Hanoi after women began asking her how to look their best in photos, largely for social media The lessons also teach aspiring amateur photographers how to take snaps themselves. Ly told AFP she saw women in the class who wanted "to learn how to pose and take photos to help their work, while others wanted to build confidence". Since the first class in September 2020, Ly’s day-and-a-half-long tutorial has amassed a substantial following, attracting around 500 people from a range of professions, including online merchants and estate agents. "The image I am aiming to create is one of a successful businesswoman," said 29-year-old Nguyen Thi Thanh Loan, who works at an insurance company, and also wants to boost her photography skills during the course. Other participants said they were convinced beautiful photos would help them sell products on Facebook, which has more than 53 million users in Vietnam -- over half the po[CENSORED]tion. The platform has become a crucial marketing tool for local business. Nguyen Huong Tra, 29, who runs a homewear shop and sells candles and scented oils online, said: "In the past I didnt pay much attention to my images or number of followers on social media, but then I realised they are important to my business."

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam administered its first COVID-19 doses Monday to the front-line workers who made the nation's relative success in controlling the pandemic possible — health workers, contact tracers and security forces who handled quarantine duties. The Southeast Asian nation of 96 million people has a goal to inoculate at least half of the po[CENSORED]tion by the end of the year. Thousands of doctors, nurses and technicians working at hospitals designated to treat COVID-19 patients lined up in the morning and received the first jabs of the AstraZeneca vaccine. “I have been waiting for this day for a long time,” nurse Nguyen Thi Huyen said after she got her injection. Huyen has been caring for COVID-19 patients at a tropical disease hospital in Hanoi the past year. Health protocols limited her time with family, among other challenges. “I hope the vaccine will be available for everyone so we can contain the virus and get back to normal life," she said. The first batch of over 100,000 doses in a 30 million-dose order of the vaccine developed by Oxford University and U.K.-based drugmaker AstraZeneca arrived two weeks ago. Separately, Vietnam expects to secure another 30 million doses of the same vaccine through COVAX, a U.N.-backed initiative created to ensure vaccine access to low- and middle-income countries. It is also negotiating with Pfizer for another 30 million doses, according to the health ministry. After COVID-19 first responders, the next group to be vaccinated will be diplomats, workers providing essential services, teachers, senior citizens and people with chronic illnesses. Vietnam has recorded 2,512 cases of COVID-19, a low number compared to other countries. Despite a fresh outbreak detected in two northern provinces in January, it has managed to contain the virus's spread and resume business activities. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Tags: Associated Press

Open source has permanently altered how we work and conduct business. Linux, and thousands of other open source projects and open standards, now dominate the software landscape, supporting emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and edge computing. Without open source, the DevOps tooling ecosystem would lack Docker, Kubernetes, service mesh, po[CENSORED]r databases, and many CI/CD tools used by DevOps teams daily. Now, more than ever, companies are searching for ways to meet escalating user demands. The pandemic has amplified this urgency, accelerating existing digital transformation initiatives. Arguably, open source is the engine that now powers the digital innovation required to compete. Leveraging open source could also help check rising cloud costs. With proprietary solutions falling out of favor, many enterprise leaders are adopting open source alternatives for infrastructure modernization and application development. Red Hat recently released its third annual State of Enterprise Open Source report. The report surveyed 1,250 IT leaders worldwide on their open source adoption and usage patterns. The findings validate what most of us already know — open source is now fundamental to most technology stacks. Without it, most development projects would fall flat in an instant. Open Source Use Cases Open source is at the heart of modern software development. According to the report, 90% of enterprise IT leaders are using open source. So, where is open source being applied? Well, 64% of enterprises use open source software for IT infrastructure modernization. The report surmised that this could be due to Linux and open source infrastructure replacing proprietary systems. The report also found 54% of enterprises use open source for application development. This is no surprise, as engineers routinely adopt open source libraries and packages to construct B2B and user-facing experiences. In a digital-only environment, applications are the lifeblood for many businesses, and open source is critical scaffolding. The third top use case for enterprise open source is digital transformation, at 53%. This figure has increased by 11 percentage points in the last two years alone. Open source will likely continue to replace non-digital or manual processes with software-based, automated processes. In the enterprise, open source is used in networking, adopted by 54% of enterprises, databases, at 53% and security, at 52%. Other areas mentioned in the report include big data analytics and cloud management tools. In recent years, multi-cloud has become a notable trend. The idea is that organizations will seek out multiple cloud vendors to support different use cases. The Red Hat report confirmed that hypothesis, finding that 69% of respondents prefer to use multiple vendors for their cloud. As hybrid, multi-cloud setups profligate, cloud expertise and smart multi-cloud economic practices continue to gain importance. Containers and K8s Open source components are the foundation for containers and container management utilities. As reliance on containers grows, so will the dependence on open source technology. The report found just under half of enterprises now use containers in production. An additional 37% also use containers for development-only purposes. To orchestrate these containers, IT teams have coalesced around Kubernetes. Sixty-six percent of respondents view Kubernetes as very or extremely important. As Kubernetes becomes ubiquitous, growth in container usage is slated to continue — about one in three respondents reported their container usage will increase significantly in the next 12 months. “Kubernetes has become the de facto standard for Linux container development,” said Michael Hinterland, team lead, ICS cloud & automation and ICS system & middleware, Porsche Informatik. While Kubernetes is flourishing, there are certainly variances across industries. For example, 62% of financial services and telecommunications respondents adopted containers in production, while other sectors, such as health care and retail, saw a lower adoption of containers in production, at 47% and 50%, respectively. The highly-regulated financial services sector also scored high on Database DevOps, a separate report recently concluded. Open Source Benefits and Barriers There are numerous benefits to using enterprise open source software. For one, a commitment to open source brings transparency and collaboration improvements. Respondents also cited higher quality software, access to the latest innovations and improved security as being among the top benefits to adopting open source software. But open source has its drawbacks, too; 42% of tech leaders reported a lack of support as a top hurdle to enterprise open source adoption. This checks out – community-driven projects don’t typically offer traditional support systems. Without accessible frameworks for learning, creating a Center of Excellence at scale becomes difficult. Other top barriers to enterprise open source adoption include compatibility, code security and a lack of internal skills. Introducing open source within an enterprise means upskilling the workforce and encouraging secure-by-default settings to avoid costly misconfigurations. It could also mean working with trusted allies that further open source initiatives, the report recommended. Open Source Fuels Emerging Tech “Open source has solidified itself as an innovation engine for the software industry,” wrote Paul Cormier, president and CEO, Red Hat. Indeed, open source is at the heart of most cutting-edge emerging technologies. For example, 55% of respondents report using enterprise open source in edge computing and internet of things (IoT) settings. Simultaneously, 48% of respondents use open source for artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML). Amid open source projects like OpenAI and GPT–3, AI is eating the software world, Forbes reported. Both categories are slated to increase by nearly 20 percentage points in the next two years, whereas the use of proprietary solutions for AI/ML will decrease. Open source will continue to affect buying decisions, as 83% of IT leaders are more likely to choose a vendor that has contributed to the open source community. Within a COVID-19-influenced world, “the problems are too big for one person, one company or one organization to solve,” said Cormier. “But it’s in moments like this where open source truly shows its power.”

While many mouse manufacturers try to innovate across their various product lines and try to change things up in their yearly iterations, one particular manufacturer from Kowloon, Hong Kong seemingly focuses instead on making their signature design the very best it can be. That company is Mad Catz, a company I've followed for quite some time after starting my short-lived Street Fighter IV career back in '09 with their Tournament Edition fight stick. Times have changed since then, but much like the Vewlix button layout that Mad Catz adopted for that game controller, there are some design principles that don't change much over time. Take Mad Catz's latest mouse, for example: the R.A.T. DWS might be indistinguishable from their other R.A.T. mice that came before it but hiding under the hood are some incredible innovations that make this one of their wireless mice to date. With the appearance of a Decepticon caught mid-transformation, the R.A.T. DWS follows Mad Catz's penchant to give their mouse an open-air design in the lower half. There's plenty of open space that fits their unique barrel switch and a pair of gaps between the guide rails on either side of the mouse, each giving the R.A.T. DWS its distinctive appearance. From the first R.A.T. 1 that launched in 2016 to the DWS in 2021, their core design hasn't changed much, and that's not something that I can fault Mad Catz for. It's a distinctive design that isn't quite the sweat and grime trap that I was first concerned about when I first laid eyes on the R.A.T. line. Boasting fourteen buttons to guide the user to victory, Mad Catz' R.A.T. DWS offers no shortage of inputs. Both primary mouse buttons are nice and clicky, offering a satisfying tactile response whether you click from the tip of the mouse button or hold the mouse in a claw shape and click closer to the center of the button. Thanks to their new DAKOTA mechanical switches, the R.A.T. DWS is rated for up to sixty million keypresses. In my time spent getting hands-on with the mouse and shaking off some of that rust in Call of Duty, I think I'd be lucky to even put in six thousand clicks. From throwing it into my travel bag and setting up shop at a local coffee shop to pen this review to being the main mouse at my home workstation and everywhere in between, the R.A.T. DWS has seen its fair share of travel and hasn't even gotten a scratch on it.Besides the main pair of buttons and a four-way DPI selector between them, you'll also find a 3D mouse wheel with large ridges that are easy to grip against the tip of your finger without slipping away and click to either side for additional inputs. Another button is nestled just beside the left mouse button and quickly accessible if you decide to map it to melee or any other essential FPS command. At thumb's reach, you'll find a pair of slim horizontal buttons that have a raised lip just above where one's thumb might rest and their signature large rounded button that temporarily drops the DPI down to a crawl, a feature I've become quite fond of when it comes time to pick up a sniper rifle in Warzone. Mad Catz's barrel switch fits neatly into the natural gap between your thumb and index finger and doesn't come mapped to any particular input without the use of Mad Catz's app, so don't fear accidentally bumping into it when you start using the R.A.T. DWS for the first time.You won't find any buttons on the right side of the R.A.T. DWS, nor will you find anything hiding in the palm rest. If you're finding the palm rest to be too short for you and want to turn the R.A.T. DWS into something more form fitting, a hidden lever can help pull out the palm rest out up to two centimeters out while both thumb and pinkie rests can be removed and customized through the aid of an included Allen wrench. The modular design helps craft the R.A.T. DWS into something that truly fits the wielder's hand far better than just picking up a random mouse off Amazon and hoping that it won't lead to hand cramps during hours of ill-fitting bot matches. Part of the design that gives the R.A.T. DWS its unique edge is in the DAKOTA mechanical switch that Mad Catz promises to be a game-changer for its mouse line. This new mechanical switch that powers both mouse buttons on the R.A.T. DWS operates with a new mechanism that takes advantage of a new signal detection technology, as Mad Catz claims. According to Mad Catz, the DAKOTA switches can operate with an instant response between either of the two contact points that "accelerates the switch response time to within only 2 milliseconds - 60% faster than other mechanical switches". The caveat here is that the R.A.T. DWS will need to be running on 2.4Ghz wireless mode via the included USB dongle rather than the low power Bluetooth 5.0 mode but consider that to be the primary method for Mad Catz' intended audience. With two different wireless modes on the R.A.T. DWS, you'll have a few options when it comes to how you want to connect this mouse to your battlestation. Esports professionals might shirk away from the R.A.T. DWS as there isn't an option to wire the mouse up, but I never ran into an issue with latency on the 2.4Ghz wireless mode. Bluetooth 5.0 was a bit trickier, especially on an M1 Macbook Pro. The mouse itself was just as responsive as on PC with the onboard DPI settings saved, though I lost the use of some of the additional buttons and the mouse scrolling wasn't quite as smooth as its PC counterpart.Mad Catz might not be winning any awards for the design of the R.A.T. DWS but what they've assembled under the hood should make any PC enthusiasts eager to ditch the cords in their home office. It's a snappy and responsive wireless mouse with more buttons than you'll know what to do with and hands down one of the most satisfying switches to keep clicking over and over again.

We've all been there. You've just dropped into a match of Apex Legends, only to find one of your squadmates has sprinted off on their lonesome, ready to solo every other team on the battlefield—leaving the other two at a disadvantage. Fortunately, Apex will soon let these lone wolves queue up without hindering a team, but be warned—this isn't exactly a proper solos mode. Chaos Theory, the game's next Collection Event, is adding a "No Fill" toggle, letting Apex know that you don't want your squad filled out with strangers. So yeah, play solo if you want. Just know that you'll still be pitting yourself against two- or three-person teams. Hey, maybe you're just that good. Respawn has toyed with temporary solo modes in the past, but isn't too keen on making in a permanent option. No-fill, then, is an attempt to compromise with the hotshots out there who want to test their luck while still retaining the game's team spirit."We still strongly believe that, at its best, Apex Legends is a game about teamplay. But we’re launching this No-Fill matchmaking as an option for solo players because we think it gives a lot of creative opportunities for you to play the game your way." No-fill will be a permanent addition to the game, but Chaos Theory's other improvements are also quite spicy. A new takeover mode, Ring Fury, supplements the usual closing circle with with new "Ring Flares", regions of ring damage that will slowly grow over the course of a match. Expect these to only grow more intense as the event goes on—Respawn is using this mode to introduce new "escalation takeovers", which means these flares are only going to get hotter as the days go on. To help cool things down, Apex is also adding new Heat Shields. Deployed like Gibraltar's dome shield, these bubbles will protect you from ring damage temporarily, while also increasing healing and revive speeds while deployed in the ring. These will take up space in a new Survival slot in your inventory, letting you snatch up Heat Shields or Respawn Beacons without filling valuable backpack space. Caustic has also taken over a part of King's Canyon in the latest Town Takeover, replacing Water Treatment with Caustic Treatment—an evil lair full of toxic science goo that offers great loot for those willing to brave its fumes. Finally, the Collection Event comes with a slew of new cosmetics to collect, including a new Bangalore Heirloom knife. Chaos Theory begins next Tuesday, March 9 and runs until March 23.

like he said

If you’ve been shopping for a new car this year, you know that virtually all auto shows have been cancelled, yet another victim of the pandemic. The lack of any annual exposition of the latest and greatest in automotive hardware brings with it a spate of questions, not the least of which is whether they will come back, and where one gets the information needed to go about buying a car. Well, the answer to the latter is easy: Postmedia News’ most recent Driving into the Future roundtable detailed all the vehicles you would have seen at a car show near you. As to whether we’ll ever get to visit a car show again, well, that’s a more complicated question… My life used to revolve around Detroit. Long before Zoom rendered valet parking obsolete and the pandemic made any public gathering a no-no, Detroit was quite literally my everything. It was the start of my business year, the focal point of everything I would write about for the next 12 months, and a place to be educated, mentored and networked. It was the most important destination in the world, the place to be seen and, truth be told all these many years later, the best party in the land. And, by Detroit, I mean its North American International Auto Show. Indeed, it is a measure of the import of the annual January gathering at Cobo Hall that, despite the Motor City being the epicentre of everything automotive, when one asked a colleague whether they were going to Detroit, or had they seen the news out of Detroit, everyone knew you were referring to the show, not the city. Fast-forward to 2021 and “Detroit” has now been delayed, rescheduled, cancelled and, finally, but perhaps most ignominiously of all, turned into something called Motor Bella, the automotive industry equivalent of a “show and shine” in a Longo’s parking lot. It is, not a word of a lie, a humiliation more complete that Katherine Heigl having to do Vicks’ ZzzQuil commercials to “stay relevant.” From commanding the entire automotive world’s stage; to a parking lot somewhere in backwater Pontiac, Mich. How the mighty have fallen. And, thanks to the coronavirus, auto shows all over the world have followed suit. From New York to Tokyo, Vancouver to Montreal, the expositions by which automakers have long lured auto-journalists and consumers alike to their wares have, like all public gatherings, succumbed to a spike protein no one saw coming. The industry has already survived more than 12 months with no auto shows — it’s looking increasingly like 12 more — and the automotive world hasn’t stopped turning. So, one has to wonder if they’ll ever come back. And if they don’t, will anyone notice? That’s not a trivial question, the auto show having been, for more than a century, a focal point in mainstream consumerism. Intenders went to shop cars, parents took kids for social outings and, if you just happened to be, say, an impressionable pre-teen who had to stand on his tippy-toes to attempt passing the 12-year-old minimum that allowed admission sans adult accompaniment, well, you stuffed newspapers in your sneakers and puffed up your Montreal Expos baseball cap because that was the only way you were going to actually lay eyes on the new Sting Ray you read about in last month’s “Car and Driver.” Like I said, auto shows were, without a doubt, the most mainstream of consumer events. And they’re on the cusp of disappearing. Indeed, there’s no question there will be fewer auto shows, the more pertinent query being if any will survive. Even those that do manage to soldier on will be severely diminished. And it was my fault. OK, not actually me all by my lonesome, but my industry, the lamestream media, if I’m allowed to quote The Donald without raising too much ire. Somewhere along the line, automotive journalists — and their enablers-in-chief, public relations corporate communicators — hijacked the auto show. Those corporate communicators — infernal lobbyists, if we were referencing Washington politics again — realizing that the Detroit, not to mention Frankfurt, Tokyo, Geneva and Paris shows, were an ideal backdrop to make a marketing smash. What was once a mere sales tool to get punters into cars had become an automotive theatre of the absurd. One year Jeep — or, more accurately, Bob Lutz — drove the then-all-new Grand Cherokee through one of Cobo Hall’s plate glass windows. There have been water fountains on display, car-shaped, helium-filled mini-dirigibles floating over the show floor and, in one of the most memorable displays of corporate dictum triumphing over mortal fear, a couple of Nissan marketing execs once rappelled down from Cobo’s ceiling just so they could introduce a new SUV. Even normally staid Mercedes-Benz once created a real ice rink in its display area, bringing out sled dogs, hockey players and figure skaters just to bring attention to its “revolutionary” 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. Budgets soared into the millions, the largesse always justified by the press generated. Until it wasn’t. Truth be told, auto shows, at least those claiming press credentials, have been on the decline for years. Detroit, for instance, faced a desertion of automakers long before the pandemic hit, mainly because companies such as Mercedes-Benz and Audi realized that no matter their efforts, Michiganians weren’t going to buy foreign luxury cars. The pandemic, and the virtual “meetings” it has engendered, was simply the final nail in the coffin. The question to be answered, then, is whether auto shows will continue on as mere expositions for automakers to market their products to the general public. Automobiles remain the second-largest purchase most households will ever make and yet, as the successes that automakers have enjoyed despite lockdowns attest, Canadians are increasingly willing to let their computers do the shopping. Will the need to place “bums in seats” continue to legitimize the auto show as public spectacle? Or have we, thanks to the coronavirus, become so used to the “online experience” that virtual shopping has become acceptable even for a $40,000 or $50,000 automobile? So, the big question: Will auto shows survive? Here in Canada, I think Toronto’s might. The CIAS, despite the “International” in its name, has always focused on selling cars; any PR effort has always been an afterthought. Almost certainly, Montreal’s Salon de l’Auto will, our Quebecois cousins mad for cars, and the show’s organizers long having focused on the base mechanics of moving metal. Beyond those, I simply have no clue. South of the border, I think Detroit is donesville and New York questionable. Even the LA Auto Show and AutoMobility conference — the new “Detroit” for much of the international media — will be severely curtailed. Auto shows will survive if they simply go back to selling cars and trucks. But the auto show as a media event is as dead as the dodo, a victim of high-speed connectivity, dramatically cut budgets and the Zoom revolution. I, for one, will miss the party. RELATED:

A North East network has announced its acquisition of an Australian lifestyle platform in a multi-million pound deal. AllBright, a network for women and careers, has acquired lifestyle platform The Grace Tales, which was founded by ex-Vogue deputy editor Georgie Abay. This follows three investment rounds led by Cain International, raising a total of $42m in funds for the business. The Grace Tales acquisition is the first in a number of upcoming international deals in Canada, India and the US. Debbie Wosskow, AllBright’s co-founder, commented: “The last year highlighted the ongoing challenges women continue to face but also how the crisis has acted as a catalyst for positive change. “The Grace Tales acquisition allows us to further invest in rich content opportunities to promote our mission of female resilience, and upskill and support our community at scale.” The Grace Tales founder, Georgie Abay, said: “Joining forces with such a like-minded company as AllBright was a very natural next step for The Grace Tales. “From online education to daily events to brilliant content, AllBright’s membership offering is truly unique and I am so excited to introduce it to our audience. “As an entrepreneur, being part of the AllBright community has really helped me to feel connected and grow, which is why I am so excited to bring AllBright’s incomparable offering to Australia.” Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →

Ontario expects to give all adults 60 and older a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine by early June, officials said Friday, as they detailed who will qualify for a shot during Phase 2 of the province's immunization campaign. That's at least a month sooner than originally planned. Ontario's rollout strategy was recently revised amid a wave of vaccine-related news, including the approvals of a third and fourth vaccine for use in Canada and the option to space out shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines by up to four months. Notably, however, the updated rollout plan presented by officials was put together before some significant announcements today. This morning, Health Canada gave a green light to the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada should expect up to 1.5 million more doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in March than expected. At a news conference, provincial officials said those developments could speed up implementation of the rollout, especially during Phase 2, which is set to run between now and the end of July. Officials said they expect to begin immunizing Canadians with some underlying health conditions, caregivers in congregate settings and adults in some COVID-19 hotspots by the start of April. WATCH | Hillier talks about vaccine rollout: Another category of residents, defined as those who cannot work from home, could start getting first doses at the beginning of June. That includes educators and school staff, first responders and workers in sectors such as manufacturing and food processing. A list of eligible health conditions and COVID-19 hotspots can be found in the province's slide show embedded at the bottom of this story. At a news conference Friday afternoon, Premier Doug Ford said the province is "making incredible progress" in its vaccination plan. "The light at the end of the tunnel gets brighter, so let's keep working together to beat this," Ford said. Retired general Rick Hillier, who is running the province's vaccination task force, called this a "seismic shift." Officials are "gaining confidence" in the steady flow of vaccines, and those numbers are growing each week, he said. Hillier also said he hopes everyone who is eligible to get a vaccine and wants it will be able to get their first dose by the first day of summer. A provincial spokesperson later clarified that Hillier was referring to Ontarians over 18 — but added that those plans hinge on vaccine supply. No vaccines have yet been approved for children. Members of the vaccine task force said they expect 133 mass vaccination clinics to begin operating in 26 of 34 health units by the end of March. About 80 per cent of all vaccine doses administered during phases two and three will be done through these clinics, officials said. They stressed, though, that what vaccine someone receives will depend on where they live and how they choose to get it. Because each of the four vaccines approved in Canada have different characteristics, some people will be limited in terms of choice. AstraZeneca-Oxford will be administered mostly through pharmacies and primary care clinics, for example, because it can be stored safely in a regular fridge. Ontario anticipates 194,500 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to arrive the week of March 8. They will be used to give first doses to adults aged 60 to 64. Stay-at-home orders lifted Meanwhile, stay-at-home orders in Toronto, Peel and North Bay Parry Sound are being lifted, the province also announced Friday, with those regions transitioning back into Ontario's previous COVID-19 framework effective Monday, March 8. North Bay Parry Sound will be returning to the framework at the red-control level, the province said in a news release, while Toronto and Peel will enter the grey lockdown level. "Our government is taking a safe and cautious approach to returning to the framework and due to our progress, all regions of the province will soon be out of the provincewide shutdown," Minister of Health Christine Elliott said in a statement. "Despite this positive step forward, a return to the framework is not a return to normal. As we continue vaccinating more Ontarians, it remains critical for everyone to continue to follow public health measures and stay home as much as possible to protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities."

ASUS has accidentally listed NVIDIA's unreleased GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU under the specs page for its TUF Dash Laptops. It looks like NVIDIA will soon be releasing more mainstream and budget tier options for the notebook and desktop segment with the likes of the GeForce RTX 3050 gaming graphics cards. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Listing Confirms Ray Tracing For Budget Tier Graphics Cards, Features 4 GB GDDR6 Memory The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 series is going to be the budget tier option for gamers and based on the listing by ASUS, we can confirm some aspects of the card. For starters, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti is codenamed GN20-P1 and will be one of the two variants featured within the GeForce RTX 3050 series with the other being the non-Ti variant which is codenamed GN20-P0, just like the RTX 3060 series graphics cards. Intel Rocket Lake Desktop CPU & NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Mobility GPU Powered Laptops From Chinese Manufacturer, Hasee, Detailed With Pricing The GPU is a mobility variant and was spotted on ASUS's specs page for its TUF Dash F15 Laptop that will feature Intel's Tiger Lake-H (35W) CPUs and up to RTX 3070 mobility graphics cards. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti variant will be the most entry-level configuration for this laptop. The GPU comes with 4 GB GDDR6 memory which suggests a 128-bit bus interface and considering the GeForce RTX 3060 is slightly faster than the RTX 2070, the GeForce RTX 3050 Ti could end up being faster than the GeForce RTX 2060. The other key feature is that the GeForce RTX 3050 Ti is listed as an "RTX" variant. Previously, ray tracing was kept exclusive to **60 series graphics cards and above but this changes with Ampere and now we can get ray tracing on entry-level graphics cards too. However, the pricing of the GPU will be higher with the RTX 3050 Ti expected to be set at around $229-$279 US while the RTX 3050 will cost just slightly below the sub-$200 US range. It seems like neither NVIDIA nor AMD will have a decent sub-$150 US solution this generation but that remains to be seen. As for TGP, the GeForce RTX 3050 Ti is expected to feature a 60W design and is expected to make use of the GA107 GPU. The ASUS TUF DASH F15 Laptop with Intel Tiger Lake-H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series mobility GPU is going to start at around $999 US pricing so expect it to be quite po[CENSORED]r amongst mainstream gamers who require a portable and budget-friendly gaming solution.

During its 2021 Ignite conference, Microsoft announced the launch of Power Fx, a low-code and completely open source programming language. As the foundation of the Microsoft Power Apps canvas, Power Fx uses a graphical user interface rather than manual developer coding, saving programmers the need to create apps from scratch. Eventually, the language will also be deployable on Power Platform, Microsoft Dataverse, Microsoft Power Automate, Microsoft Power Virtual Agents, and beyond. Moreover, the open source aspect of this tool offers programmers a no-cost-upfront platform to develop apps while sharing content and knowledge with fellow developers on GitHub. Finally, as the language is based on Microsoft Excel, many users will already know how to use the formulas involved. This familiarity will allow business users and professional developers to collaborate in problem solving. Therefore, whereas many other low-code platforms have fallen short in terms of extensibility and proprietary formatting, the Excel syntax base of Power Fx provides developers a one-stop shop method for building all of their apps. By and large, Power Fx combines the familiar Excel framework with the use of source control as well as the ability to edit apps in text editors such as Visual Studio Code. This way, developers can team up with millions of fellow developers to build apps faster. Adding to the benefit of the Excel base, Power Fx also operates on formulas in a similar manner. This means that, similar to an Excel spreadsheet, when a developer updates data within Power Fx, the formula processes change in real time, automatically calculating the new value in question and implementing the change so the programmer doesn't need to make manual revisions. On the formula front, as a starting point, App.OnStart will be the initiating property for this language. Still to come, Microsoft has a backlog of named formulas and is preparing more Excel and user defined functions, additional data types, dynamic schema and a wrap-up of error handling. Now that Power Fx has been introduced, Microsoft plans to extract the documentation and language from Power Apps canvas to adapt to more diverse contexts for developers creating varied types of applications. For the time being, users can learn more about Power Fx in the new Power Fx docs as well as the Power Apps docs or begin a free trial with Power Apps canvas.

While a mouse and keyboard is still the best choice for things like shooters, a controller is a must-have tool in your PC gaming arsenal. But with some of the best controllers being well over $100, it's not always a budget-friendly investment. Well, Sony seems to be looking to change that. A recent patent application could see you using any "non-luminous passive object" as a controller in the future, including a banana. That's right, they don't just make an excellent weapon in Hitman, they could also make a great peripheral for playing games like Forza or Dark Souls (thanks, GamesIndustry).The application points out that many gamers usually own one controller, and that "it would be desirable if a user could use an inexpensive, simple and non-electronic device as a video game peripheral." The technology proposed in the patent will use a camera to track the pixel contours and colours of the object of your choice. This means a lot could be done in the way of motion controllers too, like using the banana to move the camera around.There's also mention of a "two-object controller," this time demonstrated with another fruit bowl staple—oranges. The application uses two oranges as an example to form a single steering wheel. This also brings up the potential for dual-wielding bananas, which sounds far more exciting than it should be.As with all patents, it's unknown if Sony will go anywhere with the technology. Or if they do, it could be years before we start dodge-rolling around the gaff with fruit on the regular. It's a pretty nifty idea though, and one that Sony hopes will be an alternative choice to expensive, increasingly complex controller tech.A bit of a faux-weeb, Mollie will argue why your JRPG waifu is the wrong choice despite having equally awful taste. When she's not lurking in forums for nuggets of news, she's probably still failing to full combo that one song in a rhythm game she's been playing for years.

Carlisle Events has announced a new auto expo, though it will be a bit of a wait for those eager to participate. The Carlisle Winter Auto Expo will launch early next year, with dates scheduled for Jan. 28 and 29 of 2022. The move comes following the success of the previous Auto Mania event held in January, and discussion with vendors and guests, according to a press release. “While Auto Mania will return to Allentown for 2022, the Carlisle Expo Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania will still bring car enthusiasts together with this brand-new event,” the press release reads. “With a spacious parking lot for car corral and outdoor vending, mixed with a 30,000 square foot indoor footprint, the two-day showcase should prove to be a great way for central PA locals as well as regional car buffs to get out during an otherwise dull time of year to have some fun.”The new show will take place soon after next year’s Auto Mania, which is scheduled to return at the Allentown Fairgrounds on Jan. 14-16. Vendors interested in booking spaces at the Winter Auto Expo can do so beginning on May 4, either online or by phone. Advance ticket options and other details will also be available through the Carlisle Events website.

The freehold property at 160 Redoubt Road, Flat Bush, consists of a five-bedroom home and office set amid more than 8,000 square metres of elevated land with mature trees, open space and outstanding north-facing views. Yet it sits just across the road from a suburban residential zone where sites are typically a fraction of the size – and is about five minutes’ drive from the Manukau city centre. “It’s quite unusual to have the opportunity to buy such a substantial rural lifestyle block within such close striking distance of major urban amenities,” said Ian McGowan of Bayleys Real Estate. “This property’s positioning immediately to the east of the urban/rural interface is attracting keen interest from potential buyers who recognise that it genuinely offers the best of both worlds.” The freehold land and buildings at 160 Redoubt Road, Flat Bush, are now being marketed for sale by way of a tender closing on 16 March (unless sold prior), through Bayleys Auckland Central. Mr McGowan and fellow salesperson Alan Haydock said the approximately 8,094-square metre site contained a dwelling/office of some 230 square metres. “The single-level brick-and-tile dwelling was built around the 1950s. It has a tiled balcony extending across the northern face, which overlooks outstanding, wide-ranging views stretching as far as Rangitoto Island,” Mr McGowan said. Internally, the building includes an entrance foyer, two lounges, a dining area, kitchen, office, five bedrooms, two bathrooms and a laundry. “The structure features concrete/timber foundations, timber flooring, painted brick exterior cladding, aluminium and timber window joinery, plaster-board internal linings and a cement tile roof,” said Mr McGowan. The kitchen and bathrooms incorporated a range of original fixtures and fittings, and a new owner would have the opportunity to add value through a general refurbishment of the property. The presence of high-tension power lines would impact some buyers, he said. Mr McGowan said the Redoubt Road property had attracted strong early interest from residential property investors, some of whom were also exploring additional income potential from the land. The site could also suit owner-occupiers and add-value investors, he said. Located at the north-eastern corner of the intersection of Redoubt and Hilltop roads, the site for sale is zoned Rural – Countryside Living under Auckland Council’s unitary plan. Mr Haydock said this zoning provided for rural lifestyle living which was generally closer to urban Auckland or rural and coastal towns. The building was previously used as a residential care facility by a charitable trust, Mr Haydock said. Some commercial-type activities could also be possible, subject to gaining resource consent approvals. Buyers might explore possibilities including the likes of a garden centre, veterinary clinic, animal breeding or boarding facility, or storage facilities, he said. Mr Haydock said that properties to the lifestyle block’s west – zoned Residential - Mixed Housing Suburban – were family homes typically ranging in value between $1 million and $1.5 million. To the east were other lifestyle blocks which generally sold for $1.5 million to $4 million. “Opposite the property on Redoubt Road is the entrance to Totara Park, a large recreational area full of bush and farm walks and trails, which in turn leads into the Auckland Botanic Gardens,” Mr Haydock said. The property’s rural feel belied its proximity to key urban amenities and transport links. “About 2.5 kilometres to the west lie Westfield Manukau City, Rainbow’s End, Manukau Institute of Technology, and the restaurants, bars and extensive commercial services of Manukau City Centre,” said Mr Haydock. “The junction of the Southern and Southwestern motorways is within a five-minute drive of the Redoubt Road site, offering convenient links to Auckland’s CBD and across the region.”

THURSDAY, March 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Fireworks, skateboards and button batteries are among the products associated with increased trips to the emergency room during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). While ER treatment of product-related injuries fell by about a quarter between March and September of last year, a new report pointed to surges for certain types of products. The report was released to mark National Consumer Protection Week. The rate of severe injury was nearly the same as the year before. Overall, treatment for product-related injuries dropped 24%, but only went down 1% for severe product-related injuries. The largest increases in all age groups involved fireworks and flares (56%); skateboards, scooters and hoverboards (39%), and severe injuries from all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), mopeds and minibikes (39%). Meanwhile, ER-treated injuries related to button batteries was up 93% among young children. The report also found steep increases in treatment of injuries related to cleaning agents (84%) and soaps and detergents (60%). While bicycle injuries were up 1% overall, they were up 21% among people 40 and older, and 39% for those over 70. Sports-related injuries, including those that usually occur at schools, fell by as much as 81%. "These data begin to tell a story of how consumers were injured by products during the pandemic," CPSC acting chairman Robert Adler said in a commission news release. "But the ending of the story has yet to be written. With more data and more resources, CPSC can help make sure that consumers are safer, whether they are quarantining at home, or back at work and school." The report highlighted areas of special concern and offered several safety tips: Keep cleaning products in their original bottles, and lock them up and away from younger children. Keep products with small batteries, including TV remote controls, away from kids, and make sure that the battery compartments on toys are secured properly. Wear a helmet and stay out of the street when riding a scooter, skateboard or hoverboard. Never allow young children to play with, or ignite, fireworks, including sparklers. Wear a helmet when cycling. Be sure it has a label that reads "Complies with U.S. CPSC Safety Standards" for bicycle helmets. More information Safety guides on a wide range of topics are available at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. SOURCE: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, news release, March 4, 2021

As a result of the link up, the software will then also allow STC to easily add a range of in-car services to Saudi vehicles RIYADH: Saudi Telecom Co. (STC), the Kingdom’s largest mobile network operator, has entered into a partnership with Irish vehicle software firm Cubic Telecom to develop in-car software solutions for Saudi drivers. As a result of the link up, the software will then also allow STC to easily add a range of in-car services to Saudi vehicles, including an emergency call system which automatically alerts healthcare services in the event of an accident. Gerry McQuaid, chief commercial officer at Cubic, told Arab News: “Basically we partnered with STC as a premier car integrity partner in Saudi Arabia. We are enabling the customer to benefit from a range of safety, entertainment, and navigation features when they purchase the car.” Similar to every market, Saudi Arabia had a strict range of regulations for how connectivity was managed, he said, adding that the software partnership would make it easier for features to be added by carmakers and third-party developers. “I can’t give a precise date, but in a not-too-distant future you actually don’t need a driving license, the car will actually drive autonomously for the citizens. That is the big difference,” McQuaid said. “Already software solutions can support this capability, but it does need important regulations to be introduced to start with semi-driving. “You can request the car on your smart phone, and it will drive to you to get in and the car will drive to your destination. You can listen to music, do some work, and have a conversation while the car drives. This is not science fiction,” he added. Soon cars will have a whole range of applications, such as an iPhone or other smart phone, with touchscreen interaction and voice regulations, and people will interact with the car from outside using smart phone apps, he said. On safety regulations, McQuaid pointed out that solutions included an “emergency call” system which would automatically alert emergency services in the event of an accident, give details about the incident, and suggest if it required attention. Barry Napier, CEO of Cubic Telecom, said: “We are delighted to be working with STC to help car manufacturers activate new opportunities in a very significant market.” Dr. Sultan bin Saeed, STC’s vice president of business development, said: “Partnering with Cubic enables STC as a digital enabler to simplify the delivery and management of advanced in-car services and gives us a foundation for innovating and meeting the changing needs of customers as new services evolve.” Cubic Telecom provides connected software solutions in more than 5 million vehicles and devices to at least 100 countries and has already partnered with some of the Gulf region’s largest mobile operators.