BirSaNN

The UK Parliament has banned Chinese-owned social media app TikTok from its network over security concerns. A spokesman said the app, used by a number of British MPs, would also be blocked from devices issued to staff. It follows a decision by the UK government to ban ministers from using the app on their work phones following a security review, he added. TikTok has strongly denied allegations that it hands users' data to the Chinese government. In a statement, it called Parliament's move "misguided," and said it was "based on fundamental misconceptions about our company". TikTok banned from official UK government phones MSPs urged to remove TikTok app from phones UK Parliament axes TikTok account over China fears It is understood the ban means MPs and guests to Parliament will not be able to access TikTok on devices connected to official Wi-Fi accounts. Instead, if they want to use the app on their phones they will have to connect to their own mobile data provider. The Scottish government also announced on Thursday it will join the Welsh government in banning the app from official devices. Scottish Deputy First Minister John Swinney said the ban, which would begin immediately, would not extend to personal devices used by staff. MSPs and staff working at the Scottish Parliament have also been "strongly advised" to remove TikTok from their phones. 'Self-defeating step' TikTok, which has exploded in po[CENSORED]rity in recent years, gathers a lot of information on users - including their age, location, device and even their typing rhythms. Its cookies also track user activity elsewhere on the internet. US-based social media sites also do this, but TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, has faced claims of being influenced by Beijing. After the UK Parliament announced its ban, a spokesman for the app said "despite our requests, we have not been offered any opportunity to address concerns". "Potentially depriving users from access to and engagement with their representatives is a self-defeating step, especially in our shared fight against misinformation," he added. "We have begun implementing a comprehensive plan to further protect our European user data, which includes storing UK user data in our European data centres and tightening data access controls, including third-party independent oversight of our approach." link: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-65055712

Researchers accidentally discovered that GPS-tagged mammals can help locate Florida's invasive Burmese pythons, which are destroying local ecosystems. Researchers have stumbled across an effective new way of finding giant Burmese pythons, which are invasive to the U.S. and have been decimating Florida's local ecosystems. While carrying out an unrelated study into the movements and behaviors of raccoons and possums in Key Largo, an island off the southern Florida coast, researchers found that the GPS collars they attached to the small mammals could track the invasive Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) after the supersized snakes swallowed the tagged animals whole. The team first made this serendipitous discovery in September 2022, when a GPS collar attached to a possum gave off a mortality signal, which is emitted when an animal goes several hours without moving when it should be active. But after a few hours, the collar began to move again. Over the next few days, the collar emitted several other mortality signals between short periods of movement. The researchers realized that the only explanation for this unusual behavior was if the possum had been eaten by a python, the researchers wrote in a statement(opens in new tab). After tracking the collar for around a month, the team found the python, a 12-foot-long (3.7 meters) female weighing a hefty 66 pounds (30 kilograms), which was then euthanized. A necropsy of the snake revealed that the GPS collar was still intact and fully functional inside the snake, even though the possum had long been digested, the researchers wrote in the statement. Related: Jaw-dropping study reveals how pythons can devour super-size prey In January, researchers successfully tracked another python, a 77-pound (35 kg) female of unknown length, after the girthy serpent swallowed a raccoon with a GPS collar. And on Feb. 8, the researchers tracked down another GPS collar in a pile of snake poop, which had only recently been passed by another large python, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel(opens in new tab) reported. In total, three of the 42 GPS collars attached to mammals by researchers have been ingested by snakes, and another six have gone missing. Although it's not possible to definitively say what happened to the missing collars, the researchers suspect that pythons have swallowed them and since moved outside of the study area. Pesky pythons Burmese pythons are massive serpents from Southeast Asia that invaded Florida in the early 1970s after being released as part of the exotic pet trade. The largest Burmese python found in Florida so far was an 18-foot-long (5.5 m) giant weighing a scale-tipping 215 pounds (98 kg) that was caught and killed in June 2022. The pythons have been extremely damaging to Florida's ecosystems because they are voracious eaters, reproduce rapidly and have no natural predators. As a result, wildlife officials are legally required to kill the snakes if they find them in the wild (and it is safe to do so). link" https://www.livescience.com/gps-tagged-mammals-used-to-catch-pythons

The Hummer EV SUV is extreme in every sense of the word, which means it has lots of intriguing details. The 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV is the epitome of extreme. Not only is it physically imposing and heavy like the military vehicles it's named after, but it's also extremely powerful and quick. The Hummer SUV we drove featured three electric motors with a combined 830 horsepower and 1200 pound-feet of torque, which are estimated to launch the four-plus-ton leviathan to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds. Of course, there's more to the electric Hummer than just those headline-grabbing numbers. As the alternative body style to the Hummer EV pickup truck (GMC calls it the SUT), the SUV version has some key differences and interesting details that we've compiled below. 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV The SUV version of the Hummer EV has a different side profile than it pickup-truck counterpart. That much is obvious to anyone with working eyes. Less noticeable is the different distances between their axles, with SUV's wheelbase shrinking down 8.9 inches to 126.7 inches. From stem to stern, the SUV is just over 17 feet long and roughly 10 inches shorter than the Hummer EV SUT. Unlike with the pickup truck's cargo bed, the only way stuff in the back of the Hummer EV SUV will get wet is if it somehow ends up under water—something that's not entirely impossible, considering its propensity for off-roading. The SUT has more room to haul, but the SUV provides better protected storage, and its cargo hold is accessed via a side-hinged rear door with a spare tire mounted on back. link: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/g43399138/2024-gmc-hummer-ev-suv-seven-interesting-facts/

The prosecution: Damilola Sade is obsessed with lip balm and applies it hundreds of times a day. I think it’s bad for her My girlfriend Sade has an unhealthy obsession with lip balms. If she doesn’t have one at hand, she freaks out. She literally can’t sleep until her lips are coated in something. She says her lips get super dry if she doesn’t use balms and butters. But I think that’s because her body has got accustomed to them. I once showed her an article about “lazy lips”, which suggested that if you apply lip balm too often it does more harm than good, because your lips become reliant on the product and lose the ability to moisturise themselves. Sade said it was rubbish – but if she goes without lip balm for a day, she complains about dry lips. That’s not normal. Most people should be able to go a day without lip balm. I certainly can. Sade has about five pots of Carmex on the go right now. One is mouldy Ten years ago, when we first got together, she carried a little tin of Vaseline in her pocket. She had every flavour: the green one, the pink one, the cocoa butter one. But one day she read about how petroleum jelly comes from crude oil, so switched to Carmex. I recommended a beeswax lip balm and have even bought her some natural ones over the years. She uses them for a bit but then reverts to Carmex, which is slightly annoying as the ones I buy are more expensive and, I think, better. But while her products may change, the obsession remains. She sleeps with lip balm under her pillow. She has about five pots of Carmex right now, all well past their best. One is black and mouldy around the lid; another is covered in sand from a recent holiday. They are all half-finished because she panic buys a new one when she can’t find the others. I remind her that they aren’t cheap any more. Recently she paid £5 for a pot of Carmex at a petrol station, which I found a bit outrageous. Bedtimes are held up if she can’t locate her lip balm, and she puts it on first thing in the morning and then about a million times throughout the day. Her habit is expensive and it’s probably not very good for her, so I’d like to try to wean her off it. The defence: Sade I’ve loved the feeling of balm on my lips since I was a child. It’s pricey, but doesn’t do any harm I admit that I am reliant on my lip balms – I can’t really say why. The obsession started when I was a child. I developed chapped lips one day while walking to school in the cold with my mum. She put some Vaseline on my lips and I liked how it felt, so I kept using it after my lips healed. I used to love all the limited-edition Vaselines – I had one in every colour and flavour. The cocoa butter one was the best. But I switched to Carmex after I read that it’s better for you. The ingredients in lip balms don’t cause addictions. I’ve done my research Dami moans that I leave half-used tubs of Carmex around our home, but it’s hard to finish one. I actually can’t remember ever getting to the bottom of one – I always lose them first. Dami hates that I buy another pot before I’ve located the half-used ones. He also reminds me that lip balms aren’t cheap any more, which he’s right about. We’re in a cost of living crisis but I recently paid £5 for a pot of Carmex. It didn’t help that I found two lost pots when we got home. link: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/mar/24/you-be-the-judge-should-my-girlfriend-get-over-her-addiction-to-lip-balm

In the centre of the Russian town of Yefremov is a wall covered in pictures of war. Giant photographs of masked Russian soldiers with guns and supersized letters Z and V - symbols of the country's so-called special military operation in Ukraine. There's a poem, too: Good should have fists. Good needs an iron hand To tear the skin from those Who threaten it. This is the official, patriotic picture of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But in this town, 320km (200 miles) south of Moscow, you'll find another image of the Ukraine war. A very different one. Town councillor Olga Podolskaya shows me a photo on her mobile phone. It's of a child's drawing. To the left is a Ukrainian flag with the words "Glory to Ukraine", on the right, the Russian tricolour and the inscription "No to war!". As missiles fly in from the direction of Russia, a mother and her child stand defiantly in their path. The picture was drawn in April 2022 by then 12-year-old Masha Moskaleva. Her father Alexei, a single parent, had contacted the town councillor for advice. He told her that after seeing Masha's drawing, her school had called the police. "The police started investigating Alexei's social media," Olga tells me. "And they told him that he was bringing up his daughter in a bad way." Charges followed. For an anti-war post on social media, Alexei was fined 32,000 roubles (around $415 or £338 at the time) for discrediting the Russian armed forces. A few weeks ago, a criminal case was opened against him. Again, anti-war posts formed the basis for discreditation charges. This time Alexei faces a possible prison sentence. Alexei is currently under house arrest in Yefremov. His daughter Masha has - for now - been sent to a children's home. Alexei has not even been allowed to speak to her on the phone. "No-one has seen Masha since 1 March," Olga Podolskaya tells me, "despite our attempts to get access to the children's home and to find out how she is. "The Russian authorities want everyone to toe the line. No-one is allowed to have their own opinion. If you disagree with what someone thinks, then don't read their social media posts. But don't put that person under house arrest and their child in a children's home." We are standing outside an apartment block in Yefremov. A window opens and a man looks out. It's Alexei. We're not allowed to communicate with him. Under the rules of his house arrest Alexei is only permitted contact with his lawyer, the investigator and the penitentiary service. link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65015289

All eyes are on Morocco’s women's team, with fans eager to see them making history at the World Cup. Rabat - Morocco’s women's football team has moved up three spots to rank 73rd in FIFA’s latest ranking published on Friday, March 24. The Atlas Lionesses are also the seventh-best team in Africa. The women's national football team earned respect for their eye-catching performances during the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). The national team made it as finalists at WAFCON, though South Africa eventually claimed the winning title in the final. The Atlas Lionesses also made amazing performances during recent friendly games. In February, the national team beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in a friendly match. The game is part of the preparation for the Women’s World Cup, which will take place in July in Australia and New Zealand. After Morocco’s Atlas Lions triumph at the 2022 World Cup, all eyes are on the women’s team – with fans eager to see them producing similar impressive performances. The Atlas Lioness secured a ticket to the global competition for the first time in history. US tops FIFA’s global women ranking, followed by Germany, Sweden, England, France, Canada, and Spain. In Africa, Nigeria comes first, followed by South Africa, Cameroon, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, and Equatorial Guinea. Many have acknowledged the Lioneses’ potential, including South African footballer Thembi Kgatlana. The football player told ESPN that she expects Morocco’s women’s team to become the most dominant and influential power in women’s football on the continent. “There are two things that stand out or are challenging. Number one: Morocco went to the final. They were not in the WAFCON for a very long time and when they come, they go straight to the final,” she said. link: https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2023/03/354654/moroccos-women-s-football-team-moves-up-three-places-in-fifa-ranking

Nick Movie: SAKRA Time: January 16, 2023 Netflix / Amazon / HBO?: ? Duration of the movie: 2h 10min Trailer:

Live Performance Title: BARBARA BOBAK - CLUB LIVE MIX - DIONIS 2022 Signer Name: BARBARA BOBAK Live Performance Location: = Official YouTube Link: Your Opinion About the Track (Music Video): 10/10

Music Title: PARTY REMIX 2023 🔥 Mashups & Remixes Of Po[CENSORED]r Songs 🔥 DJ Party Remix Music Dance Mix 2023 Signer: = Release Date: 24/03/2023 Official Youtube Link: Informations About The Signer: = Your Opinion About The Track (Music Video): 10/8

Nothing Ear 1 TWS earphones are priced at Rs. 9,999 in India. Nothing, the UK brand backed by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, has finally launched its second audio product, the Nothing Ear 2 on Wednesday. The latest truly wireless stereo (TWS) earphones bring a list of upgrades over last year's Ear 1 and offer active noise cancellation (ANC) of up to 40dB. The Nothing Ear 2 have Bluetooth 5.3 for connectivity and support the new LHDC 5.0 codec. The earphones have a transparent casing and are IP54 rated for sweat and water resistance. The earphones will go on sale in the country starting March 28. Nothing Ear 2 price in India, availability The newly launched Nothing Ear 2 are priced at Rs. 9,999 in India. In the US, the earphones have a price tag of $149, while in the European markets, they'll cost EUR 129. They will go on sale in the country via Flipkart, Myntra and various offline retail stores starting March 28 at 12:00pm IST. To recall, the predecessor, Nothing Ear 1 was launched in July 2021 at Rs. 5,999. Oppo's Enco Free 3 Use Drivers Made From Bamboo Fiber: All Details Nothing Ear 2 specifications, features Like the predecessor, Nothing Ear 2 come with a transparent dual-chamber design. They are powered by the company's 11.6mm customised drivers and each earpiece houses three AI-backed microphones. The in-ear earphones come with active noise cancellation and the feature is claimed to eliminate background and surrounding noises up to 40dB to provide a better listening experience. The Nothing Ear 2 feature Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity and they support the new LHDC 5.0 codec. They also support AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs. The earpieces have an IP54 rating for dust and water resistance, while the case has an IP55 rated build. Nothing Ear 2 can be paired with both Android and iOS devices via the Nothing X app. They feature squeeze controls on the stem for adjusting volume, quickly managing the playback, and switching between noise cancellation modes. These gestures can be customised through the paired app. Xiaomi Buds 3 Star Wars Edition TWS Earbuds Launched With These Upgrades: Details Nothing's new TWS earbuds support Google Fast Pair for seamless connectivity with Android smartphones. They also support the Swift Pair feature for quickly pairing devices with Windows 10 computers. Further, there is a Low Lag Mode for gaming sessions and a dedicated transparency mode on the Nothing Ear 2. There is a 33mAh battery inside each earpiece and a 485mAh battery inside the charging case. The Nothing Ear 2 earphones are said to provide up to 36 hours of music playback on a single charge with ANC turned off. Further, they are claimed to offer up to eight hours of playback time with just a 10-minute charge. The earbuds are accompanied by a case and they support wireless charging up to 2.5W. They also offer reverse charging on compatible devices like the Nothing Phone 1. The case can be charged via the USB Type-C port as well. They measure 29.4x 21.5x23.5mm and weigh 4.5 grams. link: https://www.gadgets360.com/audio/news/nothing-ear-2-price-in-india-rs-9999-launch-sale-date-march-28-specifications-features-true-wireless-earphones-tws-flipkart-3884159

Apple has released the RC builds of its upcoming iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, macOS 13.3, watchOS 9.4, and tvOS 16.4 to developers for testing purposes. The latest update arrives a week after the fourth beta was seeded to developers. If you are a registered developer, you can download the latest updates from the Developer Center after installing the proper configuration profile. Scroll down to read more details on the release candidate build of iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, macOS 13.3, watchOS 9.4, and tvOS 16.4 and what new features can you expect. Apple has seeded iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, macOS 13.3, watchOS 9.4, and tvOS 16.4 release candidate builds to developers As mentioned earlier, you can now install the release candidate build of iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 from the Apple Developer Center. After installing the configuration profile, the RC build will be available over the air. All you have to do is navigate to Settings > General > Software Update. iOS 16.4 brings new emojis, Push Notifications for Safari, and much more. Apart from iOS 16.4, Apple has also released macOS Ventura 13.3 release candidate build that you can download and install on your compatible Macs. After installing the profile from the Developer Center, the RC build will be available via Software Update in System Settings. The update also adds new emojis, new HomeKit architecture, and much more. Apple has also released the watchOS 9.4 release candidate build that can be installed after installing iOS 16.4 on your iPhone. After installing the proper configuration profile, the update will be available through the dedicated Apple Watch app on your iPhone. Simply go to General > Software update, and you are good to go. Make sure your Apple Watch follows all prerequisites to update to the new firmware. Lastly, Apple has released tvOS 16.4 release candidate build to developers. The update can be installed on your compatible Apple TV with a profile that you can download through Xcode. tvOS updates do not usually bring major additions to the table, but they might feature hidden codes for unreleased products. Henceforth, be sure to give it a swing. The company has also released the Studio Display firmware release candidate to developers, so be sure to check that out as well. This is all there is to it, folks. Would you be willing to give the release candidate builds a swing? Let us know in the comments. link: https://wccftech.com/download-apple-releases-ios-16-4-watchos-9-4-macos-13-3-and-tvos-16-4-release-candidate-builds/

Velocity Micro has revealed the latest Dual AMD EPYC Genoa & Dual Intel Sapphire Rapids Xeon CPU-powered workstation systems. The surprising thing about the two systems is that the AMD PC retails for a much lower price than the Intel option while offering more cores and memory. Velocity Micro's Dual AMD EPYC 192-Core Workstation Retails Around $36,000 US, Dual Intel Xeon Sapphire Rapids System Starts At $56,000 Using the Velocity Micro customization wizard, I configured the HD360MAX Xeon Workstation with a dual Xeon Platinum 8490H CPU configuration with 120 cores and 240 threads in total, ending at $56,959 US. I also configured the ProMagix HD360A EPYC Workstation with dual EPYC 9654 CPUs, rounding up to 192 cores and 384 threads. This system costs $36,289 US which means that Intel's option is close to 55% more expensive. Both systems are listed here and here plus each is coupled with 768 GB of DDR5 memory leaving lots of room for further expandability. Velocity Micro AMD EPYC vs Intel Xeon Dual CPU Workstation Systems NAME PROMAGIX HD360A PROMAGIX HD360MAX CPUs Dual AMD EPYC 9654 Dual Intel Xeon 8490H Cores / Threads 192 / 384 120 / 240 Case GX6+ Velocity Micro ATX Chassis GX6+ Velocity Micro ATX Chassis PSU EVGA SuperNova 1000W EVGA SuperNova 1000W Motherboard Dual SP5 Socket LGA 6096 EATX Dual Socket LGA 4677 Intel C741 EATX Cooling 2 x Velocity Micro LiquiCool 8 Closed-Loop 2 x Velocity Micro LiquiCool 8 Closed-Loop Memory 768 GB DDR5-4800 (12 x 64 GB) ECC 768 GB DDR5-4800 (12 x 64 GB) ECC Video Card PNY NVIDIA RTX A2000 PNY NVIDIA RTX A2000 HDD 500 GB Crucial P3 Plus 500 GB Crucial P3 Plus Network Dual Integrated Ethernet Dual Integrated Ethernet OS Microsoft Windows 11 Pro Microsoft Windows 11 Pro Price $36,289 US $56,919 US Press Release: Velocity Micro, the premier builder of award-winning enthusiast desktops, laptops, and high-performance computing solutions announces the immediate availability of a new line of dual and single-socket AMD Epyc and Intel Xeon tower workstations with full Windows support. Designed for specialized CPU-intense tasks, these new workstations vastly reduce render and compute times in the fields of AI/machine learning, VFX, animation, data compilation, engineering, and many more, providing the power of a rack-mounted CPU server in a deskside form factor. “There’s no better fit in the world of high-performance computing than one of these new workstation processors paired with our engineering prowess,” said Randy Copeland, President and CEO of Velocity Micro. “Through our expertise in the areas of thermal management and proprietary tuning, we’ve been able to create a fast, stable family of workstation PCs that are truly a difference maker for these professional workloads.” The AMD Epyc 9004 series powered ProMagix HD360A comes in dual and single socket processor options starting at $6,219. Features include: Up to 192 processing cores and 384 processing threads via AMD’s “Zen 4” architecture Support for up to 3TB DDR5-4800 ECC RAM in 12 memory channels Closed-loop liquid cooling options increase thermal capacity while minimizing noise, ideal for office environments Tower form factor means increased versatility for the power of a rack-mounted CPU server in a deskside form factor Full Windows 10 and 11 or Linux Support The 4th Gen Intel Scalable Xeon counterpart – the ProMagix HD360MAX – utilizes Intel’s new Sapphire Rapids architecture starting at $6,159. Features include: Up to 120 processing cores and 240 processing threads Support for up to 2TB DDR5-4800 ECC RAM Built-in Intel exclusive accelerator engines such as Intel AMX for deep learning, Intel AVX-512 for compute acceleration, and Intel SGX for data use protection Tower form factor means increased versatility for the power of a rack-mounted CPU server in a deskside form factor Full Windows 10 and 11 or Linux Support link: https://wccftech.com/velocity-micros-dual-amd-epyc-192-core-workstation-costs-36-less-than-dual-intel-xeon-120-core-system/

Nickname: @BirSaNN Video author: Champs Network Name of the game: DAYS GONE Link video: Rate this video 1-10: 10/10

Blow away the cobwebs Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 may include a new AI technology to make the dialogue with NPCs realistic and enjoyable. It was first reported that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Wolverine will have “very cool dialogue technology” by the lead programmer at Insomniac Games, Elan Ruskin, in a Twitch stream(opens in new tab). Ruskin also pointed out that his favorite part of Insomniac’s games is that “they always run in frame”. With the clock ticking down to Marvel's Spider-Man 2 release window, which will hopefully be towards the end of 2023, there are many aspects that I hope to see upgraded in the upcoming PS5 title, and dialogue is definitely towards the top of the list. New potential While Ruskin didn’t go into huge detail about what we can expect from this new dialogue technology, one feature seems more plausible than the rest. This feature could potentially be an AI that would allow dialogue with NPC characters to be more fulfilling for the player. This technology would hopefully allow for discussions with the many NPCs you encounter during your heroic escapades to feel more natural and fluid. Though we don't yet know all the details, it’s clear to see that this new dialogue technology will be aimed at making Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 more life-like than previous games. Steps forward While I’m a fan of Marvel’s Spider-Man series, I can’t say that the last title in the series, Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales hooked me like the first game did. In the shadow of the first Marvel’s Spider-Man the action and dialogue in Miles Morales felt repetitive and tired. The powerful sense of Marvel fatigue I was feeling at the time also did the game few favors. Although Miles Morales exists outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I couldn't help but find the superhero formula to be somewhat stale. This is where I hope the new dialogue technology will come in to breathe new life into Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. I’m tired of encountering either heavily scripted dialogue that feels like it jumped straight out of Kevin Feige’s mouth or flat discussions with random NPC characters who don’t even seem happy to see me. If Insomniac Games update the dialogue features with new technology, then I may start to look forward to playing Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, if only to see how this attempt to breathe new life into the game's NPCs pans out. link? https://www.techradar.com/news/this-new-feature-could-change-marvels-spider-man-2-for-the-better

PUBG Studios has a LOT in store for the free-to-play shooter in 2023 and beyond. The developers of the po[CENSORED]r battle royale game PUBG have released a roadmap for what to expect this year and beyond, and it includes a new map, anti-cheat updates, changes to game mechanics, and potentially a change to a brand-new game engine. Starting with potentially the biggest change, PUBG Studios said its ambition is to help PUBG thrive for years to come, and as part of that, the developer is testing the game on a new engine. "We are currently testing out various options and attempting to port one of our maps to a new engine version. Please bear in mind that this is not yet decided whether this transition will be possible, however we will do our best to give it a try," the developer said. "While details are still being ironed out, we will make sure to give you updates in the future." The studio is also looking into the possibility of adding modding to PUBG, which has been a highly requested feature from fans. Similar to other games, players could create and share game modes and maps, but importantly, the studio has not confirmed if it will follow through and actually release this. Another feature that is being explored for PUBG is new destruction elements, which the developer said could bring a "whole new level of strategy to the game." "Players will have the ability to alter their surroundings which might add a fresh dynamic to the classic PUBG gameplay formula," the developer explained. "Although some of these challenges may not become reality, we believe that they are worth pursuing and will inevitably lead to a new era for PUBG. We hope that you’ll join us on this exciting journey towards an even more thrilling battle royale experience." On the more immediate horizon, PUBG Studios said it will focus this year on making standard PUBG matches less stressful and more enjoyable overall. "In 2023, we aim to alleviate those stress factors and increase enjoyment by providing a variety of content. Changes planned to improve Normal Match include improving item/Blue Zone/vehicle spawn rates, revamping tactical gear, and adding a new revive system," the studio said. "Overall, our intent is to minimize the stress in Normal Match by improving various elements without compromising the core gameplay." As for gunplay changes, PUBG Studios is planning to reach a balance between 5.56mm and 7.62mm weapons to offer a better experience. The studio is looking into the possibility of adding underbarrel attachments and "resistance" to add new mechanics to create "interesting gameplay." "This will allow players to make strategic choices with weapons they have not used often and eventually lead to a variety of choices that match each player's playstyle," the team said. Also in the works for PUBG in 2023 is a new map--Neon. Described as one of the "biggest challenges" the studio has ever faced, the Neon map aims to offer something new for the world of PUBG. "The creation of this map was inspired by one of the most unique places on earth that combines both modern and traditional elements. While this map presents one of the biggest challenges we've ever faced, we’re confident that it will be worth it in the end," the studio said. "The map will feature multiple areas, ranging from a modern city full of gleaming skyscrapers to a more traditional rural area that creates a truly unique atmosphere that hasn't been yet seen in PUBG," the studio said. PUBG Studios is also planning a "new gameplay system" for the Neon map that will offer a "new way of obtaining items" that could shake up the core gameplay dynamics. "And finally there are quite a few gameplay additions planned for this map like: new unique weapons, cars, dynamic weather, and other cool visuals, so prepare yourselves for an unforgettable PUBG experience at the end of this year," the team said. The full roadmap blog post contains many more details on the future of PUBG, including new game modes, an updated tutorial, improved social features, a clan system, anti-cheat updates, and details on how PUBG Studios is using advanced machine learning systems to make PUBG better. link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pubgs-future-includes-new-map-gunplay-changes-and-potentially-new-engine-and-mods/1100-6512491/

Game director Harvey Smith acknowledged that not everyone has a good internet connection. Arkane revealed in February that its upcoming vampire shooter Redfall(opens in new tab) will require a "a persistent online connection," even if you're playing by yourself. The reaction to the news wasn't great, both as a matter of principle and practicality. Believe it or not, there are still people who live in areas with wonky internet connections, and why should we have to be connected to the internet to play a singleplayer game anyway? In an interview with Eurogamer(opens in new tab), director Harvey Smith said Arkane has "a lot of empathy" for people who can't reliably play online, and is looking at making changes to the game so it can be played without a connection. "We listen. And we have already started work to address this in the future," Smith said. "We have to do some things like encrypt your save games and do a bunch of UI work to support it. And so we are looking into—I'm not supposed to promise anything—but we're looking into and working actively toward fixing that in the future." It doesn't sound like Redfall really needs to be online at all, at least for gameplay purposes. Smith said there are no microtransactions or in-game store, and DLC is planned "but it'll just be like DLC that you buy through Xbox or whatever." The actual purpose of the requirement was to enable Arkane to monitor the game and adjust it accordingly, a bit like a live game. "It allows us to do some accessibility stuff," Smith said. "It allows us for telemetry, like, if everybody's falling off ladders and dying, holy shit that shows up. And so we can go and tweak the ladder code. There are reasons we set out to do that that are not insidious." Redfall is set to come out on May 2—whether that's enough time for Arkane to excise the always-online requirement remains to be seen. At this point, though, we have somewhat more pressing concerns about the game: Our most recent preview of Redfall found "limp combat and a lifeless world(opens in new tab)," with nothing terribly interesting or exciting going on. Hopefully the full game will deliver a better experience, for both solo players and groups. link: https://www.pcgamer.com/arkane-may-drop-redfalls-always-online-requirement/

Rishi Sunak's new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland has been passed by MPs, despite a rebellion from 22 of his backbenchers. Ex-PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss were among Tories joining Northern Ireland's DUP in voting against the agreement. But it passed by 515 to 29 overall, with the backing of other Tories, Labour and the SNP. The deal, unveiled last month, rewrites the Brexit accord agreed by Mr Johnson in 2019. Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker denounced the two former PMs for opposing it, saying he thought "they're both better than this". Mr Johnson risks "looking like a pound shop Nigel Farage" by voting against the deal, added Mr Baker, who supported the UK's EU exit in 2016. Former Brexit leader Nigel Farage fired back on Twitter, saying Mr Baker had betrayed his Brexiteer credentials and was a "weasel" for supporting the deal. What is the Stormont brake? DUP will vote against government's Brexit plans A simple guide to the Northern Ireland Brexit deal Mark Francois, the chair of the ERG group of Eurosceptic Tories, confirmed earlier its "strong recommendation" was for Tory MPs to defy orders from party managers and reject the deal. As well as Mr Johnson and Ms Truss, Tory MPs voting against the deal included former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and former business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg. Priti Patel, who was home secretary under Mr Johnson, also voted against, writing in the Telegraph before the vote that Mr Sunak should "negotiate a better deal". The vote is on a key part of the deal, known as the Stormont brake, that would give a future Northern Ireland Assembly a way to challenge new EU goods legislation. The vote is likely to be the only vote MPs get on Mr Sunak's renegotiated deal, known as the Windsor Framework. Around 100 MPs didn't take part in the vote. This number will include those who abstained, along with those who did not vote for another reason or were given permission not to. The original Brexit withdrawal deal negotiated by Mr Johnson introduced a series of checks on goods sent from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, in order to avoid a border with the Irish Republic. Despite originally billing the agreement as a "great deal for our country," Mr Johnson went on to join Tory Brexiters in bemoaning the economic impact of the checks it introduced. The changes negotiated by Mr Sunak aim to streamline the checks process, which have also proved highly unpo[CENSORED]r among unionists in Northern Ireland. Speaking in the Commons, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said the Stormont brake would give assembly members in Northern Ireland "robust" powers to challenge EU laws. But in a statement issued before the vote, Mr Johnson said it was "unacceptable". "The proposed arrangements would mean either that Northern Ireland remained captured by the EU legal order - and was increasingly divergent from the rest of the UK - or they would mean that the whole of the U.K. was unable properly to diverge and take advantage of Brexit," he added. He said it would be better to proceed with controversial legislation giving British ministers the power to override the original deal, which Mr Sunak has shelved due to his new agreement. Ms Truss is also said to believe the new framework "fatally impinges" on the UK's ability to diverge from EU rules. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he will continue to work with the government on "outstanding issues" - even though Downing Street said there are no plans for any substantial change to the deal. The European Research Group (ERG) of Eurosceptic Tory MPs has criticised the Stormont brake, with legal experts advising them it was "practically useless". link: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-65034260

Sea dragon dads and octopus moms are the extreme marine parents we need, winning photos show. A gorgeous new image shows a common sea dragon dad drifting through a seagrass meadow with his jewel-like egg clutch in tow. The image took the top spot in the Compact Behavior category of the Underwater Photography Guide's 2022 Ocean Art(opens in new tab) contest. Common sea dragons (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) typically live at depths of around 13 to 20 feet (4 to 6 meters), though they can dive down to 160 feet (50 m), according to the Georgia Aquarium(opens in new tab). They usually begin brooding in late July or early August. The eggs start out a beautiful shade of deep magenta, which fades to brown as the baby dragons develop. Sometimes green or brown algae grows along the dad's tail, helping provide further camouflage. "After a few weeks, you start to see eye spots inside each [egg]", Greg Rouse(opens in new tab), a marine biologist at the University of California San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography who wasn't involved with the photo contest, told Live Science. Rouse said that the eggs pictured here are "a pretty fresh brood." Unlike most vertebrates, male sea dragon parents are the ones who invest time and energy into caring for unhatched eggs. Closely related groups, including seahorses and pipefishes, also display this unusual brooding strategy. However, seahorses and some pipefish sport a specialized kangaroo-like pouch to hold their eggs, whereas sea dragons simply glue their eggs to the underside of their tails. A clutch of sea dragon eggs typically numbers somewhere between 100 and 180, depending on the size of the female. Related: Best wildlife photography cameras 2023 All sea dragons are endemic to the waters of coastal Australia. They're notoriously tricky to breed in captivity: Of the three species of sea dragon, only the common (or weedy) dragon has been successfully captive-bred, and not in large enough numbers to sustain a sizable po[CENSORED]tion. "The sea dragons people see in the aquarium are mostly being caught in the wild," Rouse said. To help monitor how this impacts sea dragon numbers, Rouse co-founded the citizen science project Seadragon Search(opens in new tab), in which diving enthusiasts can record their encounters with these fish. Sea dragon dads are far from the only extreme marine parents, and Ocean Art's other parent of the year is a mother octopus. In a stunningly detailed photo that earned best in show(opens in new tab), the octopus mom holds her brood carefully in her eight arms, gently wafting water over them to make sure the developing babies get enough oxygen. The photographer identified her as a Caribbean reef octopus (Octopus briareus) and snapped this photo in the balmy waters off of West Palm Beach, Florida. "For warm water [octopus] species, the eggs develop pretty quickly. But for colder species they take a lot longer," Mike Vecchione(opens in new tab), a cephalopod zoologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who wasn't involved with the photo contest, told Live Science. Researchers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute(opens in new tab) discovered a female deep-sea octopus that held onto her eggs for four years — the longest known brood duration for octopuses. The octopus pictured here won't have to wait that long for her eggs to hatch. However, keeping them safe will be the last thing she does. Mother octopuses don't eat or care for themselves while protecting their brood from predators. "They're in pretty bad condition by the time the eggs hatch," said Vecchione, "and as far as we know, they all die shortly after that." link: https://www.livescience.com/sea-dragon-dad-glues-his-brood-to-his-tail-for-safekeeping-stunning-image-shows

The Black Arrow pays tribute to a Rolls-Royce–powered land speed record car from the 1930s and features a unique gradient paint job. Rolls-Royce has revealed the Wraith Black Arrow, a limited-run send-off to the automaker's V-12–powered coupe. The Black Arrow is a reference to a 1930s land speed record car that used Rolls-Royce engines, with an etching of that motor appearing on the Wraith's dashboard. The special edition also features a gradient paint job, going from silver to black, accented by yellow trim. After a ten-year run, the Rolls-Royce Wraith is finally bidding adieu for good. Although the coupe departed the U.S. market in 2021, it had lived on overseas, and the newly revealed Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow Collection represents the end of the line for the company's V-12–powered coupes. The electric Spectre takes over the mantle later this year, but before then Rolls-Royce will build 12 examples of this special Wraith as a final hurrah. The car pays homage to Thunderbolt, an eight-wheeled land speed record car powered by two Rolls-Royce V-12 airplane engines. In 1938, Thunderbolt rocketed to 357.497 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, a record that it held for nearly a year. The onset of World War II curtailed efforts to recapture the top spot, but changes in propulsion technology following the conflict mean Thunderbolt has remained the fastest V-12–powered car ever. According to Rolls-Royce, Thunderbolt's bright aluminum body reflected the glaring Utah sun's rays so much that it couldn't be picked up by timing equipment, leading the driver to paint a massive black arrow and with a yellow circle on the side of the car, inspiring the name and design of this limited-production Wraith. Rolls-Royce says that the Black Arrow's snazzy gradient paint finish—with the Celebration Silver front end blending into the Black Diamond rear—took 18 months to perfect. It is accented by bright yellow trim in the front bumper and adorning the wheels. Yellow also appears on struts visible through the grille and on the base of the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament above. The decadent interior continues the color scheme, with yellow leather gracing the seats, steering wheel, and dashboard. The headrests are embroidered with a stylized arrow, while the analog clock set into the dashboard proudly displays Thunderbolt's top speed. The coach doors feature a dark wood finish consisting of over 320 layered pieces designed to emulate the rough surface of the Salt Flats, while a depiction of the Thunderbolt's V-12 is etched into aluminum and set behind glass on the dashboard. A small aluminum model of the Thunderbolt also resides under a pane of glass in the center console. Rolls-Royce also went the extra mile with the starlight headliner, stitching 2117 fiber-optic lights into the ceiling, the most Rolls-Royce has ever fitted to one headliner. The "stars" are arranged to mimic the constellations as they would have looked on the date in 1938 when the Thunderbolt set its record. link: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a43378497/rolls-royce-wraith-black-arrow-final-v-12-coupe/