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Californian Porsche customiser Gunther Werks has introduced the 993 Speedster Remastered as an open-top version of its potent, retro-inspired take on the final air-cooled 911.Gunther Werks calls the new creation an “open-air model that not only heightens the experience with the rush of wind through your hair, but also pushes the boundaries of performance to build a stronger, lighter, faster car”. The coupé version is said to hold a lap record for a road-legal, air-cooled Porsche 911 at Laguna Seca, having achieved a lap time of 1min 30.99sec last year with 24 Hours of Daytona winner Randy Pobst at the wheel.Like the coupé, the Speedster features a performance-focused aftermarket suspension set-up and takes its power from a heavily modified 4.0-litre flat six supplied by Rothsport Racing that sends its power to the rear axle through an upgraded version of the original 993’s Getrag manual gearbox.Precise technical specifications have not been revealed, but the tuning house promises a “modest” increase over the hard-top car’s 435bhp and 335lb ft outputs. Removing the roof panel from the 993 Remastered required “extensive” modifications to the chassis and bodyshell. Structural reinforcements occupy the cavity where the rear seats once were, and a new roll-cage and hoop set-up has been introduced to improve both safety and rigidity.The fabric roof is stowed beneath a bespoke, carbonfibre folding rear deck panel, featuring a pair of prominent streamliners in homage to previous Porsche 911 Speedsters from the 930 and 964 generations. The prominent ‘duck tail’ rear wing with ram air scoop is another retro nod to the 911’s heritage, modelled on that which adorned the 1973 Carrera RS 2.7.The Speedster is further differentiated from the coupé with a lower-rake windscreen, with buyers offered the option to remove the glass entirely, and a reshaped front bumper - now carbonfibre - that is claimed to enhance aerodynamic efficiency. The single-skin front bonnet is said to be more than 25% lighter than the coupé’s double-skin item, and further weight is shed with the aid of optional centre-lock Fuchs-style alloys, which reduce unsprung weight. Elsewhere, the Speedster gets new 3D-printed Inconel exhaust outlets, aluminium wing mirrors and door handles, and new acrylic covers for the 911’s wraparound front reflectors.Inside, the original dashboard has been replaced with a carbonfibre panel housing LED shift lights and a gauge cluster milled from a single piece of aluminium. Repositioned and redesigned pedal arms are said to give a “more ergonomic positioning” than the original 993 911, while the hollow carbonfibre seat shells sit lower in the car for reduced drag and a lower centre of gravity.Gunther Werks has yet to confirm pricing for the new model but will build just 25 examples of the Speedster, and is likely to bump prices up slightly over the equally exclusive hard-top’s circa-£400,000 conversion cost. Production is set to begin in early 2022, when all examples of the coupé have been completed.

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nova LifeStyle, Inc. (NASDAQ: NVFY) (“Nova LifeStyle” or the “Company”) today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2020.Key Financial Highlights:Operating Results for the Three Months Ended September 30, 2020Net sales for the three months ended September 30, 2020 were $3.3 million, as compared to $7.7 million in the same period of 2019.Cost of sales for the three months ended September 30, 2020 were $9.9 million, as compared to $6.1 million in the same period of 2019. Cost of sales includes a write down of $7.77 million of our slow-moving inventory, primarily Jade mats in Malaysia, to the lower of cost and net realizable value in the third quarter of 2020.Loss from operations for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was $8.2 million, as compared to $272 thousand in the same period in 2019.Operating Results for the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020Net sales for the nine month period ended September 30, 2020 were $7.8 million, compared to $19.5 million in the same period 2019.Cost of sales for the nine month period ended September 30, 2020 were $12.8 million, compared to $15.3 million in the same period of 2019. Cost of sales includes a write down of $7.77 million of our slow-moving inventory, primarily Jade mats in Malaysia, to the lower of cost and net realizable value in the third quarter of 2020.Loss from operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was $9.6 million, compared to $1.4 million in the same period in 2019.At September 30, 2020, our cash and cash equivalents balance was $9.4 million.On August 28, 2020, Malaysia government extended the shutdown order to all business until December 31, 2020. The Company is continuing to experience reduced demand for its products and an increased level of purchase order cancellations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Products shipped from Asia have experienced significant delays as well as an increase in costs of shipping since the onset of the pandemic. We may experience shipping disruptions in the future. Finally, the Company expects that the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the United States and world economies will continue to have a material adverse impact on the demand for its products.Tawny Lam, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of Nova LifeStyle, stated, “The impact of COVID-19 continues to pose challenges for our supply chain and retailers on a global basis. In the most recently completed fiscal quarter, we experienced a decline in sales due to our customers’ closing their retail stores, temporarily or otherwise. Nevertheless, we believe that our focus on liquidity over the past several years has allowed us to build a sustainable liquidity position to navigate the current COVID-19 environment. We are executing our transformation plan and believe higher margin furniture lines are repositioning the Company for long-term success. While the uncertainty in our operating environment persists and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future, we will continue executing on our strategy to sustain our business."About Nova LifeStyleNova LifeStyle, Inc. is a well-established, innovative designer and distributor of modern lifestyle furniture; primarily sofas, dining room furniture, cabinets, office furniture and related components, bedroom furniture, jade mats and various accessories, in matching collections. Nova LifeStyle’s product lines include the Nova Brands and Diamond Sofa (www.diamondsofa.com). Nova's products feature urban contemporary styles that integrate comfort and functionality, incorporating upscale luxury designs which appeal to middle and upper middle-income consumers in the USA, China, Europe, and elsewhere in the world.Visit Nova LifeStyle's website at www.NovaLifeStyle.com.Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including, among others, our ability to fully resume our operations and remain financially healthy, our expected future growth prospects. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “should,” “will,” “expect,” “objective,” “projection,” “forecast,” “goal,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “effort,” “target,” “trajectory,” “focus,” “work to,” “attempt,” “pursue,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terms. However, the absence of these words does not mean that the statements are not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by us in light of our experience and our perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors we believe are appropriate in the circumstances.

[ LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced what he called England's "journey back towards normality" Monday, drawing up a roadmap that could see most major restrictions lifted in June.The United Kingdom has one of the world's worst Covid-19 death rates and suffered more economic damage last year than almost any other country.Johnson has been accused of repeatedly imposing lockdowns too late and lifting them too early. But this time he has what he hopes will be a secret weapon: one of the world's most successful vaccination campaigns."The end really is in sight," he told the House of Commons. "A wretched year will give way to a spring and summer that will be very different and incomparably better than the picture we see around us today."He said that "the vaccination program has dramatically changed the odds in our favor and it is on that basis that we can proceed."Johnson oversees healthcare policy in England, and he said he had been in contact with the leaders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, where similar measures will be announced.The leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland dictate their own health care policies, which have often differed slightly.The current restrictions were imposed Jan. 4, fueled at least in part by the new, more transmissible variant that is now sweeping the United States and elsewhere.For almost two months, British pubs, restaurants and nonessential shops have been closed, schools are closed for most students and offices are off-limits for many people, indoor and outdoor gatherings are prohibited, and foreign vacations are illegal.Though Johnson was initially reluctant to lock his country down, those close to him say that his attitude has hardened since then, perhaps motivated by his own brush with the virus, and his country's huge death toll.

American Express has launched a new Digital Receipts service that allows customers to gain a better insight into their purchases from the likes of Google, Microsoft, Square, Apple and a host of other e-commerce merchants.The move isn’t just to give consumers a better overview of their spending habits; it should also reduce the number of queries about transactions. Following a recent survey by Amex, 79% of merchants surveyed believed that digital receipts would be a positive addition to the purchasing power of customers.With e-commerce sales still on the increase consumers are looking for more efficient ways of tracking their spending, particularly with the ever-present issues around online security. Digital Receipts will let consumers cross-check their purchases against transactions listed in their credit card account.Take a look at the best POS systemsThe best tax software around todayCheck out the best money transfer apps and servicesThe launch of American Express Digital Receipts will let Amex customers view detailed purchase information, including the merchant name, their logo, any order number, the date of their order and the item or items purchased. Any costs and a merchant description will round out the comprehensive data that customers can pick over if they have an issue with an item they’ve bought.

The Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (CM4) is a delightfully capable board, suitable for a variety of projects and recognized for its PCIe support. This maker, known on GitHub as Mehdi, designed a custom PCB for the CM4 to provide tools and connectors for NAS projects.The PCB was created using an open-source application called KiCAD. The idea was to create access to necessary inputs on the CM4, like PCIe and I2C while providing elements like an Ethernet jack for hard-wired network connections.The project was developed using the official CM4 IO board. This carrier board was developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, which also made the KiCAD files available to everyone as a free download. This proved to be a viable starting place for the NAS PCB as it already has a few of the needed components mapped and a section designated for the CM4 to attach. The current version of Mehdi's NAS PCB includes a PCIe x1 Gen 2 slot, master/slave USB, an Ethernet port, full-sized HDMI, and access to 9 GPIO pins. You can read more about the specs in detail on the official GitHub project page. According to Mehdi, the board is working as intended, but minor future revisions are likely.

Mercedes-Benz is gearing up for an imminent unveiling of the new generation C-Class, but leaked images posted online give a good look at the final production styling and interior.Pictures posted by The Automobolist Facebook page and CarsInPixels on Twitter show the C-Class will adopt a new look that brings it into line with the newer A-Class, E-Class and CLA. A more angular front end and reshaped light clusters are the most obvious evolutions, but more significantly it seems the BMW 3 Series rival will offer interior technology from the S-Class luxury flagship.The infotainment system looks to have been completely reinvented to accomodate the firm's second-generation MBUX software, with the old car's horizontal central display swapped out for a prominent vertical item between the front seats. The rotary controller and physical gearshifter are gone, too, with their functions likely shifted onto the touchscreen or steering wheel, and the gauge cluster does away with its conventional rounded dials for what appears to be a fully digital set-up. Elsewhere, we can see a new design for the C-Class' distinctive air vents, and that a colour head-up display will be available.The new C-Class estate is not shown in the latest round of images, but was previewed earlier this year on a Youtube community post in a disassembled state at the factory. Like the saloon, it looks to feature familiar proportions and a new tail-lamp design, as well as interior influence from the The C-Class has been redesigned from the ground up, with highly efficient new hybrid drivetrains and advanced autonomous driving technology set to be some of its key draws.Having experienced a sharp drop in C-Class sales in recent years because of the universal gravitation of buyers towards SUVs, the German maker is providing the fifth-generation model with many of the developments exhibited by the new S-Class. The new C-Class, codenamed W206, will challenge the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series when it arrives in UK showrooms in the middle of 2021.

The bitter war between World of Warcraft's two major factions, the Alliance and the Horde, has been a fundamental part of the MMO since, well, forever. Not only is it fuel for player-versus-player battles—either in the open world or in competitive Battlegrounds or Arenas—Horde and Alliance players often experience a very different side of Azeroth. They have different zones, quests, and stories, and interactions between the two are usually limited to emoting and killing one another. That may not always be the case. During a World of Warcraft Q&A panel as part of BlizzCon 2021, game director Ion Hazzikostas said that, while preserving the rivalry between the two sides is a crucial ingredient in WoW's appeal, concessions could one day be made to let players from different factions do cooperative group activities together like raids or Mythic+ dungeons. This statement came after Hazzikostas fielded some tough questions from players about the imbalanced player po[CENSORED]tion between factions, as well as frustrations many players have to deal with when their server just isn't as well-po[CENSORED]ted as others. "This is something we talk about a tremendous amount," Hazzikostas said. "We know there's a very real problem, particularly at the high end of the raiding and Mythic+ scene." We don't have anything super short term that we can do about this, but it is a top priority for us. Ion Hazzikostas Hazzikostas explained that, back around the Mists of Pandaria expansion, Horde races like orcs and trolls had a superior racial ability compared to other Alliance races. Because competitive raiding guilds are always looking for that extra advantage, many players began switching over to the Horde. That created a kind of vicious cycle of players feeling increasingly compelled to give up their Alliance characters. If you look at the total WoW po[CENSORED]tion, Hazzikostas clarified that the Horde and Alliance split is pretty even. For certain social and hardcore players, though, Horde did become the more po[CENSORED]r choice, which has negatively affected high-end raiding and dungeon-running communities. "The thing that keeps people in one faction or makes them tempted to move is the social dynamics," Hazzikostas said. "It's the feeling that if you're a raider looking to join a top-end guild, there are simply more options [on the Horde side] and if your first choice doesn't work out there are others to explore and fall back on. If you're looking to run high-end Mythic+ dungeons, there are more people looking to do that content [on the Horde side]. That's a challenging problem to solve because, really. We can't undo this movement that's happened over time. It would take something tremendous to make people who had switched from Alliance to Horde want to suddenly switch back." Hazzikostas added that he doesn't think anything can be done about the imbalance in the short term, but that it's "a top priority" to address in the long term, while also maintaining the sense that these factions are at odds with each other. "It's essential to us that identity and faction matter in Warcraft and that years from now, no matter what we do, when we're all together in Anaheim at BlizzCon ... that there are roars coming from the crowd for each faction," he said. "If we lose hold of that, we will have lost hold of something precious." Later in the interview, the topic moved onto another big issue: server po[CENSORED]tion. Here Hazzikostas talked about Blizzard's ongoing efforts to merge servers in order to help counter faction imbalances and issues where servers simply didn't have enough players to sustain a healthy culture. At this point, panel moderator Scott Johnson asked Hazzikostas directly if Blizzard would ever consider letting players from different factions play together in raids or dungeons for the sake of solving these ongoing issues. World of Warcraft (Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment) In an ideal world all of these priorities would coexist, but at the end of the day an MMO like World of Warcraft is about being able to play with your friends. Ion Hazzikostas "I honestly would not say never," Hazzikostas responded. "That's kind of what I was getting at with my answer earlier. There are a ton of reasons why it is essential to retain faction identity ... In an ideal world all of these priorities would coexist, but at the end of the day an MMO like World of Warcraft is about being able to play with your friends, being able to play where you want to be, and arguably there's greater strength to the faction identity if you feel like you can truly choose the faction you identify with, that you feel like most apart of, and not have to sacrifice that because you need to be with your group or you want to join a higher rated guild. I have coworkers who are lifelong Alliance players who now play Horde and really wish they could be Alliance and they're doing it for guild reasons. I know there are tens of thousands, maybe more, in that exact same boat around the world. We'd love to do something for them." That World of Warcraft might one day let players group together regardless of faction might seem like heresy, but there's plenty of narrative precedent for it. It's been a long-running meme that many of WoW's expansions start with both sides warring with each other until some existential threat comes that forces the Horde and Alliance to band together for survival. It happened in Mists of Pandaria, it happened in Legion, it happened in Battle for Azeroth, and even the current Shadowlands expansion has the ancient feud on the backburner. As Hazzikostas said, though, it's a big problem with a lot of considerations, so I wouldn't expect to see Horde and Alliance players holding hands and frolicking through flowered fields any time soon. That said, it's becoming increasingly clear that some kind of bridge between the two factions might be necessary.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trainerize users can now transform the way their clients engage with training plans through a 360° approach to coaching. By offering fitness, nutrition, and habit coaching, trainers enable daily engagement and stronger relationships.With habits, trainers and fitness businesses can have a bigger impact on clients and members than ever before—transforming the way they engage. Habit types like activity, sleep, nutrition, and mindfulness help trainers holistically influence client decisions. Implementing healthy habits—small, sustainable lifestyle changes—will engage and motivate clients, readying them to achieve better long-term results, both for overall wellness and for fitness.In early 2020, as lockdowns were implemented and fitness activities plummeted, beta users of Habits saw a consumer commitment to daily actions—engagement levels have remained consistent with pre-COVID numbers throughout the pandemic. Habit Coaching provides daily motivation to build healthy habits, seven days a week—readying them for long-term results.“Habits are the differentiating factor for trainers to retain clients long term,” says Sharad Mohan, Managing Director of Trainerize. “No matter what’s happening in the world, habits provide those daily interactions that are so valuable to building stronger relationships between coaches and clients, which means better training results.”Small lifestyle changes make big results. Quick access, easy tracking, and automatic reminders turn healthy choices into healthy habits.Easy adoption with Master Habits. Simple habit coaching adoption makes it easier for trainers to assign and organize habits.Healthy habits, on the go. Coaches can influence clients to make healthy decisions in real time via mobile and Apple Watch.Increased and diversified revenue. Fitness businesses can broaden service offerings, diversify revenue streams, and reach new clients.Broader reach for Trainerize. Non-fitness coaches can now join the online training space—and earn 7-day-a-week client engagement.With Habits, Trainerize continues on its mission to make fitness accessible, offering easy, convenient, repeatable training programs. Through habit coaching, both Trainerize and its customers will have a bigger impact on fitness, wellness, and healthy choices.

When Dalila Estrada was 16, she moved with her family from Durango, Mexico to Truckee, California and enrolled as a junior at Truckee High School. She did not speak much EnglishMy first week I cried every day before and after school, thinking that school was not for me,” she told the Washoe County School District board at last week’s trustees meeting.A year after Dalila’s family landed in Truckee, they moved to Reno. She enrolled at Hug High School—again as a junior. Her English was deemed insufficient for 12th grade.When she read her schedule and learned that she’d been placed in the advanced English class, she figured it was a mistake. But her teacher, Dawn Adams (now Assistant Principal at RISE, WCSD’s school for adult education) saw things differently. As Dalila recounted the conversation in a recent phone interview, Ms. Adams told her, “I hear you speaking Spanish. I hear that you’ve been educated. I hear how fluent you are in the academic language that you’re using to describe situations. And that’s going to help you in the English learning process.”For the next two years, Dalila took dedicated English classes, where non-native speakers work through the complexities of grammar, pronunciation, and syntax—and often rely on their teachers to help them navigate the adjustment to a new life in a new country. In the education world they’re called “EL classes,” and the students who take them are called ELs—“English learners.”In Nevada, the graduation rate for ELs is 42.6%. (For non-ELs, it’s 76.6%.) Dalila was among the graduates. As she prepared to enter adulthood, unsure of her options, Ms. Adams helped her look to the future.“I can tell you, Dawn has been my mentor since high school,” Dalila said. “She was the one to apply for me to go to college. I had no idea what to do, where I was doing. And she was like, ‘Yeah, you’re gonna go to college.’”“And so I did,” Dalila said. “And I can tell you that relationships with those teachers and with those people have made my career.” She earned a degree in secondary education, with an endorsement in EL and a minor in teaching English as a second language. In 2018, she completed a masters degree in equity and diversity in education. Today, Dalila teaches English at Nevada State High School, a charter school in Reno.

One of Windows 10’s most useful tools, the Your Phone app, is getting some big improvements that will make it even better, as it will soon allow you to change the settings of your phone via Windows 10.Microsoft’s Your Phone app is an useful utility that lets you connect your smartphone with your Windows 10 device, and by doing so it saves you from picking up your Android device repeatedly to check messages, alerts or even to make or receive calls.Thanks to constant updates and improvements, Your Phone app has become an extremely useful tool in Windows 10. And, while some important features are limited to flagship Samsung devices, the app will soon let you control the phones’ settings in real-time.ADVERTISINGAccording to ALumia, the next release of Your Phone app will bring a new feature called "Indicator management" that Microsoft has been working on and testing for some time.Once the feature is rolled out to everyone, users will see a set of four new buttons that will let users toggle settings like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Audio player and Do Not Disturb via Windows 10.Until now, Your Phone users were able to see information like cellular connectivity, Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as access your phones images, see and respond to messages and even answer or decline calls.However, you were not able to change your phones settings via Your Phone. That appears to be changing soon.The new update is a part of the v1.21012.195.0+ update and since it's being rolled out in a phased manner, there's a chance that you might not see this on the Your Phone application right away.In a related piece of news, LG had come up with its own version of Your Phone app to connect and control LG phones using Windows 10 devices. Although this app is still in its beta phase, and we couldn’t get it working when we tried it last, it's a rebranded Dell Mobile Connect application.That said, Your Phone application comes natively installed on all Windows 10 devices and is constantly adding new features. It also allows users to launch and use Android applications installed on your phone within Windows 10. However, as mentioned above, this feature is limited to a handful of Samsung devices. The day this feature is available on phones from other companies, Your Phone app stands to become an irreplaceable application.

Think Raspberry Pi, and we instantly think of Raspberry Pi OS, a branch of Debian Linux tweaked to run on the board. But the recently-released Raspberry Pi Pico eschews the traditional Raspberry Pi setup in favor of an Arm-based microcontroller. This has not deterred David Given, who has ported a Unix-like operating system to the $4 board.A Raspberry Pi Pico running Fuzix will not be replacing your Raspberry Pi any time soon, but it is amazing to see this Unix-like OS running on such low-power hardware. Given's port of Fuzix is based upon Alan Cox's original project, which can run on hardware almost 40 years old. Fuzix provides us with a proper Unix filesystem, support for SD cards via the SPI interface, a full set of Fuzix binaries, and all of this is available via a serial console to UART0.Right now, there is no support for flash memory, evident in the requirement of an SD card. Given says that the code for this is complete, but a bad file system will crash the dhara FTL library and that the onboard flash is too small even for the 32MB system image.Given provides a readme full of installation instructions, which are written for experienced Unix / Linux users to follow. The easiest way to get started is to download the Fuzix binaries and format an SD card as per the readme instructions. Then flash the UF2 file to your Pico, connect up an SD card reader via the SPI interface, connect to UART0 and start using Fuzix on a $4 microcontroller.

Bungie has certainly tried plenty of new things to keep things fresh for Destiny 2 players. The arrival of the Destiny 2: Beyond Light expansion definitely did not hold back. Half of the game’s worlds were vaulted. However, it also meant the return of the Cosmodrome from the first Destiny. For Bungie, it would serve as a perfect entry point for the new player experience. That is a good start, but for fans who want more, Bungie is not making the Cosmodrome a priority in Destiny 2 moving forward.Explaining in a blog post, Bungie shared that the region is done for now. For Destiny 2, about half of the Cosmodrome returned. The team’s aim was to bring it up to par with the the Year 1 version of the location found in the original game. Yet, Bungie was never specifically clear about what that content would entail.That may come as disappointing news to certain fans, as the Cosmodrome is more than just nostalgia for some of them. Rather than rebuild the Cosmodrome for Destiny 2, Bungie wants to focus on creating new content and new worlds. This was a choice to be made. Either the focus could remain on the Cosmodrome, or it could shift to new experiences for Year 4 and beyond. Bungie chose the latter. That may come as disappointing news to certain fans, as the Cosmodrome is more than just nostalgia for some of them. Rather than rebuild the Cosmodrome for Destiny 2, Bungie wants to focus on creating new content and new worlds. This was a choice to be made. Either the focus could remain on the Cosmodrome, or it could shift to new experiences for Year 4 and beyond. Bungie chose the latter Bungie definitely did not want to lead the fans on, however. The developer acknowledged that it should have set the expectations right straight from the start. With both the Devil’s Lair and Fallen S.A.B.E.R strikes back in Destiny 2, there will be no plans to add more to the Cosmodrome.That said, the nature of the Destiny Vault may one day see more Cosmodrome content. After all, it exists to allow Bungie to cycle content in and out from Destiny 2. What locations will be vaulted, and what might be unvaulted, remains to be seen.Nevertheless, in my eyes, new content is always good. The Cosmodrome may have been missed, but Destiny 2 has new worlds on the horizon with the

There was a feeling of déjà vu in me, and at that moment I knew that I was going to love living in Vietnam. When I stepped outside the airport building, the sight of some wartime rusted plane hangars on the periphery of the runway reminded me of old articles I had read in the National Geographic. So far, that was the source and extent of my very basic knowledge of Vietnam.My first day in Ho Chi Minh City was also my first introduction to the City’s traffic jam. As soon as I sat inside the taxi at Tan Son Nhat Airport, I was informed by the driver of a road block in the area where I was going. The Prime Minister of Vietnam was to inaugurate the broad Ben Chung Duong Street in District 1, and the apartment I was going to be living in was in Central Garden on Ben Chung Duong Street.Fortunately, the inauguration ceremony was almost finishing when I was nearing my apartment, so the delay due to the road block was not for long. The Mailinh taxi that I took from the airport had one of the most patient drivers I had ever seen in the whole world!Apart from reading some articles in the National Geographic, what I knew of Vietnam was mainly from snippets I had read while still in school, of the Vietnam war and its brutal atrocities. Photos published in ‘Life’ magazine of the My Lai Massacre are forever engrained in my memory. So I was preparing myself to see a war shocked country that was still rebuilding in the aftermath of bombings and insurmountable devastation. Needless to say, this impression was quickly dispelled within just a few days!In the months following, as I began to settle into my work routine in Ho Chi Minh City, got used to the weather, food and the ubiquitous motorbike, I was better able to understand the ethos of the Vietnamese people, their quintessential nature, their way of life, and most importantly their strong beliefs in their traditions, custom, culture and their extremely close bond with their families. I saw how strong a bond family had on the psyche of a Vietnamese person and that all effort and work and daily life was focused on supporting and loving their family. This truly touched my very core and became the basis of my approach to work and all my activities while living in Vietnam.Without a doubt, Vietnam’s greatest asset is its people. Ask any expat what they find most endearing about Vietnam, and the reply most likely will be the people. The Vietnamese people are like no other. Their soft spoken and gentle demeanor is to be experienced, not just written about. Their values, their priorities and their emotions rest deep within family life, a fact that many western nations would do well to emulate.This became evident to me when soon after Christmas and New Year I saw Ho Chi Minh City begin to make preparations for the Tet Lunar New Year. I was struck by the enormity of this festival and the significance it held for not just Vietnam but also so many neighboring countries like China, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. For every Vietnamese I spoke with, the time during Tet Lunar New Year meant a focused time for a reunion with family and friends after a year of hard work. For them, going back to their hometowns during Tet was a profound celebration. Tet in Vietnam is a very family oriented holiday, and since a major part of the City po[CENSORED]tion comes to work and study from small towns and villages across the country, it means that for atleast three weeks the City slows its pace with less traffic, many shuttered shops and a complete laid back atmosphere.Tet is so much similar to Christmas and New Year in Europe, where for weeks there is a festive season with little or no work being done! For Vietnamese, Tet is the most important and biggest holiday of the year, and seeing them prepare for all the festivities is truly an awesome sight for a foreigner. Fresh flowers are such an important part of Tet, and the first time I visited Nguyen Hue Street in District 1 during this time, it was an incredible sight! It was almost unbelievable to see an entire street fully decorated with real fresh flowers! For the first three days when the “Flower Street”, as Nguyen Hue Street is known, opened to the public, I went every morning with my camera to click pictures of all the fresh flower decorations. It was also fascinating to learn that flowers are especially cultivated for an entire year in Dalat, a small hill town in south Vietnam, exclusively for the Tet Lunar New Year festival season.Although I have never joined in any of the Tet festivities in a Vietnamese household, I lived my initial years in Ho Chi Minh City on the third floor of a sprawling house in Phu Nhuan district. The floors below were occupied by a huge Vietnamese joint family, with grandmother, father, stepmother, son and his family of four, daughter and her family of five, and two Chihuahua dogs! I watched as they cleaned and decorated their rooms, cooked unique dishes to serve and distribute, and even held serious card sessions every evening. Every day they would send an assortment of dishes for me to eat, but unfortunately I am a vegetarian and could accept only one or two items of food.A very joyful and festive atmosphere permeates everywhere in Vietnam during Tet Lunar New Year, although within the confines of family members. For an expat living in Vietnam, this can prove to be a time when some planning is necessary on how best to utilize all the free time available during Tet, when almost all offices are shut and Ho Chi Minh City more or less grinds to a halt.

Volkswagen's R performance division will add a seventh model to its ranks later this year when the Mk8 Golf R becomes available in estate form.Set for a reveal towards the beginning of summer, the Golf R Estate will join similarly conceived hot variants of the Arteon, Arteon Shooting Brake, Tiguan, T-Roc, Touareg and Golf hatchback in showrooms. This time two years ago, the R line-up comprised just the Golf hatchback and Golf Estate.Spotted undergoing winter testing without any camouflage, the new arrival looks to be production ready. As expected, it will be told apart from the standard car primarily by way of its lower suspension, bespoke alloy wheels, bright blue brake calipers and quad-exit performance exhaust.As part of the rapid range expansion, the R division has ushered in a more potent version of its time-honoured EA888 engine (for all models except the hybridised V6 Touareg R) alongside a raft of chassis tweaks, which put greater distance between R models and their standard counterparts.As such, the Golf R Estate will pack 316bhp and 310lb ft from the 2.0-litre turbo four, sent to both axles through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and distributed variably to each wheel by a race-inspired torque-vectoring system. It won't be quite as quick off the line as the smaller and lighter hatchback, but a sub-5.0sec 0-62mph time is expected.Subtle chassis tweaks for the hatchback will almost certainly be rolled out to the wagon, with the aim of enhancing the R Estate's dynamic performance. Front axle camber, for example, will be increased by 1.3deg, the stabiliser and spring rates by 10% and the front brake discs by 17mm. Elsewhere, the front subframe will be 3kg lighter than that of the previous car, while the braking system will shed 1.2kg of unsprung mass.We have yet to see inside, but bespoke R division flourishes such as blue trim accents, a sports steering wheel, steel pedals and new display modes for the central touchscreen will feature. The estate will also likely be offered with the optional R Performance upgrade, which raises the top speed of the hatchback by 13mph and brings a bigger rear spoiler for improved downforce.

It's the battle of singles.20-year-old Iman Fandi, who recently announced her signing with Universal Music, is releasing her single 'Timeframe' today.So is Nathan Hartono – since the release of the singer-songwriter's last English single 'Dig Deep' back in August 2020, he's dropping another English track titled 'I'm Fine' today.Written by Hartono and produced by Singaporean producer Myrne, 'I’m Fine' takes a different twist from Hartono's usual singer-songwriter style, venturing into the electronic sonic realm with ‘80s synth-wave styling.Says Hartono, “‘I’m Fine’ stems from me wanting to give a more succinct answer to the question ‘How Are You?’. In my head, every time someone asks me this question, I want this song to play for them instead. Because I think it’s such a loaded question, that requires so much context and understanding that just cannot be achieved in a short social exchange. And I think we got this question a lot in 2020. So, we just say ‘I’m Fine,' when there’s always so much more to that story.”Hartono also shares more on his first-time experience working with Myrne and the ‘80s inspired synth-wave direction, “Something about the sounds and beats from that era brings me an indescribable comfort. I just missed the ‘80s but my ‘90s childhood were littered with its remnants. It reminds me of a much simpler time, when I could actually tell someone ‘I’m Fine’ and probably mean it.Nathan Hartono. (PHOTO: Jayden Tan)Nathan Hartono. (PHOTO: Jayden Tan)"I also had a lot of fun watching Manfred work in the studio. It was very satisfying to be able to verbally describe a sound I want to achieve, and then have him essentially conjure it from nothing. It’s magical.”True to the song’s thematic backstory, Nathan also conceptualised the cover artwork as a visual representation of the struggles of keeping a positive outlook despite the dark internal conflict. The cover photo is taken by Singaporean photographer Jayden Tan, who will also take the directorial helm on the track’s accompanying music video. Due out in mid-March, the music video is set to be another visual delight with treatment based on the premises of the single artwork.For those keen to catch the singer-songwriter in action, catch Nathan’s performance at the Disney+ Launch livestream coming to all major free-to-air TV channels and online at all Disney+ digital platforms on 24 February, 8pm. For more information, visit will also be performing for two sold-out shows with the Ding Yi Music Company at the Happy Chinese New Year Concert 2021 happening on 27 February at the China Cultural Centre Theatre, Level 4. For more information, visit

Nick: PRODEXOR Real name: Ahmed How old are you?: 18 Which Games you play? and for how long?(each of them): i playing cs 1.6 and zombie Where are you from?(country and city): egypt from Albuhera Describe yourself(at least 50 words): im a good gay and i helping all my friends and other also and i working in my projuets and my activity very good i think all here know my activity It is true that I was not interested in the staff because I was busy, and now I felt that I was capable of this grade and everyone knows about me that I do not like to bother anyone or make him get angry with me Note some of your qualities: Polite and interested in my studies and solving friends' problems Tell us some of your defects: Lies Had you before any kind of responsabilities(describe it): I have a year and a half and I am here with my friends and I had a moderator in ts3 and I joined some projects v.g.rs & g.o.g & Devil Memoir & Journalist and I am now here I joined it and as I am continuing On which category/categories have you been active lately?(describe your activity): V.G.R & Journalist & G.O.G & Devil Memoir Which category/project you want to care off?: I don't want any more. I have already joined the projects I had it How well you speak english?(and other languages): i speak arbic 100% / and English 65 or 70 % Do you use TS3? Do you have an active microphone?: nah i just have ts3 but i don't have mic For how long can you be active after you get accepted?(days, weeks, months, years): I am active everyday Contact methods: fb , wsup, ts3 , pm Last request: first !

A poster on the Chinese Bilibilli forums has managed to grab one of Intel's (yet unreleased) Rocket Lake SKUs, the Core i5-11500, and focused exclusively on benchmarking the chips integrated graphics. The chip comes with Intel's most powerful desktop iGP to date, the UHD 750 which promises to be significantly faster than its predecessors.According to the latest scuttlebutt, Intel will offer two Xe iGP variants for Rocket Lake-S. One configuration consists of the UHD Graphics 750 (GT1) engine with 32EUs, and the other is a less powerful variant called the UHD Graphics 730 (GT1) with 24 EUs. Luckily we get to see the performance of the more powerful UHD 750 graphics today.The tester ran 3DMark TimeSpy on both the Core i5-11500 and the Core i5-10400, the Rocket Lake chip managed a score of 11500 points and 10400 points for the older Comet Lake part.also showcased League of Legends and CSGO gameplay, and most of the time the frame for both games was above 100FPS at a resolution of 1080P, which is very respectable for an integrated graphics chip.But Intel is not done with Xe graphics, there are also rumors that Intel's 12th Gen Core architecture, Alder Lake, (Tweeted by @Komachi) will receive an upgraded Intel Xe chip with 96EUs. This would theoretically triple the performance of Rocket Lake's UHD 750 graphics.It's great to see Intel getting competitive again with its integrated graphics performance. Hopefully the company will continue to keep increasing the performance of its IGPs with each new generation, which would be a nice change of pace from the multiple rounds of Gen9-based chips.

Bungie has certainly tried plenty of new things to keep things fresh for Destiny 2 players. The arrival of the Destiny 2: Beyond Light expansion definitely did not hold back. Half of the game’s worlds were vaulted. However, it also meant the return of the Cosmodrome from the first Destiny. For Bungie, it would serve as a perfect entry point for the new player experience. That is a good start, but for fans who want more, Bungie is not making the Cosmodrome a priority in Destiny 2 moving forward.Explaining in a blog post, Bungie shared that the region is done for now. For Destiny 2, about half of the Cosmodrome returned. The team’s aim was to bring it up to par with the the Year 1 version of the location found in the original game. Yet, Bungie was never specifically clear about what that content would entail.That may come as disappointing news to certain fans, as the Cosmodrome is more than just nostalgia for some of them. Rather than rebuild the Cosmodrome for Destiny 2, Bungie wants to focus on creating new content and new worlds. This was a choice to be made. Either the focus could remain on the Cosmodrome, or it could shift to new experiences for Year 4 and beyond. Bungie chose the latter.Bungie definitely did not want to lead the fans on, however. The developer acknowledged that it should have set the expectations right straight from the start. With both the Devil’s Lair and Fallen S.A.B.E.R strikes back in Destiny 2, there will be no plans to add more to the Cosmodrome.That said, the nature of the Destiny Vault may one day see more Cosmodrome content. After all, it exists to allow Bungie to cycle content in and out from Destiny 2. What locations will be vaulted, and what might be unvaulted, remains to be seen.Nevertheless, in my eyes, new content is always good. The Cosmodrome may have been missed, but Destiny 2 has new worlds on the horizon with the

Xu Bing, hovorca kantonského veľtrhu a zástupca generálneho riaditeľa Čínskeho centra pre zahraničný obchod, poznamenal, že súčasná pandémia COVID-19 priniesla extrémne výzvy, pretože krajiny sa snažia súčasne rozširovať svoje ekonomiky a zachraňovať životy. Čína sa usiluje uľahčiť návrat medzinárodného priemyslu a dodávateľských reťazcov k normálu, ako aj pomôcť pri obnove medzinárodného obchodu a investícií.26 000 vystavovateľov prinieslo viac ako 2,47 milióna výrobkov, čo je nárast o 16,5 percenta oproti minulému ročníku, vrátane 8 500 výrobkov od 346 medzinárodných vystavovateľov z 30 krajín. Medzi nimi bolo na podujatí predstavených 730 000 nových produktov, čo predstavuje nárast o 21,6 percenta.Tohtoročný veľtrh Canton Fair zaznamenal významné trendy v oblasti produktov s inováciami v oblasti dizajnu, funkcií, remeselného spracovania a materiálov. Za svoje odvážne a inovatívne vzory bolo odmenených 131 produktov od 91 spoločností, ktoré získali prestížne ocenenie Canton Fair Design Awards 2020.Na veľtrhu sa prezentujú aj „nové" technológie, ako sú big data, cloud computing a umelá inteligencia, ktoré ponúkajú kupujúcim pohlcujúci zážitok prostredníctvom využitia grafík, videí, 3D a virtuálnej reality (VR). Výstavná sieň VR predstavila produkty od 2 046 spoločností a bola navštívená celkom 163 200-krát, pričom hitom boli aj prispôsobené showroomy so živým vysielaním, ktoré si spustilo 1,89 milióna ľudí.Kupujúci sa k tomuto virtuálnemu veľtrhu v Cantone vyjadrili, že ponúkol mimoriadny používateľský zážitok od prehliadania nových produktov, poznania nových technológií a poznatkov o trhu až po pripojenie k interaktívnej konverzácii. Vylepšené funkcie im umožnili efektívny online prístup k vysoko kvalitným produktom od mnohých dodávateľov a výrobcov.Okrem výstav sa na kantonskom veľtrhu konala aj séria online a offline podporných akcií zameraných na ďalší rozvoj medzinárodného obchodu. V 37 krajinách a regiónoch sa konalo 38 virtuálnych podujatí zameraných na porovnávanie firiem a 6 obchodných združení z Afriky, Európy a Ázie sa zapojilo do globálneho kooperatívneho partnerského programu Canton Fair.Foto

The Department for Transport (DfT) has allocated £500 million to UK local authorities for essential road maintenance - enough to fill in 10 million potholes.The investment comes from the £2.5 billion Potholes Fund, which will provide £500m annually from until 2024/2025, as detailed in chancellor Rishi Sunak’s 2020 budget in March last year.According to the DfT, the average pothole costs around £50 to fill in. This dedicated fund, it said, will go towards “making thousands of local roads both safer and easier to drive and cycle on”.In total, the DfT has allocated more than £1.1 billion to national road maintenance over the course of 2021/2022.Transport minister Baroness Vere said: “We know potholes are more than just a nuisance: they can be dangerous to drivers and cyclists alike and cause damage to thousands of vehicles every year.“The funding allocated today will help councils ensure roads in their area are kept up to standard and that the potholes that blight road users can be dealt with promptly.”The government has recently stepped up its financial support package for UK road infrastructure, pledging £27bn - the largest investment yet - to road maintenance, operations and renewal as part of the Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS2).By 2050, there are planned to be 20 new road connections for UK ports and airports, more than 100 new motorway junctions and 4000 miles of new road.

Norton AntiVirus Plus is the most basic of Norton’s antivirus offerings. The Norton 360 suite comes with more bells and whistles, such as access to a VPN, dark web monitoring and the ability to block unauthorized webcam access on a PC. Norton 360 Deluxe enables users to protect up to five devices, while Norton 360 with LifeLock Select adds increased identity theft protection, such as credit monitoring.As the most basic Norton security option, Norton AntiVirus Plus is also the most affordable - about half the cost of Norton 360 Deluxe.Our dedicated guide on Norton plans will help you choose between the three.What devices can I use Norton AntiVirus Plus on?Norton Antivirus Plus can be used on a Mac or PC, but it only provides support to one computer. If you’re looking to protect multiple computers in a household, you’ll need to purchase a Norton AntiVirus Plus license for each individually or, much more sensibly, upgrade to Norton 360 Deluxe.Norton AntiVirus Plus is not compatible with smartphones or tablets. Norton AntiVirus Plus comes with the standard features of an entry-level antivirus package, as well as quite a few extras:Antivirus scanningNorton AntiVirus Plus enables you to scan your computer for malware, spyware, ransomware, and viruses. It offers a Quick Scan option or a comprehensive Full System Scan, as well as the ability to scan custom locations to find and remove threats.Online protectionNorton AntiVirus Plus detects and blocks malicious URLs, keeping you secure when browsing online. While Norton’s Safe Web browser extension is available for free, Norton AntiVirus Plus will also protect you from malicious links system-wide, such as in PDFs.Smart firewallNorton AntiVirus Plus’s Smart Firewall feature helps prevent unwanted access to your files by alerting you whenever a suspicious program is attempting to connect to the internet.Password managerRe-using the same weak passwords can pose a huge security risk. Norton AntiVirus Plus offers a password manager that enables you to create unique, strong passwords for each of your accounts without having to remember them all.Cloud backupNorton AntiVirus Plus comes with 2GB of cloud storage to back up important files in case of a ransomware attack. You can schedule backups to the cloud to run automatically, or you can manually run a backup whenever you please. You can also choose the files and folders that are backed up. 2GB isn’t much storage, but the feature also enables you to back up files to a local drive.Virus protection promiseIf your device does become infected with a virus while running Norton AntiVirus Plus, you may be eligible for a refund.How good is Norton AntiVirus Plus?Norton AntiVirus Plus is a solid choice for anyone looking to secure their computer and easily earns its place among our top rated Windows 10 antivirus programmes.Even though Norton AntiVirus Plus is the least advanced of Norton’s offerings, it comes with plenty of extra features, like the Smart Firewall and the ability to back up files to the cloud or a local drive. And as the cheapest Norton plan, it’s good value.However, all those features make the Norton AntiVirus Plus interface a bit confusing to navigate. It might take some adjustment before you are able to easily find the features you’re looking for.In our Norton AntiVirus Plus review testing, it successfully blocked most of our simulated malware early and before it could infect our hard drive. However one ransomware test had mixed results: the threat was successfully caught, but it had already encrypted some files.Still, it’s a positive sign that Norton AntiVirus Plus was able to block the threat. Overall, Norton AntiVirus Plus is a quality security suite at an affordable price.

Do you remember the Mac vs PC commercials from the mid-2000s? While Microsoft and Apple may have become increasingly buddy-buddy since then, with Windows working on Mac and Mac ceding basic productivity app dominance to Microsoft Office, that doesn’t mean the war between Mac and PC isn’t still raging. The fighters are just different.Intel's new ad campaign is taking aim at Apple by promoting PC heavily, a continuation of the company’s recent claims that Intel performs better than Apple’s own M1 chip. While Intel has historically been happy to provide Apple chips in the past, Apple’s decision to move to its own, Arm-based chips seems to have changed Intel’s tune about the company’s entire product lineup.Intel’s attack campaign has been running on Twitter and across various websites since early February under #GoPC, and makes such biting remarks as “If you can power a rocket launch and launch Rocket League, you’re not on a Mac.” Rocket League was delisted for Mac early last year.Only a PC can power scientists and gamers alike. #GoPCFebruary 10, 2021Of course, Mac’s substandard gaming ecosystem has been known pretty much since the first Macintosh, and that hasn’t stopped Intel from supporting Apple before. Perhaps more harsh is Intel’s snipe at Apple’s refusal to put a touchscreen on its Macbooks, an oft-requested feature that’s become commonplace on similar PC laptops.Only a PC offers tablet mode, touch screen and stylus capabilities in a single device. #GoPCFebruary 2, 2021You could read this as Intel standing behind its new mobile-first Evo certification program, which doesn’t require a touchscreen but is built on mobile-first convenience features that touchscreen laptops frequently pass. By comparison, Intel claims that Macs do not.Related Videosvideo playingThe Tom's Hardware Show (6/25): Apple Ditches Intel, Swap Your Switches, New Gaming PCsThe Tom’s Hardware Show 2/11: A LIVE Chat...11/02/21The Tom’s Hardware Show 2/11: A LIVE Chat With IntelThe Tom's Hardware Show 12/17: Cyberpunk...17/12/20The Tom's Hardware Show 12/17: Cyberpunk 2077 PC ModsThe Tom's Hardware Show 12/10: Glorious PC...10/12/20The Tom's Hardware Show 12/10: Glorious PC Gaming Race CEO Shazim Mohammed, Cyberpunk 2077 TestingThe Tom's Hardware Show 10/1: Nvidia RTX 30...02/10/20The Tom's Hardware Show 10/1: Nvidia RTX 30-Series Stability and Intel Tiger LakeThe Tom's Hardware Show 9/3: LIVE Intel...04/09/20The Tom's Hardware Show 9/3: LIVE Intel Core i9-10900K OverclockingNot everyone’s sold on Evo, though, as tests like “Switching to Calendar in Outlook” are pretty specific and generally not taxing for most systems. And again, Intel happily supplies chips to PCs that don’t pass Evo spec as well.Intel's also commissioned video for the Go PC campaign, including Tech reviewer Jon Rettinger, whose Intel-sponsored video points out that PC laptops have standard USB ports, touchscreens, and eGPU support, and can easily run with multiple external displays.Of course, Mac fans are having their own fun with this campaign, including this series of rebuttal images from graphic designer Alex.pic.twitter.com/Igbsxwgq65February 12, 2021And, of course, a reference to the KFConsole that pokes fun at the heat generated by Intel CPUs.Only Intel processors run so hot they can serve as PC and a fried chicken warmer in a single device. #GoPC pic.twitter.com/hk0MchQ5gYFebruary 12, 2021The PC and Mac war is unlikely to come to an end in our time (I’m a proud dual-citizen), although it’s an interesting look at the marketplace to see a formerly neutral party take a side. With Apple moving to its own silicon, Intel is now synonymous with PC.

Last month’s offerings from Humble Bundle were a mishmash of various titles. For the February 2021 Humble Choice, we also see a little bit of something for everyone. Endless Space 2 and Valkyria Chronicles 4 are two big games that are part of the list. We’ve also got Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince, Outward, Valfaris, and many others.As usual, Classic and Premium subscribers can grab all the games in February 2021’s Humble Choice. Other types of plans, meanwhile, have a limit as to the number of games that can be obtained.Humble Choice: February 2021 – Endless Space 2, Valkyria Chronicles 4, Trine 4, and OutwardEndless Space 2 is a 4X strategy game set in space. In it, you’ll be guiding your chosen faction as you discover new technologies, build colonies, fight worthy foes, and explore the dark unknown. Originally released in 2017, it got better over time thanks to a few tweaks and DLCs. The one included in February 2021’s Humble Choice is Endless Space 2: Digital Deluxe Edition which contains the base game, soundtrack, and cosmetic skins.Valkyria Chronicles 4, meanwhile, released in 2018. While it was originally available as a PS4 title in Japan, it eventually made its way to PCs worldwide in the same year. Tim McDonald even cited that the PC version/port is “really solid” in a technical review. Fast forward to 2019 and Steam owners were treated to a free upgrade to Valkyria Chronicles 4: Complete Edition. This version has the base game and all six DLCs. This is also the version that’s part of the February 2021 Humble Choice.Another game you can pick up is Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince. This is the latest installment of the franchise, one that’ll have you adventuring in colorful 2.5D landscapes. Steven Wong enjoyed a preview of it back in 2019 and, since then, it’s received glowing reviews on Steam.Likewise, Outward is also part of the list. This open-world RPG has a few survival mechanics. Unfortunately, Andrew Farrell wasn’t too impressed by it when he reviewed the game. If you decide to grab it, you’ll get the base game and The Soroboreans DLC. There are more games that are part of February 2021’s Humble Choice. There’s Valfaris, an action-packed 2D platformer that’s truly “heavy metal” owing to its soundtrack and gameplay. There’s also Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Heart of the Forest, a visual novel with lots of storyline variations and multiple endings. It might be something you’re keen on trying, especially since the latest title based on the tabletop RPG — Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood — was disappointing and forgettable.The remaining options are The Wild Eight, Train Station Renovation, Lovecraft’s Untold Stories, Iris and the Giant, and Boomerang Foo. You can check out all of these via Humble Bundle’s official site.

One day after receiving her first dose of Moderna’s Covid vaccine, Luz Legaspi, 72, woke up with bruises on her arms and legs, and blisters that bled inside her mouth.She was hospitalized in New York City that day, Jan. 19, with a severe case of immune thrombocytopenia — a lack of platelets, a blood component essential for clotting.The same condition led to the death in January of Dr. Gregory Michael, 56, an obstetrician in Miami Beach whose symptoms appeared three days after he received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Treatments failed to restore his platelets, and after two weeks in the hospital he died from a brain hemorrhage.It is not known whether this blood disorder is related to the Covid vaccines. More than 31 million people in the United States have received at least one dose, and 36 similar cases had been reported to the government’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, VAERS, by the end of January. The cases involved either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, the only two authorized so far for emergency use in the United States.ADVERTISEMENTContinue reading the main storyBut the reporting system shows only problems described by health care providers or patients after vaccination, and does not indicate whether the shots actually caused the problems.Unlock more free articles.Create an account or log inOfficials with the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that they were looking into the reports, but that so far, rates of the condition in vaccinated people did not appear higher than the rates normally found in the U.S. po[CENSORED]tion, so the cases could be coincidental. Overall, the vaccines are considered safe. A small number of severe allergic reactions have been reported, but they are treatable, and the rates are in line with those reported for other vaccines, regulators say.In a statement, Pfizer said: “We take reports of adverse events very seriously,” and added that it was aware of thrombocytopenia cases in vaccine recipients.ImageDr. Gregory Michael in a photo posted to Facebook by his wife.Dr. Gregory Michael in a photo posted to Facebook by his wife.Credit...via FacebookThe statement also said: “We are collecting relevant information to share with the F.D.A. However, at this time, we have not been able to establish a causal association with our vaccine.”ADVERTISEMENTContinue reading the main storyModerna also provided a statement, which did not address the question of the platelet disorder, but said the company “continuously monitors the safety of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine using all sources of data” and routinely shares safety information with regulators.Hematologists with expertise in treating immune thrombocytopenia said they suspected that the vaccine did play a role. But they said that cases after vaccination were likely to be exceedingly rare, possibly the result of an unknown predisposition in some people to react to the vaccine by developing an immune response that destroys their platelets. The disorder has occurred, rarely, in people who received other inoculations, particularly the measles-mumps-rubella one.“I think it is possible that there is an association,” Dr. James Bussel, a hematologist and professor emeritus at Weill Cornell Medicine who has written more than 300 scientific articles on the platelet disorder, said in an interview. “I’m assuming there’s something that made the people who developed thrombocytopenia susceptible, given what a tiny percentage of recipients they are.”He added: “Having it happen after a vaccine is well-known and has been seen with many other vaccines. Why it happens, we don’t know.”Dr. Bussel said it was important to share information about the cases, because severe thrombocytopenia can be serious, and physicians need to know how to treat it. Sometimes the condition resists standard therapies, and if very low platelet counts persist, the patient faces an increasing risk of severe bleeding and even brain hemorrhage.He and a colleague, Dr. Eun-Ju Lee, have submitted an article to a medical journal on 15 cases in Covid vaccine recipients they identified by searching the government’s database or by consulting with other physicians treating patients. The report provides information about treatments and urges doctors to report cases. It also notes that it is too soon to tell whether the affected patients will have lasting recoveries, or recurrences of the platelet problem.ImageMs. Legaspi, right, in a photo taken by her daughter that shows bruising and bleeding under the skin caused by the lack of platelets.Ms. Legaspi, right, in a photo taken by her daughter that shows bruising and bleeding under the skin caused by the lack of platelets. Credit...via Luz LegaspiA few of the patients had previously had platelet disorders or other autoimmune conditions that might have made them vulnerable, Dr. Bussel (pronounced Bew-SELL) said. People can have low platelets without symptoms, and it is possible that in some, a vaccine reaction could drop the level further, to a point where it becomes apparent by causing bruises or bleeding, Dr. Bussel said.ADVERTISEMENTContinue reading the main storyHe has been a paid consultant to Pfizer, not on vaccines but for a drug for the platelet disorder.Dr. Jerry L. Spivak, an expert on blood disorders at Johns Hopkins University, also said the connection to the vaccine appeared real, but predicted that cases would be exceedingly rare and called them “idiosyncratic,” perhaps related to underlying traits in individual patients.The Coronavirus Outbreak ›Latest UpdatesUpdatedFeb. 13, 2021, 1:19 p.m. ET1 hour ago1 hour agoMontana becomes the latest state to undo its mask order.After China warned against Lunar New Year travel, millions apparently stayed home.Vaccinations are picking up in the United States, but big challenges remain.The cases are not a reason to avoid Covid vaccination, doctors say. The risk of serious illness from the coronavirus is much greater than the risk of developing this rare condition, and the vaccines are crucial for controlling the pandemic.Ms. Legaspi’s daughter said the last thing that she and her mother wanted to do was create fear of the Covid vaccines. Both women still believe strongly in the need for them, despite Ms. Legaspi’s illness, her daughter said. The daughter asked, at her employer’s request, that her name not be used.In its most common form, immune thrombocytopenia is an autoimmune disease that affects about 50,000 people in the United States, according to a support group for patients. The condition develops when the immune system attacks platelets or the cells that create them, for unknown reasons. It sometimes follows a viral illness, and can persist for months or become chronic and last for years. It is generally treatable. Professional groups have advised that patients with the disorder be vaccinated for Covid, but after