I don't know if it will be accepted but I'm going to make it known anyway, it's something a bit simple but I think it could be a great incentive for administrators from administrator to owner, they should implement a points system. where if an admin logs in for 1 full week during the night to do an activity, they would be rewarded with 500 points, so admins would be more interested in logging in during the night since during these hours there are not many admins and Players can do whatever without supervision, it's a bit simple but I think that would make a difference.

voted.

https://www.lexhaminsurance.co.uk/blog/top-10-new-motorcycles/ Next, we have the Moto Guzzi Stelvio, the ‘new’ adventure bike from the Eagle brand which reignites the iconic Stelvio name of old, using the new liquid-cooled 1042cc transverse-twin as used in the V100 Mandello engine – providing you with 113.4 bhp and 105 Nm of torque. The Stelvio made a debut appearance at EICMA, but unfortunately it didn’t make an appearance at Motorcycle Live… it’s due to land in the UK ready for a 2024 launch. What makes this new bike intriguing is its application of engine and electronic gadgetry (including newly added PFF radar), providing state-of-the-art tourability with the added possibility of jaunts off-road. Though it is 246 kg wet, and by all means a big bike (so smaller riders beware). As of writing, the price of the Stelvio isn’t confirmed for the UK market, though it appears to be set at $16,390 in the US. We’d guess the price may start at around £15,000. Want a video? Here's 7 things you need to know about the Moto Guzzi Stelvio! Power: 113.4 BHP Weight: 246 kg (wet) Seat Height: 830mm Tank Size: 21 L Price: £15,000 (Guess) Pros: ‎ Unique engine character Can be equipped with radar assistance gadgetry Stunning! Cons: ‎ Tall and heavy, not for the faint-hearted Perhaps not the ideal adventure motorcycle No price announced (as of writing)

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78dyryreyxo Chioma is adamant that Hope, the baby boy she is holding in her arms, is her son.  After eight years of failed attempts to conceive, she sees him as her miracle baby. “I’m the owner of my baby,” she says defiantly. She’s sitting next to her husband, Ike, in the office of a Nigerian state official who spends the best part of an hour interrogating the couple. As the commissioner for women affairs and social welfare in Anambra state, Ify Obinabo has plenty of experience in resolving family disputes - but this is no ordinary disagreement. Five members of Ike’s family, who are also present in the room, do not believe Hope is the couple’s biological child, as Chioma and Ike claim. Chioma claims to have “carried” the child for about 15 months. The commissioner and Ike’s family are in disbelief at the absurdity of the claim. Chioma says she faced pressure from Ike’s family to conceive. They even asked him to marry another woman. In her desperation, she visited a “clinic” offering an unconventional “treatment” - an outlandish and disturbing scam preying on women desperate to become mothers that involves the trafficking of babies. The BBC was allowed by authorities to sit in on the commissioner's discussion with Chioma as part of our investigation into the cryptic pregnancy scam. We have changed the names of Chioma, Ike and others in this article to protect them from reprisal in their communities. State commissioner Ify Obinabo, wearing a brown dress with gold embroidery, listens to Chioma give her account of what happened. Chioma's back is in the foreground, out of focus. State commissioner Ify Obinabo is trying to crack down on the scam Nigeria has one of the highest birth rates in the world, with women often facing social pressure to conceive and even ostracisation or abuse if they cannot. Under this pressure, some women go to extremes to realise their dream of motherhood. For over a year, BBC Africa Eye has been investigating the “cryptic pregnancy” scam. Scammers posing as doctors or nurses convince women that they have a “miracle fertility treatment” guaranteed to get them pregnant. The initial “treatment” usually costs hundreds of dollars and consists of an injection, a drink, or a substance inserted into the vagina. None of the women or officials we spoke to during our investigation know for sure what is in these drugs. But some women have told us they led to changes in their bodies - such as swollen stomachs - which further convinced them they were pregnant. Women given the “treatment” are warned not to visit any conventional doctors or hospitals, as no scan or pregnancy test would detect “the baby”, which the scammers claim is growing outside the womb. When it’s time to “deliver” the baby, women are told labour will only begin once they are induced with a “rare and expensive drug”, requiring further payment. Accounts of how the “delivery” happens vary, but all are disturbing. Some are sedated only to wake up with a Caesarean-like incision mark. Others say they are given an injection that causes a drowsy, hallucinatory state in which they believe they’re giving birth. Either way, the women end up with babies they are supposed to have given birth to. Chioma tells commissioner Obinabo that when her time to “deliver” came, the so-called doctor injected her in the waist and told her to push. She does not spell out how she ended up with Hope, but says the delivery was “painful”. "Dr Ruth" sits in the dark, lit by torchlight, wearing a white trouser suit "Dr Ruth" runs a fake pregnancy clinic in the state of Anambra Our team manages to infiltrate one of these secretive “clinics” - connecting with a woman known as “Dr Ruth” to her clients - by posing as a couple who have been trying to conceive for eight years. This so-called "Dr Ruth" runs her clinic every second Saturday of the month in a dilapidated hotel in the town of Ihiala, in the south-eastern Anambra state. Outside her room, dozens of women wait for her in the hotel corridors, some with visibly protruding stomachs. The whole atmosphere is buzzing with positivity. At one point, huge celebrations erupt inside the room after a woman is told she is pregnant. When it’s our undercover reporters’ turn to see her, "Dr Ruth" tells them the treatment is guaranteed to work. She offers the woman an injection, claiming it will enable the couple to “select” the sex of their future baby - a medical impossibility. After they turn down the injection, "Dr Ruth" hands them a sachet of crushed pills as well as some more pills for them to take at home, along with instructions on when to have intercourse. This initial treatment costs 350,000 naira ($205; £165). Our undercover reporter neither takes the drugs nor follows any of "Dr Ruth’s" instructions and returns to see her four weeks later. After running a device that looks like an ultrasound scanner across our reporter’s stomach, a sound like a heartbeat is heard and "Dr Ruth" congratulates her on being pregnant. They both cheer with joy. After delivering the good news, "Dr Ruth" explains how they’ll need to pay for a “scarce” and expensive drug needed for the baby to be born, costing somewhere between 1.5 and two million naira ($1,180; £945). Without this drug, the pregnancy could extend beyond nine months, "Dr Ruth" claims with disregard for scientific fact, adding: “The baby will become malnourished - we’d need to build it up again.” "Dr Ruth" has not responded to allegations the BBC has put to her. Women in brightly coloured, ornate dresses are stood waiting in a corridor Dozens of women were waiting to see "Dr Ruth" The extent to which the women involved genuinely believe the claims is unclear. But clues as to why they would be susceptible to such brazen lies can, in part, be found in online groups where disinformation around pregnancy is widespread. A network of disinformation Cryptic pregnancy is a recognised medical phenomenon, in which a woman is unaware of her pregnancy until the late stages. But during our investigation, the BBC found widespread misinformation in Facebook groups and pages about this type of pregnancy. One woman from the US, who dedicates her entire page to her “cryptic pregnancy", claims to have been pregnant “for years” and that her journey cannot be explained by science. In closed groups on Facebook, many posts use religious terminology to hail the bogus “treatment” as a “miracle” for those who’ve been unable to conceive. All of this misinformation helps solidify women’s belief in the scam. Members of these groups are not only from Nigeria, but also from South Africa, the Caribbean, and the US. The scammers also sometimes manage, and post in, these groups, enabling them to reach out to women expressing an interest in the "treatment". Once someone expresses readiness to start the scam process, they are invited into more secure WhatsApp groups. There, admins share information about “cryptic clinics” and what the process involves. ‘I’m still confused’ Authorities tell us that to complete the “treatment”, the scammers need new-born babies and to do that they seek out women who are desperate and vulnerable, many of them young and pregnant, in a country where abortion is illegal. In February 2024, the Anambra state health ministry raided the facility where Chioma “delivered” Hope. The BBC obtained footage of the raid, which showed a huge complex made up of two buildings. In one were rooms containing medical equipment - apparently for clients - while in the other were several pregnant women being kept against their will. Some were as young as 17. Some tell us they were tricked into going there, unaware their babies would be sold to the scammer’s clients. Others, like Uju, which is not her real name, felt too scared to tell their family they were pregnant and sought a way out. She said she was offered 800,000 naira ($470; £380) for the baby. Asked if she regrets her decision to sell her baby, she says: “I’m still confused.” Commissioner Obinabo, who has been part of efforts in her state to crack down on the scam, says scammers prey on vulnerable women like Uju to source the babies. A baby boy is cradled in his mother's arms Uju would have sold her baby, had authorities not rescued her At the end of a tense interrogation, commissioner Obinabo threatens to take away baby Hope from Chioma. But Chioma pleads her case, and the commissioner eventually accepts her explanation that she is a victim herself and that she hadn’t realised what was going on. On this basis she allows Chioma and Ike to keep the baby - unless the biological parents come forward to claim him. But unless attitudes towards women, infertility, reproductive rights and adoption change, scams like this will continue to thrive, experts warn.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98dzyg8y3ro Downing Street has denied allegations that a British diplomat expelled from Russia was a spy. Russian state-run news agencies reported that the country's security service FSB accused the diplomat - whose photo was shared on Russian TV bulletins - of providing false information on his documents and carrying out espionage activities. When asked if a tit-for-tat expulsion would occur, a No 10 spokesman said they were "considering" their response. "To be clear, we refute these allegations" he said, calling them "baseless." Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the ministry had also summoned the British ambassador, Tass news agency reported. Footage shows the British ambassador's car pulling up to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow. According to Tass, the FSB says that the diplomat was a replacement for one of six UK diplomats expelled in August, also on espionage charges. "This is not the first time that [Vladimir] Putin's government has made malicious, baseless accusations against our staff," Downing Street said. "The UK government is unapologetic about protecting our national interests and will now respond in due course, and our embassy in Moscow will continue its important work in Russia to support UK interests." It comes amid worsening relations between the UK and Russia since the latter's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Last week it emerged the UK lifted restrictions on Ukraine using British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles on targets inside Russia for the first time. President Vladimir Putin cited the move, alongside the launching of US-supplied longer-range missiles at Russian territory, as being behind Russia's decision to launch a new hypersonic missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday. Expulsions of diplomats have become increasingly common since the war began. Earlier this year, British diplomat Capt Adrian Coghill was given a week to leave Russia, days after the Russian defence attaché was expelled from London for alleged espionage as an "undeclared military intelligence officer". More British politicians and press have also been barred from entering the country. On Tuesday, Russia added 30 more to their "stop list" for what it called "hostile actions". Included in the list are: Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Chancellor Rachel Reeves, and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood. Russia has previously banned British politicians and journalists, including from the BBC, Sky News and Channel 4. In 2022, it banned now Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Minister David Lammy, among other senior government officials. Leader of the Conservative party Kemi Badenoch was also banned in the same year.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgr0v8rdpeo Owners of a wildlife park have said they are "devastated" after the death of po[CENSORED]r Bengal tiger Dehra. The 16-year-old died earlier after she was discovered to be suffering from kidney failure. Along with her three cubs, she was the first tiger to arrive at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park near Boston, Lincolnshire, in 2014, after being rehomed from a private collection. Park manager Steve Nichols said she was the "happiest tiger we've ever had" and added the park had gone into mourning following her death. Mr Nichols said her arrival 10 years ago was a "huge thing for the park". He said: "It was probably the most frightening thing we ever did, at the same time the most satisfying to offer these cats a long-term home here." By 2016, the park became home to 12 tigers, which was believed to be the largest collection in the UK at the time but the park is now home to just three of the big cats. Lincolnshire Wildlife Park Steve with a tattoo on his arm poking his fingers through a tiger cage with a tiger dangerously close on the other side of the fence. Steve has short grey hair and is wearing a black t-shirt.Lincolnshire Wildlife Park Steve Nichols has been caring for tigers at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park for a decade After a routine check sparked by a cut on her paw, Dehra was found to have "total kidney failure" and, to avoid her experiencing any pain, vets put her down. "Even if it's my best mate we won't keep an animal alive for one day suffering," Mr Nichols added. "We knew what we had to do. "It's like a member of staff rather than an animal here. She's been the best thing that's ever happened to the park, without a doubt."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cy7dlg400j6o Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham says he has got his smile back after "feeling a bit like the scapegoat" for England's failure to win Euro 2024 in the summer. Bellingham scored England's first goal of the tournament in a 1-0 victory against Serbia, before scoring a 95th-minute overhead-kick equaliser against Slovakia to save Gareth Southgate's side from elimination in the last 16. England were eventually defeated 2-1 by Spain as they lost their second European Championship final in three years. Critics accused England of playing too conservatively in Germany, with Bellingham in particular the target of what he described as a "pile on" from critics. "I lost my smile a lot playing for England after the Euros as I felt I was a little mistreated compared to what I contributed," Bellingham said before Real Madrid's Champions League meeting with Liverpool. "[The] smile is back [now]. "I think it was a bit harsh on me. I felt a bit like the scapegoat. Maybe I felt a bit sorry for myself. "I felt I contributed some pretty big moments, but it felt like the whole world was crumbling down on me, especially in the three days after the final. It wasn't a nice feeling." 'My nan didn't want to leave the house' Bellingham addressed reports that he refused to speak to the media during the tournament. "That was reported in a way that made it sound like I think I'm above it, but it's not that at all," he said. "I had some personal things going on where journalists had gone to see members of my family while I was at the tournament, my grandparents. "I don't think that's fair, it crosses the line of respect. That's where I took it a little bit personally and decided I would just focus on the football and let that do the talking, instead of talking in the press to people that seemingly don't respect me. "My family comes first - my nan didn't want to leave her house for the whole summer. "Maybe I should have communicated that so people understood my situation, but that was a little bit more personal to me so that's why I decided to keep my mouth shut."

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0k808xdp18o Trump vows tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China on day one Would Donald Trump’s tariffs hurt US consumers? The cost of washing machines in the US rose 12% or by about $86, after Trump hit foreign-made machines with a 50% tariff during his first term. Such increases, no matter how modest, run counter to Trump's promises during the campaign to bring down the cost of living. But though Americans might be more sensitive to price rises now than they were in 2018, the political appetite for tariffs should not be underestimated. Joe Biden criticised the tariffs Trump put in place on Chinese imports during his first term. But once in office himself, President Biden left the measures in place, even expanding them in targeted ways. What is also clear is that Trump's selection of Bessent as Treasury Secretary will not temper the tariff push. Amid the battle for his nomination he went out of his way to acknowledge the power of tariffs as a tool that had been pioneered by Alexander Hamilton himself, the first ever US Treasury Secretary. But earlier this year he had also suggested that while tariffs might be used tactically, the main tool for the US rejuvenation of manufacturing would be a cheaper dollar. Europe and the UK have been spared for now. But it is important to reiterate that these moves are not even the real bulk of the tariff policy outlined by Trump. He wants to fundamentally change the global economic map, and reduce China and Europe’s trade surplus with the US, which he views as “ripping off America”. The world is far more complicated now, however, than these binary economic relationships. The US is undoubtedly powerful enough to start rebalancing world trade. Push things too far though, especially with G7 and G20 allies, and the US might find itself rather too isolated.

https://www.gadgets360.com/science/news/brazilian-flowers-hummingbird-pollen-catapults-to-outcompete-rivals-in-pollination-7109460 Flowers of Hypenia macrantha, a species native to Brazil, have been observed using unique mechanisms to outcompete rivals during pollination. According to research, these blooms utilise a pollen "catapult" system to increase the chances of successful pollination. The strategy involves launching their pollen in a burst to displace rival pollen from the beaks of visiting hummingbirds, enhancing their reproductive success. Pollination Strategy Observed in Brazilian Flowers The flowers exhibit both male and female reproductive stages, switching roles to avoid self-pollination. During their male phase, pollen is produced and stored under petal-covered compartments. When a hummingbird probes the flower for nectar, a trigger mechanism is activated, launching the stored pollen forcefully. This process was studied using hummingbird skulls coated with fluorescent particles to simulate natural conditions, as per a ScienceNewsExplores report. High-speed footage of the experiment demonstrated that the pollen launch effectively removed rival pollen from the simulated beak, replacing it with the flower's own. Researchers found that beaks lost significantly more pollen when entering flowers still in their male phase compared to those that had already discharged their pollen. Bruce Anderson, an evolutionary ecologist at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, told Science News that this mechanism appears to allocate pollen for two distinct purposes: reproduction and competitive displacement. A Mechanism of Floral Competition Rebecca Burch, an evolutionary biologist at the State University of New York at Oswego, has noted parallels between plant and animal reproductive competition. In comments reported by the research team on the Science News, she highlighted that plants exhibit dynamic behaviours often underestimated in ecological studies. Further research is planned to examine whether this explosive pollen delivery translates into increased seed production. As reported, these findings contribute to understanding how plants evolve strategies to enhance reproductive success in competitive environments.

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-11-gm-lab-software-bugs-vehicles.html#google_vignette General Motors Co. has developed a software-testing lab inside its Global Technical Center that it's replicating elsewhere, including in GM's Silicon Valley office, to prevent bugs from entering new vehicles and affecting customers. The lab was born out of GM's software struggles, which included a stop sale on the Chevrolet Blazer EV for intermittent issues with in-vehicle screens and DC fast charging at certain public stations. It's one of the new software testing "innovations" at GM "that's rapidly increased the efficiency and rigor of software testing, catching 10 times the number of defects in development, and doing it earlier in the process," Dave Richardson, GM's senior vice president of software and services engineering, told investors and analysts at the automaker's early October Investor Day event. GM isn't alone in the battle to keep software glitches out of vehicles. Automakers from Tesla Inc. to GM's crosstown rival Stellantis NV and Volkswagen AG have all dealt with software woes, with some leading to recalls. In fact, more than 41.6% of all vehicles recalled so far in 2024 involved software issues, up from 14.9% in 2023, according to Envorso, a Detroit-based software consulting firm that tracks software recalls. This year's software recalls were driven by two each from Tesla and Stellantis. Automakers have historically handled software in ways that doesn't mesh with what's needed for today's vehicles, experts say. "It's kind of the difference between (Apple co-founder) Steve Jobs and Henry Ford. Henry Ford thought about how you did an assembly line and how you put all the pieces together on the assembly line. Jobs would think about it from the experience and how the software integrates with the hardware and working that experience through before you do manufacturing," said Todd Warren, a senior adviser at Envorso who specializes in software strategy for the automotive industry. Part of the issue is that legacy automakers assemble parts that they get from suppliers—and those parts include software. "Quite literally, they put all those pieces together on a table and wire them together and then wonder why the software doesn't work," Warren said. "You can't do it that way. ... The further you get from when the software developer types in the code to when you find the bug, the more expensive and slow it is to fix that bug." That's why automakers like GM are rethinking their software strategies by shifting the software testing "left," as Richardson talked about during Investor Day, because "if you're finding those bugs when you're driving the car, it's way too late. It's hard to track down, it's slow to fix." Following its series of software woes with the Blazer and other new EV products, GM's software team is focused on that "shift to the left" and has moved software testing and validation "as early in the development process as possible before all software components are integrated into the final product," Richardson explained at the Investor Day event. To facilitate the shift, GM integrated tech-industry standard tooling and processes for developers to write better code, tracked oversight of quality, introduced testing automation, began testing systems in the cloud and "built a global network of software quality labs, where we have hardware benches accessible by developers anywhere in the world running suites of automated tests," said Richardson, who joined GM in September 2023 and was promoted to his current position in June. GM is replicating the Warren lab at its technical center in Canada and at its recently opened Mountain View Technical Center in California. Some of the changes have led to difficult decisions. In August, GM said it had laid off more than 1,000 salaried employees in its software and services organization globally—including more than 600 employees working at the Global Technical Center in Warren—in an effort to streamline the division's operations under new leadership. Richardson told investors the workforce reduction "was absolutely critical to GM's future in software, and we will continue to make bold choices to move faster, to pivot when needed, and prioritize investing in what will have the greatest impact. We have simplified our team structures, to remove unnecessary layers, avoid duplication and enable speed." In GM's software quality lab, which opened one year ago, there are "benches" or cockpits for every vehicle the company produces. Software is tested on one module, then graduates to a bench before it's put into a full-vehicle integrated bench. "You're checking the code at each section, which ensures better quality over the testing," said Amy Talerico, director of test infrastructure, software labs, vehicle fleets at GM. "Any software for these modules comes here to be tested, regardless of recall. Certainly, if there's a recall remedy in play, it'll come here to be checked to make sure it's confirmation of good quality before it ships out." Before the lab, developers maintained their own benches, Talerico explained, but that could lead to confusion about who tested which software set. "We did an organizational change because really, our organizations were too siloed, individuals working on individual things, including on benches, right?" Talerico said. "So software developers kind of work in their own little lane and not understand how they interact with one another when they come into a vehicle platform." At the lab, which can be accessed remotely, the team collects data on the assets there and in other labs to track progress. The real evidence of the lab's effects is evident to Talerico in GM's recent launches of the Chevrolet Silverado EV, Chevrolet Equinox EV and GMC Sierra EV. "The feedback from the customers is really the proof point that what we're doing here matters and is making a difference," she said. "Especially with respect to the Blazer. That's something we're not proud of, but we really doubled down our efforts and got serious about our organization, about how we test software." Software in vehicles isn't new, but the industry has faced challenges in developing software with modern methods. In the past, the approach was to use "deeply embedded software," so vehicle functions like anti-lock brakes or sequential turn signals had individual electronic control units, or ECUs, with software for each, explained Sam Abuelsamid, principal e-mobility analyst at market research firm Guidehouse Inc. "All of those things had been traditionally developed independently of each other. They don't talk to each other," he said. "The software is tied, typically, directly to that hardware, that ECU, that it's running on. "What we're seeing now is a transition to a different kind of electronic architecture, away from having these distributed ECUs around the car, so where you've got 100 or more computers installed somewhere in the car, to getting down to a small handful of computers, usually with one or two large centralized computers," Abuelsamid said. "... and then maybe some zone controllers, and then having a common software platform, and all of the software from all those individual ECUs is being brought into that central compute." Embedded software wasn't designed to be updated. With the transition to software-defined vehicles, there's an expectation that the software will be updated to provide new features and functions over time. "You have to look at how you develop the software in a whole different way," Abuelsamid said. "You need different kinds of processes. You need a different kind of organization to develop and test and maintain that software and update it over the life of the car." Now automakers have to transition from having small teams work on specific functions to a larger organization responsible for the software platform, which can be challenging, especially when adding new tech hires who aren't used to some of the limitations in the auto industry, Abuelsamid said. "One of the challenges is bringing in software developers from these other industries to the auto industry. In those other industries, developers have more freedom to make changes ... on a more frequent basis, without having to worry so much about the consequences if something broke," Abuelsamid said. "But when that happens in a car, the consequences of that kind of failure are much more severe." The changes GM is making appear to be steps in the right direction for Abuelsamid, but "whether it actually is successful remains to be seen." Like GM, other automakers have made changes to address the software woes they've experienced. Volkswagen, for example, is partnering with EV startup Rivian Automotive Inc. In June, the companies announced a joint venture, which they launched Tuesday, to create next-generation software-defined vehicle platforms to be used in both automakers' future EVs. "Increasingly, automakers that were counting on doing this on their own are now recognizing, 'OK, this is a lot harder than we thought,'" Abuelsamid said. "And they're working with partners that have more expertise in that kind of software development."

https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/x86-reigns-supreme-as-snapdragon-x-elite-chips-captured-just-0-8-percent-of-the-market-with-720-000-units-sold-in-q3-2024-qualcomm-misses-out-on-rising-ai-pc-sales-with-intel-and-amd-taking-charge Despite Qualcomm's ambitions and high hopes to control over 50% of the Windows market in the next five years, recent statistics show that its first-gen X Elite offerings are failing to gain consumer traction. TechRadar reports that of all PCs sold in Q3 24, Qualcomm's chips powered 720,000 units - capturing just 0.8% of the entire market. In other words, one out of every 125 devices sold in the last quarter featured an X Elite processor, which pales in contrast to Intel, AMD, and even Apple on the Arm front. Undoubtedly, AI PCs are on the rise, primarily because virtually every new processor comes equipped with a Copilot PC+ compliant NPU. Per the report, 13.3 million AI PCs were shipped in Q3 this year - a 20% increase compared to last quarter. For the uninitiated, this stat refers to PCs featuring an NPU-equipped processor, like Intel's Meteor Lake and Lunar Lake offerings, AMD's Phoenix, Hawk Point, and Strix Point series, and Qualcomm's X Elite SoCs. Despite a 180% surge in X Elite sales from Q2 24 to Q3, Qualcomm's chips power less than 1.5% of Windows PCs. This lackluster reception is primarily due to unoptimized software or the lack thereof. For example, Microsoft's tardy release of an official Windows 11 ISO for Arm devices left early X Elite adopters in the cold for months. Additionally, Linux support isn't as robust as existing x86 alternatives; longer battery life isn't sufficient or incentivizing enough to drive adoption. Una inversión en IA podría generar ingresos adicionales para ti. trco Qualcomm is preparing to launch budget X Elite laptops next year to somewhat alleviate this situation. On that note, the fruits of Qualcomm's acquisition of Nuvia are materializing—both in terms of high-stakes litigation and powerful mobile SoCs, namely, the Snapdragon 8 Elite designed using the Oryon 2 architecture. Rumors suggest that the X Elite's successor will jump directly to Oryon 3, aiming for a 2025 reveal/launch. In any case, compatibility will always be an issue with these Arm SoCs (in Windows) - be it any chip maker. Apple's sheer market share and dominance compelled developers to write and optimize software for its silicon. Collaborating with Microsoft is vital for Qualcomm in this regard, however, it'd still have to compete with other x86 players in the Windows space; Intel and AMD.

Nick movie: GTMax Time: 2024 Netflix / Amazon / HBO: Netflix Duration of the movie: 1h 40m Trailer:

https://www.lexhaminsurance.co.uk/blog/top-10-new-motorcycles/ Famed for its CP3 890cc triple motor, the MT-09 has been hitting the streets in various forms since 2013, and in 2024 the Dark Side of Japan hyper-naked series gets an update. On the face of it, Yamaha hasn’t changed much past the headlight – the controversial cyclops look is out, a sleeker dual LED faceplate is in. But there is a bit more under the surface for 2024. Dive deeper and your inner hooligan will be ecstatic. For 2024 the MT-09 keeps its 6-axis IMU with rider aids, adds a Back Slip Regulator and third-gen Quickshifter, has uprated and adjustable suspension, even better Brembo brakes, acoustic amplifier grills on top of the tank, and you can tweak your ride via the TFT dash and Yamaha Ride Control – though the 5 inch TFT does stick out a bit… Though, it seems the price has taken quite a hike to match the new form, now priced at £10,100 in 2024 (the 2023 MT-09 launch price was £8999, the 2023 SP was £10,199, and in 2013 it launched at just under £7k!). It’s getting a bit pricier, but without a doubt it’ll continue selling very well. Honorary mention also goes to the XSR 900 GP, which is the sports bike variant using the same CP3 motor – it wasn’t the R9 that many were hoping to be unveiled for 2024, but it’ll do. Power: 117 BHP Weight: 193 kg (wet) Seat Height: 825mm Tank Size: 14 L Price: £10,100 Yamaha MT09 2024 riding in city Pros: ‎ Nice new style Decent level of tech features One of the best hyper naked motorcycles around Cons: ‎ Entering a stacked market Price keeps going up!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/christmas_2024_food_trends The countdown to Christmas is officially on. Christmas lights are shining bright; the most anticipated Christmas adverts are on TV and festive songs are making their way back onto our playlists. Christmas supermarket delivery slots are also booked up, and now is the time to start thinking about what to put in those shopping baskets. Will you be sticking to the classics this year, or is it time to branch out? We’ve rounded up the festive food trends of 2024 for inspiration. Christmas party ideas According to Tesco, ‘the cheeseboard is the UK’s most po[CENSORED]r festive party food with nearly a fifth placing it as top choice (17%)’, but what else will fill the buffet table? Grazing boards “Across social media we spotted a rising trend in premium grazing boards, so we know customers are looking for DIY options to ‘build-your-own’ board and make it showstopping and bespoke,” says Rich Harding, Asda’s senior innovation chef. On Instagram alone there are 6.3million posts with either the hashtag #charcuterie or #charcuterieboard and, every December this has grown exponentially. Look at any of the supermarket Christmas food guides and they’ll all have charcuterie boards – or plays on them – in them. And the wonderful thing about charcuterie boards? You can personalise them to your tastes. Baked camembert The trend for baked camembert is going up a notch this year. Recipes and retailers are creating versions with various toppings and there are also versions of camembert with ingredients baked around them, creating a sunshine-esq design. Tarte soleil This tarte soleil is a party centrepiece Tarte soleil Among other retailers, this is something Asda is doing, with a pigs in blanket wreath surrounding their camembert. Harding explains they were “inspired by the ever po[CENSORED]r, Instagram-able ‘cheese pull’.” While many cheeses would work, camembert makes an obvious choice because it’s so po[CENSORED]r at Christmas. There’s a 92% increase in searches on the Asda website for ‘camembert’ in the two weeks leading up to Christmas. Miniature mains Whether you’re putting together a ‘picky bits’ dinner for the days between Christmas and New Year or going the whole hog with a party, the trend for miniature mains like mini Yorkshire’s filled with beef and horseradish is growing. Retailers are upping their offerings with topped miniature crumpets, mini fish and chips, burgers, pies and even miniature toasties on sale. Miniature versions of main dishes are growing in po[CENSORED]rity, and these are an easy option “We’ve absolutely seen a growing trend in miniature dishes and they’re po[CENSORED]r as they are the perfect bite-sized portion for a ‘picky bits’ spread – whether at a party or with the family in front of a Christmas film,” says Barbara Ross, Sainsbury’s product development manager. The main event According to Tesco research, 44% of people say Christmas dinner is the one food moment they most look forward to during the holiday season. But what will you serve up this year? Beef on the big day While turkey is the traditional choice, supermarkets are seeing an increase in people opting for beef. In late October, when Ocado’s Christmas slots had been open for a month, their beef sales for Christmas were growing faster than turkey and there was a 33% increase in non-turkey centrepieces compared to 2023. “Beef’s both indulgent and versatile,” says Ocado buyer, Lucy Laister. “It brings a sense of celebration to the table.” Breige Donaghy, product development and innovation director at Tesco adds: “We know people are comfortable cooking roast beef in a variety of ways. It’s also perfect to eat hot on Christmas Day or serve cold as part of a boxing day buffet.” Are you tempted to swap turkey for beef? Sainsbury’s have also spotted an unusual trend for December involving beef. They’ve found 17% of Brits are planning to host a barbeque party during the festive period. “We’ve seen a 74% year-on-year (YoY) increase in customers buying our premium range burgers in December,” adds Graeme Hibbs, Sainsbury’s product development manager. “While 40% of Brits eat the same thing every Christmas, it seems others want to shake up their dining experience and embrace quirky new traditions,” explains Hibbs. ‘Luxury’ fish Scallops, crabs, lobsters and even three fish roasts are on the menu this year, according to experts. “With searches for salmon caviar, tinned fish and our fish pie up over 240%, 200% and 190% on the Waitrose website compared to the same time last year - our customers are looking for more luxury options when it comes to fish,” explains Beth Jacobs, seafood product developer at Waitrose. Talking of fish, one dish is making a big comeback this festive season, behold the prawn cocktail! “Everyone loves a slice of nostalgia and prawn cocktail is a trend that keeps coming back around,” says Jacob. The starter associated with the ’70s and ’80s in the UK seems to be on the rise again. But why now? “Millennials are taking the reins on festive hosting and have a hankering for a bit of nostalgia as 60% are planning to buy food that sparks childhood memories,” explains Claire Hughes, Sainsbury’s director of product and innovation. “As families pass the hosting torch and traditions to younger generations, more people are opting for retro dishes from their childhood,” she adds. Sweet tooth? Previous research by Sainsbury’s found 36% of people don’t like Christmas pudding, but what desserts will be po[CENSORED]r this year? Mince pies with a twist All the major retailers have quirky mince pie options this year, including those infused with alcohol, chocolate, different fruits, spices and toppings. But what’s driving this trend? “We’re seeing that younger customers, in particular, tend to prefer alternatives to the classic spiced mincemeat, which is often heavy on dried fruit and seasonal spices. These shoppers are drawn to lighter, citrus-forward flavours and novel pairings that feel more refreshing,” explains Kevin Sargent, senior product development manager at Co-op. Gluten-free? You don’t have to miss out on the joy of a mince pie Limoncello is growing in po[CENSORED]rity – and you can expect to see it infused into puddings this year. “Italian cuisine is booming on social media and we’ve seen searches for limoncello increase over 250% compared to the same time last year,” says Will Torrent, senior development chef at Waitrose. They – like others – are using it in novel ways. “It complements the festive flavours of panettone and stollen extremely well, bringing a fresh citrusy zing.”

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly2r4g98gjo Sir Keir Starmer has said he is "not that surprised" that some people who did not vote Labour in the last election want a "re-run" of the poll. A petition on Parliament's website accusing Labour of breaking promises and calling for a new general election has gathered more than two million signatures - the third highest since 2010. The petition has got more than 100,000 signatures, so the subject is likely to be debated in Parliament, but would not trigger a new election. Asked about the petition on ITV's This Morning, Sir Keir said: "There will be plenty of people who didn't want us in the first place... my focus is on the decisions that I have to make every day." The prime minister argued that he had "inherited a lot of problems" from the previous government and that he had decided to "take the hard decisions first". "I’m not surprised, quite frankly, that as we’re doing the tough stuff there are plenty of people who say 'well I’m impacted, I don’t like it'. "But we’ve got to make the big calls on the NHS and on schools that are really important for the here and now and for the future." British citizens and UK residents can set up a petition on the UK government or Parliament website. Petitions that get more than 10,000 signatures will get a response from the government and ones that gather over 100,000 names will be considered for a debate in Parliament. In 2019, a petition calling for Brexit to be cancelled received 6.1 million signatures. Four years later a call for a second Brexit referendum garnered 4.2 million names. This petition urging the government to hold a new general election was set up last week and has been promoted by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and tech billionaire Elon Musk. In order to sign a petition, you are asked to tick a box confirming you are a British citizen or UK resident and provide a postcode. The petition reads: "I would like there to be another general election. I believe the current Labour government have gone back on the promises they laid out in the lead up to the last election." It comes five months after Labour won a landslide victory in the July general election, securing 9.7 million votes and 402 seats in the House of Commons. However, it only received 35% share of the vote - the lowest won by a single party government since the end of the war. Speaking to ITV, Sir Keir said: "Look, I remind myself that very many people didn't vote Labour at the last election. "I'm not surprised that many of them want a rerun. That isn't how our system works." He also said he had expected governing to be "difficult" but added: "I wouldn't swap a single day in opposition for a day in power. "It's much better to be in power, to do things."

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxv0qddqp9o A golden eagle has died after flying into a wind turbine in Dumfries and Galloway, a conservation group has said. Three-year-old male Sparky, which was fledged from a nest by the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project, was found 15 metres (49ft) from a turbine base at the Windy Rig wind farm in August. One of its wings had been detached. Project leaders say tests carried out on the bird showed its fatal injuries were "typical of those associated with a wind turbine strike". They say the death highlights the need to mitigate risks to endangered birds at proposed and existing turbine sites. The group's chairman Chris Rollie said: “We are devastated to learn of Sparky’s death. "Evidence to date has suggested golden eagles tend to avoid windfarms, but without the state-of-the-art satellite tagging that the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project provides, incidents of this nature are hard to detect. "This reinforces the urgent need for decision-makers to work closely with The South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project and our Raptor Study Group as further windfarms are approved." The eagle project has been introducing and fledging birds at its secret site near Moffat since 2018. In 2022, it became the first in the world to successfully translocate seven free-flying young golden eagles - aged between six months and three years - to boost the low po[CENSORED]tion. Earlier this year, the group said that thanks to its work the golden eagle po[CENSORED]tion in southern Scotland had risen to 47 - the highest in centuries.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cn0d7rzywygo Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah says he is "disappointed" by the club's failure to offer him a new contract - and looks more likely to leave than stay. The 32-year-old, Liverpool's top scorer this season with 12 goals in all competitions, is out of contract at the end of the season. Salah scored twice in the 3-2 win against Southampton on Sunday, including the winner from the penalty spot, to take Liverpool eight points clear at the top of the Premier League. The Egypt forward, who joined the Reds from Roma in 2017, told reporters, external after the win at St Mary's: "We are almost in December and I haven't received any offers yet to stay in the club. "I'm probably more out than in." Asked if he was disappointed that he is yet to receive an offer, Salah said: "Of course, yeah. "I'm not going to retire soon so I'm just playing, focusing on the season and I'm trying to win the Premier League and hopefully the Champions League as well. I'm disappointed but we will see." Liverpool have not publicly commented on Salah's remarks. A club source told BBC Sport that contact between Liverpool and Salah’s agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, is ongoing and has been positive. Liverpool take eight-point lead as Salah inspires win at Southampton Only Manchester City forward Erling Halaand has scored more Premier League goals than Salah this season, with the Egyptian netting 10 times in the top flight. According to Opta, Salah's goals and assists have been worth 17 points to Liverpool this season - the most of any player in the division. Salah signed a three-year contract extension with the club in 2022, with that deal set to expire in the summer. "You know I have been in the club for many years. There is no club like this," said Salah. "I love the fans. The fans love me. In the end it is not in my hands or the fans' hands. Let's wait and see." Defender Trent Alexander-Arnold and club captain Virgil van Dijk are out of contract at the same time as Salah. Liverpool rejected a £150m offer from Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad in September 2023 and multiple sources have told BBC Sport that the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) remains interested in bringing Salah to the Saudi Arabia Pro League. Following a 3-0 win against Manchester United in September, Salah said he treated the game as if it was the "last time" he would play at Old Trafford. After scoring the winner in a 2-1 victory against Brighton this month that took Liverpool top of the table, Salah wrote on X: "No matter what happens, I will never forget what scoring at Anfield feels like." Mohamed Salah had a point he wanted to make outside St Mary's Stadium. Reporters often wait near the team coach and try to talk to players before they head home - at Liverpool, confident characters who are native English speakers like Andy Robertson are most likely to stop. It is exceptionally rare that Salah has spoken to journalists before boarding the coach - he did so this time knowing exactly what he would be asked about. Salah's responses are his way of making sure the public is clear about his frustration with Liverpool's lack of urgency to resolve the situation. The determination with which Salah has started the season, the stellar physical condition he is in, and his urge to force Liverpool’s hand all make clear that he believes he has much longer left at the very top of the game in Europe. The evidence strongly suggests he is right. So why are Liverpool dragging their heels? Maybe the much-lauded data analysis personnel at Liverpool are concerned that Salah's performances may drop off if he signs another three-year extension, which would take him to the age of 36. Or perhaps Liverpool are biding their time because they know that agreeing a deal with Salah would give Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold a yardstick for the type of salary they should demand in their own respective contract negotiations. Whatever the reason, public uncertainty over the future of a player who remains among the world's very best and who ranks very highly in the pantheon of Liverpool legends, could risk compromising a season that has started marvellously under new boss Arne Slot's stewardship.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3e8y1qly52o Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has told the BBC the gas deals she made with Russia were intended to help German firms and kept the peace with Moscow. She also insisted the war with Ukraine would have started earlier if she hadn’t blocked Kyiv’s entry into Nato in 2008. Angela Merkel led Germany for 16 years. She was in office during the financial crisis, the 2015 migrant crisis and, significantly, Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine. Was she too soft on Moscow? Too slow to help Kyiv? If she hadn't blocked Ukraine’s Nato membership in 2008, would there be a war there now? Speaking to the BBC in Berlin, Mrs Merkel is robust in her defence of her time in office. She says she believes the war in Ukraine would have started sooner and would likely have been worse, if Kyiv had begun the path to Nato membership in 2008. "We would have seen military conflict even earlier. It was completely clear to me that President Putin would not have stood idly by and watched Ukraine join Nato. "And back then, Ukraine as a country would certainly not have been as prepared as it was in February 2022." Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky disagrees. He describes Mrs Merkel’s Nato decision, backed by then-French President Nicolas Sarkozy, as a clear "miscalculation" that emboldened Russia. Mrs Merkel was involved in several diplomatic initiatives that failed to achieve a lasting peace In a rare interview since she stepped down from politics three years ago, Mrs Merkel expresses concern about Vladimir Putin’s renewed threats of using nuclear weapons. The two leaders got to know each other well over the course of two decades. "We must do everything possible to prevent the use of nuclear weapons,” the former German Chancellor says. "Thankfully, China also spoke about this a while back. We shouldn't be paralysed by fear, but we must also acknowledge that Russia is the biggest, or alongside the US, one of the two biggest nuclear powers in the world. "The potential is frightening." Despite enjoying high po[CENSORED]rity ratings during most of her time in office, Mrs Merkel now finds herself on the defensive. She has just published her memoir, Freedom. And the timing is interesting. She says she did everything in her power to ensure peaceful means of co-operation with Russia. In fact, Mr Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine just months after she left office. This prompted a thorough re-examination in Europe of energy policies, diplomacy with Russia and also migration policies that had become the norm under Mrs Merkel. Angela Merkel was seen as one of the few Western leaders who might be able to influence Russia's Vladimir Putin At the helm of Europe’s biggest economy, she was, as former Italian premier Matteo Renzi says, the de-facto leader of Europe - "the boss of the European Union". "Do you remember when [former US Secretary of State] Henry Kissinger used to say 'what is the telephone number of Europe?'," he says. "My answer was: clearly, the mobile number of Angela Merkel." He adds that when judging the Merkel legacy - over Russia and otherwise - it is important to remember the norms of the time. "One cannot attack Angela for the relations with Russia," he says. "In 2005, 2006 [they] were a goal of everyone in Europe, not only a goal of Angela Merkel." Under Mrs Merkel, Germany and its energy-hungry big industries became dependent on Moscow. Germany built two gas pipelines directly linked to Russia. President Zelensky described that cheap gas as a geopolitical tool of the Kremlin. Mrs Merkel tells the BBC she had two motives with the pipelines: German business interests but also maintaining peaceful links with Russia. Fellow EU and Nato members in eastern Europe strongly disagreed with her. The Polish MP, Radoslaw Fogiel, said German gas money filled Russia’s war chest - used to fund the invasion of Ukraine. Mrs Merkel insists she tried to curb Russian attacks on Ukraine using diplomacy and negotiations, which - she admits - ultimately failed. And German industry has been disproportionately hit by sanctions on Russian energy. Forced to look for other suppliers, the country is now buying expensive LNG. Businesses says they are crippled by the costs. A new era in Europe’s relations with Russia "regrettably" began following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, says Mrs Merkel. On Monday, defence ministers from the UK, France, Germany, Poland and Italy are meeting to discuss the deteriorating situation on Ukraine’s frontlines. US President Donald Trump strongly criticised Mrs Merkel for building two gas pipelines with Russia Ms Merkel, 70, now finds herself having to defend her legacy in other areas too. The migration crisis of 2015, when she famously opened Germany’s doors to over a million asylum seekers, was perhaps the defining moment of her time in office. It was hated by some, hailed by others. US President Barack Obama praised her as a courageous and moral leader. But critics blamed her for breathing life into the then almost redundant far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. It is now polling comfortably in second place in German public opinion polls, ahead of a snap general election early next year. The AfD’s main political rallying cry: a strong anti-migrant message. Angela Merkel admits the AfD made big gains, but she makes no apology for her political decisions. As for suggestions that her 2015 policies helped fuel anti-immigration and far-right parties elsewhere too, including the Netherlands, Poland and France, after she tried to impose migrant quotas across EU countries, Mrs Merkel says she can’t be held responsible for all of Europe. The only way to combat the far right is to stop illegal migration, she says. She calls on Europe’s leaders to invest more in African nations to improve standards of living there, so fewer people will be tempted to leave their homes. But with Europe’s economies sluggish, and voters worried about the cost of living, governments say there is little cash to spare. Reuters Angela Merkel taking a selfie with a Syrian refugeeReuters Angela Merkel's Germany welcomed over a million refugees in 2015, at the height of the war in Syria Angela Merkel appeared to put her country and its economic interests first when it came to buying Russian energy or during the eurozone crisis - when southern EU nations blamed her for squeezing them with austerity measures in order to rescue German banks and businesses. But even at home in Germany, she is now accused of simply "managing" successive crises and failing to make far-reaching, perhaps painful reforms to future-proof her country and the EU. Germany is now labelled by some as "the sick man of Europe". Once an export powerhouse on the world stage, its economy hovers just above recession. Voters complain she failed to invest in roads, railways and digitalisation, in favour of maintaining a balanced budget. Under Angela Merkel, Germany not only became reliant on Russia for energy, but on China and the US for trade. Those decisions have not stood the test of time. Donald Trump threatens punishing tariffs on imports when he returns to the White House in January. Mrs Merkel does have some thoughts for Europe’s nervous leaders faced with Trump 2.0. His first term in office was marked by anger at Europe, particularly Germany, over low defence spending and trade deficits. Those gripes with Europe haven't changed. What are the Merkel tips for handling him? Mr Trump accused other Nato countries of not meeting their defence targets and threatened tariffs on EU exports, especially German cars "It’s really important to know what your priorities are, to present them clearly and not to be scared, because Donald Trump can be very outspoken," she says. "He expresses himself very clearly. And if you do that, there is a certain mutual respect. That was my experience anyway." But Europe’s leaders facing the US, China, and Russia, are apprehensive - arguably more so than during Angela Merkel’s time. Economies are sluggish, voters unhappy, traditional politics under pressure from the far-right and the far-left. China and Russia are more bullish, the West weaker on the world stage. Wars burn in the Middle East and in Europe, with Donald Trump appearing less interested in bolstering European security. Perhaps that’s why Angela Merkel says, these days, when world leaders she knows well call her for advice, she happily responds. But when I ask if she misses all that power and politics, her swift answer is: "No, not at all."

https://www.gadgets360.com/cryptocurrency/news/ernst-young-ey-metaverse-ai-coach-eve-hiring-process-7103299 Ernst & Young (EY), one of the ‘Big Four' consultancy firms, has integrated the metaverse element from Web3 into its hiring process. The London based firm, that also has offices in India, has launched a service called eVe, that essentially offers a warm-up pre-interview preparation for candidates applying for a role at the company. The service is aimed at helping job applicants gather information around the dos and don'ts before appearing for in-person interviews. The eVe platform lets job seekers engage with an AI avatar of an EY associate. This avatar can be seen in a metaverse setting of a photorealistic background of what looks like an EY office. The avatar, that currently only supports the English language, prompts visitors to ask their questions around the interview process at EY. “You can ask me a wide range of questions about interview preparation and wellbeing benefits at EY. For interviewing, you can inquire about behavioural interviewing, technical interviewing, or case studies. If you have a specific question in mind, feel free to ask,” the digital assistant says. It goes on to explain how people can navigate through finding and applying for job opportunities at the firm, which has recorded an estimated global revenue of approximately $51 billion (roughly Rs. 4,29,796 crore) in 2024. People can ask eVe about EY's compensation benefits, pension plans, and other related follow-up questions. It's worth noting that the EY's digital avatar does not provide a virtual tour of the EY offices yet. It does, however, saves the chat records for users to revisit notes shared by the AI assistant. The company has shared an email ID directed to its ‘metaverse lab' unit for people to report any grievances they might have with the service of the platform. As per a report by Business Insider, candidates who apply for jobs at EY are sent a link to eVe where they can have their FAQs around the interview process answered in detail. The eVe platform was thoroughly tested for months before being rolled out, the report added. Citing EY's global lead of Metaverse Lab, the report noted that younger job applicants are spending an average of 15 to 20 minutes conversing with eVe. According to a blog post by EY, its Cognitive Human Enterprise team has been creating a virtual world. “With a market estimated to reach $800 billion (roughly Rs. 67,42,664 crore) in two years, the metaverse has the power to transform all industries. Organisations that address the innovation potential now will be well positioned to harness the opportunities that it will unleash,” the blog notes.

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-11-world-warcraft-strong-celebrates-years.html As it celebrates its 20th birthday, online video game "World of Warcraft" has demonstrated a rare longevity thanks to its loyal following and constant evolutions. "It is inspiring to be able to work on this rare game that has touched so many lives, and to also feel the burden of carrying that forward," Ion Hazzikostas, the current director of the game, told AFP at the Gamescom trade show in Germany in August. As an early fan of "WoW" he joined California-based Blizzard, the American developer of the title, in 2008 before climbing the ranks. Although it was not the first massively multiplayer online role-playing game (a genre known as MMORPG) when it was released in 2004, "World of Warcraft" was an instant success, quickly attracting several million players worldwide. It benefited from the po[CENSORED]rity of the Warcraft brand, a saga of real-time strategy games launched ten years earlier by Blizzard, which was bought by Microsoft in 2023. In the game, two factions face off in a fantasy universe po[CENSORED]ted by orcs and elves where thousands of players can connect and cooperate simultaneously, in exchange for a monthly subscription of $15 a month. It was the social aspect of the experience, still in its infancy at the time, that appealed to players. "It was a precursor," said Olivier Servais, a specialist in online communities. "Blizzard focused on guilds and communities on a human scale, bringing together between 30 and 200 players." In these groups, "people flirt, they confide about their daily lives", weddings and funerals are organised, and the game becomes "a pretext to socialise", he said. "WoW" was born the same year as Facebook, and comprised key elements such as online interactions and communities that would help create today's globalised social networks. "It was many people's first real exposure and connection to people in a digital virtual environment. And that was part of the magic, and that's a hard thing to replicate," Hazzikostas said. Since then, other po[CENSORED]r games such as "Fortnite" or "League of Legends" have adopted similar codes. At its peak in the 2010s, "World of Warcraft" claimed more than 10 million active accounts, though the number could be higher because many people often share one account, in Asia, in particular. Blizzard no longer reveals the number of accounts, but "WoW" remains po[CENSORED]r across the world. "We are not resting on our laurels, or coasting gently off into the sunset," Hazzikostas said. Its 10th extension, "The War Within", was released in August with new domains to explore and other changes. "Twenty years later, it remains a monument but in a gaming market that has completely changed," Servais said. Hazzikostas said Blizzard is "trying new ambitious things to shake up what we've done and keep that vibrant". "I don't see an end point to 'World of Warcraft' on the horizon today," he said, drawing parallels with franchises such as Marvel or Star Wars.

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/ram-benchmark-hierarchy Our RAM benchmark hierarchy will help you find the fastest DDR5 and DDR4 memory kit for your system. Consumers often overlook RAM (Random Access Memory). However, memory is one of the most critical pieces of hardware in any system. The right or wrong memory kit significantly impacts your system's overall performance in gaming, productivity, and (if you don't have enough of it) general sluggishness. Of course, you can always reference our Best RAM list to find the best deals on memory. Companies regularly release new memory kits with different speeds, timings, capacities, and ranks, making sifting through seemingly endless models surprisingly time-consuming. Our RAM benchmark hierarchy aims to provide a simple database that ranks the best memory kits based on pure performance. We use a geometric mean of our memory benchmarking results to keep the ranking objective and discard the intangibles, like aesthetics and overclocking headroom. We've got those details in the individual RAM reviews. Furthermore, we suspect many of you would value performance over anything else. However, the geometric means don't always tell the whole story: If you're looking for performance in a specific workload or gaming, we recommend looking at the full review of the memory kit you have in mind. The score results originate from the geometric mean from our RAM benchmark suite, which consists of scripted and real-world tests. They include Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, Adobe Lightroom, Cinebench 2024, Corona 12 benchmark, Blender 4.0 benchmark, V-Ray 6 benchmark, 7-Zip compression and decompression, HandBrake x264 and x265 conversion, LuxMark v4, Windows AI inference, and Y-Cruncher. For simplicity, we've separated the memory kits into different categories according to their densities. Then, we ranked the memory kits for each capacity from best to worst for both Intel and AMD systems. The score on our hierarchy may differ slightly from the geometric mean in the individual review. The discrepancy is because we strive to provide results on the most recent and relevant Intel and AMD platforms. Keeping the metrics in the table as up-to-date as possible involves retesting every memory kit. We rest when there's been a substantial change in either of our test systems, such as a new processor, motherboard, or graphics card (or even new firmware revisions), to name a few. Memory pricing is very volatile. We've restrained ourselves from providing a price-to-performance value since it only captures the pricing for one static moment, and memory pricing fluctuates far too much. So, while you can see up-to-date pricing in each table below, the performance measurements don't consider the price tag. If you're undecided between two particular kits, it's easy to evaluate the options by dividing the real-time pricing by the geometric mean. Naturally, you'll want the lowest value possible, as a lower number represents more bang for your buck. Update 25/11: We're updating the memory kits with the latest Intel and AMD platforms (Z890 and X870). The current rankings are still valid if you compare memory kits within the same capacity.