-Kenzo

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands (PC) Developer: Blizzar Publisher: Blizzar Released: November 23, 202 MSRP: $39.990dd9.99 Since World of Warcraft's launch in 2004, I've seen pretty much every up and down you can imagine. Its highest points (Burning Crusade into Wrath of the Lich King), its lowest point (shades of Cataclysm, Pandaria, and most of Draenor), and everything in-between. But however you choose to slice it, I've really been enjoying the upward trend in the game since Legion. While Shadowlands isn't quite Legion-level quality, it does keep the spirit of the game alive and well after nearly two decades of service. That's a feat. was making my way through Bastion (City of Angels). Now I've conquered Maldraxxus (Edgy Bone Town), Ardenweald (Elf Village), and Revendreth (Vampire Burg). All of the parenthetical names are strictly mine (and sum them up well I think!). Bastion is a highlight. Like a more serene Suramar, this zone is the glimmer of hope you need after a series of mostly somber places, dating all the way back to Warlords of Draenor. It's here that I really started to appreciate Blizzard's penchant for micro-storytelling again (and its silliness, like the Flappy Bird minigame). Its ability to flesh out the smaller characters that eventually plug into the big picture. Now Shadowlands isn't immune to campy dialogue (sometimes to the point of parody), even during a few of its more pivotal emotional scenes, but it's amazing that the writers are able to juggle everyone and have it mostly come together. I just hope they don't pull an "actually it was an Old God" maneuver again. Edgy Bone Town is a little less interesting aesthetically. It's kind of like a combination of the Undercity and a few other existing prior expansion locations. The inner workings of the Spartan-like culture are fascinating though: again, a telltale sign of that feat of micro-storytelling. Entering into the chaos of a gladiatorial pit was a great intro for the group, and set the tone of the zone itself. It's probably the region I learned to appreciate the most after revisiting it for endgame content. It grows on you. Ardenweald might be the most familiar zone from a visual perspective (I felt shades of Val'Sharah after entering it), but it's nonetheless still awe-inspiring. There's also some big lore moments here, as is common with nature-related storylines in World of Warcraft. I end up finding something new every time I jump back into it, and some of the quests are off-the-wall, in a good way. Vampire Burg, the fourth and final story region, is my home town. My covenant (that thing you choose at the end of the story to align yourself with one of the factions). It's full of Nosferatu, Gary Oldman-in-Dracula-looking dudes, enough backstabbing drama to fill an HBO season. It's also one of the more varied areas, with an array of haunting and regal aesthetics. It's austerely sickening in a way, not only in how some of its denizens act in regards to its caste system, but in the sense of the core of the region itself. Yet, it's also home to a few of the funniest quests of the last couple of expansions. It's fascinating, and I totally didn't just choose it to be my main focus because I liked vampire-related media (go watch Vampires vs. the Bronx if you want a recent recommendation). I promise. So the zones are good, but the leveling process was a joy too (despite its relative ease) because of the strong focus on worldbuilding. Phasing, which was used in earnest in Wrath of the Lich King as a way for the developers to tell different stories in the same physical space, still works. Also, little touches like artwork appearing in the quest prompts rule, and accentuate Blizzard's artistic prowess. This game is running on an older looking engine, but some of the artwork (like the in-game shot at very top of this review) is breathtaking and sticks in your mind. I'm thankful that I'm able to play every expansion with Demon Hunter wings now, so I can take it all in properly. In case you missed it, WoW recently had a "level squish" that brought every down from 120 to level 50: in preparation for the new Shadowlands cap of 60. For the most part this system excelled at garnering more meaningful progress while leveling (as you could reach more ability milestones rather than meaningless dings), but no attention was paid to levels 50 through 60 for the expansion. "10% extra power for [x] skill" is not cutting it, and nothing opens up until you start pledging to your covenant. Blizzard is still leaning into the "borrowed power" concept, which funnels into the new covenant system. In short, this concept is named due to the fleeting nature of very substantial powers, which will be taken from players after the expansion is finished. While it might be far better than the Heart of Azeroth mechanic from the prior expansion, it's a shame that the Covenant system, for the most part, feels like it has a timer on it. That's not necessarily a problem now, but I did feel the lack of an impact going from Battle for Azeroth into Shadowlands: and the boring 50-60 upgrades didn't help. With that in mind, there's plenty of stuff to do once you reach the cap, and I'm really digging the Covenant storyline so far. You can swap if you want (for a nominal time sink fee), but for now, I'm loving the continuation of the Revendreth storyline. It's a lot like the ongoing Suramar saga in Legion, but with the ability to choose between the four regions. Minus the borrowed power stench lingering in the air, it's a great way to really connect players with the world instead of just relying on grinding out world quests to see what it has to offer (those are still in too). There are essentially four endgames now. Torghast Tower of the Damned (which is basically a play off Final Fantasy XIV's Deep Dungeon roguelike) concept is also fun for now, and has more of a lore reason to exist than random islands from Battle for Azeroth. Building up my Covenant is keeping me busy and entertained though, and I'm anxious to see where this all leads (and swap Covenants at some point to explore another point of view). Of course, it's all very familiar. Shadowlands feels like a smoothing of Battle for Azeroth on multiple mechanical levels, but not a fundamental shakeup. Leveling parameters often pertain to the same "kill [x]" objective, while world quests echo that fundamental simplicity. It's not inherently bad, as many MMOs do the same thing (Final Fantasy XIV's Fates, for instance), but it might not be enough to jolt lapsed players into a long0term cruise. If you're one of those people, it's worth a joy ride though. World of Warcraft: Shadowlands hasn't quite wowed me in the way that Legion did, but it's an improvement upon many concepts from Battle for Azeroth. There's a clearer story that seems to have more embedded bones, with a more pronounced set of zones that stand on their own. As always long-term support remains to be seen, but for now, WoW is still one of the best MMOs out there. SYSTEM Requirements CPU: Intel Core i5-3450 or AMD FX 8300. CPU SPEED: Info. RAM: 4GB RAM (8GB if using supported integrated graphics) OS: Windows 7 64-bit. VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 or AMD Radeon RX 560 or Intel UHD 630 (45W) PIXEL SHADER: 5.0

Microsoft could be about to announce a series of improvements to Project xCloud. (Image Source: Microsoft). A series of exclusives, leaks, and rumours have recently pointed to some improvements in the compatibility and performance of Microsoft's xCloud game streaming. The PC client, touch support, and higher resolution would make it a strong GeForce Now and Stadia alternative. Craig Ward, 02/28/2021 Gaming Windows Microsoft appears to be about to announce some significant improvements to their Xbox Game Streaming and xCloud platforms if the tidbits of news and rumours around the web are anything to go by. Firstly, we have a scoop from The Verge regarding an unreleased Xbox Game Streaming app that can stream games from the current generation ‘Xbox Series’ consoles and xCloud to a Windows PC. Tom Warren got his hands on an internal beta version, and he claims that there is full touch support with potential future gyroscope features. This news also fits with a Windows Central exclusive from November 2020, where they demonstrated Project xCloud for PC and mentioned an expected 2021 release. Next, we have an article from Windows Central where they discuss a screenshot they received from a “trusted source” that shows Hellblade streaming at 1080p via xCloud. This resolution is quite a step up from Microsoft’s bandwidth-friendly 720p option, which was previously the best quality available on their streaming service. However, this update would only put them in line with GeForce Now and Stadia. Finally, we have Paul Thurrott’s tweet about an anticipated 23 March Microsoft event focused on “what’s new for gaming”. This information wouldn’t mean much by itself, but the timing seems favourable for tying in an announcement of these rumoured and leaked Xbox Game Streaming and xCloud improvements.

The computer is often loaded with some juicy and pricey software, so it seems a great deal on the surface. But there's an underlying gotcha just waiting to rear its ugly head, and that's the matter of replacing the software in the event of a system failure or hardware upgrade. Even if the computer still has the old recovery partition, the best you can do is restore Windows and that's about it.If you had things like Microsoft Office or Adobe Acrobat they were likely added by the business after they purchased the computer. For many businesses, the software is volume licensed to the company for use on company owned hardware and is not intended for use on a personally owned PC. The fact that they left the software installed when they sold or gave away the PC is actually a violation of the licensing agreement the company has with the software vendor. It's common, though. Most people don't think about it, or, if they do, simply don't care. When the unthinkable happens, your budget PC can get very expensive to get up and running again because those applications will have to be purchased if you want to use them again. I am not a fan of buying second-hand computer, and I recommend that if you plan to do so, just know what you're getting yourself into

Intel's 11th-Gen eight-core Tiger Lake-H 45W processors for mobile devices are expected to land in the first quarter, and, judging by the latest retailer listings (via momomo_us), the 10nm chips shouldn't be far offIntel has launched several Tiger Lake chips that adhere to power limits under 35W. However, the chipmaker will have to roll out the 45W parts if it really wants to compete against AMD's core-heavy Ryzen 5000 (Cezanne) processors. Like all Tiger Lake offerings, the 45W processors are based on Intel's 10nm SuperFin (10SF) process node and wield Willow Cove cores and Xe LP graphics. Besides the power limit increase, the 45W chips also bump Tiger Lake's maximum core count of up to eight cores, while current Tiger Lake processors on the market max out at four cores. However, the Tiger Lake-H 45W processors will allow Intel to contend with AMD in mobile high-end gaming and workstation device Intel 11th Generation Tiger Lake-H 45W Specificatio Processor Cores / Threads Base / Boonss.

The government is reportedly very keen on a vehicle scrappage policy, making it mandatory for old vehicles to be scrapped or giving subsidies for voluntary scrappage. One aim is to increase the demand for new cars, boosting the auto industry — this was indeed the aim for scrappage incentives in the US and Europe after the 2008 recession. The second aim is to reduce pollution, since old vehicles typically emit more polluting gases and harmful PM2.5 than new vehicles. The third is to reduce fuel consumption: newer vehicles are more fuel-efficient. Transport minister Nitin Gadkari has been the keenest proponent of a new scrappage policy.However, global experience from earlier scrappage policies highlights the shortcomings of scrappage. For starters, scrapping older vehicles makes for bad policy if the older vehicles have been well-maintained or fitted with new engines, as often happens in India. I personally own a 17-year-old car in the US that passes Washington DC’s emission tests with flying colours. Second, scrapping old vehicles will raise the price of second-hand vehicles. This will hit all poorer car owners and smaller truck owners even while enriching car manufacturers who are already profitable. Third, evidence from many countries suggests that a scrappage policy brings forward new vehicle purchases by a few months but does not improve long-run sales. Consulting firm Macroeconomic Advisers estimated that in the US in 2009 “roughly half of the 250,000 in new sales would have occurred in the months following the conclusion of the program, and the other half would have occurred during the program period anyway”. India’s auto industry was badly hit during 2020 and would have welcomed a boost then, but sales are booming again today, and the industry needs no artificial boost at government expense. A big issue is pollution. Cities must definitely ban vehicles that cannot pass emission tests, and this has nothing to do with age: many vehicles are serious polluters because of bad maintenance even if relatively new. Indian cities need mandatory vehicular testing every two years, as in the US, by serious institutions. These should be seen as a source of government revenue, and that will improve the political motivation to check bribes for bogus clearances. Vehicles failing emission tests in many countries are typically sold to rural areas at lower prices. This improves affordability and living standards there. Rural areas have relatively cleaner air that can tolerate some additional vehicular pollution. This will not, of course, reduce carbon emissions, but will redistribute other pollutants to areas where they reduce damage to human health. Newer vehicles will reduce imported fuel consumption. Electric vehicles will do so even more but may take a decade to become widespread enough to have a significant impact. One silver lining: if older cars go to rural areas, they will to some extent replace transportation of goods and people by tractors, which are extremely fuel-intensive and polluting. Many NGOs working in rural areas are hamstrung for funds and mobility. In the US, many people gift old cars to the Salvation Army, which then uses them for charitable work or even for gifting to really needy folk. Using public funds to incentivise scrappage makes less sense than incentivisation sales to rural NGOs and panchayats. Germany had a cash-for-clunkers programme in 2009, subsidising scrappages to revive its car industry. Germany’s police union, the Bund Deutscher Kriminalbeamter, estimated that 50,000 cars supposedly sold to scrapyards were illegally resold to Africa and Eastern Europe. The government had paid around 125 million euros for these vehicles to be destroyed so that people would buy new, more fuel-efficient cars. German environmental group Deutsche Umwelthilfe predicted a doubling of illicit exports by the end of the year. Instead of forcing older vehicles to be scrapped, why not incentivise them to be exported to countries (mostly in Africa) with very low vehicle intensities that import second-hand vehicles since they cannot afford new ones? Ideally the government should incentivise a scheme by auto companies to refurbish old vehicles to pass emission standards and give new buyers a limited warranty. This will improve the longevity of vehicles in India and conserve scarce capital in a poor country. Refurbished, warrantied vehicles have a thriving market even in the US. Such refurbished vehicles will be especially attractive for export to other developing countries. Even un-refurbished vehicles will have an export market, as was proved by the German experience in 2009. This will export pollution to other low-intensity countries, reducing the problem in India. It will not reduce global carbon emissions, but old vehicles are tiny contributors to that global problem.

The pandemic taught us many things, the most of which was the need for going local when it comes to purchases. With borders shut and daily use products available in the market sparse, many took to the local route, opting for homegrown brands to fulfill their skincare needs. Many also took to rethinking their wardrobes, choosing to minimise it, donate what they don’t need and make the best use of items that they do own.Many have chosen to downsize their clutter and make the most of the products they own - be it clothes, makeup or skincare, and go an extra mile to make them sustainable. If you’re struggling to begin, here are some simple tips and tricks for you: Clothes One of the ways you can redo your closet to make it sustainable is to buy less, and wear the pieces you have as much as you can. Opt for natural fibres instead of polyester, acrylic or rayons, and if you must, try to look for fabric made from recycled plastic.Another way is to swap your clothes - join clothes swap groups and look for something you may want, such as a sari or a lehenga, over there, before you decide to purchase a new outfit.If you’re a makeup and skincare junkie and want to reduce your waste, try to use as much of a product as you can before you toss it out. “Opt for an all-natural face cleanser along with cotton reusable makeup wipes to make your makeup removal routine more sustainable,” says Mehul Manjeshwar, Chief Marketing Officer, Bare Necessities Zero Waste Solutions. Amrita and Philip Alexander, founders, Auravedic, which makes natural, organic skincare, add, “Buy multi-purpose products to reduce your expenditure on too many products.” Try to keep your collection small, so that you are able to use the products before they expire. “To get the most of your skincare products, store them in a proper condition away from moisture and direct sunlight, and reuse, refill and recycle your bottles and jars to save the environment,” they add. Also, try to go organic when you buy new makeup. A lot of indie brands offer quality, multi-purpose makeup that offers skincare benefits as well. Another handy tip is to take out the stoppers from your liquid products to scrape out as much as you can, and dig out the lipstick left at the end of bullets - these are enough for about a month’s use, if not more.

We have been encountering extraordinary times — surreal, sometimes dystopian — for about a year now. As a consequence of the ‘new normal’ — working from home, Zoom-ing, e-classes, e-commerce, e-everything — one of this year’s first litfests, the Lahore Literary Festival (LLF), went online from February 18-21, featuring pre-recorded videos of conversations and book launches. GOING VIRTUAL In one of the most anticipated sessions — the launch of journalist and television anchor Fareed Zakaria’s book Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World — the author imagined “a new hybrid world. I imagine one in which we move greatly into digital economy.”Speaking with former ambassador Maleeha Lodhi and the LLF’s chief organiser Razi Ahmed, Zakaria said not only the economy, but books, buying and selling, and watching films had also moved considerably online, with virtual retail giant Amazon taking the lion’s share of the digital economy. HOME, IDENTITY, BELONGING The LLF was emblematic of how life has transformed after the pandemic. There were panellists sitting in Canada (Yann Martel), the United Kingdom (Elif Shafak), the United States (Jhumpa Lahiri), and many more from India, replying to moderators stationed in Lahore and elsewhere and being watched across the world via social media platforms. Life has, somehow, become more fluid, and this fluidity of life and identity, language and a sense of home was a theme discussed by many panellists during the four-day litfest.Jhumpa Lahiri, one of the stars of this year’s festival, talked about her fluidity in terms of identity of place, home and language. In her conversation with BBC journalist Razia Iqbal, Lahiri raised the question of what it means to say ‘this is my language, my city or my homeland’. The Lahore Literary Festival went entirely online in line with the ongoing pandemic’s restrictions. It also often reflected the preoccupations of the world’s thinkers in these strange times “I have never had a fixed language, a fixed identity and a fixed belonging. Maybe I am better off not being able to wave a flag of my place.” She revealed that she had no pure connection to any language and had also been, somehow, inside and outside a language. The daughter of Bengali parents, raised in the West and married to a Guatemalan-American journalist, Lahiri said that being a global citizen had its other side, too. There could be a sense of loss, she said, admitting that, while being a global citizen looks good on paper, in reality we all come from certain places. Her new novel, Whereabouts, originally written in Italian and translated into English, also raises the question of identity. Describing a scene in a train, centred on a middle-aged woman, Lahiri questions who she is, where she is coming from and where she is going. UK-based Turkish novelist Elif Shafak also dealt with the theme of identity and belonging in ‘Multiple Belongings’ — her session with author and journalist Maha Khan Phillips. Shafak, who had earlier described herself as being a physical and spiritual nomad, told the audience that she was born in France to Turkish parents, surrounded by immigrant students. Then, her mother took her to Turkey, Oman and Spain and finally back to Turkey and that she carried Istanbul in her heart. Considering diversity important, she said that although not everybody could physically go places, they could do it through reading books. Yann Martel, author of the Booker Prize-winning Life of Pi, in the session ‘Slices of Pi’ with journalist Fasih Ahmed, explained his sense of home: “My sense of home is not conventional. Most people usually define home in physical terms, most often a geographical place or a city. I never had a strong sense of home in terms of place. My fiction trots around the globe. I don’t have a particular attachment or detachment. My home is people. Home is a certain sensibility.” This diasporic feeling of dispersal and question of identity was also taken on by Indian writer Amitav Ghosh, whose most recent novel, 2019’s Gun Island, starts with his encounters with Bangladeshi and Pakistani immigrants in Italy. In the session ‘High Drama: Of Opium Wars and the Jungles of Sunderbans’ with critic and author Muneeza Shamsie, Ghosh said, “I was always interested in stories of dispersal and displacement. My own family was originally from Bangladesh. In the 19th century, they were displaced by a flood and went to what is now Bihar. Because of this history, I was interested in indenture, displacement and migration.” Ghosh found the answers to many questions originating in his mind in colonialism and the colonial masters’ policies that displaced people. He said that people coming from “other places” had a fractured consciousness and it was psychic reality that needed attention besides political reality. “The psychic sense of who we are is much more complicated,” he said. Lebanon-born French writer Amin Maalouf also hinted at the idea of home in his session ‘The Past is Another Country’ with journalist Ahmed Rashid. He talked about how his heart broke in 1975 when the civil war changed Lebanon forever and he decided to move out of the country. “I never thought I would spend my life away from my country of birth. I thought I would spend my whole life there. I was an eyewitness to the first tragic event of the war. After some months, I had realised something had changed forever. That year, I decided to move to Paris.” CONTROVERSY There were fewer sessions on Urdu and regional languages this time around. However, two were distinct for different reasons. One, moderated by poet Yasmeen Hameed, was on Mehr Afshan Farooqi’s new biography of Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib and piqued curiosity about new facts about the works of the bard among the Pakistani audience, though the book, Ghalib: A Wilderness at My Doorstep, is not available here yet. The second session, ‘Kaee Chaand Thhay Sar-i-Aasman’ [Many Moons in the Sky, named after the book] on Shamsur Rahman Faruqi and moderated by Harris Khalique, was a tad controversial as, from the schedule, it seemed it would be a tribute, or homage, to the icon of Urdu after his recent death from Covid-19. But shortly into the session, the tide changed, as one of the three panellists — Shamim Hanfi, Syeda Hameed and Nasir Abbas Nayyar — turned against Faruqi’s ideas of literature and works. Hanfi, himself a reputed name in Urdu literature from India, used some harsh words for the deceased master, stating that Faruqi exhibited extremist behaviour and views. Hanfi’s opinions were not received well by many, including the other panellists and late writer’s family, especially in the wake of his recent death. Discussions on this session are likely to continue for a while. BEYOND BORDERS As the pandemic continues to create situations where everyone and everything must go virtual, for the LLF, it turned out a blessing in disguise. The current political tensions between Pakistan and India make it impossible for writers and intellectuals to cross borders, but the digitalised litfest eliminated the hurdle of visas, allowing the organisers to rope in several personalities from India, including Rana Safvi, Siddiq Alam, Kavita Singh, Mehr Afshan Farooqi, Sunita Kohli and Mukulika Banerjee. But, as with everything else, this use of digital platforms has a flipside — what Zakaria also alluded to as he imagined the world going digital: “Unfortunately, I imagine a much more unequal world, particularly for a place [such as] Pakistan, because when we talk of digital economy we talk of a small digital elite, well-trained, connected, educated people that can generate income using the virtual economy, whereas a large number of people are locked out of that right now and that reality has been exacerbated by the pandemic.” Shafak also referred to what she termed “the paradox of this age”, saying it seemed that each one of us has a voice now but, at the same time, the number of people saying they are voiceless has increased in both the East and West. She wondered how this was possible in the age of social media. Considering diversity precious, she expressed concerns about inequality. All the LLF 2021 sessions can be watched on YouTube, but seeing the number of views, one is reminded of the packed lawns of the Alhamra Art Centre — long the usual venue for the festival. It shows that the elements of festivity and socialising, as well as buying books, matter. One hopes to see the LLF again at its venue next year, after the pandemic is, hopefully, controlled.

Dh1 I like this song

Halo Infinite may have been delayed until Fall 2021, but that hasn't stopped stunning brand new 4K images from the game being released that show just how spectacular it is set to look on Xbox Series X, as well as giving PS5 gamers something to be envious of. The images show various different locals from Halo Infinite's environments, both inside and outside, as well as in space, and really show off what detail and nuanced lighting is now capable on Microsoft's Xbox Series X flagship console. The 4K images were shown off on the official Halo Waypoint blog, whereby the campaign's expansive world of Zeta Halo was discussed and shown off. To get a taste o f the Halo Infinite Xbox Series X goodness, simply plant your peepers on the imagery below. As can be seen in the images, there is now much more detail in each scene and the lighting has seemingly been completely overhauled, with what looks like ray tracing utilised. There's no doubting that since the game was slammed massively by gamers for both its dated looks and slippage in terms of release date, that the game has come on leaps and bounds, and the Waypoint post seems to quell those rumors that the game could even slip into 2022 even more, too. What we're seeing here in these images does not look like a game years from release. There's also no doubting that a next-gen Halo game that looks as good as these still images would really give Sony PS5 gamers something to be envious of, which in T3's opinion is exactly what it needs right now. Microsoft has massively bolstered its gaming titles with the recent purchase of Bethesda, but the platform is still crying out for its flagship IP, and a 2021 blockbuster Halo Infinite would really help relaunch both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Here's hoping we get to see this visually stunning new Halo Infinite running in some new trailer soon.

AMD’s new Ryzen 5000 processors are some of the best CPUs you can build with right now according to our benchmarks hierarchy, but they’re also facing serious stock problems. That makes pre-builts with these chips all the more enticing, and the Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition R10 is so proud of its AMD processors that they’re in the name. 2021’s refresh of the Ryzen Edition R10 is the first all-AMD desktop we’ve looked at that shows off both the Ryzen 5000 series of processors and Radeon 6000 series of GPUs, and given that pre-builts are the easiest way to buy these parts right now, we’re keen to see how they stack up against Intel and Nvidia’s offerings in a pre-built environment. But being a pre-built, it doesn't just provide an opportunity to look at fancy new AMD components but is also competing with the best gaming PCs. We’ve reviewed other Auroras in the past and have had problems with the cooling options and noise, and none of that changed here. But for those who want easy access to AMD's latest and hard-to-find components, it's still worth a look. Alienware’s jet-engine style Aurora case is back on the new Aurora Ryzen Edition R10, although this is our first time looking at it in a full black coat of paint. The result is that our review unit ended up looking both plain and extravagant at the same time. Unlike the two-tone "lunar light" version of the case, which costs an additional $30 and is both black and white, the Alienware logo alongside the all-black version does not light up, nor is there any additional branding alongside it. The front I/O panel still features a ring light around it and includes a light-up alien-head power button, but the case is otherwise unassuming- aside from its shape. Perhaps more concerning than aesthetics, though, is the build’s cooling. There’s just two fans in the PC, a 120 mm intake near the front and a 120 mm exhaust fan attached to the radiator on thecomputer’s liquid cooling system. These work in tandem to take cool air throughout the system and spit hot air out of its vents up top, but that doesn’t leave much airflow to work with. There’s also two additional side air vents that claim to help with intake, as well as the potential for air to escape out of the holes on the machine’s back, though there aren't any fans to help with that. As a result, this machine gets almost anxiety-inducingly loud even on idle, leaving me wondering if perhaps another fan could have been fit inside the case. With more balanced cooling, I’d hope for less noise. This is a micro-ATX chassis, however, so space is a luxury. At 18.9 x 17 x 8.77 inches, it’s smaller in some ways than recent Ampere options like the iBuyPower RDY IWBG207 with an RTX 3080, which is 18.9 x 19.2 x 8.5 inches. However, the also micro-ATX HP Omen 30L does fit two case fans and a 120 mm radiator inside its case despite being a smaller 17.7 x 16.8 x 6.6 inches.

BEIJING — Nasdaq-listed Chinese automaker Li Auto forecast deliveries below that of its competitors for the first quarter. Li Auto said late Thursday it expected to deliver between 10,500 and 11,500 cars in the first quarter of the year, or fewer than 4,000 vehicles a month. Shares fell 9.8% in the New York trading session amid a broader market sell-off. The stock shed another 3.75% in after-hours trade. Nio, which competes directly with Li Auto in the high-end SUV market, has delivered more than 7,000 units in both December and January. The company is set to share its latest financial report on Monday. Xpeng delivered 5,700 cars in December and more than 6,000 in January. Although the start-ups’ figures point to rapid growth, they still pale in comparison with Tesla. Elon Musk’s electric car company delivered nearly half a million vehicles worldwide last year, or an average of more than 41,000 cars a month. Even with the Lunar New Year holiday that fell in mid-February this year, Li Auto’s weak guidance is concerning, said Tu Le, founder of Beijing-based advisory firm Sino Auto Insights. He pointed out that versus the other start-ups, the company only has one product, and said to keep up it should deliver at least 5,000 to 7,000 vehicles a month. Li Auto’s only vehicle, the Li One, is a hybrid electric vehicle that comes with a fuel tank for charging the battery. Analysts have said the feature makes the Li One attractive for Chinese consumers worried about running out of power without access to a charging station. Last year, the Li One ranked among the top 10 high-end SUVs sold in China regardless of fuel type, according to the passenger car association. However, the company said deliveries fell to 5,379 units in January, down from 6,126 a month earlier. The company reported total revenue of 4.15 billion yuan ($635.5 million) for the fourth quarter, up from 2.51 billion yuan in the prior quarter. Li Auto projects total revenue in the first three months of this year to fall within the performance of the last two quarters, with an expected range of 2.94 billion yuan to 3.22 billion yuan.

Diamond Aircraft has selected LifeStyle Aviation to be their exclusive sales representative for 24 U.S. states. This announcement makes LifeStyle Aviation the latest Diamond Dealer in the United States, building on a 14-year relationship with Diamond Aircraft. “We are very excited to announce LifeStyle Aviation as an exclusive dealer in the U.S.,” said Scott McFadzean, Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Aircraft Industries Inc. “This completes the US Dealer Network and we are certain that LifeStyle will continue to offer innovative leadership in the aircraft sales industry, while proving their passion for helping people discover modern aviation options. We are confident that they will succeed in this large territory assignment.” LifeStyle Aviation will represent Diamond Aircraft in their headquarters state of North Carolina, along with South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington D.C, & Delaware. Across the western and midwestern United States the assignment includes California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Washington, Montana, Oregon, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado. The company’s territory will also cover Alaska and Hawaii. “We are humbled and honored to be selected by Diamond Aircraft for this designation and opportunity,” said John Armstrong, Founder and CEO of LifeStyle Aviation. “Over the last 14 years, our relationship with Diamond Aircraft has enabled us to be a leader in modern personal aircraft. We are extremely grateful to our clients and Network Partners who have made this success possible, and eagerly rise to this new challenge as we commit to provide even more opportunities for our clients to discover and access the most advanced line of modern aircraft.” LifeStyle Aviation’s success has been driven in part by their unique DiamondShare program, an innovative aircraft sharing and access model; and by their strategic partnerships across the United States, which LifeStyle terms “Network Partner Dream Centers.” Through this program, strong partnerships are fostered to provide access to modern aviation retail growth strategies, collaborative marketing and development, along with innovative options for aircraft ownership, financing and insurance. “The COVID pandemic has caused increasingly more people to discover the freedom and potential of an aviation LifeStyle,” continued Armstrong. “Diamond Aircraft are particularly well suited to provide our clients with modern, safe, private, secure and personal transportation solutions during these challenging times.” LifeStyle, as part of its new assignment, is actively seeking new partners that are looking for opportunities to grow in the assigned states. LifeStyle Aviation provides demo flights for qualified buyers in all Diamond Aircraft types in multiple locations around the country.

If you are hesitant to hop on a plane these days, you are not alone. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), tourist arrivals are estimated to have fallen 74 percent in 2020 compared to 2019. For many developing countries in the Asia-Pacific and Western Hemisphere—small island states in particular—the effects have been severe. Before the pandemic hit, tourism was big business, accounting for more than 10 percent of global GDP. The share was even larger in tourism-dependent countries. To recover, vaccines will need to be widely distributed, and policy solutions implemented. Some governments have been providing financial support, either directly or through soft loans and guarantees to the industry. Thailand allocated $700 million to spur domestic tourism, while Vanuatu offered grants to small and medium-sized enterprises. Countries have also been assisting firms to adapt their business models and retrain staff. In Jamaica, the government gave free online training certification classes to 10,000 tourism workers to help improve their skills. However, many tourism-dependent economies are hampered by limited fiscal space. New initiatives to reignite the sector could perhaps help. In Costa Rica, for example, national holidays have temporarily been moved to Mondays to boost domestic tourism by extending weekends. Barbados introduced a ‘Welcome Stamp’ visa—a one-year residency permit that allows remote employees to live and work from the country. Similarly, Fiji launched a Blue Lanes initiative that allows yachts to berth in its marinas after meeting strict quarantine and testing requirements. Post-pandemic, a continuing shift toward ecotourism—a fast-growing industry focused on conservation and local job creation—could give an additional boost to the industry. This is already a key element of Costa Rica’s tourism strategy. Thailand too is trying to shift to niche markets, including adventure travel and health and wellness tours. Technology can also play an important role. With social distancing and health and hygiene protocols likely to remain in place for the foreseeable future, touchless service delivery and investments in digital technology could be a bridge to recovery. Finally, should the reduction in travel be longer lasting, owing to changes in tourist preferences or economic scarring, some tourism-dependent countries may need to embark on a long and difficult journey to diversify their economies. Investing in non‑tourism sectors is a long-term goal but could be aided by strengthening links between tourism and locally produced agriculture, manufacturing, and entertainment. In Jamaica, for instance, an online platform was launched that allows buyers in the hotel industry to directly purchase goods from local farmers. Exports, including services, could also be expanded, using regional agreements to address the constraints imposed by limited economies of scale. Solutions will differ from country to country, and the pace and scope of recovery will of course depend on global developments. But there is an important opportunity to be harnessed. Beyond the immediate priority of mitigating the impact of the pandemic, countries will need to create a “new normal” for the tourism industry. Diversifying, shifting to more sustainable tourism models and investing in new technologies could help to shape the recovery.

BOSTON -- Kroger Co. says it was among the multiple victims of a data breach involving a third-party vendor's file-transfer service and is notifying potentially impacted customers, offering them free credit monitoring. The Cincinnati-based grocery and pharmacy chain said in a statement Friday that it believes less than 1% of its customers were affected — specifically some using its Health and Money Services — as well as some current and former employees because a number of personnel records were apparently viewed. Kroger said the breach did not affect Kroger stores' IT systems or grocery store systems or data and there was no indication that fraud involving accessed personal data had occurred. The company, which has 2,750 grocery retail stores and 2,200 pharmacies nationwide, did not immediately respond to questions including how many customers might have been affected. Kroger said it was among victims of the December hack of a file-transfer product called FTA developed by Accellion, a California-based company, and that it was notified of the incident on Jan. 23, when it discontinued use of Accellion’s services. Companies use the file-transfer product to share large amounts of data and hefty email attachments. Accellion has more than 3,000 customers worldwide. It has said that the affected product was 20 years old and nearing the end of its life. The company said on Feb. 1 that it had patched all known FTA vulnerabilities. Other Accellion customers affected by the hack include the University of Colorado, Washington State’s auditor, Australia’s financial regulator, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and the prominent U.S. law firm Jones Day. For Washington State’s auditor, the hack was particuarly serious. Exposed were files on 1.6 million claims obtained in its investigation of massive unemployment fraud last year. In the case of Jones Day, cybercriminals seeking to extort the law firm dumped an estimated 85 gigabytes of data online they claimed to have stolen. Former President Donald Trump is among Jones Day clients but the criminals told The Associated Press via email that none of the data was related to him.

The Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 gave us the power of the Raspberry Pi 4 in a smaller package but it came with a cost, the Compute Module 4 needed carrier boards for GPIO access, USB, Ethernet etc. Tofu, a carrier board from oratek is designed for industrial applications and it comes with features not found on the official Compute Module 4 IO board, including an M.2 socket for use with NVME SSDs and 4G network cards. Carrier boards are a necessity for the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 as they are designed for use in custom designed boards which breakout the features required for a project. For example the Otto camera which used the original Raspberry Pi Compute Module and official camera. Tofu is a custom carrier board for industrial applications and measuring just 3.5 x 3.5 inches (90 x 90mm) Tofu crams a lot of functionality into a compact board. Tofu cleverly uses both sides of the board to provide an M.2 2242 B key slot compatible with NVME drives and 4G network cards so no need for PCIe boards. Additionally there is also a Micro SIM slot for use with 4G network cards. There are two methods of directly powering Tofu and attached M.2 devices, a 2.1mm barrel jack and a terminal block, both of which can work with voltages between 7.5 and 28V. Tofu provides circuit protections for ESD and reverse current, handy for those moments when you mix up the polarity of your power input. The onboard Gigabit Ethernet port also supports Power over Ethernet (PoE). Power to the Compute Module 4 can also be supplied via the USB C interface, but this does not provide for the M.2 slot. Tofu is designed solely for the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 and it is compatible with all variants of the board. We see the familiar 40 pin GPIO along with M3 mounting holes to securely hold your HAT board. We see three USB ports, which will most likely use USB 2.0 as USB 3.0 is not part of the spec for Compute Module 4. The official Raspberry Pi Camera and Display can be used with Tofu but it will require the use of cable adaptors, purchase separately. A full size HDMI port and a micro SD card slot round off the features found on Tofu. Tofu is available for pre-order for Sfr. 99.00, around $109 including taxes

A budget electric vehicle (EV) selling in China for $4,500 (£3,200) is now outselling Tesla's more upmarket cars. The compact car is proving a big hit for state-owned SAIC Motor, China's top automaker. The Hong Guang Mini EV is being built as part of a joint venture with US car giant General Motors (GM). Last month sales of the budget electric car in China were around double those of Tesla, which was questioned this month over safety issues there. While the $4,500 Hong Guang Mini is the most po[CENSORED]r model, there is an upgraded one with air conditioning for just over $5,000. The cars are being marketed as "the people's commuting tool". The joint venture partnership, SAIC-GM-Wuling, is known as Wuling locally. Chinese regulators throw spanner in Tesla's works Hyundai to replace 82,000 batteries over fire risk Jaguar car brand to be all-electric by 2025 Car experts have said that while it clearly lags well behind Tesla when it comes to its battery, range and performance, its convenience and low price have made it one of China's bestselling "new-energy" vehicles. Having launched last year, the basic model has a top speed of 100km/h (62mph) and can accommodate four people at a squeeze. "China's government is serious about pollution reduction and becoming the global lead in adopting and promoting innovation of electric vehicles," Shaun Rein, managing director of the China Market Research Group, told the BBC. "We remain very bullish on the adoption of budget EVs like the Hong Guang Mini to higher end ones like NIO and Tesla." To promote EVs, the Chinese government offers license plates for free and they are guaranteed. In many cities, it can take months, if not years, to get a license plate for a petrol engine through various auction systems. he Hong Guang Mini EV saw sales of 112,000 for the second half of 2020, ranking second behind Tesla's Model 3 which are made in its Shanghai factory. Earlier this month five Chinese regulators summoned Tesla over quality and safety issues at its plant. China is Tesla's largest market after the US. For January, Hong Guang Mini sales outstripped Tesla almost two-to-one. It is now believed to be the second-best-selling electric model worldwide behind the Model 3. The tiny, all-electric EV sold 25,778 models in China in January according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). This compares to 13,843 for the Tesla Model 3. But high-end electric vehicles have still been performing well with Tesla more than doubling its sales volume in China last year. The Model 3 sells for about $39,000 (£27,000) in China factoring in price cuts due to its local production. The Hong Guang Mini EV could make an appearance outside China, as Wuling has said it plans to export the EV overseas. "China has so many makers of small and cheap electric vehicles, however most of them are low-quality and low-speed products that do not appeal to a wide market, said Sam Fiorani, at Auto Forecast Solutions. "The Hong Guang Mini is the first time a major company has stepped up with a simple EV that targets buyers looking for a real car." Reports have linked Wuling to a Latvian automaker who could sell a version of the car in Europe. However, the price is likely to be twice as high due to European environmental requirements.

The AGA Institute Clinical Practice Updates Committee and the Governing Board published evidence-based intervention advice for lifestyle modifications for treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in Gastroenterology. “Lifestyle modifications, which include diet and physical activity to achieve weight loss, are the cornerstone of treatment for NAFLD,” Zobair M. Younossi, MD, from Center for Liver Diseases and department of medicine at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, Falls Church, Virginia, and colleagues wrote. “Additionally, restriction or elimination of alcohol consumption and optimal management of cardiometabolic comorbidities are also highly important.” Younossi and colleagues shared the following for best practice advice in treating NAFLD: Lifestyle modifications such as diet and exercise to achieve weight loss is beneficial for NAFLD patients. Weight loss of 5% of total weight can decrease hepatic steatosis among patients with NASH; 7% of total weight may lead to NASH resolution and 10% of total body weight may lead to fibrosis regression or stability. Significant weight loss needs a hypocaloric diet targeting 1200 to 1,500 kcal per day or a decrease from baseline of 500 to 1,000 kcal per day. Patients with NAFLD should follow a Mediterranean diet, decrease intake of saturated fatty acid and limit or eliminate commercially produced fructose consumption. Patients with lean NAFLD should follow a hypocaloric diet with a lower weight-loss threshold of 3% to 5%. There is not adequate research to support the routine use of specific hypocaloric diets, such as low-carbohydrate/high-protein diets, meal replacement protocols, intermittent fasting and vitamin supplementation. Regular physical activity should be considered with 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week. There may be independent impact on NAFLD with resistance training in combination with aerobic exercise. Patients should be assessed for coexisting metabolic conditions. These should be treated aggressively. Restrict or eliminate alcohol consumption. Patients with sarcopenia may need specialized dietary and activity management.

Plot details Spider-Man: No Way Home are currently under wraps, but there are rumors that it might involve the multiverse concept, with former Spider-Man actors Andrew Garfield and Toby McGuire returning to their previous roles. Charlie Cox, who starred as Daredevil on the Marvel Netflix show, was also seen on set, and Zendaya seemingly confirmed that Alfred Molina, who played Doctor Octopus in 2002's Spider-Man 2, is also part of the cast. The last Spider-Man movie, 2019's Far From Home, was the last film released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date. The film ended with a number of big events that presumably the next movie will have to deal with, including the reveal of Peter's identity to the world and the twist that the Nick Fury we'd been watching is in fact Talos. And, of course, JK Simmons returned as J. Jonah Jameson. The next movie in the MCU is Black Widow, which is currently scheduled for May. Beyond that, The Eternals is set to arrive in November this year, with Thor: Love and Thunder following in February 2022. In addition, it's been confirmed that the Disney+ Loki will premiere on June 11.

Los Angeles, United State, February 2021, – The study published on the Speech Synthesis Software market is a systematic review that includes key parameters and indicators that are crucial to market understanding. The data from the years 2015 to 2020 is used to show the status and size of the market. The report also includes a total market value for the forecast period, along with the CAGR. The introductory chapter, along with the product description and market scope, provides an overview of the Speech Synthesis Software industry. The study also analyzes market dynamics in product-related matters along with developments in the growth of the industry. Speech Synthesis Software Market 2021 Research report contains a qualified and in-depth examination of Speech Synthesis Software Industry. At first, the report provides the current business situation along with a valid assessment of the Speech Synthesis Software Market Analysis. This report is partitioned based on driving Speech Synthesis Software Market Top Key players, application and regions. The progressing Speech Synthesis Software economic situations are additionally discovered in the report. Major Key Manufacturers of Speech Synthesis Software Market are: Acapela, Linguatec, Lyrebird, Synfonica LLC, Voicery, VocaliD, FueTrek, ModelTalker, CereProc, Claro Software, MaryTTS, Speechmorphing Request Free Sample Report with Complete TOC and Figures & Graphs @ https://www.mraccuracyreports.com/report-sample/RID Market Segment by Type covers: Concatenation Synthesis, Formant Synthesis Market Segment by Applications can be divided into: Visually Impaired, Dysreaders, Student, Other Competitive Landscape Competitor analysis is one of the best sections of the report that compares the progress of leading players based on crucial parameters, including market share, new developments, global reach, local competition, price, and production. From the nature of competition to future changes in the vendor landscape, the report provides in-depth analysis of the competition in the global Speech Synthesis Software market. Production, consumption, revenue, market share, and growth rate are the key targets for Speech Synthesis Software Market forecast from 2013 to 2026 (forecast) in these regions: China USA Europe Japan Korea India Southeast Asia South America Benefits of buying the report: The published report is compiled using a vigorous and thorough research methodology. MRaccuracyreports is also known for its data accuracy and granular market reports. A complete picture of the competitive scenario of Speech Synthesis Software market is depicted by this report. The report consists of a vast amount of data about the recent product and technological developments in the markets. The extensive spectrum of analysis regarding the impact of these advancements on the future of market growth. MRaccuracyreports is keeping a track of the market since 2015 and has blended the necessary historical data and analysis in the research report. Therefore, any additional data requirement can be easily fulfilled. The insights in the report are easy to understand and include a graphical representation of the numbers in the form of histograms, bar graphs, pie charts, etc. Components such as market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities for Speech Synthesis Software market are explained in detail. It also provides a complete assessment of the expected behavior about the future market and changing market scenario. Making an informed business decision is a tough job; this report offers several strategic business methodologies to support you in making those decisions. Impact Of COVID-19 The most recent report includes extensive coverage of the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Heated Jacket division. The coronavirus epidemic is having an enormous impact on the global economic landscape and thus on this special line of business. Therefore, the report offers the reader a clear concept of the current scenario of this line of business and estimates the aftermath of COVID-19. You can buy the complete report @ https://www.mraccuracyreports.com/checkout/RID There are 15 Chapters to display the Global Speech Synthesis Software market Chapter 1, Definition, Specifications and Classification of Speech Synthesis Software, Applications of Speech Synthesis Software, Market Segment by Regions; Chapter 2, Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure; Chapter 3, Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Speech Synthesis Software, Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis; Chapter 4, Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment); Chapter 5 and 6, Regional Market Analysis that includes United States, China, Europe, Japan, Korea & Taiwan, Speech Synthesis Software Segment Market Analysis (by Type); Chapter 7 and 8, The Speech Synthesis Software Segment Market Analysis (by Application) Major Manufacturers Analysis of Speech Synthesis Software ; Chapter 9, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market Trend, Market Trend by Product Type Concatenation Synthesis, Formant Synthesis, Market Trend by Application Visually Impaired, Dysreaders, Student, Other , Others; Chapter 10, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis; Chapter 11, The Consumers Analysis of Global Speech Synthesis Software ; Chapter 12, Speech Synthesis Software Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source; Chapter 13, 14 and 15, Speech Synthesis Software sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.

Nvidia announced its RTX 3060 last month, later revealing that it was putting the brakes on Ethereum mining performance with this card. Simultaneously, Nvidia announced the professional ‘CMP’ mining GPUs. However, within all this, CryptoLeo, a Russian YouTuber that specializes in cryptocurrency, showed that the GPU was still profitable to mine with — as long as you didn’t mine Ethereum. Now, the same guy is tearing down his sample of the Zotac RTX 3060 graphics card for your viewing pleasure. The first thing that stands out to CryptoLeo in the teardown is that the GPU’s memory comes with thermal pads to aid with cooling. This is an absolute must in nowadays market as the memory can run very hot, especially when mining. Not far into the teardown, after removing the cooler and cleaning the GPU die, it immediately becomes clear which GPU is sat at the heard of this graphics card: the GA106-300-A1 — again confirming that this is the same GPU as in the mobile RTX 3060, but cut down with slightly fewer cores for this desktop variant. Of course, its significantly higher clock rates enable desktop-class performance on the RTX 3060. As spotted by @Harakuze5719, the PCB is identical to that of the Zotac RTX 3060 Ti Twin Edge. This isn’t a huge surprise as the two GPUs don’t differ in power requirements all too much, so why make yet another PCB model if the same design can be re-used? Power delivery for the GPU is handled by a 5-phase setup with two power phases cleaning up power for delivery to the vRAM. No Big Surprises In This Teardown All things considered, there are no huge surprises to be seen here — this is a midrange card with a midrange cooling solution, and PCB designs have shrunk enough to fit the GPU into a palm of a hand. The RTX 3060 is set to hit shelves tomorrow at an MSRP of $329 – but we’ll be impressed if even one card trades hands for that price.

China’s Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. and its Swedish affiliate Volvo Cars are putting off earlier plans to merge, wagering they will be more agile as standalone entities. The manufacturers will preserve their separate corporate structures while cooperating more closely on electrification, software and autonomous-driving technology, according to a joint statement. While they’ll no longer pursue a combination as announced a year ago, new listings could be on the table. “This is about maintaining top-line momentum,” Volvo Cars Chief Executive Officer Hakan Samuelsson said in an interview. “A merger isn’t always positive. You risk losing momentum because there’s too much internal focus.” Geely and Volvo also will move their powertrain activities into a separate company, which will enhance focus on development of electric vehicles, Samuelsson said. Daimler AG joining the business would be positive, he said. The German carmaker counts Geely owner Li Shufu as its biggest shareholder and in November announced plans to jointly develop a gasoline engine that could be electrified later. Geely Auto’s shares jumped as much as 3.5% in early trade in Hong Kong on Thursday. The moves are the latest examples of auto companies rapidly transforming their businesses as they eschew the internal combustion engine in favor of batteries. Daimler this month said it’ll spin off its trucks unit after more than a century of keeping it under the same roof as its car operations, while Volkswagen AG is mulling a possible listing of Porsche. Get More: Porsche Listing Talks Signal Auto Upheaval Is Just Starting Volvo Cars may seek a listing of its own after deciding against a merger with Geely. It tabled plans for an initial public offering in 2018 after early feedback from investors indicated investors would have assigned the company a lower-than-expected valuation. “It’s important to have the possibility to reach out to equity markets as a standalone company,” Samuelsson said. No decision has been made on a renewed IPO push. Geely Auto’s parent Zhejiang Geely Holding acquired Volvo from Ford Motor Co. for just $1.8 billion in 2010, when the U.S. carmaker was recovering from the global financial crisis. Bloomberg Intelligence analysts estimated in December that Volvo could be valued in the range of $8.1 billion and $11.6 billion. Li, the chairman and founder of Geely Holding, has been forging ties with a vast array of companies to stay abreast of the two great shifts hitting the industry: electrification and automation. In less than a month early this year, Geely agreed to pacts with search-engine heavyweight Baidu Inc., Apple Inc.’s Taiwanese manufacturing partner Foxconn Technology Group and Tencent Holdings Ltd. Read more: Billionaire Li Lays Groundwork for His Next Big Move Li has long championed partnerships and consolidation as ways for automakers to pool resources for costly initiatives including self-driving vehicles. In the course of building a global carmaking empire over three decades, he’s become Daimler’s largest shareholder and amassed stakes in the British brand Lotus as well as Malaysia’s Proton. Geely and Volvo will share vehicle platforms, software stacks and advanced connectivity. Volvo will also use its distribution and service network for a global rollout of the Lynk & Co brand that it jointly owns with Geely. The carmaker based in Gothenburg, Sweden, plans for fully electric vehicles to make up half of global sales by 2025. “I’d be surprised if we deliver any cars with a combustion engine after 2030,” Samuelsson said.

An XLRI alumni, a passionate start-up enthusiast, Dhruv Verma revolutionized the consumer benefits ecosystem by pioneering the art of allegiance. His contagious pro-active and growth-focused approach towards consumer engagement has made him diversify his golfing business into a platform that offers holistic benefits to a larger set of audiences. The diversified entity is known as “Thriwe – A consumer benefits marketplace”. It thrives to venture into segments ranging from golf and sports to lifestyle and wellness to travel and bespoke solutions. Prior to his entrepreneurial stint, he has been associated with premium brands like Aircel, Standard Chartered, and CPP at various senior managerial positions. His journey is an inspiring tale for individuals who are dearth scared to take risks yet want to follow their dreams and run a long way in the start-up ecosystem. DRV is a powerhouse of Ideas’, blessed with a gift of oratory that bewitches and beholds anyone who converses with him. He carries a rich experience within the space of customer acquisition, strategic partnerships, and associations. The Co-founder and COO of Thriwe, Swati Sharma is a logophile thriving to create a multimillion dollars impactful ecosystem. A distinguished alumnus of London Business School and driven by an entrepreneurial mindset, Swati has been carving out a niche for herself in the technologically driven consumer allegiance segment. She co-founded “Thriwe- Consumer Benefits Marketplace” with an ambition to create an organization that reinvents the rules of consumer/stakeholder engagement. She is a chief architect of business performance who interknits sustainability & scalability into the fabric of the company. At Thriwe, Swati leads the operational and strategic scale-up of the company from a start-up to a multimillion-dollar global organisation. Her vision is create an impactful organisation that brings large-scale value to the entire ecosystem of employees, customers, partners, suppliers, investors, and the society at large. Swati is a brisk individual with hands-on experience in demonstrating strategic partnerships, technology setups, corporate planning across her previous stints at KPMG and InspireOne Consultants. With over a decade of entrepreneurial and strategic experience, Swati's journey holds many nuggets of wisdom for budding and established entrepreneurs. Launch of Thriwe and the idea behind the launch of Thriwe Thriwe is a brainchild of Founder & CEO “Mr. Dhruv Verma” who, right from his childhood days, had been fascinated by the idea of having a business of his own. Back in those days, he was keen on doing something of his own, his baby entrepreneurial stints would include an architectural consultancy, retail personalised stationery business, so on and so forth. While he was in UK and trying to play a game, he was flabbergasted to see that he could book a golf game online viz a viz no platform like this was actually available in India. Hence, his fascination with booking a game online got him triggered and paved a way for his technology-driven start-up “Thriwe” (erstwhile GolfLan). He thought of giving Indian Golfing space a leap by pioneering the technology aspect and getting it implemented at Indian Golf Courses. His whole idea was to connect the India Golfer with the Golf courses around the world. It was the innovation that totally revolutionized the golfing scenario and hence, his venture took a wheel of fortune spin. Today, Thriwe has diversified and evolved itself to become India’s leading b2b consumer benefits marketplace catering to national and international markets in 130 countries worldwide with a 30000+ stakeholder network. Impact of Covid-19 crisis on Thriwe’s business performance and growth In the aftermath of the pandemic, Thriwe, as an organization ventured into the digital segment of aggregation and launched the exclusive digital platform “WeLive” which is their flagship subscription-based unique program that offers a host of lifestyle benefits and is now being used by major card network companies to facilitate customer engagement. Business Model of Thriwe and the USP "Discover new engagement offerings that did not exist yesterday, everyday!", is a biblical line which runs through the organisation at Thriwe. Their b2b offerings start from a minimum of 30% and enter a free zone of 100%. Their USP has been our exclusive approach towards data analytics which includes the study of HNI usage patterns, understanding of consumer demographics coupled with curating cost-effective offerings. At present, Thriwe has over 30,000 partners across 130+ countries worldwide and these partners are across service categories such as sports, travel, digital offers, life style, dinning, and wellness. Basis their customer requirements, budgets, consumer demography, objectives, they have create a unique standout and benefits strategy. Their customer-centricity has been the heart of success. Their business model involves aggregating a large network of partners and high value tangible offers on one side, customising and personalising them using our business intelligence for our clients on the other side, and finally delivering them through white-labelled and off the shell technology platforms.

Every year, InterNations—the world’s largest expat community with around 4 million members—polls more than 15,000 expats around the globe to find out the best and worst places to live. The company recently revealed its latest Expat City Ranking 2020, which ranks 66 cities worldwide by analyzing factors such as work life, the quality of urban living and the local cost of living. Valencia, Spain is named the best city in the world to live, while Salmiya, Kuwait, is the worst-rated city. And here’s the good news: On the latest list, the U.S. fared a bit better than last year, when three cities in the United States ranked among the 10 worst places to live, including San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York City. This year, New York City escaped the bottom of the list. Last year, it was the ninth worst city to live, placing 74 overall out of 82 cities. But on the latest list, out of 66 cities, New York City went up a number of slots, ranking 34th. Granted, comparing the lists from year to year isn’t exactly comparing apples to apples. For a city to be listed in the overall ranking, a sample size of at least 50 survey participants per destination is required. While last year, 82 cities—including seven U.S. cities—met this requirement and made the list, this year there were only 66 cities ranked, and New York City was the only place in the United States that made the list. Plus, 20 cities that ranked ahead of New York last year are not included in the Expat City Ranking 2020 as they did not meet the minimum requirement of 50 survey respondents. Moreover, the data was collected in March 2020, just before Covid-19 turned into a global pandemic. But still, there are takeaways. “We see some actual improvements in New York City’s performance, such as in the Urban Work Life and Getting Settled Indices,” says Malte Zeeck, founder and co-CEO of InterNations. “For example, expats describe the people generally friendlier towards foreign residents: 74% say that in 2020, compared to 64% in 2019.” In addition, 57% of respondents now say that they find it easy to make friends in New York, which is 13 percentage points higher than last year. In terms of urban work life, expats are also more satisfied with their jobs—73% this year, compared to 61% last year. And 66% are happy with their work-life balance, compared to 41% last year. Some downsides for NYC: The city now ranks among the bottom five worldwide in the Local Cost of Living Index (63rd) and is last worldwide for the affordability of medical care (66th). MORE FOR YOU This App Is Empowering Relationships Just In Time For Valentine’s Day How Your Business Best Stands To Benefit From Embracing Automation 21 Podcasts To Listen To In 2021 When it comes to the United States as a whole, the country performed better on this year’s list, too. “If we look at the nationwide context of the Expat City Ranking, the USA comes in 27th out of 58 countries in the Expat Insider 2020 survey—it has therefore climbed up 20 ranks from 47th out of 64 countries in 2019,” says Zeeck. One reason for this is based on a change in the methodology of the survey: In 2020, the Family Life Index is not included in the Expat Insider survey. “The USA has traditionally performed badly in this index due to expats’ low satisfaction with childcare and education options, their lack of affordability, and additional concerns about children’s health and safety,” says Zeeck. In the other indices, the respondents’ opinion on the U.S. has not changed all that much. “The country has improved somewhat in the Ease of Settling In and the Working Abroad Indices, though,” says Zeeck. “For example, it comes in first worldwide this year in the Career Prospects & Satisfaction subcategory, which has always been one of its strong points but never made it to number one before.” Globally, Spain proved to be a dominating force this year with its cities performing remarkably well: Out of the five cities that made it into the ranking, four are among the top 10 cities worldwide. These include Valencia (in the #1 spot), Alicante (2nd), Málaga (6th) and Madrid (9th). Only Barcelona is further down in the results, ranking 25th out of 66 cities. “Spain’s performance makes it clear that expats enjoy life in Spain,” says Zeeck. “What all five cities have in common are good to excellent results in the Getting Settled and Quality of Urban Living Indices.” Read on for the list of the 10 best and the 10 worst places to live. You can view the complete list here, along with comments from survey respondents.

It's fair to say Zelda fans everywhere were hyped over the February 17th Nintendo Direct. The fact it was being held on the week of the Zelda franchise's 35th birthday raised people's hopes over how Nintendo would be celebrating this landmark occasion. When series producer Eiji Aonuma appeared on screen, the gaming world held its breath waiting for what would surely be a landmark announcement. When he revealed what Nintendo had planned for Zelda this year, those held breaths were replaced with sighs of disappointment. Skyward Sword - the worst Zelda game ever made for a Nintendo console - is returning. The Wii/DS era wasn't a great one for the Zelda franchise - Twilight Princess is commonly regarded as a franchise lowlight and the two DS games were good, but far from the series' best efforts. However, all of those entries look like masterpieces when compared to Skyward Sword. From its awful, unappealing art style to its lazy, repetitive game design Skyward Sword represents one of Nintendo's rare misfires. As this list will show, it didn't deserve your money when it was released back in 2011, and it sure as hell doesn't deserve the £50/$60 Nintendo are asking for it now. We've been spoiled by a pair of genuinely lovely-looking Zelda games in recent years. Breath of the Wild's watercolour vistas and timeless, elegant character designs still look beautiful four years later, and the Link's Awakening remake looks like an exquisitely crafted children's playset come to life. Skwyard Sword though... put it this way. Link's Awakening looked like a beautiful diorama, where meticulously sculpted characters po[CENSORED]ted an expertly designed world. Skyward Sword, on the other hand, looks more like a collection of knock-off action figures being sold for half-price out of a cheap car's boot. Seriously, these characters are hideous. Every single member of the cast looks like a claymation model that's just begun to melt in the sun (those lips...yeesh). Nintendo aren't shy about recycling art styles if there's any merit to them. The Wind Waker's cel-shading got two more outings in Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, and Breath of the Wild's engine made a triumphant comeback in last year's Age of Calamity. Skyward Sword's art direction, on the other hand, has yet to make any subsequent appearances. Turns out that "Morph on bad acid" isn't exactly a great look...