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BrainChip has unveiled the Akida Pico ultra-low-power (less than a milliwatt) neural processing unit (NPU) that can be used as an AI accelerator for battery powered, compact intelligent devices, such as hearing aids, noise-cancelling earbuds, and medical equipment. The Akida Pico NPU can be implemented as a standalone chip, or incorporated into an existing design. BrainChip's Akida Pico is an NPU IP that features 150,000 transistors without memory that integrates an NPU, DMA, and AXI bus matrix to connect to other parts of a processor or a microcontroller. The Akida Pico can be enhanced with event SRAM or weight SRAM, AHB, eMMC, SPI, and/or GPIO interfaces to meet the licensor's requirements. When implemented using GlobalFoundries 22FDX (22nm-class, FD SOI) process technology, the Akida Pico NPU consumes less than a milliwatt and occupies only 0.12 mm^2. When enhanced with 50KB of SRAM, its die size grows to 0.18 mm^2. The company says that the IP can be synthesized for any production node, including TSMC's low-cost 12nm-class nodes and ultra-high-end 3nm-class process technologies if needed. BrainChip's proprietary MetaTF software enables developers to build and fine-tune their Temporal-Enabled Neural Networks (TENNs) directly on the Akida Pico. MetaTF also supports AI models developed with po[CENSORED]r frameworks like TensorFlow / Keras and PyTorch enabling developers to quickly build and deploy AI solutions for edge devices without the need to learn a new programming language or framework. When it comes to performance, BrainChip refrains from revealing exact numbers (though performance is scalable), perhaps because it uses TENNs, whereas other AI processors are tailored for transformers, which is why the company wants to avoid an "apples to oranges" comparison. As for data formats, Akida Pico supports FP32, INT8, and INT4, though the company is primarily targeting INT8 as INT4 is not accurate enough for its target applications. The company envisions that key applications for the Akida Pico will include voice wake detection, keyword recognition, noise suppression, presence detection, wearables, and personal voice assistants. It can also be used in appliances for voice control and is particularly effective for wearable AI and smart home devices. As BrainChip puts it, ultra-low-power consumption of the Akido Pico is optimized for 'extreme edge AI,' possibly implying on emerging devices that do not exist yet. "Like all of our Edge AI enablement platforms, Akida Pico was developed to further push the limits of AI on-chip compute with low latency and low power required of neural applications," said Sean Hehir, CEO at BrainChip. "Whether you have limited AI expertise or are an expert at developing AI models and applications, Akida Pico and the Akida Development Platform provides users with the ability to create, train and test the most power and memory efficient temporal-event based neural networks quicker and more reliably." https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/brainchip-unveils-an-ai-npu-that-consumes-less-than-a-milliwatt

A beloved family cat is "playing like a kitten" again after vets used a titanium skull to help save his life. Henry, a seven-year-old domestic short-haired cat, was lethargic and not eating properly when he was taken in for a check. MRI scans at Bristol Vet Specialists showed a large mass pushing on Henry's brain - later revealed to be a benign tumour. Surgeons undertook life-saving surgery, which saw a metal mesh used to repair his head. Owner Maggie Gibb said: "He runs around in the morning like he's discovered life is good again." Ms Gibb is now warning others that tumour symptoms can be "subtle". "We thought he was just slowing down," she said."Henry's doing really well now - he's so different to before," she added. Dr Nicolas Granger, who led the operating team, said often subtle signs of something being wrong "escape owners' detection". "They [cats] are seen as ‘ageing’ to a point where their condition dramatically worsens. "The increase in brain pressure is then such that emergency surgery is needed. "With adequate equipment and trained teams, treating this disease can be very successful and extremely rewarding," said Dr Granger. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8dj7dqq6vpo

Nasser Hussain has tipped Brydon Carse to fill the pace-bowling void left by Mark Wood when England's Test tour of Pakistan begins in Multan on Monday. Durham quick Carse is in line to make his Test debut, as the three-match series begins live on Sky Sports, after impressing during England's white-ball contests with Australia last month.Wood, who starred when England won 3-0 in Pakistan in 2022, has been ruled out until the end of the year with an elbow injury. Wood, who starred when England won 3-0 in Pakistan in 2022, has been ruled out until the end of the year with an elbow injury."Mark Wood is injured, he had a huge role to play out there last time. Jimmy Anderson has retired," former England captain Hussain told Sky Sports News."I think someone like Brydon Carse can do that Mark Wood role. I was impressed with Carse in the white-ball cricket. "I thought he had good rhythm and good pace." Carse missed three months of the domestic summer after being banned for historical breaches of betting rules, returning to action for Durham at the end of August. The South-African born 29-year-old featured in all five of England ODIs against Australia, twice taking three wickets as the home side fell to a 3-2 series defeat. England's other pace options in Pakistan will be star of the summer Gus Atkinson, along with Chris Woakes, Matthew Potts and Olly Stone. A quad injury has denied 20-year-old Josh Hull the opportunity to build on making his international debut in the final home Test of the summer against Sri Lanka. Hussain added: "It really depends on what sort of pitches Pakistan produce. In the recent series they produced a couple of green-tops, so then the seamers will come into play. "The likes of Atkinson, who was the player of the summer, for me, for England - obviously with bat and ball. "But Brydon Carse, he's got a lot of pace and if they're the flat pitches that England played on last time, then you're going to need that express pace as well as skill, and Carse provides that." 'Leach in good rhythm' England captain Ben Stokes will also have multiple spin options, with Shoaib Bashir, Rehan Ahmed and veteran Jack Leach all selected. Bashir was preferred during this summer's home series against West Indies and Sri Lanka, but Leach is another who impressed on England's last tour of Pakistan. Hussain said: "In the spin department, you've got Bashir, Rehan Ahmed and Jack Leach. "I was watching some of the Somerset games towards the end of the summer and Leach looked like he had really, really good rhythm in those actually. "He's obviously missed out because of Bashir, his Somerset team-mate, going past him but I think he's done a really good job for Somerset and he had a good tour out there last time." Pakistan come into the series having suffered a surprise 2-0 home series defeat to Bangladesh across August and September, leaving them five Test matches without a win. Hussain insists that regardless of Pakistan's form, it won't be "easy" for England to leave victorious once more. "Pakistan are always a mercurial side that have ups and downs, but at the moment, they're on a real low, in all formats," he said. "They didn't have a great (T20) World Cup. They've got another coach-captain combination in Jason Gillespie and Shan Masood, their star batter Babar Azam hasn't got a half-century in his last eight Test matches and has just given up the white-ball captaincy. "But you'd be a fool to say that going to Pakistan and winning is an easy job to do. They're a very proud cricketing nation, they won't like the slump that they're in, and they will still be a force at home. "I think all eyes will be on Pakistan and whether they can up their game, because I think we sort of know what we're going to get from Ben Stokes and his team." Pakistan vs England schedule - live on Sky Sports First Test: Multan - October 7-11 Second Test: Multan - October 15-19 Third Test: Rawalpindi - October 24-28 Every match from the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup is also live on Sky Sports from October 3-20 with Australia aiming for a third straight title and seventh overall, and England seeking to triumph for the first time since the inaugural edition in 2009. Watch the first Test between Pakistan and England in Multan, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 5.30am Monday (first ball 6.30am). https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/12123/13227575/pakistan-vs-england-brydon-carse-can-fill-mark-woods-test-role-for-tourists-says-nasser-hussain

Ahead of Diwali, Barbie has now received an Indian makeover, courtesy designer Anita Dongre. The forever-versatile doll, manufactured by toymaker Mattel, is now sporting an Indian attire designed by Dongre. Known as Barbie Diwali Doll, the figurine is dressed in a Moonlight Bloom lehenga set, paired with a Rajasthan-inspired koti vest. The outfit is adorned with nature-inspired motifs including dahlias, jasmines and a lotus. With a contemporary take on the traditional look, the doll is also flaunting a pair of gold earrings, bangles and a bindi. For the designer, the doll represents a 'fashion-forward modern woman, who wears India on her sleeve with pride'. The couturier hopes that the doll will inspire kids across the world to connect with their culture and heritage.While the festival of lights will be celebrated on November 1, the doll is already creating waves online. With many social media users gushing over its Indianness, the doll has grabbed eyeballs on the internet. The doll is priced at $49.99, which roughly amounts to Rs. 4198. However, this isn't the first time that Mattel has Indianised the iconic Barbie doll. In the early 1980s, an Indian Barbie was introduced as part of the 'Dolls of the World' series. A few years later, a doll was modelled on Bollywood actor Katrina Kaif among others. Over the years, Barbie has been embroiled in several controversies. In fact, the franchise has been criticised for promoting unrealistic beauty standards, being overtly materialistic and not being inclusive enough. Currently in its 65th year, the world of Barbie is expanding like never before. Apart from Greta Gerwig's film Barbie ruling the box office, the toymaker has also expanded its base. In the recent past, several new dolls have been launched including a visually-impaired Barbie, Hearing Loss Barbie, Down's Syndrome Barbie and one in a wheelchair. https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-barbie-gets-indian-makeover-say-hello-to-diwali-doll-764434

Israel used its elaborate system of air defences to counter hundreds of missiles and drones launched by Iran on Tuesday night. The various elements of the system are used to deal with different threats. It has also been deployed in recent months against attacks from Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Israel has several air defence systems, each one designed to intercept incoming missiles at different altitudes and distances. Iron Dome, the most well-known of Israel's missile shields, is designed to intercept short-range rockets, as well as shells and mortars, at ranges of between 4km and 70km from the missile launcher. David's Sling is meant to destroy longer-range rockets, cruise missiles and medium-range or long-range ballistic missiles from a distance of up to 300km. The Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 systems defend against medium-range and long-range ballistic missiles when they are anywhere up to 2,400km away. It is thought that Israel used all its missile defence systems to counter Iran's latest attack, which involved around 180 missiles, some of which struck Israeli territory. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that 90% of its projectiles had hit their targets. Israel said most were intercepted. It is the second attack by Iran this year, after it fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel in April. Iron Dome has become the most combat-tested air defence system in the world, because of the number of missiles in recent years fired into Israel by Hamas and other militant groups from Gaza, and by Hezbollah from Lebanon. There are Iron Dome batteries sited across Israel. Every battery comprises three or four launchers, each containing 20 interceptor missiles. Iron Dome detects and tracks incoming rockets with radar and calculates which ones are likely to fall on po[CENSORED]ted areas. It then fires missiles at these rockets, while the others are left to fall on open ground. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has previously claimed that Iron Dome destroys 90% of the rockets it targets. Its "Tamir" missiles are thought to cost about $50,000 each. The system was developed after the 2006 "Summer War" between Israel and Hezbollah. The Lebanon-based armed group fired nearly 4,000 rockets into Israel, causing huge damage and killing dozens of citizens. Designed by Israeli firms Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries - with some US support - Iron Dome was deployed in 2011. It was first used in combat that year, intercepting a rocket fired from Gaza. Since October 2023, Iron Dome missiles have intercepted tens of thousands of rockets fired by Hamas and other militant groups from Gaza. David's Sling, called "Magic Wand" in Hebrew, can intercept missiles up to 300km away. Jointly developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel and Raytheon of the US, it started operating in 2017. Its "Stunner" missiles are designed to shoot down short-range, mid-range and long-range ballistic missiles at low altitudes. Like Iron Dome, David's Sling only targets missiles which threaten built-up areas. Both David's Sling and Iron Dome are designed also to intercept aircraft, drones and cruise missiles. Each David's Sling missile costs about $1m. The system was used in September 2024 to shoot down a ballistic missile fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon. The IDF said this was an Iranian-made Qadr-1 - a medium-range ballistic missile that can carry a warhead of between 700kg and 1,000kg. Hezbollah said the missile was aimed at the headquarters of Mossad in Tel Aviv, but the IDF said it was heading towards a residential area. David's Sling was also used in May 2023 when Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a militant group in Gaza, launched over 1,100 missiles at Israel. Israel says it shot down 96% of the rockets which posed a threat. Arrow 2 is designed to destroy short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles while they are flying through the upper atmosphere, about 50km above the Earth. Work started on the system after the First Gulf War in 1991, when Iraq fired dozens of Soviet-made Scud missiles into Israel. It entered service in 2000. It can detect missiles from 500km away. It intercepts them at comparatively short range - at distances of up to 100km from the launch site. Its missiles travel at nine times the speed of sound, and it can fire at up to 14 targets at once. Arrow 2 was reportedly used in combat for the first time in 2017, to shoot down a Syrian surface-to-air missile. Arrow 3 was first deployed in 2017, and is designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles as they travel at the top of their arc, outside the Earth's atmosphere. It has a range of 2,400km. It was first used in combat in 2023, to intercept a ballistic missile which the Houthi rebels in Yemen fired at the coastal city of Eilat, in southern Israel. The system was developed by state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries, with help from the US company Boeing. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-20385306

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For fans of cozy games, October may not be the time to pull out horror game classics like Amnesia but it definitely is time to pull out our best autumn vibe games. Now that we've been well and truly inundated in the cozy game trend, it gets harder and harder to figure out which games are worth spending time on, especially when you're looking for a particular theme. Whether you're in the mood for something a little witchy or slightly spooky, these are my absolute favorite cozy games to pull out in the month of October. For an up-to-date list of year round recommendations you can also check out our list of best cozy games and best games like Stardew Valley. Find it on: Steam (Steam Deck mostly playable, in my experience) This witchy crafting game was one of my most anticipated for this year and now that it's released into early access it's a stellar October vibe. As a young apprentice witch you'll tour the countryside in a chicken-legged house with famous folklore witch Baba Jaga as your mentor. You'll spend your time putting spirits to rest, wandering the Slavic eastern Germany-inspired landscape, and decorating your creepy cottage on legs. As of early access launch, Reka had some slightly finicky quest order bugs you can run into but even so this thing is all vibes and they are immaculate. The first hour or so of the game where you meet Baba Jaga and do a ritual to inherit her house is so much more intense with visual effects and music than I had expected. Find it on: Steam (Steam Deck "playable"), GOG This classic illustrated text adventure game feels just like curling up with tea and a brand new fantasy book and it's got a distinctly creepy, mysterious story. You're the new warden in a countryside where the wildlife is eerily dangerous and the townspeople are wary of your presence. It's your job to help clear out obstacles, be they fallen trees or stubborn mayors, and report back to your superiors within a time limit to assess the area for new trade opportunities.You'll have to manage your travel times, food supplies, and rest as you explore several towns and try to wheedle information out of the locals. But you'll likely wind up embroiled in unexplained magic, missing people, and ancient rituals. In classic text adventure style, Roadwarden relies on you to explore by typing in commands and questions at key moments, while others are handled with dialogue options. It's a perfect adventure when you're in the mood for mystery. It may look like Stardew Valley initially, and in some ways it is, but Kynseed is as much like a spooky sort of Fable as anything else. After your first idyllic season caring for a family farm with your uncle and brother, things get weird very fast. This world is full of capricious gods and dire consequences and unsettling scenery which is all perfect for fall. Kynseed is a farming and trading game where you'll live through generations of family farm inheritance and occasionally stumble off into some combat. Unlike the very recognizable casts in other farming sims, though, this one's more of a social sandbox of making friends and enemies in each lifetime as you become a rancher or a store owner. If you've ever drooled over clips of Studio Ghibli characters making food, you're going to love the cooking minigames in Kynseed. Imagine a shop sim where you don't really want to have to run a shop and instead just want to stay locked up brewing new recipes every day. That's basically Potion Craft. Sure, you barter with customers and sell them your brews every day, but the best parts of this game are grinding ingredients, discovering new recipes, and designing the perfect label for each of your custom named potions. The bit of Potion Craft that I'll always gush over is the very manual action of tossing herbs in a mortar and pestle, grinding them up, stirring your cauldron, and cranking a bellows to seal the process. It just feels like a quintessential alchemist witch experience. Finding new recipes involves using your ingredients' unique properties to explore a map of possible effects, which makes experimenting all the more fun. Just in case that wasn't enough witches for you, here's one more. Wytchwood is a crafting adventure game with an emphasis on the adventure part. You aren't hoarding crafting ingredients and making money in this one, instead you're collecting bits and bobs to solve puzzles as you explore the countryside. Like Reka and Kynseed, this one is dripping with folklore elements and grim fairytales. Wearing a cauldron like a helmet, you'll travel around cursing bandits, tricking wolves, and harvesting ingredients from mythical beasts in a very autumnal, storybook world. Beacon Pines is a narrative adventure game where instead of collecting items you're collecting words in conversations and playing them like Mad Libs to unlock new parts of the story. It's a classic horror movie setting in an idyllic rural town that used to revolve around a factory that's since shut down. Now folks are disappearing and it's up to some young animal protagonists to figure out what kind of creepy plot is eating away at Beacon Pines. It's a bit like an old "choose your own adventure" book where half the fun is finding the choices that will get you killed and end one of the story branches only to go back and explore other paths. By the end, you'll fill out the whole story book and solve the mystery of the old factory town. https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/my-6-favorite-creepy-cozy-games-with-witchy-spooky-fall-vibes/

OnePlus 13 will be launched in China later this month and a top company official recently teased the frontal photo of the phone. As we wait for the formal launch date, a tipster claims that the OnePlus 13 will receive a significant battery upgrade compared to its predecessor. It is said to retain the fast-charging capabilities of its predecessor, with support for 100W wired and 50W wireless charging. The OnePlus 13 is likely to run on Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset. It could get a 6.8-inch screen with 2K resolution. Tipster Yogesh Brar (@heyitsyogesh) claims that the OnePlus 13 will be equipped with a 6,000mAh battery. The OnePlus 12 came with a 5,400mAh battery, which would mean the upcoming handset will arrive with a significant battery upgrade. In August, a Chinese tipster first claimed that the OnePlus 13 would be equipped with a 6,000mAh battery. Additionally, the OnePlus 13 is tipped to support 100W wired fast charging and 50W wireless charging. The OnePlus 12 also supports the same charging speed and is claimed to charge the handset's battery from zero to 100 percent in around 37 minutes. The new leak corroborates previous claims related tot the handset's charging capabilities. The rumoured 6,000mAh battery upgrade is not only large for a OnePlus phone but would be a battery capacity upgrade compared to other flagships including Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, that are equipped with 5,000mAh and 5,060mAh batteries, respectively. OnePlus 13 Specifications (Expected) Li Jie Louis, President of OnePlus China, recently shared an image of the OnePlus 13 revealing its hole-punch display design. As per a recent leak, the OnePlus 13 will sport a 6.82-inch LTPO BOE X2 micro quad curved OLED display with 2K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It could run on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 SoC paired with up to 24GB of RAM and up to 1TB of onboard storage. OnePlus 13 is expected to feature a triple rear camera system, comprising a 50-megapixel LYT-808 main camera. The camera setup could also include a 50-megapixel ultra-wide sensor and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto shooter with 3x optical zoom. https://www.gadgets360.com/mobiles/news/oneplus-13-battery-capacity-specifications-leak-6706308

Amazon has just announced the new Fire HD 8 tablet and it has generative AI features built in. Even more exciting, however, is the news that older tablets dating back to as far as 2018 will get some AI tools, too. Amazon’s AI tools are nothing groundbreaking, just your general writing tools and the ability to summarize webpages when using the Silk browser, but what’s really cool is the company’s approach to making AI accessible, unlike some of its competitors. Amazon’s Writing Assist (proofreading, rewriting, etc) and Wallpaper Creator, which generates a wallpaper from a prompt, are coming to the Fire Max 11 (2023), Fire HD 10 (2023), and Fire HD (2022, 2024) later this month. Webpage Summaries will be available on the Fire Max 11 (2023), Fire HD 10 (2019, 2021, 2023), and Fire HD 8 (2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024). That means if you’ve got an older Fire HD tablet from 2018, you can still take advantage of AI, a stark contrast to Apple’s Apple Intelligence approach, which only allows AI features like summaries on newer devices. In Amazon’s launch video for the new Fire HD 8 (see above), the company showcased the AI features and they work exactly as you’d expect from generative AI on a 2024 tablet. Writing Assist lets you pick a tone of voice, rewrite, and proofread in apps such as Notes and Messages. Wallpaper Creator looks similar to the best AI image generators with the ability to create a wallpaper for your tablet from just a text prompt. It's pretty cool although you’ll probably only use it once. Last but not least, Webpage Summaries enables you to quickly break down an online article into the most important information, which makes it a handy tool for quickly browsing the web. The 2024 tablet has 3GB RAM for the 32GB model and 4GB RAM for the 64GB model, 50% more than the 2022 model in order to process these AI features with ease. If you want to access these new Amazon AI tools but don’t own an older Fire HD 8, you can pick up the 2024 model right now for £49.99/$54.99 in an early Amazon Prime Big Deal Days offer. Amazon Prime Big Deal Days takes place on October 8 and 9, following the event the Fire HD 8 (2024) will return to its £99.99/$99.99 RRP. https://www.techradar.com/computing/artificial-intelligence/amazon-is-bringing-ai-powered-features-to-its-tablets-and-older-models-wont-miss-out

Arrow Lake's new LGA 1851 form factor has shifted the CPU's temperature hot spot to a different position than it was previously. Der8auer reports on the Overclock forums, that the hotspot has shifted north compared to LGA 1700 Alder Lake and Raptor Lake CPUs, requiring new CPU cooler designs for ultra high-performance waterblocks and coolers to extract the maximum amount of heat from Intel's new Arrow Lake chips. "Regarding 1851 we are working on making a normal block, too. The hotspot on 1851 is quite a bit further north than it was on 1700. This means for ideal cooling a shift of the cooling center is required to fight the hotspot. It also means that rotating the block 180° would harm the performance. For us it would be the easiest to have the in port north and out in the south orientation," Der8auer wrote on the Overclock forums. The master overclocker revealed that he and his team are building new waterblocks for Arrow Lake chips. He confirmed that the hotspot area on the Alder Lake die and IHS has moved "a bit further" north compared to LGA 1700 CPUs which had a hotspot directly in the center. As a result, water block manufacturers who want to extract the maximum amount of performance from Arrow Lake might have to change their designs accordingly. For der8auer's blocks, that means putting the input port on the north side of the IHS and the out port on the south side for optimal heat dissipation. It remains a mystery whether traditional air coolers and AIO's will need design changes to accommodate Arrow Lake's new hotspot characteristics. However, it is possible that all coolers could benefit from a positioning or design update to better suit the Arrow Lake chips. The good news is Arrow Lake changes are not an apparent requirement for cooler compatibility. LGA 1851 purportedly maintains cooler compatibility with LGA 1700, with the only exception being cooler mounting pressure. This means that LGA 1700 coolers will be compatible with LGA 1851, though you'll need an updated mounting kit to compensate for the adjusted mounting pressures. Regardless, LGA 1700 coolers will be compatible with LGA 1851 regardless of Arrow Lake's hotspot characteristics. These hotspot changes are only likely to affect enthusiast-grade cooler designs, where every single degree of temperature improvement counts. https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/arrow-lake-hotspot-purportedly-moves-up-compared-to-lga-1700-der8auer-preparing-water-blocks-for-core-ultra-200-series

Dozens of tigers have died in zoos in south Vietnam after a bird flu outbreak, according to state media. Three lions and a panther were also reported to have died of the virus alongside 47 tigers since August. The H5N1 outbreak hit the Vuon Xoai zoo near Ho Chi Minh City and the My Quynh safari park in neighbouring Long An province. An official told Reuters news agency that the animals had likely fallen ill after being fed meat from chickens which had been infected. The Vietnamese ministry of health said two samples taken from dead tigers tested positive for bird flu, and officials are "tracking the source of the chicken to determine the cause". The zoos declined to comment when contacted by AFP news agency. Advice on the World Health Organization (WHO) website warns against consuming raw or undercooked meat and eggs from regions experiencing bird flu outbreaks due to the high risk of infection. The H5N1 strain of the virus primarily infects animals, and the WHO says almost all cases of human infection arise from close contact with infected live or dead birds, or contaminated environments. Since 2022, there have been increasing reports of deadly outbreaks among mammals caused by influenza viruses, including H5N1. Close to 900 human infections have been reported since 2003, of which more than half were fatal. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm2x40k82lo

Ahead of England's three-Test tour of Pakistan that starts in Multan on Monday - exclusively live on Sky Sports - we look back on their astonishing 3-0 series whitewash from two years ago. England's 'Bazball' brand of cricket blossomed on its first overseas outing, sweeping their hosts in spectacular fashion - breaking a fair few records along the way.Can we expect more of the same in 2024? Will we see a more refined approach or more of the same from Ben Stokes' side? And will Pakistan be more prepared for the onslaught this time out? England smash 500 in a day to set tone for series The first Test in Rawalpindi will always be remembered for a most remarkable, record-breaking first day's play which saw England rack up a staggering 506 runs! The video you are trying to watch cannot be viewed from your current country or location Highlights from day one of the first Test in Rawalpindi in 2022 as England racked up a record-breaking 506-4 Let's reel off some of the notable milestones secured: the first side to score 500 on day one of a Test, England's 506 also the fifth-highest total all-time on any day's play and the new record high in Pakistan, beating 417; Zak Crawley (122 off 111 balls) cracked the fastest hundred - off 86 balls - by an England opener in Tests; Ben Duckett (107 off 110), Ollie Pope (108 off 104) and Harry Brook (101no off 81) also notched tons, with the latter's maiden century briefly threatening Gilbert Jessop's 76-ball and 122-year record for England. Take Your Home To The Next Level: Smart Homes Take Your Home To The Next Level: Smart Homes Mansion Global Vitality County Championship: Yorkshire promoted to top flight as Lancashire relegated Vitality County Championship: Yorkshire promoted to top flight as Lancashire relegated Messi fires Inter Miami to league title triumph Is the new Champions League format working? Transfer Centre LIVE! Premier League clubs enter race for Wirtz Papers: Palmer central to Carsley's England plans Porto vs Man Utd preview: Mainoo, Maguire return but Mount out Women's T20 World Cup LIVE! Bangladesh bat first in opener vs Scotland Championship highlights: Stoke hit SIX vs Pompey Man Utd latest: 'No player has improved under Ten Hag' - Merson Ferencvaros vs Spurs preview: Udogie out as Reguilon travels with squad 'Stick to the plan' - Ten Hag interview in full ahead of crunch week Watch the best bits from Zak Crawley's incredible century on day one of the first Test, the fastest by an England opener in Test cricket. England would eventually rack up a massive 657 runs in their first innings, but the job was far from done. Pakistan too highlighted the placid nature of the pitch, boasting three centurions of their own in captain Babar Azam (136) and openers Imam-ul-Haq (121) and Abdullah Shafique (114) as they replied with a score of 579. The 78 in arrears proved plenty for England to work with, however, as the tourists quickly cracked 264 in only 35.5 overs on the fourth afternoon, setting Pakistan 342, which would ultimately prove beyond the home side as James Anderson (4-36) and Ollie Robinson (4-50) spilt eight of the 10 second-innings wickets to fall to see England wrap up a most memorable 74-run victory. Also See: Pakistan vs England live on Sky Sports Pakistan hoping to recover from 'new low' Full highlights from a thrilling day five of the first Test between Pakistan and England in Rawalpindi Wood burst wraps up series as England edge second Test As unconventional, eye-catching and entertaining as England's approach was in their series-opening win in Rawalpindi, there were a few twitchy moments on the final day of what otherwise looks a most emphatic of victories. Saud Shakeel (76) and Mohammad Rizwan (46) had Pakistan within 167 runs of victory, with only three wickets down, at one stage. Even following their departures, that equation became 84 to win with five wickets in hand before Anderson and Robinson ran through the tail. The video you are trying to watch cannot be viewed from your current country or location The highlights from day four of the second Test between Pakistan and England in Multan The second Test in Multan saw a similarly nervy finish, though this time it was speedster Mark Wood who was the star of the show, taking 4-65 which included a five-over spell of 3-17 either side of lunch on the fourth day which swung the game England's way. The video you are trying to watch cannot be viewed from your current country or location The best shots from Harry Brook's fantastic century as England again took on Pakistan in the second Test in Multan After Brook made it two tons in two Tests for the series with his second-innings 108, Pakistan were looking well-placed to chase down their 355-run target when progressing their overnight score of 198-4 to 290-5, with Shakeel (94) again proving tough to shift until Wood denied him a maiden Test century when securing the vital - and somewhat controversial - wicket on the stroke of lunch. The video you are trying to watch cannot be viewed from your current country or location Saud Shakeel was controversially given out after Ollie Pope was deemed to have got his fingers just under the ball when taking the catch to dismiss the Pakistan batter Third umpire Joel Wilson deemed that stand-in wicketkeeper Pope had got his fingertips under the ball when taking the catch. It left Pakistan seven down, still requiring 64 runs to win and the tail offered little resistance after the interval. Record-breaking Rehan's dream debut clinches series sweep Make that three Test matches in Pakistan and three Brook centuries as the then 23-year-old truly cemented his middle-order spot for years to come, but this win in Karachi belonged to England's youngest Test debutant, Rehan Ahmed. Rehan Ahmed Play Video - Ahmed: Debut five-for was a dream come true England leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed said his five-wicket haul on Test debut against Pakistan was 'a dream come true' At 18 years and 128 days, the Leicestershire leg-spinner was handed his first cap and subsequently became the youngest man in Test history to take a five-wicket haul on debut as his second-innings 5-48 ripped out Pakistan's middle order and turned the game on its head. After taking two wickets in the first innings, Rehan was reintroduced to the attack as Pakistan were three down and their lead having just passed 100, but that would swiftly become six as the teenager picked up the key scalp of skipper Babar Azam for 54, added Rizwan cheaply when nicking off to a peach of a delivery and then saw off Shakeel (53) for his third in the space of four overs. The video you are trying to watch cannot be viewed from your current country or location Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed became the youngest man to take a five-wicket haul on Test debut at 18 years old against Pakistan Raheem would add Mohammad Wasim (2) and Salman Agha (21) after tea to clinch his magic maiden five-for, kissing the turf in celebration as his father Naeem too celebrated wildly in the crowd. Left with 167 to chase, Duckett led the way with an unbeaten 82 as England - victorious only twice before in Tests in Pakistan, the last coming in the dark of Karachi in 2000 - won by eight wickets to seal a historic 3-0 series sweep on their first tour the country for 17 years Ben Stokes (Associated Press) Play Video - Hussain: England sweep in Pakistan 'truly incredible' Sky Sports Cricket's Nasser Hussain reflects on England's stunning 3-0 series sweep of Pakistan in 2022 What can England expect from Pakistan in 2024 tour? Pakistan's Test form going into this series is abysmal, having won only three of their past 17 matches, with their latest losses coming against Bangladesh, victorious over their hosts for the first time in Tests on their way to securing a 2-0 series sweep in August. And of the three wins Pakistan did earn in that span, all were achieved across two tours of Sri Lanka, with the team now winless in their last 10 home Tests dating back to beating South Africa in February 2021. Such form has contributed to them falling to eighth in the ICC Test rankings, their lowest position since 1965. Pakistan test cricket team's skipper Shan Masood speaks during a press conference regarding upcoming three test series against England, in Karachi, Pakistan, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan) Ahead of Pakistan's Test series against England, Urooj Mumtaz talks to the Sky Sports Cricket podcast on the challenge that lays ahead for captain Shan Masood to win over the public "It's been horrible, to say the least," former women's international Urooj Mumtaz said on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast. "I don't think Pakistan themselves understand what their strength is. Their bowling has been an issue, their batting lacks prowess and there's concerns about fitness. It's a new low. "We just haven't evolved as a red-ball side, let alone trying to catch up to Bazball and what the other teams are doing." That said, former England captain Michael Atherton feels it will be tough for England to replicate their 3-0 whitewash from three years ago. ENGLAND CRICKET. Play Video - 'A joy to watch!' | Nasser and Athers talk through their summer highlights On the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton name their highlights of England's summer of cricket "They caught Pakistan cold last time with Bazball," Atherton said. "Pakistan are forewarned this time and I suspect will have some better plans up their sleeve. "You'd have to say England are favourites but I do not think the scoreline will be the same as it was last time. I would be very surprised if it finished 3-0." How might England line up in the series opener? Crucially for the visitors, their talismanic skipper Stokes is set to feature in the first Test in Multan come Monday, though it is unlikely he'll bowl, which slightly complicates the balance of the side. Stokes gives fitness update and reflects on England's successful summer Play Video - Stokes gives fitness update and reflects on England's successful summer Ben Stokes says his rehab from his hamstring injury has been going well and reflects on England's successful Test summer With Stokes slotting back into the batting line-up at No 6, and Jamie Smith taking the gloves at No 7, England aren't necessarily desperate for extra batting depth from the tail, which could result in all-rounders Chris Woakes, and his poor overseas Test record, and Rehan - despite his debut five-for on England's last tour of Pakistan - falling down the pecking order. Gus Atkinson is guaranteed to occupy one of the four bowling spots after his stunning success this summer, with off-spinner Shoaib Bashir and left-arm spinner Jack Leach two of the others, particularly if it's a turning track. SKY SPORTS CRICKET PODCAST Play Video - 'Not spin friendly' | Mumtaz talks Pakistan pitch unknowns Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast, Urooj Mumtaz predicts the pitch conditions England can expect in Pakistan That leaves the more pacier options of Brydon Carse and Olly Stone likely battling it out for one spot. Neither represent much of a guarantee, with Carse uncapped at Test level and the injury-plagued Stone having only played five times since making his debut five years ago - though two of those came this summer, seeing him the man in possession. Joe Root provides a fifth bowling option with his part-time off-spin, and could become a more pivotal part of the attack as the second spinner if it is a more seam-friendly track prepared in Multan, in which case England would likely replace Leach with Woakes, the veteran preferred to Matthew Potts, who impressed during the recent ODI series against Australia but has yet to play a Test overseas. Predicted England lineup for first Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wkt), Gus Atkinson, Olly Stone, Shoaib Bashir, Jack Leach Pakistan vs England schedule - live on Sky Sports First Test: Multan - October 7-11 Second Test: Multan - October 15-19 Third Test: Rawalpindi - October 24-28 Every match from the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup is also live on Sky Sports from October 3-20 with Australia aiming for a third straight title and seventh overall, and England seeking to triumph for the first time since the inaugural edition in 2009. Watch the first Test between Pakistan and England in Multan, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 5.30am Monday (first ball 6.30am). https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/12123/13226670/pakistan-vs-england-ben-stokes-side-look-to-match-2022-record-breaking-test-series-sweep-on-pakistan-return

In today’s fast-paced and competitive work environment, the issue of workplace loneliness has gained significant attention. Despite the rise of technology that connects us, many employees feel isolated and disconnected from their colleagues. This loneliness can hinder productivity, creativity, and overall job satisfaction. At the heart of this issue lies a fundamental human need: the craving for belonging. This article explores how fostering a sense of belonging in the workplace can lead to growth and prosperity for both employees and organizations. Understanding Workplace Loneliness Workplace loneliness is defined as the feeling of being isolated or disconnected from others in a work environment. It can stem from various factors, including: Remote Work: The rise of remote work, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has made face-to-face interactions less frequent. While remote work offers flexibility, it can also lead to feelings of isolation. Lack of Social Interaction: In environments where teamwork is minimal or where employees are physically distanced, social interactions can dwindle, leaving individuals feeling lonely. Cultural Differences: Diverse workplaces may inadvertently lead to feelings of alienation among employees who struggle to find common ground or fit in. The Importance of Belonging Belonging is a fundamental human need that transcends workplace dynamics. When individuals feel they belong, they are more likely to experience positive emotional and psychological benefits, including: Increased Job Satisfaction: Employees who feel a sense of belonging are generally more satisfied with their jobs, leading to lower turnover rates and higher retention. Enhanced Collaboration: A workplace where individuals feel connected encourages open communication and collaboration, leading to more innovative solutions and better teamwork. Improved Mental Health: Feeling isolated can lead to mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. Cultivating a sense of belonging can mitigate these risks, promoting overall well-being. Greater Productivity: Employees who feel like they belong are more engaged and motivated, translating to increased productivity and performance. Creating a Culture of Belonging Organizations can take proactive steps to cultivate a sense of belonging among employees. Here are some strategies that can be implemented: Encourage Open Communication: Establish channels where employees feel safe expressing their thoughts, concerns, and ideas. Regular check-ins, feedback sessions, and anonymous surveys can help gauge employee sentiments. Promote Team Building Activities: Organizing team-building exercises, both virtual and in-person, can strengthen relationships and foster connections among employees. These activities can range from casual coffee chats to structured workshops. Celebrate Diversity and Inclusion: Recognize and celebrate the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of employees. Creating an inclusive culture where everyone feels valued is crucial for fostering belonging. Offer Professional Development Opportunities: Providing employees with opportunities to grow professionally and personally can enhance their sense of belonging. When employees feel that their growth is prioritized, they are more likely to engage with their organization. Support Mental Health Initiatives: Promote mental health awareness and provide resources for employees to seek help if needed. Creating a culture that prioritizes mental health can help alleviate feelings of loneliness. Foster a Sense of Purpose: Help employees understand how their roles contribute to the organization's mission and goals. When employees see their work as meaningful, they are more likely to feel connected to their workplace. The Role of Leadership Leadership plays a crucial role in establishing a culture of belonging. Leaders should model behaviors that promote inclusivity and connection. This includes: Active Listening: Leaders should actively listen to their team members, validating their feelings and experiences. This creates a sense of trust and encourages open dialogue. Being Approachable: Leaders should cultivate an approachable demeanor, making it easier for employees to share their thoughts and concerns. Recognizing Contributions: Regularly acknowledging and appreciating employees’ contributions fosters a sense of belonging and motivates them to continue performing well. Workplace loneliness is a growing concern that can significantly impact employee well-being and organizational success. By prioritizing the craving for belonging, organizations can create a more inclusive and connected workplace culture. When employees feel they belong, they are more likely to thrive, leading to enhanced productivity, creativity, and overall job satisfaction. As we navigate the complexities of modern work environments, fostering a sense of belonging is not just beneficial; it is essential for growth and prosperity. Embracing this fundamental human need will not only enrich the workplace experience but also drive organizational success in an increasingly interconnected world. https://zeenews.india.com/lifestyle/workplace-loneliness-the-secret-ingredient-to-combat-foster-belonging-2802001.html

Iran has said it fired dozens of ballistic missiles at important military and security targets in Israel in response to the assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Abbas Nilforoushan. Iran’s IRGC said that Israel will face “crushing” attacks if it responds to the missile barrage. The Israeli military said a “large number” of missiles had been intercepted. Speaking to reporters, Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the attack was serious and will have consequences “in a timely manner”. Tensions between Israel and Iran have soared since Israel launched an assault on Gaza last October in response to a Hamas-led attack on Israel. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader Quoting verses from the Quran, Khamenei seemingly predicted an “imminent divine victory”. In two separate posts on X, Khamenei said that “righteous people” may have to make sacrifices “but they will not be defeated at the end of the day”. “They are the victors in the field,” he said in a video showing footage of Iranian missiles being launched. Masoud Pezeshkian, president of Iran In a social media post, Pezeshkian said that this attack “was in defence of the interests and citizens of Iran”. “Let Netanyahu know that Iran is not a belligerent, but it stands firmly against any threat. This is only a corner of our power. Do not enter into a conflict with Iran.” Hamas The Palestinian group Hamas praised the Iranian missile strikes. “We congratulate the heroic rocket launch carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran, on large areas of our occupied territories, in response to the occupation’s continuing crimes against the peoples of the region, and in retaliation for the blood of our nation’s heroic martyrs,” the group said. Mohammed Abdulsalam, spokesperson for Yemen’s Houthis Abdulsalam welcomed the Iranian military operation, which he said shows support for Palestine and challenges Israel’s hegemony in the region. “Deterring the Zionist entity and confronting it is the only way to reign it in and prevent it from escalating its barbaric crime against the Lebanese and Palestinian people and the rest of the region,” he said in a social media post. The group, comprised of Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups, said US bases in Iraq will be targeted if Washington decides to support Israel in attacking Iran. “If the Americans intervene in any hostile action against the Islamic Republic or if the Zionist enemy uses Iraqi airspace to carry out any bombing operations on its territory, then all American bases and interests in Iraq and the region will be our target,” the group said on the Telegram messaging app. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister Netanyahu has vowed retaliation, saying Iran “will pay” for its actions. “Iran made a big mistake tonight – and it will pay for it,” he said at the outset of a political-security meeting. “The regime in Iran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to retaliate against our enemies. “We will adhere to the principle we have set: Whoever attacks us, we will attack them. This is true in every region we fight the Axis of Evil and it is true for Iran as well.” Danny Danon, Israel’s representative at the United Nations In a post on X, Danon said Israel is “ready and prepared defensively and offensively”. “We will take all necessary measures to protect the citizens of Israel,” he wrote. “As we have previously made clear to the international community, any enemy that attacks Israel should expect a severe response.” Israel Katz, Israeli foreign minister Katz has said that “the Ayatollah regime has crossed the red line.” “The State of Israel will not remain silent in the face of Iran’s brutal attack on our citizens.” Bezalel Smotrich, Israeli finance minister Smotrich has said that “like Gaza, Hezbollah and the state of Lebanon, Iran will regret the moment. Benny Gantz, Israeli opposition lawmaker “The attack tonight, despite US warning – must be met with not only a forceful Israeli response – but a larger, coordinated regional one,” Gantz said. Antonio Guterres, United Nations secretary-general Guterres condemned the “broadening of the Middle East conflict with escalation after escalation” and called again for a ceasefire. “This must stop,” he said in a post on X. Iran’s ballistic missile assault on Israel was “defeated and ineffective”, the White House said, warning that Tehran could expect severe consequences for the attacks. “Based on what we know at this point, this attack appears to have been defeated and ineffective,” Jake Sullivan, US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, told reporters. Antony Blinken, US secretary of state Iran’s missile attack on Israel was “totally unacceptable” and should be condemned by the entire world, Blinken told reporters. “Initial reports suggest that Israel, with the active support of the United States and other partners, effectively defeated this attack,” he added. Keir Starmer, UK prime minister Starmer condemned Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel “in the strongest terms”, his office said. During a call with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, Starmer also “expressed the UK’s steadfast commitment to Israeli security and the protection of civilians”, according to a readout of the call from Starmer’s office. Charles Michel, President of the European Council The EU Council chief has condemned Iran’s attack against Israel and said it “is a threat to regional security.” “The deadly escalatory spiral in the Middle East must stop now. A regional war is in no one’s interest,” he said in a post on X. Pedro Sanchez, Spanish prime minister and Jose Manuel Albares, Spanish foreign minister Sanchez condemned Iran’s attack on Israel and called for an end to the “spiral of violence” blighting the Middle East, while the foreign minister demanded “restraint”. “The Spanish government condemns Iran’s attack against Israel and asks that the spiral of violence end,” Sanchez posted on X, as Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told Cadena Ser radio that Madrid was issuing “a new call to all the actors, obviously including Israel, to show restraint and not escalation”. Footage posted online showed people in the besieged and bombarded Gaza Strip using their mobile phones to capture images of the missiles overhead and also erupting in celebrations. Nearly a year of relentless Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed more than 41,600 people and wounded almost 100,000, according to Palestinian authorities, with thousands still missing under the rubble of destroyed buildings. Beirut Reporting from Beirut, Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari said people were celebrating the Iranian attack in the Lebanese capital. “We’ve heard it since the news broke of Iran’s attack on Israel. Nonstop gunfire and fireworks are being set off across the capital,” she said. “Supporters of Hezbollah are celebrating Iran’s launch of the second attack in the country’s history since the 1979 revolution.” https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/1/world-reacts-to-irans-missile-attacks-on-israel

\ Infinix Zero Flip 5G is expected to launch soon, as the company's first clamshell-style foldable phone. A tipster has now leaked posters that reveal the design of the upcoming handset, along with some of its key specifications. The Zero Flip 5G is said to debut under the Rs. 55,000 mark in India and arrive in at least two colour options. This suggests that it will compete with the Motorola Razr 50 and the Tecno Phantom V Flip 5G in the country. Infinix Zero Flip 5G Price Range in India, Colour Options (Leaked) According to details shared by Paras Guglani (@passionategeekz) in a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Infinix Zero Flip 5G will be launched in India and global markets soon, and the handset will be priced between Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 55,000 in India. The tipster has also shared two posters indicating that the handset will be available in Blossom Glow and Rock Black colourways. The design of the handset shown in the images matches the one spotted on a retailer's website earlier this week. The company has teased the arrival of the handset, but has yet to reveal a launch date. Infinix Zero Flip 5G Specifications (Leaked) The Infinix Zero Flip 5G will be powered by a 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 8020 chipset, along with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, as per the posters shared by the tipster. It is said to sport a 6.9-inch Full-HD+ (1,080x2,640 pixels) LTPO AMOLED inner screen, along with a 3.64-inch (1,056x1,066 pixels) cover display. Both displays refresh at 120Hz. The purported poster also reveals that the Infinix Zero Flip 5G will be equipped with a 50-megapixel primary camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS) and a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera on the outside, while the inner screen will have a 50-megapixel camera with phase detection autofocus (PDAF).Connectivity options on the Infinix Zero Flip 5G will include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. The handset will run on Android 14 with the company's XOS 14.5 skin on top. The device will be equipped with a 4,720mAh battery along with a side mounted fingerprint sensor, and will measure 7.64mm (unfolded) and 16.04mm (folded), according to the leaked images. https://www.gadgets360.com/mobiles/news/infinix-zero-flip-5g-price-india-design-specifications-leak-6615762

A new AI-powered teddy bear might be the solution to storytime with your kids or an eerie robot attempting to usurp a parenting duty, depending on your point of view. Tech toy company Skyrocket hopes you'll see Poe the AI Story Bear as the former. The plush toy employs AI models from OpenAI to compose new stories based on ideas suggested by a child, which are then told by the bear in a friendly, but synthetic voice produced with ElevenLabs' AI speech creator. The customized stories are put together by the AI model using a wide range of options that a child can pick from the accompanying Poe AI Bear: Story Creator app. There are hundreds of curated options for story elements, and kids can pick a wide range of themes, characters, and locations for the story, even inserting themselves into it. If they like the resulting story, they can save it to listen to again or move on and try out other options next time. Because of the AI used to come up with the stories, there may be similarities based on the chosen icons in the app, but each story will ultimately be different even if the same options are chosen multiple times. There's only one AI voice included with Poe, but ElevenLabs' models give it context-aware emotional tones and otherwise mimic how a human speaks. Poe can tell stories in 30 languages, the ones built into the ElevenLabs model. "Poe the AI Story Bear empowers kids with the ability to create amazing, personalized stories that they'll love listening to again and again," Skyrocket CEO Nelo Lucich explained. "It's always been a dream to have toys that come alive and now it's possible with AI. Poe the AI Story Bear embraces the positive aspects of AI technology and makes it accessible to all types of consumers from diverse backgrounds and languages and at a budget-friendly price point." Of course, for a child's product, safety is going to be a major concern. To assuage worries, Skyrocket has designed Poe to only pull input from the app, so there are no cameras, microphones, or direct internet access, just Bluetooth to link to the mobile device. There are also stricter than usual safeguards on the content the AI model suggests for the story. That's also why the options for themes and characters are curated, limiting the chance of anything inappropriate inadvertently coming up. The high-tech power of Poe is surprisingly affordable at $50. Skyrocket has ambitions to develop a whole line of toys with AI-powered features, but the real question is if parents will see Poe as their child's more talkative Buzz Lightyear or a sinister latter-day Furby. https://www.techradar.com/computing/artificial-intelligence/this-ai-teddy-bear-can-make-up-new-bedtime-stories-to-tell-you-every-night

Qualcomm has its eye on Intel. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Qualcomm approached the struggling Intel about a potential takeover deal. The deal is described as "far from certain" and likely to garner antitrust investigations. If a deal occurred, it could also have far-reaching effects on the x86 architecture. It's possible that Qualcomm could only be interested in portions of Intel, or, the WSJ suggests, could sell portions of the company in order to get a deal through. Intel has been in crisis mode since it reported a $1.6 billion loss due to struggling data center and foundry divisions (though many parts of the company are still profitable). Putting Intel Foundry Services in a position to make chips for other companies has been a cornerstone idea for CEO Pat Gelsinger's tenure (the other being to move through five nodes in four years to catch up on the design side and catch up to TSMC, which Intel has outsourced some manufacturing to.) Intel declined to comment to Tom's Hardware. Qualcomm has yet to respond to a request for comment. The company announced that it would lay off more than 15% of its employees, suspend its dividend to investors, spin its foundry business into an independent subsidiary, pause fab projects in Germany and Poland, and put a stop to any non-essential work. The company has also had some PR disasters with instability issues with its 13th and 14th Gen Core desktop processors while running games (Intel since extended warranties and issued microcode updates to alleviate the problem. In August, Lip-Bu Tan left Intel's board after two years of service, creating a huge gap in technical knowledge on the board. Intel is also working with Morgan Stanley in an attempt to prepare for potential challenges from activist investors, clearly anticipating challenges. Intel has been key to the U.S. government's plans to strengthen the domestic chip business, with the company awarded $8.5 billion in funding to boost manufacturing on top of reports that it will bring in another $3.5 billion to make chips for the Pentagon as part of the Secure Enclave program. It's unclear how these deals could be affected by a takeover. Additionally, Intel and AMD have cross-licensed their respective x86 IP. In the event of an acquisition, it's possible one or both of the companies could lose access to key portions of the platform. This would surely be a significant point of any negotiation in an attempt to take over Intel. In the PC world, Qualcomm is finally competing in the laptop market with the launch of its Snapdragon X processors. These have been received far better than previous Windows on Arm CPUs by the press, and Microsoft made them the first to qualify as Copilot+ PCs. Qualcomm is challenging Intel in terms of efficiency and battery life ahead of the launch of Lunar Lake. Most of Qualcomm's work, however, is in mobile phones, as well as in cellular towers and communications. In recent years, Intel has also seen increased competition from AMD on the client PC side and from Nvidia, which has effectively taken over the AI space. https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/qualcomm-approached-intel-about-acquisition-report-claims

A grey seal found injured in the 1970s is celebrating her 50th birthday. Sheba was found with a nasty infection in both eyes when she was rescued as a pup in Cornwall by Ken Jones in 1974. Experts at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary said she was believed to be the oldest grey seal living in human care. Mr Jones and his wife, Mary, initially cared for Sheba and other seals at their home in St Agnes before they developed the purpose-built sanctuary at Gweek in 1975. 'Huge milestone' Sheba, who was left partially sighted from her eye infection, has been living at the site ever since. Tamara Cooper, curator at the sanctuary, said most seals live for about 25 to 30 years in the wild. She said female grey seals in human care can live to about 40 years, while male seals live to about 30 years. "Reaching 50 is a huge milestone, not just for Sheba but for everyone here who has been part of her journey," she said. "It's certainly a testament to the advancements in veterinary care and the specialised attention we provide for our animals here at the sanctuary." 'Something truly special' Sheba is a favourite among visitors and staff due to her playful personality and enjoyment of enrichment activities, such as playing with an orange squeaky ball, the charity said. She requires constant monitoring and regular medication for her eye condition, and keeps active despite her advanced years. Ms Cooper, who has worked at the sanctuary since 2001, said: "The bond we’ve developed with Sheba over her lifetime is something truly special." https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c30ln8jm7rjo

In western Paris, the swimming pool where national hero Leon Marchand won four gold medals at this summer's Olympics in the French capital is being stripped down and prepared for a move. The pool was part of one the many temporary sports facilities used during the Games, built inside the Paris Defense Arena, a stadium to the west of the city which was deafening during each of Marchand's medal-winning exploits. Around 25 kilometres (miles) of scaffolding are being pulled down by the pool, while the 50-metre water basin itself -- made of hundreds of aluminium panels bolted together -- will soon be dismantled and sent by truck to a new home in a northern suburb. The Paris Games relied more than any previous Olympics on the use of temporary sports facilities in a deliberate bid to keep costs and carbon emissions low. It was also a way of avoiding the sort of wasteful spending that has plagued previous Games which have seen shiny new venues fall empty and into disrepair once the Olympics carousel moves on. "We didn't put in place the gifting strategy recently. We've had it mind since the start of the project," Marie Barsacq, head of impact and legacy at Paris 2024, stressed to reporters. "We learned a lot from previous editions." The 50-metre pool is destined for Sevran, a disadvantaged, high-immigration part of the Seine-Saint-Denis suburb northeast of Paris which has around a quarter of the number of pool facilities per inhabitant as the national average. Sevran plans to call it the "Leon Marchand pool", with the Paris 2024 organising committee paying donating the pool, while the local council will pick up the tab for most of the running costs. "The greatest story and symbol we could create for our project is making these Games useful, making them games that encourage people to do sport," Paris 2024 operations director Edouard Donnelly told reporters. A second pool used for training at the Defense Arena is set to be cut in two, with half of it to form a new 25-metre pool in the Bagnolet area of Seine-Saint-Denis. The Seine-Saint-Denis region, the poorest in mainland France, has received around 80 percent of public infrastructure spending linked to the Games, including a new aquatics centre that was one of only three permanent new venues built. Redistribrution Elsewhere around the French capital, workers are pulling down the scaffolding at other temporary stadiums built at historic locations around the city which served as the telegenic backdrops for the Games. The BMX park at the urban sports centre on Place de la Concorde has been dismantled and sent to Cluses in the French Alps where it will be used for a world BMX event in 2027. The sand from the beach volleyball court in front of the Eiffel Tower has been sent to a sports centre in Marville in Seine-Saint-Denis. Marville is also expected to be the final destination of one of the skate parks -- if it can be dismantled without too much damage -- while another is heading to southern Montpellier. Southwest of Paris, workers have moved in to convert the mountain-biking competition track near the town of Elancourt into a facility that can be used by local riders, as well as walkers, from April next year. Pierre Rondeau, a sports expert at the left-leaning Jean-Jaures Foundation, said the transfers of sports equipment from wealthy central Paris to poorer parts of the capital region and the rest of France made sense. "Paris can afford to give this infrastructure away," he told AFP. "Paris already has stadiums, infrastructures, clubs. The city is well equipped. https://sports.ndtv.com/olympics-2024/paris-olympics-sports-equipment-moves-to-new-homes-6612412

Excess oil production is a common concern that can result in clogged pores and breakouts. To effectively manage oily skin, it’s essential to establish a consistent skincare routine and make lifestyle adjustments that maintain skin balance without causing over-drying, which can lead to even more oil production. Here are some steps that should be implemented for good skin: Cleansing Use a gentle, oil-free cleanser that is tested for oily or acne-prone skin. Look for ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, which help remove excess oil and prevent clogged pores. Cleansing too frequently can strip your skin of natural oils, causing your skin to produce more oil to compensate. Toning Toners help to restore the skin’s natural pH balance, preventing excess oil production. Use a toner after cleansing to remove any remaining oil or dirt and to tighten pores. Choose toners with witch hazel, salicylic acid or tea tree oil to help control oil production. Moisturising Choose a lightweight, non-comedogenic and oil-free moisturiser for your skin. Components like hyaluronic acid and glycerin help lock in moisture without making your skin greasy. The gel-based or water-based moisturisers are especially good for oily skin, as they hydrate without adding extra oil. Exfoliation Exfoliate 2 to 3 times a week to remove dead skin cells that can clog pores and cause breakouts. Over-exfoliating can irritate the skin, leading to more oil production. Sunscreen Do not skip sunscreen even during cloudy days. Protect your skin from sun damage by using a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30 as the UV rays can penetrate through the clouds. Choose sunscreens that are specifically designed for oily or acne-prone skin, as they won’t contribute to breakouts. To achieve healthier, oil-free skin and prevent breakouts, implementing specific lifestyle changes can make a substantial impact. Hydration Drinking a lot of water is essential for glowing skin. Drink at least 8 cups glass of water to flush out all the toxins. Balanced diet: Consume a balanced diet comprising of foods high in antioxidants (berries, spinach, nuts) and omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, flaxseeds, walnuts) to support skin health. Maintain healthy hygiene Keep your bedding and towels clean, as they can accumulate bacteria, dirt, and oil, which may transfer to your skin and cause breakouts. Change your pillowcases regularly, especially if you have oily or acne-prone skin. Manage stress Stress increases cortisol levels, which can stimulate oil production and lead to breakouts. Practice stress management techniques like yoga, meditation, or deep breathing exercises to help keep your skin calm and balanced. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep. This helps the skin to regenerate and repair keeps the skin firm and reduces wrinkles. By incorporating these hacks, you can support the health of your skin, improve its texture and reduce the occurrence of common skin issues like acne, dryness and premature ageing. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep. This helps the skin to regenerate and repair keeps the skin firm and reduces wrinkles. By incorporating these hacks, you can support the health of your skin, improve its texture and reduce the occurrence of common skin issues like acne, dryness and premature ageing. https://www.news18.com/lifestyle/how-your-unhealthy-lifestyle-can-cause-oily-skin-and-breakouts-9057737.html

Constellation purchased the 837 MWe Three Mile Island Unit 1, in 1999. The unit, which had enough capacity to power 800,000 homes, was retired prematurely for economic reasons in 2019. In its last year of operation, the plant was producing electricity at maximum capacity 96.3% of the time - well above the industry average and employed more than 600 full-time workers. The Unit 1 reactor is located adjacent to TMI Unit 2, which was shut down in 1979 after an accident which resulted in severe damage to the reactor core and is in the process of being decommissioned by its owner, Energy Solutions. Constellation says "significant investments will be made to restore" unit 1 "including the turbine, generator, main power transformer and cooling and control systems. Restarting a nuclear reactor requires US Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval following a comprehensive safety and environmental review, as well as permits from relevant state and local agencies. Additionally, through a separate request, Constellation will pursue licence renewal that will extend plant operations to at least 2054". The plant is to be renamed the Crane Clean Energy Centre - after Chris Cane, who was CEO of Constellation's parent company and passed away in April. The aim is for it to be online in 2028. Constellation says it aims to operate it for decades to come, and will create 3400 direct and indirect jobs and deliver more than USD3 billion in state and federal taxes "This agreement is a major milestone in Microsoft's efforts to help decarbonise the grid in support of our commitment to become carbon negative. Microsoft continues to collaborate with energy providers to develop carbon-free energy sources to help meet the grids' capacity and reliability needs," said Bobby Hollis, vice president of energy, Microsoft. Joe Dominguez, president and CEO, Constellation, said: "Powering industries critical to our nation’s global economic and technological competitiveness, including data centres, requires an abundance of energy that is carbon-free and reliable every hour of every day, and nuclear plants are the only energy sources that can consistently deliver on that promise. Before it was prematurely shuttered due to poor economics, this plant was among the safest and most reliable nuclear plants on the grid, and we look forward to bringing it back with a new name and a renewed mission to serve as an economic engine for Pennsylvania." Governor Josh Shapiro said: "Under the careful watch of state and federal authorities, the Crane Clean Energy Center will safely utilise existing infrastructure to sustain and expand nuclear power in the Commonwealth while creating thousands of energy jobs and strengthening Pennsylvania’s legacy as a national energy leader." Michael Goff, Acting Assistant Secretary, Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy, said: "Always-on, carbon-free nuclear energy plays an important role in the fight against climate change and meeting the country's growing energy demands." Friday's announcement could see the unit become the second in the USA - and the world - to return to operational status after being shut down for decommissioning. Holtec International is currently working to bring the Palisades single-unit pressurised water reactor in Michigan, which closed in 2022, bring back into service and is aiming to repower the plant by the end of 2025. Earlier this year, the US Department of Energy Loan Programs Office conditionally committed up to USD1.52 billion for a loan guarantee to Holtec Palisades for the project, and in June US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told Reuters she would be "surprised" if the office was not talking to other owners of shuttered plants about potential restarts. https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/constellation-to-restart-three-mile-island-unit-powering-microsoft

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is going to be called BioWare's comeback. It isn't built on the multiplayer trend-chasing that plagued Anthem, and from the six hours I got to play during a hands-on preview event this month, Veilguard didn't seem to be the buggy mess that Mass Effect Andromeda was, either. It has all sorts of features that prove BioWare was listening to its players. And critically, it's BioWare doing what it's meant to be best at: gorgeous, intense, intimate RPGs. All the marketing for The Veilguard so far has been polarizing: my fellow Dragon Age nerds at PC Gamer have been going back and forth on whether each new video heralds doom or redemption for the series. Prior to playing it I was trending towards the disillusioned side. Now, in spite of all the choices BioWare's made that I do still disagree with—the double-down on action combat, the shiny and poreless character designs, the cartoonish darkspawn—I believe The Veilguard is going to be a great return to the world I've loved for 15 years. Setting the dragon stage As is only right, I got to start in character creation, which is hands down the most detailed character creator BioWare's ever done. We've all seen and gushed over the silky hairstyles, another massive improvement for the series, but there are wild details like faction-dependent casual outfits and asymmetrical ear editing too. Regardless of my opinions on the overall visual style, there's no arguing it's gorgeous. As soon as I close out of character creation, I catch my main character Rook mid-bar brawl trying to extract the location of an informant out of a bartender. Unlike the reveal trailer it inspired, playing through this scene immediately put a smile on my face when I realized Veilguard was winking into the camera. Here we are, kicking off a Dragon Age game with an interrogation again, but finally I'm the one demanding answers. I'm presented with my first choice right away: Will Rook extract the information with charisma or with her fists? As anyone who's ever accidentally picked a way more aggressive dialogue option than intended in a Dragon Age game will be glad to hear, the repercussions are spelled out right above each dialogue option: "Try to convince the bar owner" or "Beat down the entire room." One way or the other, Rook and fan-favorite sidekick Varric Tethras get the info they need and head out into the magical city Minrathous into the scene we saw in the gameplay reveal. A combat convert Though it isn't immediately obvious as I work through the training wheels tutorial combat—in which Rook and Varric trek through Minrathous fighting the spirits ransacking the city—I realize quickly after that the combat is fun. Like, 'I'm having a good time playing a warrior and I never play a warrior in a Dragon Age game' kind of fun.I can parry some magical projectiles with my shield or stagger enemies by parrying their melee attacks. I can create distance by dodging backwards and then close the gap with my "driving kick" skill that has me leap through the air. I can also sprint forward and land a special, heavier attack. In the first fight with a large pride demon, AOE attacks littering the ground keep me on my toes. I'm constantly tuned in to the action and the mobility I have around each fight is genuinely enjoyable. Some bits are sillier: the health and mana potion pots all over the world are so aggressively bright green and red they look out of a platformer from the '90s. I didn't ever click with the timed "quick recover" button press when knocked down in combat and rolled my eyes at the Captain America-style shield throw that warriors have as a basic ranged attack equivalent to a mage's magic laser and rogue's arrows. At times it's a bit too much superhero style for my dark fantasy series. Cranking up the difficulty and switching classes in each new segment really kept me sweating. I was often pulling up the companion control wheel to fire off Neve's "time slow" spell or Bellara's healing ability. When BioWare said that it had gotten rid of full party member combat control in Veilguard I was miffed that they thought we couldn't handle it. But honestly they were right. After trying both a mage and a rogue, it really did take my full attention not to die in later boss fights. The nodes of the skill tree are a mix of activated abilities and traits that unlock context-dependent combos. Things like "grappling spear" will harpoon and pull enemies in when activated while traits like "tumbling blades" let you attack after doing a combat roll or "counterblow" by attacking after a perfect defense. It does feel like there's a high skill ceiling here for those who learn their kit and combos particularly well. I was among those disillusioned and disappointed by BioWare's swerve into action-heavy combat for Veilguard. But now that I cast my mind back, I realize… this is actually what I asked for. I've been tired of RPGs propped up by a skill hotbar for years now, hoping for a more fluid combat system where I could string together my own combos instead of rigidly planting my feet for each skill. I was mostly thinking of MMOs when I lodged those complaints, but now it's Dragon Age that's getting that fast, combo-based combat. It still isn't what I would have chosen for the series, Dragon Age: Origins-loving curmudgeon that I've apparently become, but I have to admit that what BioWare set out to achieve with this combat system it's done very well. I'm a begrudging convert. Another quality of Veilguard that BioWare has continually touted is how it allows you to customize your experience. My favorite example of customization is buried deep in the gameplay menu: the "wayfinding" settings. By default Veilguard holds your hand a lot. A minimap and quest log on screen are normal enough, but it also guides you with an objective marker constantly pointing you towards each door and path you should take. I found it a bit oppressive, a real distraction from appreciating my surroundings, and was very pleased to find Veilguard lets me individually tweak lots of those elements by turning off visibility entirely or only showing briefly when I ping them with a button press. I decided to turn everything off, even the minimap, and explore each area naturally. Turning the visual noise off meant I could actually enjoy the most detailed, po[CENSORED]ted scenes I've ever seen in Thedas as I explored the city streets in Treviso and an incredible underwater prison while recruiting Lucanis. I appreciate the ability to say "actually, I've got this" and have Veilguard trust me to make that choice. It's just a shame that The Veilguard's writing doesn't always extend me the same respect.The quest writing in The Veilguard is desperate to chew my food for me. Not just with voiced hints in the usual 'maybe I should try that lever' style, but characters actively over-explaining themselves or dorky lines like "Everyone suit up. All hands for this one." It's not only quest dialogue either, but in how Veilguard recaps my choices for me. Multiple times as I played, text explanations popped up mid-cutscene to explain that the events I was seeing were caused by my decisions. Yeah: I made that choice two minutes ago! I'm grasping the cause and effect. Unlike those wayfinding settings, there isn't an "I understand how BioWare games work" toggle. In a section I can't be specific about due to spoilers, a character tells me their opinion on something while a popup adds "This character now feels…" to make sure I notice this is a result of a prior conversation. I'm fine with 'character will remember that' style popups, but these reek of an insecurity that players won't 'get it.' It's an understandable concern for the fourth entry in a series whose story starts with the consequences of a game that came out a decade ago. Though I'm sympathetic, I think there are points when I'm going to feel like the writers are sitting next to me on the couch talking through my first experience. Where I don't feel talked down to are in the one-on-one conversations with my companions, thank goodness. Developing relationships with your party members, whether they're platonic or romantic, has always been a cornerstone of BioWare's RPGs and I was relieved to feel that old allure. Instead of a castle in the mountains, our base of operations this time is The Lighthouse, a surreal collection of buildings floating in the magical void called The Fade. Each of your party members has their own floating abode that they'll fix up and personalize over the course of the game, with a handy little overhead light out front letting you know when they've got something new to talk about. These encounters are everything I've always loved about Dragon Age. They're more naturally written conversations than the quest dialogue I have gripes about and they include emotional delivery from some great voice talent. I barely scraped the surface in the early sections of the game we were allowed to play but it made me eager to hear a lot more from the companions we've seen less of so far like Taash the dragon hunter and Davrin the Grey Warden. The best bit is when my companions all get together. That artwork of all seven lounging around in The Lighthouse (above) is an actual scene. Initially, it's Rook sitting in an armchair while Harding and Neve share a sofa, all three discussing what to do after stopping Solas' magical Veil-tearing ritual. It feels lived-in and intimate, putting them in context together in a way I haven't quite felt in a Dragon Age game before. I suspect that setup will be a recurring one as more party members join the crew and larger discussions ensue. And now I'm getting completely into conjecture, but I wonder if my party members' poses in that scene will change as their relationships to me (or to each other) evolve.At the end of our play session, BioWare told us that everything we'd played was from just Act 1 of The Veilguard. I'd been spirited through recruitment missions and boss fights and several genuinely gorgeous missions that didn't allow me to miss Dragon Age: Inquisition's open world design at all. It made a believer out of me with its combat and reassured me that the quieter moments with my party members between all the action would be worth waiting for. proud https://www.pcgamer.com/games/dragon-age/the-veilguard-preview-hands-on/

Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro was unveiled at the company's MatePad series tablet launch event in Barcelona on Thursday. The latest wearable comes in 46mm and 42mm size options featuring a titanium alloy and a ceramic body, respectively. The Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro has an IP69K certification. It boasts an AMOLED screen and offers more than 100 sports modes. The Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro is touted to provide up to 14 days of battery life in normal use. Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro Price Price of the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro starts at EUR 330 (roughly Rs. 34,000). The 46mm version comes in Black and Titanium finishes while the 42mm variant is offered in Ceramic White and White shades. Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro Specifications The Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro is available in 42mm and 46mm sizes with an AMOLED display with a 466 x 466 pixels resolution. The smaller version has a ceramic body while the larger variant has a titanium alloy body. The display has a sapphire glass coating as well. The wearable has 5 ATM-rated water resistance and IP69K certification to withstand high temperatures and pressure. Health and fitness tracking available on the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro include heart rate, sleep tracking and an ECG analysis option. Sensors onboard include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, barometer, depth sensor, ECG sensor, gyroscope, magnetometer, optical heart rate sensor, and temperature sensor. It offers more than 100 sports modes and has a Golf Courses Map. The Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro has a new Sunflower Positioning System for better tracking during various activities. The smartwatch is claimed to offer up to 14 days of battery life in regular use and up to five days of battery life with Always On Display enabled. It supports wireless charging and can be paired with the Huawei Health app. The 46mm variant weighs 53 grams while the 42mm version is lighter at 44 grams. https://www.gadgets360.com/wearables/news/huawei-watch-gt-5-pro-price-launch-specifications-features-6603198

Microsoft is currently testing a change for Windows 11’s Settings app that concerns recommended and promoted content - ads, in short - and surprisingly, it’s an idea that won’t make you wince. Windows Latest spotted that in preview builds of Windows 11 (in the Beta and Canary channels specifically), there’s a new dedicated ‘Recommendations & Offers’ page (which was previously titled as just a ‘General’ page, under the ‘Privacy & security’ section of the Settings app). The new page will make it easier to manage what sort of adverts and recommendations Microsoft shows you in Windows 11, thanks to a couple of moves. Firstly, the descriptions of the various options here relating to controlling ads and recommendations in one way or another have been made clearer, which is always good to see. Secondly, we have a new option introduced to the revamped Recommendations & Offers page. (The other options remain the same as they were before, we should note - it’s just the descriptive text that’s changed, and small tweaks to the layout of the panel). The new option is ‘Personalized offers’ but this isn’t actually new to Windows 11 as such, it’s just been shifted over from the ‘Diagnostic data’ page in Settings and renamed (it was called ‘Tailored experiences’ previously). Switching ‘Personalized experiences’ on or off enables you to control whether you see personalized tips, ads, and recommendations based on your activity within Windows.This particular choice will be a lot easier for Windows 11 users to see - and use - in the new ‘Recommendations & Offers’ page, rather than being hidden away in some obscure panel related to diagnostic data. So, that’s a definite plus point. A change of tune from Microsoft? That seems doubtful It isn’t known when we can expect this fine-tuning of the Settings app to arrive in Windows 11. For now, it’s not even showing up for all Windows 11 testers, as apparently it’s still rolling out. Windows Latest speculates that this change could arrive with Windows 11 24H2, although the annual update is getting close to release now - so it could be a tight squeeze. Whatever the case, this is at least a clear effort to consider the wishes of Windows 11 users in terms of them having better visibility and control of, the advertising preferences on their devices. However, I don’t necessarily think this is Microsoft backing away from its aggressive stance on pushing advertising in many parts of the Windows 11 interface, and I don’t think this will do much to appease those people who are frustrated with Microsoft’s insistence on taking this path. I’ll be happy to be proved wrong on this, but it’s hard to imagine a world where you could, say, turn off advertising altogether in Windows 11 - I can still dream, though. https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/windows-11s-new-recommendations-and-offers-page-might-give-you-more-say-over-what-ads-you-see-but-probably-not-enough-to-make-you-happy

Sony's PlayStation family of game consoles spans five generations and 30 years. To celebrate the anniversary of the launch of the original PlayStation in 1994, Sony on Thursday introduced a set of limited edition PlayStation consoles and accessories that come in the original dark gray color. The new family of limited edition PlayStation consoles in the original dark grey color includes the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition console with a DualSense controller and a gray cover for disc drive as well as the PlayStation 5 Pro 2 TB system with a DualSense wireless controller, DualSense Edge wireless controller, DualSense Charging Station, and a gray cover for a disk drive. These consoles will come bundled with various collector's items, including a USB Type-C cable designed to look like the original PlayStation controller connector housing, cable ties, stickers, a poster, and even a PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection Sony has not announced pricing of the limited edition consoles and Portal Remote Player for PS5, but keeping in mind that the PS5 Pro limited edition will come bundled with the DualSense Edge premium controller and all of the consoles will include collector's items, expect them to cost more than a typical PS5 and PS5 Pro. Also, Sony said that it will produce only 12,300 limited edition PlayStation5 Pro systems in dark grey for the whole world, so these are going to be rare birds (expect them on eBay from scalpers). Sony will also offer its PlayStation Portal Remote Player for PS5 in the original gray color for those who play on the go, as well as DualSense Edge controller, and DualSense controller in the same color scheme. The PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection will be released on November 21. In regions where direct.playstation.com is available (U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Austria), customers with a PlayStation Network account can pre-order everything except the PS5 Digital Limited Edition starting September 26. The PlayStation 5 Digital Edition – 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Bundle will be available for pre-order starting October 10. https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/console-gaming/sonys-30th-anniversary-ps5-ps5-pro-and-portal-evoke-nostalgia