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Gemini artificial intelligence models continue to make their way into just about every Google app and device, and it seems Android Auto could be the next in line for some added AI, as per code hidden in the latest Android Auto app for Android. The code was spotted by Android Authority, and mentions the sparkle icon that accompanies Gemini in most places. There's also a mention of "kitt" – perhaps a nod to the AI bot built into the car in 80s TV show Knight Rider. Other strings, including "Start conversation" and "GeminiLiveAssistantAction", can also be found in the code, further evidence that Gemini will soon be available from any car dashboard that works with Android Auto. Of course it would be no surprise if this is what Google is planning: Gemini is slowly taking over from Google Assistant, or at least working alongside it, across all of the platforms and apps where Google thinks AI might be helpful. With no official word from Google yet, there's no official time frame for this to roll out, but it shouldn't be too long considering the pace at which Google has been stuffing Gemini into its phones, its web apps, and everything else. If and when it does arrive on Android Auto, you'll be able to interact with Gemini in the same way you can in other places – and get back intelligent answers personalized to you, on a whole new level to the responses offered by Google Assistant. However, it's not clear which features might be limited to the Google One AI Premium plan ($20 / £18.99 / AU$32.99 per month). Right now, that's a requirement to access the fully conversational capabilities of Gemini Live, for example. https://www.techradar.com/computing/artificial-intelligence/gemini-ai-could-be-making-its-way-into-your-car-with-android-auto

TechTuber Der8auer has highlighted the plight of one of his fans who was scammed into buying a fake AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor, normally one of the best CPUs for gaming. The expert overclocker talks viewers through some of the outward signs that this chip was a fake, which could prevent others from falling for scams like this. He also purchased the "mindblowing" counterfeit from the scam victim to take a closer look, delid it, and deliver a thorough analysis. A Der8auer fan named Bruce bought the fake chip online via a Romanian outlet known as OLX. This is said to be like the Facebook marketplace, and consists mostly of private sellers, with returns or warranties not a realistic option. Bruce thought he saved about €100 on the typical European retail price of the 7800X3D, by snapping up this chip for €300… Any warm glow of satisfaction from grabbing a bargain will have rapidly dissipated after receiving the chip and plugging the CPU into the motherboard for its first boot. Powering up a system with this chip reveals that it is dead. Nothing happens. Bruce did some basic checks, probing pads using a multimeter, but didn’t see any signs of life. Der8auer to the rescue Der8auer purchased the dead chip for the full retail price of a new model, meaning that Bruce could go and get a new, fully guaranteed chip from a reputable supplier. It also meant that we could enjoy witnessing the overclocker’s keen eye as he analysed the useless 7800X3D-a-like lump. Even before Der8auer received the physical product from Bruce, he spotted some tell-tale signs that things were not all as they should be. Going from the photos alone, Der8auer noticed that the chip substrate color was wrong (too blue, not enough green). This could have been a photography lighting issue and was hard to confirm until the product was received. Secondly, on a genuine AMD X3D chip, capacitors which you see between the ‘octopus’ legs are covered in a protective resin, while the fake had shiny uniform blocks. On receiving the chip, the color difference and lack of resin were confirmed. With the supposed 7800X3D in hand, Der8auer also noted the fake chip had a thinner PCB and was much less a tight fit into the CPU loading mechanism. Measurements confirmed a PCB thickness of just 0.964mm for the fake, compared to 1.308mm on the genuine X3D processor - a significant difference. Using identical photos of the fake / original and photoshop layer opacity levels Der8auer shows that it is easy to see a lot of IHS/engraving differences between the chips. Some of these differences weren’t surfaced from inspections using the naked eye, without side-by-side comparison. https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/mindblowing-fake-amd-ryzen-7-7800x3d-chip-investigated-buyers-beware

Project 1882's "For the Animals" aims to build a bridge between the public, decision-makers, and the animal welfare situation by conducting advocacy work in Europe's major cities. As explained by Project 1882, “Since 1882, Project 1882 has been working to make a difference for the animals that are the most exploited and suffer the worst. With ‘For the Animals’, we are taking the next step forward to elevate animal rights issues higher on the EU Commission’s agenda”. Project 1882, which aims to tour 20 different cities in Europe throughout summer and autumn, will be in Lisbon on 2 and 3 September, and in Porto on 7 and 8 September. Mobile Exhibition In major European cities, the mobile event serves as a platform for public and elected leaders to get together, exchange information, and talk about the most recent approaches to resolving pressing issues. Project 1882 is committed to bringing attention to the actual conditions that animals endure, especially in light of the ongoing EU discussions over animal welfare and the impending choices that will directly impact how they are treated. With "For the Animals," they are taking citizens on a road trip across Europe to show them directly how animals are treated in factory farms and “why the promised revised animal welfare legislation in the EU needs to be put in place as soon as possible”. In addition to educational materials outlining the living circumstances of animals in industrial farms, the mobile exhibition will provide interactive experiences. Moreover, visitors will get knowledge about the problems that animals face as well as the chances for improvement. Project 1882 intends to engage and educate the public as well as persuade decision-makers to prioritise animal rights and strengthen legislation by bringing the mobile exhibition directly to EU residents. As stated in the Project 1882 webpage “Billions of animals suffer yearly in horrific animal factories across Europe, where they are subjected to systematic animal cruelty. Many of Europe's animals completely lack a law that protects them”.The European Commission has been aware of the inadequate animal welfare in recent years, but not many suggestions for reforms or enhancements have been made for the benefit of the animals. Therefore, acting now, when time is running out for Europe's animals, is Project 1882 main ambition. https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/2024-09-01/exhibition-aimed-at-improving-animal-welfare/91718

Arsenal's Premier League title ambitions faced an early setback with a 1-1 draw against Brighton on Saturday, a match overshadowed by the controversial sending-off of Declan Rice. Meanwhile, Aston Villa secured a crucial 2-1 victory away at Leicester. Both Arsenal and Brighton entered the game with perfect records from their first two matches. The Gunners seemed poised to continue their winning streak when Kai Havertz capitalized on a mistake by Lewis Dunk, expertly lobbing the ball into the net for the opening goal. However, the game took a dramatic turn just moments into the second half when Declan Rice received the first red card of his career. The England midfielder was controversially shown a second yellow card for allegedly kicking the ball away as Joel Veltman prepared to take a Brighton free-kick. "I was amazed, amazed, amazed!" said an outraged Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta. "In the first half, there were two incidents and nothing happened. Then, in a non-critical area, the ball hits Declan, he turns around, and he doesn’t see the player coming, and he touches the ball." Brighton quickly took advantage of their numerical superiority. Joao Pedro pounced on a rebound after David Raya denied Yankuba Minteh, leveling the score. Both teams had opportunities to snatch a win, with Bart Verbruggen denying Havertz and Georginio Rutter heading off target for the visitors. However, the match ended in a stalemate, leaving Arsenal to ponder the dropped points that could impact their title chase. Elsewhere, defending champions Manchester City could capitalize and take the top spot with their late Saturday kickoff against West Ham. Aston Villa, bouncing back from their defeat to Arsenal last weekend, claimed their second win in three games. Amadou Onana stretched to convert Jacob Ramsey's cross from a well-rehearsed free-kick, putting Villa in the lead. Colombian striker Jhon Duran, who replaced Ollie Watkins, extended Villa's lead with a towering header shortly after coming on. Leicester's Facundo Buonanotte pulled one back, but the Foxes continue to search for their first win since returning to the Premier League. Southampton and Everton also faced challenges in their Premier League campaigns. Southampton fell 3-1 to Brentford, with Bryan Mbeumo scoring twice. Everton, playing their final season at Goodison Park, suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Bournemouth after leading 2-0 with only minutes remaining. Ipswich, back in the Premier League after 22 years, secured their first point with a 1-1 draw against Fulham. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest and Wolves shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw. The weekend's marquee fixture sees Manchester United hosting Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday, promising another thrilling chapter in this season's Premier League narrative. https://www.samaa.tv/2087320046-arsenal-s-title-hopes-dented-in-brighton

Madonna may juggle family life and her role as the "Queen of Pop," but she ensures she outperformed in both. In a recent interview with People, Madonna’s long time friend Debi Mazar praised Madonna, 66, for being a great mother to her six kids, raising them as warriors. Mazar, who recently celebrated her 60th birthday, married chef Gabriele Corcos in 2002. They share daughters Evelina, 22, and Giulia, 18. While the Po[CENSORED]r songstress is mom to six children: Lourdes, 27, Rocco, 24, David, 18, Mercy, 18, and twins Stella and Estere, 12. "It's the whole process of life. We're just two women that have careers in the public eye, and we've raised kids," Mazar reflected on how the two being working women balanced their work life and family. "We're very protective and private with our family." "I am, but she can only be as private as the world allows her to be," noted the actress, who first met the Material Girl vocalist at the N.Y.C. nightclub Danceteria, and later she hired Mazar as the hair and makeup artist on her first-ever music video for Holiday. "I'm really proud of her," Mazar has been friends with Madonna for over four decades, continued. "She's a great mom" who give her kids the "tools for survival and education and to be warriors, as all moms do." "At the end of the day, she's just like any one of my girlfriends except she happens to be Madonna, who doesn't stop working," she concluded while discussing her new series Kaos, streaming now on Netflix. https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1225828-madonna-lauded-for-great-parenting-despite-workaholic-lifestyle

New Delhi: Former US President Donald Trump's dance moves at a public event on Friday have taken social media by storm. The annual Moms for Liberty event, held in Washington DC, saw 78-year-old Tump shake a leg on stage with the group's co-founder. "Trump just ended his Moms For Liberty event with his impressive dance moves! Moms love Donald Trump! Kamala (Harris) definitely doesn't want you to share this!" posted a Trump supporter with the video. 🚨TRUMP JUST ENDED HIS MOMS FOR LIBERTY EVENT WITH HIS IMPRESSIVE DANCE MOVES! MOMS LOVE DONALD TRUMP! Kamala definitely doesn't want you to share this! pic.twitter.com/EV5BNLsyKM — Bo Loudon (@BoLoudon) August 31, 2024 The internet is divided over the dance video. While some cheered Trump for being able to dance at the age of 78, some termed the entire episode as "comical". "Trump is the people's president!" wrote one user. "He's the worst version of the creepy, unstable uncle in the family," wrote another. Moms for Liberty, a national group that has made strides within conservative circles, has been at the forefront of efforts to influence school curricula across the United States. The organisation has led initiatives to remove references to LGBTQ+ identities and discussions of structural racism from classrooms. The Republican presidential frontrunner discussed issues surrounding these topics and did not shy away from making pointed political comments, particularly aimed at US Vice President Kamala Harris. In his address, Trump described her as a "defective person." He also expressed surprise at her limited media appearances, suggesting that her lack of interviews was indicative of her shortcomings as a leader. "I was surprised she didn't do a lot of interviews, but she's not good at it, I guess," Trump said. Post a comment The US Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in November this year and is largely seen as a direct battle between Trump and Harris. https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/watch-donald-trumps-impressive-dance-moves-at-us-event-viral-6463670

The NCLT on Friday approved the scheme of merger of Reliance Industries-owned Viacom 18 Media -- the holding company of the group's media and entertainment assets -- with Star India. A two-member bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved the composite Scheme of Arrangement among Viacom 18, Digital18 and Star India, a unit of global media giant The Walt-Disney. The development comes two days after the Competition Commission of India approved the merger of media assets of Reliance Industries and The Walt Disney Co to create the country's largest media empire worth over Rs 70,000 crore. Approving it, the NCLT observed: "From the material on record, the Scheme appears to be fair and reasonable and is not violative of any provisions of law and is not contrary to public policy". The NCLT in its 22-page-long order also observed that the scheme "will be made effective, in terms of the Scheme, only upon the receipt of the approval of the Competition Commission of India". The scheme had proposed the transfer and vesting of Media Operations Undertaking from Viacom 18 and JioCinema into Digital 18, which is a subsidiary of Viacom 18. This would be followed by "demerger, transfer and vesting of V18 Undertaking from Digital 18 into Star India". "Since all the requisite statutory compliances have been fulfilled, the said Company Scheme Petition is made absolute in terms of the prayer...," the NCLT order said. On Thursday, Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani said the mega-merger of media assets of RIL and Walt Disney marks the beginning of a new era in India's entertainment industry. Welcoming Disney to the Reliance family, Ambani said just like Jio and the retail business, the expanded media business will be an invaluable growth centre in the Reliance ecosystem. The deal, announced six months ago, faced scrutiny by the anti-trust regulator and approval from NCLT. CCI had said it has cleared the "proposed combination involving Reliance Industries Limited, Viacom18 Media Private Limited, Digital18 Media Limited, Star India Private Limited and Star Television Productions Limited, subject to the compliance of voluntary modifications". Viacom18 is part of the RIL group, and SIPL is wholly-owned by The Walt Disney Company. STPL, a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, is owne Under the deal, Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and its affiliates will hold 63.16 per cent of the combined entity that will house two streaming services and 120 television channels. Walt Disney will hold the remaining 36.84 per cent stake in the combined entity, which will also be India's largest media house. Reliance Industries has also agreed to invest close to Rs 11,500 crore into the joint venture to give it the muscle to fight rivals like Japan's Sony and Netflix. Nita Ambani, wife of billionaire and RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani, will head the joint venture, while Uday Shankar will be the Vice Chairperson. https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/news/nclt-approves-merger-of-viacom-18-star-india-after-cci-nod-6458926 d indirectly by The Walt Disney. The Competition Commission of India (CCI), however, did not disclose voluntary modifications in the original deal made by the two parties.

A few weeks ago, security researcher Alon Leviev revealed a frightening Windows vulnerability that allows attackers to “downgrade” a secure Windows system and unpatch security flaws, making the hacked system open to all kinds of attacks. Well, the hypothetical just became reality as Leviev created a downgrade tool and made it freely available on the web. Windows Downdate comes to life The tool, which is written in Python, is named “Windows Downdate” and can be downloaded via this GitHub page. It currently works with Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server. Using Windows Downdate, attackers can revert critical Windows elements such as DLLs, drivers, system kernels, Hyper-V hypervisor, and other system components to older versions that still contain security vulnerabilities that were later fixed via updates. As the Windows user, you won’t notice this happening in the background and you’ll likely go on with your everyday tasks believing that your Windows system is still up to date and secure with the latest patches. In reality, your Windows computer is silently made susceptible. The two vulnerabilities exploited by the tool are described in these two documents: CVE-2024-38202 and CVE-2024-21302. Microsoft has already closed the latter, but remains aware of the former and is still working to address that one as well. How to protect yourself Now, to be fair, Windows Downdate is meant to be used for researching and testing various vulnerabilities. And it’s not like you can use to willy-nilly attack anyone you want — Alon Leviev certainly wouldn’t have published this tool if hackers could use it to attack others. Rest assured that Windows Downdate must be launched by the Windows user themself in order to downgrade their Windows PC. It cannot be used to execute a downgrade remotely. But that doesn’t mean hackers won’t try. They might try to adapt the tool into a malicious executable, then send it to people in hopes that they’ll unknowingly run it and compromise their own systems. Related: Simple actions that keep you much safer online Which means keeping yourself safe from this particular downgrade tool involves paying special attention to emails and links from unknown senders who want you to download unsolicited files. Furthermore, never download files from any website that you don’t trust 100 percent. As long as you never run Windows Downdate on your own PC, you’re safe. You should also always use up-to-date virus scanners, which can recognize and warn you about malicious files. https://www.pcworld.com/article/2443708/alert-this-hacker-tool-opens-old-security-holes-in-windows-how-to-protect-yourself.html

Your eyes don't deceive you: the Bazzite-powered EmuDeck Machine Mini PC launched today on Indieogogo is a few logos and steps removed from a Sega Dreamcast— though it's larger, with each size of its "square" measuring 8.7 inches compared to Dreamcast's longest side measuring 7.75 inches. The EmuDeck Machine, in both its EM1 and EM2 configurations, includes four USB Type-A slots occupying the front "controller" ports of this Mini PC, half USB 2 and USB 3, judging by their color. The chassis also includes physical power and reset buttons, though no disc drive despite its distinct shape. But let's not ignore the elephant in the room: if you're a Steam Deck user, you may have used EmuDeck software before. User "dragoonDorise," who launched the EmuDeck Machines on the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo, is also one of many parties responsible for maintaining EmuDeck, a well-known frontend for installing and configuring multiple emulators for Steam Deck and other handhelds like it. The base model of the EmuDeck Machine uses an Intel N97 CPU to emulate retro games up through the PS2 and Wii, with mixed-to-no playable results beyond that. Meanwhile, the upgraded EM2 model uses AMD's budget desktop king, the Ryzen 5 8600G, and can target cutting-edge emulation in Switch/Xbox 360/PS3 titles while also having acceptable performance in modern, native PC games. Well...on paper, anyway. This Mini PC still needs to be prototyped and funded, but its nostalgic appearance and low footprint shouldn't prevent it from targeting its intended spec. The space not occupied by a bulky CD or DVD drive of olden console days can now be occupied by a larger air cooler, fan, or both. The project is asking for $69,710 in flexible funding by its end date on October 28, with $16K already accumulated on its first day. If all goes according to the somewhat ambitious timeline on the Indiegogo page, this PC could start shipping as soon as December, and stock has already been acquired for all the hardware. Meanwhile, prototyping for the 3D CAD model, 3D print testing, and more still need to be completed in the coming months. Early bird pricing for the two models on Indiegogo starts at $331 for the EM1 and $675 for the EM2. This price point has already drawn some criticism, particularly from the EM1, which competes with Steam Deck and plenty of used PCs at its price point. However, you're also paying for form factor and other considerations with devices like these. Though, if you don't care for retro game emulation or the form factor, this pricing for these specs could be a lot to ask. https://www.tomshardware.com/desktops/mini-pcs/dreamcast-inspired-mini-pc-is-designed-to-play-your-favorite-console-games-emudeck-machine-features-up-to-a-ryzen-5-8600g-cpu-16gb-ddr5-6000-ram-and-512gb-nvme-ssd

Namibia, a country known for its rich wildlife and stunning landscapes, is on the edge. It is facing a shortage of food due to drought, a crisis which has forced the government to take a controversial step to kill more than 700 wild animals, including hippos and elephants, to provide meat to its people. This drastic action comes as the nation struggles with the worst drought in a century, pushing millions of people towards hunger and severe food shortages, reported Al Jazeera. UN raises alarm on Namibia's humanitarian crisis The United Nations has highlighted the dire situation in Namibia, with a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres describing it as a "humanitarian crisis we've never spoken much of" during a media conference on Friday. The drought has wiped out about 84 per cent of the country’s food reserves, leaving nearly half of Namibia’s 2.5 million people at risk of severe food shortages from July to September. In response to this crisis, the Namibian government has turned to its natural resources, specifically its wildlife, to help feed the hungry. The worst drought in 100 years devastates Southern Africa Southern Africa is experiencing its worst drought in decades, which began in October 2023. Rising temperatures, worsened by climate change and the El Niño weather phenomenon, have resulted in very low rainfall. In February, when the region usually gets most of its rain, it received less than 20 per cent of what was needed, according to experts. Namibia, along with Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Zambia, has declared a state of emergency due to the severe drought. Namibia’s economy relies heavily on agriculture and livestock, both of which are suffering greatly due to the lack of rain. This is not the first time the country has faced such a challenge; between 2013 and 2019, authorities declared drought emergencies three times. However, the current drought is far worse, leading to widespread hunger and malnutrition, especially among children under five. https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/namibia-s-drought-crisis-over-700-wild-animals-to-be-killed-for-food-124083100433_1.html

PARIS: Ukraine´s sporting infrastructure has been dealt a “devastating blow” since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, but the government is determined to rebuild its sports infrastructure, Sports Minister Matviy Bidnyi told AFP. By the end of the Paris Olympics earlier this month, nearly 500 athletes and coaches had lost their lives among the thousands of casualties. Around 520 sports facilities had either been damaged or destroyed. Bidnyi, 44, said ahead of the Paralympics it was imperative the future sporting talent, whether able-bodied or disabled, had good training facilities within Ukraine. Many Olympians and Paralympians sought safe haven elsewhere -- for example fencer Olga Kharlan and her sabre teammates went to Italy while Artem Manko, a para fencer who won silver in Tokyo three years ago, accepted an invitation from his German counterparts. “The war has dealt a devastating blow to our sports infrastructure, destroying hundreds of facilities and taking the lives of many athletes and coaches,” said Bidnyi in replies sent by email. “However, the resilience of our sports community is remarkable. “We are determined to rebuild a convenient and functional sports infrastructure after victory and to ensure that young talents continue to have opportunities for development and success. “The war has only strengthened our resolve to support and nurture the next generation of athletes.” Bidnyi, whose own sporting penchant is bodybuilding, said Kharlan´s remarkable comeback in the sabre bronze medal match at the Paris Olympics -- she went on to take gold in the team event -- represents “the will to win, which has become a defining characteristic of Ukrainians.” He said that the 12 medals -- including three gold -- that Ukraine won at the Olympics and whatever medals come in the Paralympics send “a powerful message to the world.” “It demonstrates that despite aggression and attempts to destroy our nation, Ukraine stands firm and is capable of astounding the world,” he said. The victories in the sporting arena “show that Ukraine will fight, no matter the circumstances”. Bidnyi, who has been in his present role since November last year, argued that Ukrainian success destroyed the narrative Russia wants the world to accept. “For Russia, our success is a reminder that their attempts to destroy Ukraine and disrupt the global order have failed,” he said. “Our athletes are showing the world that Ukraine not only survives but thrives and succeeds.” The Olympic and Paralympic medallists´ efforts do not go unrewarded -- a gold medallist receives $125,000, $80,000 is paid for silver, and $55,000 for a bronze. “This reward is intended to support them in their future endeavours and as a token of gratitude from the nation,” Bidnyi said. While they enjoy the financial rewards Bidnyi says the Olympians and the Paralympians deliver something hugely important to their compatriots in the war-torn country. “The success of our Olympians has provided a significant morale boost to the people of Ukraine,” he said. “In times of war, every victory, especially on such a prestigious platform as the Olympics, becomes a source of inspiration and hope. “Seeing our athletes compete and win under the Ukrainian flag is a powerful motivator to keep fighting.” There was no better example of that than the first Sunday of the athletics when Ukraine won three medals. Yaroslava Mahuchikh won the high jump and Iryna Gerashchenko claimed bronze. Minutes later, Mykhaylo Kokhan came third in the men´s hammer. https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1225487-ukrainian-sport-will-recover-from-devastating-blow-sports-minister

Scientists on Saturday said they have developed a simple blood test that can predict 30-year cardiovascular disease risks for women. Research supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the US found that measuring two types of fat in the bloodstream, along with C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, can predict a woman’s risk for cardiovascular disease decades later. “We can’t treat what we don’t measure, and we hope these findings move the field closer to identifying even earlier ways to detect and prevent heart disease,” said Paul M Ridker, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston. For the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the team collected blood samples and medical information from 27,939 healthcare providers living in the US who participated in the Women’s Health Study. Women, who started the study between 1992-1995 at an average age of 55, were followed for 30 years. During this period, 3,662 study participants experienced a heart attack, stroke, surgery to restore circulation, or a cardiovascular-related death. Researchers assessed how high-sensitivity CRP, along with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and lipoprotein(a) -- a lipid partly made of LDL -- singularly and collectively predicted these events. When all three measures were assessed together, participants with the highest levels had more than a 1.5-times increased associated risk for stroke and more than a 3-times increased associated risk for coronary heart disease compared to women with the lowest levels. While only women were assessed in this study, they would expect to find similar results in men. “In recent years, we’ve learned more about how increased levels of inflammation can interact with lipids to compound cardiovascular disease risks,” said Ahmed AK Hasan, programme director at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). “This helps explain why lower levels are often better.” The researchers suggest regular physical activity, a heart-healthful diet, manage stress, avoid tobacco and quit smoking to minimise heart disease risk. https://zeenews.india.com/health/heart-disease-prediction-simple-blood-test-reveals-your-next-30-year-lifestyle-study-shows-2785878

In a short time, Indian rapper Hanumankind has rapidly risen as a standout in the country's burgeoning hip-hop scene. His track Big Dawgs not only topped global charts but also briefly outpaced Kendrick Lamar's diss track Not Like Us. The BBC explores the rapper's meteoric rise to fame. In the video for Big Dawgs, 31-year-old Sooraj Cherukat, also known as Hanumankind, exudes boundless energy. Shot inside a maut ka kuan (well of death) - a jaw-dropping show where drivers perform gravity-defying stunts inside a giant wooden barrel-like structure - he stomps around the pit as a group of motorists zip past him. The song, a collaboration with producer Kalmi Reddy and director Bijoy Shetty, has earned over 132 million streams on Spotify and 83 million views on YouTube since its July release, catapulting Cherukat to global fame. On the outside, Cherukat's music follows the hip-hop template of delivering hard-edged stories of street life through explicit lyrics and raw prose. But a closer inspection reveals a rapper, who uses his music to straddle his distinct identities. Born in the southern Indian state of Kerala, Cherukat spent his childhood crisscrossing the world - mostly because of his father who works with a leading oil company - and has lived in France, Nigeria, Egypt and Dubai. But he spent his formative years in Houston, Texas - and it was here that his musical career took shape.Unlike the well-known East and West Coast rap rivalry in the US, Houston also has a distinctive hip-hop culture that stands out in its own right. In Houston’s hip-hop scene, cough syrup is the drug of choice. Its dizzying effect led to the creation of the "screwed-up" remix, where tracks are slowed down to reflect the syrup's influence. Cherukat has often talked about how his music is an implicit nod to Texas hip-hop legends such as DJ Screw, UGK, Big Bunny and Project Pat, who he grew up listening to. Although their influence is clear in his rap, his style evolved further after he returned to India in 2021 after dropping out of college. He earned a business degree and worked at firms like Goldman Sachs before realising it wasn't for him. That's when he decided to pursue rapping full-time, a passion he had previously only pursued on the side. Much like his personal life, Cherukat's music also reflects his effort to shed his cosmopolitan identity and reconnect with his Indian roots. His songs often boldly explore the struggles of southern Indian street life, blending hard-hitting vocal delivery with catchy rhythms. Occasionally, tabla beats and synthesisers complement his verses. "We got issues in our nation cause there's parties at war," he sneers in a song called Genghis, which was shot in the lanes of Bengaluru, where he lives.In Big Dawgs, Cherukat offers an alternative to the bling and opulence associated with mainstream rap by ditching flashy cars and choosing to focus on small city stuntmen, who come from poor families and are part of a dying art-form in India. "These are the people that are the real risk-takers...Those are the big dogs, for real," he told Complex website. But even though the combative energy of his music has managed to turn heads, he has received criticism too. Some feel his songs are less impactful for Indian listeners. Unlike many peers who rap in vernacular languages, Cherukat sings in English, which may limit his resonance with non-English-speaking audiences. Others criticise him for mimicking Western artists too closely and adopting a tokenistic approach to his Indian identity. "His song cast Indians and South Asians as serious players in the Western rap scene which is great," said Abid Haque, a PhD student in New Jersey. "But he sounds too much like an American rapper lifted out of context into the Indian scene. While the Big Dawgs music video relied on an Indian aesthetic, the lyrics and music feel divorced from an Indian reality," he added. It's a duality that's, arguably, also found in Cherukat's own understanding of his work. On one hand, returning to India has been a way of navigating his sense of belonging: "I think it really moulded me as someone who never really had a place to call home... and that kind of shaped the way I perceive music, people, and culture," he told Complex. But he also insists on viewing himself from a wider vantage: "I’m not an Indian rapper, but I’m a rapper from India," he's said in earlier interviews, explaining that he places himself outside of the country's thriving hip-hop scene.The rapper has faced a barrage of racist comments online for his unique style. Some international listeners struggle to accept that he is from India because he doesn't "look or sound" like their expectations. Meanwhile, his Indian audience pillories him for the same reasons, wishing he conformed more to their image of Indian identity. But it is this exact placelessness of his work that fans have come to love so much. To them, he is a genre-hopping street poet who took the old hip hop traditions he grew up with and injected it with fresh social commentary. "He isn’t trying to cater to an Indian audience, which shows in his music and he is unapologetic about it," said Arnab Ghosh, a psychiatrist based in Delhi who recently discovered Hanumankind through Big Dawgs. "When I listen to his music it can be from anywhere in the world. That sort of universality is appealing to me." Overcoming expectations of what a South Asian rapper can achieve and establishing himself on his own terms might be Cherukat's greatest triumph - and challenge. As he once said: "You keep certain things as your roots, but it’s up to you to adapt to the environment and go with the flow, as long as you don’t compromise on integrity." https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2ljxj3wrxo

In most city builders I usually wind up feeling like an urban planner or a mayor. In Memoriapolis, which launched into early access on Steam today, I feel more like a god-emperor because the city I'm managing isn't just going to grow and expand for a few years or decades or even centuries, but for millenia. There's a bit of Civ in this new strategy city builder, in other words. You're doing some traditional survival city builder stuff by building farms, quarries, and woodcutters, harvesting resources and using them to expand, setting up trade routes and expanding your buildable territory—but you're also shaping your city's culture and managing mega-construction projects called "Wonders" as you grow from the age of antiquity to medieval times and beyond. I played a bit of Memoriapolis this week and it's doing some interesting stuff. You don't have to micromanage quite as much as in most other city builders, though that's a bit of a double-edged sword. You don't build roads or dictate the borders of farms and residential areas: place a farm and your itty bitty farmers will begin plowing fields and growing crops without your help, and neighborhoods will begin to rise around your city center all on their own. It's got a nice, organic feel to it and it's enjoyable to watch your city take shape, but one of the joys of builders, generally, is making all those little decisions yourself. You do have to manage your city's resources, from lumber to food to gold, and make sure the conditions are right for your city to prosper and attract more citizens. Factions quickly begin arriving: in my game my city became home to nearly a dozen different groups like Spartans, Carthaginians, Thracians, Epicureans, and more I dimly remember from my long-ago school days. Each faction has its own interests and desires, which can be reflected in the city you're building. If you want to keep a military faction happy you might build an arena or gladiator training facility like the Ludus Magnus, while building a college would appeal to eggheads like the Hippocratic Doctors. Each faction can be taxed separately, too, which gives you another avenue of appealing to them (or pissing them off). These factions also play a part when you've built your senate and want to start passing laws. I really wanted to pass a "Love Your Neighbor" decree because there was some growing tension among the various religious groups in my city, but since my four biggest and most influential factions were all military in nature, they weren't too hot on the love stuff and the chances of it passing were pretty low. They were happy to vote for a city-wide curfew, however. I'm sure appeasing military strongmen won't come back to bite me, ever. There are also world events to participate in. Macedonia asked me if I'd help it besiege Amphipolis—without checking my history books I will assume it's an aquatic city of fish people—in exchange for a new prison filled with slaves. That didn't sit right with me, so I defended Greece, which granted me a different building to add to my roster. Later, the Greeks, emboldened by my assistance, prepared to go apeshit on Rome. I sided with them. I'm tired of hearing about Rome. Sack it! These types of events can cost resources and have other effects: by staying friends with the powerful Greeks, my city's safety rating went way up and my citizens morale did, too. Again, I suspect the Greeks going ham across Europe might have negative consequences for me later. As my city grew I eventually started construction on a Wonder, the Sassi di Matera, which takes massive amounts of resources to build. Luckily I'd started dabbling in trade early on, building a marketplace and establishing merchant routes between off-screen cities (except the one I lost by letting Rome fall) so I could buy all the materials I never researched and produced myself. Building a wonder lets you advance to the next age, where your city can continue growing. https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/build-an-empire-that-will-last-for-thousands-of-years-in-strategy-city-builder-memoriapolis/

Oppo Find X7 lineup was launched in January with features such as a 32-megapixel selfie shooter, 5,000mAh battery, and 100W charging support. Now, Oppo seems to be preparing to unveil the Find X8 lineup with at least three models — Oppo Find X8, Find X8 Pro, and Find X8 Ultra. While the launch details of the Find X8 series remain unclear, a prominent tipster has suggested that the phones will get a new button. Meanwhile, the Apple iPhone 16 series is also highly speculated to come with a similar dedicated capture button. Oppo Find X8 Series May Get an Extra Button Tipster Ice Universe posted an alleged render of the Oppo Find X8 on X showcasing its side view. The render shows the device with an additional button located on the lower part of the device called 'Quick Button'. The arrangement of the button on the right side of the frame indicates that it could be a dedicated camera button. Additionally, a similar leaked marketing material shared by a Weibo user (@Technology BiuBiu Car) hints that the Quick Button will offer multiple functions in camera mode, picture viewing mode, and game mode. According to the machine translation of this poster, the button can be tapped to click a picture in camera mode. The poster suggests that a long press will allow you to shoot while sliding across the button to zoom in and out. In picture viewing mode, sliding a finger on the button could allow you to scroll through the photos. In game mode, this button can be long-pressed for continuous shooting.The iPhone 16 series, which is expected to go official on September 9, is highly speculated to get a similar dedicated capture button for photos and videos. Sony's few Xperia phones already feature capture buttons. https://www.gadgets360.com/mobiles/news/oppo-find-x8-quick-capture-button-render-marketing-material-leak-6452033

Last week, Google released Chrome 128 and patched a zero-day vulnerability with it. Now, Google has released updates to Chrome 128 that fix four security vulnerabilities (none of which have been exploited in the wild yet). Other Chromium-based browsers are likely to follow soon. In the Chrome Releases blog update, Prudhvikumar Bommana lists the four patched vulnerabilities that were discovered by external security researchers and reported to Google. All four vulnerabilities are categorized as “high risk” by Google. The type confusion issue in the V8 JavaScript engine was included twice this week (CVE-2024-7969, CVE-2024-8194). The other two vulnerabilities are also siblings: they are buffer overflows in the open-source 2D graphics library Skia (CVE-2024-8193, CVE-2024-8198). Chrome usually updates itself automatically when a new version is available, but if your browser hasn’t updated yet, you can trigger it with a manual update check: open the three-dot menu and navigate to Help > About Google Chrome. Other Chromium-based browsers As of now, other Chromium-based browsers are still catching up. Brave and Microsoft Edge have already made the switch to Chromium 128 but are only up to last week’s security level. Meanwhile, Opera version 113 only just switched to Chromium 127, Vivaldi version 6.8 still relies on the Extended Stable Channel of Chromium version 126, and Vivaldi version 6.9 is up-to-date as it’s now based on the latest Chromium 128. All four browsers are secured against the CVE-2024-7971 zero-day vulnerability from the previous week. https://www.pcworld.com/article/2442474/chrome-update-fixes-high-risk-security-vulnerabilities-vivaldi-follows-suit.html

Recently, Raspberry Pi LTD released the Raspberry Pi RP2350, a microcontroller intended for use with Raspberry Pi Pico 2 and third-party RP2350-based products [h/t Hackaday]. Unfortunately, a hardware bug was quickly found with the pull-up resistors onboard, which have faulty voltage control. Basically, when GPIO pins go to 3.3 volts, they don't go back to 0 volts afterward and are stuck at 2.1 volts. This is because of unintended latching behavior, which prevents the GPIO pins from being pulled to ground their charge. The issue was originally discovered by Ian Lesnet, who goes by Bus Pirate on Mastodon. The bug was subsequently added to the official RP2350 datasheet, which also notes that the issue impacts pull-up SWD pads but not QSPI pads. QSPI pads aren't affected because they don't have the faulty circuitry. USB PHY pull-down resistors also aren't impacted. But what can owners of this microcontroller do about the problem? There's an official solution from Raspberry Pi LTD and a separate one from Lesnet. The Bus Pirate solution involves adding external pull-down resistors, which increases board size but otherwise fixes the problem. The Raspberry Pi solution, meanwhile, is to enable an input buffer before a read and disable it afterward. The Bus Pirate solution may be better unless you really need to use the internal pull-down resistors as-is for some reason. As Hackaday notes, Pi engineer Luke Wren has blamed an external IP block vendor for the issue not being caught during validation tests. For this reason, Hackaday recommends using the RP2350 A0 as an "engineering sample" and sticking with the A3 or B0 versions for actual production. Hopefully for Raspberry Pi project enthusiasts and the organization itself, a revision of this microcontroller that fixes this voltage issue completely will be released soon, though for now it should be considered a known issue. The chip is being used in lots of devices— including my favorite, keychain console "Thumby Color". https://www.tomshardware.com/raspberry-pi/raspberry-pi-rp2350-microcontroller-has-a-bug-that-causes-faulty-pull-down-behavior-on-resistors

Washington: Naming others is considered a marker of highly advanced cognition in social animals, previously observed only in humans, bottlenose dolphins and African elephants. Marmoset monkeys have now joined this exclusive club, according to a new study published in Science on Thursday. The diminutive primates use loud, high-pitched calls to assign each other "vocal labels," as shown in research conducted by a team at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. "We are very interested in social behavior because we think that social behavior is essentially what drove us humans to be so special compared to other animals," senior author David Omer told AFP. "We don't run fast, we don't fly, we don't excel in anything else besides being social and all our achievements as a society are our societal achievements." Marmosets are ideal subjects to study the evolution of social behavior and language in humans, he explained, because they exhibit similar traits, living in small monogamous family groups of six to eight individuals that cooperatively rear their young. Led by graduate student Guy Oren, the researchers recorded natural conversations between pairs of marmosets separated by a visual barrier, as well as interactions between the monkeys and a computer system that played back pre-recorded calls. They discovered that marmosets use "phee calls" -- very high-pitched vocalizations, as loud as power tools -- to address one another. Notably, the monkeys could recognize when such calls were directed at them and were more likely to respond when addressed by their name. Machine learning advances The ten marmosets they tested came from three separate families, and the research also revealed that members within a family group used similar sound features to code different names, akin to dialects or accents in humans. This held true even for adult marmosets that weren't related by blood, suggesting they learned from others within the family group. Marmosets are relatively distant relatives of humans. We last shared a common ancestor around 35 million years ago, while the split between ourselves and chimpanzees could have happened 5-7 million years ago. Rather than genetic proximity, Omer attributes the acquisition of vocal labels by marmosets to "convergent evolution," or the idea that they evolved similar traits in response to comparable environmental challenges. For marmosets, vocal labeling may have been crucial for maintaining social bonds and group cohesion in the dense rainforests of South America, where visibility is often limited. How and when humans first began talking is a matter of debate, but until recently many scientists had dismissed the idea we could look to other primates for clues. Omer stressed the latest research was yet another blow to that long-standing opinion. "We can still learn a lot from non-human primates about the evolution of language in humans," he said. Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com The team's statistical analysis of the marmosets' calls was made possible by recent advancements in computational power and machine learning, he added. Looking ahead, one exciting avenue for future research could be leveraging AI to further decipher the content of marmoset conversations. https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/like-humans-these-animals-give-each-other-names-6450766

Afghanistan's Taliban government has banned mixed martial arts (MMA), saying it is incompatibile with Islamic law. An official from the Taliban's sports authority, speaking to local broadcaster TOLOnews on Tuesday, said that MMA was too violent and posed a risk of death. The order was passed down by Afghanistan's morality police in the Taliban's Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. It comes after an investigation into the sport's compliance with Islamic law, or Sharia. "It was found that the sport is problematic with respect to Sharia and it has many aspects which are contradictory to the teachings of Islam," the Taliban's General Directorate on Physical Education and Sport said in a statement sent to the AFP news agency. "That’s why this decision has been made." MMA is a po[CENSORED]r sport among young people in Afghanistan, and garnered a passionate local fan base in the two decades leading up to the Taliban's return to power in 2021. The Mixed Martial Arts Federation was founded in 2008, while the Afghanistan Fighting Championship (AFC) and Truly Grand Fighting Championship (TGFC) held dozens of fights. Although it does not seem to have been specifically named in official decrees, MMA has been under severe pressure ever since the Taliban took over. Competitions were effectively outlawed in 2021 when the Taliban introduced legislation prohibiting "face-punching". Some fighters also complained of threats and harassment from Taliban officials, according to interviews published in MMA publications. Yet the authorities did appear to soften their stance on some occasions. In 2022, leading fighter Ahmad Wali Hotak was able to hold a press conference in the capital Kabul to announce an upcoming fight, which he won in Russia. On his return to Afghanistan, he was met by government figures who posed for photographs. Most competitors, however, had long left the country before this latest announcement. MMA has not yet been recognised by the International Olympic Committee, primarily due to safety concerns. Four of the 11 Afghan who competed in sports at the Paris Games, on either the national or the Refugee Olympic teams, were originally martial arts athletes. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0qe4jk32xeo

Raymond Lifestyle will likely list during the first week of September 2024, said brokerage reports post company's analyst meet . The firm anticipates doubling its EBITDA to over ₹20 billion by FY28 and is forecasting for 12–15% sales growth in the lifestyle sector, said analysts. Raymond Lifestyle recently held a plant tour and analyst gathering at its Vapi, Gujarat facility. The brokerage highlighted in its reports thatthe company's development would be driven by increasing its EBO network, taking advantage of the opportunities presented by China and Bangladesh+1, expanding into new categories including sleepwear and innerwear, and growing its wedding wear business. As a component of the corporate restructuring, Raymond split its lifestyle business off into a distinct company. Shareholders of Raymond will be given four equity shares of Raymond Lifestyle for every five shares they currently hold in Raymond. Additionally, Raymond revealed the separation of its real estate business into another company called Raymond Realty. The Raymond Group will now comprise three publicly traded entities: Lifestyle, Real Estate, and the existing entity (engineering). Let's review the brokerage's analysis of the company's business, valuations, and investment rationale. Motilal Oswal Financial Services The brokerage reports that Raymond has been actively engaged in selling the FMCG business, separating the Lifestyle Business, restructuring the Real Estate Business, and setting up an engineering unit post the Maini Precision (MPPL) acquisition. These actions are anticipated to generate shareholder value for each business through effective management, cash optimisation, and cost and WC optimisation. “We estimate 6% revenue/EBITDA growth for FY24-26, led by branded apparel and garmenting segments and cashflow supported by branded textiles. FY24 ROE/ROCE figures stood at 10/32%, as per the company. We ascribe EV/EBITDA of 15x on FY26 (implied PE of 28x) to arrive at a valuation of ₹159 billion (per share price of ₹2,610),” the brokerage said. According to the brokerage, Raymond Lifestyle is a play on the enormous potential in Indian weddings, textiles, exports, and styling. It aims for a CAGR of 12–15%/16–17% in EBITDA and sales between FY24 and FY28. CAGRs of 18–20% in its clothing and accessories businesses (~40% revenue mix) and 7-8% in its high ROCE textiles sector (~50% mix) are probably going to drive topline growth. With 400 locations, Raymond Lifestyle aspires to be 10 times larger than Ethnix, compared to FY24's 114 outlets, which brought in ₹1 billion. “Given ₹2 billion capex toward garmenting, the company would stand among the global top-3 in our view, with 10mn capacity. Garmenting enjoys macro tailwinds backed by diversification of global supply chains and potential FTAs. Despite faster growth in the relatively lower-margin non-textile businesses, Raymond Lifestyle sees steady margin gain, with branded apparel/garmenting scale-up. It is a netdebt free player, expected to be listed by mid Sep-24,” the brokerage said. The report from the brokerage mentioned that according to its assessment, important factors to monitor would include expanding the range of branded clothing and the ethnic portfolio, as well as the performance in new product categories such as innerwear and sleepwear. “We expect Raymond Lifestyle to deliver revenue/ EBITDA CAGR of 13%/ 15% over FY24-27E. Using SoTP-based valuation, we expect Raymond Lifestyle's fair valuation to be ₹180 billion on FY27 estimates. The stock is expected to list in Sep'24,” said the brokerage house. https://www.livemint.com/market/stock-market-news/raymond-lifestyle-to-list-on-bourses-in-september-first-week-analysts-decode-likely-valuations-business-more-11724999492732.html

A total of 103 hostages remain unaccounted for after being kidnapped by Hamas on 7 October last year. According to Israel, 251 Israelis and foreigners were taken during the 7 October attacks. Israel gives an official figure of 103 hostages still being held in Gaza because it includes four people taken hostage in 2014 and 2015. Two of these are believed to have died. Who are the released Israeli hostages? 'I’m not ready to lose hope': The hostages still in Gaza These are the stories of those hostages who are still being held, which have either been confirmed by the BBC or credibly reported. This list is regularly updated and names may change, as some people feared kidnapped are confirmed to have been killed or released.Alexander Trupanov, was taken hostage with his mother Lena Trupanov, 50, his partner Sapir Cohen, 29, and his grandmother Irina Tati, 73. All were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz as they spent the Sabbath together, according to a statement by Canada's Raoul Wallenburg Center for Human Rights. Irina and Lena were released on Wednesday 29 November and Sapir was freed the next day. Ariel Cunio, his girlfriend Arbel Yahud are also thought to have been abducted in the same attack on Nir Oz. Eitan Cunio, Ariel's brother who escaped Hamas, told the Jewish Chronicle that his last message from Ariel said: "We are in a horror movie." David Cunio, 33, another of Ariel's brothers, was also kidnapped from Nir Oz, family say. David's wife Sharon Aloni Cunio and their three-year-old twin daughters Ema and Yuly were released on 27 November. Sharon's sister Daniele Aloni, and her six-year-old daughter Emilia were both released on 24 November. Doron Steinbrecher, 30, a veterinary nurse, was in her apartment in Kibbutz Kfar Aza when Hamas attacked, the Times of Israel reported. At 10:30 on 7 October, the newspaper said, she sent a voice message to friends: "They've arrived, they have me."Naama Levy, 19, was filmed being bundled into a jeep, her hands tied behind her back. The footage was released by Hamas and circulated widely on social media. According to her mother, the teenager had just begun her military service. Yousef Zyadna, a 53-year-old Bedouin dairy farmer, was abducted from Kibbutz Holit and taken to Gaza along with his sons Hamza, 22, and Bilal, 18, and his daughter, Aisha, 16. Aisha and Bilal were released on Thursday 30 November. Elad Katzir, 47, was abducted from Nir Oz with his mother, Hanna. The IDF said it had recovered his body from Gaza on 6 April after he was "murdered in captivity" by Islamic Jihad. Hanna was released in November. Ohad Ben Ami, 55, was kidnapped from Be'eri with his wife, Raz. She was released by Hamas on 29 November. Twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, 26, were taken from Kfar Aza. Ziv was messaging a friend as the attack happened. Their family said the IDF has told them the brothers are being held in Gaza. Their brother Liran told CBN news the pair had "twin power" and were the centre of attention wherever they went. Iraq-born Shlomo Mansour, 85, was taken captive from Kibbutz Kissufim, where he lived and worked as a chicken coop manager. His wife, Mazal, managed to escape. Daniela Gilboa, 19, sent messages saying that Kibbutz Nahal Oz, where she was staying, was under attack and asked her mother to pray for her. Her boyfriend, Roy Dadon, told the Economist 1843 magazine that he believes he saw a glimpse of her in a video showing three girls being driven away in the back of an SUV. IDF soldier Matan Angrest, 21, was on duty on 7 October and is presumed to be in Gaza. Eli Sharabi, 55 was taken from Be'eri with his brother, Yosi, since confirmed dead. Eli's wife and two daughters were murdered in the attack. Ofir Engel, the boyfriend of Yosi's daughter, Yuval, was also taken, but released on 29 November. Agam Berger, 19, was kidnapped from Nahal Oz. She was seen being taken away in videos released by Hamas. Edan Alexander, 19, is an Israeli-US citizen who volunteered to join the Israeli army. He was serving near the Gaza border at the time of Hamas's attack. Edan's family said they had been told by Israeli officials that he had been taken to Gaza as a hostage. Kaid Farhan Elkadi, 52, lives with his family south of Rahat and worked as a security guard, according to Israeli media. He was rescued in August in a "complex operation in the southern Gaza Strip", according to the Israeli military. Matan Zanguaker, 24, was taken with his partner Ilana Gritzewsky, 30, from Nir Oz, according to Ilana's father. Ilana, a Mexican national, was released on Thursday 30 November.Eitan Horn, 37, and his brother Yair, 45, both Argentinian citizens, were also in Nir Oz at the time of the attack. Their father Itzik said he believes they were kidnapped. Yair is a construction worker while Eitan works in education. Keith Seigel, 64, and his wife Adrienne - often known as Aviva - Seigel, 62, were taken from their home in Kfar Aza, Keith's brother Lee Seigel told the BBC. Adrienne was released on 26 November. Omri Miran, 46, lived in Nahal Oz with his wife and two daughters. Omri was led away by Hamas with his hands tied, his wife Lishay told the Guardian newspaper. She told him not to be a hero, urging: "Do whatever they want because I want you back."Bipin Joshi, 23, a Nepalese student, is believed to have been taken from Kibbutz Alumim. Nepalese newspaper Setopati says he was one of 49 university students studying agriculture in Israel. It says 10 students were killed in the attack. Ilan Weiss, 58, went missing from Kibbutz Be'eri after he was last seen leaving the house to defend the community. On 25 November, his wife Shiri Weiss, 53, and their daughter, Noga, 18, were freed from captivity in a hostage deal. Oded Lifshitz, 83, and his wife Yocheved, 85 were taken hostage from Nir Oz. On Monday 23 October, Yocheved was one of two elderly women to be freed. After hearing the news of her mother's release, their daughter Sharone - a London-based artist - said: "While I cannot put into words the relief that she is now safe, I will remain focused on securing the release of my father and all those - some 200 innocent people - who remain hostages in Gaza." Omer Neutra, a 22-year-old Israeli-American and grandson of Holocaust survivors, put off plans to go to college in the US to study in Israel, and eventually joined the IDF. He was serving as a tank commander near Gaza when Hamas attacked. Omer's parents say they were told by the Israeli embassy that he had been kidnapped. Mati Danzig Alex Danzig lecturingMati Danzig Alex Danzig has spent decades educating people about the Holocaust Itzhk Elgarat, 68, was kidnapped at the same time as Alex Danzig, his brother Danny Elgert told Israel's Kan 11 TV station, adding that he had tracked his brother's phone to the border with Gaza. Gadi Moses, 79, was also abducted during the same attack on Nir Oz, according to relatives and the Israeli aid agency where he worked as an agricultural expert. Efrat Katz, his partner, was initially thought to have been captured as well, but she was later found dead, the Times of Israel reported. Efrat was the mother of Doron Asher, who was taken hostage and later released with her two daughters. Ravid Katz, 51, Doron Asher's brother, was originally thought to have been taken hostage from Nir Oz, but on 28 November his family confirmed that he had been killed on 7 October. Nimrod Cohen, 19, had studied software engineering in high school, according to reports. After he was kidnapped, his father was invited to meet Pope Francis in Rome along with other hostages' families. Tsachi Idan, 51, was last seen by his wife, Gali, as he was taken away by Hamas gunmen. Their family had been ambushed in their safe room in Nahal Oz. Their ordeal was live-streamed by Hamas. Their eldest child, Maayan - who had just turned 18 - was shot dead, Gali told the BBC. Family handout Tsachi IdanFamily handout Tsachi Idan was ambushed with his wife and children and then led away Yarden Bibas, 34, was abducted from Nir Oz. His wife, Shiri, and their two young children, Ariel and Kfir, were also taken hostage, but on 29 November, Hamas claimed they had been killed in an Israeli air strike while in captivity. The Israeli government has said it is checking the claim. Ronen Engel, 54, was taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz along with his wife, Karina Engelbert, 51, and their two daughters, Mika, 18 and Yuval, 11. On 1 December, the organisation representing the families said he had been murdered. Karina, Mika and Yuval were released on 27 November. Karina Ariev, a 19-year-old soldier, was serving at an army base near Gaza when she was kidnapped. Her sister Alexandra told the BBC she heard shooting as Karina called her during the attack, and later saw a video showing Karina being taken away in a vehicle. Family Handout A family photo of Karina Ariev, kidnapped from an Israeli military base near GazaFamily Handout Karina Ariev was at the Nahal Oz military base, which was among the first to be attacked Ofer Kalderon, 53, was taken by Hamas from Nir Oz. On 27 November his two children, Erez, 12, and Sahar, 16, were released. Two other relatives, 80-year-old Carmela Dan and her granddaughter, Noya, 12, were also believed to have been taken, but Israeli authorities later announced they had been found dead. Omri Miran, 46, was abducted after his family opened the door to their secure shelter to an Israeli child, who said he would be killed otherwise. Omri's wife, Lishay Lavi, said she saw him being taken away in handcuffs with three other hostages from Nahal Oz. Liri Elbag, 18, had just started military training as an Army lookout near the Gaza border when Hamas attacked, her father Eli told the Associated Press. Eli said he saw her in a video circulated later by Hamas, crowded with others on the back of a military truck which had been seized by the gunmen. Short presentational grey line A number of people are believed to have been abducted from the Supernova music festival in southern Israel. Among them: Alexander Lobanov, 32, is a Russian-Israeli citizen who was kidnapped at the festival. Ori Danino, 25, is reported to have got away from the festival in his car, but it's believed he was captured after turning back in an attempt to save some people he had met there. Almog Sarusi, 26, was kidnapped from the music festival and his partner Shahar Gindi was killed, according to Israeli media. Almog's father, Yigal, was among the relatives of hostages who met with Israel's prime minister in October. Omer Shem Tov, 21, called his parents as he was running away from gunfire and managed to get into a friend's car. His parents, Shelly and Malki Shem Tov, told Israeli media they lost contact with their son and the live location on his phone showed he was beyond the border in Gaza. Idan Shtivi, 28, an environmental sciences student, was attending the festival to take pictures at music and yoga workshops being held by friends. He escaped the site in his car but was attacked by Hamas along the route. The bodies of two of his passengers were found, and his family told the Jerusalem Post they suspect he was kidnapped. Yosef Ohana, 24, had been at the festival with a friend, who told his mother he and Yosef had remained to help people escape the gunfire before running themselves. Yosef was last seen hiding under a car, and Israeli authorities have visited his mother to say he was kidnapped. Avinatan Or, 30, appeared in a video being marched away from his girlfriend Noa Argamani by Hamas, the Times of Israel reported. The IDF said on 8 June that Noa Argamani was rescued from central Gaza, along with three others. Family handout Eden YerushalmiFamily handout Eden Yerushalmi's family say they were told she had been taken hostage Eden Yerushalmi, 24, called her family during Hamas's attack on the festival, her sister May told CBS News. The family say they were subsequently informed by the IDF that Eden had been abducted. Family handout Guy Gilboa-DalalFamily handout Guy Gilboa-Dalal was filmed in captivity in Gaza, his family say Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 22, attended the festival with his brother. Guy appears in a hostage video that his family say confirms he is in Gaza. Eitan Mor, 23, lives in Jerusalem, and was working as a security guard at the festival, the Times of Israel said. He reportedly texted his uncle after Hamas arrived and was last seen with a friend bringing others to safety. Alon Ohel, 22, a Serbian citizen, took refuge in a shelter after the festival came under attack, his family say. They have seen footage of him being dragged away after a grenade attack. Maxim Kharkin is aged 35 and a Russian speaker, his mother told Russian media. She added that he had called her at 07:00 on the morning of the attack. Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, a dual US-Israeli citizen, was badly injured in the attack, his family told the BBC. Eyewitness accounts say he was seen being forced onto a white pick-up truck - the last-known signal from his phone came from just inside Gaza. Segev Kalfon, 26, was running away from the festival, across the highway, when he was captured by Hamas, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. Romi Lesham Gonen, 23, was on the phone to her mother as she tried to escape from the Supernova festival. Merav Leshem Gonan has recounted a conversation in which her daughter begged for help after being shot. ABC News reports that Romi's phone is now in Gaza. Bar Kuperstein, 21, last spoke to his family early on the morning of 7 October, as the attack unfolded. Later the same day, his family say they identified him in a video of Israeli prisoners, posted by Hamas. Since then, they say they have had no further information. Eliya Cohen, 26, was hiding with his girlfriend Ziv from the attack, when Ziv felt him being pulled up and driven away by the gunmen, Eliya's mother has told the video initiative #BringThemHomeNow. The family then found a photo of Eliya in Gaza, the Times of Israel reported. Family handout Elkana BohbotFamily handout Elkana Bohbot was seen in a video posted by Hamas Elkana Bohbot, 34, had gone to the party with friends and, before losing contact, he spoke to his wife and mother telling them he was helping to evacuate the wounded, the Times of Israel reported. Hours later, his family found a video of him posted online by Hamas, which has been seen by BBC Verify. Rom Braslavski, 19, was working on security for the festival. According to an account published by Hostages and Missing Families Forum, he was trying to rescue an injured person in the attack when he was caught in a volley of fire. He has not been heard from since. Omer Wenkert, 22, a restaurant manager, sent a message to his family to say he was going to a safe shelter but then lost contact, his father Shai Wenkert told the BBC's Today Programme. Shai Wenkert said he had seen footage of his son in captivity, including a photo of him handcuffed and wearing only underwear. Family handout Evyatar DavidFamily handout Evyatar David's family say they were sent a video of him in captivity Evyatar David, 23, was at the festival and on the morning of the attacks, described fleeing from gunfire before losing contact with the outside world, his brother says. Later, his family say, Evyatar's sister posted on Instagram appealing for information about his whereabouts. She then received a text from an unknown number, which contained video footage of Evyatar handcuffed on the floor of a dark room. According to Israel's foreign ministry he is being held captive by Hamas in Gaza. Short presentational grey line Carmel Gat, 39, is Jordan's sister-in-law, and also was seen by her father being taken by gunmen from Kibbutz Be'eri, Haaretz newspaper reported. She has not been heard from since. Ohad Yahalomi, 49, was abducted from Nir Oz, along with his 12-year-old son, Eitan, who was released during the November ceasefire. Tal Shoham, 38, was taken from Kibbutz Be'eri. His wife Adi, also 38, her mother Dr Shoshan Haran, 67, were released by Hamas on 25 November, along with the couple's children Nave, eight, and Yahel, three. Dr Haran's husband, Avshalom - an economist and dual German/Israeli citizen - was killed on 7 October. Sagui Dekel-Chen, 35, an American-Israeli citizen, has been missing since Hamas's attack on Nir Oz, his father Jonathan told the BBC. He said his son was not found among the dead and the "only reasonable explanation" is that he was taken to Gaza. Jonathan Dekel-Chen Sagui Dekel-ChenJonathan Dekel-Chen Sagui Dekel-Chen's father has not heard from him since Hamas attacked the kibbutz where he lived Thailand's government says that six of its citizens are still being held hostage in Gaza. Those still being held are believed to include Watchara Sriuan, 32. His mother, Viewwaew, told the Thaiger news site that the family had been informed he was being held captive. Hostages who have died A number of other people thought to have been held hostage are now confirmed to have died, either during the 7 October attack or while in captivity. On 28 August it was announced that the body of an IDF soldier, who had been taken hostage, had been extracted from Gaza and returned to Israel. His name has not been released on request of his family. Previously, on 8 August, it was announced that the bodies of Abraham Munder, Alex Dancyg, Yagev Buchshtab, Chaim Peri, Yoram Metzger and Nadav Popplewell, who died in Hamas captivity, had been extracted from Gaza by the IDF and returned to Israel. The IDF announced on 3 June it had told the families of four men taken hostage - Amiram Cooper, Chaim Peri, Yoram Metzger and Nadav Popplewell - that they were no longer alive and their bodies were being held by Hamas. IDF soldier Itay Chen, 19, a dual US-Israeli citizen, was previously believed to be held hostage but was actually killed in the 7 October Hamas attacks, according to the IDF. It has been confirmed by Israeli authorities that Lior Rudaeff, 61, of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, was murdered on 7 October and his body was abducted to Gaza. Elyakim Libman, 24, a security guard at the Nova music festival, was also murdered on 7 October, authorities said in May. Both men were previously reported as being among the hostages held in Gaza. On 24 May, the Israeli army said that the bodies of three hostages had been recovered - Orion Hernandez, 30, Chanan Yablonka, 42, and Michel Nisenbaum, 59. A number of hostages' bodies were also found in mid-May - Shani Louk, 23, Amit Buskila, 27, Itzhak Gelerenter, 58, and Ron Benjamin, 53. The families of two Thai hostages, Sonthaya Oakkharasr and Sudthisak Rinthalak, were informed on 16 May that they were killed during the 7 October attack and their bodies were being held by Hamas in Gaza. Other hostages confirmed to have died include Gadi Haggai, Ron Scherman, Nik Beizer, Tal Chaimi, an Israeli-Romanian citizen aged 41, Joshua Mollel, a 19-year-old Tanzanian student, 27-year-old Eden Zecharya, and 36-year-old Ziv Dado. Other fatalities include Jonathan Samerano, 21, Sahar Baruch, 25, Dror Kaplun, 68, Aviv Atzili, 49, Arye Zalmanovich, 85, Ronen Engel, 54, Maya Goren, 56, Guy Iluz, 26, Ofir Tzarfati, 27, Ofra Keider, 70, and Eliyahu Margalit, 75. The bodies of 19-year-old soldier Noa Marciano and 65-year-old Yehudit Weiss were found by Israeli troops in buildings close to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. In March, the family of Uriel Baruch, 35, said they had been informed by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) that he was killed on 7 October in the attack on the Nova music festival, and that his body was being held in Gaza. He was married with two children. The death of Tamir Adar, 38, was announced on 5 January by the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum. This was followed by an announcement that Yossi Sharabi and Itay Svirsky were also dead. On 16 December 2023, the Israeli military expressed "deep remorse" after soldiers mistakenly killed three hostages in northern Gaza who had escaped from their captors. They were named as Yotam Haim, 28, Samer Talalka, 22, and Alon Shamriz, 26. Inbar Heiman, a student taken from the Nova music festival was also confirmed dead in December. Hostages whose death has been reported, but not confirmed, include Shiri Bibas, 32, and her two young children, Ariel and Kfir. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67053011

iPhone 16 series is expected to launch at an Apple event on September 9. The Cupertino-based tech giant's upcoming flagship lineup is expected to be headlined by the iPhone 16 Pro Max – the top-of-the-line model featuring the largest display and battery. Ahead of its debut, an alleged dummy unit of the handset has surfaced, showcasing the new ‘Desert Titanium' colourway that Apple is tipped to introduce as a new option this year. albeit with a slightly different tint. iPhone 16 Pro Max Dummy Unit Leak In a video posted on YouTube by the TechBoiler channel, we get a short glimpse of an alleged iPhone 16 Pro Max dummy unit in the rumoured Desert Titanium colourway. While previous leaks suggested it would have a gold tint, the dummy handset appears to lean more towards a brown finish. Similar to previous Pro models, it also features a matte-textured back panel with a chrome finish on the side rails. The iPhone 16 Pro Max dummy unit also hints at the purported handset's design. Apart from the volume, power and action buttons, it also sports a new button that is expected to arrive on this year's models. The flagship iPhone models this year are said to debut with a dedicated 'capture' button. The rear panel features a familiar triple camera setup along with an LED flash. iPhone 16 Pro Max Specifications (Expected) iPhone 16 Pro Max could get a bigger 6.9-inch screen which is claimed to have the thinnest display bezels in the industry, according to a report. It may be powered by Apple's A18 Pro chipset and will offer support for Apple Intelligence – the company's suite of artificial intelligence (AI) features.In terms of optics, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is tipped to get a new higher resolution 48-megapixel ultra-wide angle camera, while also retaining the tetraprism telephoto lens which Apple introduced with the iPhone 15 Pro Max last year. It could be backed by a 4,676mAh battery compared to the 4,441mAh battery capacity of its predecessor. https://www.gadgets360.com/mobiles/news/iphone-16-pro-max-dummy-unit-desert-titanium-colour-specifications-6444910

Google's Gemini artificial intelligence assistant will soon be able to say "hey" directly to you through your messaging apps and notifications, according to code uncovered by Android Authority. The upcoming extensions for Gemini will continue to broaden the options for connecting the Gemini AI to existing services beyond the initial options of Google Flights, Hotels, Maps, Workspace, YouTube, and YouTube Music. Extensions are a way to provide Gemini with access to your real-time personal data and improve its response to requests. The code points to that list, adding not only the first-party texting tool Google Messages but also the third-party WhatsApp. Clearly, Google doesn't plan on keeping Gemini to itself. The Google Messages extension will apparently let you read and reply to messages using voice commands with Gemini. That's not too dissimilar to what Google Assistant could do, though presumably with the same flexibility in language and phrasing provided by Gemini. The WhatsApp extension will include the same features but will be bolstered by the option to make a call through the app by asking Gemini. The last new extension dug up in the code is for Android notifications. It appears to be able to make notifications much more than the list you see on screen. Gemini might be able to organize the notifications based on what it has learned is important to you and even summarize what you've missed if there are a lot of them or if the alerts are related in some way. It would make Gemini notably more proactive as an aide than Google Assistant, As Google keeps upping the ante for what Gemini can do, it's worth noting how much pressure the company faces from what looks to be a tsunami of upgrades for its biggest rivals. Apple is expected to introduce new Apple Intelligence features for Siri to debut with the iPhone 16 series this year and Amazon's plans for an AI update for Alexa have already been mostly spoiled. Google wants people to rely on Gemini as more than just a toy or reinvention of Google Assistant, they want it to be part of your life in every way possible. Incorporating WhatsApp and its huge number of users worldwide makes a lot of sense in that reckoning. But if Gemini is really going to be the star of the AI assistants, Google will likely face a two-front battle. There's the mobile and voice AI competition against the likes of Apple and Amazon, as well as the more online-focused fight to scoop up the same users that OpenAI, Microsoft, and independent AI services are pursuing. https://www.techradar.com/computing/artificial-intelligence/geminis-ai-will-soon-slide-into-your-dms-on-whatsapp-and-messages

On Wednesday, Nvidia admitted that its upcoming Blackwell-based products suffer from low yields, which required the company to re-spin some layers of the B200 processor to improve yields. Nvidia will ramp up production of Blackwell in Q4 2024 and will ship Blackwell GPUs worth several billion dollars in the last quarter of this year. "We executed a change to the Blackwell GPU mask to improve production yield," a statement by Nvidia reads. "Blackwell production ramp is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter and continue into fiscal 2026. In the fourth quarter, we expect to ship several billion dollars in Blackwell revenue." Nvidia reaffirmed that it sampled Blackwell GPUs with its customers in the second quarter but admitted that it had to produce 'low-yielding Blackwell material' to meet demand for its Blackwell processors, which impacted its gross margins. Nvidia's chief executive, Jensen Huang, said during the earnings call that the company has implemented all the necessary changes to the design of its Blackwell B100 and B200 GPUs and is on track to mass produce them in the fourth quarter. Earlier, it was reported that Nvidia's B100 and B200 GPUs are the first processors to use TSMC's CoWoS-L packaging, which connects chiplets using an RDL interposer with local silicon interconnect (LSI) bridges that enable a transfer rate of around 10 TB/s. These bridges must be placed precisely. However, an alleged mismatch in the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) among the GPU chiplets, LSI bridges, RDL interposer, and motherboard substrate led to warping and system failure. According to reports, Nvidia had to redesign the GPU silicon's top metal layers and bumps to improve yields. However, the company didn't provide details on the fix — instead, it simply said it had to create new masks. Nvidia says that no functional changes to Blackwell silicon were required, so all changes were made to improve yields and ensure a steady supply of B100 and B200 GPUs. It is hard to tell how many Blackwell GPUs Nvidia will ship in the fourth quarter of 2024. Keeping in mind that Nvidia is rumored to charge around $70,000 per module (keep in mind that pricing of data center hardware depends on volumes and demand, so take this number with a grain of salt), and the fact that Nvidia expects to post 'several billion dollars in Blackwell revenue' (i.e., more than $2 billion, but less than $10 billion) in Q4 2024, it's clear that the company will ship a substantial number of chips in the final quarter of this year. Naturally, the company won't disclose its actual shipment volumes. https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/nvidia-adresses-significant-blackwell-yield-issues-production-ramp-in-q4

The RSPCA is having to pay for animals to go into private kennels and catteries because its rescue centres are full, bosses have said. The charity estimated it was having to pay out £44,000 per month in the south-west of England, with the national figure amounting to £500,000 per month. Sammy Thompson, who has worked at the RSPCA Cornwall Branch rehoming centre for seven years, said: "Every time we rehome one, another one comes in. "There is no let up at the moment. It’s just a constant stream of animals needing our support." 'Juggling animals' She added: “There was a big boom in people who took on pets in Covid and then couldn’t look after them anymore, so I think it’s been the backlash from that. "Animals are simply too readily available for people to take on and, when it doesn’t work out, there is nowhere else for them to go but a rescue centre." The RSPCA Cornwall Branch has been funded entirely by local donations and can hold 120 animals. CEO Emily Bowen said national RSPCA facilities could sometimes help by acting as an overflow centre. She said: "We have the information sent through on animals that are in private boarding in the South West and we will take them in as soon as we have a space. "We are juggling that with animals that come in from our public waiting list, which can be genuine emergencies, and animals we need to take in straight away." Ms Bowen said the RSPCA was urging the public to consider fostering pets from rescue centres. She said: "Anyone who wants a pet but can’t afford the bills should come to us, and apply to become a fosterer. "You can then enjoy the animal and we cover the costs of that, which then enables us not to put animals into private board because they can go into a home.” The RSPCA is the oldest charity of its kind and is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. https://bbc.com/news/articles/cx2lxkd94ejo