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Showing posts from January, 2024

Tencent says gaming business under threat, catching up in AI

Pony Ma, chief executive and co-founder of Tencent Holdings, has said that the company's video games business faces great challenges from competitors but is catching up in artificial intelligence (AI) development. Ma, speaking at Tencent's annual meeting in a stadium in Shenzhen on Monday, said that the company has been resting on its laurels in gaming while com Pet itors have delivered new hits. Video Game s account for more than 30% of Tencent’s revenue. Chinese media outlet Jiemian published parts of Ma’s speech online. A person with direct knowledge of the matter, who declined to be named because they are not permitted to speak to the media, confirmed the contents. Ma’s speech underscores concerns whether Tencent, the world’s biggest gaming company and the operator of China’s biggest social network WeChat, can defend its status as China’s No.1 tech company at a time marked by intensifying competition and new disruptive technologies. Tencent did not respond to a reques

X lifts ban on Taylor Swift searches after spread of fake images

Social-media company X lifted the ban on searches for Taylor Swift Monday evening, after blocking users from search ing for her following the spread of fake sexually-explicit image s of the pop singer on the social media site last week. The search has been reactivated and the social media platform "will continue to be vigilant for any attempt to spread this content and will remove it if we find it," Joe Benarroch, head of Business operations at X, said in a statement on Monday Searches for Taylor Swift's name on Sunday afternoon on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter yielded the error message, "Something went wrong. Try reloading." X had called the measure a temporary action done with "abundance of caution." One image of Swift, who was named Time Magazine's "Person of the Year" in 2023, shared on X was viewed 47 million times before the account was suspended, according to a New York Times report. The ban on sear

Elon Musk's Neuralink implants brain chip in first human

The first human patient has received an implant from brain-chip startup Neuralink on Sunday and is recovering well, the company's billionaire founder Elon Musk said. "Initial results show promising neuron spike detection," Musk said in a post on the social media platform X on Monday. Spikes are activity by neurons, which the National Institute of Health describes as cells that use electrical and chemical signals to send information around the brain and to the body. The US Food and Drug Administration had given the company clearance last year to conduct its first trial to test its implant on human s, a critical milestone in the startup's ambitions to help patients overcome paralysis and a host of neurological conditions. In September, Neuralink said it received approval for recruitment for the human trial. The study uses a robot to surgically place a brain-computer interface (BCI) implant in a region of the brain that controls the intention to move, Neuralink

Cameras left by famous Yukon explorers found after 85 years with fascinating photos

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In 1937, American explorer Bradford Washburn abandoned a cache of heavy equipment, including cameras, while attempting to climb Mount Lucania in the Saint Elias Mountains of northwestern Canada. Washburn and his friend Bob Bates had to make their way back to civilization through the harsh Yukon wilderness when the weather made it unsafe for a pilot to pick them up, as chronicled in “Escape from Lucania,” a book by David Roberts. Two sentences of that book stuck in the mind of professional skier Griffin Post: According to Roberts, Washburn was heartbroken to leave behind his cameras and always wanted to go back to get them. So Post set out to do it for him, 15 years after his death — and 85 years after the equipment was abandoned. Bradford Washburn’s camera from a 1937 expedition discovered on Walsh Glacier. Leslie Hittmeier/Teton Gravity Research He got in touch with Luke Copland, a glaciologist at the University of Ottawa, to help figure out where Washburn’s equipmen

76ers vs Nuggets Picks, Predictions & Odds Tonight - NBA

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The Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets have looked dominant in recent weeks, and they’re on a collision course this weekend in Denver. This highly-anticipated showdown on national television should feature plenty of scoring with two of the best offenses in the NBA odds going at it, but who will come out the victor? Let's get right into it with our in-depth preview and NBA picks for 76ers vs. Nuggets on Saturday, January, 27. 76ers vs Nuggets odds 76ers vs Nuggets predictions In a clash between two elite teams, offering praise to either side can be redundant. Instead, let's begin by spotlighting the vulnerability within this matchup, which lies in the Denver Nuggets' defense. Throughout the season, Denver has been rather ordinary on that end, and over the last 10 games, the situation has worsened, with a 21st-place ranking in defensive efficiency. Across the board, Denver has been either above average or perfectly average in all of the shooting zones

Where did Jared Goff play college football? When was he drafted?

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Quarterback Jared Goff will this weekend be tasked with leading the Detroit Lions into the franchise’s first ever Super Bowl . After beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional round, the Lions face the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday’s NFC Championship game - the first time the Michiganders have progressed this far in the NFL playoffs since 1991. Goff, who is now in his eighth season in the league, will be seeking his second career appearance in the Super Bowl , having previously been to the showpiece game with his first NFL team, the Los Angeles Rams. When was Goff drafted by the Rams? Before being traded to the Lions in 2021, Goff spent five seasons with the Rams after being drafted by the Californians in 2016 . Having excelled in a three-season stint in college football with Pac-12 team the California Golden Bears, the 29-year-old was selected as the No. 1 overall pick. What was Goff’s record in college football? According to Goff’s profile on the Golden Bears’ website, he set

Tesla plans to build new electric vehicles in mid-2025

Tesla has told suppliers it wants to start production of a new mass market electric vehicle codenamed "Redwood" in mid-2025, according to four people familiar with the matter, with two of them describing the model as a compact crossover. Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed on a post-earnings call on Wednesday that the company expects to start production of its next-generation EV at its Texas factory in the second half of 2025. That will be followed by Mexico and another factory outside North America to be decided later this year, he said, noting that ramping up production of the new vehicle would be challenging. Musk has long whetted fans' and investors' appetites for affordable electric vehicles and self-driving robotaxis that are expected to be made on next-generation, cheaper electric car platforms. Those models, including an entry-level $25,000 car, would allow it to compete with cheaper gasoline-powered cars and a growing number of inexpensive EVs, such as those mad

Blackhawks vs Kraken Picks, Predictions & Odds Tonight - NHL

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It’s prime-time hockey tonight on TNT as the Connor Bedard-less Chicago Blackhawks take their pathetic offense to Climate Pledge Arena and take on the Seattle Kraken, who are losers of four straight and sit four points out of a playoff spot with the All-Star break looming.  Even without confirmation of Joey Daccord starting in net for the Kraken, it’s safe to bet against this Chicago offense and there is only one NHL player prop that is in my buy range but it’s a good one.  I break down the NHL odds and offer my free NHL picks for Black hawks vs. Kraken on Wednesday, January 24.   Blackhawks vs Kraken odds Blackhawks vs Kraken predictions The Chicago Blackhawks can’t score. Their 2.17 goals per game ranks 31st on the season but that number has fallen to 1.56 goals per game since Connor Bedard has hit the shelf and outside of the four-goal explosion in the first game he missed, the Hawks have scored 12 goals across the next eight while potting more than one regula

EPIC Global Solutions joins SIGA Summit on Female Leadership in Sport as session partner

The Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) has just announced SIGA Member, EPIC Global Solutions (EPIC) as one of the session partners for the 2024 edition of the Summit on Female Leadership in Sport. This prestigious event will once again be hosted by Mastercard and is scheduled to take place in New York on 6 March 2024. EPIC will partner with SIGA in a panel focused on Sports Betting Integrity, showcasing women leading the way on this topic as well as addressing the challenges women’s sport faces in relation to these issues. SIGA is the world’s leading organisation for Sport Integrity and works with sport, governments, academia, international organisations, sponsors, business, rights holders, NGOs and professional services companies. This newspaper is a proud media partner of SIGA. EPIC’s clients in the US A globally leading voice on minimizing gambling-related harm, EPIC work with several major sporting brands around the world to educate, advise and consult on reducing the risks a

CD Projekt aims to start production phase of 'Polaris' in 2024

WARSAW: Polish video Game maker CD Projekt aims to start the production phase of the next Game in its blockbuster "Witcher" series this year, the company's new joint CEO Adam Badowski told Reuters. "We'd like to have around 400 people working on the project by the middle of the year", Badowski said. Badowski, a company veteran, took the helm at CD Projekt along with Michal Nowakowski at the start of the year. The project, called "Polaris", is a new trilogy expanding the universe of the "Witcher" medieval fantasy franchise, which has sold over 75 million copies since the first Game was released in 2007. CD Projekt did not give a premiere date for the first game in the project, but analysts expect it to debut in 2026 or 2027. That leaves the company without major game release in the next couple of years. After a bug-ridden launch of another game "Cyberpunk 2077" in late 2020, CD Projekt has been focused on transform

Panasonic puts productivity boost ahead of new EV plant in US

Panasonic's battery  Business must focus on boosting productivity , Group CEO Yuki Kusumi told Reuters, signalling the Tesla supplier may hold off building a third battery plant in North America as demand for electric vehicles cools. The battery unit, Panasonic Energy, had previously said, it aimed to decide on building the factory by the end of March. But Panasonic Holdings CEO Yuki Kusumi said in an interview that a decision would be made only "when the timing is right". "I keep telling people we need to think about thoroughly raising productivity before setting up a third location," he said on Friday at the company's Tokyo office. The comments come amid signs of cooling demand for EVs in the United States that have prompted some automakers, including General Motors and Ford, to scale back production plans. Panasonic Energy has a plant in Nevada and has broken ground on a second one in Kansas. In December it said Oklahoma - where it was previousl

NBA Player Props Today - Best Mikal Bridges Props | Pickswise

Don’t forget about the NBA on NFL Divisional Sunday. We have a 6- Game slate with four Game s having spreads of at least 10+ points. I’m going to take a cautious approach with just 1 play. Let’s dive into my best NBA player prop bet for Sunday, January 21. Also, make su re you read our NBA predictions for today’s games. Mikal Bridges , SG, BKN, Under 22.5 points (-120) Odds available at BetMGM at time of publishing. I’m targeting the first game of the slate that starts at 3:30 pm ET. The Brooklyn Nets will take on the Los Angeles Clippers as 10.5 points underdogs. This one could get ugly fast, especially with how bad the Nets have been — other than 2 nights ago when they dismantled the Los Angeles Lakers. This point total is asking a ton out of Bridges. He has scored 23 points in just 12 of 41 games this season. Not only will he have a tough assignment on offense, but he will also be chasing Paul George or Kawhi Leonard around on defense. Another angle in play is Spencer Dinw

Marquez “can’t pretend” to think he can win on Ducati MotoGP bike straight away

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The eight-time world champion made his public debut with the Gresini team he will race with this season at its launch on Saturday, after parting ways with Honda at the end of a difficult 2023 campaign. Marquez made his debut on the bike at the post-season Valencia test last November, ending the day fourth overall and just 0.171 seconds off the pace. He told DAZN later that he adapted quicker to the GP23 Ducati he will race in 2024 than he expected, but has once again moved to quash expectation that he will be a victory contender from the off this season on Saturday at Gresini’s launch. Read Also: MotoGP Gresini unveils 2024 MotoGP livery for Marquez’s first season on a Ducati “One thing is expectation, the other thing is approach,” Marquez said. “I mean, of course my approach is to try to be fast on the race track, and if I can be faster in the first test, I will try to do it. “But the other thing is expectation versus reality. Of course, expe

Reddit seeks to launch IPO in March

Social media platform Reddit has drawn up detailed plans to launch its initial public offering (IPO) in March, moving forward with a listing it has been eyeing for more than three years, according to people familiar with the matter. It would be the first IPO of a major social media company since Pinterest's debut in 2019, and would come as Reddit and its peers face stiff competition for advertising dollars from the likes of TikTok and Facebook . The offering would also test the willingness of some Reddit users to back the company's stock market debut. Many investors posting on the platform have helped fuel dozens of "meme" stock rallies in the last three years, from retailer Game Stop to movie operator AMC Entertainment Holdings. Reddit, which filed confidentially for its IPO in December 2021, is planning to make its public filing in late February, launch its roadshow in early March, and complete the IPO by the end of March, two of the sources said. The San Fr

Australian Open 2024: When does Tommy Paul play next? Opponent, time and date

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After beating Britain’s Jack Draper in four sets, the United States’ Tommy Paul will face Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic in the third round of the 2024 Australian Open . Having seen off France’s Grégoire Barrère in straight sets in the first round in Melbourne, Paul dropped the second set against Draper on Thursday, before prevailing 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 . Seeded at No. 14 this year, Paul was a semi-finalist down under 12 months ago, before losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic. Kecmanovic beat Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff in five sets on Thursday, the unseeded 24-year-old booking his place in the Australian Open third round for only the second time in his career. What is Paul’s head-to-head record vs Kecmanovic? Having won two of the pair’s three previous match-ups - including a clash at the 2022 Australian Open - Kecmanovic has the better head-to-head record going into their third-round clash. The world No. 60 beat Paul in straight sets in the first round of the 2020 New York Open,

Canelo Álvarez snubs Benavidez again: “Beterbiev is a bigger challenge”

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One of the fights that has Boxing fans licking their chops for in 2024 is David Benavidez vs Canelo Álvarez. The Mexican pound for pound king, however, seems less than enthusiastic about the idea. During a meeting with the media, Álvarez dismissed the possibility of a matchup with Benavidez saying that he is more interested in a matchup with Artur Beterbiev. When a reporter asked which of the two would be the more interesting to him, Canelo immediately shot back, “Beterbiev, because he is a champion. He has something to offer me, he is strong, he is at a different weight. There are many things, many things.” Canelo admits that Beterbiev would be a much tougher fight than David Benavidez#Canelo | # Boxing | #ArturBeterbiev pic.twitter.com/Zk46SZHh9d — BoxingEnthusiast™ (@BoxingEnth) January 14, 2024 Beterbiev is not interested It would seem to be a curious position from Canelo, knowing as he must that he would stand almost zero chance against the hammer-fisted Russian. Luckily fo

Australian Open 2024: Who plays tomorrow, Wednesday, Jan. 17? Fritz, Tiafoe, Korda, Shelton, Eubanks...

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Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka headline day four of the Australian Open on Wednesday. The latter takes on 16-year-old qualifier Brenda Fruhvirtova, while Djokovic faces Alexei Popyrin, as the Serb looks to win his 11th Australian Open title and 25th grand slam in Melbourne. Australia’s Alex de Minaur takes on Matteo Arnaldi, and his compatriot, Jordan Thompson, will be aiming to get the better of Stefanos Tsitsipas. In another clash to watch out for, Coco Gauff will take on Caroline Dolehide at Margaret Court Arena. Caroline Wozniacki, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Ons Jabeur are some of the other names in action on the fourth day of the Australian Open. Day three On day three, Carlos Alcaraz booked his place in the second round , making light work of Richard Gasquet in three sets. The Spaniard will play Lorenzo Sonego on Thursday. British player Emma Raducanu beat Shelby Rogers in the first round and Katie Boulter got past Yuan Yue for her first Australian Open win in five years. First