Phys.org - Dec 18th, 2024
Why some drug traffickers are more likely to be reconvicted than others
One in two "typical" drug traffickers convicted in NSW between 2000 and 2023 will have no further contact with the criminal justice system after release, according to an Australian-first study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy.
Alcohol to be banned from 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia
Theathleticuk - Dec 18th, 2024
Giannis, Bucks dominate with defense to defeat Thunder and win NBA Cup title
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard combined for 49 of Milwaukee's 97 points, but stout defense carried the Bucks to an NBA Cup title.
Tmz - Dec 18th, 2024
Cruise Ship Passenger Dies in Detainment After Trying to Break Down Door
A Royal Caribbean Cruise passenger died during a trip to Mexico ... and, video shows him trying to beat down a door just before his untimely death. New video captures Michael Virgil -- a 35-year-old passenger aboard the Ensenada-bound liner --... Permalink
I sailed on Royal Caribbean's latest mega-ship. It's overwhelming, but great for cruise-curious travelers.
I spent three nights on Royal Caribbean's latest mega-ship. I found it to be perfect for cruise newbies and families.
Pr Newswire - Dec 18th, 2024
ZBD BECOMES FIRST TO RECEIVE EU MICAR LICENSE APPROVAL
- Approval positions the FinTech as a leader in crypto-asset innovation and compliance in the EU, allowing it to expand its transformative digital-native payments platform and enter new markets - Visuals available HERE AMSTERDAM, Dec. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ZBD, the innovative payments...
Globe Newswire - Dec 18th, 2024
DSV, 1146 - MAJOR SHAREHOLDER ANNOUNCEMENT
Company Announcement No. 1146
The Verge - Dec 18th, 2024
Seagate is getting ready to launch its first high-capacity HAMR hard drive
New York Post - Dec 18th, 2024
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie skipping royal family Christmas amid Prince Andrew’s Chinese spy scandal
Prince Andrew also won't be at the Christmas gathering after declining an invite from King Charles.
Newsweek - Dec 18th, 2024
Two Million Cans of Beverage Recalled in 29 States
The cans of Jarritos coconut water were recalled amid concerns that the hermetic seals on the lids were compromised.
Phys.org - Dec 18th, 2024
Machine learning framework improves groundwater recharge estimates in Western Australia
A new study led by Griffith University has unveiled a machine learning-based framework to accurately estimate groundwater recharge in the Perth Basin, with a particular focus on the Gnangara groundwater system.
Pr Newswire - Dec 18th, 2024
DEADLINE REMINDER: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Investigates Claims on Behalf of Investors of Celsius
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses Exceeding $75,000 In Celsius To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their Options If you suffered losses exceeding $75,000 in Celsius between February 29, 2024 and September 4, 2024...
The Portland Press Herald - Dec 18th, 2024
Cape Elizabeth community rink glides into third season
Due to popular demand, an adult learn-to-play pond hockey program is offered this year.
Destructoid - Dec 18th, 2024
Palworld has ditched creature summoning from spheres to avoid the wrath of Pokemon
Pocket Pair has released an update for the popular creature-catching game Palworld that removes the ability to summon pals by throwing Pal Spheres on the ground. Creatures will now summon automatically next to the player when a summoning ball is activated. Although the game maker has not issued a statement regarding the changes, it seems highly likely that the move was taken as a result of the ongoing patent legal battle with Nintendo and The Pokemon Company.Palworld's popularityPalworld launched on Steam Early Access and Xbox Game Preview in January 2024 and proved to be one of the year’s surprise hits. It proved so popular that it later enjoyed a PS5 launch and it has been announced that Krafton, the team behind PUBG Mobile, will be converting it to mobile, too. No release date has been given for the mobile version, but it is expected to arrive sometime in 2025.Although the game was a big hit from the start, a lot of attention was given to the game’s similarity to Pokemon. Many of the pals bear strong resemblances to well-known Pokemon characters, while gameplay features like Pal Sphere summoning are very similar to those of Pokeball summoning. The game is still described in the media as being Pokemon with guns. There was a lot of talk of when, rather than if, Pokemon would take legal action against the independent game. Earlier this year, that action came.According to details released by Pocket Pair, Nintendo sought damages equivalent to around $70,000 and wanted an injunction against Palworld for infringement of three patents. Interestingly, those patents weren’t filed until after Palworld’s release, suggesting Nintendo may have only filed because of the game's success. In any case, Nintendo is believed to have been especially miffed about the game’s Pal Sphere system.Palworld updatesLikely as a result of the impending legal action, Pocket Pair has released an update that changes the summoning system. Rather than aiming and throwing spheres to summon Pals to a designated spot, players will now hold out the sphere and the Pal will be summoned next to them. Honestly, it’s a fairly minor gameplay change that won’t really affect play, and that makes it all the more likely that the change comes as a result of the pending lawsuit.Fans will be hoping that the patent challenge won’t impede planned developments with the game. Palworld has a big update, Feybreak, launching on December 23, having been showcased at The Game Awards 2024. It includes a new island that Pocket Pair claims is six times bigger than Sakurajima, launched during the previous update. There are also going to be new Pals, weapons, and buildings, as well as some new mechanics and a brand-new faction leader.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI_0U7-7hRAIt was also announced in November that 2025 would see a crossover between Palworld and fellow indie-title Terraria. There are few details about the crossover yet, but artwork has been released showing characters from the games clasping hands.The patent case, filed by Pokemon in Japan, started in September 2024, and experts expect this kind of case to take around 18 months to complete. Assuming the two parties don’t come to an out-of-court agreement, that means, Pocket Pair and their fans may have to wait until 2026 before there is any resolution to the dispute.The post Palworld has ditched creature summoning from spheres to avoid the wrath of Pokemon appeared first on Destructoid.
Reference rooms, golden ears and subwoofer solutions: Huawei’s tuning expert discusses all things in-car audio
Huawei is big in automotive in China and we have been learning about how it approaches in-car sound systems.
Wcpo - Dec 18th, 2024
3 students hurt in school bus crash after driver loses consciousness, Boone County schools says
A Boone County school bus crashed after the driver passed out behind the wheel, school officials said. Three students were sent to the hospital.
Bleacherreport - Dec 18th, 2024
NFL News: Browns' Nick Chubb Placed on IR, Will Miss Rest of Season with Foot Injury
For the second straight year, Cleveland Browns star running back Nick Chubb's season has prematurely come to an end. The Browns announced on Wednesday that...
Phys.org - Dec 18th, 2024
Spiderweb protocluster captured by Webb shows supermassive black holes can halt star formation
An international research team has used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to observe massive galaxies discovered by the Subaru Telescope in a corner of the early universe known as the Spiderweb protocluster. The JWST results confirm what had been suggested from the Subaru Telescope observations, namely that supermassive black hole activity can truncate the growth of galaxies.
Destructoid - Dec 18th, 2024
Helldivers 2’s Killzone collab is now live, and it’s cool but expensive
Helldivers 2's recent Omens of Tyranny update was a phenomenally executed content drop. With a whole new faction to fight against urban environments and vehicles in tow, Helldivers 2 is now looking to continue this streak with delightful cosmetics as well. Specifically, Killzone-inspired cosmetics, which is a surprise.Obviously, since Helldivers 2 is a full-blooded live-service endeavor with everything that this type of development entails, there's a catch. It's the price, as you'd expect. Helldivers 2's new Killzone 2 cosmetic pack (which may or may not have been designed as a Warbond at some point) is going to set you back almost as much as two full Premium Warbonds. Further, this is only the first batch of Killzone-themed goodies, with a whole new round of items set to go live in a few days.A problematic precedent for the future of Helldivers 2's monetization? It could be, but it also is reminiscent of a certain Destiny 2 development from a while back.Image via ArrowheadHelldivers 2's new Killzone cosmetics and rifle cost almost as much as two full Premium WarbondsFirst things first, I have to admit I am very happy with how Arrowhead Games' designers are handling the Killzone crossover as far as its content goes. This development comes exactly a month following Arrowhead's interview discussing potential crossovers and how the team does not wish to dilute Helldivers 2's established aesthetic. The good news is that they aren't, and the Killzone 2 items not only harken back to Guerilla Games' legacy IP in the best way possible, but they also fit in just fine with Helldivers 2 proper.It's the best-case scenario in that regard, really. The problem is that these items are all very expensive compared to most everything else we have in Helldivers 2. Here are the exact prices:StA-52 bullpup rifle - 615 SCAC-1 Dutiful armor set - 500 SCAC-1 Dutiful helmet - 310 SCCape - 310 SCEmblem/Title - 150 SCProfile Background - 90 SCIn total, you will spend 1975 SC if you wish to purchase all of these items, which comes out to just about $20 or your regional equivalent. Almost two full Premium Warbonds, as they've been established so far. The reason why I think this sets a bad precedent for Helldivers 2's future comes from the CEO Shams Jorjani, who has already stated that there's more of this stuff to come.https://www.reddit.com/r/Helldivers/comments/1hh01hs/shams_quick_statement_on_kz2_crossover/Now, I don't mean to be overly negative about a pack of admittedly awesome cosmetics, but veteran Destiny 2 players will remember that Bungie said something very similar about Eververse at one point: "Whisper of the Worm's ornaments were successful enough that it paid [dev cost-wise] for the Zero Hour mission/rewards to be constructed," said Bungie's developer blog back in 2019.Of course, Jorjani's comment is very sensible from a pragmatic point of view. A live-service game cannot continue trucking along if players aren't actively spending money on it. Yet, it can come off as a tad insensitive, depending on how you read it. The community is predictably unhappy about it, as one might expect.There's other stuff to note about Helldivers 2's Killzone promo, too. Firstly, it is functionally a Premium Warbond-sized content drop that's been enhanced with a layer of FOMO. Arrowhead is well aware of this, and the official announcement promises a semi-solution is on the way: "Right now, many of you feel the items are in rotation for too short a time, and that you sometimes miss out on that killer look you had your eyes on. At the same time, the more things we add to the store, the longer it takes to come back into rotation," says the blog. "As we’re not quite ready to roll out a full redesign, we’re going to temporarily test longer rotations with Killzone, which will stick around for 5 days per page instead (there will be two pages of items to explore)."That's right: spending roughly $20's worth of currency only nets about half of the grand total of items that will be available as part of the Killzone content pack. Presumably, the second page of content will be priced about the same, which gets us to a rough grand total of $40 just to unlock all the fancy new Helldivers 2 cosmetics.The big question that posits itself is simple: why are Killzone items not handled in the same way other Premium Warbonds have been? Arrowhead says that this is "a new tier of special Premium content reserved for collaborations and other uniquely-themed work," which is fair, but I don't see any reason why it should be bound with FOMO. So far, then, it's a toss-up, no matter how you spin it. But hey, the items do look cool; I'll give Arrowhead that.The post Helldivers 2’s Killzone collab is now live, and it’s cool but expensive appeared first on Destructoid.
Nj - Dec 18th, 2024
Girls Ice Hockey: Active career stat leaders for Dec. 18
A look at the active career girls ice hockey stat leaders through Dec. 17.
