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  • Xbox debut trailer hints at Helldivers 2 × Halo crossover event | Esports News

    Xbox debut trailer hints at Helldivers 2 × Halo crossover event | Esports News

    Image via Bungie inc. and Arrowhead Game Studios

    Xbox fans are quite busy today following a possible crossover that may happen between Helldivers 2 and Halo. This small but interesting reveal of information has led to fans speculating, with most targeting visual clues and parallel themes between the two franchises. Although Michelson or Arrowhead Game Studios has not officially confirmed the partnership, the teaser has generated a good amount of buzz, particularly amongst those fans of the sci-fi co-op shooter Helldivers 2, as well as the iconic world of Halo. Provided it happens, this crossover might provide one of the most startling and enjoyable events of 2001.

    Helldivers 2 × Halo crossover hints in Xbox trailer

    Helldivers 2 Halo ODST Crossover Confirmed! New Trailer & MO Win!

    The debut trailer of Xbox presented several action demos of new games, yet one of them deserves to be pointed out. Fans observed the armor shapes and weapon profiles that were very similar to the Halo recognizable UNSC gear. Further, players were keen on an atmospheric drop sequence, which was reminiscent of ODST deployment missions, that generated instant chatter on the web-based gaming forums.Notable elements in the trailer include:

    • Armor aesthetics: Sleek, heavy-duty suits resemble UNSC gear.
    • Weapon similarities: A rifle design that is similar to the MA5 series assault rifle in Halo Classic.
    • Drop pod scene: A bit that is similar to the high-action ODST drops.

    These were slight clues, but significant enough to allow the fans to find links between the two series.

    Potential impact of a Helldivers 2–Halo event

    If the crossover becomes a reality, it could bring some good gameplay and in-game content:

    1. Special missions: Exclusive battles inspired by Halo’s environment.
    2. Themed gear: Unique emblem, Spartan armor skins, and weapon blueprints.
    3. Story integration: A limited-time in-game event fusion of Helldivers 2’s ongoing galactic war with the Halo universe.
    4. Cross-fandom appeal: Engaging Halo fans to Helldivers 2, and boosting players who have not tried Helldivers 2.

    This sort of cooperation has already proven successful in attracting long-term interest in players, as well as bringing about a buzz on social media. Helldivers 2 has a themed concentration on teams and in massive science-fiction action, so the Halo subject matter might effectively mix into the gameplay formula of Helldivers 2.Although this is yet to be officially confirmed, the hints of Halo in the trailer of the Xbox debut have placed one of the most anticipated and most anticipated crossover games in recent years. Either it will end up being a full-blown or a boutique-themed content drop, but this possibility of a Helldivers 2 x Halo collab has gotten the community buzzing. In the meantime, it is yet to be seen what both Xbox and Arrowhead Game Studios can tease next.


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  • Britain's Princess Anne celebrates her 75th birthday – Reuters

    1. Britain’s Princess Anne celebrates her 75th birthday  Reuters
    2. Princess Anne’s 75th Birthday Portrait Shows Off Her First Hair Makeover in Half a Century!  People.com
    3. ‘Super trouper’ Princess Anne wears favourite tiara in regal 75th birthday portrait  hellomagazine.com
    4. “Despite celebrating her 75th birthday this month, the Princess carries out a large number of engagements each year’  Derbyshire Times
    5. Anne’s milestone 75th birthday marked with new photograph  The Independent

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  • Lyft co-founders to step down from ride-hailing firm's board – Reuters

    1. Lyft co-founders to step down from ride-hailing firm’s board  Reuters
    2. Lyft Co-Founders to Exit Board, Wrapping Two-Year Succession Plan  The Wall Street Journal
    3. Lyft Founders Give Up Special Voting Rights as Board Leadership Changes Hands  Stock Titan
    4. Lyft co-founders to step down from ride-hailing firm’s board By Reuters  Investing.com
    5. Lyft co-founders to step down from board, end dual-class structure  Investing.com

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  • Heavy rain likely across Punjab

    Heavy rain likely across Punjab

    The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Thursday issued a weather alert warning of heavy monsoon rains in Lahore and several other cities of the province, urging relevant departments and the public to remain vigilant.

    According to PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia, the seventh spell of monsoon rains has begun and is expected to continue until August 21. He warned that this spell is significantly stronger than previous ones and may result in intense rainfall across river catchments as well as the plains of Punjab.

    “The monsoon showers are likely to affect most districts of the province,” Mr Kathia said, noting that both urban and rural areas could be impacted.

    In response to the forecast, the PDMA chief has directed all deputy commissioners to ensure on-ground preparedness. He stressed that Water and Sanitation Agencies (WASA), Rescue 1122, and other relevant departments must remain on high alert throughout the weather cycle.

    Read More: At least 10 dead as flash floods wreak havoc in AJK, G-B

    Officials have been instructed to ensure the swift drainage of rainwater from low-lying areas, and to deploy staff and machinery at choke points. Additional emphasis has been placed on maintaining effective drainage systems around roads, hospitals, and public institutions to prevent disruptions.

    Mr Kathia added that all water disposal stations must remain operational, with backup power systems ready in case of outages.

    Urging public caution, the DG appealed to citizens to avoid unnecessary travel and recreational activities near rivers, warning that flood-like conditions persist in several water bodies across the province.

    The PDMA said it will continue to monitor the situation closely and coordinate with district administrations to mitigate any potential damage.

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  • The Trade Desk and Walmart Connect Partnership Goes from Strength to Strength

    Since 2021, Walmart Connect’s standalone DSP has combined the best-in-class technology and performance of The Trade Desk with the robust scale of Walmart’s unparalleled first party omnichannel data, allowing advertisers to be more effective with their overall media spend. 

    Since then the two companies have extended their multi-year agreement and have helped drive record retail data deployment as part of programmatic ad campaigns. 

    As The Trade Desk CEO Jeff Green said last week, “Objectivity is a major factor here. Unlike others in the market, our goal is to drive the use of retail media across as many advertiser campaigns as possible. We do not compete with retailers. And only an independent objective partner like us can truly help advertisers unlock this opportunity. In Q2, a record amount of spend was influenced by retail data, both on our platform and on the Walmart DSP as more shopper marketing budgets flow into programmatic.”

    The Trade Desk and Walmart Connect are fully committed to the partnership and continue to innovate together. The two companies are looking forward to expanding the partnership in the years ahead. As Ryan Mayward, senior VP of retail media sales for Walmart Connect, said in June, “We are all in on The Trade Desk.”

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  • RIP Peripherals? Next-Gen Windows to Lean Heavily on AI, Voice, and Vision – PCMag

    1. RIP Peripherals? Next-Gen Windows to Lean Heavily on AI, Voice, and Vision  PCMag
    2. Microsoft’s next OS is agentic, ambient, and ready to rethink computing  Windows Central
    3. Kiss goodbye to your keyboard and mouse, in Microsoft’s vision for the Windows OS in 2030 they’ll both ‘feel as alien as it does for Gen Z to use DOS’  PC Gamer
    4. Windows chief Pavan Davuluri says AI will soon make PCs more ambient, multimodal, and context-aware  India Today
    5. Wave goodbye to the ‘world of mousing around and typing’ as Microsoft exec explains what Windows will be like in 2030 – all about voice and AI  TechRadar

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  • Scott Barrett returns to lead All Blacks against Argentina » allblacks.com

    Scott Barrett returns to lead All Blacks against Argentina » allblacks.com

    All Blacks selectors Scott Robertson, Scott Hansen and Jason Ryan have named their team to play Argentina in their opening Test of the 2025 Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship at Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium in Córdoba on Sunday.

    LIVE on Sky Sport – Sunday 17 August:  All Blacks vs Argentina, 9.10AM (NZST) / Saturday 16 August: 6.10PM (ART). Highlights available on NZR+ and All Blacks YouTube.

    All Blacks match-day 23 (Test caps in brackets; * denotes debutant)

    1.  Ethan de Groot (32) 

    2.  Codie Taylor (98) 

    3.  Fletcher Newell (25)  

    4.  Scott Barrett (81) (Captain)  

    5.  Fabian Holland (3) 

    6.  Tupou Vaa’i (40) 

    7.   Du’Plessis Kirifi (3) 

    8.  Ardie Savea (97) (Vice-Captain) 

    9.  Cortez Ratima (14)                                                                 

    10. Beauden Barrett (136) 

    11. Rieko Ioane (83)

    12. Jordie Barrett (71) (Vice-Captain) 

    13. Billy Proctor (4)

    14. Sevu Reece (34) 

    15. Will Jordan (44)

    Reserves:

    16. Samisoni Taukei’aho (33)

    17.  Ollie Norris (2) 

    18. Pasilio Tosi (9)

    19. Patrick Tuipulotu (53) 

    20. Samipeni Finau (11)

    21.  Finlay Christie (23) 

    22. Anton Lienert-Brown (85) 

    23. Damian McKenzie (64)

    Unavailable for selection: Tamaiti Williams (knee); Wallace Sititi (ankle). 

    Captain and lock Scott Barrett returns from injury to lead the All Blacks into the first round of the Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship against Argentina in Córdoba.

    Barrett will start alongside Fabian Holland in the second row in one of nine changes to the team that finished the July Series against France in Hamilton.

    Tupou Vaa’i also returns to action after missing the Hamilton Test through injury and will wear the No.6 jersey for the fourth time in a Test. Vaa’i will be part of a balanced loose forward trio, with Du’Plessis Kirifi at openside in his second Test start, and Ardie Savea at No.8 in what will be his 98th Test for the All Blacks and 100th match.

    Cortez Ratima and Beauden Barrett start at halfback and first five respectively, with Finlay Christie and Damian McKenzie providing impact from the reserves. Christie returns to the All Blacks match day 23 for the first time since the second Test of the 2024 July Series against England at Eden Park.

    Billy Proctor starts his fifth Test in the No.13 jersey, alongside Jordie Barrett in the midfield. Wings Rieko Ioane and Sevu Reece combine with Will Jordan in the back three. 

    There is a wealth of experience in the reserves where backs Finlay Christie, Anton Lienert-Brown and  Damian McKenzie have a combined 172 Test caps. In the forwards Samisoni Taukei’aho, Ollie Norris and Pasilio Tosi provide impact in the front row along with lock Patrick Tuipulotu and loose forward Samipeni Finau.

    All Blacks Head Coach Scott Robertson said the squad was fully focused and prepared for the start of the Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship.

    “We’ve had a great week of training in Buenos Aires and the group is ready to go out and perform. Scott and our leaders have led from the front and there’s a lot of focus and motivation in the group for the start of the campaign.

    “We know the Pumas identity is a fast and physical game and we’ve selected a team that will embrace the occasion. It’s been 30 years since the All Blacks played in Córdoba and we are looking forward to the passion and energy of the home crowd.”

    MATCH FACTS

    • The All Blacks and Argentina play for the 40th time this week.  New Zealand has won 35 and drawn one (in the inaugural series in 1985).
      Argentina has never beaten the All Blacks on home soil or won a series against them.
    • The All Blacks will play in Córdoba for the first time since 1976, when they beat an Interior Selection 30-13.
    • Ardie Savea will play his 98th Test match and 100th game for the All Blacks.
    • Beauden Barrett has faced the Pumas 21 times, the most of any All Black.
    • Will Jordan has scored seven tries in seven Tests against Argentina.
    • Damian McKenzie will play his 20th Test in succession for the All Blacks, the longest run of match day squad selections in the current squad.

    Find out where to watch the Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship around the world HERE.

    Click HERE to play Fantasy Rugby Championship.


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  • ChatGPT health scare: 60-year-old man hospitalized after following AI advice- Here’s why

    ChatGPT health scare: 60-year-old man hospitalized after following AI advice- Here’s why

    A 60-year-old man was hospitalized for three weeks after replacing table salt with sodium bromide following advice from the AI chatbot ChatGPT.The case was detailed in a report published this month in the Annals of Internal Medicine by three physicians from the University of Washington. According to the report, the man had no prior psychiatric history when he arrived at the hospital “expressing concern that his neighbor was poisoning him.“He reported that he had been distilling his own water at home and appeared paranoid about the water he was offered. After lab tests and consultation with poison control, doctors found high levels of bromide in the body, as reported by NBC News. “In the first 24 hours of admission, he expressed increasing paranoia and auditory and visual hallucinations, which, after attempting to escape, resulted in an involuntary psychiatric hold for grave disability,” the case report said.Once stabilized, the man revealed that he had conducted a “personal experiment” to eliminate table salt from his diet after reading about its potential health risks. He said he had consulted ChatGPT before making the change, which he followed for three months.The physicians did not have access to the man’s exact ChatGPT conversation logs. However, when they asked ChatGPT 3.5 what chloride could be replaced with, the AI suggested bromide. “Though the reply stated that context matters, it did not provide a specific health warning, nor did it inquire about why we wanted to know, as we presume a medical professional would do,” the report said. In a prior statement to Fox News, OpenAI the parent company has emphasized that the chatbot is not intended for treating any health condition. “We have safety teams working on reducing risks and have trained our AI systems to encourage people to seek professional guidance,” the statement said.The report noted that bromide toxicity was more common in the early 1900s, when bromide salts were found in over-the-counter medications and sedatives and accounted for about 8% of psychiatric admissions. Today, bromide is primarily used in veterinary medicine as an anti-epileptic treatment for cats and dogs, according to the National Library of Medicine.The report said the syndrome is rare, but cases have recently re-emerged because bromide-containing substances have become more widely available online.


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  • ‘These results provide valuable insights’

    ‘These results provide valuable insights’

    Despite all we’ve learned about the natural world, there’s still plenty of mystery out there. That applies especially to rice, a global staple.

    A group of researchers from the Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) dialed into an important puzzle that could facilitate more sustainable agriculture. They sought to answer how and why the crop can thrive in some areas without fertilizer, while requiring copious quantities in others.

    Their multiyear study was published in Plant and Cell Physiology, and the team summarized their results in a press release. The scientists’ starting point was the importance of plant root microbes in aiding plant health in areas with poor soils.

    Those microbes form symbiotic relationships, but many of the details with rice are currently unknown. The scientists chose an ideal canvas to discover insights by comparing and contrasting two fields in close proximity.

    One of the fields had 70 years of rice growth without added fertilizers or pesticides. Despite the lack of chemical inputs, the field produced 60-70% of the output of a fertilized field, per the researchers.

    The other nearby field was conventionally fertilized. Over a period of one to four years, the scientists took samples during the growing season and dove into the microbial DNA in the roots of the Japanese rice cultivars.

    The research uncovered a number of insights. One was that, as the plants mature, microbial diversity ramps up. In the unfertilized field, nitrogen-fixing bacteria appeared to take the place of conventional fertilizer by taking atmospheric nitrogen and making it into a usable form.

    Another takeaway was that, in the roots of rice from the unfertilized field, a gene responsible for nitrogen fixation was found in greater numbers. Lastly, the scientists learned about the differing types of bacteria in the growing stage.

    While anaerobic bacteria were prominent in the early stages, aerobic and microaerophilic bacteria took on a greater role in the reproductive and maturation stages. The researchers connected that phenomenon to soil oxygen availability, which is impacted by growing practices like draining water.

    “These results provide valuable insights into the assembly of the rice root microbiome in nutrient-poor soil,” the researchers declared.

    The team’s work comes at a critical time for rice, as the crop faces a host of climate challenges. Malaysia is just one of many countries dealing with rice shortages, as rising temperatures and unpredictable weather wreak havoc on the crop. Disease is also posing a major threat to the crop in India.

    Unsurprisingly, there are multiple efforts to bolster the crop. One includes putting zinc oxide nanoparticles to help the rice withstand higher temperatures. Another effort takes on the exact opposite problem, addressing rice’s resilience in cold temperatures. The team is also not alone in looking into the genomes of rice to try to generate crop improvements.

    The NAIST team believes their work could eventually boost rice’s sustainability.

    “Looking ahead, isolating these beneficial bacteria and utilizing them in customized microbial blends could pave the way for sustainable rice farming,” said study leader Yusuke Saijo.

    Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.

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  • From grid strain to visionary gain – wsp.com

    1. From grid strain to visionary gain  wsp.com
    2. Why the US power grid upgrade could top $1 trillion  Interesting Engineering
    3. Resilience is the true opportunity cost of electricity demand growth  Latitude Media
    4. An All-Of-The-Above Energy Approach To Meet Skyrocketing Energy Demand  The Business Download |
    5. Powering the future: Meet innovators transforming America’s electric grid  anl.gov

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