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Gamers celebrate launch of new PlayStation and Xbox consoles – NBC News

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When he was a child, David Wales would wait in line with one of his parents as the clock approached midnight, so he could be among the first to get his hands on the newest gaming console.

“I’ve been playing games since I was 4. … It’s just something I’ve always done and feels like something I’m always going to do,” Wales, 34, of Texas, said of getting the gaming systems right when they release.

But this year, amid the coronavirus pandemic, Wales bought his console online and picked it up at a brick-and-mortar location to avoid waiting in hourslong lines.

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The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles are the first to be released by Sony and Microsoft, respectively, in more than half a decade. With the coronavirus forcing people into isolation and hungry for new entertainment, the launches appear to have come at an ideal time — especially as new surges in cases appear across the country.

Sony PlayStation 5 home video game console.Phil Barker / Future Publishing via Getty Image

“Most people shouldn’t be going out to bars and hanging out and whatnot,” Wales said. “So gaming offers that opportunity to connect people socially.”

While the Xbox Series X was available to purchase in stores, Sony decided to launch the PlayStation 5 exclusively online Thursday to avoid potential coronavirus spread among an in-person crush of consumers attempting to buy the system.

Microsoft Xbox Series X.Phil Barker / Future Publishing via Getty Image

Sony urged customers not to “plan on camping out or lining up at your local retailer on launch day in hopes of finding a PS5 console for purchase,” according to a statement from Sony Interactive Entertainment communications director Sid Shuman. “Be safe, stay home, and place your order online.”

But that warning didn’t stop Xbox Series X customers from heading out when the console went on sale Tuesday. On social media, people shared images and stories of waiting in line to get their hands on the newest console. However, stores are reportedly carrying a limited number of consoles.

Historically, the first batch of consoles from any company can be mired with frustrating and, occasionally, unplayable bugs and other glitches, leaving some gamers hesitant to plunk down hundreds of dollars for what could be a flawed product on launch day.

Wales recalled previous glitches in early consoles, such as the “Red Screen of Death” on the PlayStation 2, which was a screen that would appear if an owner inserted an unreadable disc, and the “Red Ring of Death” on the Xbox 360, when the light around the start button would turn red, indicating the console had a major hardware error.

Some on social media had shared alleged issues with their new consoles. Some shared videos alleging their Xbox Series X was running loudly or that they were having issues getting their disc drive to accept the disc — standard launch-day bugs that can sometimes drive players away.

“We take all product safety reports seriously and our products meet or exceed industry standards. Findings from our initial investigations do not align with some of the claims being broadly reported, however we are in the process of investigating further,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in an email to NBC News.

By Friday, at least one bug had been reported with the PlayStation 5, in which games would get stuck in the download queue. According to IGN, which reported the glitch, the only apparent way to fix the bug is a factory reset, which reverts the device to its original factory settings. Sony has yet to address the bug, according to IGN.

“When you’re an early adopter, that generally goes across all tech. You’re generally used to and already accepting that there’s going to be flaws or there’s going to be hiccups,” Wales said.

However, if the consoles’ preorder sales are any indication, it appears gamers are putting fears of launch-day bugs out of their minds. In October, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan said the PlayStation 5 preorders sold as many consoles in the United States in the first 12 hours as the PlayStation 4 did in its first 12 weeks of sales, according to Reuters. Sony declined to specify how many preorders were sold. Microsoft did not immediately return a request for its number.

“There’s always a risk factor in buying a company’s first product run, but these companies have been in the game a long time,” said Laine Nooney, an assistant professor of media and information industries at New York University. “Sony and Microsoft are aware that a reputation for bugs can ruin word of mouth and are likely to be on top of any potential problems.”

Even with the apprehension surrounding launch-system glitches, on social media, fans like Tim Gettys, who took the plunge and purchased the consoles, were mostly gushing.

“Today we got our FOURTH generation Xbox. Don’t mind me…just having a moment. I freaking love video games and I love that just thinking about them can make me emotional,” tweeted Gettys, co-founder of online entertainment company Kinda Funny. “Here is to another amazing console cycle.”

Fans who bought the Xbox Series X said they couldn’t put down the controller.

“Been playing the Xbox series X most the day, I absolutely love it runs so smooth and everything looks so clean, you don’t really notice till you get a new console but now it’s time to watch Howls Moving Castle,” another person tweeted.

Those who purchased the PlayStation 5 said their weekends would be spent getting acquainted with the new console.

“Woo! PS5 is here and my PS4 data is currently transferring over! Can’t wait to start by playing Spider-Man!” tweeted another, referring to the highly anticipated PlayStation 5 game Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

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The Ultimate Recap of Sea Otter 2024 – Pinkbike.com

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Vittoria Releases New Peyote & Mezcal XC Race Tires
Maxxis Team Spec Aspen ST Tire
New DT Swiss 240 DEG Hubs
Kali Protectives’ New Full Face Helmets
Industry Nine’s SOLiX M Hubs & Wheelsets
Michelin’s Aggressive New Wild Enduro Tires
Praxis’ New Flat Pedals, Stem, & Carbon Bottle Cage
Transmission Cage Upgrades from Kogel, Ceramicspeed, and Cascade Components
Randoms Round 1 – Sea Otter 2024
Madrone Cycles’ SRAM Eagle Repair Kits & Prototype Derailleur
Vorsprung’s New Telum Coil Shock
EXT’s Vaia Inverted DH Fork & Updated Coil Shocks
Randoms Round 2: New Tools, Goggles, Grips, Racks, & More – Sea Otter 2024
What’s New in Women’s MTB Apparel at Sea Otter 2024
Even More Randoms – Sea Otter 2024
Randoms Round 3: Dario’s Treasures
What’s New for the Kids at Sea Otter 2024
Deity Releases New Stems, Grips, & Pedals
Dario’s Final Sea Otter Randoms
Brian’s Randoms from Sea Otter 2024

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With roots dating back to 1991, the Sea Otter Classic is one of the biggest biking events and tradeshows each year and brings together all sides of the biking industry from athletes to brands, spectators and consumers. Taking place in April in the sunny hills of Monterey, California, that means this event really feels like the official start to the biking season in North America. Christina Chappetta covers why it’s much different to an indoor European biking tradeshow, a World Cup racing weekend or even Crankworx mountain bike festival, in that it encompasses nearly ALL of the biking disciplines, including road cycling, enduro, downhill, dual slalom, XC, trials riding and more.

In the past fortnight, we have seen large amount of new tech releases. However, Sea Otter 2024 represents some of the first opportunities for many riders to see these things in the flesh, as well as take a deeper dive into what the product aims to do.
Welcome to a video summary from Day 2 of the Sea Otter Classic.
There are so many giveaways, interesting new products and colourful characters at Sea Otter Classic that it’s hard to stand out from the crowd. Ben Cathro takes a lap of the venue to find his favourites.



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Apple iPad Air 2024: Insider Makes Hasty U-Turn On New Feature – Forbes

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Well, that was quick. On May 18, a respected industry insider predicted a new display technology for the iPad Air that’s expected in the coming days—Apple just announced its latest special event.

The new 12.9-inch iPad Air, the report claimed, would have the same miniLED backlighting currently found on the larger iPad Pro, using the leftover inventory from the current Pro as that model switches to OLED. That was exciting news.

But now, Ross Young, the analyst who made the claim, has changed his mind. The new prediction, shared with paid subscribers only, is that the miniLED technology won’t be coming to the iPad Air, in either size.

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While it made sense that the inventory could be maximized in this way, it now “makes sense” that it won’t.

Young says that while he’d heard from supply chain sources that it would, he’d now had contact from “even more supply chain sources” that it won’t.

And the reason this change of heart now makes sense is that this miniLED technology is expensive, so it would be surprising if it made it to the iPad Air, which is more affordable than the Pro.

That’s not quite all the analyst shared. He also said that there are now reports of a new iPad coming later in the year. This is a 12.9-inch iPad, with miniLED backlighting and it could arrive between October and December this year.

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This is intriguing. What could it be? Assuming that the iPad Pro and iPad Air are released in May, it’s extremely unlikely either will be updated later in the year. And if the iPad Air isn’t pricey enough for miniLED to be included, what tablet could Apple be introducing that is the same size as the bigger Pro, with a pricey screen tech, which would sit between the Air and the Pro, it seems?

Young is highly reliable, but this seems slightly preposterous to me. The only other iPad in the range due a refresh is the regular iPad (at 12.9-inches, the iPad mini is clearly out of the picture) and that doesn’t seem likely either.

It seems to me that any regular iPad will almost certainly have the same screen size as now, 10.9 inches. The regular iPad only grew to this size screen in the current generation, and Apple almost never changes designs after one iteration.

Perhaps things will become clearer as the year goes on.

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Woman who left beaten dad on floor for 2 days was 'overwhelmed' with his care, judge told – CBC.ca

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A Calgary woman who abused her sick, 77-year-old father was “overwhelmed” at the task of caring for him, a judge heard Wednesday at a sentencing hearing. 

In January, Tara Picard, 52, pleaded guilty to charges of assault and failing to provide the necessaries of life after her father (whom CBC News is not naming) was found injured on a basement floor, where he’d been lying for two days. 

On Wednesday, prosecutor Donna Spaner and defence lawyer Shaun Leochko asked the judge to allow Picard to serve her sentence in the community under conditions as part of a conditional sentence order.

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Justice Indra Maharaj agreed to a two-year conditional sentence for Picard followed by a year of probation. 

“There is no doubt she became overwhelmed,” said Spaner in her submissions. “There is no question Ms. Picard has remorse.”

Leochko told the judge that caring for her father “was really more than [Picard] could handle.”

Maharaj heard that Picard is Indigenous and was the victim of abuse growing up. She lives in a sober dorm-style facility and is working with a mental health and addictions navigator, according to Leochko.

A ‘willingness to give back’

As part of the sentence, Picard must complete 300 hours of community service. 

Justice Maharaj commended Picard for “taking that on.”

“That shows me Ms. Picard sincerely does recognize what has happened here,” said the judge. 

“What I interpret from that is Ms. Picard’s willingness to give back to her community.”

During Picard’s plea, court heard that in November 2021, Picard and her father fought over his drinking. 

Nurses discover victim

The victim suffers from a number of medical issues, including diabetes, heart disease, dementia and alcoholism.

At the time, home-care registered nurses were assigned to help provide supplementary care.

Nurses found the victim wearing a soiled adult diaper and suffering from two black eyes with blood on his head. 

He told the nurses who discovered him that he’d been there for two days. 

Picard admitted she knew her father had fallen and she had “administered a number of physical blows.”

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