Randal B.’s Post

New Post: British competition regulator objects to Google’s ad tech practices - https://lnkd.in/g3fAYhEN - Britain's competition watchdog provisionally found that Google's ad tech practices are impacting competition in the U.K. - #news #business #world #jobs #school #passion

New Post: How to Avoid Burnout by Finding Your Optimal Pace as an Entrepreneur - https://lnkd.in/giQ3_mDV - You can't sprint a marathon. Discover your ideal speed to increase your chances of winning. - #news #business #world #jobs #school #passion

New Post: How Can You Ensure Your Leadership Success Without Burning Out? Follow These 4 Steps Daily - https://lnkd.in/garZrVd9 - Here's a good roadmap to ensure long-term success without losing sight of what truly matters. - #news #business #world #jobs #school #passion

New Post: Why Google Indexes Blocked Web Pages via @sejournal, @martinibuster - https://lnkd.in/g_XD78d8 - Google's John Mueller explains why disallowed pages are sometimes indexed and why related Search Console warnings can be ignored The post Why Google Indexes Blocked Web Pages appeared first on Search Engine Journal. - #news #business #world #jobs #school #passion

New Post: Top 10 Affiliate Marketing Software Platforms To Maximize Sales In 2024 via @sejournal, @lorenbaker - https://lnkd.in/gGCR3txj - Looking for the best affiliate marketing platforms for driving sales? Explore our top picks and how they can help you increase revenue and brand visibility. The post Top 10 Affiliate Marketing Software Platforms To Maximize Sales In 2024 appeared first on Search Engine Journal. - #news #business #world #jobs #school #passion

New Post: James McAvoy did “30 push-ups, five seconds before take” on ‘Speak No Evil’ to make his “neck thicker” - https://lnkd.in/gaPNVi75 - James McAvoy has revealed the extreme lengths he went to in preparation for his menacing role in the new horror film Speak No Evil. In the film, McAvoy plays Paddy, the patriarch of a British family that hide a dark secret. The actor has spoken previously about the basis of the character’s toxic masculinity, revealing that he was inspired in part by Andrew Tate. In order to conjure the physically imposing aura of the character, McAvoy has told The Guardian what he did to get in the zone: “30 push-ups, five seconds before the take, just to pump my shoulders out, make my neck thicker, get the veins going”. He continued, explaining the tactic was to make him look “more animalistic, to look like I could really do some damage.” “Because I’m a 5ft 7 guy,” he added, “you’ve got to project a lot.” Elaborating on the connection to Tate, McAvoy has previously explained: “The thing I thought I could exploit in the character was, he thinks he’s a bit of a… West Country Andrew Tate.” “He’s like, ‘I’m going to teach you what it’s like to be a man again.’ But there’s a sort of polite face on it that isn’t quite Andrew Tate, enough of a sheen of, ‘I’m not one of those guys’. Paddy’s challenging you, ‘Do you have a big enough dick to have a drink with me?’, Or, ‘I’m sorry, this is too much for you because you’re not real enough.’” “Even though Paddy is all masculine and throwing his dick around, he’s just a bit softer,” McAvoy explained. “Almost a Ray Winstone in Sexy Beast vibe: ‘I don’t mind if my belly’s sticking out, because that’s how comfortable a man I fucking am.’” Speak No Evil – which is an American remake of the 2022 Danish film of the same name – is out in cinemas on September 13. Written and directed by James Watkins (The Woman In Black, Eden Lake), the film also stars Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi and Scoot McNairy. The post James McAvoy did “30 push-ups, five seconds before take” on ‘Speak No Evil’ to make his “neck thicker” appeared first on NME. - #news #business #world #jobs #school #passion

New Post: Here’s what’s in the new ‘Baldur’s Gate 3’ update - https://lnkd.in/gkkr8D6N - The latest Baldur’s Gate 3 patch has gone live on PC, but Xbox and PlayStation players will have to wait until October for it. Here’s what’s changed for PC gamers. READ MORE: How Chrissy Costanza became video games’ go-to soundtrack queen One of the biggest additions to Baldur’s Gate 3 are new cinematics for evil playthroughs. “Whether you embraced absolute power, carried out your father’s will, played as an Origin character or were generally a menace to society, you’ll find Patch 7 now introduces 13 new cinematics that offer varying conclusions to your most evil playthroughs,” reads a new blog post from developer Larian Studios. There are also changes to honour mode combat, with Malus Thorne getting a new legendary action called grasping appendage, and Dror Ragzlin attempting to befriend the creepy crawlies in the spider pit if he finds himself there. On top of that, there’s now an official in-game mod manager and toolkit which will allow you to create your own custom content and make it easier for you to download and install supported mods. This is also coming to consoles, just not right now. Mods that don’t use the toolkit should also still be supported, so your favourite mods will still be available. For co-op players, there are new split screen changes coming. Now, when you get close to one of your co-op partners, the split screen will dynamically merge so that you’re playing on the same screen. This should help make it feel like you’re really adventuring together. The screen will split again when you wander off from each other. There are also several gameplay changes that should ensure things are more consistent throughout a playthrough, like certain characters promising to support you further down the line actually showing up now. Larian also confirmed that this won’t be the last patch, and that updates “which will include both crossplay and photo mode, alongside other fixes and updates” will also be coming in the future. In other news, Black Myth: Wukong is getting a new expansion. The post Here’s what’s in the new ‘Baldur’s Gate 3’ update appeared first on NME. - #news #business #world #jobs #school #passion

New Post: Xbox Game Pass October 2024 games – confirmed Ultimate titles - https://lnkd.in/gGHFB_BQ - October is set to be an absolutely massive month for Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft has been investing heavily in the subscription-based service over the past few years, but a Day One release in October is set to have huge repercussions on the future of the service. READ MORE: ‘Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6’ preview: expect a scrappy Gulf War shooter Xbox taking ownership of the hugely popular Call Of Duty franchise was a major talking point during their acquisition of developer Activision Blizzard, with Microsoft promising to keep the shooter multi-platform. And, now its time for the next game to release after Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was made available on Xbox Game Pass, with Microsoft’s anti-cheat software struggling to keep up with the sudden explosion in cheats. Here’s what you need to know about Xbox Game Pass in October 2024: Xbox Game Pass October 2024 games The confirmed Xbox Game Pass October 2024 games so far are: Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 – October 25, 2024 (available for Console, PC and Cloud subscriptions) More titles will be announced in the coming weeks, and we’re expecting some tasty titles with Microsoft wanting to make Xbox Game Pass look as appealing as possible to the new subscribers that Black Ops 6 will bring to the platform. As soon as Black Ops 6 was first announced, Microsoft started trying to attract new member. “If you’re new to Game Pass – we’ve got a (figurative) mountain of games for you to check out and play while waiting for that pre-install button to light up for Black Ops 6,” they wrote. It’s a bold move for Microsoft, with Call Of Duty games regularly selling upwards of 25 million copies, priced at around £70 each. Now fans can access it via an Ultimate Game Pass subscription, which costs just £14.99 a month. Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 – October 25 Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller set in the early 90s, a period of transition and upheaval in global politics, characterised by the end of the Cold War and the rise of the United States as a single superpower. With a mind-bending narrative, and unbound by the rules of engagement, this is signature Black Ops across a cinematic single-player Campaign, a best-in-class Multiplayer experience, and with the epic return of Round-Based Zombies. What games are leaving Xbox Game Pass this month? Xbox has yet to confirm what titles are leaving Xbox Game Pass this October, but departures usually take place in two waves. The first batch of games will be removed in the middle of the month, with another selection of titles leaving at the end of the month. What else is coming to Xbox Game Pass this year? Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 isn’t the only huge game set to launch on Xbox Game Pass this year. After being delayed several times, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is set to launch on November 20

New Post: Baekhyun – ‘Hello, World’ review: an unfettered re-introduction - https://lnkd.in/gNvieNWU - The phrase “Hello, world” embodies a fresh, wide-eyed optimism (and would be nostalgic for those who’ve ever written their first computer code), as if saying: “I’m here! Ready to experience everything anew!” In a similar vein, Baekhyun’s new mini-album ‘Hello, World’ carries a sense of freedom and self-assurance, with his life having changed by leagues since his last project, ‘Bambi’, came out over three years ago. READ MORE: Baekhyun on new beginnings: “I think it’s a starting point to my solo career” In the trailer for ‘Hello, World’, Baekhyun is thrust through cinematic sequences inspired by various genres, mired in confusion and subject to horrors until the sound of a clapboard snaps him back into the real world. Turns out, he’s an actor playing out various fantasies written by, well, himself. A quiet, yet sublime way of assuring his fans – and perhaps himself – that he is in control of his narrative now, and no matter what he is subjected to, his story is his own to write. The tracks on the mini-album thus not only introduce Baekhyun as a creator, but also Baekhyun as an individual, flaws and all. The euphoria of this newfound freedom translates into lush layering on the tracks, all banding together to make immersive microcosms. As opposed to his earlier releases, which leaned towards the dark, minimal and mysterious, Baekhyun nourishes the songs on ‘Hello, World’ with ad-libs and harmonies aplenty, leading to a lusher sound overall. On the opening track ‘Good Morning’ – his proverbial re-introduction to the world – he is the epitome of laid-back, as if hop-skipping his way through life. Co-writer Colde’s trademark mellow sound slots in perfectly with Baekhyun’s easygoing vocals, easing the listener into the album. Similarly, ‘Rendez-Vous’ is replete with harmonies of Baekhyun’s voice, weaving seamlessly between piano and a bossa nova progression. He keeps a tight rein on his vocal work, letting the pauses hang a little longer and the melodies linger. ‘Hello, World’ reflects the music that suits Baekhyun best: sultry and laced with playfulness and occasional yearning. The title track ‘Pineapple Slice’ demonstrates this perfectly. His plush voice tethers the song, with bass and synths adding a riotous kick to the progressions – sweet with a noticeable tang, like the fruit it is named after. The feeling is reminiscent of ‘Candy’, although ‘Pineapple Slice’ has a definitive edge of longing when compared to the bravado of the former. The best example, however, is the album’s closing track ‘Truth Be Told’, where Baekhyun breaks up languish delivery with brisk, tense rap, mirroring the inner turmoil of someone about to bring a relationship to a close. Over a dark R&B arrangement, he keeps the listener

New Post: Ministers looking to ban dynamic pricing in Ireland after Oasis reunion surge ticket controversy - https://lnkd.in/g9wH36bM - Lawmakers are looking to introduce legislation in the Republic of Ireland that would ban dynamic pricing following controversial price hikes of Oasis tickets. READ MORE: Stand by me: all the players who could be in the Oasis line-up in 2025 Per the BBC, several Fianna Fáil senators and TDs (Irish MPs) are pushing to introduce the legislation after the cost of tickets to Oasis’ Croke Park gig rose from €176 (£148) on pre-sale to over €400 (£337), because of an automatic surge increase due to demand. In the Republic of Ireland, the Sale of Tickets (Cultural, Entertainment, Recreational and Sporting Events) Act came into effect in 2021, and banned the reselling of tickets above face value. Fianna Fáil Senator Timmy Dooley, Niamh Smyth TD (MP) and Jim O’Callaghan TD will now introduce an amendment to that bill. Oasis Live ‘25 UK and Ireland tickets have now SOLD OUT.Please be aware of counterfeit and void tickets appearing on the secondary market.Tickets can ONLY be resold, at face value, via @TicketmasterUK and @Twickets. pic.twitter.com/gWW5xDDzL8 — Oasis (@oasis) August 31, 2024 O’Callaghan said the 2021 Act “protected fans” from missing out on tickets and from “seeing those same tickets for sale on a secondary site for far more than they can afford or would be happy to pay. “It now must be extended so we can protect fans from the experience of seeing ‘in demand’ tickets jumping significantly above the asking price that was initially advertised.” The surge in the cost of tickets came after assurances from the band that measures would be taken to prevent touts from re-selling tickets at inflated prices by partnering with resale platform Twickets. They also stated that tickets sold for profit on other sites would cancelled. However, when tickets finally went on sale on Saturday (August 31), many who made it through the multi-hour-long queues were disappointed to find that they were listed for hugely inflated prices due to “dynamic” pricing. While Oasis have said they “at no time had any awareness that dynamic pricing was going to be used”, the ensuing controversy has now brought the practice into the political sphere. Keir Starmer said the issue was “depressing” at Prime Minister’s Questions earlier this week, while Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy called for a review into dynamic pricing and secondary ticket sites. The European Commission has also said that they would be investigating the issue, following some experts alleging that not warning fans prior to the sale may have been a breach of consumer law. On the official Government website, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced it will also be investigating the use