All posts tagged: person

Fortnite goes first person with Ballistic, a 5v5 tactical shooter

Fortnite goes first person with Ballistic, a 5v5 tactical shooter

Published by skeptic

Epic Games announced that Fortnite is going first person with Fortnite Ballistic, a 5v5 multiplayer tactical shooter game. The title launches into early access on December 11 with ranked and unranked play. Ballistic is intended to be an adrenaline-filled, round-based 5v5 competitive game mode where strategy, tactical teamwork, and individual prowess are essential for victory. Ballistic is launching with the Skyline 10 map, a starting set of weapons, and a limited number of items. Adjustments will be made beyond launch based on player feedback, in addition to major updates such as new maps, weapons, and features. The part of the Ballistic early access map. All saved presets from your Locker will carry over into Ballistic, which supports existing Fortnite Outfits, Back Blings, Kicks, Wraps, Sprays, and Emotes. Pickaxes, Contrails, Instruments, Vehicles, and Jam Tracks are not used/supported. At launch, Ballistic will be available on all platforms and regions where Fortnite is supported, with the exceptions of South Korea and Russia. Epic Games is working to make Ballistic available in both regions and will provide an …

Y Combinator’s Demo Day is back in person

Y Combinator’s Demo Day is back in person

Published by skeptic

As promised, startup accelerator Y Combinator’s imminent Demo Day will be happening in person. In fact, YC seems to have kicked off the IRL return of Demo Day at the end of the long Thanksgiving weekend, with an in-person Alumni Demo Day on Sunday for the Fall 2024 class of startups.  Squad founder (and later Twitter and Meta product manager) Esther Crawford praised the “high energy” of getting to hear 93 startups pitch in-person, while Avni Patel Thompson, founder and CEO of Milo, described it as “a dress rehearsal for the founders but also a beautiful pay-it-forward for alums to come back and support the current batch.” The “dress rehearsal” is presumably for the main Demo Day, where the founders pitch to an audience of investors and press. That Demo Day is scheduled for later this week, on Wednesday, December 4. Virtual Demo Days were a lingering artifact of the switch to remote during the pandemic; at YC’s September Demo Day, CEO Garry Tan said those presentations would be the last ones held entirely online, …

Relationships formed on dating apps are as strong as those formed in person, study finds

Relationships formed on dating apps are as strong as those formed in person, study finds

Published by José

A recent study published in the journal Social Sciences suggests that romantic relationships initiated through dating apps are not significantly different in quality compared to those formed in person. These findings challenge lingering societal perceptions that app-based relationships are inherently less genuine or meaningful. Over the past decade, dating apps have surged in popularity, becoming one of the most common ways people meet potential partners. Despite this trend, online-initiated relationships have historically faced skepticism. Critics argue that such relationships may prioritize physical attraction over emotional connection or be hampered by issues like dishonesty in online profiles. “Since earning my PhD, I have been fascinated by the integration of technology in relationships, families, and development,” said study author Mickey Langlais, an assistant professor in the Department of Human Sciences and Design at Baylor University. “One facet that particularly caught my interest was the increased reliance on dating applications, often used to help form romantic relationships. When I began this research, dating applications carried a negative stigma, yet many of my students and friends mentioned meeting their …

‘Clinical trials saved my life. Every young person with cancer should have the chance I did’

‘Clinical trials saved my life. Every young person with cancer should have the chance I did’

Published by Sam

The Teenage Cancer Trust unit became my sanctuary. When I first arrived on their ward from the intensive care unit (ICU), I felt overwhelming relief. Gone were the endless machine beeps and harsh lights; instead, the ward had an atmosphere that felt far more like home. The staff became my lifeline, understanding both the medical and emotional toll. Padma, the youth support coordinator, organised activities like pizza nights and even a music session that brought out the real “me”, which my parents hadn’t seen in months. In a space designed for people my age, I felt seen and valued. Isolation was one of the hardest parts. For days, I barely saw anyone other than a handful of nurses. At times, I felt like I was fading, not just physically, but also mentally. The hospital psychologist became essential to help me face the uncertainty and understand that my emotions were valid. Having someone outside of my family to talk to lifted a weight off my shoulders, especially as I was worried about burdening my parents. I’ve …

4 Things to Remember When Dealing With a Difficult Person

4 Things to Remember When Dealing With a Difficult Person

Published by skeptic

Over a decade ago, I wrote a post called “Don’t Try to Reason with Unreasonable People.” It’s the most popular piece I’ve ever written. A year prior, I’d escaped a destructive relationship with the help of an expert who helps women recover from relationships with personality-disordered partners. In that post, I shared the most powerful tactics I’d learned, strategies that continue to be invaluable. Unfortunately, as I learned in that process, I fit a personality and profile that makes me vulnerable to this type of individual. I wasn’t going to fall into the same traps and poor judgments again, but these people come cloaked in a variety of styles of “sheep’s clothing.” As a result, I’ve gained more unwelcome experiences through close encounters of this kind. I’m circling back to share fresh, hard-won insights and strategies that I hope will help you. Focus on the bad, not the good Those who get enmeshed with people with destructive personalities tend to be optimistic, long-suffering, and loyal. Our brains struggle to process the fact that someone who …

82 Sentences, Each Taken from the ‘Last Statement’ of a Person Executed by the State of Texas Since 1984 | Joe Kloc

82 Sentences, Each Taken from the ‘Last Statement’ of a Person Executed by the State of Texas Since 1984 | Joe Kloc

Published by skeptic

Um, I don’t know what to say. I am not as strong as I thought I was going to be, but I guess it only hurts for a little while. I sat in my cell many days wondering what my last words would be. I’m not going to shout, use profanity, or make idle threats. I am not going to play a part in my own murder, no one should have to do that. Can you hear me? This here is a tragedy. They are fixing to pump my veins with a lethal drug the American Veterinary Association won’t even allow to be used on dogs. I should not have to be here. I’m not a killer. I know how it look but I didn’t do it. I didn’t kill my wife. I did not kill those drug dealers. I did not murder your loved one. I am sure he died unjustly, just like I am. I have done everything to prove my innocence. If I am paying my debt to society, I am due …

One person dead and six missing after superyacht with 22 on board is sunk by tornado off coast of Italy | World News

One person dead and six missing after superyacht with 22 on board is sunk by tornado off coast of Italy | World News

Published by Sam

A man has died and six people are missing after a UK-flagged superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily in a tornado – with a prominent British businessman among those unaccounted for. Sky News understands technology tycoon Mike Lynch owned the 56-metre vessel (183ft), named Bayesian. The tech tycoon, known as the “British Bill Gates”, has been in the headlines in recent months over a high-profile fraud case. In June, he was cleared of all charges by a US jury related to the sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011. The businessman’s lawyer is also among the six people missing. Follow live updates: People missing after superyacht sinks Mr Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares is confirmed to be among the 15 people who were rescued after the British-flagged yacht capsized at around 4.30am local time (3.30am UK time) on Monday. One body has also been recovered, after being found close to the vessel, according to local media. The boat was hit by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout, that struck …

“I’m A Better Looking Person Than Kamala”: Donald Trump’s Off Script Moments Are Getting More and More Unhinged

“I’m A Better Looking Person Than Kamala”: Donald Trump’s Off Script Moments Are Getting More and More Unhinged

Published by skeptic

“You don’t mind if I go off teleprompter for a second, do you?” Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump asked his Pennsylvania crowd at a campaign rally on Saturday—less than four minutes into his speech. What followed was a long-winded, meandering address that featured Trump insisting that he is more attractive than his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. Time magazine’s latest cover features a sketch of Harris with the words “Her Moment,” accompanying an article by senior correspondent Charlotte Alter. Harris’s likeness, illustrated by Neil Jamieson, fades into images of supporters holding campaign signs. When Trump first saw the image, he claimed, “I said, ‘is that Sophia Loren?’ I couldn’t, who might that be? ‘Is that Elizabeth Taylor?’” He then calls Loren beautiful before warning U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick, who Trump was campaigning with, to “never call a woman beautiful because it’ll be the end of your political career.” Trump then goes after a “Ronald Reagan speechwriter,” presumptively Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan. Noonan has written about Harris’s appearance in recent weeks, saying that, …

How To Talk To Children, Even If You’re Not A ‘Kid Person’

How To Talk To Children, Even If You’re Not A ‘Kid Person’

Published by Sam

If you’re not a parent or in a job where you’re talking to kids every day, finding yourself face-to-face with a child can feel unnerving. What are you supposed to say to them? Do they even speak the same language? You don’t need any experience in parenting or teaching to make a positive connection with a kid in your life. You, too, were a child once upon a time, and if you can tap into those memories and find some common ground, you’ll be able to hold a real conversation with the next kid who pops up beside you at a wedding, family reunion or your coworker’s desk. We asked a couple of people who are experts in talking to kids about their tips for making conversation. Get Down On Their Level Literally, that is. If you’re standing, try coming down into a squatting or kneeling position so you’re both comfortably at eye level. This can help put a child at ease. “Sometimes we can forget the impact that we have on a young person,” …