Until recently, getting the popular chat app Discord to work on PlayStation was a bit of a fiddly process involving your phone. But, as of June this year, the addition of native integration means Discord on the PS5 is easy to setup and use.
In particular, this writer uses it multiple times a week to talk to a close friend while playing Call of Duty: Warzone together. No dipping out of conversation for 20 seconds when loading into a game, and you still get the noise of the game clearly – but you don’t have to hear anyone else talking.
We still marvel at how well the integration has gone. Nowadays, one of us calls the other, the person receiving the call presses two buttons, and we’re in.
Once you’re all set up, it’s that simple. Given how toxic some lobbies can be online, it’s a huge help to ensure you’re only speaking to the right people.
So, how do you use it? Well, if the elongated disclaimer was any hint, it’s actually pretty simple.
How to Install Discord on PS5
From the home screen, you go to settings, then over to ‘Users & Accounts’, and from there go to ‘Linked Accounts’. Then you select Discord and accept the terms. You’ll have to do a bit of fiddling about as you enter a code online or scan a QR code with your mobile app. If you already have Discord it’s considerably quicker, but beyond that, you’re home and dry.
To use it, you press the PlayStation button, go over to the ‘game base’ section, and under that, there’ll be the Discord logo and you can call people from there.
For what it’s worth, I think apps like Discord are good. Not everyone wants to play a game and see the various immature harassment that is commonplace, unfortunately. Only hearing your friends talk while still hearing the sound effects of the game is more relaxing and it’s a really good thing Discord has been integrated in the way it has been.
Summer was pretty quiet, thankfully, but time for a jolt to get reengaged. There’s no better way than getting yelled at, so today let’s talk about a surefire recipe – Electric Vehicles. Those that love EVs really love ‘em, and to speak ill of them in front of the fans is akin to asking questions about the size of their children’s ears.
EVs have an outsized role in the current cultural and economic landscape, in an odd way. They are seen as the best hope to turn the tide of general consumer emissions. Governments threw their full weight behind them to an astonishing degree, legislating them into projected dominance at an unprecedented (and as it turns out, insane) pace.
What makes EVs such a flashpoint is that they intersect with a bunch of stuff that people hold dear. For some, EV ownership feels like a major personal contribution to the global emissions problem, if owning one entails a significant personal commitment. For many, EVs make total sense if only running around town, or if wealthy enough to keep one in the garage amongst the Astons and Ferraris so as to be well-positioned to make an environmental statement if required. Some love them for their simplicity, with few moving parts and lower maintenance requirements (lower, but not zero). Still others love them because they can fuel up at home, at night. And then there is the cohort that feels their rage against oil companies sated cathartically every time they drive past a gas station, those that believe hydrocarbons bring nothing but death, irrespective of the fact that to that point in their life they’ve brought them everything within their purview, including all the things that keep them alive. Have pity on those people, the neutron-level boxing matches going on between their ears are not to be wished on anyone.
On the flip side of the equation, and what brings it to the news, is the public’s general feeling of “meh” towards them, the 80 percent that constitutes the non-extreme middle. In sane times, that is not a problem; major change happens gradually for such big ticket items, and most get a sense that certain segments of the economy work extremely well as EVs – delivery fleet vehicles, forklifts, urban taxis, etc. Many would drift toward EVs as battery technology improves, as range increases, as price falls. But such a shift would be a multi-generational thing, particularly with the infrastructure changes required.
Most consumers can see that that Total And Rapid EV Domination is not a particularly wise vision, even if governments have declared that that must happen within their dog’s lifespan.
Consumers do know a good idea when they see one, and we can see that by the explosion in popularity of hybrid vehicles – those with internal combustion engines augmented by modest battery packs and electric motors that give a certain emissions-free range before switching to gasoline power.
There’s a reason for this growing popularity – it makes sense on many levels. A hybrid removes some of the major reasons people are reluctant to go full-battery EV (BEV) – range anxiety, cold weather performance, etc. – and, as Toyota has wisely pointed out, hybrids are actually better for the environment in general than mass consumer adoption of EVs.
How can that be, you might wonder. Here is Toyota’s calculation, in what they call the 1:6:90 rule. An excellent write up can be found here, and the gist of it is: Because of immense challenges in finding, developing, mining, and processing critical metals and minerals (hundreds of new mines required globally, with each new mine having weaker grades than before, and with many jurisdictions becoming more hostile towards new mines), it makes more sense to utilize a given BEV’s minerals requirements to construct 90 hybrids instead.
Because many trips are very short, a hybrid can run on electric power for most of them, which is how the spreading-out of these minerals to many vehicles makes emissions reduction sense. Toyota calculates that if the metals/minerals used to construct a single EV were instead used to build 90 hybrids, the overall carbon reduction from those hybrids over their lifetimes would be 37 times that of a single EV (and with that sentence, I don my helmet for the incoming shouts of “Fossil Fuel Shill” – the aforementioned yelling).
Customers are clamouring to acquire hybrids. According to a Car Dealership Guy article (excellent auto news site, from a dealer perspective), in August, 48 percent of Toyota sales were hybrids, Hyundai had an 81 percent increase in hybrids (albeit from a relatively smaller number than Toyota), and Ford saw hybrid sales increase by 50 percent.
Volvo, a company that had pledged to be completely EV by 2030 and thereby banishing the smell of gasoline forevermore from customers’ nostrils, recently backed down from that pledge to announced hybrids would remain part of the equation indefinitely. “Everybody made a lot of assumptions two, three, four, five years ago, and that’s changed,” said Volvo’s CEO.
And then there is the Chinese onslaught of affordable, high-quality EVs that somehow policy planners didn’t see coming. Western countries announced bans on ICE in favour of full-EV by the next decade, and lo and behold, China controls most elements of an EV’s composition, and they took full advantage of that supply chain dominance (plus massive government support) to undercut virtually every western EV maker. Hey, you can’t do that, said US, Canadian, and EU governments, slapping huge tariffs on Chinese made EVs because well, we want to save the environment but not that badly (ultra cheap EVs are one of the few catalysts that would accelerate wide spread and rapid EV adoption among the masses).
Not sure where this goes next. Consumers have spoken, auto makers are responding, and the odd man out are governments still paralyzed in 2019 when euphoric and nonsensical “environmental” policy danced on the supposed grave of last century’s fuel. How they backpedal out of this is anyone’s guess, although there are signs, such as this headline: “Italy leads revolt against Europe’s electrical vehicle transition”. If memory serves from Italian traffic, they seem fine with virtually any sort of vehicular madness, so a automotive revolt in that land is a pretty big deal.
As with so, so many aspects of an energy transition, if the whole process had not been hijacked by zealots, we would be farther down the road, we would have consumers on side, we would have entire industries functioning properly instead of the fiascos we in for example the auto industry, and we most likely would have far less emissions.
Greenpeace USA on the ropes29dk2902lhttps://boereport.com/29dk2902l.html
In the big scheme of things, seeing something that has the words “green” and “peace” in the name fail would be disheartening; no sane person is against either the environment or peace. But put those two words together and you have something else entirely.
In the US, Greenpeace is for once holding the crappy end of the stick that they are used to jabbing at everything they disagree with. US energy pipeline giant Energy Transfer is seeking $300 million in damages for Greenpeace’s role in delaying the Dakota Access Pipeline. An ET victory would and should send shockwaves through the massively well financed protest industry that so far employs every tactic in the book to achieve victory (and by ‘victory’ we generally means ‘obstruction’ or ‘vengeance’ as opposed to any sort of constructive advancement). The big ENGOs spend hundreds of millions on staff and lawyers who literally have nothing to do other than bend society to their will without the bothersome hassle of going through the democratic process. Robert Bryce’s excellent Substack column keeps track of the staggering sums that US ENGOs churn through; Greenpeace US is a pipsqueak ($33 million annual engorgement) compared to locust-lawyer Natural Resources Defense Council’s staggering $548 million. With all that money, these groups construct nothing.)
It is a surprise there haven’t been more of these lawsuits filed by thwarted companies and hydrocarbon producers dragged into court for the sin of providing the fuel that keeps us all alive. It’s really not a hard argument to make; the world as we know it will collapse without hydrocarbon production, so shouldn’t thwarting that production on sometimes very flimsy grounds count for something? Shouldn’t blocking fuel from consumers that desperately need it (countless pipeline battles) count for something?
Greenpeace’s defence is pretty funny; suddenly they are insignificant, claiming to have had only a supporting role in the protests, and that the lawsuit is, the funniest part, an “attack on free speech.” Chaining one’s self (or worse, sending some naive acolyte to chain their selves) to a bulldozer on a construction site is, apparently, ‘free speech’, as is law fare and endless slanderous comments about the people and businesses that bring them the fuel that keeps their unhappy lives going.
Maybe the resurrected body, of which you can be certain will appear if this one is bankrupted, should start off with a bit of soul searching. Maybe peace means everyone working together for a common goal, not dramatizing a villain as the means of motivating the troops. Maybe ‘green’ should mean concern for habitat, concern for air pollution, concern for more intelligent use of resources, concern for the most logical global approach to progress, as opposed to a singular war against the bedrock of our society that it is glaringly obvious we cannot and will not live without.
What the world desperately needs – energy clarity. And a few laughs. Pick up The End of Fossil Fuel Insanity, available at Amazon.ca, Indigo.ca, or Amazon.com.
Mortgage application volumes retreated last week, even as lower interest rates managed to sustain refinance interest, according to the industry’s leading trade group.
The MBA’s Market Composite Index, a measure of application volumes based on surveys of the trade group’s members, pulled back a seasonally adjusted 2.2% for the period ending July 12. Loan activity decreased after the index accelerated 3.9% seven days earlier. Compared to a year ago, however, activity came in 1.2% higher.
Volumes declined despite interest rates falling to their lowest point in five months. The 30-year conforming fixed rate averaged 6.82%, down 5 basis points from 6.87% a week earlier. Points used to buy down the rate inched up to 0.59 from 0.57 for 80% loan-to-value ratio transactions.
While downwardly trending rates kept refinances near their same level in the prior survey, they failed to provide momentum in the purchase market, pushing the composite index lower for the third time in four weeks
The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index ended up 4% lower week over week. Volume also came in 15.3% under its mark from one year ago.
“Purchase applications decreased, as ongoing affordability challenges persist with rates at their current levels and with home-price appreciation still strong in many markets,” said Joel Kan, MBA vice president and deputy chief economist, in a press release.
A challenging purchase environment still stands in the way of homeownership for many buyers, even as supply improves and rates head lower, according to several housing researchers. Evidence of such trends came in the latest existing-home sales data, which showed purchases at their slowest pace in over a decade in June despite the greatest amount of inventory since late 2020. At the same time, though, enough pent-up demand exists to continue pushing prices to new record highs.
The MBA Refinance Index helped offset some of the decline in purchase loans, rising 0.3% from the previous survey period, as borrowers in conventional and Federal Housing Administration-backed segments drove growth for a second consecutive week.
“The conventional refi index was at its highest level since September 2022,” Kan said.
Refinance activity slowed from the previous survey’s 15.2% surge, though, as the Department of Veterans Affairs segment accounted for fewer loans.
Compared to 12 months earlier, overall refi numbers were up 38.3%. The share of refinance applications relative to total activity also grew to 39.7% from 38.9% week over week.
Government-sponsored lending saw a larger dropoff than the overall market, shrinking its share of volume as a result. FHA-backed mortgages nabbed a 13.4% slice of activity, edging back from 13.5% one week earlier. Applications coming from the Department of Veterans Affairs represented a 14.8% share of the market down from 15.2%. U.S. Department of Agriculture-guaranteed loans made up the same 0.4% share from the prior week.
In tandem with the conforming average, other rates tracked by the MBA headed downward last week with one exception. The 30-year fixed jumbo average inched up 2 basis points to 7.09% from 7.07% seven days earlier. Borrower points decreased to 0.54 from 0.57.
Meanwhile, the 30-year FHA-backed fixed mortgage came in at a mean rate of 6.71%, slipping 4 basis points from 6.75% in the previous survey. Points for 80% LTV-loans increased to 0.86 from 0.81.
The average 15-year fixed contract rate plunged 28 basis points to 6.21% from 6.49% week over week. Points inched back at a more muted pace, with borrowers using, on average, 0.50, down from 0.51.
The 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgage saw an average of 6.19% compared to 6.33% seven days prior. Points pulled back to 0.52 from 0.58.
The share of ARMs, which start with various fixed terms that later become variable, remained at 5.8%, the same as one week earlier.
The universal call to holiness is a signature teaching of the Second Vatican Council. The topic forms the subject of the fifth chapter of Lumen Gentium, the Council’s dogmatic constitution on the Church.
With this text, Vatican II stated decisively that “all the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity …”
The teaching was a radically new pronouncement, at least in the context of solemn declarations by the Church. The topic also had a certain novelty within the Council itself. A chapter dedicated to the call to holiness was not present in the initial draft of Lumen Gentium presented at the beginning of the Council. This earlier text, after describing the hierarchy of the Church, dedicated a chapter to the “states for acquiring Evangelical Perfection,” that is, the religious life.
In the spring of 1963, in a meeting of the commission for coordinating the Council’s work, Belgian Cardinal Leo Joseph Suenens presented the suggestion for a specific chapter dedicated to the topic of holiness in the Church. He took as his starting pointing the earlier text on the “state of perfection,” understood in the sense of the religious life.
The Belgian prelate felt that this earlier chapter had put too much emphasis on the superiority of the religious state and that a wider vision was needed. He proposed that the constitution on the Church might first describe the vocation to holiness that is directed to all Christians and then move on to portray that which is proper to the state of perfection specific to the religious.
The proposal would result in a new chapter that was presented to the Council Fathers in the fall of 1963, entitled “On the Vocation to Holiness in the Church,” which covered both the call to holiness in general and the specific call to holiness within religious life. Recalling Christ’s call to be “perfect” in charity (Matthew 5:48) and the teaching of Doctor of the Church St. Francis de Sales, this draft affirmed that all Christians, of whichever state, are called to the common goal of Christian holiness, as a fruit of the action of God’s grace.
During the debates on this text, the Council Fathers were in agreement on the need to proclaim the call to holiness among all the baptized. Cardinal Norman Gilroy of Sydney noted this consensus within the Council and further argued the Council would only have “success” if it effectively led all of the Church’s members to a higher degree of holiness.
At the same time, numerous Council Fathers would call on the text to better express the meaning of Christian holiness. Archbishop Angelo Fernandes, coadjutor of New Delhi, commented that the text was not profound enough in describing the meaning of Christian holiness as a perfect growth of the grace of adoption and transformation in the Holy Spirit brought about in baptism.
Furthermore, he observed that the text gave disproportionate space — almost 70% — to matters related to the religious life. While recognizing the special role of the religious in giving testimony to the Church’s unstained holiness, he called on the Council to give more attention to the call to holiness of bishops, priests and the laity, in addition to a clearer articulation of the essential meaning of the religious vocation.
These and other similar suggestions were in no way intended to take away from the Council’s veneration for the religious life. As Croatian Bishop Stjepan Bauerlein pointed out, the diocesan priest’s dedication to God differs from that of the religious, “like one star from another differs in splendor,” yet the difference in splendor would not be a reason for denying the existence of a star.
The various suggestions of the Council Fathers were reflected in an extensively revised text on the call to holiness, presented to the Council in the fall of 1964. Here, for the first time, the Council Fathers were presented with a text on the “Universal Call to Holiness in the Church,” which could potentially be a chapter unto itself. The assembly would later vote to approve this text as a specific chapter, while also deciding in favor of another chapter on the special role of religious life in the Church.
In this revised text, the Doctrinal Commission — the committee with the responsibility for revising the text — greatly enhanced the description of the meaning of that call to holiness directed to all Christians. The chapter has a new beginning, which recognized that the Church is “indefectibly holy.”
In this way, the Council text responded to the request of many Council Fathers that the document might better express the way the call to holiness is rooted in the very identity of the Church.
The new draft also contained a description of the way holiness is made a living reality in the life of the Christian.
As the final text of Lumen Gentium would affirm, through baptism and faith, that the followers of Christ “truly become sons of God and sharers in the divine nature. In this way they are really made holy.” At the request of still other Council Fathers, so as to avoid falling into pure idealism, the text would go on to recognize the reality of sin: “Truly we all offend in many things … and we all must daily pray: ‘Forgive us our debts.’”
The chapter would also avoid such idealism by a much more detailed description of the manner in which the various members of the Church are called to live out holiness through their personal circumstances: as bishops, priests, deacons, “married couples and Christian parents,” as well as “widows and single people.”
The Council wanted to make particular mention of those “who engage in labor — and frequently it is of a heavy nature,” “all those who are weighed down with poverty, infirmity and sickness, as well as those who must bear various hardships or who suffer persecution for justice sake.” This panorama of holiness in the Church particularly manifests the renewed consciousness of the role of the laity in the Church, the subject of the previous chapter of Lumen Gentium.
Within such great variety, the members of the Church seek a common denominator, charity. The Doctrinal Commission was aware, as it noted in presenting the revised draft to the Council, that charity “is the principal and necessary way to holiness … in which all other ways are included and surpassed.”
The Council wanted to emphasis, first of all, that charity is a gift infused into humanity by God, as well as a command. As Lumen Gentium affirms, “in order that love, as good seed may grow and bring forth fruit in the soul, each one of the faithful must willingly hear the Word of God and accept His Will.”
The text goes on to describe the ways in which Christians allow this divine charity to act in their life and thus “complete” the work begun by God: the sacraments and especially the Eucharist, the liturgy, prayer, self-denial, along with “lively fraternal service and the constant exercise of all the virtues.” Among the various manners in which Christians manifest this charity, the Council wanted to make special reference to the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and in particular to those religious who live celibacy, “a precious gift of divine grace.”
This historic chapter comes to a close with a final invitation to all the faithful to seek holiness and perfection in their own proper state. This call, the Council noted, is in fact, an “obligation,” deriving from that mystery of the Church that is so powerfully presented in Lumen Gentium. The exhortation continues to resonate today as a summons to Christians to live according to grace they have received, each one according to the particular vocation they have received, and in this way make Christ present in the world.
Veteran NFL writer and Pat McAfee Show contributor Mark Kaboly breaks down the Monday, Sept. 16 edition of Raw with 10 quick-hitting thoughts.
10
A bunch of ‘daaamn’ moments: If you leave a Monday Night Raw with one moment where your jaw drops and all you can utter is an emphatic “daaamn” – you feel like you just got done watching a great show. So, what does it say when there are a near-half dozen of those moments over three hours? That’s what you had Monday night. From the powerful CM Punk promo to kick the night off, to the final 20 seconds of back-and-forth from Natalya and Zoey Stark; the Jey Uso spear on Bron Breakker; Xavier Woods losing his mind on Kofi Kingston; the top rope snapping when Braun Strowman hurled Bronson Reed into it; Reed tossing a fan out of the front row at Strowman like a spear; Strowman spearing Reed through the barrier and then the backstage calamity that followed all delivered a special night in Portland.
9
Getting personal: CM Punk set the tone with his opening promo (by the way, why did he leave his car door open and I didn’t take the Second City Savior as a family truckster kind of guy, but I digress), but the back-and-forth between Uso and Breakker on the microphone got a little uncomfortable. And if that happened, you know something went right. Breakker saying that Uso was riding the coattails of his family’s wrestling success and that he accomplished more in six months than Uso has in 14 years is the last thing a guy wants to hear who is eyeing his first WWE singles title. The retort of “I am going to dog-walk your ass … (the match) might end up short and sweet like your NFL career” was dirty and had consequences later on.
Braun Strowman and “Big” Bronson Reed once again destroy each other, using barricades and golf carts in a wild brawl. Catch WWE action on Peacock, WWE Network, USA Network, Sony India and more. #WWERAW
8
Evening things up: Bronson Reed has been on a run that has made him near invincible. Now, it might not seem quite that way throughout the night, as a banged-up Braun Strowman gave Reed a beatdown, but not to a point where it harmed Reed’s larger than life persona. It not only sets up a surely-to-be-brutal rematch but potentially a sustained rivalry. It might be only me, but I get great enjoyment in seeing two big men wrestling knowing that it’s not going to be pretty but it’s going to be hardcore.
7
Something is brewing: The way Rhea Ripley looked at Jey Uso during the first promo had me believing that Ripley ismore than a little Yeeted by Uce. With Uso inserting himself into the Terror Twins/Judgment Day business and that rivalry looking like it might be coming to its apex, can we see these two getting together in some form or faction? Actually, let’s hope not. I am all for an Uso Intercontinental Title run and maybe more beyond that, but it would behoove him if he did it by himself. Breakker did hit a nerve with a “you are nothing without your family” after all.
6
Maybe it’s just me but …: Don’t get me wrong, I think Sheamus is a future WWE Hall of Famer but I still think there’s another level for him to hit in his rivalry with Pete Dunne. Hell, maybe I am wrong. I understand their past relationship and all of that and the two worked their asses off on Raw with the shillelagh (I love saying the word shillelagh) and the cricket bat to create some bad blood, but it left me feeling like there’s more fire in Sheamus that’s yet to be unleashed.
5
Xavier Woods would make a good villain: All we know of Xavier Woods is his goofy ‘New Day’ personality and some wild hairdos. But the last person I’d think of ever being pissed off is Woods. To me, that’s what makes this tease of Woods turning on Kofi Kingston so promising. Woods was livid that he had the match won against the Judgment Day but Kofi went behind his back and asked for help from the LWO. Woods wasn’t happy and that spilled backstage. The key words out of Woods’ mouth were when he asked Kingston if he had doubts Woods could handle business he same way Big E did when he was around. Let’s hope there is not a big kiss-and-makeup session coming any time soon because I’m ready for Woods to look in the mirror and “say hello to the bad guy.”
After months of animosity, classic matches and ruthless ambushes, CM Punk discusses his upcoming Hell in a Cell Match with Drew McIntyre at WWE Bad Blood. Catch WWE action on Peacock, WWE Network, USA Network, Sony India and more. #WWERAW
4
Punk in a Hell in a cell?: When I think of Hell in a Cell, CM Punk doesn’t necessarily scream out as a Superstar best suited for it to me. Then again – tonight proved we are currently seeing a different side of him. Now, it’s obvious that Drew McIntyre should flourish in this kind of match, which makes it an interesting decision for Punk to want a match inside the steel. I definitely thought this feud was finished after the Bash in Berlin when Punk not only made McIntyre tap out but he also hit him with multiple GTS’s and then touched all four ring posts before retrieving his bracelet. But I was wrong. What else can these two possibly take to top that? We’ll head inside Hell in a Cell to put an end to things once and for all.
3
Unquestioned leader: Finn Bálor had a good night establishing himself as the top guy of The Judgment Day, if you didn’t know that already. Bálor was great backstage in his interaction with Rhea Ripley and then needled her further when he said he’s why ‘Dirty’ Dom Mysterio turned on her and went to Liv Morgan. Bálor was all over the place throughout the night, as he defended the World Tag Team Title with JD McDonough, stuck his nose into a backstage interview with Ilja Dragunov, and also interfered with the match between Priest and Mysterio. All together Balor hit four Coup de Grace on the night — three on Priest and one more for good measure.
2
Is everybody afraid of Gunther?: Gunther is the World Heavyweight Champion and nobody but Sami Zayn wants a shot at him? You would figure that the WWE Superstars would be lined up to try to get a crack at him, not just Zayn? I believe Gunther is ready to make up for his shocking Intercontinental Title loss to Zayn at WrestleMania XL by crushing Zayn in a match for his new title, but only after he continues to make Zayn beg for an opportunity.
Bianca Belair and IYO SKY battle in an edge-of-your-seat thriller. Catch WWE action on Peacock, WWE Network, USA Network, Sony India and more. #WWERAW
1
Best match of the night: Raw was filled with venom on the mic heading toward Bad Blood in a couple of weeks, so the in-ring action was a little light compared to other weeks. That’s not taking anything away from Bianca Belair and IYO SKY because their match was not only the best of the night, it can stand toe-to-toe with anything we’ve seen in some time. IYO SKY’s suicide dive was ridiculous. My reaction to every moment of this match: “daaaamn.”
DJI has been chipping away at GoPro’s action cam dominance and just took another big step with the launch of the Action 5 Pro. With a new “next-gen” sensor, it promises improved video quality, along with extended battery life, bigger displays and a new feature, subject tracking and centering.
The 1/1.3-inch sensor is the same size as the one on the Action 4, but DJI says it now boasts 13.5 stops of dynamic range, “making it the first action camera with specs that rival professional cameras.” Maximum photo resolution is 40 megapixels (MP), up from 10MP on the Action 4. The lens has the same 155 degree field of view and f/2.8 aperture as the last model.
Steve Dent for Engadget
You can shoot 4K at up to 120p in 16:9 as before, but it now supports 4K 120p capture at 4:3 (3,840 x 2,880 pixels), slow ultra-slow-mo can be captured to the entire sensor if you want to crop the image later. Resolution is still capped at 4K UltraHD, though, where the GoPro 13 supports up to 5.3K 8:7 (5,312 xs 4,648) capture, giving users more cropping options.
As before, images can be captured in 10-bit D-Log M and HLG to boost dynamic range. DJI says you can shoot “high-dynamic, low-light video” at 4K/60fps to capture shadow details without overexposing highlights. It also comes with a SuperNight mode that uses AI noise reduction to yield relatively clean video.
Steve Dent for Engadget
The new 1950mAh has a higher capacity than the previous 1770mAh model, which allows for up to 4 hours of continuous use or around 50 percent more than before (the Action 5 Pro can still use the previous model’s batteries, though). That was aided in large part by a new 4nm chip and new algorithm that optimizes for energy savings. “Even in temperatures as low as -20° C (-4°F), the camera can reliably record video for up to 3.6 hours,” DJI adds.
A key new feature is subject centering and tracking that lets creators shoot without a gimbal. As with other DJI products (ActiveTrack on drones), it intelligently detects a subject’s position and dynamically adjusts the composition to keep the subject centered in the frame. This is done digitally, obviously, and resolution is reduced to 2.7K — but it could still be a great benefit for extreme sports and other creators. As before, it offers “robust stabilization” and HorizonSteady that keeps the camera level through 360 degrees of motion.
Steve Dent for Engadget
The Action 5 Pro is EN13319 certified to be waterproof without a case down to 20m (66 feet), 2m more than before. It can start recording automatically as soon as you’re underwater and comes with an interesting new feature: a pressure gauge to record underwater depth, duration and altitude data to ensure user safety.
Though the body is the same size as before, both OLED screens are larger thanks to smaller bezels, up 16 percent. The larger rear screen is now 2.5-inches diagonally, up from 2.25 inches and the largest on any mainstream action cam, according to DJI. As before, the Action 4 works with the DJI Mic 2 for high-quality sound recording and you can simultaneously use the built-in mic for ambient sound.
Steve Dent for Engadget
Another nice addition is 47GB of built-in storage and 80MB/s transfer rates via Wi-Fi 6.0 or USB 3.0. Other features include an updated Mimo app, Wi-Fi livestreaming, timecode for multiple camera syncing and a pre-record feature.
I’ve had the Action 5 for a short time and it largely resembles the previous model, other than larger power and record buttons, a different internal mic opening and a hole at the bottom for the pressure sensor. Other features like the magnetic mount are carried over from the Action 3. The improvements look promising, so stay tuned for a more detailed review (where I hopefully won’t wreck my face).
Steve Dent for Engadget
Perhaps the best news about the Action 5 is that it’s cheaper than the Action 4 at $349 in the Pro Combo package that includes the camera and one battery, a protective frame, quick-release adapter mount and more. The Action 5 Pro Adventure Combo adds two more batteries and a charger along with a 1.5m extension rod for $449. Both are now available at DJI’s store and most authorized retail partners.
With prices rising, it’s becoming standard operating procedure for big lenders like Rocket to help homebuyers avoid jumbo loan pricing by getting a jump on FHFA’s official announcement.
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The nation’s biggest mortgage lender, United Wholesale Mortgage, is matching moves by rivals Rocket and Pennymac and raising its baseline conforming loan limit for single-family properties to $802,650 starting Wednesday, Sept. 18.
Chicago-based Rate says it will do the same for borrowers locking rates on or after Sept. 24, joining the movement to help some homebuyers avoid what can be more stringent underwriting and higher rates for jumbo loans when purchasing homes above the current conforming loan limit of $766,650.
“Rate is dedicated to giving our customers the very best home financing options in the market and we’re excited to open up higher conforming loan limits early to them,” Rate executive Jeremy Collett said in a statement to Inman.
Jumbo mortgages that exceed the conforming loan limit are off limits for purchase and guarantee by mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The limit is adjusted annually when home prices rise, but the official announcement — by Fannie and Freddie’s regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) — isn’t expected until November.
When annual home price appreciation soared into the double-digits during the pandemic, lenders got into the habit of raising their limits before an official FHFA announcement, giving homebuyers a break by pricing some jumbo loans as if they were conforming.
Lenders can hold jumbo loans that they priced as conforming until Jan. 1, and then sell any loans that are under the official 2025 conforming loan limit to Fannie and Freddie.
Baseline conforming loan limit, 2000-2024
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency.
Last year Rocket, UWM and Rate all started treating loans of up to $750,000 as if they were conforming in October when the official limit was still $726,200. That proved to be a safe bet, as the conforming loan limit was bumped up by $39,350 on Jan. 1 — a 5.4 percent increase.
It was the smallest increase in years, with the baseline conforming loan limit for single-family homes shooting up by a record 18 percent in 2022 and by another 12.4 percent in 2023.
According to the latest numbers from FHFA, U.S. home prices rose 5.7 percent during the year ending June 30. But FHFA will look at appreciation for the year ending Sept. 30 when setting the 2025 conforming loan limit.
Lenders look to be playing it safe again in getting a jump on FHFA, factoring in assumptions that price appreciation is cooling. Fannie Mae forecasters predict home price appreciation will slow to an annual rate of 3.7 percent during Q3 2024 and 3 percent in Q4.
Rocket TPO, Rocket’s wholesale division, kicked off this year’s party on Friday, announcing an internal conforming limit that represents a 5.3 percent increase over the 2024 limit. Pennymac TPO and Pennymac Correspondent followed suit this week.
Fear of missing out
That it’s now standard operating procedure for lenders to jump the gun on the FHFA’s official conforming loan limit announcement reflects the fierce competition for homebuyers — and the fear of missing out on any business.
UWM, a wholesale lender that funds loans originated by mortgage brokers, overtook Rocket as the nation’s biggest lender in 2022.
While Rocket does most of its business directly with consumers, it’s been working to grow its partner network, which includes mortgage brokers.
In reporting a $178 million second-quarter profit on Aug. 1, Rocket said mortgage originations were up 10 percent from a year ago, to $24.7 billion. While Rocket originated more than half (53 percent) of those mortgages directly with consumers, it depended on its partner network for the remaining 47 percent of Q2 originations — up from 44 percent in Q2 2023.
On Sept. 3, Rocket announced it had hired mortgage technology veteran Dan Sogorka as general manager of Rocket TPO to help the company win more business from mortgage brokers.
Rate — the “doing business as” name of Guaranteed Rate Inc. since the company rebranded in July — sponsors 2,074 mortgage loan originators working out of 476 branch offices, according to records maintained by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS).
Rate’s joint venture with Anywhere Real Estate, Guaranteed Rate Affinity, has 456 loan originators and 252 branches. The company’s joint venture with @properties, Proper Rate, sponsors 51 originators.
Pennymac generated $99.4 billion in 2023 mortgage loan production, with 72 percent of that business coming through the correspondent channel, 8 percent from mortgage brokers, and 5 percent directly from consumers, the company said in its most recent annual report to investors.
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You don’t need to do too much when trying to integrate gold into the bedroom. The bedroom pictured above is primarily white with very small hints of gold and brass. We can see it in the frames on the wall, the lamps, the legs of the end chair, and the chandelier. The sprinkle of gold around the room helps add a little warmth to this very light-colored room and elevates the look of the place.
Integrating gold into the living room could sometimes just be a touch here and there. The minimalism of the living room matches well with the minimalism of the gold placement and its designs. It doesn’t take much effort to integrate gold into your living room space and make it stand out.
Some subtle gold in the bathroom can look really good. The gold from the hanging mirror, rods, and faucets against a light sage green wall is such an elegant and welcoming look. Both colors are super compatible with each other and help accentuate each other’s features.
This bathroom is similar in design. The gold faucets, rods, and pipe help make the sink the “statement” of the bathroom. Like the previous bathroom photo, gold against a grey wall stands out a lot and makes the place look much more luxurious and expensive.
Black and gold are a longtime iconic duo. If you have a kitchen or dining room area that’s painted a dark color such as black, adding some gold into the mix can help add dimension to the space and bring some light in. If you want your kitchen area to pop, try integrating some gold into the mix, even if it’s just on the handles of the drawers and cabinets. Sometimes a little goes a long way.
If you’re looking for something more low-key for the dining room area, gold-plated lights are a good route to go down. The integration of gold is very minimal and does not overpower the simplicity of this dining room. It simply adds more warmth to the room.
There are many ways to integrate gold into your home, no matter which room you decide on. It can be some small decor and accessories, or something bigger. Here are some ideas on how you can integrate gold into your home.
These sourdough pancakes are fluffy and soft with great banana flavor. Delicious fresh, or made in advance and freeze! Perfect for breakfast.
I made these a few times to test the batter’s overnight fermentation. In my classic sourdough pancakes, I mix everything except the baking powder and baking soda the night before, cold-ferment it, and then add the raising agents in the morning. I did this because when I first started baking, I was told baking soda would lose its viability if added too soon.
But when I make sourdough quick bread like banana bread, I mix everything in and cold-ferment, and it always works well. So I thought I’d test the two options—mixing in everything all at once and leaving overnight versus waiting to add the raising agents—and see which works best.
Long story short, I found that mixing everything in these banana pancakes, including the baking powder and baking soda, and leaving the batter to ferment made them fluffier and, in my opinion, better tasting than when adding the raising agents in the morning. It also makes it all easier, since in the morning, all that’s left to do is cook them!
Here’s how you make them
I use discard starter in these – one that hasn’t been fed recently so it’s pretty acidic. This helps make a more tender pancake.
Mash the bananas, then combine them with all the ingredients except for the flour.
It’ll make a pretty lump mixture but that’s okay.
Then add in the flour and whisk til combined.
Once mixed, cover the bowl tightly and place in the refrigerator overnight.
In the morning, cook the pancakes, about 1/4 cup of batter for each in hot skillet.
Flip them and cook the other side but don’t let the pan get too hot because the banana can burn.
Transfer the pancake to a plate and continue with the rest of the batter until it is all used up, stacking the pancakes in a pile as you go.
Serve with cream and berries and maple syrup. Yum!
More sourdough recipes you’ll love!
Sourdough Banana Pancakes
Fluffy and soft, with delicious banana flavor. The batter is best made the evening before and refrigerated overnight, for pancakes in the morning!
Prep Time 15 minutesmins
Cook Time 20 minutesmins
Overnight ferment 12 hourshrs
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American, New Zealand
Servings 8
Calories 167kcal
125gbananaextra ripe, mashed
320gwhole milk
150gdiscard sourdough starter
12ggranulated sugar
2largeeggs
45gbuttermelted (plus more for frying)
1tspvanilla extractor paste
1/2teaspoonsalt
1teaspoonbaking soda
1teaspoonbaking powder
220gall-purpose flour
In a large bowl, add the mashed banana, milk, sugar, sourdough discard, eggs, butter, vanilla, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and whisk to combine.
Add the flour and whisk it in; it’s okay if it’s a bit lumpy.
These can be cooked right away, or you can cover the bowl and refrigerate it overnight (or up to 24 hours).
When ready to cook, preheat a cast-iron or non-stick pan over medium heat and grease it with butter.
Ensure the pan is hot and the butter is sizzling, then pour in around 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. If the pan gets too hot, turn down the heat a little once you’ve poured in the batter. The banana in the pancake can cause these to burn easily if it gets too hot.
Cook the pancake for around 2-3 minutes until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip the pancake over and cook the other side for another minute or 2.
Transfer the pancake to a plate and continue with the rest of the batter until it is all used up, stacking the pancakes in a pile as you go.
