23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Sunday, leaving the fate of millions of peoples genetic information up in the air as the company deals with the legal and financial fallout of not properly protecting that genetic information in the first place. The filing shows how dangerous it is to provide your DNA directly to a large, for-profit commercial genetic database; 23andMe is now looking for a buyer to pull it out of bankruptcy.23andMe said in court documents viewed by 404 Media that since hackers obtained personal data about seven million of its customers in October 2023, including, in some cases health-related information based upon the users genetics, it has faced over 50 class action and state court lawsuits, and that approximately 35,000 claimants have initiated, filed, or threatened to commence arbitration claims against the company. It is seeking bankruptcy protection in part to simplify the fallout of these legal cases, and because it believes it may not have money to pay for the potential damages associated with these cases.CEO and cofounder Anne Wojcicki announced she is leaving the company as part of this process. The company has the genetic data of more than 15 million customers.According to its Chapter 11 filing, 23andMe owes money to a host of pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies, artificial intelligence companies (including a company called Aganitha AI and Coreweave), as well as health insurance companies and marketing companies.The filing is a devastating reminder that once you give your genetic information to a company like 23andMe, there is no way to have any clue what is going to happen to that data, how it is going to be analyzed, how it is going to be monetized, how it is going to be protected from hackers, and who it is going to be shared with for profit. Sharing your own DNA with 23andMe also necessarily implicates your close family members, who may or may not want their genetic information submitted to a company that is financially precarious and sitting on a trove of highly sensitive information.On Friday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued an urgent alert to 23andMe customers telling them to ask the company to delete their data and destroy their genetic samples under a California privacy law: Given 23andMes reported financial distress, I remind Californians to consider invoking their rights and directing 23andMe to delete their data and destroy any samples of genetic material held by the company.Other genetic sequencing companies have shared customer information with police and governments, pharmaceutical companies, and health insurers. GED Match, a non-profit that once claimed it would protect customers genetic data, was sold to a for-profit company called Verogen, which works with the FBI and was later sold to a Dutch multinational conglomerate.Police now regularly attempt to identify suspects using information pulled from commercial genetic databases like the one that 23andMe has created.23andMes bankruptcy means that the company will be put up for sale, and theres no way of knowing who is going to buy it, why they will be interested, and what will become of its millions of customers DNA sequences. 23andMe has claimed over the years that it strongly resists law enforcement requests for information and that it takes customer security seriously. But the company has in recent years changed its terms of service, partnered with big pharmaceutical companies, and, of course, was hacked.In a letter to customers Sunday, 23andMe said Your data remains protected. The Chapter 11 filing does not change how we store, manage, or protect customer data. Our users privacy and data are important considerations in any transaction, and we remain committed to our users privacy and to being transparent with our customers about how their data is managed. It added that any buyer will have to comply with applicable law with respect to the treatment of customer data, which means essentially nothing because there are few laws that protect against the monetization of customer genetic data, as evidenced by the fact that other genetic databases proactively offer information to law enforcement and partner with big pharma.The company now could be sold to anyone, and there is no way to know what that buyer will want to do with the reams of genetic information it has collected. Customers, meanwhile, still have no way to change their underlying genetic data.Jason is a cofounder of 404 Media. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Motherboard. He loves the Freedom of Information Act and surfing.More from Jason Koebler

Teslas electric vehicle (EV) sales in Europe slumped in February, falling behind legacy automakers Volkswagen and BMW, as well as Chinese rivals, according to data from research firm JATO Dynamics.The sharp drop comes amid intensifying competition in the European EV market and potential consumer backlash over CEO Elon Musks political endorsements.JATO Dynamics reported that Teslas battery-electric vehicle (BEV) registrations in 25 European Union markets, the UK, Norway, and Switzerland fell by 44% year-over-year to under 16,000 cars. Teslas market share in the region dropped to 9.6%, its lowest February reading in five years.In contrast, Volkswagens BEV sales surged 180% to nearly 20,000 cars, while BMW and its Mini brand combined sold almost 19,000 EVs. Chinese manufacturers also made inroads, with BYD and Polestar registering year-over-year increases of 94% and 84%, respectively.Political backlash and market shifts weigh on TeslaCopy link to sectionTeslas declining performance in Europe coincides with growing scrutiny over Elon Musks political activity. The billionaire has been vocal in his support for former US President Donald Trump and has also endorsed far-right parties in Europe, including Germanys Alternative fr Deutschland (AfD).Musk has posted at least two dozen messages on his X platform in support of AfD, a move that has drawn criticism from European leaders and customers alike. Musks role in politics, rising competition in the EV market and the phasing out of the existing version of its best-selling vehicle, the Model Y, have all impacted sales, Felipe Munoz, Global Analyst at JATO Dynamics, said in a report.Polestar CEO Michael Lohscheller recently acknowledged the shifting sentiment, stating that his company was actively targeting Tesla owners who were disillusioned by Musks political involvement. We get a lot of people writing that they dont like all this, Lohscheller told Bloomberg. A lot of people have very, very negative sentiment.Matthias Schmidt, a Germany-based automotive analyst,told Business Insiderlast month that he expected Musks political involvements to eventually have an impact on Teslas European sales, and said rivals like Polestar would likely reap the benefit of disgruntled Tesla owners ditching their vehicles.Model Y phase-out and growing competitionCopy link to sectionBeyond political factors, Tesla is also facing headwinds due to the phasing out of the current version of its best-selling Model Y. Munoz noted that brands with a limited model lineup, like Tesla, are particularly vulnerable to registration declines when undergoing a model transition.Meanwhile, traditional automakers and Chinese EV brands are seizing the opportunity to expand their presence in the European market. BYD, Polestar, Xpeng, and Leapmotor all recorded rising sales, highlighting a growing shift in consumer preference.Figures follow Januarys dismal showCopy link to sectionThese latest figures follow Teslas dismal show in Europe in January, with sales dropping by almost half, marking one of the worst months for the automaker in recent years.Germany, Europes largest car market, recorded the most significant drop in Tesla sales. Registrations fell 60% year-over-year to just 1,277 vehicles in January, marking the weakest performance since July 2021, according to Bloomberg.The latest figures raise concerns about Teslas ability to maintain its foothold in Europe as consumer sentiment shifts and competition accelerates.

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube799kWork3 Studio, a new development team comprised of former Elite Beat Agents and Osu! Tatakae Ouendan! devs, has announced that it is working on a brand-new NES game, which is set to bring some monkey-based puzzling to real hardware (thanks for the heads up, VGC).Banana Bash! is a single-screen arcade-style puzzler being built on a massive 4-megabit cartridge "one of the largest ever for the NES," the team claims. It looks part Pac-Man, part sliding block puzzle, with its primate protagonist swinging across the stages to avoid enemies and pick up fruit.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube799kWatch on YouTube The momentum-based movement and groovy soundtrack had us sold on this one, but the real kicker is how the dev specifies it will be "100% complete and fully functional on real NES hardware", complete with its own cartridge, box and manual. Mmmm, physical...All this is set to be funded via a Kickstarter page, which Work3 states will start accepting donations around June 2025. The page itself is now live, providing a rundown of the game's key features and a handful of screenshots (which you can also find below):Massive Game Size: One of the biggest NES games ever made, boasting 4 megabits of pure fun.Simultaneous 2 Player Battle Mode: Take on a friend in the battle arena to see who's the master of monkey business!Addictive combo and ranking system: The combo system rewards established and confident players with higher and higher points resulting in a higher rank reward on stage completion!Immersive Gameplay: A unique blend of action and puzzles with mechanics that challenge and delight.Vibrant Visuals & Sound: Stunning 8-bit art and a toe-tapping modern soundtrack with key and beat-synced sound effects that keep the energy high.Tons of gameplay features: Warp through holes, spin on poles, twirl on discs, smash through walls, launch off punching blocks, and more! and also use these features to attack the enemy!Speed Runner-friendly gameplay: Stages can be practiced and researched for optimum speed and maximum scoring routes!Images: Work3 StudioWe like to think that we'll all be deep in the throes of Switch 2 by the time Banana Bash! finally swings our way, but it might be nice to hop back over to the NES for a slice of something a little more retro between all that modernity.We'll be keeping an eye on the Kickstarter for more news on this one over the coming months.What do you make of Banana Bash? Will you be picking it up? Let us know in the comments.

Developer tooling is changing rapidly with AI. So companies that are making it easier to adopt AI in their workflows are seeing a boom of attention. After a startup called n8n (pronounced enay-ten) pivoted its workflow automation platform to become more AI-friendly in 2022, it said it saw its revenues increase 5X, doubling in the last two months alone.Now on the back of that growth, TechCrunch has confirmed that n8n has raised 55 million ($60 million) in funding on a valuation sources close to the company tell us is in the region of 250 million ($270 million).Berlin-based n8n said it now has more than 3,000 enterprise customers and around 200,000 active users on its books. The startup will be using this Series B to continue investing in tech and to expand in newer markets like the U.S., home to more than half of n8ns user base. The company does not disclose revenues, and that customer number includes both free and paying users, as well as those taking short-term and longer-term subscriptions.Highland Europe is leading this latest round, with HV Capital and previous backers Sequoia, Felicis, and Harpoon also participating. Sequoia led the seed round for n8n in 2020; Felicis the Series A in 2021.The startup, founded in 2019, picked up traction in its early years from developer teams that were looking for low-code and no-code automation solutions to make it easier to stitch applications together in ways without a lot of onerous coding. It picked up attention for another reason, too: n8n had built a reputation by being closely tied to the concept of fair code.Fair code is a progression of open source. Software developers use open source code for free, but when they want to commercialize work built on top of it, it establishes principles for compensating the open source creators or community. Jan Oberhauser, the founder and CEO of n8n, came up with the idea and runs a site dedicated to fair code.But while n8n itself is built on fair code and leans into the open source community to grow by word of mouth it has more than 70,000 stars on GitHub the company says that it was weaving in AI that became its rocket ship.AI, and in particular generative AI, is a clear complement to automation something that close competitors like Tines and Workato have also embraced, as have others in the wider automation world like UiPath.If automation and low-code approaches have erased some of the busy work of pulling together how different apps or services worked together, generative AI brings even less technicality into the mix.A year and a half ago, Oberhauser said, we could see this AI thing coming at us. He quickly surmised that the sweet spot would be to work it into its products, to start to reduce the amount of work it took developers to implement automations by turning instructions into natural language.Its a prompt to build workflow, is how Oberhauser describes it. People dont really need to write 50 lines of code to integrate the functionality of, say, sending an email. Now in natural language, you can write get information from X and send it to Y, he said. We see the value in making changes to that more easily.The product was built with a blend of LLMs in mind, and the idea is that if end users are already building services using one LLM or another, it can be swapped in to work with n8ns platform. And like a number of other developer-focused platforms, n8n has a fairly extensive contributor community that is active on platforms like GitHub, gets involved in forums to help other developers with their questions, and builds and uses workflow templates built by others (n8n also has pre-built a number of workflow templates).Even with all the hype and hope around artificial intelligence and GenAI these days, the AI-powered version of n8n took a while to stick, with virtually no take-up at all at first. Then last year, there was a sudden a tipping point.Why? Perhaps the weight of a couple of trends coming together. There was the burst of chatter around AI in coding, with companies like Poolside, Codeium, and Magic all raising big money within months of each other. And then within end users themselves, the chant to figure out how to use AI also became louder.But there is a lot of hype and talk out there, too, and so ultimately n8ns ease of use and usefulness seems to be what has sealed the deal with users, but also investors.Everyone is trying to leverage AI but struggling to find practical use cases, David Blyghton, the general partner at Highland who led the round, told me over a phone call. The design, scale, and throughput of n8n is what allows people to adopt it.Oberhauser admits that although it took a while for the market to catch up, now he says that around 75% of all of n8ns customers are using the AI tools they have built.

Arcade, a generative AI marketplace for designing jewelry, is expanding its offerings to include home goods, starting with rugs.The company on Monday also introduced a new feature called Match My Room, which allows users to upload a photo of their room so their design complements the existing colors and style.Alongside this expansion, Arcade announced its $25 million Series A funding round, bringing the total amount raised to $42 million.Similar to Arcades jewelry design generator, the rug creation tool leverages Midjourney and Stable Diffusion. Users select the rug material and then enter a text prompt to describe the desired design. Once the design is generated, its then paired with a manufacturer, who will send the creator a free sample for approval before purchasing.Based on our testing, rugs start at around $400 for a 39 hand-tufted wool option, which is the most affordable material. Prices increase for higher-end materials such as cashmere, alpaca, and mohair. However, Arcade claims to offer more affordable options than luxury rug retailers that charge thousands of dollars.Image Credits:ArcadeThe Match My Room feature allows users to upload a photo of their space. While the AI analyzes color matching, it cant successfully replicate patterns from other decor items in the image, like pillows and blankets. Overall, though, its a useful tool for ensuring the rugs color accents tie in with other furniture.For users looking to create designs for pure enjoyment, Arcade offers Dream Boards, which function similarly to Pinterest boards, showcasing products with similar themes, such as Hollywood-inspired earrings. Users can also browse other Dream Boards and make purchases.Additionally, Arcade has a seller program, allowing people to earn a 5% commission for each sale of their product, an increase from the previous 2.5%. Users can earn even more by joining Arcades affiliate program.The company recently launched a new entrepreneur program aimed at helping content creators unlock higher commission rates. Major media outlets and influencers with over 25,000 followers are encouraged to sign up by emailing Arcades marketing team.Despite launching its beta jewelry offering only in September 2024, Arcade claims to have generated 650,000 jewelry designs. But the company didnt disclose how many users are interested in purchasing these designs, nor has it revealed the commission earnings of sellers.Arcade is spearheaded by Mariam Naficy, who previously founded cosmetics retailer Eve and design marketplace Minted.The Series A round was led by Laura Chau (Canaan Partners), with participation from Kirsten Green (Forerunner).The new capital will be allocated toward hiring, platform development, and introducing new product categories like ceramics and pillows. Naficy has previously mentioned to TechCrunch that additional categories may include apparel and leather goods. According to its website, chain belts are also next.Arcade previously raised $17 million from Ashton Kutcher (Sound Ventures), Offline Ventures, and Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn co-founder). Other investors include Inspired Capital, Torch Capital, and David Luan, CEO of Adept AI Labs and former vice president of engineering at OpenAI, among others.

Bringing a robotic world to life! Dive into this new Netflix making-of and discover how the visual effects (made by Digital Domain, Industrial Light & Magic, Storm Studios, One of Us, Lola VFX, D-bond) shaped The Electric State. VFX Supervisor Matthew Butler and the filmmakers break down the magic behind the film! Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2025The post The Electric State: Behind the VFX by Netflix appeared first on The Art of VFX.

In 2026, for the first time in Olympic history, two cities will host the games together: Milan and Cortina dAmpezzo, Italy. The latter is close to the Austrian border, and about 150 miles northeast of the former. Ahead of the 2026 Winter games, a new stadium in Milan designed by David Chipperfield Architects (DCA) is now under construction. Arena Santa Giulia is a collaboration between DCA and Arup.The venue will have a generous piazza. (Courtesy DCA)Arena Santa Giulia is one of two permanent venues to be built for the 2026 Olympic Games. Its architecture, DCA said, is meant to echo the elliptical form of Milans old Roman amphitheater. The stadium will be able to host 16,000 spectators. Its exterior will be fronted by three metal rings that each size up in width as the building rises. In renderings these rings are depicted with programmed screens that list out the games or activities happening within. In the evening, LED lights will glow through the glazed portions of the circular stadium, subtly illuminating the building from within.These features will open onto a piazza down below. Inside the stadium will be ample circulation areas to usher spectators to seating sections. A speakeasy lounge, small concert spaces, and other mixed-use programming will be located inside as well.The venue will be able to host 16,000 spectators. (Courtesy DCA)The new arena will be a major contribution to the public infrastructure of the city, and the result of a collaborative process and enthusiasm from all sides, David Chipperfield said in a statement. The form of the building is rooted in Milans rich cultural heritage, Chipperfield continued. It echoes the elliptical form of the citys former Roman amphitheatre, giving a contemporary expression to a historic archetype and creating a new place for gathering and collective entertainment.In the speakeasy lounge there will be bar seating and tables located closer to the stage. (Courtesy DCA)When not watching sports or other entertainment there are lounge and bar spaces to kick back in. (Courtesy DCA)The city of Cortina dAmpezzo hosted the 1956 Olympics, and already has infrastructure in place to host this round. Christophe Dubi, Olympic Games executive director, stated that the steering committee prioritized the use of existing infrastructure, so as to make the events impact as minimal as possible.It is not up to a city or a region to adapt to the Games; it is for the Games to adapt to a city and a region, Dubi said in a statement. In other words, we first promote the use of existing facilities. The second option is to use temporary venues if it makes sense.Construction is slated for completion in December 2025. (Courtesy DCA)The third and last choice is to build a full-time, permanent venuebut only if it is needed by the community, Dubi continued. Santa Giulia Arena is the perfect example of something that is needed. There is no such arena in Milan; in fact, there arent many in Italy. It can be used for sports, concerts, and entertainment.Arena Santa Giulia is slated for completion in December 2025, just ahead of the start of the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will take place February 222, 2026.

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Syd Mead's 1985 painting "Rays Wheels" imagined futuristic cars that look familiar today. Syd MeadIts a testament to the lasting impact of Blade Runner that like Blade Runner has become all-purpose shorthand for describing virtually anything dystopian, neon-lit or cyberpunk whether or not it truly resembles the world of Ridley Scotts iconic 1982 film.That the movies aesthetic has etched itself so deeply into our collective consciousness owes, in large part, to Syd Mead, the legendary concept artist and industrial designer who dreamed up the films decaying Los Angeles a neo-noir visual cityscape that felt both distant and just within reach.But long before Mead rendered the crumbling, rain-slicked world of Blade Runner and other famous sci-fi cinematic universes such as Tron and Aliens, he created immersive visions of the future that would go on to inspire generations of artists and designers.A sweeping new exhibit in New York called Future Pastime steps back from Meads Hollywood years to trace the complete arc of the late artists six-decade career, which evolved from working in automotive design at Ford to creating futuristic concepts for Chrysler, General Electric, Phillips and Sony, among other corporations, and eventually answering cinemas call.His work wasnt just about aesthetics. It was about engineering optimism, crafting worlds where technology and humanity advanced together, exhibit co-curator William Corman said in an interview.Play Puzzles & Games on ForbesIn Mead's "Cavalcade to the Crimson Castle," from 1996, humanoid figures mingle with alien-looking ... More creatures.Syd MeadFuture Pastime which opens March 27 and runs through May 21 highlights a lesser-known side of Meads work that captures quiet moments of leisure, entertainment and beauty in apocryphal worlds. Visitors will be able to get close up with the rich and intricate details in 40 years of Meads gouache paintings, an experience that photographs of his work cant possibly replicate. Mead died in 2019, at 86.What sets Mead apart is his ability to balance radical imagination with practical design logic, Corman said. His futures arent distant dreams. They feel like places we could eventually arrive at, as if theyre simply waiting for technology to catch up.Picture boxy metallic vehicles a la the Tesla Cybertruck on an interstellar superhighway; giant racing robo-beasts; and a lavish retro-futuristic party where guests in sleek helmets and metallic garb lounge on furniture that looks like its crafted from recycled spaceships.These are not dystopias, Corman said. Theyre nostalgic futures, familiar yet far off, where people still find time to drift, to gather, to dream. They remind us that Mead didnt just design machines. He designed moments, capturing the emotional texture of the future."Running of the Six Drgxx" from 1983. Many of Mead's works feel both both ancient and futuristic. Syd MeadThe artist, a 1959 graduate of the Art Center School in Los Angeles, often fused traditional methods with forward thinking. He cited Raphaels mastery of scene setting and Caravaggios dramatic interplay of light and dark as influences on his own work.His use of classical technique to portray futures yet to be born was truly unprecedented, exhibit co-curator Elon Solo said in an interview. He was always showing us the future as if it were a world already known to us.What Shaped Syd Meads Sci-Fi Art?Mead was born in 1933 in St. Paul, Minnesota and raised by a Baptist minister who moonlighted as an art instructor. He was, the curators say in a description of the exhibit, a Midwesterner to his core humble, honest, a small-town kid with a boundless mind.The Great Depression and World War II shaped Meads worldview as a child, and he spent his teenage years under the looming shadow of the Cold War and nuclear threat. These tectonic events not only impacted his belief system, but informed his creative direction.He believed that the bright future the world needed in spite of the insatiable consumption of its war machine, as he once said could only come from careful planning and dreaming, Solo said. These works are the records of such dreams and aspirations for a future for us all to share, and as equals no less.In 1977, Mead imagined a party from the year 2000 complete with metallic garb and furniture. Syd Mead In his enigmatic 1996 painting Calvalcade to the Crimson Castle, for example, humanoid figures mingle with alien-looking creatures amid metallic and organic structures.Solo knew Mead personally and felt strongly about giving the public a chance to explore pieces like this one in person. Future Pastime runs at 534 W. 26th St., at the former Mitchell-Innes & Nash gallery space in Chelsea.His work is masterful, emotional and bursting with complexity, Solo said. I dont think there is a single major technologist, industrial designer, science fiction filmmaker, or innovator today that doesnt credit Syd for at least a modicum of influence on how they got to where they are today.Mead (left) and filmmaker and animator Brad Bird attend New York Comic Con in 2014. Getty Images for Disney