Learn how to build the storytelling in your scenes with dramatic rainstorm effects using After Effects

The future of Google's advertising business is at stake after a federal judge found the company illegally monopolized parts of it.

In her second day on the stand of a landmark antitrust trial over Meta’s power, Ms. Sandberg, the former chief operating officer, also said the company faced plenty of competition from TikTok.

Macworld One way or another, it seems that prices for future Apple devices are going up. If it’s not because of tariffs, a new report claims that going to be because of the cost of the chips that run the devices. According to a report by Digital Chat Station on Weibo, Apple will “definitely use TSMC’s 2nm process” in its chips next year. That’s exciting for buyers who want the latest and greatest tech, but not for the price tag. The 2nm process is reportedly a lot more expensive than 3nm, which means prices might be going up. It’s been reported that the cost of a 2nm wafer is $30,000, versus $18,000 for 3nm chips. Last December, TSMC set the goal of mass producing 2nm chip in 2025, and then a month later, TSMC demonstrated the process to Apple and other companies. Apple tends to adopt TSMC’s new processes early, but 2nm chips aren’t expected in the iPhone and Mac until next year, which could give Apple some time to figure out other ways to absorb the cost other than by passing it on to the customer. It’s also possible that by the time those products go into production, TSMC will have lowered the cost because of boosted production. The other possibility is that Apple decides to stick to the second-generation 3nm process for another chip generation. This could mean that the performance progress we usually see from one chip generation to another (which is about 15 to 25 percent) could be smaller. The 2nm process not only allows for more transistors, those transistors are switching from fin field-effect transistors (FinFET) to gate-all-around field-effect transistors (GAAFET) that allow for an improvement in performance with better power efficiency. The nanometer process refers to the production of the chip, and 2nm allows for increased transistor density over the previous 3nm and 5nm processes. The higher the transistor density, the better the performance, and the process can also result in better power efficiency. Apple’s M4 and A18 Pro chips are made using TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process, and it was expected that the M6 and A20 Pro would be the first 2nm chips in the Mac and iPhone, respectively, in 2026. Apple isn’t the only company that needs to figure out what to do with TSMC’s 2nm process. The Wccftech report states that Qualcomm and MediaTek are also interested in 2nm, but may look at other ways to offset the cost.

Things are getting serious regarding Apple security. This shouldn’t really surprise you, given the normalization of chaos we’re enduring, as confusion always makes people more vulnerable. It’s easier to be hoodwinked into clicking that particular malware link when your head’s all over the place, you can’t think, and you don’t know whether you’ll still be in business tomorrow. That’s because threats don’t need to be aligned or even harmonized to work together. Insecurity in one space breeds less security elsewhere, and then the whole house of dominoes falls on the strength of a single malicious whisper. Just last week, Ric Derbyshire, principal cybersecurity researcher at Orange Cyberdefense, warned that the digital world is at risk.  Apple fixes two zero-days Then, as if on cue, Apple rushes out its iOS 18.4.1 security patch to fix a pair of zero-day attacks it thinks are being actively used. The patch has also been made available to Macs, iPads, and other Apple devices. More importantly – and in a sign of the severity with which the normally secure company views this attack — the update has also been made available to older devices, including macOS Sequoia, the iPhone XS, Apple TV HD, and other devices the company doesn’t usually patch. The fact that it has patched these devices should be seen as a red flag, upon which you’ll see written in VERY BIGLY WORDS: “Install these security patches today”. You should heed that advice immediately for your fleet of Apple devices. Apple rushed out a security bulletin to explain that the patches were released in response to an “extremely sophisticated attack” that took place against “specific targeted individuals.” These attacks exploited a flaw in CoreAudio that could be used to execute remote code on vulnerable devices. They also used a flaw in Apple’s Remote Participant Audio Control framework. This let hackers with read and write access bypass iOS security protections that help protect memory. These two flaws also let attackers figure a way into your devices so they could steal data and spy on what you do. These are just the latest zero-day attacks to have been identified and protected against on Apple’s platforms. But the growing frequency of these exploits should act as a visible barometric measure reflecting intense heat in the battle between white, black, and occasionally grey hat hackers. Vast resources are being piled into attempts to undermine digital security, and the highest value attacks aren’t aimed at the contents of Aunt Bessie’s bank account – state secrets, military plans, intelligence in various forms, all are now up for grabs.  A fragile peace The threat environment is now so febrile that many of the top brass in business already travel with single-use devices, as they recognize the inherent risk when visiting some nations. That big picture of risk is intensifying, as the UK, EU and other governments take steps that, bit by bit, further undermine notions of digital security. We’re in a race against the clock to protect what we’ve got, while waiting in the wings you can now see a future of attackers armed with quantum computers, ready to exploit every single vulnerability that exists and hasn’t yet been identified.  Given this is the true security environment, it’s laughable that the most popular passcode used in the world continues to be 123456 — it’s as if people really don’t want to understand that to protect other people you’ve got to protect yourself. Because if these exploits are being used against targeted, high-value individuals today, I’d bet my last dollar (if I still had a last dollar) they will be weaponized for use against ordinary Joes and Joelles tomorrow. There’s always going to be someone who doesn’t get the memo and doesn’t protect themselves – and if that is you, then rest assured, these attacks are coming for you. Update your Apple devices now. You can follow me on social media! Join me on BlueSky,  LinkedIn, and Mastodon.

On Thanksgiving weekend of 2013, Jeff Bezos, then Amazon’s CEO, took to 60 Minutes to make a stunning announcement: Amazon was a few years away from deploying drones that would deliver packages to homes in less than 30 minutes.  It lent urgency to a problem that Parimal Kopardekar, director of the NASA Aeronautics Research Institute, had begun thinking about earlier that year. “How do you manage and accommodate large-scale drone operations without overloading the air traffic control system?” Kopardekar, who goes by PK, recalls wondering. Busy managing all airplane takeoffs and landings, air traffic controllers clearly wouldn’t have the capacity to oversee the fleets of package-delivering drones Amazon was promising.  The solution PK devised, which subsequently grew into a collaboration between federal agencies, researchers, and industry, is a system called unmanned-­aircraft-system traffic management, or UTM. Instead of verbally communicating with air traffic controllers, drone operators using UTM share their intended flight paths with each other via a cloud-based network. This highly scalable approach may finally open the skies to a host of commercial drone applications that have yet to materialize. Amazon Prime Air launched in 2022 but was put on hold after crashes at a testing facility, for example. On any given day, only 8,500 or so unmanned aircraft fly in US airspace, the vast majority of which are used for recreational purposes rather than for services like search and rescue missions, real estate inspections, video surveillance, or farmland surveys.  One obstacle to wider use has been concern over possible midair drone-to-drone collisions. (Drones are typically restricted to airspace below 400 feet and their access to airports is limited, which significantly lowers the risk of drone-airplane collisions.) Under Federal Aviation Administration regulations, drones generally cannot fly beyond an operator’s visual line of sight, limiting flights to about a third of a mile. This prevents most collisions but also most use cases, such as delivering medication to a patient’s doorstep or dispatching a police drone to an active crime scene so first responders can better prepare before arriving. Now, though, drone operators are increasingly incorporating UTM into their flights. The system uses path planning algorithms, like those that run in Google Maps, to chart a course that considers not only weather and obstacles like buildings and trees but the flight paths of nearby drones. It’ll automatically reroute a flight before takeoff if another drone has reserved the same volume of airspace at the same time, making the new flight trajectory visible to subsequent pilots. Drones can then fly autonomously to and from their destination, and no air traffic controller is required.  Over the past decade, NASA and industry have demonstrated to the FAA through a series of tests that drones can safely maneuver around each other by adhering to UTM. And last summer, the agency gave the go-ahead for multiple drone delivery companies using UTM to begin flying simultaneously in the same airspace above Dallas—a first in US aviation history. Drone operators without in-house UTM capabilities have also begun licensing UTM services from FAA-approved third-party providers. UTM only works if all participants abide by the same rules and agree to share data, and it’s enabled a level of collaboration unusual for companies competing to gain a foothold in a young, hot field, notes Peter Sachs, head of airspace integration strategy at Zipline, a drone delivery company based in South San Francisco that’s approved to use UTM.  “We all agree that we need to collaborate on the practical, behind-the-scenes nuts and bolts to make sure that this preflight deconfliction for drones works really well,” Sachs says. (“Strategic deconfliction” is the technical term for processes that minimize drone-drone collisions.) Zipline and the drone delivery companies Wing, Flytrex, and DroneUp all operate in the Dallas area and are racing to expand to more cities, yet they disclose where they’re flying to one another in the interest of keeping the airspace conflict-free. Greater adoption of UTM may be on the way. The FAA is expected to soon release a new rule called Part 108 that may allow operators to fly beyond visual line of sight if, among other requirements, they have some UTM capability, eliminating the need for the difficult-­to-obtain waiver the agency currently requires for these flights. To safely manage this additional drone traffic, drone companies will have to continue working together to keep their aircraft out of each other’s way.  Yaakov Zinberg is a writer based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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Annabelle Selldorf and Ma Yansong were both named to the list of TIME 2025 100 Influential People yesterday, highlighting their firms'  work on the completed Frick Collection expansion and under-construction Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (Yansong’s entry being penned by George Lucas). We also interviewed Ma Yansong in October of 2022. The pair follows their architectural colleagues and 2024 TIME 100 honorees Lesley Lokko and Marina Tabassum. Both firms are currently hiring for multiple positions in New York City, Beijing, and Los Angeles via Archinect Jobs.

Previously slated for launch on May 6th, Reikon Games’ Metal Eden has been delayed. It’s out sometime this Summer, and a new release date will be shared “as soon as we can.” Regarding the reason for the delay, the developer said on Steam, “After going through the feedback from the demo, we saw some clear areas where we can improve. We’re taking a bit more time to refine the game and make sure it delivers the experience we’re aiming for. Your input has been a big part of that process, and we appreciate it.” The demo is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC and includes the first two story missions. Players can use it to familiarize themselves with the gunplay, movement and progression system. Of course, with the game receiving refinements, you have to wonder if the demo will be updated. Stay tuned for more details on that front. Metal Eden is a first-person shooter set in the future and focuses on ASKA, a hyperunit that must battle the city called MOEBIUS. Though the latter has numerous hostile robots and security systems, ASKA has eight weapons and some killer speed. Check out more extensive gameplay here, which showcases the pistol, SMG, and shotgun alongside the fast-paced movement.

Watch Majestic Moose Meander North With This Popular Live Stream From Sweden “The Great Moose Migration” shows the antler-adorned ungulates making their annual spring trek Last year, nine million viewers tuned in to watch “The Great Moose Migration” in Sweden. SVT Play Every spring, Sweden’s moose head north to their lush, green, summer grazing pastures. To reach their intended destination, dozens must swim across the scenic Ångerman River—and, as they do, they’re blissfully unaware that millions of people are watching their every move. “The Great Moose Migration”—a 24-hour live stream that lasts for roughly three weeks—is back up and running as so many Alces alces make their annual spring trek northward. Moose fanatics around the world are now tuning in at all hours of the day and night, hoping to catch a glimpse of these iconic hoofed mammals. The stream, called “Den stora älgvandringen” in Swedish, is produced by national broadcaster SVT for its streaming platform SVT Play. When SVT first launched the moose live stream in 2019, it attracted nearly a million viewers. But it quickly skyrocketed in popularity, ballooning to nine million viewers in 2024. This year, the live stream launched a week early because the moose were already on the move, likely due to warm weather. The show is scheduled to continue through May 4. De första älgarna simmar över | Den stora älgvandringen | SVT Watch on Producers go to great lengths to provide the live stream. They’ve set up 26 remote cameras and seven night cameras along the moose migration path in northern Sweden, connected by nearly 12 miles of cable. Once the stream is running, they also deploy a drone to get overhead shots. More than a dozen crew members work out of a broadcast control room in Umeå, a city in east-central Sweden, monitoring the camera feeds and switching between them when they spot something interesting. Last year, they aired 506 hours of footage. Sometimes, they spy an object that looks like a moose but actually turns out to be a rock. They’ve dubbed these moments “near-moose experiences,” says Goran Ericsson, a moose researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, to the New York Times’ Amelia Nierenberg and Christina Anderson. Even when the stream is devoid of moose, viewers can’t seem to tear themselves away. Perhaps it’s because Sweden’s landscapes are beautiful on their own. The cameras show towering evergreen trees, tranquil waterways and, at night, the northern lights. But experts suspect something more might be going on. The live stream may be an antidote to the stressors of the modern world, they posit—a calming, soothing source of entertainment, without any dialogue or plot points. “It became, in a strange way, gripping because nothing catastrophic is happening, nothing spectacular is happening,” says Annette Hill, a media and communications scholar at Sweden’s Jönköping University, to the Associated Press’ Stefanie Dazio. “But something very beautiful is happening in that minute-by-minute moment.” The live stream also provides a sense of camaraderie. More than 79,000 fans have joined a Facebook group called “We who like the great moose migration on SVT!” (“Vi som gillar den stora algvandringen pa SVT!” in Swedish), where they share clips from their favorite moments. The live stream also has a chat function, and it shows the number of viewers watching at any given time. Though most viewers are watching separately, often from the comfort of their own homes, they connect virtually with their fellow moose-lovers in a way that makes them feel hopeful and optimistic. “When you’re in this chat you forget that there are bad things in the world,” says Marianne Hauger, a 49-year-old who lives on the Swedish island of Trundon, to the New York Times. Moose aside, several other wildlife-themed live streams have caught the world’s attention in recent years. Viewers can help with the annual fish migration in the Netherlands by watching live footage from an underwater camera—and pressing a digital “fish doorbell” when they see a fish waiting to pass through a boat lock. Last summer, researchers in Colorado pointed a camera at a “mega den” of 2,000 pregnant rattlesnakes and encouraged viewers to report their behaviors. The leaders of the citizen science initiative also hoped to change the public’s perception of the slithery creatures. In Canada, an annual live stream captures the summer migration of tens of thousands of chatty beluga whales. In the fall, similar feeds show polar bears congregating in Churchill, Manitoba, as they wait for sea ice to form on Hudson Bay. Across the country, viewers are also tuning in to watch various birds of prey lay eggs and raise chicks. Two of the most famous are Jackie and Shadow, a pair of bald eagles living in California’s Big Bear Valley. And, at Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve, the installation of several live cameras along the Brooks River helped give rise to the wildly popular Fat Bear Week. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday. More about: Animals Migration Technology Wildlife