Have you ever wondered how much money you’ve truly spent on Steam over the years? Whether it’s during massive sales, impulsive DLC buys, or slowly building your game library one title at a time, those purchases add up — and Valve quietly keeps track of it all. First spotted by Reddit user trotski94, there’s a little-known Steam support page that reveals the total amount of real money you’ve ever spent through your Steam account. The feature isn’t advertised on the main dashboard and is buried deep within Steam’s support site, but it offers an unfiltered glimpse into your spending history since the day you created your account. Recommended Videos You can access it through the Steam client by going to: Help > Steam Support > My Account > Data Related to Your Steam Account > External Funds Used.  Related A prompt will ask you to login to your account once again after which you’ll see three specific categories: TotalSpend – The total amount of money you’ve added and used on your Steam account since its creation. OldSpend – Amount spent before April 17, 2015, when Valve changed how it categorized spending. PWSpend – Amount spent through Perfect World, Steam’s Chinese publishing partner (this usually applies to users in China). This figure includes all purchases made directly through Steam — including games, DLCs, in-game currency, software, hardware, and items from the Community Market. It does not include gift purchases made for others or Steam keys bought from third-party sellers. Here’s a total of how much I have spent on Steam over the years Kunal Khullar / Digital Trends The existence of this tool has been around for years but has remained under the radar, often shared quietly in Reddit threads or niche gaming communities. Now, with more attention being brought to it, users are finding themselves both amused and horrified by the totals they see. Some users report lifetime spends of several thousand dollars — not uncommon for longtime users who’ve been around since the early 2000s.  While the feature doesn’t offer spending trends or itemized breakdowns, it’s a sobering reality check for those who assumed a few sale purchases here and there wouldn’t make much of a dent. As digital libraries grow and subscription fatigue sets in, Valve’s hidden page is a blunt reminder: it all adds up. If you find yourself spending a lot on games, consider checking out how Steam bundles can help you save a ton over time. Editors’ Recommendations

The popularity of a Chinese e-commerce app has surged in the U.S., driven by a spate of viral TikTok videos amid the trade war between the world’s two largest economies.

Prism Here’s how a satellite ended up as a ghostly apparition on Google Earth Zoom in over rural North Texas for a spacey surprise. Stephen Clark – Apr 15, 2025 1:24 pm | 8 One of SpaceX's Starlink satellites appears five times in this view on Google Earth. Credit: Google Earth One of SpaceX's Starlink satellites appears five times in this view on Google Earth. Credit: Google Earth Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more Dig deep on Google Earth and you'll inevitably find a surprise or two. Maybe you're looking at far-flung islands in the middle of an ocean or checking in on something closer to home. A few years ago, online sleuths found an image of a B-2 stealth bomber in flight over Missouri. The aircraft is smeared in the image because it was in motion, while the farm fields below appear as crisp as any other view on Google Earth. There's something else that now appears on Google Earth. Zoom in over rural North Texas, and you'll find a satellite. It appears five times in different colors, each projected over wooded bottomlands in a remote wildlife refuge about 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of Dallas. Satellites in low-Earth orbit soar up to 40 times higher than a B-2 bomber and travel about 30 times faster. But there are more than 9,300 active satellites currently in orbit, and thousands more space debris objects, compared to 19 operational B-2 bombers in the Air Force's inventory. Relative velocity Someone first shared Google Earth's satellite capture last week on Reddit. The identity of the satellite hasn't been confirmed, but its appearance is similar to that of a SpaceX Starlink satellite, specifically a Starlink V2 Mini, with two solar panels spanning some 100 feet (30 meters) end to end. There are more than 7,000 Starlink satellites in space today, more than all other satellite constellations combined, so it wouldn't be surprising that the first Google Earth capture of another spacecraft in orbit would show a Starlink. Google Earth data indicates that the image was taken on November 30, 2024, by a high-resolution Pleiades observation satellite owned by Airbus. Another Reddit user suggested the satellite could be a Chinese Earth-imaging spacecraft named Ziyuan 3-02, which was flying in the same area as the Pleiades satellite at the time. Regardless of the identity of the satellite, this image is remarkable for several reasons. First, despite so many satellites flying in space, it's still rare to see a real picture—not just an artist's illustration—of what one actually looks like in orbit. For example, SpaceX has released photos of Starlink satellites in launch configuration, where dozens of the spacecraft are stacked together to fit inside the payload compartment of the Falcon 9 rocket. But there are fewer well-resolved views of a satellite in its operational environment, with solar arrays extended like the wings of a bird. This is changing as commercial companies place more and more imaging satellites in orbit. Several companies provide "non-Earth imaging" services by repurposing Earth observation cameras to view other objects in space. These views can reveal information that can be useful in military or corporate espionage. Secondly, the Google Earth capture offers a tangible depiction of a satellite's speed. An object in low-Earth orbit must travel at more than 17,000 mph (more than 27,000 km per hour) to keep from falling back into the atmosphere. While the B-2's motion caused it to appear a little smeared in the Google Earth image a few years ago, the satellite's velocity created a different artifact. The satellite appears five times in different colors, which tells us something about how the image was made. Airbus' Pleiades satellites take pictures in multiple spectral bands: blue, green, red, panchromatic, and near-infrared. At lower left, the black outline of the satellite is the near-infrared capture. Moving up, you can see the satellite in red, blue, and green, followed by the panchromatic, or black-and-white, snapshot with the sharpest resolution. Typically, the Pleiades satellites record these images a split-second apart and combine the colors to generate an accurate representation of what the human eye might see. But this doesn't work so well for a target moving at nearly 5 miles per second. Stephen Clark Space Reporter Stephen Clark Space Reporter Stephen Clark is a space reporter at Ars Technica, covering private space companies and the world’s space agencies. Stephen writes about the nexus of technology, science, policy, and business on and off the planet. 8 Comments

The billionaire also said AI could make early retirement or shorter workweeks possible. ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images 2025-04-16T05:47:06Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Bill Gates said AI could solve shortages in two key professions: teaching and medicine. The billionaire said AI will help plug labor gaps, even in blue-collar roles. He also said AI could make early retirement or shorter workweeks possible. Bill Gates said that the long-standing shortage of doctors and teachers may soon be over because AI will fill the gap."AI will come in and provide medical IQ, and there won't be a shortage," he said on a podcast episode of "People by WTF" published Friday. Long focused on public health, Gates said that countries like India and those in Africa continue to face a shortage of medical professionals.The US also has this issue. A report from the Association of American Medical Colleges last year projected that the US would face a physician shortage of up to 86,000 specialists and primary care doctors by 2036."The country needs hundreds of thousands of doctors to provide an equal amount of care to everyone, including minorities, those without medical insurance, and people living in rural areas," Michael Dill, the organization's director of workforce studies, told Business Insider last year.The number of doctors who specialize in geriatric care is also dwindling, even as populations age. Medical professionals told BI in March the influx of older patients could lead to a quality-of-care crisis.To ease burnout in the industry, healthcare-focused AI startups have raised billions by pitching themselves as the fix. Startups like Suki, Zephyr AI, and Tennr say they can lighten workload by automating repetitive tasks like billing and note-taking, improving diagnosis accuracy, and identifying patients for emerging treatments, Business Insider reported in December.The consulting firm McKinsey estimates that generative AI could boost productivity in healthcare and pharma by up to $370 billion.Education is headed in the same direction.In the US, according to federal data released in 2023, 86% of K-12 public schools reported difficulties hiring teachers for the 2023-24 school year. About 45% of public schools said they were understaffed.In the UK, a London high school is replacing some teachers with AI tools like ChatGPT to help students prep for exams, BI reported last year. The pilot program at David Game College involved 20 students using AI tools for a year in core subjects such as English, math, biology, and computer science.Despite concerns about students using AI to cheat, educators told BI last year they're optimistic about generative AI's potential to save teachers time and improve learning — especially as classrooms become harder to staff.If AI does the jobs, what's left for humans?Gates wasn't just talking about teachers and doctors. He also said AI was coming for factory workers, construction crews, and hotel cleaners — anyone doing work that required physical skill and time. "The hands have to be awfully good to do those things. We'll achieve that," he said.Tech giants like Nvidia are betting big on humanoid robots designed to perform manual tasks, from picking items in warehouses to scrubbing floors. These robots aim to reduce labor costs and boost efficiency.Gates said the world is heading toward a future where work could be drastically reduced — or at least looks very different from now."You can retire early, you can work shorter workweeks," he said. "It's going to require almost a philosophical rethink about, 'Okay, how should time be spent?'"Gates admits he's also grappling with that question. "It's hard for those of us — in my case, spending almost 70 years in a world of shortage — even to adjust my mind," he said.In 1930, economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that technological advances could eventually reduce the workweek to just 15 hours.Nearly a century later, despite major productivity leaps, most people still work around 40 hours weekly."I don't have to work," Gates said. "I choose to work. Because? Because it's fun." Recommended video

With the price of tech rising higher and higher with the news tariffs, it’s getting harder and harder to find a good deal on even the most basic gadgets. Accessories that were once within reach are now inching up in price, and there’s (sadly) no reason to believe this trend won’t keep going into the coming months. Which is also why it just feels like a stroke of good fortune to run into an actual bargain today…particularly on something as important as a portable charger. Right now, the INIU portable charger (which is a 10,000mAh power bank) is selling for $15 on Amazon which is a 36% discount from its initial $24 list price. This is a very limited quantity offer, and we really recommend you to get is while the supply lasts. It could run out of stock within a few minutes. See at Amazon Ultra Thin Power Bank The INIU power bank is a great compact and portable charger for people who wants portability and performance. Measuring only half an inch in thickness, it’s one of the thinnest 10,000mAh power banks available on the market, and it slips super easily into a pocket, or bag without bulk. It packs plenty of punch to fully charge most smartphones two to three times so you’ll be connected while traveling and commuting. Perhaps most impressive of all is that this INUI charger sold on Amazon supports high-speed charging. The USB-C port is also supported, as is the USB-A port, and the power bank also boasts a 5V/3A output that makes it able to supply fast, efficient charging to a gigantic range of devices. No matter whether you have the newest iPhone, a Samsung Galaxy, a Google Pixel, or even an iPad, you can rely on instant power delivery that keeps downtime to a minimum. The USB-C port is both input and output, meaning you can charge the power bank itself quickly and share the same cable with your devices. What you’ll also like is the scratch-resistance matte finish which resists fingerprint marks and scratches and keeps the portable charger clean and fresh-looking even after multiple months of heavy use. A built-in LED indicator enables you to see the amount of battery remaining so you’re never caught off guard with an empty power bank. To check this deal on Amazon, here’s the link: See at Amazon

Sci-Fi power cell concept art created using the Random Flow add-on in Blender. Shops: blendermarket.com/creators/blenderguppy gumroad.com/blenderguppy Patreon: patreon.com/blenderguppy #b3d #conceptart #blender3d #blenderaddon #blendermarket

In the darkness of the South Atlantic Ocean, researchers captured for the first time footage of a live colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni). And while the elusive creature is known for its size—reaching lengths of 23 feet—this one is a baby and only one foot long. In 1925, fisherman first found the remains of a colossal squid inside a sperm whale. Over the next century, only eight adult colossal squids have been found, all postmortem. “It’s exciting to see the first in situ footage of a juvenile colossal and humbling to think that they have no idea that humans exist,” Dr. Kat Bolstad of the Auckland University of Technology, an independent scientific expert who was consulted to verify the footage, said in a statement. “For 100 years, we have mainly encountered them as prey remains in whale and seabird stomachs and as predators of harvested toothfish.” A team of scientists captured the groundbreaking footage using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) on March 9 while onboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor (too). The 35-day expedition was part of an Ocean Census expedition searching for new marine life, and a collaboration between Schmidt Ocean Institute, the Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census, and GoSouth, a joint project between the University of Plymouth (UK), GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research (Germany), and the British Antarctic Survey.  The juvenile squid appears translucent as it slices through the water, but when it ages, it will become less see-through as its muscles thicken. Its large eyes—the largest of any known creature—can also be seen in the footage. Bolstad explains that the reason the squids have been so hard to find with cameras could be because of the sensitivity of their enormous eyes. “Most of our deep-sea exploration equipment is large, noisy and uses bright lights if we are trying to film animals,” Bolsted writes on The Conversation. Dr. Jyotika Virmani, Schmidt Ocean Institute’s executive director, summed up the breakthrough: “These unforgettable moments continue to remind us that the Ocean is brimming with mysteries yet to be solved,” The post Colossal squid filmed in deep ocean for the first time ever appeared first on Popular Science.

Nature, Published online: 15 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01203-yDiscussions of technologies’ societal impacts are still too limited

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