• ARSTECHNICA.COM
    Discord terrorist known as Rabid gets 30 years for preying on kids
    New "depraved threat" against kids Discord terrorist known as Rabid gets 30 years for preying on kids FBI considers 764 terror network a top threat to kids online. Ashley Belanger Nov 8, 2024 2:32 pm | 88 Credit: NurPhoto / Contributor | NurPhoto Credit: NurPhoto / Contributor | NurPhoto Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreA Michigan man who ran chat rooms and Discord servers targeting children playing online games and coercing them into self-harm, sexually explicit acts, suicide, and other violence was sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday.According to the US Department of Justice, Richard Densmore was a member of an online terrorist network called 764, which the FBI considers a "tier one" terrorist threat. He pled guilty to sexual exploitation of a child as "part of a broader indictment that charged him with other child exploitation offenses." In the DOJ's press release, FBI Director Christopher Wray committed to bring to justice any abusive groups known to be preying on vulnerable kids online.This defendant orchestrated a community to target children through online gaming sites and used extortion and blackmail to force his minor victims to record themselves committing acts of self-harm and violence, Wray said. If you prey on children online, you cant hide behind a keyboard. The FBI will use all our resources and authorities to arrest you and hold you accountable.Densmore's group, 764, gained notoriety for grooming young victims they found on social media. Members like Densmore seek "fame" within the group, the DOJ said, by demanding "victims engage in and share media of self-mutilation, sexual acts, harm to animals, acts of random violence, suicide, and murder, all for the purpose of accelerating chaos and disrupting society and the world order."US Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Tottensaid in the DOJ's press release that Densmore's case represented "a new and depraved threat against our kids and our communities: violent online extremists who manipulate their minor victims to commit self-harm and create sexually explicit images."While we will always fight to hold criminals like Richard Densmore accountable, we want to prevent this crime as much as possible," Totten said. "Parents: please talk with your children about this threat; monitor their social media use; and let them know they can always come to you if they mess up.Densmore likely motivated by fameOnline, Densmore was known in so-called "Sewer" communities under the alias "Rabid." During their investigation, the FBI found that Densmore kept a collection of "child pornography and bloody images of 'Rabid,' 'Sewer,' and '764' carved into victims limbs, in some cases with razor blades and boxcutters nearby." He also sexually exploited children, the DOJ said, including paying another 764 member to coerce a young girl to send a nude video with "Rabid" written on her chest. Gaining attention for his livestreams, he would threaten to release the coerced abusive images if kids did not participate "on cam," the DOJ said."I have all your information," Densmore threatened one victim. "I own you . You do what I say now, kitten."In a speech Thursday, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen described 764 as a terrorist network working "to normalize and weaponize the possession, production, and distribution of child sexual abuse material and other types of graphic and violent material" online. Ultimately, by attacking children, the group wants to "destroy civil society" and "collapse the US government," Olsen said.People like Densmore, Olsen said, join 764 to inflate their "own sense of fame," with many having "an end-goal of forcing their victims to commit suicide on livestream for the 764 networks entertainment."In the DOJ's press release, the FBI warned parents and caregivers to pay attention to their kids' activity both online and off. In addition to watching out for behavioral shifts or signs of self-harm, caregivers should also take note of any suspicious packages arriving, as 764 sometimes ships kids "razor blades, sexual devices, gifts, and other materials to use in creating online content." Parents should also encourage kids to discuss online activity, especially if they feel threatened."If you are worried about someone who might be self-harming or is at risk of suicide, please consult a health care professional or call 911 in the event of an immediate threat," the DOJ said.If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal or in distress, please call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline number, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), which will put you in touch with a local crisis center.Ashley BelangerSenior Policy ReporterAshley BelangerSenior Policy Reporter Ashley is a senior policy reporter for Ars Technica, dedicated to tracking social impacts of emerging policies and new technologies. She is a Chicago-based journalist with 20 years of experience. 88 Comments
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  • WWW.BUSINESSINSIDER.COM
    I lived in NYC with my 6 siblings during undergrad. For graduate school, I was determined to go abroad.
    When Omarni Webb decided she wanted to get a master's degree, she was determined not to go into debt.Webb, 29, decided to apply to schools in Sweden, as Ikea was one of her favorite retailers.She enjoyed its safety and affordability, and being able to travel freely. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Omarni Webb. Webb completed a master's degree in marketing in Sweden and later worked as a data analyst. She is currently on a career break. The following has been edited for length and clarity.In 2017, I left NYC and moved to Sweden to pursue a graduate degree in marketing.I had gotten my undergraduate degree in fashion business managementPell Grant.After graduation, I worked in the fashion industry for around a year. But I realized that careerAt the same time, I had always wanted to study marketing. I figured that having a master's degree would give me an edge because I would know how to design clothes and market them.So, I started looking into schools in New York. I looked at ColumbiaTuition at NYU's Stern School of Business, for example, costs over $80,000 a year my kidney couldn't pay for that. I had gotten through college with no debt and wanted to do the same for my master's degree. I realized I needed to find another option.I decided to start looking elsewhereMy favorite retailers have always been Dollar Tree, Burlington, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Ikea. I love knickknacks and how Ikea manages to create organized chaos.My love for Ikea inspired me to look up colleges in Sweden, the country where the furniture brand was founded. In the span of two weeks, I researched all of the requirements, sent everything in and that was that.A few of the parameters that I set limited my options. The classes needed to be taught in English, and I was only interested in one-year programs because I didn't have enough funds to sustain myself for two years. The options I found were Mlardalen University and Stockholm University.I got into Mlardalen University in Vsters, a city an hour and a half away from Stockholm. I remember screaming with joy when I got in.It honestly didn't hit me that I was in Sweden until I was on a shuttle bus heading to the school. Growing up in Brooklyn, as the oldest of seven siblings, it was a breath of fresh air to live on my own for the first time in my life. I didn't feel scared, and I could adapt to the new environment.I could travel often in SwedenBefore moving to Sweden, I had only traveled outside the US once to visit London. But while I was living in Europe, I traveled at least once every two months to countries like Germany, Estonia, Denmark, and Finland. I could catch a flight with a friend and go somewhere for two or three days before we flew back for classes. Webb enjoyed being able to travel easily, including a trip to Paris, while studying in Sweden. Omarni Webb I loved the safety of living in Sweden. It was a complete change from living in New York, where I constantly had to be aware and look over my shoulder.I never worried about walking outside in the early hours. I remember walking home from a friend's party in the dark, lateLiving in Sweden can be expensiveI remember wanting to see a Marvel movie in the theaters, but a regular ticket was almost $30, so I opted out.Eating out was expensive, too. But I loved buying groceries because I could survive off $10 a week, which would get me rice, cheese, eggs, and meat.Although entertainment and eating out were expensive, everything else was affordable. I lived in a single-room dorm, which cost around $6,000 a year, and my degree added up to around $9,000.After completing my degree in 2018, I wanted to stay in Sweden. The work environment there seemed pretty chill compared to the US, where I was only likely to get a few weeks of paid time off.I also experienced Swedish summers where the sun hardly set, and it was absolutely incredible. I thrived in that time because I love the sun. Even during winter, when the days were short, I could adapt.But finding a job in Sweden was really hard, so I unfortunately had to return to the US.I went to Sweden to study marketing. However, during my studies, I decided to pivot my career into data analytics, which is the field I'm in now.The experience also gave me an opportunity to makeDo you have a story about studying abroad that you want to share? Get in touch with the reporter, Erin: eliam@businessinsider.com.
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  • WWW.BUSINESSINSIDER.COM
    Mark Cuban says Trump's tariff proposals will ramp up prices
    Mark Cuban has criticized Donald Trump's tariff proposals.In a Threads post on Friday, he said companies are already bracing for impact.Many economists say the tariffs will be inflationary as costs are passed down to consumers. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Mark Cuban is raising the alarm again on President-elect Donald Trump's tariff proposals.In a Threads post on Friday, Cuban said companies are already bracing for potential tariffs on Chinese imports by shoring up inventory. Cuban wrote that this will inevitably raise consumer prices due to the cost of storing inventory.While he didn't specifically name Trump, Cuban referred to Trump's proposal to put a 60% tariff on Chinese imports, which some economists say will have an inflationary impact on the economy."Right now every company that imports from China is taking all the cash they can muster, and buying up as much as they can and stuffing it in a warehouse, in anticipation of the tariffs creating accelerated demand for imports," he wrote. "That money would have been used for expansion, raises, bonuses, and other operational elements. Because cash is relatively expensive, and it costs money to store inventory, those companies will increase prices as if they had paid the expected higher tariffs."Cuban, who became an unexpected surrogate for Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign earlier this year, has repeatedly criticized Trump's gratuitous use of tariffs in his economic policies."Trump has a new tax cut or tariff for every city he visits. Even when it violates his own signed policies or the law," he wrote in an X post from September.In an interview with Harris, Cuban called Trump "the Grinch that stole Christmas" because the 60% tariff will raise prices on goods like holiday gifts.Cuban added in the Friday Threads post that the tariffs could also push the Chinese government to tell companies to stop buying from the United States altogether.A Trump spokesperson dismissed Cuban's statements. Cuban declined to comment.Many economists say that Trump's tariffs will ultimately hurt consumers' wallets.Economist Paul Krugman said the tariffs could see an "inflationary shock that is bigger than almost anything else you could do through federal policy."An analysis from the nonpartisan Peterson Institute for International Economics said the 60% tariff on Chinese imports could boost inflation by 0.4 percentage points in 2025.Federal Reserve's goal to bring inflation down to 2%.An analysis from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a left-leaning think tank, said that the tariffs will provide a tax cut for the top 5% of US income earners.Some company executives have been vocal about the impacts of the tariff proposals.AutoZone CEO Philip Daniele said on a pre-election earnings call, "If we get tariffs, we will pass those tariff costs back to the consumer."Columbia Sportswear CEO Timothy Boyle told The Washington Post that the company is "set to raise prices" under new tariffs and that it will be "very, very difficult to keep products affordable for Americans."BMW CEO Oliver Zipseoffered a more optimistic view of the tariffs to reporters after the company's Q3 earnings report on Wednesday, saying, "We shouldn't be too nervous about what might happen."He said BMW has an "advantage" over other carmakers because of its large footprint in the United States.
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  • WWW.BUSINESSINSIDER.COM
    Palmer Luckey and other defense tech leaders see Trump's victory as a win for the industry
    Defense tech startups are anticipating growth under Trump's second term.Palmer Luckey's Anduril and others have recently secured large defense contracts.Elon Musk's ties with Trump and Vance could drive defense acquisition reforms. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Some leaders in the defense tech industry, including Anduril cofounder Palmer Luckey, think that defense tech startups are poised for success during president-elect Donald Trump's second term.Over the last decade, Silicon Valley has made waves in the defense tech industry. Startups like Anduril, which makes autonomous vehicles for military use, have secured multimillion-dollar contracts from the US government. Luckey founded Anduril in 2017 after previously founding virtual reality company Oculus, which he sold to Meta for $2 billion.Last month, Anduril unveiled its new AI-powered Bolt-M drone, which fits in a backpack. Anduril developed the drones as part of $249 million in contracts awarded to the companies Anduril, AeroVironment, and Teledyne FLIR to provide "kamikaze drones" for the Defense Department, according to DefenseScoop, a military news blog.In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Luckey said it is "good to have someone inbound who is deeply aligned with the idea that we need to be spending less on defense while still getting more: that we need to do a better job of procuring the defense tools that protect our country.""Anduril's been around for about eight years now," Luckey said. "We did well under Trump in his first administration, and we did even better under Biden in his administration, and I think we're going to do even better now."Some of the defense tech industry's optimism for Trump's victory lies in SpaceX founder Elon Musk's proximity to the president-elect and his vice president, JD Vance, Forbes reported."The close relationships between Vance, Elon, and the defense VC and startup ecosystem will create a huge opening for real defense acquisition reform and widening of the number of players," Nathan Mintz, CEO of CX2, an electronic warfare company, told the outlet.Luckey told Bloomberg that Musk has "outperformed every reasonable expectation." Luckey said he was initially skeptical of Musk's ability to take on projects at his other ventures like SpaceX and X while "also keeping this administration focused on things like space.""But anyone who has ever bet against Elon has come away crying," Luckey said.Defense tech leaders also say the potential elimination of so-called "cost plus" contracts, which give contractors financial incentives for meeting certain performance measures, could be good for the industry, Forbes reported.Luckey told Bloomberg that cost-plus contracting "reward exactly the wrong things" and that defense product companies should be incentivized to use their own money to "decide what to build, how to build it, and when it's done.""Then they have skin in the game," Luckey said. "When they fail, they lose money. When they succeed, they make money."Luckey, a longtime supporter of Donald Trump, said he was "certain" that Trump would win the election and that his victory did not influence Anduril's planning because it was "already baked in."Luckey added that the defense industry is "one of the few that has actually successfully remained pretty nonpartisan," noting that he is a Republican and Anduril CEO Brian Schimf is a Democrat."The idea that the United States military should have the strongest military in the world and that we should defend our allies around the world it's a pretty non-partisan idea," Luckey told Bloomberg.
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  • METRO.CO.UK
    Games Inbox: Will the PS5 Pro delay the release of PlayStation 6?
    Will people see the difference with the PS6? (Credits: AFP via Getty Images)The Monday letters page asks why EA is shutting down the Battlefield 3 servers, as one reader advises how to ban GTA 5 in your household.To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.ukSmall leapReportedly the PS4 Pro made up 14.5m of the PS4s 117m units shifted, around 12%. Some units would have been double dippers, so Id say 10% is fair. The PS5 Pro will be about the same percentage as well.Although I dont think theres much crossover between Sonys hardware and software divisions the complaints about the former due to the lack of the latter is to be expected.Im not sure though why the 90% who have no interest in the Pro have to get so bent out of shape about what its offering, even if they are scratching their heads and cant see it.It was never aimed at them and the base unit exists, the Pro is no skin off their nose. Leave the 10% to enjoy the gains they want and welcome.Clearly though, the Pro does represent the problem diminishing returns will have marketing their next console to the majority of their customers.I dont see how Microsoft or Sony can build a console for an acceptable price in the next three years that can demonstrably show a worthwhile-to-most leap in graphics.SimundoIn the moodI went into Star Wars Outlaws with some trepidation, due to the lukewarm critical response and my own experience of becoming more and more jaded with the games industry in general, especially triple-A titles. Im happy to say that Ive been pleasantly surprised by the game and to cut a long story short, Im enjoying it. After 24+ hours I still get a tingling sensation when walking the streets of Tatooine.I wonder if they could have crammed in a few more iconic locations, but fingers crossed for the next gaming foray into the Star Wars universe. I still think The Mandalorian is begging to be made into an open world bounty hunting game, or from a personal perspective I would love to see something done with Darth Bane.I dont know what percentage of my enjoyment is due to circumstance; longer nights and colder weather making gaming easier and more appealing. Also, I think I need to be in the right frame of mind to really enjoy a game and wonder how many times Ive not enjoyed or discarded a game due to my own situation at the time. Is this something that you find when reviewing games? And if so, how do you tackle the issue?Themadmonk82GC: Were not sure how to answer that, other than to say thats our job.Made in AmericaEveryones love-to-hate orange businessmen has made his way back into the White House. What does this mean for the gaming industry and more importantly Xbox?Trumps potentially new import tax of 10% on foreign goods and 60% from China could spell absolute disaster for the gaming industry. We could see a 10% rise in video games from any American game studios (lets not even think about microtransactions) and the Xbox itself whilst an American company is produced in you guessed it China.Could Xbox see its already struggling console see a massive 60% price increase? Will Microsoft owned games increase by 10% or will they pass it off as one of their foreign studios creation? Time will only tell but what we can be sure of is gaming is going to see an even more turbulent time during the Trump presidency.Boy WonderGC: The tariffs are to discourage foreign imports, not US exports. Unless youre implying a tit-for-tat trade war, which is possible. The Xbox Series X/S, like most consoles, is primarily made in China, so in theory it would be subject to the 60% tariff. Unless its decided it doesnt count because Microsoft is American.Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukHome adviceWorking in IT and having boys myself, it struck me reading the article about GTA 5 how much parents have to assume responsibility for not allowing their kids to play it. Whilst its impossible to control what happens in their friends homes, it is possible to stop it being played at home.Routers have a feature which allows you to block websites and theres certain software you can put on your PCs and laptops if they are gaming that way, that totally block websites and category features. Not to mention parental features on other gaming devices that should be turned on and using a pin or password unknown to the child.There are so many online YouTube tutorials on this now, theres no excuse for parents. Also, speak to the broadband providers technical team.Sarah HertfordGTA 5 kids love it (Rockstar Games)To be confirmedAre GC or any readers finding problems with the PS5 Pro?I am on a PlayStation 5 Facebook group (over 8,000 members) and there are people reporting not booting, rebuilding databases and crashing out.It looks like they are already having to be sent for repair to Sony. Which can only look really bad for a very premium product, even if just a handful.For me, it has put it to TBC for buying one right now.Si ZeroIts in the gameIve been playing a decent amount of Battlefield 3 before the servers shut down for good yesterday, in EAs yearly culling of online services.In relation to the servers and games being delisted, how does it work exactly? Are the servers always managed by Microsoft and Sony in that they switch off the multiplayer servers, but one retain one server that holds the copies of the game for when people redownload it, which is tied to the users licence for the game?Ubisofts decision to release a patch for The Crew 2 to make it playable offline in the future is commendable. Yes, the valid argument is that it should never have been online only and they have also ended the original The Crews life prematurely, but at least this user friendly option has been applied and hopefully many other companies can implement this going forwards.Back to Battlefield 3, I returned to it last night to play some of the campaign again and found that you cannot even access any of the maps for multiplayer. So, they still remain installed on my console, yet I now cannot even open them.I really hope game preservation takes a step forwards, as it is sad to see so many games and game modes wiped from existence.NatorDomGC: EA has a unique relationship with Microsoft, in that they run their own servers. Microsoft wouldnt let them do it at first and EA didnt actually support Xbox Live in the early days. Theyve never said why they want control but its assumed to be so they can shut down games whenever they want, thereby encouraging you to buy new entries in the franchise.OmniballI was thinking about the recent mention of a new Speedball 2 lately. I still have a version on Xbox 360 where you can revert to the original graphics, and I still love it. Anyway, Ive been enjoying the latest Call Of Duty, Black Ops 6, and was wondering if you combined the omnimovement sliding from that game, plus a button to tackle and get the ball from your opponent, a new version of Speedball could work really well.Imagine multiplayer with all players controlled by real human teams. Inbox magic, make it so.Johnny Alpha SDCurrently playing: Black Ops 6, Flintlock: Siege Of Dawn, and Elite: Dangerous Odyssey via GeForce Now, Steam on Microsoft Edge app on Xbox Series X sounds complicated but works really well and is free.Explaining horrorIve previously mentioned my intention to play P.T. via the 10th anniversary re-creation in VR, on Dreams over the Halloween season and it was just too much!I totally freaked out after many attempts and experiencing the bathroom, the flying window, the creepy lighting and an up close encounter with Lisa. The latter was the last straw. Being the coward that I am, I checked out walkthroughs on YouTube, so that I had an inkling of what to expect, and Im glad that I did as the last puzzle sequence would have meant me never escaping that infernal hallway as the stress slowly diminished my actual lifespan.It truly is a masterpiece of genuine horror and even after watching walkthroughs, I had to play it flat before playing in VR (which was still scary).On browsing YouTube for walkthroughs, I came across this interesting little feature called P.T.s Hidden Meaning. It suggests that, whilst Silent Hills had been in production, P.T. was released by Hideo Kojima in the knowledge that it would never see the light of day.It was effectively his way of hitting back at Konami after their acrimonious parting. It really is quite fascinating, and the evidence is both compelling and plausible. It makes a lot of sense when held up against the demos content and the eccentricity of Kojima. It is well worth checking this link out for any fans of P.T.D DubyaGC: Theres almost a year between P.T. being released and Kojima leaving Konami, but its an interesting theory.Inbox also-ransHi just wondering if you were going to review Nikoderiko The Magical World, a great looking platformer that came out recently, think more people should know about it.ZombiekickerGC: Maybe, the graphics certainly look good.Sad news about the death of Tony Todd, who is most famous for his roles as Candyman and Final Destination. It is going to hit different when we see him in Indiana Jones And The Great Circle next month. RIP Tony Todd.SiGC: He was also the Vortigaunts in Half-Life 2, Admiral Briggs in Black Ops 2, and Venom in Spider-Man 2 (and presumably the rumoured Venom spin-off game).Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukThe small printNew Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Readers Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.You can also leave your comments below and dont forget to follow us on Twitter.MORE : Games Inbox: What will be Rockstars next game after GTA 6?MORE : Games Inbox: Is the PS5 Pro worth getting?MORE : Games Inbox: Should Rockstar Games remake Red Dead Revolver?Sign up to all the exclusive gaming content, latest releases before they're seen on the site.Privacy Policy This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
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  • METRO.CO.UK
    PS5 Pro selling faster than PS4 Pro price had no negative impact says Sony
    PS5 Pro not a flop (Sony)It may cost a fortune but despite rumours that its not selling, the PS5 Pro is doing even better than Sony originally expected.Given its existence was leaked well over a year ago, the PS5 Pro has been the subject of controversy for a very long time. The mid-generation upgrade costs a staggering 700, which stands as the most obvious proof that the console is not aimed at ordinary gamers, but only hardcore fans.The PS4 Pro was exactly the same and barely accounted for more than 10% of all PlayStation 4 sales. The PS5 Pro isnt expected to be any different, although Sony has revealed that its actually sold better than its predecessor, so far.Hardcore users are the target of this hardware, said Sony president Hiroki Totoki. In terms of the pricing many people made different comments on that, but pricing on PS5 Pro has not had a negative impact, I dont think.Some fans have suggested that because the PS5 Pro is still easily available at retailers, and that scalpers have had to reduce their prices, its an indication that it has not sold well, but according to Sony this is not the case (it also ignores the fact that the PlayStation 5 shortages were primarily due to the pandemic, which is no longer a factor).As quoted by Nikkei Asia, Totoki added: Im under the impression that the product is performing slightly stronger than the pre-orders of the PS4 Pro during the same period.Odd phrasing aside, this suggests that Sony is perfectly happy with the PS5 Pro, in terms of its positioning in the market and its sales so far.Even if it is selling slightly more than the PS4 Pro at the moment, its still only going to be a comparatively minor release for Sony, with no significant impact on either their bottom line or the PlayStation brand as a whole.But that is what people have been just as upset about, as Sony continues to remain very distant from its fans, with few public announcements and a release schedule that is for more sparse now than at the start of the generation.Spending money and resources on niche hardware such as PlayStation VR2, PlayStation Portal, and PS5 Pro, while at the same time announcing and releasing so few first party games, remains a very strange look for Sony and theres still no real sign of them changing direction.Recent comments suggest they have final realised that their obsession with live service game has not paid dividends but theres still no indication so far of a major change in policy, with regards to either software or hardware.Maybe Sony could get on with make some games now, instead of just hardware? (YouTube)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.MORE : My top 10 PlayStation video games of the last 30 years Readers FeatureMORE : 15 years later Modern Warfare 2 is still the biggest Call Of Duty has ever beenMORE : Trump tariffs will make video game consoles up to 40% more expensiveSign up to all the exclusive gaming content, latest releases before they're seen on the site.Privacy Policy This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
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  • GIZMODO.COM
    Apple Has Begun Selling iPhone 16 Replacement Parts
    By Thomas Maxwell Published November 10, 2024 | Comments (0) | Apple has begun selling replacement camera modules, screens, and other parts for iPhone 16 models. evrim ertik / Getty If you have an iPhone 16 and smash the thing on the ground, youre in luck: Apple has begun selling replacement parts including cameras, displays, and batteries for its latest iPhone. The company, long resistant to customers repairing their own devices, has been making it easier following years of pressure from repairability advocates like iFixit. A replacement camera assembly will cost $169 for the standard iPhone 16 or $249 for the larger 16 Pro and Pro Max. Displays range from $279 to $379 depending on the model and size. Batteries are $99, or $119 for the 16 Pro, though theyll be more like $60 for the Pro if you ship Apple your old battery back. A camera will run you closer to $189 if you return the defective part. Youll want to check Apples official replacement site for full pricing factoring in return credits. If you dont have specialized tools to conduct the repair, Apple will rent you the battery repair device that its own technicians use. Apple first launched its self-service repair program in 2022, which provides customers access to parts, tools, and manuals to repair select iPhones and Macs. The company for years restricted repairs to authorized technicians for years, saying that unauthorized technicians could make mistakes that would damage devices and harm the pristine Apple brand. And iOS still rejects components that are not authorized by Apple. But these decisions contradicted Apples own commitment to sustainability, because the companys restrictions made repairs more costly and could result in more people just throwing away devices for a new one. An open market ultimately drives costs down and makes it easier for people to hold on to a device for longer.Fortunately, pressure has pushed Apple to open up repair manuals and parts to anyone, and the company will soon offer better support for more affordable third-party components, extending the lifespan of devices that consumers feel would continue to operate perfectly fine so long as they could replace a certain part, like a cracked camera or display. Recent data suggests consumers are upgrading their devices less frequently. Its great that Apple has been able to make its devices so durable, just increasing their value. But as customers replace their devices less often, the company has been making up the lost revenue by pushing harder into services, where it charges recurring subscriptions for products like Apple One. It recently began rolling out Apple Intelligence, a suite of artificial intelligence tools baked into iOS that require recent hardware the company hopes will convince customers to upgrade to an iPhone 15 or newer.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Thomas Maxwell Published November 9, 2024 By Kyle Barr Published November 9, 2024 By Dua Rashid Published November 9, 2024 By Kyle Barr Published November 8, 2024 By Kyle Barr Published November 8, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published November 8, 2024
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  • GIZMODO.COM
    Better Than Last Years Black Friday, NordVPN Is 74% Off At $2.99 Per Month
    Are you sitting there thinking that life could be much better? Today, it is! NordVPN has dropped its prices massively, thanks to a 74% discount with 3 extra months for ALL of its 2-year plans. Were looking at the starting price of a meager $2.99/mo.NordVPNs plans are flexible, affordable, and best of all feature-rich. Its 2-year plans arent the only ones yielding money-saving characteristics. You can save on a total of SIX plans from this renowned VPN. This guide will explain all the nooks and crannies.NordVPN Is 74% Off: Get It HereNordVPN Discount Frenzy: Get It At 74% OffLets start with the 2-year plans. The Basic one has dropped to only $2.99/mo, making the price $80.73 for the first 27 months. This is your best bet if you need a safe and secure VPN.Are you looking for more?Then you should consider the Plus plan at only $3.89 monthly or $105.03 upfront.The plan comes with NordVPN but also Threat Protection Pro for blocking malware, ads, trackers, and phishing attempts. Moreover, NordVPN includes its NordPass software, which lets you store passwords safely and with encryption. Are you even more demanding?The Complete plan is discounted by a whopping 73% now, costing only $4.89 monthly. Youll pay $132.03 for the first 27 months and even get 1 TB of NordLocker, an encrypted cloud storage provider. This is your gateway to the world of proper online security.More Deals on the HorizonAs part of its time-limited discounts, NordVPN has slashed its annual plans prices by at least 60%. The icing on the cake is 3 extra months, ensuring you get 15 months of VPN protection for as low as $4.59 for the Basic plan. This is just $68.85 for the first 15 months.The best-value proposition is the Plus plan which now costs $5.49 or $82.35 for 15 months. Finally, the most discounted Complete plan is 64% off and costs $6.49 or $97.35 upfront. NordVPNs plans are covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee as well!You can get it, see if you like it, and be refunded the same day if youre unimpressed. Though let us remind you of some of its most notable features youll get even in the Basic, most affordable plan:Over 6,500 servers in 111+ countriesA secure NordLynx protocol based on WireGuardDouble VPN serversObfuscation (NordVPN works in China and other censored countries)P2P servers for torrentingStreaming support for Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Unlimited bandwidthApps for all devices10 simultaneous connections, and much more.$2.99 a month now doesnt sound that much. Oops. It never did. Consider yourself lucky. NordVPNs generosity wont last a lifetime. React quickly, grab the bull by its horns, and go home with your pockets bereft of $2.99/mo instead of 74% more.Note that theres no need to enter a NordVPN promo code to take advantage of the deal. Simply click the button below, and youre all set.See NordVPNs Prices
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  • GIZMODO.COM
    Moana is Disneys Biggest Movie on Streaming Ever
    The originalMoanawas considered a pretty good movie back in 2016, and Disney being Disney, you can get why it decided to expand it into a franchise with a sequel and live-action remake. But if you thought it was just a standard good Disney movie with a lot of merch and cameos in other movies, youd be a little bit wrong. Turns out, its actually been doing amazingly well on streaming for a long time, and its got the metrics to prove it. A recent Bloomberg report reveals that since it launched alongside Disney+ in November 2019, and with an extra boost thanks to the early days of the pandemic, Moanasended up as Disneys most-streamed movie of all time. Numbers-wise, audiences have watched 80 billion minutes worth of it, which equates to watching it 748 million times. Further Nielsen data shows its also been one of the four most-watched films on any streaming service on a yearly basis for the past half-decade, and for 2024 specifically, its been somewhere in the streaming Top 10 every month thus far. Add on the $687.2 million box office during its theatrical run, and its safe to say a lot of people looooooove this movie. What this means forMoana 2is that its likely going to have amassivetheatrical run in a few weeks. Box office analysts believe itll open to $135 million in North America during the five-day Thanksgiving weekend, further spurred by Fandango reporting it has the biggest first-day ticket presales of any animated film in 2024, the $1.697 billion-hit Inside Out 2included. AMC CEO Adam Aron further stoked those flames during a recent investor call when he mentioned hearing scuttlebutt that itll eclipse and outshine even the success ofInside Out 2.Some of Disneys biggest animated movies hit during Thanksgiving weekend,Moanaincluded. Even with other big movies hitting this season likeWickedandGladiator II,its likelyMoana 2sgoing to make waves when hits theaters on November 27. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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  • WWW.ARCHDAILY.COM
    Learning Garden / Tech Faru + Naghan Co
    Learning Garden / Tech Faru + Naghan CoSave this picture! Parham TaghioffArchitects: Naghan Co, Tech FaruAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:1200 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2019 PhotographsPhotographs:Parham Taghioff Lead Architects: Hamed Kamelnia More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. In Iran, there are usually fewer opportunities for architects to design educational buildings. A few years ago, a typical building was granted to the Faculty of Architecture to rebuild it according to their future needs. It was a skeletal building structure in two floors with a U-shaped space and an underground space. A central space was then created, as a vital environment for learning.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The learning garden was designed with the elements of Iranian architecture corresponding to a school of Architecture. Throughout the construction phase, students could observe the formation process of a plan during their repeated visits, which acted as a classroom for them. Our major focus in reconstruction and restoration of the project was to revive the dead and missing spaces.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!A further substantial change made, was connecting the underground floor to the garden with a staircase to revive and restore the underneath spaces as a functional part in the faculty. This change, created an opportunity for students' gatherings and also connected the underground floor to the landscape by means of a sunken courtyard.Save this picture!Save this picture!Some noteworthy features in this project are:- Attending to the users' Patterns of behavior- Color in learning spaces- Applying features of Iranian architecture in the spaces: overlapping frames, transparency, reflection, sense of presence in Persian garden, and using elements such as water, light, colored glass, porches, bridges, stairs, and columns (memories). - Creating a microclimate: Atrium space, serves as a winter garden in winters. Opening the valves in summers, creates wind-catcher-effect in engendering a cellar-like environment downstairs.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Mashhad, IranLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeNaghan CoOfficeMaterialsMaterials and TagsPublished on November 11, 2024Cite: "Learning Garden / Tech Faru + Naghan Co" 10 Nov 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1023313/learning-garden-tech-faru-plus-naghan-co&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream
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