Nov 13, 2024Ravie LakshmananCloud Security / VulnerabilityA security analysis of the OvrC cloud platform has uncovered 10 vulnerabilities that could be chained to allow potential attackers to execute code remotely on connected devices."Attackers successfully exploiting these vulnerabilities can access, control, and disrupt devices supported by OvrC; some of those include smart electrical power supplies, cameras, routers, home automation systems, and more," Claroty researcher Uri Katz said in a technical report.Snap One's OvrC, pronounced "oversee," is advertised as a "revolutionary support platform" that enables homeowners and businesses to remotely manage, configure, and troubleshoot IoT devices on the network. According to its website, OvrC solutions are deployed at over 500,000 end-user locations.According to a coordinated advisory issued by the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), successful exploitation of the identified vulnerabilities could allow an attacker to "impersonate and claim devices, execute arbitrary code, and disclose information about the affected device."The flaws have been found to impact OvrC Pro and OvrC Connect, with the company releasing fixes for eight of them in May 2023 and the remaining two on November 12, 2024."Many of these issues we found arise from neglecting the device-to-cloud interface," Katz said. "In many of these cases, the core issue is the ability to cross-claim IoT devices because of weak identifiers or similar bugs. These issues range from weak access controls, authentication bypasses, failed input validation, hardcoded credentials, and remote code execution flaws."As a result, a remote attacker could abuse these vulnerabilities to bypass firewalls and gain unauthorized access to the cloud-based management interface. Even worse, the access could be subsequently weaponized to enumerate and profile devices, hijack devices, elevate privileges, and even run arbitrary code.The most severe of the flaws are listed below -CVE-2023-28649 (CVSS v4 score: 9.2), which allows an attacker to impersonate a hub and hijack a deviceCVE-2023-31241 (CVSS v4 score: 9.2), which allows an attacker to claim arbitrary unclaimed devices by bypassing the requirement for a serial numberCVE-2023-28386 (CVSS v4 score: 9.2), which allows an attacker to upload arbitrary firmware updates resulting in code executionCVE-2024-50381 (CVSS v4 score: 9.1), which allows an attacker to impersonate a hub and unclaim devices arbitrarily and subsequently exploit other flaws to claim it"With more devices coming online every day and cloud management becoming the dominant means of configuring and accessing services, more than ever, the impetus is on manufacturers and cloud service providers to secure these devices and connections," Katz said. "The negative outcomes can impact connected power supplies, business routers, home automation systems and more connected to the OvrC cloud."The disclosure comes as Nozomi Networks detailed three security flaws impacting EmbedThis GoAhead, a compact web server used in embedded and IoT devices, that could lead to a denial-of-service (DoS) under specific conditions. The vulnerabilities (CVE-2024-3184, CVE-2024-3186, and CVE-2024-3187) have been patched in GoAhead version 6.0.1.In recent months, multiple security shortcomings have also been uncovered in Johnson Controls' exacqVision Web Service that could be combined to take control of video streams from surveillance cameras connected to the application and steal credentials.Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

Nov 13, 2024Ravie LakshmananVulnerability / Patch TuesdayMicrosoft on Tuesday revealed that two security flaws impacting Windows NT LAN Manager (NTLM) and Task Scheduler have come under active exploitation in the wild.The security vulnerabilities are among the 90 security bugs the tech giant addressed as part of its Patch Tuesday update for November 2024. Of the 90 flaws, four are rated Critical, 85 are rated Important, and one is rated Moderate in severity. Fifty-two of the patched vulnerabilities are remote code execution flaws.The fixes are in addition to 31 vulnerabilities Microsoft resolved in its Chromium-based Edge browser since the release of the October 2024 Patch Tuesday update. The two vulnerabilities that have been listed as actively exploited are below -CVE-2024-43451 (CVSS score: 6.5) - Windows NTLM Hash Disclosure Spoofing VulnerabilityCVE-2024-49039 (CVSS score: 8.8) - Windows Task Scheduler Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability"This vulnerability discloses a user's NTLMv2 hash to the attacker who could use this to authenticate as the user," Microsoft said in an advisory for CVE-2024-43451, crediting ClearSky researcher Israel Yeshurun with discovering and reporting the flaw.It's worth noting that CVE-2024-43451 is the third flaw after CVE-2024-21410 (patched in February) and CVE-2024-38021 (patched in July) that can be used to reveal a user's NTLMv2 hash and has been exploited in the wild this year alone."Attackers continue to be adamant about discovering and exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities that can disclose NTLMv2 hashes, as they can be used to authenticate to systems and potentially move laterally within a network to access other systems," Satnam Narang, senior staff research engineer at Tenable, said in a statement.CVE-2024-49039, on the other hand, could allow an attacker to execute RPC functions that are otherwise restricted to privileged accounts. However, Microsoft notes that successful exploitation requires an authenticated attacker to run a specially crafted application on the target system to first elevate their privileges to a Medium Integrity Level.Vlad Stolyarov and Bahare Sabouri of Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) and an anonymous researcher have been acknowledged for reporting the vulnerability. This raises the possibility that the zero-day exploitation of the flaw is associated with some nation-state-aligned group or an advanced persistent threat (APT) actor.There are currently no insights into how the shortcomings are exploited in the wild or how widespread these attacks are, but the development has prompted the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to add them to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.One of the publicly disclosed, but not yet exploited, zero-day flaws is CVE-2024-49019 (CVSS score: 7.8), a privilege escalation vulnerability in Active Directory Certificate Services that could be leveraged to obtain domain admin privileges. Details of the vulnerability, dubbed EKUwu, were documented by TrustedSec last month.Another vulnerability of note is CVE-2024-43498 (CVSS score: 9.8), a critical remote code execution bug in .NET and Visual Studio that a remote unauthenticated attacker could exploit by sending specially crafted requests to a vulnerable .NET web app or by loading a specially crafted file into a vulnerable desktop app.The update also fixes a critical cryptographic protocol flaw impacting Windows Kerberos (CVE-2024-43639, CVSS score: 9.8) that could be abused by an unauthenticated attacker to perform remote code execution.The highest-rated vulnerability in this month's release is a remote code execution flaw in Azure CycleCloud (CVE-2024-43602, CVSS score: 9.9), which allows an attacker with basic user permissions to gain root-level privileges."Ease of exploitation was as simple as sending a request to a vulnerable AzureCloud CycleCloud cluster that would modify its configuration," Narang said. "As organizations continue to shift into utilizing cloud resources, the attack surface widens as a result."Lastly, a non-Microsoft-issued CVE addressed by Redmond is a remote code execution flaw in OpenSSL (CVE-2024-5535, CVSS score: 9.1). It was originally patched by OpenSSL maintainers back in June 2024."Exploitation of this vulnerability requires that an attacker send a malicious link to the victim via email, or that they convince the user to click the link, typically by way of an enticement in an email or Instant Messenger message," Microsoft said."In the worst-case email attack scenario, an attacker could send a specially crafted email to the user without a requirement that the victim open, read, or click on the link. This could result in the attacker executing remote code on the victim's machine."Coinciding with the November security update, Microsoft also announced its adoption of Common Security Advisory Framework (CSAF), an OASIS standard for disclosing vulnerabilities in machine-readable form, for all CVEs in order to accelerate response and remediation efforts."CSAF files are meant to be consumed by computers more so than by humans, so we are adding CSAF files as an addition to our existing CVE data channels rather than a replacement," the company said. "This is the beginning of a journey to continue to increase transparency around our supply chain and the vulnerabilities that we address and resolve in our entire supply chain, including Open Source Software embedded in our products."Software Patches from Other VendorsOther than Microsoft, security updates have also been released by other vendors over the past few weeks to rectify several vulnerabilities, including Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

Denzel Washington says he will star in Black Panther 3 before his retirement.The 69-year-old actor is the first to talk about the existence of a third film in the blockbuster Marvel franchise which will follow the 2018 original and 2022 sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and has also revealed the film will be among a handful of roles he will take on before he bows out of acting after a career spanning four decades.Confirming director Ryan Coogler has written a role just for the Oscar-winner for the third installment,Washington told Australias Today show: At this point in my career, Im only interested in working with the best, I dont know how many more films I will make, probably not that many. I want to do things that I havent done.Sharing the roles he has lined up before he bids farewell to his Hollywood career, he said: I played Othello at 22, Im now going to play it at 70. After that, Im playing Hannibal. After that, Ive been talking with Steve McQueen about a film. After that, Ryan Coogler is writing a part for me in the next Black Panther.After that, Im gonna do the film Othello. After that Im gonna do King Lear. After that, Im gonna retire."The Little ThingsGC Imagesloading...READ MORE: AnEqualizer Prequel Could Star a De-Aged DenzelThe late Chadwick Boseman, who played thetitle character in Black Panther before his death in 2020, once declared: There is no Black Panther without Denzel Washington.So, Coogler is fulfilling a wish of the movies star by casting the Glory actor who once paid for Chadwicks acting classes in the movie.Presenting him with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2019, the actor, who passed away at the age of 43 following a secret battle with cancer, continued: My whole cast stands on your shoulders ... The daily battles won, the thousand territories gained, the many sacrifices you made for the culture on film sets through your career, the things you refused to compromise along the way lay the blueprints for us to follow.In August,Washington declared that there are very few films left for me to make.He insisted that after Ridley Scotts Gladiator II, theres not much else that has piqued his interest.He told Empire: There are very few films left for me to make that Im interested in, and I have to be inspired by the filmmaker, and I was tremendously inspired by Ridley.At the American Black Film Festival in June, he explained: The things that are going on for me professionally behind the camera are as important to me now as in front of the camera. I think theres less and less time Ill be spending in front of the camera.Get our free mobile appFamous Movies Featuring Once-Beloved Products That No Longer ExistThese movies now work as time capsules, capturing a time when these now-defunct products existed.Categories: Movie News

Front facadeSource: Pixel GraphRear facadeSource: Pixel GraphEntranceSource: Pixel GraphLevel 1 LobbySource: Pixel GraphLevel 3 Lift LobbySource: Pixel GraphStudySource: Pixel GraphWine librarySource: Pixel Graph1/7show captionSerie Architects has received planning approval for a five-storey residential block in Woodberry Down, near Manor House Underground Station in north London.The scheme is inspired by the art deco housing blocks that define the area. It will also have extensive planting throughout, providing residents with access to greenery from the entrance to individual units.The blocks design incorporates larger-than-standard unit layouts, exceeding the London Housing Design Guide by 28%, including seven triple-aspect units, one quadruple-aspect unit, and one double-aspect unit.The hallways in each unit have been designed to be particularly generous. Christopher Lee, principal of Serie Architects, explains that the design avoids tight and dark entrance hallways common in London, proposing instead a generous work from home space, or perhaps a gym or childrens playroom.With landscaping embedded into the building structure and extended across the site, the project promises a 320% increase in onsite biodiversity, including a 341 m communal garden, a 104.7 m biodiverse green roof, and 17 solar panels.Arthur Aw, executive director of developer Kimen Group, noted that the project aims to bring a living in nature approach from Singapore to London, creating what he describes as a new form of luxury a personal sanctuary and a home in the community.The projects sustainable features reportedly align with and exceed Hackney Councils guidance for small housing developments, emphasising biodiversity, renewable energy, and community spaces.Project DetailsLocation: Woodberry Down, Hackney, LondonDate: 2026 (estimated completion)Use: ResidentialGIA: 1,243 sqmSite area: 948 sqmDwelling units: 9Client: SEEDoE Woodberry (an affiliate of Kimen Group)Architect: Serie ArchitectsStructural Engineer: Webb Yates EngineersM&E Engineer: Mendick Waring LimitedLandscape Architect: Farrer HuxleyFire Strategy: SemperSurveyor: Red Laser ScanningDaylight/Sunlight Consultant: Schofield SurveyorsCost Consultant: Tim PierceArboriculture Consultant: Marcus FosterTransport Consultant: TTP ConsultingCGI: Pixel Graph

The 4m-wide timber structure is also the first permanent part of British Land and pension fund AustralianSupers wider 4 billion development around the waterside plot in Southwark. This planned 21ha new district will comprise nearly 100,000m of shops and leisure space, 200,000m of workspace, up to 4,000 homes, a new park and a leisure centre as well as the first new high street in London for 100 years.Khans S-shaped pedestrian bridge no cycling is permitted is made almost entirely of wood, except for the foundations. This is a nod to the areas role at the heart of the international timber trade during the 19th and 20th centuries when Canadian timber was imported into the dock. The timber used has been sustainably sourced from Brazil and its red painted colour is a reference to Canadian maple leaves as well as the nearby Rotherhithe Bascule Bridge.The bridges deck height varies by nearly half a metre as it undulates across the dock. This has been inspired by the movement of rafters who historically hopped between floating deal planks across the water.AdvertisementThe project also features a series of steps down to the waters edge, new wetland habitats consisting of over 24,000 plants, shrubs, trees and perennials and waterside seating alongside an educational dipping pond designed by Townshend Landscape Architects. However, a planned pergola was dropped to create more open public space. Source:Brendan BellKhan said: Crossing water can give us powerful sensations. This boardwalk immerses us in a few moments of colour, nature and beauty. I want to evoke the crossing of time, too. I hope this gives someone a chance to take a breath and look at things in a new way. In todays world, I think this is more important than ever.Over 5km of timber, weighing 90 tonnes, has been used to build the boardwalk, its balustrades and handrails. The structure comprises over 400 cantilevered timber fins.Southwark Council approved Asif Khan and Townsend Landscape Architects plans for the boardwalk in 2022.At the time, its planners said the boardwalk would increase permeability in the area, adding that it would be an attractive feature, allowing people to enjoy views across the water.AdvertisementThe dropped pergola was planned to replace an existing jetty on Canada Water, covering 84m2, with a circular roof having a 14m span. It was also going provide access to the dipping pond for dipping nets and exploring waterside habitats. Source:Luke HayesArchitects viewCrossing water can give us powerful sensations. This boardwalk immerses us in a few moments of colour, of nature and of beauty. I want to evoke the crossing of time too. I hope this gives someone a chance to take a breath and look at things in a new way. In todays world, I think this is more important than ever.Asif Khan Source:Whitby WoodClients viewAsif Khan is a world-class architectural talent and he has created a striking new centrepiece at Canada Dock that will be used every day by the local community. The design is a fantastic tribute to the areas rich history. The boardwalk will connect people to both nature and the surrounding area.Canada Water is progressing at pace with the first phase of homes, workspace and retail completing in the coming months. Canada Dock provides us with a unique opportunity to create an interesting place for people to meet and socialise, especially on the southern edge where cafs and restaurants will spill out onto the dock in the future.Emma Cariaga, joint head of Canada Water, British Land Source:Whitby WoodEngineers viewThe double-curved 4m-wide boardwalk is designed in keeping with bridge codes and is curved in elevation and plan. Its steel beams typically span 8m between supports formed by pairs of driven steel piles, which are coupled by cross elements to form a ladder frame. Timber bearers support cassette decking panels, and steel fin plates connect architectural timber fins on the underside of the bridge. A straight link bridge connects the west dock edge to the centre of the main boardwalk. Whitby Wood used the bridges curves to manage the differing behaviours of steel and timber under dynamic loads and varying thermal conditions.A new dockside balustrade along the western edge of the dock has been designed with the advice of SH Structures, the principal steel fabrication subcontractor, to achieve the most economical approach. The design was informed by the uncertain nature of the existing dock wall coping stones (unreinforced concrete) to which the new balustrade is fixed.The Southern Steps area is founded on reclaimed land within the dock. This was achieved by installing sheet piling to form a new dock wall 10m inside the existing wall, along the southern boundary. The area behind the new wall has been infilled with stabilised soil, enabling the boardwalks south abutment and the Steps hard and soft landscaping to be founded on shallow ground-bearing foundations.Whitby Wood Source:Whitby WoodProject dataCompletion date November 2024Client Joint venture between British Land and AustralianSuperArchitect Asif Khan StudioProject manager AecomCost consultant Gardner & TheobaldSteel and timber connection design Whitby WoodMain contractor Galldris ConstructionMain subcontractor XylotekSubcontractor and steel fabricator SH StructuresLandscape design Townshend Landscape Architects

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today's Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.Need the answers for theNew York Times Connections puzzle? To me,Wordle is more of a vocabulary test, but Connections is more of a brainteaser. You're given 16 words and asked to put them into four groups that are somehow connected. Sometimes they're obvious, but game editor Wyna Liu knows how to trick you by using words that can fit into more than one group. Read on for today's Connections hints and answers.There's also news in the Connections world. The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one it's had for some time for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. And players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.Read more:Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every TimeHow to play ConnectionsPlaying is easy.Winning is hard. Look at the 16 words and mentally assign them to related groups of four. Click on the four words you think go together. The groups are coded by color, though you don't know what goes where until you see the answers. The yellow group is the easiest, then green, then blue, and purple is the toughest. Look at the words carefully and think about related terms. Sometimes the connection has to do with just a part of the word. Once, four words were grouped because each started with the name of a rock band, including "Rushmore" and "Journeyman."Read more:New NYT Connections Game for Sports Fans Lets Players Swing for the FencesHints for today's Connections groupsHere are four hints for the groupings in today's Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest, yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.Yellow group hint: Evacuate or eliminate.Green group hint: Rockers do this.Blue group hint: Can we have the bill?Purple group hint: Sweet seasoning.Answers for today's Connections groupsYellow group: Deplete.Green group: Play music with a passion.Blue group: Words on a restaurant receipt.Purple group: Forms of sugar.Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English WordsWhat are today's Connections answers? The completed NYT Connections puzzle for Nov. 14, 2024. NYT/Screenshot by CNETThe yellow words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is deplete. The four answers are drain, empty, exhaust and sap.The green words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is play music with a passion. The four answers are groove, jam, rock and shred.The blue words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is words on a restaurant receipt. The four answers are tax, tip, total and signature.The purple words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is forms of sugar. The four answers are cube, grain, powder and syrup.

Looking for the most recentregular Connections answers? Click here for today's Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.Have you been enjoying the New York Times Connections puzzle? Now there's a version of the game focusing on sports-related words. It's simply called Connections: Sports Edition, and we have hints and the answers.For now, the game is in beta, which means the Times is testing it out to see if it's popular before adding it to the site's Games app. You can play it daily for a while for free and then we'll have to see if it sticks around.Read more: NYT Has a Connections Game for Sports Fans. I Tried ItHow to play Connections: Sports EditionThe rules are pretty much the same as the regular game. You're given 16 words and asked to put them into four groups that are somehow connected. The main difference is that all the words and categories have some kind of sports tie-in. Sometimes the categories seem obvious, but the game attempts to trick you by using sports-related words that can fit into more than one group. And the four groups of words have different difficulty levels. Yellow is the easiest and purple the hardest, but you won't know which color group is which until you solve the puzzle.But you don't have to be a sports obsessive to solve Connections: Sports Edition, though it helps to know a little bit about a bunch of different sports and athletes. The words might include player names, team names or sport-related activities.Hints for today's Connections: Sports Edition groupsHere are four hints for the groupings in today's Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.Yellow group hint: Fancy diplomas.Green group hint:Used at Wimbledon.Blue group hint: From the land of the Liberty Bell.Purple group hint: Wildcat pros.Answers for today's Connections: Sports Edition groupsYellow group: Ivy League schools.Green group: Tennis-ball makers.Blue group: Philly "Big 5" schools.Purple group:Kentucky basketball alums in NBA.Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English WordsWhat are today's Connections: Sports Edition answers? The completed NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Nov. 14, 2024. NYT/Screenshot by CNETThe yellow words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is Ivy League schools. The four answers are Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard and Yale.The green words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is tennis-ball makers. The four answers are Dunlop, Penn, Prince and Wilson.The blue words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is Philly "Big 5" schools. The four answers are La Salle, Saint Joseph's, Temple and Villanova.The purple words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is Kentucky basketball alums in NBA. The four answers are Adebayo, Booker, Davis and Randle.

OpinionNovember 13, 20244 min readThe U.S. Must Lead the Global Fight against SuperbugsAntimicrobial resistance could claim 39 million lives by 2050, yet the pipeline for new antibiotics is drying up. U.S. policy makers can help fix itBy Howard DeanColored scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of bacteria cultured from a mobile phone. Tests have revealed the average handset carries 18 times more potentially harmful germs than a flush handle in a men's toilet. With frequent use phones remain warm, creating the ideal breeding ground for bacteria. With touch-screen phones, the same part of the phone touched with fingertips is pressed up against the face and mouth, increasing chances of infection. In tests E. coli, Haemophilus influenzae and MRSA were amongst infectious bacteria found on handsets. Common harmless bacteria include Staphylococcus epidermidis, Micrococcus, Streptococcus viridans, Moraxella, and bacillus species. Steve Gschmeissner/ Science SourceMost Americans could probably guess that heart disease, diabetes and cancer are among the worlds fastest-growing causes of death. Yet one rapidly accelerating health threat now lurks under the radar, despite its devastating consequences.The threat comes from antimicrobial resistance, or AMR, the evolved immunity of dangerous microbes to lifesaving drugs. AMR killed 1.27 million people in 2019, more than malaria and HIV combinedaccording to the most recent comprehensive global analysis. Now, a groundbreaking study published in the Lancet estimates that, without action, AMR will kill more than 39 million people in the next quarter century. Average annual deaths are forecast to rise by nearly 70 percent between 2022 and 2050.We dont have to stay on this trajectory. But changing direction will require decisive moves from the U.S. government. As the global leader in pharmaceutical development, the U.S. has a moral obligation to lead the way on solving this global problem. We need to jump-start research and development on new antimicrobial drugs and shore up the patent system that enables us to bring so many new medicines to market.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.AMR occurs when disease-causing microbesmost often bacteriaevolve to evade the drugs created to kill them, turning them into so-called "superbugs." Some better-known ones include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae, a bacterium that causes pneumonia and can be resistant to penicillin. In 1993 U.S. hospitals recorded fewer than 2,000 MRSA infections. In 2017 that number had jumped to 323,000according to the latest data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preliminary data shows that cases of another superbug called C. auris jumped five-fold between 2019 and 2022.A major cause of AMR is overuse and misuse of antibiotics. The more a bacterium is exposed to a particular antibiotic, the more opportunities it has to mutate and become resistant. The danger is that as these essential medicines stop working, even minor infections will become hard to treat. That will make even routine surgeries and common illnesses much more dangerousand make it much harder for those battling cancer whose immune systems are compromised, in particular, to fight off infections. Without action and investment soon to support the development of new antibiotics, we could be thrown back to the pre-penicillin era, when a simple cut could turn deadly.Yet despite the urgent need for new antibiotics, the pipeline for developing them is drying up. As of today only four major pharmaceutical companies still work on antibiotics, down from dozens just a few decades ago. The reason is simple: the economics of modern antibiotic development don't work. Creating a single new drug takes an average of 10 to 15 years and costs more than $2 billion. But since antibiotics are typically used for short periods ranging from seven to 14 days and must be used sparingly to limit AMR, their profitability is necessarily low. This built-in roadblock means companies have a hard time justifying the expense and risk.The new Lancet study recommends several ways to fight back. One of them, unsurprisingly, is to develop new antibioticsan area in which the U.S. has an opportunity to show global leadership, expand its influence and make an enormous difference.America has the worlds best system of intellectual property protection, which has made us the global frontrunner in biopharmaceuticals as well as dozens of other high-tech industries. IP protectionsin particular patentsprovide a window of market exclusivity that allows companies to recoup their enormous investments in research and development. Without reliable patents, few businesses would take the risk of developing new antimicrobial drugs.Unfortunately, over the last several years, some U.S. lawmakers have advocated for reducing patent protections as a way to reduce drug prices. But these efforts, while well-intentioned, would just make the situation worse. Attacking patents isnt the right strategy, since it would only create another disincentive to invest in novel antibiotic development. This would likely make it harder to combat outbreaks of infectious diseases and superbugs, which are evolving and growing deadlier each year.Theres no single panacea for the brewing AMR crisis. It will take action from all stakeholders and segments of society. Everyday Americans, for their part, need to do a better job of letting respiratory viruses like the common cold run their course, rather than asking their provider for antibiotics. Not only are antibiotics ineffective against viruses, attempting to use them to treat viral infections still contributes to resistance. Doctors need to take more responsibility, too. As a physician, I know many of my colleagues could be more judicious in prescribing antibiotics.Finally, Americans need Congress to be more proactive. One solution to the antibiotic conundrum would be a subscription-type model to incentivize new research and development. Under this kind of system, which is already being tested in the U.K., the government would contract with companies to provide antibiotics for a fixed fee, regardless of how many doses are needed. This would give drug developers a more predictable revenue stream, allowing them to invest in high-risk, high-impact antimicrobial research that saves lives when we need it.Former secretary of state Madeleine Albright called the U.S. the indispensable nation, essential to global progress and peace. Some dispute this characterization, and its true that the U.S. can't solve every problem. But drug research and development is one area where we already lead. Smart policies to tackle AMR can help ensure we maintain this leadership while saving potentially millions of lives worldwide.This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views expressed by the author or authors are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

November's PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra games include GTA5, Dying Light 2, Like a Dragon: Ishin!Plus Resistance 1 & 2 and more! News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on Nov. 13, 2024 Sony has revealed the games coming to PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra subscribers this month, with November's offerings including Dying Light 2, Like a Dragon: Ishin!, and GTA5 (presumably for the benefit of the two remaining people who haven't yet played it).In total, November brings 12 new PlayStation Plus catalogue additions for Premium and Extra members, alongside five Premium-exclusive titles - including Insomniac's fondly remembered PS3 shooters Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 2 - which combine to look like this:Grand Theft Auto 5 (PS4, PS5)Dying Light 2: Stay Human (PS4, PS5)Like a Dragon: Ishin! (PS4, PS5)MotoGP 24 (PS4, PS5)The Sims 4 Island Living - add-on only (PS4)Digimon Survive (PS4)Overcooked! All You Can Eat (PS4, PS5)Stick Fight: The Game (PS4)Clash: Artifacts of Chaos (PS4, PS5)Killer Frequency (PS4, PS5)Hungry Shark World (PS4)Chivalry 2 (PS4, PS5)Synapse (PSVR2)Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PS4, PS5)Blood Omen 2 (PS4, PS5)Resistance: Fall of Man Resistance 2So while November's Premium and Extra catalogue additions aren't, perhaps, quite as strong as last month's stellar line-up, there's still plenty of amusement to be found. GTA5 needs no introduction, of course, but there's also solid parkour-focused zombie slaying in Dying Light 2, enjoyable historical action as Like a Dragon spins off into the Edo period with Ishin!, and even some chaotic multiplayer medieval hack-and-slashery in the acclaimed Chivalry 2.And that's on top of those Premium tier exclusives, pretty much all good stuff this month. Alongside the first two Resistance games, there's Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain and its sequel - which should stand you in good stead if you been eyeing the upcoming Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1&2 remasters - plus some solid sci-fi shooting with Synapse for PSVR2.All the above joins the PlayStation Plus game catalogue next Tuesday, 19th November, and you'll find more details on what else is on offer in our full PlayStation Plus guide.

Hundreds of ZeniMax workers strike over Microsoft outsourcing, remote work policiesFallout.Image credit: Bethesda News by Tom Phillips Editor-in-Chief Published on Nov. 13, 2024 Hundreds of staff at Bethesda parent company ZeniMax will go on strike today in protest at parent company Microsoft outsourcing work without bargaining with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union. The one-day walkout by staff who work on Fallout, Starfield and Doom will be held today, Wednesday 13th November, from 10am to 6pm local time at four ZeniMax Studios offices in Maryland and Texas. Staff say they are concerned over the "unilateral decision" to outsource quality assurance (QA) work to external teams at a time of uncertainty and layoffs. In short, the worry is ZeniMax will undercut its own union staff by shifting the work elsewhere. ZeniMax workers say they have also been prompted to walk out over continued concerns over remote work policies - the same issue which sparked a protest by Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 developers at Activision's QA studio in Minnesota at the end of last month."We respect our employees' rights to express their point of view as they have done today," a Microsoft spokesperson told Eurogamer. "We will continue to listen and address their concerns at the bargaining table."Eurogamer also contacted ZeniMax for comment."Today, we are on strike," reads a statement from the striking workers' union posted on X. "We are not afraid to do what's necessary to make sure that Microsoft meets us at the bargaining table over key issues like remote work options and outsourcing." To see this content please enable targeting cookies.To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Microsoft recognised the ZeniMax Studios union back in January 2023, when 300 video game testers who worked on ZeniMax and Bethesda titles grouped together under the CWA. The union was the first Microsoft recognised and the largest video game union in the US. At the time, Microsoft was still battling to buy Activision Blizzard, and was keen to voluntarily recognise worker unions to mitigate concerns over its growing portfolio's impact on workers."The Xbox business has never been more healthy," Microsoft's gaming boss Phil Spencer said in a Bloomberg interview published just earlier today, when asked what the future had in store following a year filled with Microsoft layoffs. "The business is performing right now, and I think that means a more healthy future for hardware and the games we build."