Perfect is a high bar to live up to, but its the word I used to describe my experience with Peak Designs first backpack eight years ago. That 20-liter Everyday Backpack aimed at techies and camera nerds was so popular with Verge staff that we would often get our bags mixed up when gathered together at tech events.Back in 2016, I was hauling around a laptop; a DSLR with external flash and at least one long lens; a tripod; and a portable battery or two to keep everything charged. Here in 2024, I need a bag to also carry gear like a drone and controller; an action camera with a wireless mic and selfie stick; and maybe even a Starlink Mini dish with a portable solar panel to keep everything connected and charged.As someone who now likes to work as remotely as possible, often from the limited confines of an adventure van, Im also looking for a singular bag that can be quickly adapted for a hike or bike ride, a trip to the gym, store, or office, or a weekend away via train or airplane. It then needs to stow quickly and compactly until its next use.In my two months testing Peak Designs new lighter-weight and more versatile $249.95 25L Outdoor Backpack, I can say this: its not perfect but it is better, so long as youre ready to spend even more on accessories.8Verge ScorePeak Design Outdoor Backpack (25L)$249.95The GoodAdapts quickly to many types of loadsLooks great outdoors, at the gym, or in a casual officeWeather- and abrasion-resistantBenefits from the Peak Design ecosystem of add-onsThe BadInelegant Ultra Cinch closureMust purchase additional accessories to maximize performanceWhite model will yellow with age$250 at Peak DesignHow we rate and review productsThe 25L Outdoor Backpack is sized for day trips with your laptop, camera, and other gadgets, alongside some food, water, and maybe an extra layer of clothing. Unlike the 45L model, the much smaller pack Ive been testing is frameless, and the hip belt must be purchased separately for $44.95.In contrast to the heavier Everyday Backpack, the Outdoor Backpacks weather- and abrasion-resistant nylon shell lacks any gear protection or structure. Its compatible with Peak Designs ecosystem of accessories, like its ultralight Packing Cubes, quick-release Capture clips, and protective Camera Cubes, the last of which Id consider mandatory additions for this bag.The 25L Outdoor Backpack has a deep main pocket that is accessible by a roll top for top-down access to all your gear or via two zippers that fully open the bag like a clamshell to access the cubes. Other storage breaks down as follows:An outer Flex pocket suitable for a rain jacket and hydration bladder.Two zipped side pockets built into the outer shell of the Flex pocket, where you can attach the stretchy key lanyard and carry things like passports, documents, and a wallet.A suspension sleeve attached to the inside of the back panel, suitable for laptops up to 16 inches or a hydration bladder, with integrated routing for the drinking tube.Two deep side pocket holsters for things like water bottles, tripods, and trekking poles.Mesh pockets on the wide and plush shoulder straps for quick access to a phone, snacks, glasses, etc.Gear loops integrated all over the bag for external carry and compression using a pair of long attachment cords, two included stretchy gear straps, and two sternum straps.DesignPeak Design sent me the cloud white version of the 25L Outdoor Backpack to review. The bags combination of sleek and soft recycled materials adorned with gray, black, and orange embellishments looks fantastic and has only minor blemishes after sitting in dirt, rough gravel, and that congealed goo that accumulates on barroom floors. Unfortunately, Peak Design says those whites will yellow slightly over time due to UV exposure. If that concerns you, as it does me, then you can opt instead for the black or purple-ish color options. The 25L Outdoor Backpack with two Camera Cubes inside next to the original 20L Everyday Backpack, which still looks great after years of usage. That white will yellow over time from a UV-induced patina that wont be covered by the companys lifetime warranty.I quickly came around to Peak Designs modular approach that combines lightweight (but not ultralight) materials of the backpack with impact protection provided by Camera Cubes like the smedium (top) and small (bottom), shown unzipped here.The Outdoor bag fully unzips like a clamshell, making it easy to access your gear. The lower half contains the laptop sleeve, which can also hold a water reservoir.The pack is covered in gear loops where you can attach gear straps (top) and attachment cords (below) to compress the bag and add external storage. The straps and cords can be removed from the bag if not needed.Seeing all those untidy loops, cords, and other snaggy bits for the first time was a bit of a downer, until I realized many could be relocated or even removed entirely.I also didnt like all the rumpled fabric when the bag was empty, but Peak Design has a fix for that as well. The 25L Outdoor Backpack is designed to work with Peak Designs soft-shelled smedium $69.95 Camera Cube its not small and not quite medium, but its just right for that main storage compartment. I highly recommend buying it for the 25L model, as it not only stiffens the bag, making it look better, but also protects the gear within and makes it easily accessible. The remaining space can be filled with a small Camera Cube ($59.95).The UItra Cinch system of cords that control access to the outer Flex pocket and roll top opening is fine but finicky. It locks in place when youre done pulling it to control the width of the opening, but it requires two hands, and those dangly cords can get in the way.It takes two hands to open the Flex pocket. I find the mechanics of the Ultra Cinch system satisfying if inelegant compared to the one-handed magnetic closure found on the original Everyday Backpack.Closing the outer Flex pocket also requires two hands. The outer Flex pocket is never actually closed at the top, relying upon gravity and pressure to keep things from falling out something that happened to me rarely and only when the bag turned upside down.In profile, you can see the Cinch cord holding the roll top in place when the Flex pocket is pulled tight. The roll top could use another magnet or two to keep it from unwinding into a bunch of disheveled-looking fabric.The two loosened retention cords often need to be pushed out of the way to access the roll top opening or to grab a jacket tucked inside the inner Flex pocket.Despite my moaning, Im a big fan of the new Flex pocket its the pocket I use the most because it can be quickly accessed throughout the day. And I like that I can access the internal storage and expand it upward with the roll top. But the Ultra Cinch cord system is certainly not the peak of design.Gear haulingI never had a problem with the comfort of the original Everyday Backpack on my six-foot athletic frame, but others did. Peak Design says it improved the fit and comfort of the new 25L Outdoor Backpack, and I found this to be true in a variety of scenarios when carrying both light and heavy loads.It remained stable and comfortable during my regular bike rides to my gym and coworking space, carrying a change of clothing, laptop, charger, and miscellaneous items like cables and glasses. The compression straps helped keep the bag thin and snug to my body. It also worked well on several day hikes and when attaching the hip belt to support a very heavy remote office load complete with a satellite dish.Accessing the key lanyard after a 15km hike while testing a few drones and carrying food and two liters of water for me and my dog, as well as a few layers of warm clothing and rain gear. The bag shape-shifted easily to accommodate the addition and removal of items throughout the day as the rain stopped and temperatures changed.I attached the hip belt to help carry my extremely remote office setup. The entire pack weighed 26 pounds (12kg) and consisted of a one-liter water bottle, lunch, a 14-inch MacBook Pro, my Starlink Mini, and a 245Wh River 3 solar generator with folding 45W panel from EcoFlow. Its not something Id like to wear over great distances, but it worked well tossed into a van and then carried a few hundred meters into the wilderness after the road ran out. The shape and cushioning of the shoulder straps surely accounts for the improved fit and comfort. Inspired by running vests, the straps grow wider as they move over and down the chest to more evenly distribute pressure. The padding is also much thicker now, especially near the neck and collarbones, where it wraps around the entire circumference of the strap.The small Camera Cube can also be worn across the chest, held in place to the Outdoor Backpacks shoulder straps by the included two sternum straps. This configuration gives you super-quick access to a camera or drone, and I found it reasonably comfortable to wear like that over a few hours of hiking.Other notable observations:On the white model, the Flex outer pocket is transparent enough to expose items pressed against the external shell. The black and purple-ish colors dont seem to have this issue.My review bag has weathered light rain just fine, but if youre out in a storm, youll want the $29.95 rainfly accessory to keep everything dry inside.I found the Flex pocket to be a good place to temporarily store sweaty gym gear instead of lashing it to the outside of the bag its airy and easy to wipe down.1/31When pulled tightly, the Ultra Cinch cord forms a loop that hangs long off the outer pocket unless you take the extra time to tuck it away I rarely did, even though its long enough to slap you in the neck and face if the wind is just right.1/31When pulled tightly, the Ultra Cinch cord forms a loop that hangs long off the outer pocket unless you take the extra time to tuck it away I rarely did, even though its long enough to slap you in the neck and face if the wind is just right.When perfection is the benchmark, there are bound to be quibbles. I like the lightweight,At $249.95 / 279.99, this is the most versatile backpack Peak Design has ever made. But it only reaches its true potential for the gadget and photography nerds it targets after you buy a Camera Cube or two. But now youre looking at a pack that costs at least $320 and could easily exceed $400. Thats still not too outrageous for a full-featured camera bag. You can pay about $215 for the smaller but heavier22.5L PRO Light Backloader from Manfrotto, $324 for the larger31L Prvke top-loader with camera cubes, or almost $400 for the25L McKinnon Camera Pack and cubes from Nomatic. I do love Peak Designs 25L Outdoor Backpack and will likely ask Santa for it to avoid personally betraying my own Everyday Backpack, which has served me well for many years. However, my colleague Vjeran Pavic from our video team, who regularly travels the world with a bag full of cameras and drones, has already switched out his Everyday bag for the white 25L Outdoor Backpack.Photography by Thomas Ricker / The Verge

DOJ says Google must sell Chrome to crack open its search monopolyDOJ says Google must sell Chrome to crack open its search monopoly / Google and the DOJ will be back in a DC federal court in April for the remedies trial.By Lauren Feiner, a senior policy reporter at The Verge, covering the intersection of Silicon Valley and Capitol Hill. She spent 5 years covering tech policy at CNBC, writing about antitrust, privacy, and content moderation reform. Nov 21, 2024, 4:56 AM UTCShare this story Image: Laura Normand / The VergeThe Department of Justice says that Google must divest the Chrome web browser to restore competition to the online search market, and it left the door open to requiring the company to spin out Android, too.Filed late Wednesday in DC District Court, the initial proposed final judgement refines the DOJs earlier high-level outline of remedies after Judge Amit Mehta found Google maintained an illegal monopoly in search and search text advertising. The filing includes a broad range of requirements the DOJ hopes the court will impose on Google from restricting the company from entering certain kinds of agreements to more broadly breaking the company up. The DOJs latest proposal doubles down on its request to spin out Googles Chrome browser, which the government views as a key access point for searching the web. The possibility of an Android spin-out could hang over Googles headWhile the government isnt going as far as to demand Google spin out its Android business, its leaving the option open. The possibility of an Android spin-out could hang over Googles head to incentivize it against circumventing other remedies, but the government says a spin-out could also be mandated should those other solutions prove ineffective at restoring competition to the market. The DOJ says Google might even choose divestiture itself if the company doesnt want to comply with some of the other rules the government is proposing against self-preferencing Google Search in Android.Other remedies the government is asking the court to impose include prohibiting Google from offering money or anything of value to third parties including Apple and other phone-makers to make Googles search engine the default, or to discourage them from hosting search competitors. It also wants to ban Google from preferencing its search engine on any owned-and-operated platform (like YouTube or Gemini), mandate it let rivals access its search index at marginal cost, and on an ongoing basis, and require Google to syndicate its search results, ranking signals, and US-originated query data for 10 years. The DOJ is also asking that Google let websites opt-out of its AI overviews without being penalized in search results.Judge Mehta is now tasked with determining the best way to restore competitionThe DOJ will file a revised version of its proposals in early March, before the government and Google return to the DC District Court in April for a two-week remedies trial. Its the second stage of the litigation, with Mehta now tasked with determining the best way to restore competition in the markets.The remedies trial will take place with a new administration overseeing the DOJ, which could impact the sorts of solutions it ultimately pursues. But the case was originally filed during the first Trump administration, which suggests Google wont be entirely off the hook.Google and the DOJ are scheduled to deliver closing arguments in a separate antitrust case playing out in Alexandria, VA on Monday, regarding its advertising technology business.Most PopularMost Popular

Matching patients to suitable clinical trials is a pivotal but highly challenging process in modern medical research. It involves analyzing complex patient medical histories and mapping them against considerable levels of detail found in trial eligibility criteria. These criteria are complex, ambiguous, and heterogeneous, making the undertaking labor-intensive and prone to error, inefficient, and delaying the realization of critical research progress while many patients are kept waiting for experimental treatments. This is exacerbated by the requirement to scale across large collections of trials, especially in areas like oncology and rare diseases, where precision and efficiency are highly valued.Traditional methods of patient trial matching are twofold: one for cohort-level recruitment is the trial-to-patient match, and the second is the patient-to-trial match with its focus on individual referrals and patient-centric care. Despite this, several limitations plague state-of-the-art neural embedding-based methods. Such shortcomings involve reliance on large-scale annotated datasets that are difficult to obtain, with low computational efficiency and poor capabilities in terms of real-time applications. A lack of transparency regarding the predictions also undermines clinician confidence. One can conclude that such imperfections call for innovative and explainable data-efficient ways to improve matching performance in clinical environments.To address these challenges, the researchers developed TrialGPT, a groundbreaking framework that leverages large language models (LLMs) to streamline patient-to-trial matching. These three major parts constitute the composition of TrialGPT: TrialGPT-Retrieval, which filters out most irrelevant trials with the help of hybrid fusion retrieval and keywords generated from patient summaries; TrialGPT-Matching, which performs detailed evaluation of the eligibility of patients at criterion level, hence providing natural language explanations and evidence localization; and TrialGPT-Ranking, which aggregates criterion-level results into trial-level scores to prioritize and rule out. This framework integrates deep natural language understanding and generation capabilities, guaranteeing accuracy, explainability, and flexibility for analyzing unstructured medical data.The researchers assessed TrialGPT on three public datasets: SIGIR, TREC 2021, and TREC 2022, covering 183 synthetic patients and over 75,000 trial annotations. The datasets contain a wide range of eligibility criteria categorized into inclusion and exclusion labels. The retrieval component uses GPT-4 to generate context-aware keywords from patient notes with more than 90% recall and reducing the search space by 94%. The matching component conducts a criterion-level analysis which provides high accuracy and is supported by explainable eligibility predictions as well as evidence localization. The ranking approach combines linear and LLM-based aggregation methods efficiently to rank appropriate trials while discarding inappropriate ones, and hence it is well capable of being used at scale in real-world applications.The trialGPT model performed robustly on all relevant benchmarks, solving both retrieval and matching problems. The retrieval module narrowed down large collections of trials while still maintaining good recall for relevant options. The matching module offered criterion-level predictions with accuracy equivalent to human experts in addition to natural language explanations and the evidence at the exact sentence level. Its ranking feature outperformed all other methods in terms of ranking precision and exclusion effectiveness in identifying and ranking eligible trials. Patient-trial matching workflow efficiency was further improved by TrialGPT, leading to a decrease in screening time by over 42%, demonstrating its practical value for clinical trial recruitment.TrialGPT illustrates a radical solution to the problems of patient-trial matching: scalability, accuracy, and transparency in a novel usage application of LLMs. Its modularity overcomes key limitations in conventional approaches, accelerating patient recruitment processes and streamlining clinical research while producing better patient outcomes. With advanced language understanding integrated with explainable outputs, TrialGPT illustrates a new scale for personalized and efficient trials. Future work may involve the integration of multi-modal data sources and the adaptation of open-source LLMs to various applications for real-world validation.Check out the Paper. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also,dont forget to follow us onTwitter and join ourTelegram Channel andLinkedIn Group. If you like our work, you will love ournewsletter.. Dont Forget to join our55k+ ML SubReddit. Aswin Ak+ postsAswin AK is a consulting intern at MarkTechPost. He is pursuing his Dual Degree at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. He is passionate about data science and machine learning, bringing a strong academic background and hands-on experience in solving real-life cross-domain challenges. Read this AI Research Report from Kili Technology on 'Evaluation of Large Language Model Vulnerabilities: A Comparative Analysis of Red Teaming Techniques'

Sony has officially announced its lineup of PlayStation Black Friday deals, featuring discounts on PS5 hardware, PlayStation VR2, games, and accessories including the Fortnite Cobalt Star Bundle at participating retailers and PS Direct. The announcement means we have officially confirmed this year's Black Friday deals for PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo. While the PlayStation Black Friday deals officially begin on November 22, heres everything confirmed so far, along with details on a potential PS5 console bundle discount, new offers on games like Star Wars Outlaws (down to $49.99), DualSense 30th Anniversary Edition for $79.99, and more.PS5 Black Friday Deals Starting Nov. 24Save up to 40% on PS5 games, consoles, and accessories for Black Friday. Credit: PlayStationStarting November 22, and ending on December 2 (Cyber Monday) retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart will offer discounts on PS5 hardware, PlayStation VR2, games, and accessories, including the Fortnite Cobalt Star Bundle, which will launch alongside the new Black Friday promotions. A recently deleted PS5 ad hinted that the console bundle might be priced as low as $379.99, but this has not been officially confirmed by Sony following the ad's removal from YouTube. There is also currently no word on whether the PS5 Pro will also see a discount or a bundle deal.DualSense controllers will be discounted by up to 25%, which could bring their price down to at least $56.25 following the recent price increase ($74.99). Pricing may vary by retailer, so stay tuned for more details when the deals go live on Friday. Moreover, PlayStation VR 2 will be up to 40% off, a collosal discount, potentially bringing it down to ~$330-$360 depending on whether it's the Horizon Call of the Mountain bundle ($599.99) or just the standard VR headset ($549.99).Every PS5 Black Friday Deal Confirmed So FarPlayStation Plus Black Friday DealSave up to 30% on PS Plus during Black Friday 2024. Credit: PlayStationPlayStation Plus memberships are getting a big Black Friday discount. New members can save 30% on a 12-month subscription, while current PlayStation Plus Essential members can upgrade and save 25% on PlayStation Plus Extra or 30% on Premium/Deluxe.Sony has also recently confirmed its PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup for November 2024, and it includes the return of Rockstars GTA 5 in an exciting month for subscribers. Heavy hitters Dying Light 2: Stay Human and Like a Dragon: Ishin also joined the subscription service from November 19 onwards.Premium/Deluxe members also gain access to the Sony Pictures Catalog, featuring up to 100 movies available to stream on demand. During the Black Friday promotion, additional discounts on recent movie releases will also be available to all PS5 and PS4 players.PS5 Black Friday Deals Already LiveElden RingMetaphor: ReFantazioStar Wars OutlawsAlan Wake 2 Deluxe EditionPersona 3 ReloadUnicorn OverlordShin Megami Tensei VMost PS5 deals will go live from November 22, but there are already a some sneaky select deals that you might want to consider before the official deals kick in. For starters, Star Wars Outlaws is already on sale for Black Friday, $20 off its original list price, and down to just $49.99 for at least the next few weeks. The deal also features Amazon's exclusive limited edition content pack, which includes Rogue Infiltrator cosmetics for Kay and Nix. It's likely the best deal we're getting on the game before Christmas, so snap it up if you've been waiting for a sale, or want to gift it to someone over the holidays.Available NowDualSense Wireless Controller 30th Anniversary Limited EditionLimited stock.$79.99 at VerizonMore Early Black Friday PS5 Game: DealsWhen Is Black Friday 2024?We hope you've prepared your wallets, because it's Black Friday season. During the biggest sales event of the year, keep an eye out for price drops on the games you've been waiting to add to your library. The same can be said for TVs, gaming PCs, Apple products, and more. Whatever you're in the market for, right now is probably one of the best times to make your biggest purchases.The actual date of Black Friday in 2024 falls on November 29 this year, but the deals season began a lot sooner than that. In other Black Friday news, Nintendo has also recently announced its sale plans for Black Friday, with discounts on Tears of the Kingdom, Joy-Con controllers, and more confirmed to be on sale in the coming days. Xbox has also confirmed its deal lineup, with plenty of offers already live.Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

Let's face it: Marvel fans can be a little difficult to buy for, (because what they love is so wide and varied). But, a benefit of this is the variety of gifts you can choose from. From video games to action figures, collectible toys, Blu-rays, books and more, there are plenty of unique gifts to consider for the Marvel fan in your life.With Black Friday and the holidays fast approaching, there's no better time to start planning out your shopping list right now. Let's get down to business.TL;DR - Our Favorite Marvel Gifts in 2024Ultimate X-MenSee it at AmazonLEGO Marvel Captain Americas ShieldSee itGuardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol.1 LPSee itBaby Groot Planter Flower PotSee it at AmazonAgatha All Along T-ShirtSee it at AmazonLEGO Marvel Rocket & Baby Groot MinifigureMore Marvel MerchSee it at IGN StoreDaredevil Born Again (Graphic Novel)See itDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 4K UHDSee it at AmazonLEGO Marvel Venom Mech Armor vs. Miles MoralesSee it at TargetX-Men 97 Character Logo Crew Neck Long Sleeve Adult SweatshirtSee it at TargetDeadpool CookbookSee it at AmazonMarvel's Video Games: Marvel's Spider-Man 2 for PS5 and MoreOne of the best gifts for a Marvel fan is a Marvel video game. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 for PS5 is still a top choice if the person you're shopping for has yet to play it and still doesn't own it(if so, what a shame). It's IGN's top Spider-Man game, as we state "Marvels Spider-Man 2 is a triumph; Insomniac just keeps getting better and better at making Spider-Man games." Marvel's Spider-Man 2 - PlayStation 5If the Marvel fan you're buying for has a PS5, ask about their collection and fill in the gaps with something they might have missed (Guardians of the Galaxy is also criminally underrated). Plus, keep an eye out for Black Friday deals on PS5 games very soon.Every PS5 Black Friday Deal Confirmed So FarConsider These Amazing Marvel Comics or BooksIt would be criminal to not include some comics in a Marvel gift guide, so I've included as many as I can. Picking out one of these iconic comic volumes is a classic choice for comic lovers or fans of the MCU in general. You can also take a gander at our top 27 Batman comics and top 25 Spider-Man comics for further inspo, and pick out one of the five main comics released in the new Ultimate Universe.Ultimate X-MenUltimate X-MenTheres an almost body horror aspect to being a mutant in the Ultimate Universe, and it makes for a fascinating read, as well as a great option for X-fans who maybe arent feeling the new direction of the regular X-Men line.See it at AmazonDaredevil Born Again (Graphic Novel)Daredevil Born Again (Graphic Novel)See itCooking with DeadpoolDeadpool CookbookSee it at AmazonGift Kindle Unlimited Subscription (Read 1000s of Marvel Comics)Or, alternatively, how about gifting a year of Kindle Unlimited instead? Not only does it include thousands of books and magazines for users to read, but it's also a massive host to some of the very best comic books ever made by Marvel and DC.Gift a Kindle Unlimited MembershipSee it at AmazonLEGO Marvel SetsA highlighted deal from LEGO Black Friday deals:LEGO Marvel Hulkbuster 76210LEGO sets are absolutely one of the safest possible gifts you could get for any kind of Marvel, Star Wars, or general pop culture fan. Right now one of my favorite sets is the Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy Ship, currently selling for $150 on sites like Amazon and Walmart. Yes, it's a bit pricey, but it's absolutely stunning and would definitely be appreciated by any fan of Marvel and the Avengers. But, if you want to go for something a bit cheaper, you can always go for one of the Spider-Man LEGO figure sets for $20, or possibly even the LEGO Infinity Gauntlet sets instead for $64. For more, check out the best Marvel LEGO sets.LEGO Marvel Rocket & Baby Groot MinifigureLEGO Marvel Captain Americas ShieldSee itLEGO Marvel Venom Mech Armor vs. Miles MoralesSee it at TargetVinylsTop Pick: Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 LP Marvel films and games, especially the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, feature some excellent classic tunes, so why not gift the Marvel fan in your life a record that'll remind them of their favorite Marvel movie or game? This is definitely the coolest gift you could buy someone, especially if they're already rocking a record player.Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol.1 LPSee itMarvel Funko Pop Vinyl Collectible FiguresThere are more than enough Marvel Pop Vinyls to check out right now. I've included some of my favorites from the newest entries, but make sure you have a proper explore and check out all the Marvel Funko Pop options on Amazon.Funko Pop! Marvel Spider-Man: No Way Home - 3 Pack$53.99 at AmazonMarvel Movie Blu-rays and 4K UHDYes, I do know these are all on Disney+! But, remember streaming quality is nothing compared to watching from a physical disc. So, if you've got a Marvel fan who's also rocking a 4K UHD player (PS5 and Xbox Series X also work), then you should definitely consider a Marvel Blu-ray or 4K UHD film. There's also a lot to look forward to from Marvel Studios; the biggest news is surely Robert Downey, Jr. returning to the MCU as one of the most anticipated Marvel villainsDoctor Doom!Top PicksSpider-Man: Spider-Verse 2-Movie Collection (Blu-ray + Digital)Deadpool & Wolverine (4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital)See it at AmazonOr, give the gift of Disney+Disney+ Gift Subscription CardsSee itLatest Marvel NewsMarvel's 2025 Disney+ Roadmap Revealed: Spider-Man Animated Show, Daredevil: Born Again, and More.Marvel Zombies will be a new animated series that "reimagines the Marvel Universe as a new generation of heroes battle against an ever-spreading zombie scourge."All upcoming Marvel movies news as the MCU's Phase 5 continues.Robert Anderson also contributed to this guide. Rob is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.Lindsey (she/her) is IGN's Director of Audience Development and Commerce. She's been at IGN since 2021 and has a background in SEO, especially in the gaming, entertainment, and tech media spaces. Find her on Twitter at @LindseySalzer.

In 2120, Mother Earth is expecting, declares the title cards in the new teaser for the TV series Alien: Earth. The teaser mostly consists of an image of Earth reflecting off a xenomorphs head, which isnt too surprising. Weve known for some time that showrunner Noah Hawley intended to set the prequel series on our planet.However, the date indicated is a huge surprise. Previously, it was reported that Alien: Earth took place in 2092, right before Prometheus. However, the new update confirms that the show takes place in 2120, just two years before the events of Alien.The time change is just the latest bold move on the part of the series. Obviously, Earth has always played a big part in the Alien franchise, but mostly as part of the stakes. Ripley and others realized that the xenomorph would overrun the planet if it ever made it to Earth, a lesson that the company Weyland-Yutani refused to accept.Moreover, Earth was a third-rail for the franchise in its original incarnation. Sure, non-canonical spin-offs (including the Alien vs. Predator series) would go to Earth but, outside of a few early moments in Prometheus, the planet was mostly off-limits.Of course, Hawley would flaunt such rules, as he did in his previous successful series Fargo and Legion. The former used the Coen Brothers masterpiece as a starting point for a variety of stories that played on the brothers key themes. The latter ignored Marvel Comics lore for an exploration on identity.Hawleys previous comments about Alien: Earth sound like hes continuing in that vein. The series will star Sydney Chandler as Wendy, a mysterious woman whose mind appears to be much younger than her body, and Timothy Olyphant as her synthetic teacher. While the crash landing described the shows official synopsis certainly teases a xenomorph attack, Hawley has seemed more interested in exploring the relationship between humanity and synthetics than he is chest-bursters and face-huggers.Anyone whos seen Ridley Scotts most recent Alien movies knows that the esteemed director shares that interest, which takes some of the pressure off Hawleys decision to break an unspoken rule and go to Earth. The originally reported setting for Alien: Earth doubled that slack, as it placed the story far from the franchises best entries Alien and Aliens and around the time of the more controversial Prometheus.But by setting Alien: Earth right before Alien, Hawley runs the risk of undermining the original movie. Alien worked, in part, because of its isolation, the desperation of Ripley and her crewmates as they encounter a creature theyve never imagined. We didnt need to know the name of the Company or how they learned of the xenomorph to get scared. Scotts filmmaking and the actors outstanding performances did all that work for us.Worst of all, by making Alien: Earth a direct prequel to Alien, theres now an expectation that well see overt references to that film, a problem that diminished the often quite good Alien: Romulus. And given the way that film treated CGI representations of legacy characters, well lets hope Hawley is going in a different direction.Alien: Romulus debuts on FX and Hulu in 2025

When released in 1998,Half-Life was so ahead of its time that it actually rarely gets credit for all of the innovations it introduced to the shooter genre and gaming as a whole.Things like scripted story sequences that play out without cutscenes have long been associated withHalf-Life, but theres more to Valves PC shooterthan just its game-changing approach to storytelling. From grenade throwing to mods, Half-Life changed how you play video games in ways that you may not even realize.In terms of impact on PC gaming, Half-Life stands as one of the most important titles ever released. Valves PC shooter is not only one of the titles that defined gaming on your computer in the late 90s, but an experience that few developers of that era could match in terms of artistry and quality. For years, you could argue that there was really only oneHalf-Life.To celebrate over two decades of Half-Life, lets look at the innovations that made this classic one of the most important PC games ever released.A Surprising Degree of RealismRealism probably feels like an odd word to use when talking about Half-Life. When many of todays shooters force us to stay hydrated, eat, and take our vitamins, thats probably not the way modern gamers would choose to describe an FPS that ends with a trip through an alien dimension.Yet, so many of Half-Lifes best touches are grounded in realism. The most famous example of this is humorously highlighted in the games manual, which boasts that in-game weapons are found in practical locations rather than just floating in the air. Titles like GoldenEye 007 played with similar ideas, but there really is an internal logic to the location of nearly every gun and item in Half-Lifethat goes beyond whether a gun is floating magically or laying in wait.On top of that, youve got impressive details like the fact that crossing a body of water that is touching an exposed electrical source will electrocute the player or enemies. It all sounds simple, but in an era when the shooter genre was still trying to escape the Doom clone label, this is one of the ways that Half-Life showed that even more action-oriented FPS titles could still benefit from a dose of realistic design.The Logic of the HEV SuitPrior to Half-Life, the concept of health and armor in most first-person shooters (and many other games for that matter) was pretty simple. You would just pick up health packs, armor, and power-ups as you went along, and you didnt ask any questions. Half-Life changed all that by introducing Gordon Freemans HEV suit during the games opening sequence.Not only did the HEV suit serve a practical purpose in the games story (its used to protect Freeman during the experiment that sets the story in motion), but it assigned a logic to in-game items, which at the time were usually treated as if they were magic mushrooms in Super Mario. Health was what kept Freemans body alive, while the suit, which functioned as additional armor, needed to be charged in order to continue protecting Freeman from harm. Health and recharge stations were also found in locations that generally made sense to the environment and narrative. It also featured a toggleable flashlight, which was either the first appearance of that mechanic in an FPS or a very early example of it.You could argue that the relationship between Gordon and his suit would even lead to things like the rechargeable shield in Halo: Combat Evolved. Interestingly, later games kind of went the other way by allowing characters to just magically heal by finding cover or resting, but there was a period when assigning logic to how a players in-game health worked in FPS titles was all the rage.Enemies, Grenades, and YouMuch has already been said about Half-Lifes revolutionary enemy and companion A.I. Yet, the ways in which Half-Life changed the art of PvE first-person combat can best be summarized by what happens when someone in the game throws a grenade.If you throw a grenade at human enemies in Half-Life, they will usually run away. If you are trying to hide behind a wall or box in the game in order to lure soldiers to you, they will typically use a grenade to flush you out or outright kill you. Non-human enemies are less likely to run from grenades, but thats because they dont really understand what they are.It all sounds simple, but Half-Lifes use of grenades showcases two concepts you didnt typically see in most FPS titles of the day. The first is that your enemies actually have a desire to live or, at the very least, live long enough to kill you. The second is that you wont be able to fight a highly-trained soldier the same way you would fight a shuffling zombie.Combined, those two details alerted players to the fact that winning every battle in this game wasnt just a matter of circle-strafing an enemy while firing your largest weapon. Instead,Half-Lifes grenade mechanic pushed players to employ a little creativity to survive the most intense combat sequences.A Cohesive FPS EnvironmentThe most notable first-person shooters released before Half-Life (Doom, Unreal, Hexen, etc.) didnt necessarily suffer from lackluster level design, but few of them really sold the idea that every level was part of a larger world.Half-Life accomplished this in a few notable ways.On the technical side of things, Valve created a fairly large in-game world where much of the loading happened behind the scenes. This meant that players didnt have to regularly stare at loading screens and experienced noticeably less loading as they moved from area to area. As a result, you felt like you were truly navigating a large and immersive research facility rather than bouncing between traditional gaming levels that felt unrelated to one another.However, this innovation is about much more than just technical accomplishments. The Half-Life team designed each area of the games map to feel like a place that existed for a purpose, even if that purpose didnt directly impact your path through the game in a notable way. There were break rooms, labs next to labs that were studying similar subjects, and numerous instances of objects and environmental events that made the Black Mesa research facility feel more real.This is something of an odd innovation as even the great FPS titles that would follow elected to adhere to a more traditional level/mission-based structure. Still, Half-Life raised the bar in terms of environmental design in ways that are still noticeable today.Different Kinds of Action PuzzlesMany of the FPS games released after Doom followed that games playbook in terms of puzzles and non-combat obstacles. In other words, most of those titles required you to collect keys or passcards in order to progress to the next area. It was a simple way to throw in some hurdles without forcing the player to drop out of combat for too long.Half-Life did things a little bit differently. The most obvious examples of its approach to a better class of puzzle design involve memorable sequences such as the one where you must find a way to launch a missile in order to remove an otherwise unbeatable enemy that is attracted to sound and will instantly kill you if it hears you. Most FPS titles from the 90s didnt feature such elaborate obstacles that expertly combined stealth, multi-step solutions, and even a dash of horror-based tension.Yet, Half-Lifes best (and most influential) puzzles were found in the combat itself. Half-Life forced you to adapt to what your enemies did and also consider other ways to survive encounters beyond blasting everything in your path. Such encounters adhered to the primal pleasures of the genre while still requiring the player to utilize a little brainpower from time to time. Obviously, Half-Life 2 would expand on this concept with its use of physics-based combat (especially in the legendary Ravenholm sequence).For a game that is sometimes implicated in the death of the pure FPS, Half-Lifes combat sequences and organically integrated puzzles sections showed that fetch quests werent the only way to add puzzles to the genre.A Smarter Weapon Progression SystemIn many of the FPS titles that precededHalf-Life, weapon progression was fairly simple. You usually used whatever gun you picked up until you found a better one. There were exceptions (Dooms shotgun was a somewhat notable example), but the idea was that weapons were closer to power-ups that gradually improved over the course of a game and were generally only limited by ammo.Half-Lifes introduction of the crowbar was its earliest and clearest declaration that it intended to break the weapon wheel. Despite being the first weapon you received in the game, you end up using the crowbar throughout Half-Life as both a tool for breaking boxes and arguably the best weapon against certain enemies (such as Headcrabs).While some weapons in Half-Life are arguably replaced by better versions of a similar concept (the MP5 fairly easily replaces the pistol), youll end up using most of your weapons until the end of the game. It all depends on what youre fighting and what the situation calls for. A rocket launcher is great against a helicopter, but its not really practical in many of the games confined areas. Trip mines can be devastatingly powerful, but they also require clever placement. Shotguns work great against lumbering monsters that get in close, but they do less against soldiers who keep their distance.Not every FPS game that followed Half-Life walked this path, but here again, we see another example of how Half-Lifehelped show there was a different way to do things.Improved Sequence Scripting and Set PiecesFile this one under controversial innovations, but Half-Life certainly raised the bar when it comes to scripted in-game events (especially in a first-person shooter).Half-Lifes own GoldSrc engine may have relied heavily on the Quake engine, but Valve managed to tweak that technological source in fascinating ways that greatly advanced the potential of the genre. One of their most important tweaks was the creation of a new scripting tool that made it easier for developers to not only create more elaborate scripted sequences but to allow the player to interact with their environment like never before.While the most positive examples of this innovation are Half-Lifes grand set pieces, its really the smaller moments that secure the games place in history in this respect. For instance, the ways that you interact with NPCs and small environmental elements in this game feel commonplace now, but it was anything but back in 1998.Some say that Half-Lifes innovations in this field eventually led to an era of overly-scripted shooters, but Half-Life actually found a nice balance between offering set pieces and allowing the player to feel like they were organically experiencing a journey.More Accessible ModdingDoom will always hold a special place in PC gaming history as the FPS title that helped modding reach the mainstream. However, Half-Lifes contributions to the mod scene are often overlooked despite the fact that Half-Life mods like Counter-Strike rank among the most important PC titles ever.Valve made the decision early on to allow the Half-Life community to easily access the design tools that powered the game. This not only led to more people playing around with modding but experienced mod creators enjoying nearly unprecedented access to a developers toolbox.Not long after, other studios started to catch on to the idea that the community isnt just there to buy your game and maybe swap some textures around. Instead, its possible that they can not only fix issues present in the base game but create experiences that the original development team would have never dreamed of, greatly expand the lifespan of the title in the process.

Gamers, treat yourself this month to some incredible gaming experiences with your EA Play* membership!When youre done watching your favorite football team defeat their rivals on TV, you can keep the heart-pumping moments by booting up your console to launch a perfect bomb downfield for a game-changing touchdown in EA Sports College Football 25 and Madden NFL 25. With EA Play game trials, you can keep the game going and dominate the gridiron for up to 10 hours. Love the game? Save 10% on a full game download with your progress carried over, and add to your lineup with monthly Ultimate Team Packs.In addition to these titles, EA Play offers trials of up to 10 hours for many other favorite games, including EA Sports NHL 25, EA Sports FC 25, EA Sports UFC 5 and EA Sports F1 24. And theres even more gaming to experience when youre done with trials! EA Play members can jump into an unrivaled collection of EAs best-loved series and top titles, including Madden NFL 24, EA Sports FC 24 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.EA Play members can also score monthly rewards on select titles, including 10% off purchases of Electronic Arts digital content including game downloads, Season Passes, Madden Points and more. This months member benefits include:Apex Legends Golden Demon Weapon Charm Now to December 2Battlefield 2042 Sanguine Impact Now to November 26EA Sports F1 24 5000 XP Boost Now to November 30EA Sports College Football 25 Loyalist Ultimate Team Pack Now to November 30Madden NFL 25 MUT Pack Now to November 30EA Sports FC 25 Powered Right Leg Tattoo & Clubs Coins Now to November 28EA Sports FC 25 Football Ultimate Team Draft Token Now to December 14EA Sports NHL 25 3000 CHEL Coins Now to December 5EA Sports NHL 25 WOC Battle Pass XP Modifier Tokens Now to December 5Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox Game Pass PC members receive EA Play with their Game Pass subscription. Members can experience the world of EA with unlimited access to a collection of top titles, trials of select new games, in-game member rewards and more.Visit the EA Play page for more details, and to stay up to date on the latest from EA Play, follow EA Play on, Instagram, or X. Please see EA.com/EA-Play/Terms for terms and conditions.*Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See https://tos.ea.com/legalapp/eaplay/US/en/PC/ for details.

Our mission is to bring more games to more people around the world, across devices. We believe gaming should be easy to access and available for all players, no matter what device you choose to play with. Thats why were dedicated to making great games available across consoles, PCs, and with cloud gaming.Today, millions of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members are enjoying Xbox Cloud Gaming to play top titles from the Xbox Game Pass catalog on various devices. Weve also heard your excitement about having more flexibility to stream games you own beyond the Game Pass catalog. Starting today, Im excited to announce that were allowing Game Pass Ultimate members to stream select games they own through TVs and browser on supported devices like smartphones, PCs, and tablets,in all 28 countries where Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) is available. This is just the beginning. Next year, were excited to bring this feature to Xbox consoles and the Xbox app on Windows.50 Great Games Available Today, With More to ComeWe are happy to announce that over 50 great games are now available for streaming. Our library of cloud-playable titles will continue to grow, as we work with our partners around the world to bring you a diverse and expansive selection of great games across devices. You can stream any version of these games below that you own, for example Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition.Here are the games available today:Animal WellAssassins Creed MirageAvatar: Frontiers of PandoraBalatroBaldurs Gate 3Banishers: Ghosts of New EdenCall of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022)The Casting of Frank StoneCyberpunk 2077Dragon Quest III HD-2D RemakeDredgeDying Light 2 Stay HumanFarming Simulator 25Fear the SpotlightFinal Fantasy XIV OnlineFinal FantasyFinal Fantasy IIFinal Fantasy IIIFinal Fantasy IVFinal Fantasy VFinal Fantasy VIHadesHarry Potter: Quidditch ChampionsHigh On LifeHitman World of AssassinationHogwarts LegacyHouse Flipper 2Kena: Bridge of SpiritsLego Harry Potter CollectionLife is Strange: Double ExposureMetro ExodusMortal Kombat 1NBA 2K25PGA Tour 2K23PhasmophobiaPrince of Persia: The Lost CrownRust Console Edition7 Days to DieStar Wars OutlawsStrayThe Crew MotorfestThe Outlast TrialsThe Plucky SquireThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntTom Clancys The Division 2TopSpin 2K25UndertaleVisions of ManaWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2WWE 2K24Ready to Get Started? Heres How:Game Pass Ultimate members can stream select cloud-playable games you own, even if theyre not included with Game Pass Ultimate, directly on various devices. This includes Samsung Smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV devices, Meta Quest headsets as well as other browser supported devices like PCs, smart phones, and tablets. For more details, see below or check out our support page.On your PC, phone, tablet, handheld, and most devices with access to a web browser:Use a supported browser like Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Apple Safari.Navigate to https://xbox.com/play.Sign into your Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership.Look for Stream your own game to discover games you can play right now, and others you can stream after purchasing them.Connect a supported controller. Controllers like the Xbox Wireless Controller, Xbox Adaptive Controller, PlayStation DualSense, or DualShock 4 controller are all compatible. On PC, some games will also support mouse and keyboard input.Start playing!On supported TVs and VR headsets:Download and launch the Xbox app (on supported Samsung TV, Amazon Fire device) or the Xbox Cloud Gaming app (on Meta Quest 2, 3 or Pro)..Sign into your Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership.Look for Stream your own game to discover games you can play right now, and others you can stream after purchasing them.Connect a compatible Bluetooth-enabled wireless controller. Controllers like the Xbox Wireless Controller, Xbox Adaptive Controller, PlayStation DualSense, or DualShock 4 controller are all compatible.Start playing!If youre not an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate member yet, you can join here to start playing hundreds of great games across console, PC, and cloud. Games you digitally purchase for streaming can also be downloaded and played on an Xbox console.Thank you for being a part of Xbox. Your passion and support inspire us every day to bring the joy of gaming everywhere.

Apple has released public beta 3 for macOS Sequoia 15.2 and iPadOS 18.2, bringing refinements and bug fixes to Apples forthcoming software updates. Heres what to expect.What to expect from the new public beta 3Todays new public beta releases arrive just hours after Apple released new builds of macOS Sequoia 15.2 and iPadOS 18.2 to developers.Public beta 3 provides the same exact software as what launched in developer beta 4 earlier today.Unfortunately but also unsurprisingly, so far we havent discovered any new features or noteworthy changes in the latest betas.Apple instead has shipped bug fixes and performance enhancements in these latest betas that help push the software updates closer to being ready for public launch.These updates are expected to release to all users in December, likely the week of December 9.Features coming in macOS 15.2 and iPadOS 18.2There are a lot of new features available in macOS 15.2 and iPadOS 18.2. Heres a sampling of the highlights:ChatGPT integration with Siri and writing toolsGenmoji (currently iPad and iPhone only)Image Wand, an AI-powered Notes app featureWeather widget that can be added to the Menu BarNew AirPlay settings when sharing your Mac screenImage Playground app for creating original imagesFind My option to share a lost items locationOverall, while Apple Intelligence is definitely at the core of these updates, Apple has included several nice quality of life improvements beyond AI too.Have you been using the betas? What are your favorite new features? Let us know in the comments.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel