holiday homework Senators blast carmakers over right-to-repair opposition OEMs also called out for selling data they collect on drivers. Jonathan M. Gitlin Dec 20, 2024 11:09 am | 0 Credit: Getty Images Credit: Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreYesterday, US Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Joshua Hawley (R-MO) sent letters to the heads of Ford, General Motors, and Tesla, as well as the US heads of Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Stellantis, Subaru, Toyota, and Volkswagen, excoriating them over their opposition to the right-to-repair movement."We need to hit the brakes on automakers stealing your data and undermining your right-to-repair," said Senator Merkley in a statement to Ars. "Time and again, these billionaire corporations have a double standard when it comes to your privacy and security: claiming that sharing vehicle data with repair shops poses cybersecurity risks while selling consumer data themselves. Oregon has one of the strongest right-to-repair laws in the nation, and thats why Im working across the aisle to advance efforts nationwide that protect consumer rights."Most repairs arent at dealershipsThe Senators point out that 70 percent of car parts and services currently come from independent outlets, which are seen as trustworthy and providing good value for money, "while nearly all dealerships receive the worst possible rating for price."OEMs and their tier-one suppliers restricting the supply of car parts to within their franchised dealership networks also slows down the entire repair process for owners as well as increasing the cost of getting one's car fixed, the letter states.As Ars noted recently, more than one in five automotive recalls are now fixed with software patches, and increasingly the right-to-repair fight has centered on things digitalaccess to diagnostics, firmware, and connected services. The percentage of non-hardware recall fixes will surely grow in the coming years as more and more automakers replace older models with software-defined vehicles.But proponents of the right to repair have faced stiff opposition from automakers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on cybersecurity grounds. In 2023, NHTSA went as far as telling OEMs not to comply with an expanded state law in Massachusetts that requires an open data platform for telematics, something the voters of Mass. were overwhelmingly in favor of.The Senators argue that in fact, allowing third-party access "is consistent with the FTC's data security guidance," and point out that an attempt by Mercedes-Benz to use the same argument against independent repairs in Germany was shot down by the German court, which told the company that it was no "excuse to restrict data access to suppliers."Shoddy software is the risk, not third-party accessRather than the availability of diagnostic tools and repair information, the cybersecurity threat instead comes from "the poor quality of deployed software and the poor state of device security," according to expert testimony given to the House Judiciary Committee in 2023.The Senators also highlight the dichotomy of automakers claiming in one breath to be concerned about the risks of data leakage as a result of allowing access to vehicle software while at the same time packaging and sharing driving data, collected by their connected cars, with third parties like data brokers, and insurance companies, often without the driver's consent.The automakers that received the letter are going to have a busy holiday season collating data, for they have been tasked with answering a series of questions by January 6, including: how much income each makes from car repairs, what user and driving data it collects, whether and how it obtains consent for that data collection, with whom it shares that data with (including specifics), as well as data protection and cybersecurity practices to protect its customer's sensitive information. Additionally, each automaker is asked about its lobbying activities against the right-to-repair movement.Jonathan M. GitlinAutomotive EditorJonathan M. GitlinAutomotive Editor Jonathan is the Automotive Editor at Ars Technica. He has a BSc and PhD in Pharmacology. In 2014 he decided to indulge his lifelong passion for the car by leaving the National Human Genome Research Institute and launching Ars Technica's automotive coverage. He lives in Washington, DC. 0 Comments

Dingus behavior Louisiana bars health dept. from promoting flu, COVID, mpox vaccines: Report Staff worried they were no longer helping people and the ban would lead to deaths. Beth Mole Dec 20, 2024 10:58 am | 12 A healthcare worker prepares a flu shot during a drive-thru clinic at the Louisiana State Fairgrounds in Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S., on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020. Shreveport recently completed a test run for distributing an eventual coronavirus vaccine, using a community drive-thru clinic for flu shots. Photographer: Dylan Hollingsworth/Bloomberg via Getty Images Credit: Getty | Bloomberg A healthcare worker prepares a flu shot during a drive-thru clinic at the Louisiana State Fairgrounds in Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S., on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020. Shreveport recently completed a test run for distributing an eventual coronavirus vaccine, using a community drive-thru clinic for flu shots. Photographer: Dylan Hollingsworth/Bloomberg via Getty Images Credit: Getty | Bloomberg Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreLouisiana's health department has been barred from advertising or promoting vaccines for flu, COVID-19, and mpox, according to reporting by NPR, KFF Health News, and New Orleans Public Radio WWNO.Their investigative reportbased on interviews with multiple health department employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliationrevealed that employees were told of the startling policy change in meetings in October and November and that the policy would be implemented quietly and not put into writing.Ars Technica has contacted the health department for comment and will update this post with any new information.The health department provided a statement to NPR saying that it has been "reevaluating both the state's public health priorities as well as our messaging around vaccine promotion, especially for COVID-19 and influenza." The statement described the change as a move "away from one-size-fits-all paternalistic guidance" to a stance in which "immunization for any vaccine, along with practices like mask wearing and social distancing, are an individual's personal choice."According to employees, the new policy cancelled standard fall flu vaccination events this year and affects every other aspect of the health department's work, as NPR explained:"Employees could not send out press releases, give interviews, hold vaccine events, give presentations or create social media posts encouraging the public to get the vaccines. They also could not put up signs at the department's clinics that COVID, flu or mpox vaccines were available on site."We're really talking about deathsThe change comes amid a dangerous swell of anti-vaccine sentiment and misinformation in Louisiana and across the country. President-elect Trump has picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr.a high-profile anti-vaccine advocate and one of the most prolific spreaders of vaccine misinformationto head the US Department of Health and Human Services.Louisiana's health department has not updated its web page on influenza since last year. It has also noticeably refrained from mentioning vaccines on social media posts. A post earlier this month warned of flu season, but only urged people to wash their hands, cover coughs and sneezes, avoid touching their faces, and improve indoor air quality. There was no mention of flu vaccines.The shift has disheartened and shaken staff. "I mean, do they want to dismantle public health?" one employee at the health department told NPR."We're really talking about deaths," said another. "Even a reduction in flu and COVID vaccines can lead to increased deaths.""We've never felt so unsure of our future," an employee added. "Like, why am I here? Why am I doing this anymore? Because you're just so stifled and you are not helping people."Beth MoleSenior Health ReporterBeth MoleSenior Health Reporter Beth is Ars Technicas Senior Health Reporter. Beth has a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and attended the Science Communication program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She specializes in covering infectious diseases, public health, and microbes. 12 Comments

Ready for a fresh set of puzzles? Click here for the January/February Puzzle Corner, brought to you with a special Mystery Hunt twist by guest editor Dan Katz 03.This column includes solutions to three September/October 24 problems. Find solutions to the other three problems here.

David Dewan came up with this solution (which Richard Lipesalso found on Wikipedia): Let N be any integer not divisible by 2 or 5. Consider repunits R1 = 1, R2 = 11, R3 = 111, , RN+1 and their residues modulo N. There are at most N different residues, so the set of N+1 residues modulo N must contain at least one repeat. Assume RA mod N and RB mod N with B>A are the same. Then (RB RA) mod N = (RB-A10A) mod N = 0. Since N and 10 are relatively prime, N divides RB-A. S/O4. Frank offers this sudoku problem: Many readers tackled it successfully. For anyone who got stuck, heres the answer key: Ten years ago I was doing what is now called AI, Richard Marks 58 writes. He noted that trying all possible iterations of a sudoku problem will tie up your Cray for a week. So I personally wrote the rules and coded this little AI program that solves any sudoko by the time you have released the Solve It button. Since I wrote the program from scratch, I guess you can say I solved S/O4. S/O6. On behalf of the MIT Chess Club, Justin Zhou 25 asked how White can play and mate in two (see below). Frank Model 63 says there are two cases to consider: when Black can castle, and when Black cannot. If Black can castle, then Blacks last move had to be Pc7-c5. In this case White can take en passant, Pb5-c6. If Black castles, then White plays Pb7#. If Black can castle, but makes some other move, then White plays Rf8#. If Black cannot castle, then White plays Ke6. Black cannot escape mate on the next move when White plays Rf8#. Steve Gordon noted that this problem illustrates the three special chess moves. The following was adapted from his analysis with his algebraic chess notation. Black last moved either a king, rook, or c5. If c5, then 1. bxc6 (en passant a.k.a e. p.). If Black can still castle queenside (1. Kc8 & Rd8, a.k.a O-O-O), then 2. b7#. If Black cannot, its king is still trapped on rank 8, so after any black move, 2. Rf8#. If Black last moved a king or rook, en passant is not possible for White, but Black cant castle either, so 1. Ke6 also traps the black king on rank 8, and after any Black move, 2. Rf8#. Note: To create this puzzle, the white bishop on g7 resulted from an underpromotion on h8.

Trader Joe's farm-raised smoked-trout fillets are delicious in salads or on a cracker.Trader Joe's farm-raised smoked-trout fillets are a must-buy for me. Leah Kern Eating protein-rich foods, like this smoked trout, is an excellent way to create an energizing, filling meal.Trader Joe's smoked trout has become a staple in my home it's a great shelf-stable item to have on hand when I want to add more sustenance to a meal. This flavorful fish makes a great addition to a greens-and-feta salad, though the fillets are also delicious simply paired with a cracker. I have the organic tea and lemonade when I want to make my meals more satisfying.I love that Trader Joe's organic tea and lemonade doesn't taste too sweet. Leah Kern When I followed restrictive diets, I was afraid to have sugar-sweetened beverages because I felt guilty about drinking my calories.Now, as an intuitive eater, I know that adding fun drinks to meals can be a great way to enhance satisfaction. When our meals are satisfying, we can move on without dwelling and decrease our chances of bingeing or overeating later.This tea-and-lemonade beverage has the perfect level of sweetness. I love having it with a turkey sandwich, a hearty salad, or cheese and crackers. I was recently introduced to the Italian Bomba hot-pepper sauce, and I love it.Trader Joe's Italian Bomba hot-pepper sauce adds flavor to pasta and soups. Leah Kern A friend recently shared a recipe for spicy-vodka rigatoni, which called for Calabrian chiles. She recommended using Trader Joe's Italian Bomba sauce, a Calabrian-chile-based flavoring, and it has become an instant favorite.It adds a flavorful punch to pasta dishes and soups, though it's also tasty when smeared on crusty bread or mixed with mayo. Trader Joe's Silver Goat chvre is perfectly creamy and crumbly.I use Trader Joe's Silver Goat chvre to add a creaminess to various dishes. Leah Kern I've tried many different kinds of goat cheese, but this one from Trader Joe's is my favorite.It's the ideal mixture of creamy and crumbly, making it a perfect addition to fall salads or a roasted-root-veggie dish. It also adds richness to pasta dishes when I don't have milk or cream.I recommend spreading this goat cheese on toast and pairing it with different toppings, like walnuts, honey, and sea salt, or caramelized mushrooms and onions. I love adding the organic toasted-sesame dressing to my salads.Trader Joe's organic toasted-sesame dressing is delicious. Leah Kern When a craving for salad strikes, I enjoy using Trader Joes toasted-sesame dressing. Having a premade dressing lowers the workload of making a salad, which is another reason I love keeping this delicious dressing stocked in my fridge. Trader Joe's broccoli-and-kale slaw is a convenient way for me to get my veggies.I usually pair Trader Joe's broccoli-and-kale slaw with pizza. Leah Kern Some days, I crave fresh flavors but don't have the bandwidth to cut up lettuce and veggies which is why I appreciate this broccoli-and-kale slaw with dried cherries, slivered almonds, and sunflower seeds.Even when I don't have the time or energy to start chopping ingredients, I can almost always find it in me to dump the contents into a bowl and toss them with the kit's premade, sweet slaw dressing.Sometimes, I'll doctor the salad up with goat-cheese crumbles. I typically pair the salad with a frozen pizza to add a source of carbs and fat and create a more filling meal. I use the raw Argentinian red shrimp to add protein to simple dishes.I like to add Trader Joe's raw Argentinian red shrimp to either a pesto pasta or a scampi. Leah Kern In my opinion, the Argentinian red shrimp tastes so fresh, you'd never know that it comes frozen. During the summer, I add this shrimp to a simple pasta dish with pesto, pine nuts, and tomatoes for a protein-rich meal with lots of staying power. In the colder months, I make a shrimp scampi with simple ingredients like lemon, broth, wine, and Parmesan cheese.Like the smoked trout, this frozen shrimp is great for adding a protein boost to my meals. Trader Joe's hot-and-sweet pepper jelly is the perfect flavor combination.I spread Trader Joe's hot-and-sweet pepper jelly on crackers and sandwiches. Leah Kern When I ask new clients which foods they enjoy, many of them have been dieting for so long that they no longer know what flavors they authentically enjoy.In my intuitive-eating experience, I discovered I love the combination of sweet and salty flavors. In particular, I adore Trader Joe's sweet, spicy pepper jam with savory cheese and crackers.It's also delicious spread on a grilled-cheese sandwich for that same flavor contrast.Click to keep reading Trader Joe's diaries like this one.

"A Christmas Story" is based on two books written by Jean Shepherd.Jean Shepherd in 1975. Donaldson Collection/Getty Images Shepherd was a well-known radio personality, comedian, writer, and storyteller by the time "A Christmas Story" was released. The film is based on a set of short stories that were first published in Playboy before he compiled them into the collection "In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash" in 1966, per CBS.Other elements of the film were taken from his 1971 collection "Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories and Other Disasters." Shepherd and his wife, Leigh Brown, who also cowrote the film, have cameos in the movie.Jean Shepherd and Leigh Brown in "A Christmas Story." Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Besides narrating the film, Shepherd also cowrote "A Christmas Story" with his wife, Leigh Brown, and the film's director, Bob Clark.Shepherd and Brown appear in the scene where Ralphie and his brother Randy meet Santa at the department store Higbee's. Director Bob Clark also has a cameo.Bob Clark in "A Christmas Carol." Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Clark plays one of Ralphie's neighbors who questions the Old Man about the famous Leg Lamp.This wasn't the first holiday film Clark worked on he directed the Christmas-themed slasher "Black Christmas" in 1974. Clark got Shepherd barred from the set after he made too many suggestions to the actors.Bob Clark in 2003. Mike Guastella/WireImage/Getty Images Vanity Fair reported there was friction between Clark and Shepherd. Shepherd, for his part, was protective of his characters, while Clark was concerned with finishing the project on time and under budget so he barred Shepherd from the set."Shepherd was a perfectionist with his own material, but Bob Clark had a budget and a schedule that he had to meet, and he already figured out how this all should be done, and he couldn't have Shepherd constantly interrupting," Shepherd's biographer Eugene Bergman told the publication. There have been three sequels across 28 years.Star Peter Billingsley at a screening of "A Christmas Story Christmas" in 2022. Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images The first theatrical sequel, "My Summer Story," was released in 1994, and was once again directed by Bob Clark. However, almost no one from the original cast reprised their roles.Ralphie originally portrayed by Peter Billingsley was played by none other than Kieran Culkin, while his parents were played by Charles Grodin and Mary Steenburgen in roles that were originated by Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon.The only returning actor was Tedde Moore as Ralphie's teacher.In 2012, "A Christmas Story 2" was released. It ignored the events of "My Summer Story" and once again starred an entirely new cast.Ten years later, most of the surviving cast reunited for "A Christmas Story Christmas," which is a direct sequel to the original, and follows 42-year-old Ralphie as he comes home for Christmas after the death of his father. "A Christmas Story" inspired the creation of the '80s classic sitcom "The Wonder Years."Danica McKellar and Fred Savage during the first season of "The Wonder Years." ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images It's easy to see the connections "A Christmas Story" is told mainly from the point of view of 9-year-old Ralphie, who deals with an annoying brother, a somewhat strict mother, and a distant but loving father. It's also narrated by an older version of Ralphie.That's basically the setup of "The Wonder Years," down to the older version of the main character narrating. It premiered in 1988, five years after "A Christmas Story" was released.The connection was so strong that Billingsley himself had a cameo in the final two episodes of the show as a friend of main character Kevin (Fred Savage). Sean Astin and Wil Wheaton were considered for the role of Ralphie.Sean Astin and Wil Wheaton in 2018. Jean Baptiste Lacroix/WireImage/Getty Images Astin and Wheaton were two of the biggest child stars of the '80s.But in 1983, neither was that well-known. Wheaton's big break came in 1986's "Stand By Me" before he was cast in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in 1987.For his part, Astin starred in the 1985 adventure classic "The Goonies" before appearing in films such as "Toy Soldiers" (also starring Wheaton!) and, most famously, "The Lord of the Rings."Wheaton wrote about his experience seeing Astin and Billingsley at auditions on his blog in 2001."I sort of knew Peter [Billingsley] because we'd been on so many auditions together, but I was always a little star-struck when I saw him," he wrote. The specific BB gun Ralphie so desperately wants never existed in real life."A Christmas Story." Metro-Goldwin-Mayer Throughout the film, all Ralphie wants for Christmas is a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle.But this gun never actually existed. The Red Ryder model didn't have the sundial (the "thing that tells time") or a compass that Ralphie's ideal gun had, but a different model manufactured by Daisy Outdoor Products did. So, the gun had to be constructed specifically for the film.In 2020, Daisy finally released an official replica of the "Christmas Story" rifle, aptly titled the Christmas Dream. Jack Nicholson was considered for the role of the Old Man, aka Ralphie's dad.Jack Nicholson in 1983. Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images Clark said he "loved" Nicholson, but was glad he didn't get the part "because Darren [McGavin] is the Old Man," according to Vanity Fair.For context, this movie came out the same year as "Terms of Endearment," and just three years after "The Shining" it might have been difficult to see Nicholson as a wholesome father figure. In Ralphie's dream sequence, Billingsley is chewing real tobacco."A Christmas Story." Metro-Goldwin-Mayer In the beginning of the film, Ralphie has a dream sequence where he saves his family from a gang of outlaws, and you can clearly see he's got a hunk of what's supposed to be chewing tobacco in his bottom lip.You might think that a kid wouldn't be given real dip, but you'd be wrong. Billingsley told Vanity Fair that a propman on the set gave him some chewing tobacco, and within a few minutes he was profusely sweating and the entire set had to be shut down."We shut down for an hour or so, when I just had to lie down on the couch. This was long before they knew what to do with kid actors," he said.For the rest of the shoot, the kids were given ground-up raisins. Ralphie's hometown Hohman, Indiana, is based on the real Indiana city of Hammond, but the film was mainly shot in Cleveland."A Christmas Story." Archive Photos/Getty Images Shepherd's hometown was Hammond, the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. The film uses a real street in Hammond, Hohman Avenue, as the inspiration for its name. It was not seen as a classic upon its release.One of the most iconic scenes from "A Christmas Story." Metro-Goldwin-Mayer "A Christmas Story" was originally released on November 18, 1983, a full month before Christmas. It never topped the box office and was out of theaters by the middle of December, which meant people couldn't even see the movie during the peak of the holiday season.But the legacy of "A Christmas Story" was just getting started. It became a true cable classic so much so that TNT and TBS each play the film for 24 hours straight on Christmas Day, and at various other times during December, meaning that millions more people have seen it on TV than ever did at the cinema. The film was turned into a musical in 2012.Dan Lauria and Peter Billingsley in 2013. Rob Kim/Getty Images "A Christmas Story: The Musical" had two limited runs on Broadway for the 2012 and 2013 holiday seasons.Funnily enough, strengthening the connection between "A Christmas Story" and "The Wonder Years," Dan Lauria best known as Kevin's father on "The Wonder Years" originated the role of Jean Shepherd on Broadway. You can stay in the Parkers' home for real.The home has been restored to look just like the film. Kiesha Jenkins-Duffy/Getty Images The house, which is located in Cleveland, has been turned into a museum. It's been restored to look exactly like it did during the production of the movie and houses authentic props and costumes from the movie.Super-fans are also able to spend a night in the Parkers' home.Of course, there's also an online gift shop if you want to purchase your own leg lamp. Jon Favreau cited "A Christmas Story" as an inspiration for "Elf" Billingsley even has a cameo in it."Elf." New Line Cinema Favreau and Billingsley are frequent collaborators. Billingsley has been credited as a producer or executive producer on six movies that Favreau has directed or starred in: "Made," "Elf," "Zathura," "The Break-Up," "Iron Man," and "Four Christmases."Billingsley's 2009 directorial debut, "Couples Retreat," was cowritten by Favreau, who also stars in the film.

Starbucks' largest workers' union announced that it would strike in three major cities on Friday.The Starbucks Workers United union said that stores in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle would participate.The union said it was protesting Starbucks' labor practices and wages.Starbucks' largest workers union announced that it would go on strike in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle, where it is headquartered, just days ahead of Christmas.On Wednesday, the union told BI that it would strike to protest what it described as the company's failure to negotiate a sufficiently comprehensive pay package and hundreds of unresolved cases related to labor disputes."Starbucks baristas are going on five days of escalating ULP strikes in response to the company backtracking on our promised path forward, starting tomorrow in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle," Starbucks Workers United said in Thursday statements.It added that the strikes would soon be "coast-to-coast."The union said the strikes could reach hundreds of stores unless the company works to achieve collective bargaining agreements.The company has 11,161 self-operated stores and 7,263 licensed stores in North America. As of October, about 500 or about 4.5% of all stores were unionized.In a Thursday post on Instagram, the union said, "Since February, Starbucks has repeatedly pledged publicly that they intended to reach contracts by the end of the year - but they've yet to present workers with a serious economic proposal."Starbucks said in a public statement that the union delegates "prematurely ended" the bargaining session this week, and that it was "disappointing they didn't return to the table given the progress we've made to date.""We are ready to continue negotiations to reach agreements," the company wrote. "We need the union to return to the table."The union, which represents more than 10,000 baristas, said on Tuesday that 98% of its member baristas had voted to authorize the strike.News of the strike came just days after CEO Brian Niccol announced a change in the company's parental leave policy for US store employees.Starting in March, Starbucks will offer up to 18 weeks of paid leave for birth parents and up to 12 weeks for nonbirth parents. The company currently offers US store employees six weeks of paid parental leave and up to 12 weeks unpaid. The increased benefit will apply to employees averaging at least 20 hours of work a week.

If you're looking to give the gift of gaming this Christmas, there's one major thing you can do to ensure things run smoothly on the big day get everything updatedTech15:20, 20 Dec 2024Avoid disappointment and update your console nowIf you're giving the gift of gaming this Christmas, we hope you've been using our gift guides to select the perfect gift but more on those shortly.This time around we've got our top tip for parents, family, or partners picking up a console for that special someone, something that keeps the fun coming and doesn't hit pause for players.Here's what you need to do this Christmas if you haven't already.Plug it in, update, and then wrap it upIf you've picked up a console for a lucky loved one this year, there's one thing you need to ensure you do plug it in before the big day, and download any updates the console requires.Sadly, these days consoles struggle without an internet connection, meaning your shiny new gift is as useful as a paperweight until you've downloaded assorted updates.All consoles (and PCs) need them, but on particularly busy days like Christmas, servers can grind to a halt with all new players logging in, essentially causing a traffic jam for the updates.Getting your new console purchase updated nice and early, before wrapping it up, is a great way to avoid that and it saves on having to find the Wi-Fi password on the big day, too.The good news is that whichever console you pick up, 2025 is shaping up nicely. While Nintendo Switch 2 is expected, the console will be backward compatible with current Switch titles, so you can start building a library.Meanwhile PlayStation owners can look forward to Ghost of Yotei, Death Stranding 2, and Marvel's Wolverine, while Xbox players will be able to enjoy South of Midnight, Avowed, and the return of Fable.Third-party titles include Monster Hunter Wilds, and, if reports are to be believed, Grand Theft Auto 6 but we're still waiting for the next trailer.For more of our recommendations for Christmas, check out our gaming guides for:Be sure to check out our rundown of the biggest gaming Christmas wants over the last decade, too.Article continues belowFor the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.RECOMMENDED

GTA 6's second trailer is still nowhere to be found but fans are returning to the old "waning gibbous" theory as they hunt for clues on its whereabouts after a year of silenceTech13:48, 20 Dec 2024Every day people ask when is GTA 6 coming out(Image: Rockstar Games/AFP via Getty Ima)GTA 6 fans are starting to get restless in the wait for trailer 2, but they're back on a classic theory to find fresh details.While the moon theory has been wrong before, Rockstar Games' parent company Take-Two's CEO talking up the game as 'extraordinary' has fans heading back to that well.The idea is that fans are looking into images Rockstar's social accounts have shared about GTA Online and are tracking three moon phases from that date.Content cannot be displayed without consentAs shared by GTA 6 Countdown, the "moon theory" brought the game's first trailer after three waning gibbous moon cycles.Fans have plotted the phases of the moon, and are expecting another waning gibbous today, December 20 the second in a cycle.That means, if the theory is correct (and we've got a fistful of salt here), the next waning gibbous after today's will signal the arrival of the trailer.While you're likely as dubious as we are, this follows a voice actor discussing a Rockstar Games project, and a new trademark which revealed a new logo this week.Article continues belowIt's also an indication that fans are growing increasingly desperate as the wait breaks Rockstar's own records and demands are made of the studio.Still, one former developer explained last week that the Rockstar team would be "geeking out" over fan demand and theories, suggesting they're happy watching the fervor play out for now.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.RECOMMENDED

No room for both PlayStation and Xbox in next gen console race says reportAdam StarkeyPublished December 20, 2024 2:25pmUpdated December 20, 2024 2:25pm Who is going to fall? (Metro/Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo)A prominent research firm believes therell only be space for two major consoles next generation, and Nintendo is the only guaranteed winner.While it feels like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S generation has barely left an imprint so far, Sony and Microsoft already have eyes on the next console race.Nintendo is expected to kick it off with the successor to the Switch next year, but Sony and Microsoft have both teased plans for its next generation consoles with the next Xbox rumoured to arrive potentially as early as 2026.What exactly Sony and Microsoft can offer players is the big mystery, especially as both companies are struggling to get people to invest in the current generation, now that the graphical arms race has seemingly peaked.According to market research firm DFC Intelligence, the next generation race will be pivotal in shaping the future of the console space posing a significant risk for one of the three major console manufacturers.It predicts Nintendo will be the clear winner among the next generation of consoles, due to its earlier launch and lack of competition, leaving either Sony or Microsoft to struggle mightily in third place.There isnt room for more than two major console systems, the report states. Sony or Microsoft will struggle mightily in a distant third place largely depending on which of those companies can gain early momentum.Based on the size of the current player-base for the PlayStation 5, Sonys next system is described as having an advantage, but it notes that Microsoft will be the largest gaming publisher heading into the next generation.A new Sony system (PlayStation 6?) should have an advantage because of loyal base and strong Sony IP, the report adds.Microsoft failed with Xbox Series X/S but has made major acquisitions to become the worlds largest software publisher. Microsoft has the option of focusing on software and distribution models over hardware.However, its unclear how buying Activision Blizzard is going to do anything for Microsofts console sales, since almost all of the games will also be on PlayStation especially given the dire sales results this year.Although theyre somewhat mincing their words, DFC Intelligence is clearly implying that Xbox is most at risk even if its software publishing business is more robust than ever.Microsoft is working on another Xbox console, including a handheld, but the brand has made moves towards becoming a publisher untethered to a specific platform with its Game Pass subscription service available through PCs, phones and Amazon TV devices.While Microsoft can probably afford many losses considering the size of the company, theres little reason for them to exist in the hardware space if they have another failure like the Xbox Series X/S. While Microsoft hasnt released official sales figures, reports suggest it has been dwarfed 3-1 by Sonys PlayStation 5. Could Xbox find more success with a handheld? (Microsoft)Beyond these predictions, DFC estimates the games industry will see record growth in 2025, thanks to new Nintendo hardware and GTA 6. The firm also believes the number of people worldwide who play video games will exceed 4 billion by 2027 nearly half of the global population. Although the majority of that will be free mobile and web-based games.David Cole, DFC Intelligence founder and CEO, said: Over the past three decades, the video game industry has grown more than 20x, and after two years of slumping hardware and software sales, its poised to resume growing at a healthy rate through the end of the decade.More TrendingWhile 2025 will mark the beginning of that upward trajectory, some huge questions remain, including who will lose the next-gen console war and who will win the game software distribution battle. And with the large publishers focused on live services around evergreen franchises, opportunities for smaller studios will be plentiful. Sony launched the PS5 Pro in November (Sony Interactive Entertainment)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy