Treyarch has made a major change to the rewards from Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's ongoing Archie's Festival Frenzy holiday event. Instead of players unlocking what they earn, gamers will now earn all the rewards at the end of the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 event, "so everyone can play at their own pace."

Were more than halfway through December, which means 2025 is right around the corner with a whole new slate of new movies to look forward to. Before that, though, there are still plenty of decent sci-fi films to watch on Netflix this month to tide you over until the new year!This month, weve got a Michael Bay action thriller about transforming robots that sparked an entire cinematic franchise, a rough and rowdy cyberpunk thriller starring Logan Marshall-Green, and a cult-classic pulp adventure set in an alternate 1930s universe filled with giant flying robots!Lets take a look at what this month has to offer!Editors pick: TransformersDirector: Michael BayCast: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh DuhamelDespite the fact that it came out just one year before Iron Man and The Dark Knight, Michael Bays Transformers feels completely disconnected from nearly every CGI-heavy blockbuster that came after it. Where superhero movies tended to be more ironic and sarcastic, Transformers is a shockingly sincere movie, with overwhelming heart and nearly no cynicism despite being a movie based on a toy brand.Im not here to tell you Transformers is good it absolutely is good, but you should know that already. What Im here to do instead is tell you to rewatch Transformers for a brief glimpse into what the blockbuster movies of the 2010s could have looked like. Im not really sure if thats better or worse than what we got, but its fascinating to rewatch this movie now that it looks totally unlike anything that came after it excluding its own sequels, of course. Austen GoslinUpgradeDirector: Leigh WhannellCast: Logan Marshall-Green, Betty Gabriel, Harrison GilbertsonUpgrade might be the best cyberpunk movie of the last decade. The story follows a man who becomes paralyzed after a horrible car accident, which was orchestrated to assassinate his wife. In order to get revenge for her death, he accepts a computer chip that takes control of his body, giving him incredible strength, speed, and agility.Its a recognizable enough concept, but Upgrade manages to make it feel fresh and original, thanks in large part to its extremely funny script and an excellent performance from Logan Marshall-Green, who plays some of the movies funniest moments like a hapless passenger to the violence and mayhem that his body is perpetrating. AGSky Captain and the World of TomorrowDirector: Kerry ConranCast: Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Giovanni RibisiKerry Conrans 2004 pulp adventure is a labor of love. Conceived with his brother, production designer Kevin Conran, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow stars Jude Law as Joseph Sullivan, a mercenary fighter pilot who goes by the callsign Sky Captain, who teams up with his journalist ex-flame Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) to stop a mad scientist from terrorizing the world with his army of giant flying robots.The film is a unabashed homage to the adventure serials of the 1930s, with dieselpunk designs and towering skyscrapers flanked by floodlight beacons and floating zeppelins. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrows usage of virtual backlot technology would become a major influence, inspiring the look and production of films like 300 and Sin City. Conran hasnt directed a movie since, but if this is the only film he ever makes, it would be a fine legacy for him to leave behind. Toussaint Egan

We may earn a commission from links on this page.Being a houseplant mom or dad is not easythose babies are a lot of work. Smart technology has made managing them a lot easier for me, though. If you've still got someone on your gift list who will spend all winter tending to their beloved plants, here are some ideas for gifts they're likely to love. Indoor Plant Watering System $69.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $69.99 at Amazon Flora Pod AI-Powered Smart Plant Monitor | for Indoor or Outdoor Plants | Personalized Alerts for Moisture, Temperature, Humidity, and Light $44.99 at Amazon $54.99 Save $10.00 Shop Now Shop Now $44.99 at Amazon $54.99 Save $10.00 App Store Gift Card for Planta App at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now at Amazon Google Play Gift Card for Planta App at Amazon Get Deal Get Deal at Amazon Modern Sprout Smart Landscape Growframe Wall Mounted Planter with LED Grow Light, Emerald $299.00 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $299.00 at Amazon SEE 2 MORE An automatic indoor watering systemI love my plants, but watering them is a consistent chore I struggled to masterand if I'm being honest, all my plants used to get the same drink of water when I knew some should get watered more often or less often. An automatic waterer is what saved their lives. It was simple to set up: It's a pump that pulls water from a source you designate (I use a tall pitcher). You set up 1/4-inch black poly tubing to each plant, with included stakes and emitters, and adjust the emitters for each plant. It can even supply water vertically, so I was able to run tubing to my hanging plants. Using the app, you tell the system how often to water and for how long. I have two systems set upone for the plants that need water more often and one for the ones that enjoy more dry time. A smart plant moisture sensor that actually worksPlant sensors have existed for years; even Ikea had one. They've all been a bust, but Flora Pod actually worksI have a few of them. You stick them into the soil around your plant and the app gives you insights on that particular plant. Obviously it acts as a moisture sensor, but Flora Pod can also diagnose plant problems, give you access to experts and give you specific advice for the identified plant species. Technically, it can work outside or inside, but I've found that it's not as impervious to weather as it implies. This is for indoor plants, in my opinion, and it works fantastically. A way to keep track of my entire plant familyWhen you start amassing plants, keeping track of them becomes a challenge. Now, there is an app that will help make that task easier: Planta. Not only does it act as an inventory for your plants, but helps create a calendar of reminders for each one with specialized recommendations. One of the best features is a light meter in the app so you can gauge how your plant should fare and if it's getting enough light. Planta takes local weather and conditions into account to advise you on adjusting watering schedules, and has a diagnostic tool. There's a community you can join, so there's that benefit, but the best benefit? You can share your plant schedules with other people, like house sitters. A subscription runs $36 a year through the App Store or Google Play, so a gift card would be the perfect gift. Smart plant frames free up floor space and turn plants into artPlants take up space, which I want. I enjoy sharing my space with them, but they also crowd countertops, hang from ceilings and use up floor space. Modern Sprout has designed frames so your plants can reside on your walls, akin to living art. They are genuinely beautiful (and pricey), but include their own grow light and water reservoir, and they come in a few different configurations. In short: I want one. Gift cards to plant marketplacesI love my local nursery, but it's not where I get houseplants, and your houseplant-loving friend is probably the same way. In addition to trading clippings with other plant lovers, they're more likely to shop for houseplants on marketplaces like Etsy and Palmstreet. Gift cards to either would be welcome so your friend could acquire more plants, because if there is one thing every plant parent has in common, it is an inability to stop adopting new plant babies.

The rapid improvements in AI video generation don't appear to be slowing down any time soon, and Google has announced a major upgrade to its own video maker in the form of Veo 2. It follows the introduction of Veo in May, and OpenAI rolling out its Sora AI video generator to the public earlier this month.Google says Veo 2 beats Sora and other competitors in terms of user preferences and prompt adherenceyou can see the relevant charts for yourself on the Veo 2 websiteand that the new model brings with it "enhanced realism and fidelity" as well as better handling for motion and improved camera controls.What Veo 2 can doVeo 2 has boosted its video-generating capabilities through "an improved understanding of real-world physics and the nuances of human movement and expression," according to Googleso it sounds like you'll see less weirdness in your clips. The new model also has a better handle on the language of cinema and film. That means prompts can include a specific movie genre, a certain type of lens, or a particular cinematic effect. There's now support for terms such as "low-angle tracking shot," "close-up shot," or "shallow depth of field," which can help generated videos fit more closely to a prompt. Videos can be created at resolutions up to 4K (an upgrade from 1080p), and can now run to several minutes in length. Some of the example clips Google has been showing off look impressive: We've got drinks being poured, dogs riding inflatables in pools, cartoon characters talking to the camera, and scientists peering down microscopes.It's not flawless, however, and Google admits Veo 2 still struggles with consistency in complex scenes. This is an issue with AI video generators as a wholethey don't understand the physics and space of the real world, even if they can do a rough approximation of it based on a vast amount of training data. You'll notice that none of these videos show something going out of shot and then coming back in, most probably because the AI would forget about it or render it differently.How to try Veo 2The process for getting at Veo 2 is the same as it already was for the first Veo model: You need to head over to Google's VideoFX tool on the web, which is part of Google Labs, and sign up for the waiting list. For now, you need to be in the U.S. to try out Veo 2, and you need to be 18 or older.Google is promising an expansion of Veo 2 availability over the course of next yearincluding putting it into YouTube Shorts for creatorsbut for the time being it's not available in other tools such as Google Gemini (which does offer access to the latest Imagen 3 art generator model). As I don't currently have access to Veo 2, I can't give you too many details on the limitations that are in place. Google says "each user is limited to a certain number of daily generations" but it's not clear how many videos you can whip up each day, or how long they can be. OpenAI is letting ChatGPT Plus users produce up to 50 videos per month, with the length capped at five seconds and the resolution limited to 720p.Any videos you produce will come with an "invisible SynthID watermark" that identifies them as having been AI-generatedpart of Google's attempts to minimize the risk of Veo 2 being used to deceive viewers and spread misinformation (safety concerns are also part of the reason for the slow rollout, Google says).

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.If youve been considering adding a smart security camera to your home, the Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen) is now $29.99 (down from $59.99), its lowest price ever according to price trackers. Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen) $29.99 at Best Buy $59.99 Save $30.00 Get Deal Get Deal $29.99 at Best Buy $59.99 Save $30.00 Available in white, black, charcoal, starlight, and blush, this indoor cam is compact enough to sit on a shelf, mount to a wall, or tuck into a corner, so it wont stick out or take up too much space. Despite its small size, it delivers 1080p HD video with a wide 143-degree field of view, offering clear visuals both day and night. For low-light situations, it uses infrared LEDs for black-and-white night vision, and when theres enough ambient light, it displays color night vision (though this PCMag review notes that the nighttime colors can look a little muted).This model comes with a manual privacy cover that you can slide over the camera lens to block the feed whenever you want, adding an extra layer of peace of mind for moments when you need privacy. Additionally, the Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen) features two-way audio, allowing you to listen in or speak through the Ring appwhether its telling your dog to get off the couch or checking in on family members. For added convenience, it integrates seamlessly with Amazon Alexa, letting you view the live feed or control the camera using voice commands.The Ring Indoor Cam also works with IFTTT and third-party devices. However, it doesnt support Apple HomeKit or Google Assistant, which could be a downside if you rely on those platforms. Also, its worth noting that while the camera functions well on its own, accessing recorded footage requires a Ring Protect subscription. Plans start at $4.99 per month and include 180 days of video history, the ability to save and share clips, notifications with photo previews (so you can see whats happening without opening the app), and more. The subscription also adds support for automation with a Ring Alarm system.If HomeKit and Google Assistant integration is a dealbreaker for you, the eufy Security Indoor Cam E220 ($31.99, down from $54.99) makes for a solid alternative.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 leaks are continuing apace, and the latest batch includes details of the Slim model.

Kioxia Corporation has launched the industry's first QLC UFS 4.0 embedded flash memory.

A supposedly leaked Spigen case provides another look at the likely Galaxy S25 Ultra design, and we're hearing again that the Galaxy S25 could have 12GB of RAM.

Want more housing market stories from Lance Lamberts ResiClubin your inbox?Subscribeto theResiClubnewsletter.While homebuyers and home sellers still see headlines about the housing market being a sellers market and national home prices reaching all-time highs, a deeper look reveals that several regional housing markets have shifted, giving homebuyers some power.During the pandemic housing boom, from summer 2020 to spring 2022, the number of active homes for sale in most housing markets plummeted as homebuyer demand quickly absorbed almost everything that came up for sale. Fast-forward to the current housing market, and the places where active inventory has rebounded to 2019 levels (due to strained affordability suppressing buyer demand) are now the very places where homebuyers hold the most power.In November 2024, national active inventory for sale was still 17% below November 2019 levels. However, more and more regional markets are surpassing that threshold.Among the nations 400 largest metro area housing markets, 59 markets ended November 2024 with more active homes for sale than they had in pre-pandemic November 2019. These are the places heading into 2025 where homebuyers will be able to find the most leverage or market balance.Many of the softest housing markets, where homebuyers have gained leverage, are located in Gulf Coast and Mountain West regions. These areas were home to many of the nations top pandemic boomtowns, which experienced significant home price growth during the pandemic housing boom, which stretched housing fundamentals far beyond local income levels.When pandemic-fueled migration slowed and mortgage rates spiked, markets like Punta Gorda, Florida, and Austin, Texas, faced challenges as they had to rely on local incomes to sustain frothy home prices. The housing market softening in these areas was further accelerated by the abundance of new home supply in the pipeline across the Sun Belt. Builders in these regions are often willing to reduce prices or make affordability adjustments to maintain sales. These adjustments in the new construction market also create a cooling effect on the resale market, as some buyers who might have opted for an existing home shift their focus to new homes where deals are still available.In contrast, many Northeast and Midwest markets were less reliant on pandemic migration and have less new home construction in progress. With lower exposure to that demand shock, active inventory in these Midwest and Northeast regions has remained relatively tight, keeping the advantage in the hands of home sellers.Generally speaking, housing markets where inventory (i.e., active listings) has returned to pre-pandemic levels have experienced weaker home price growth (or outright declines) over the past 24 months. Conversely, housing markets where inventory remains far below pre-pandemic levels have, generally speaking, experienced stronger home price growth over the past 24 months.

The choking game has potentially deadly consequences, as players are challenged to temporarily strangle themselves by restricting oxygen to the brain. It sounds terrifying, but rough estimates suggest that about 10% of U.S. teenagers may have played this type of game at least once.Theres more, unfortunately: The skull breaker challenge, the Tide Pod challenge, and car surfing are but a few of the deadly games popularized through social media, particularly on Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Many of these games go back more than a generation, and some are resurging.The consequences of these so-called games can be deadly. The skull breaker challenge, for example, involves two people kicking the legs out from under a third person, causing them to fall and potentially suffer lasting injuries. Swallowing detergent pods can result in choking and serious illness. A fall from car surfing can lead to severe head trauma.Coming up with an exact number of adolescent deaths from these activities is difficult. Data is lacking, partly because public health databases do not track these activities wellsome deaths may be misclassified as suicidesand partly because much of the existing research is dated.A 2008 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 82 U.S. children over a 12-year period died after playing the choking game. About 87% of the participants were male, most were alone, and their average age was just over 13. Obviously, new, updated research is needed to determine the severity of the problem.Peer pressure and the developing brainWe are a professor of educational neuroscience and a PhD student in educational psychology. Both of us study how children regulate their behaviors and emotions, why teenagers are particularly vulnerable to dangerous games, and how social media amplifies their risks.Risk-taking is a necessary part of human development, and parents, peers, schools and the broader community play an integral role in guiding and moderating risk-taking. Children are drawn to, and often encouraged to engage in, activities with a degree of social or physical risk, like riding a bike, asking someone for a date or learning how to drive.Those are healthy risks. They let children explore boundaries and develop risk-management skills. One of those skills is scaffolding. An example of scaffolding is an adult helping a child climb a tree by initially guiding them, then gradually stepping back as the child gains confidence and climbs independently.Information-gathering is another skill, like asking if swallowing a spoonful of cinnamon is dangerous. A third skill is taking appropriate safety measuressuch as surfing with friends rather than going by yourself, or wearing a helmet and having someone nearby when skateboarding.The perfect stormDuring adolescence, the brain is growing and developing in ways that affect maturity, particularly within the circuits responsible for decision-making and emotional regulation. At the same time, hormonal changes increase the drive for reward and social feedback.All of these biological events are happening as teenagers deal with increasingly complex social relationships while simultaneously trying to gain greater autonomy. The desire for social validation, to impress peers or to attract a potential romantic interest, coupled with less adult supervision, increases the likelihood of participating in risky behaviors. An adolescent might participate in these antics to impress someone they have a crush on, or fit in with others.Thats why the combination of teenagers and social media can be a perfect stormand the ideal environment for the proliferation of these dangerous activities.Social media shapes brain circuitsSocial media platforms are driven by algorithms engineered to promote engagement. So they feed you what evokes a strong emotional reaction, and they seem to prioritize sensationalism over safety.Because teens strongly react to emotional content, theyre more likely to view, like and share videos of these dangerous activities. The problem has become worse as young people spend more time on social mediaby some estimates, about five hours a day.This may be why mood disorders among young people have risen sharply since 2012, about the time when social media became widespread. These mood disorders, like depression and conduct issues, more than double the likelihood of playing dangerous games. It becomes a vicious cycle.Rather than parents or real-life friends, TikTok, YouTube, and other apps and websites are shaping a childs brain circuits related to risk management. Social media is replacing what was once the communitys role in guiding risk-taking behavior.Protecting teens while encouraging healthy risk-takingMonitoring what teens watch on social media is extraordinarily difficult, and adults often are ill-equipped to help. But there are some things parents can do. Unexplained marks on the neck, bloodshot eyes or frequent headaches may indicate involvement in the choking game. Some social media sites, such as YouTube, are sensitive to community feedback and will take down a video that is flagged as dangerous.As parents keep an eye out for unhealthy risks, they should encourage their children to take healthy ones, such as joining a new social group or participating in outdoor activities. These healthy risks help children learn from mistakes, build resilience, and improve risk-management skills. The more they can assess and manage potential dangers, the less likely they will engage in truly unhealthy behaviors.But many parents have increasingly adopted another route. They shield their children from the healthy challenges the real world presents to them. When that happens, children tend to underestimate more dangerous risks, and they may be more likely to try them.This issue is systemic, involving schools, government, and technology companies alike, each bearing a share of responsibility. However, the dynamic between parents and children also plays a pivotal role. Rather than issuing a unilateral no to risk-taking, its crucial for parents to engage actively in their childrens healthy risk-taking from an early age.This helps build a foundation where trust is not assumed but earned, enabling children to feel secure in discussing their experiences and challenges in the digital world, including dangerous activities both online and offline. Such mutual engagement can support the development of a childs healthy risk assessment skills, providing a robust basis for tackling problems together.Steven Wolterning is an associate professor of educational psychology at Texas A&M University.Paige Williams is a doctoral student in educational psychology at Texas A&M University.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.