The Samsung Galaxy S25 is just around the corner. We expect it to be announced on January 22 at the Galaxy Unpacked event thats expected to be happening that day, and a new leak further corroborates that information while adding in a few more tidbits we didnt know before.Tipster Jukanlosreve shared the news on X, citing a very reliable source that confirmed the Galaxy S25 will officially be on sale in Korea (and presumably the U.S.) on February 7. In addition, the leaker says the Slim model will also be shown at the Unpacked event.Recommended VideosIn another reply in the comments of his post, Jukanlosreve also confirms that the Galaxy S25 will have the Snapdragon 8 Elite across the globe. Earlier theories had posited that some regions might still see flagships sporting the Exynos chip, but that no longer appears to be the case.Please enable Javascript to view this contentSamsung is officially launching the S25 series in Korea on February 7. Also, it has been confirmed that the Slim model will be revealed at the Unpacked event.The article once again mentions that the S25 Ultra will feature 16GB of RAM in the 512GB and 1TB variants, just as I Jukanlosreve (@Jukanlosreve) December 23, 2024RelatedThis leak backed up a lot of information that had previously seeped through, but it also supports the idea of a potential price hike. According to the source story from a reporter named Jang Min-kwon at FNN News the exchange rate has been on an upward trend since South Koreas martial law incident earlier this month, and that could reflect an increase in the Galaxy S25s price point.Theres not a clear picture of how much the price might increase. The report states that Samsung fears lower sales if the price is increased too much. Based on the previous sale prices, alongside the increased base RAM and storage capacity, we would estimate somewhere between a $50 to $100 price hike. It isnt ideal, but that number isnt as catastrophic as it could be.The rumors of a price increase are nothing new, but the veracity of that information has flip-flopped for weeks now as different leaks emerge. We still dont have a definitive answer, but this new information does lend itself toward the idea of a higher starting price.Editors Recommendations

MediaTek has just introduced its latest smartphone silicon, and this one promises some big changes for midrange smartphones. The latest offering from the Taiwanese company is the Dimensity 8400 chip, and it will take on Qualcomms excellent Snapdragon 7 series Gen 3 processors.The new MediaTek chipset, however, enters the fray with more firepower than we have ever seen in this segment. Thats because the Dimensity 8400 goes all-in on big cores and ditches efficiency cores, just like its flagship sibling, the Dimensity 9400.Recommended VideosInstead of the hybrid Arm Cortex-A715 + Arm Cortex-A510 design we got on the Dimensity 8300 series, the successor offers a cluster of eight next-gen Arm Cortex-A725 cores arranged in a 1+3+4 configuration.MediaTekThe prime core here, in particular, touches a peak frequency of an impressive 3.25 GHz. The L3 cache has also grown by 50%, reaching the 6MB mark, which directly translates to quicker data fetching on the processing node, resulting in snappier performance.Please enable Javascript to view this contentThe L2 and SLC cache has also received up to 100% capacity boost. On the graphics front, theres a new GPU in town. The Dimensity 8400 embraces the Arm Mali-G720 MC7 GPU, which also unlocks 4K 60 frames-per-second (fps) encoding.RelatedComing to the performance gains, MediaTek is touting some impressive figures. The Dimensity 8400 is claimed to offer a 41% jump in raw multi-core tests while also drawing 44% less energy at peak performance compared to its predecessor. The new graphics engine, on the other hand, leapfrogs the Dimensity 8300 series by 24% while simultaneously being 40% more energy efficient. The cellular modem has received similar treatment, taking the peak 5G speeds all the way up to 5,71 Gbps.MediaTek / Digital TrendsAnother crucial upgrade on the Dimensity 8400 is the AI stack, which gets an updated accelerator and the addition of MediaTeks Dimensity Agentic AI Engine (DAE) for AI workflows. The latter had previously remained exclusive to the flagship tier.The company is touting a 20% jump in AI operations and a similar boost in image generation, an up to 33% improvement in AI text generation, and an 18% gain in efficiency numbers.The onboard ISPs camera capabilities are also impressive, which bodes well for shoppers who seek reliable imaging output on a phone without paying top dollar for it. The Imagiq 1080 ISP offers perks such as HDR video recording across the entire zoom pipeline, 4K 60 fps video capture, in-sensor zoom with 100% phase detection auto-focus (PDAF), and 320MP composite capture, among others.MediaTek says the first wave of phones equipped with its latest silicon will hit the shelves toward the end of the year. Separately, Xiaomi has confirmed that in China, it will pack its next Redmi Turbo device with a slightly faster variant called the Dimensity 8400 Ultra. Its set for arrival early next year.Editors Recommendations

Ive complained plenty about how some of the best gaming keyboards are too expensive, from the Razer Black Widow V4 75% to the Wooting 80HE, but nothing comes remotely close to The Icebreaker. Announced nearly a year ago by Serene Industries, The Icebreaker is unlike any keyboard Ive ever seen and its priced accordingly at $1,600. Plus shipping, of course.What could justify such an extravagant price? Aluminum, it turns out. The keyboard is constructed of one single block of 6061 aluminum in what Serene Industries calls an unorthodox wedge form. As if that wasnt enough metal, the keycaps are also made of aluminum, and Serene says they include about 800 micro-perforations that allow the LED backlight of the keyboard to shine through.Serene IndustriesThe Icebreaker looks more like an art piece than an actual keyboard, but it at least has the specs of a solid mechanical keyboard. It comes with a 65% layout, along with a metal rotary dial, and it supports hot-swappable switches. It even works wirelessly over Bluetooth with a built-in 4,000mAh battery, or wired via USB-C. Its hard to say how the keyboard sounds Im not about to spend $1,600 to find out but the company says there are two layers of sound dampening within the keyboard.Recommended VideosThis is the first product from Serene Industries, which is a company founded and presumably still solely run by Denis Agarkov. Agarkov is a filmmaker and designer based out of Los Angeles, and theyve racked up a handful of credits as a cinematographer on various short films. The Icebreaker is something completely different, and born out a love of materials, experimentation, and an endless exercise in learning new things.Serene IndustriesIf nothing else, its certainly an interesting keyboard. And as someone who can appreciate craftsmanship, Id even call it a beautiful keyboard. Form certainly looks like it takes priority over function in this case, which shouldnt be surprising for a keyboard designed entirely out of aluminum. I havent actually seen one of these keyboards in the wild, and I havent seen so much as a forum post from an excited customer. Hopefully, someone will buy The Icebreaker, if for nothing else than bragging rights.Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming As for me, Ill be waiting for some mythical budget version that looks the same, just without all of that aluminum jacking up the price. A man can dream.Editors Recommendations

not a takeover Honda and Nissan to merge, Honda will take the lead if the deal goes through it would create the world's third-largest OEM in 2026. Jonathan M. Gitlin Dec 23, 2024 10:18 am | 45 Credit: Nissan/Honda Credit: Nissan/Honda Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreBeleaguered automaker Nissan is going to throw its lot in with Honda. The two Japanese OEMs want to merge by 2026, creating the world's third-largest car company in the process. In fact, earlier this year the two signed memorandums of understanding to create a strategic partnership focused on software and electrification. Now, the changing business environment calls for deeper integration, they say."Today marks a pivotal moment as we begin discussions on business integration that has the potential to shape our future. If realized, I believe that by uniting the strengths of both companies, we can deliver unparalleled value to customers worldwide who appreciate our respective brands. Together, we can create a unique way for them to enjoy cars that neither company could achieve alone," said Makoto Uchida, Nissan's president and CEO."Creation of new mobility value by bringing together the resources including knowledge, talents, and technologies that Honda and Nissan have been developing over the long years is essential to overcome challenging environmental shifts that the auto industry is facing" said Honda director Toshihiro Mibe. "Honda and Nissan are two companies with distinctive strengths. We are still at the stage of starting our review, and we have not decided on a business integration yet, but in order to find a direction for the possibility of business integration by the end of January 2025, we strive to be the one and only leading company that creates new mobility value through chemical reaction that can only be driven through synthesis of the two teams."Currently, Honda is an independent OEM, albeit one with strong links to General Motors. Meanwhile, Nissan currently forms one part of an alliance, together with France's Renault and the also-Japanese Mitsubishi. But the Renault-Nissan alliance has not been entirely smooth.In 2019, then-head of the alliance Carlos Ghosn was arrested by Japanese police on charges of financial misconduct. After three months under house arrest, Ghosn fled the country and Japan's criminal justice system, which rarely returns a not guilty verdict.What about Renault, Mitsubishi?Last year, Nissan agreed to invest $663 million into Renault's EV activities; at the same time Renault gave up the majority of its shares in Nissan, reducing the stake of each company owned by the other, down to 15 percent. That was meant to lead to "a broader range of EV products and powertrains," said Uchida at the time. But evidently it was decided that this arrangement was not sufficient to improve Nissan's electric vehicle portfolio.For its part, Mitsubishi says it will monitor the situation and decide whether or not to join at a later date. Meanwhile Renault said in a statement that "as the main shareholder of Nissan, Renault Group will consider all options based on the best interest of the Group and its stakeholders. Renault Group continues to execute its strategy and to roll-out projects that create value for the Group, including projects already launched within the Alliance."Assuming nothing throws a spanner in these particular works, the deal will be finalized by next June, with the new holding company for the two OEMs created by August 2026. Honda will take the lead of the new enterprise, in large part thanks to its larger market capitalization. But Mibe said that any real payoff from the merger wouldn't be realized until after 2030. The hope is that shared development costs and greater purchasing scale will help drive down costs, but both companies will continue existing partnerships such as that between Honda-GM as well.We can expect more shared vehicle platforms between Honda and Nissan, as well as deeper cooperation at the R&D stage. But there are also plans to optimize manufacturing, including facilities, as well as integrating supply chains and even sales financing to find cost savings and efficiencies.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. 45 Comments

Speed and results How might NASA change under Trump? Heres what is being discussed "Elon get those rocket ships going because we want to reach Mars before the end of my term." Eric Berger Dec 23, 2024 10:09 am | 27 Could it be sunset for NASA's Space Launch System program? Credit: NASA Could it be sunset for NASA's Space Launch System program? Credit: NASA Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreAlthough the details remain in flux, the transition team reviewing NASA and its activities has begun to draft potential executive orders for changes to space policy under the Trump Administration.Sources familiar with the five people on the team, who have spent the last six weeks assessing the space agency and its exploration plans, were careful to note that such teams are advisory in nature. They do not formally set policy nor is their work always indicative of the direction an incoming presidential administration will move toward.Nevertheless, in trying to set clear goals for NASA and civil space policy, the ideas under consideration reflect the Trump administration's desire for "big changes" at NASA, both in terms of increasing the effectiveness and velocity of its programs.Not business as usualThe transition team has been grappling with an agency that has a superfluity of field centersten spread across the United States, as well as a formal headquarters in Washington, DCand large, slow-moving programs that cost a lot of money and have been slow to deliver results."This will not be business as usual," one person familiar with this group's meetings said. The mindset driving their deliberations is a focus on results and speed.Donald Trump will be inaugurated as president for his second term a little less than a month from now, on January 20. On that day he is expected to sign a number of executive orders on issues that he campaigned on. This could include space policy, but more likely that will wait until later in his presidency.One source said the space transition team has been working off of ideas that Trump has talked about publicly, including his interest in Mars. For example, during a campaign speech this fall, Trump referenced SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who played a significant role during the campaign both in terms of time and money, and his desire to settle Mars."We are leading in space over Russia and China... It's my plan, I'll talk to Elon," Trump said in September. "Elon get those rocket ships going because we want to reach Mars before the end of my term, and we want also to have great military protection in space."Ideas under considerationThe transition team has been discussing possible elements of an executive order or other policy directives. They include:Establishing the goal of sending humans to the Moon and Mars, by 2028Canceling the costly Space Launch System rocket and possibly the Orion spacecraftConsolidating Goddard Space Flight Center and Ames Research Center at Marshall Space Flight Center in AlabamaRetaining a small administration presence in Washington, DC, but otherwise moving headquarters to a field centerRapidly redesigning the Artemis lunar program to make it more efficient"Is any of this written in stone? No," a source told Ars.Additionally, substantive changes will need to be worked through the White House Office of Management and Budget, and negotiated with Congress, which funds NASA.Previously, Trump has announced that entrepreneur and commercial astronaut Jared Isaacman will be nominated to serve as NASA Administrator. Although he has been working to create a staff for his administration, Isaacman has not been involved in the transition team discussions, sources said. Rather, after he is confirmed, Isaacman is likely to be given authority to review major programs at the space agency "at the speed of light."Furthering commercializationIsaacman is expected to continue the direction of civil space as it existed under the first Trump administration. Then-administrator Jim Bridenstine pushed for the agency to more aggressively tap into the burgeoning US commercial space industry. NASA has supported the development of commercial space for two decades nowessentially paying for services at a fixed priceand it is seen as a key advantage over China and other international competitors in space.Although some critics have suggested that Isaacman will favor SpaceXhe has flown two private missions in the Crew Dragon spacecraft, and he has been very complimentary of the companyother sources have said that is not the case. They indicated that Isaacman believes the space agency needs help from a broad spectrum of companies to succeed.The push toward more privatization of spaceflight is likely because the commercial space industry is more established now than it was eight years ago, at the outset of Trump's first term. Additionally, in recognition of the increased importance of commercial space, state governments with NASA centers are also investing more money to attract space companies.For example, the state of Mississippi paid $21 million to construct a "Shared Services Center" at Stennis Space Center to make the facility more attractive for private companies to operate there. Space Florida is modernizing the Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center for commercial activity. And more recently, the state of Texas appropriated $200 million in 2023 for the construction of an "Exploration Park" adjacent to Johnson Space Center, as well as $150 million more to a space commission.These state initiatives reflect a recognition that the future of spaceflight in the United States has moved on from the government-dominated Apollo and Space Shuttle eras and is likely to be led by a mix of government and commercial actors.Eric BergerSenior Space EditorEric BergerSenior Space Editor Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, covering everything from astronomy to private space to NASA policy, and author of two books: Liftoff, about the rise of SpaceX; and Reentry, on the development of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon. A certified meteorologist, Eric lives in Houston. 27 Comments

Russia sent a ship to evacuate soldiers from its bases in Syria, per Ukrainian intelligence.But it broke down en route in the open sea near Portugal, Ukraine said.Russia is trying to secure a deal with Syria's new leadership to keep the bases, per reports.A ship sent to evacuate Russian troops and equipment from Syria broke down while in the open sea off Portugal, according to Ukrainian intelligence.In a Telegram post on Monday, Ukraine's main intelligence directorate said that the Sparta cargo ship's engine failed and that the crew was trying to fix the problem while the ship was drifting in the high seas.Since the fall of Bashar Assad, Syria's longtime ruler, earlier this month, the fate of Russia's two military bases in the country the Hmeimim air base and the Tartus naval base has been under threat.Russia struck a 49-year lease with Assad's government for the bases, which it has used since 2017 to project power in the Mediterranean and into Africa.But Syrian rebels, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, overthrew Assad earlier this month, after a rapid two-week campaign.Last week, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said there were "no final decisions" about Russia's bases in Syria but that Moscow is in contact with "representatives of the forces that currently control the situation" in the country.Earlier this month, Ukraine said the Russian Sparta and Sparta II cargo ships had left Russia and were heading to Tartus to transport military equipment from the Russian base on Syria's Mediterranean coast.The journeys required the ships to sail along stretches of European coastline to access the Mediterranean.Russian state media said earlier this month that Syrian rebel forces now controlled Latakia province, where the Russian bases are located.Images taken in mid-December by Maxar Technologies showed Russian aircraft still present at the base in Hmeimim, but warships no longer stationed at the nearby naval facility in Tartus. Maxar satellite images captured on December 17, 2024, showed dozens of Russian military vehicles assembled at the Tartus port. Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies Last week, analysts from the Institute for the Study of War said Russia was probably taking this "tentative" stance and removing some assets in case HTS decided to deny Russia a sustained military presence in Syria.Obeida Arnaout, the spokesman for Syria's new transitional government, told the Associated Press last week that Russia should reconsider its presence and interests in Syria."Their interests were linked to the criminal Assad regime," he said."They can reconsider and take the initiatives to reach out to the new administration to show that they have no animosity with the Syrian people, and that the era of Assad regime is finally over," he added.

Last summer, journalist Kjersti Flaa shared a video of what she called a "nightmare" interview with Blake Lively.Lively has accused "It Ends With Us" co-star Justin Baldoni of orchestrating a smear campaign against her.Flaa was mentioned in a legal complaint, but denied being part of the alleged smear campaign.Kjersti Flaa, a Norwegian journalist who helped fuel a backlash against Blake Lively in the summer, denies being part of an alleged smear campaign against the actor.In August, Lively was promoting her latest movie "It Ends With Us," which was overshadowed by rumors that she and her co-star and the film's director Justin Baldoni had fallen out. It culminated in a widespread backlash against Lively.Lively alleged in a legal complaint filed Friday Baldoni, his publicists, and production company orchestrated a smear campaign against her. She accused his team of enacting a "multi-tiered" plan to "destroy" her reputation to stop complaints she made about Baldoni's behavior on the film's set from being made public.The lawsuit also briefly mentions a video Flaa shared on YouTube at the height of the backlash, titled "The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job." The video, which went viral in August, shows Lively giving a hostile response after Flaa congratulates her on her "little bump" in a 2016 interview.On Saturday, Flaa denied claims she worked with the team Lively alleged carried out the smear campaign, after the lawsuit and a New York Times article connected her to it."This is what I do for a living. I would never accept money to jeopardize my integrity as a journalist," Flaa said in a YouTube video.Flaa said she wasn't aware of the backlash against Lively and posted the video because she didn't like "It Ends With Us," had a bad experience with Lively, and "had enough of Hollywood.""I know nothing about Justin Baldoni. I know nothing about his PR team, and I definitely would never work with a PR team under any circumstances to put hate out there on the internet against someone or to smear someone. I would never ever do that," Flaa said, adding that she thought the messages sent by members of Baldoni's team used in the lawsuit were "disgusting." Justin Baldoni was the director and a lead star of "It Ends With Us." Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images Flaa said Lively should take accountability for her "tone-deaf" promotion of "It Ends With Us," such as not talking about the domestic violence element of the story, which fueled the backlash over the summer. The film is about a florist who ends up in an abusive relationship.In Lively's lawsuit, she said that the cast was contractually obligated to follow a marketing plan created by Sony Pictures Entertainment, the distributor of the film, to avoid talking in a way that made the movie appear "sad." Flaa ended the video by inviting Lively on her show. However, she changed her tune on Monday when she posted another video in which she accused Lively's team of trying to undermine her credibility to rebuild the actor's reputation.Flaa said she has received hate mail and accusations that she was being paid to "smear other women.""I just don't want to be a part of this whole mess. U never asked to be a part of it," she said. "So please stop spreading lies about me." was this a written comment? Checking why we have 'U'

"Squid Game" season one premiered on Netflix three years ago.The Korean-language series is one of Netflix's biggest shows ever and was renewed for a second season.Here's a recap of everything important you need to remember from season one.Back in 2021, "Squid Game" premiered, and the buzzy show quickly turned into a global sensation.The Korean-language Netflix series, created by Hwang Dong-hyuk and starring Lee Jung-jae, is broadly about how adverse financial situations drive people to desperation. In the show, which is set in South Korea, people in heavy debt are invited to participate in a shady game with the promise of a monetary reward. What they don't realize upon joining, however, is that they'll be killed if they lose. "Squid Game" is one of Netflix's biggest hits ever, to the extent that the streamer even spun it off into a reality series called "Squid Game: The Challenge." Despite the fact that it's endured as a pop culture phenomenon, it's been three years since the first season was released on Netflix.Ahead of "Squid Game" season two's premiere on December 26, here's everything you need to remember about what happened in season one. A card with the symbols for the game in "Squid Game." Noh Juhan/Netflix Seong Gi-hun decided to join the games after falling into debtAt the beginning of "Squid Game," Seong Gi-hun is a down-on-his-luck man who, following his divorce, lives with his mother. Hounded by loan sharks and unable to take his daughter Ga-yeong out for her birthday, Gi-hun encounters a recruiter who invites him to participate in a game with a monetary reward.Gi-hun agrees, and is taken with 455 other players to a mysterious facility. There, he's assigned the player number 456 and encounters his old friend Cho Sang-woo (player 218) who has also fallen into deep debt. Gi-hun also befriends player 001, an old man named Oh Il-nam, and recognizes player 067, Kang Sae-byeok, as a woman who pickpocketed him outside of the games.Sae-byeok is a North Korean defector attempting to bring her mother to South Korea and provide for her younger brother. Other relevant players include Ali (Player 199), a Pakistani immigrant attempting to provide for his wife and child; Han Mi-nyeo (player 212), a woman who relies on allies to survive the games;Guards inform the players that should they win six games, they'll win billions of Korean won.The first game, 'Red Light, Green Light,' is a bloodbath but the players still return after.Gi-hun and the other participants quickly realize that they're in mortal peril when players who fail the first game, "Red Light, Green Light," are immediately gunned down. However, for every player who dies in the games, 100 million won gets added to the prize pot.Gi-hun and the above players all make it through the first game. The surviving players vote to leave the game without any of the winnings. When presented with the choice outside the game, however, they choose to return. Gi-hun chooses to play after realizing that he can't pay for his mother's diabetes treatment. Wi Ha-jun as Hwang Jun-ho in "Squid Game" season one. Noh Juhan/Netflix Detective Hwang Jun-ho investigates the games, believing they may be tied to his brother's disappearance.While briefly back in the outside world, Gi-hun attempts to expose the games to the police but fails.However, detective Hwang Jun-ho notices similarities between Gi-hun's story and the disappearance of his brother, and decides to follow Gi-hun back to the island when he returns to the game. Once there, he poses as a guard. While undercover, Jun-ho discovers a secret organ-harvesting ring led by the game's guards.Jun-ho eventually finds the games' archives and records, which indicate that his brother was a previous player.In episode seven, when a group of VIP guests arrive, Jun-ho goes undercover as a waiter to find out more about their identities. After separating one from the rest of the group, he threatens him with a gun and interrogates him about the games.In episode eight, Jun-ho escapes to another island but is tracked down by the Front Man, the boss of the games, and a group of guards.The Front Man takes off his mask and reveals he is In-ho, Jun-ho's lost brother, and asks Jun-ho to join him. When Jun-ho declines, In-ho shoots him and Jun-ho seemingly falls off a cliff to his death.Players begin to form alliances over the next rounds of games.Gi-hun, Ali, Sang-woo, and Il-nam form one group and are the main focus after the first game. Han Mi-nyeo tries to join Deok-su and begins a sexual relationship with him. Sae-byeok tries to get through the games alone.The second round is Dalgona, in which players have to cut shapes out of a sugar honeycomb biscuit without breaking it. Sang-woo figures out the game before it starts but tricks his group into splitting up, leading to Gi-hun picking the hardest shape (umbrella). Gi-hun still makes it through after figuring out it is easier to break the shape out by licking the biscuit.The third game is tug-of-war, in which two teams of 10 pull a rope across a high platform. The losing team's members are pulled over the edge to their death.Gi-hun and his allies, now including Sae-byeok, split up to recruit five more people, leading to three men and a woman, Ji-yeong (player 240), joining the team. Deok-su betrays Mi-nyeo, kicking her out of his team of men, so she joins Gi-hun's team.Using clever tactics, Gi-hun's team makes it through tug-of-war despite having weaker people.There's a secret organ-harvesting sect within the organization.In episode four, we learn that some of the guards are harvesting the body parts of the players killed in the games to sell on the black market.They hire Byeong-gi (Player 111), a doctor, to perform the surgery to safely remove the organs. The guards buy his allegiance by giving him the secrets of the next game so he can stay alive, and he uses that information to ally with Deok-su and his group of strong men.In episode five, the organ smuggling ring falls apart when the guards are unable to tell Byeong-gi what the next game is. He freaks out, kills a guard, and tries to escape. The Front Man tracks down Byeong-gi and the remaining guard and kills them both. Park Hae-soo, Lee Jung-jae, and Jung Ho-yeon as Sang-woo, Gi-hun, and Sae-byeok in season one of "Squid Game." Noh Juhan/Netflix In episode four, the players riot.After Deok-su accidentally kills another player during a confrontation over food, the players learn they can kill each other outside the games without any consequences and still increase the prize fund.When the lights go out for bedtime, the players turn on each other. Amid the chaos, Gi-hun and his allies protect Sae-byeok from Deok-su and his cronies. Before there is more bloodshed, Il-nam cries out that everyone should "stop this madness," and the guards intervene and end the riot.While the guards check the bodies, Jun-ho, still disguised as a guard, approaches Gi-hun and asks him if he has seen his brother, Hwang In-ho. Gi-hun says players don't use names inside the games, so he doesn't know.Gi-hun bonds with Il-nam.One night between the games, Gi-hun and his team form a barricade to stop themselves from getting attacked.While Gi-hun and Il-nam are on watch duty, Gi-hun daydreams about the time he went on strike with his fellow employees at a motor company and was mercilessly attacked by the police.He then talks about the experience with Il-nam, explaining that they went on strike and barricaded themselves in the company building after the company laid off Gi-hun and a group of employees who had been working there for over a decade.Then Il-nam falls ill, and Gi-hun looks after him. Oh Young-soo and Lee Jung-jae as Il-nam and Gi-hun in season one of "Squid Game." Noh Juhan/Netflix Players turn against each other in the Marbles game.In this game, everyone pairs up. The twist, however, is that their partner will be their opponent: They will play games against each other until one person is the winner and the loser is killed.Ali and Sang-woo pair up and play a game where you have to guess if there's an even or odd number of marbles in a hidden hand. Ali, who has never played the game before, has a streak of wins, so Sang-woo begs for his life and then tricks Ali into believing they both can win by sticking together. Sang-Woo then steals Ali's marbles and progresses, leaving Ali to die.Gi-hun and Il-nam play a similar game, but Il-nam begins to lose his memory and focus and wanders off. When they finally play the game, Il-nam is winning until Gi-hun starts to use Il-nam's poor memory to his advantage, lying about the guesses they make. As Gi-hun is about to win, Il-nam reveals that he knew Gi-hun was deceiving him but gives him the final marble anyway. Gi-hun progresses, and Il-nam is seemingly shot off-screen.Ji-yeong and Sae-byeok pair up, but instead of playing, they open up about their lives. Ji-yeong reveals that she went to prison after killing her abusive father, who killed her mother. At the last moment, the pair play a game where they have to throw a marble nearest to the wall to win all the marbles. After Sae-byeok throws her marble, Ji-yeong deliberately fails her throw. She tells Sae-byeok she has nothing to live for, so she wants her to win and live life to the fullest.Deok-su makes it through. Mi-nyeo could not find someone to pair with, so makes it through automatically.Only three characters make it past game five.Game five is Glass Bridge, where players have to make it across a bridge made of glass platforms. Half of the glass is tempered glass, which could survive the weight of two players, and the other half will break on impact, letting the players fall to their deaths.The contestants must choose which path is the safe one. They're given an order and Gi-hun, Sae-byeok, and Sang-woo end up near the back of the line.During the game, Mi-nyeo uses the opportunity to get her revenge, throwing herself and Deok-su onto one of the brittle glass platforms and to their deaths.After Sang-woo pushes the final player in front of them to his death, Sang-woo, Gi-hun, and Sae-byeok make it across just in time before the remaining glass blows up, but shards of glass stab all three of them. Park Hae-soo as Sang-woo in season one of "Squid Game." Noh Juhan/Netflix Sang-woo kills Sae-byeok but dies during the last game.When they return from the glass bridge, Gi-hun and Sang-woo get into a fight over Sang-woo killing the other player during the glass bridge game. Sang-woo, Gi-hun, and Sae-byeok are given a feast and at the end, each of them are left with a knife.Sae-byeok was gravely wounded by a glass shard during the bridge game, so Gi-hun tries to protect her during the night. They promise to look after each other's family members if one of them dies in the next round.Gi-hun attempts to kill Sang-woo in his sleep, but Sae-byeok stops him and says that he is not a killer. She passes out, and Gi-hun tries to get her medical help. Sang-woo uses this as a distraction to stab Sae-byeok in the neck, killing her.The final game is Squid Game, where an attacker has to get to a safe area behind a defender. Gi-hun is the attacker, and Sang-woo is the defender. Sang-woo says that he killed Sae-byeok out of mercy and to prevent Gi-hun and Sae-byeok from voting to end the game.The game devolves into a bloody fight in the rain, with both men attempting to stab each other. Gi-hun overpowers Sang-woo but doesn't kill him. He moves toward the safe area, but attempts to convince Sang-woo to stop the game with him and leave with their lives.Sang-woo chooses instead to stab himself, and asks Gi-hun to look after his mother. Gi-hun sees her after he is released from the game, but returns home to learn that his own mother has died.Gi-hun discovers Il-nam is alive and not who he appeared to be.Gi-hun has barely touched his winnings a year after the games. One day, he receives a mysterious card with an address on it.There he finds Il-nam (Player 001), who reveals he created the games and entered the competition to have fun because he was dying from a tumor. Il-nam also makes a wager with Gi-hun that no one will help an unconscious drunk man lying on the pavement across the street from them. Gi-hun accepts, but Il-nam dies before discovering that he was wrong.Gi-hun is revived from this encounter, gets a haircut, and changes his hair color. He picks up Sae-byeok's brother, Kang Cheol, and takes him and a suitcase full of money to live with Sang-woo's mother.Gi-hun almost leaves Korea but changes his mind.Gi-hun prepares to fly to the United States to visit his daughter, but spots the game recruiter at the airport inviting someone else to the game.Gi-hun chases him down, but the recruiter escapes. Gi-hun steals the invitation card from the new candidate and calls the number on the way to his plane. In-ho answers, and urges Gi-hun to get on the plane.Gi-hun says that he can't forgive him, and turns back."Squid Game" season two premieres Thursday, December 26 on Netflix.

With 2024 nearly done, there were some fantastic titles launched in the last calendar year across all platforms including AAA and indie titles here's how our 'Game of the Year' list looksTech15:02, 23 Dec 2024Updated 15:18, 23 Dec 2024Helldivers 2 keeps getting better, and now players are flocking back(Image: Arrowhead Game Studios)The gaming industry's had a massive 2024 and with the year almost over - we're putting down our controllers to reflect on the last 12 months and take in all the good things - and the bad.For one, the industry continues to reckon with the fallout of colossal acquisitions and consolidation, with 2024 unprecedented in terms of layoffs across some of the biggest companies in the space as studios chasing trends at the behest of shareholders and CEOs pay the price.Thankfully, there were positive moments, too, and our list is testament to that. From Call of Duty to a long-dormant RPG franchise and a multiplayer title that spread like wildfire across our friend lists, here are our picks for the best games in 2024. Here they are in alphabetical order!Astro Bot is adorable and imaginative in equal measure(Image: Team Asobi/Sony Interactive Entertainment)Release Date: September 6Platforms: PS5It's hard to believe Astro Bot (the character) is now close to being one of Sony's most recognisable mascots, a family-friendly foil to Kratos, Aloy et al , especially since he started life in a series of VR tech demos before being preinstalled on PS5's to showcase the DualSense controller features.He finally got his fully-fledged debut in 2024, and what a title it is. Aside from being a celebration of 30 years of PlayStation, it's one of the best platformers around when Nintendo's plumber's 3D adventures are in short supply. It's that rare collectathon I never tend to finish, but when it comes to nabbing those adorable bots I simply couldn't resist. Here's hoping for more adventures to come.Balatro will consume your life(Image: LocalThunk/Playstack)Balatro's magic is that it distills the "quick to learn, impossible master" philosophy into a game where a run can take you anywhere from 10 minutes to hours. Using Poker as a starting point, it becomes a high-score chase where every single run is different, owing to seemingly endless numbers of Jokers to apply to your deck.Stacking the cards in your favour, making difficult choices between rounds and building a strategy on the fly makes Balatro one of the best roguelikes around, and with its arrival on mobile there's every chance you're playing it every moment you get, too.Black Ops 6 is Call of Duty at its best(Image: Grab)It's been a while since I'd consider a Call of Duty title worthy of being included in such esteemed company, and that's from someone that enjoyed last year's nostalgia-laden Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer. Black Ops 6 is really the definitive package, with a fun spy thriller campaign, a return to the glory days of round-based multiplayer (complete with free new maps) and that all-important multiplayer suite.It's the first Call of Duty in years where I find myself logging on regularly for a quick session in the evenings, and while there are always things that could be improved, it's the most fun I've had in the series since Black Ops 2 high praise indeed. The fact it's getting a year of post-launch support has me ready to spend a lot of time back in the CoDverse in 2025.Dragon's Dogma 2 saw the franchise re-emerge after 12 long yearsIt had been 12 years since the first Dragon's Dogma (not including the expanded Dark Arisen version), and many fans had written off the prospect of a sequel. Thankfully, whether you're a fan of the original or not, it arrived as one of the most enjoyable RPGs in a year packed with them.It's an open-world game that refuses to hold a player's hand, letting you loose to explore as you see fit, with action combat and an ending that poses plenty of questions about the journey to reach it. Then there's the brilliant Pawn system, that lets you recruit other players' party members for your own escapades. Now that many of its technical issues have been smoothed out, it's a great time to try Dragon's Dogma 2.Final Fantasy VII Rebirth brought the second chapter in the Remake trilogy(Image: Square Enix Creative)Another RPG, albeit one very different in nature, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth had a difficult task of expanding the scope of 2020's Remake while staying true to the huge world explored in the second chunk of the 1997 original.Somehow balancing those two expectations with aplomb, Rebirth is the continuation of Cloud's story, breaking away from the original in surprising ways while bringing much of it to life in incredible style. Staples like the Golden Saucer are even flashier, and it doesn't hurt that it builds on the fantastic combat found in the last entry, too.Helldivers 2 is one of the biggest-selling games of the year(Image: Arrowhead Game Studios/PlayStation Publishing LLC)When Helldivers 2 arrived in February, no one could have predicted the camaraderie that would sweep gamers on PC and PS5 in the quest to spread 'Managed Democracy'. A Starship Troopers-tinged play on fascism and those who blindly follow it, Helldivers 2 is as funny as it is chaotic.Dropping into alien worlds to complete objectives and escape by the skin of your teeth is a rush that never gets old, especially as you're just as likely to be killed by your teammates errant gunfire or artillery strike as you are by the insectoid or robotic foes you're there to fight.Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is the biggest and best Xbox game of 2024(Image: Machine Games/Bethesda Softworks)If there's one studio that's a dream fit for a game about punching Nazis, it's Machine Games. Fresh from overhauling the iconic Wolfenstein series, the team has delivered a whip-cracking extravaganza that's easily the best Xbox game of the year.Offering plenty of puzzles and action, as well as a very good Harrison Ford impression from Troy Baker, The Great Circle is exactly what fans of the Indiana Jones IP had been hoping the last couple of movies would be.Metaphor: ReFantazio is just as good as Persona(Image: Atlas/Sega)Helmed by many of the key personnel behind Persona, the megahit RPG series from Atlus, I admit to being skeptical about Metaphor ReFantazio. I'm pleased to say I was wrong in that regard, as it stands shoulder-to-shoulder with its sister franchise.There are many, many similarities, but Metaphor goes all-in on its fantasy setting to channel a little Game of Thrones, a lot of Persona, and some wonderful meta commentary to weave a complex narrative that's one of the best JRPGs of the last few years.Pokmon TCG Pocket is our favourite mobile game of the year(Image: Pokmon)Whether you're playing it to open packs or battle other players, Pokemon TCG Pocket is one of the best mobile games of the year and has hopefully reignited passion for the real cardboard-based game.A generous pack system means it's always worth logging in, and streamlined battling means there's always time for a round or two while commuting. My only complaint is I'd like a Marvel Snap-esque PC port so I can admire my cards in even greater detail, but maybe I'm being greedy.Star Wars Outlaws just got a huge patch(Image: Ubisoft)Sure, Outlaws launched to middling reviews, and those were certainly justified, but it's some of the most fun I've had all year. It's more focused on stealth than action, and while its open-world segments won't click for all, a recent patch makes it well worth revisiting.At any level, it's incredibly authentic to the Star Wars IP, packed with recognisable sights and sounds that makes each of its worlds fun to explore, and the more time you spend with its more complex systems, the more it rewards players looking to roleplay a scoundrel in a galaxy far, far away.Tactical Breach Wizards is a delight for turn-based fans(Image: Suspicious Developments)One of the funniest games on this list, Tactical Breach Wizards takes place in a very British world where magic is commonplace, meaning there are traffic wardens with superpowers and all sorts.Players unravel a plot one tactical battle at a time, using the ability to rewind time, magic spells like chain lightning, and reliable automatic weapons to clear rooms in puzzle-like fashion.The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom made Zelda playable(Image: Nintendo/Grezzo)It's taken some time, but we finally have a Legend of Zelda game starring the titular princess as she has to save Link in a nifty reversal of roles but that's not all that's new with Echoes of Wisdom.The game is built around Zelda's ability to make Echoes of objects and even enemies she's encountered. That means there's a constant supply of new things to try, helping you reach new areas, use surprising techniques against bosses, and more.2024 was so packed with games we couldn't quite get all of them on this list. Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero is a must-buy for anyone that has even a passing interest in the long-running franchise, for example, while Tekken 8 is one of the best fighting games in a series that dates back to the original PlayStation.Article continues belowSuper Mario Party Jamboree is an excellent party game, and one that's sure to see some use in our homes throughout the holidays, while Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree only misses out by virtue of being an expansion and not a full game.Dragon Age: The Veilguard also just about misses out but remains a fantastic, action-packed RPG, and Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth brings back the affable Ichiban Kasuga for another run as main protagonist in the series with predictably heartwarming results set against a backdrop of violence.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.RECOMMENDED

By Matt Novak Published December 23, 2024 | Comments (0) | AI-generated image of an American flag in the Panama Canal Image: Grok / Truth Social Donald Trump tweeted threats against the nation of Panama over the weekend, suggesting in posts on Truth Social that he would seize control of the Panama Canal if his demands werent met. The president-elect even included an AI-generated image of an American flag in the middle of the Canal, making it the second time Trump has threatened an ally nation with AI images after he made a similar threat against Canada. Welcome to the United States Canal! Trump wrote on Sunday, in a message that appeared across several social media platforms, including Instagram and Facebook. The posts included an image that, at first glance, isnt obviously AI-generated. But the bottom right corner includes the word Grok, the generative AI tool created by X thats both a chatbot and allows people to create images with text prompts. The Grok watermark was cropped out on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Its not immediately clear where Trump or his social media team found the image, but the president-elect has been known to spread sensationalistic images found on Twitter, especially when theyre hateful and racist. Trump posted AI images of cats and dogs in September when he helped spread the lie that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were eating domestic animals.Trump first suggested he would try to take ownership of the Panama Canal a day earlier in a message spread cross two Truth Social posts Saturday. The Panama Canal is considered a VITAL National Asset for the United States, due to its critical role to Americas Economy and National Security, Trump wrote. A secure Panama Canal is crucial for U.S. Commerce, and rapid deployment of the Navy, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and drastically cuts shipping times to U.S. ports.The posts then went on to rationalize why the U.S. should have control over the Panama Canal, just as it did when it was created in the early 20th-century. France started the project in the 1880s, but gave up until the U.S. took over in 1904 and completed building the canal a decade later. President Jimmy Carter signed a treaty in the 1970s to give control of the Canal back to Panama but Trump would like to undo that. The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the U.S., Trump wrote. This complete rip-off of our Country will immediately stop.Trump then went on to say that unless concessions are made, the U.S. will demand control of the Canal, essentially a threat of war with a foreign ally. The United States has a vested interest in the secure, efficient, and reliable operation of the Panama Canal, and that was always understood. We would and will NEVER let it fall into the wrong hands! Trump wrote.It was not given for the benefit of others, but merely as a token of cooperation with us and Panama. If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question. To the Officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly! Trump continued. The president of Panama obviously took Trumps threats seriously, defending his countrys territorial integrity in a video posted to X.Every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent zones is part of Panama, and it will continue to be, President Jos Ral Mulino said Sunday, according to an English language translation by Bloomberg. Trump responded to Mulino with more unhinged nonsense at an event called AmericaFest, organized by the far-right political organizations Turning Point USA.Has anyone ever heard of the Panama Canal? Trump said. Because were being ripped off at the Panama Canal like were being ripped off everywhere else. Trump echoed the statements hed already said on social media during his live speech. If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, quickly and without question, Trump said, according to the CBC. After the speech, Trump wrote on Truth Social well see about that in response to President Mulinos message, making it clear hes going to be as antagonistic as possible.This isnt even the first time Trump has used AI-generated images to threaten a foreign country with invasion. The billionaire dipshit previously posted an AI-image of himself standing on a mountain with an American flag and Europes Matterhorn in the distance. It appears the image was supposed to symbolize Trump conquering Canada, though the image clearly represented natural formations in Europe. Trump also included a threat against Greenland on Sunday in an announcement that he was making Ken Howery the ambassador to Denmark.For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity, Trump wrote. Ken will do a wonderful job in representing the interests of the United States. Some commentators insist that Trumps threats against foreign countries are just trolling or a joke, but they seem to be in complete denial about what the country actually faces in the coming months and years. Well find out soon enough whether Trump tries to make any moves against allied countries. Its an entirely new world. And nobody knows what lies ahead with any certainty.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Matt Novak Published December 20, 2024 By Thomas Maxwell Published December 20, 2024 By Thomas Maxwell Published December 20, 2024 By Thomas Maxwell Published December 19, 2024 By Todd Feathers Published December 19, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published December 19, 2024