html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" CES 2025 is just two weeks away and Asus is planning to launch, among other things, a new ultrathin laptop that it claims will be the worlds lightest Copilot+ PC.A short trailer for the mysterious product posted by Asus shows it floating like a feather, but we dont have any numbers yet on just how light the laptop will be. To earn its title, it will definitely need to weigh under 2.6 pounds to beat the Surface Pro 11th edition (keyboard included) and the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x.CES 2025 ASUS Official Teaser - UnloadWe also dont know what will be powering the PC, but according to a press release, its going to have up to 32 hours of battery life. To have even a chance of living up to these numbers, the most obvious chip choice would be Qualcomms Snapdragon X Elite, which is known for its superior power efficiency. But it could also be powered by the Intel Core Ultra Series 2, which has proven to deliver some great battery life results as well.Recommended VideosBut, Qualcomm or not, its always important to remember that battery life tests done by manufacturers and battery tests conducted by consumers never yield quite the same results. To get the numbers as high as possible, manufacturers usually create an optimal situation that doesnt reflect the way most (or any) people actually use their PCs. When reviewers get their hands on this new PC, we should probably expect their results to be at least three or four hours lower. In other words, your mileage may vary. Still, its an impressive claim. Anything over 25 hours would push this new PC to the top of most lists, however, so it will be exciting to see how it performs.RelatedLuckily, we dont have to wait long to get more information since Asus will officially introduce the laptop at its Always Incredible event on January 7.Editors Recommendations

Doing well by doing good Reminder: Donate to win swag in our annual Charity Drive sweepstakes Help increases our charity haul before the sweepstakes ends. Kyle Orland Dec 23, 2024 2:57 pm | 0 Just some of the prizes you can win in this years Ars Technica Charity Drive sweepstakes Credit: Kyle Orland Just some of the prizes you can win in this years Ars Technica Charity Drive sweepstakes Credit: Kyle Orland Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreIf you've been too busy fixing your video drivers to take part in this year's Ars Technica Charity Drive sweepstakes, don't worry. You still have time to donate to a good cause and get a chance to win your share of over $4,000 worth of swag (no purchase necessary to win).In the first week or so of the drive, hundreds of readers have contributed well over $16,000 to either the Electronic Frontier Foundation or Child's Play as part of the charity drive (Child's Play is barely hanging on to a small donation lead at the moment). That's a long way off from 2020's record haul of over $58,000, but there's still plenty of time until the Charity Drive wraps up on Thursday, January 2, 2025.That doesn't mean you should put your donation off, though. Do yourself and the charities involved a favor and give now while you're thinking about it.See below for instructions on how to enter, and check out the Charity Drive kickoff post for a complete list of available prizes.How it worksDonating is easy. Simply donate to Child's Play using a credit card or PayPal or donate to the EFF using PayPal, credit card, or cryptocurrency. You can also support Child's Play directly by using this Ars Technica campaign page or picking an item from the Amazon wish list of a specific hospital on its donation page. Donate as much or as little as you feel comfortable withevery little bit helps.Once that's done, it's time to register your entry in our sweepstakes. Just grab a digital copy of your receipt (a forwarded email, a screenshot, or simply a cut-and-paste of the text) and send it to ArsCharityDrive@gmail.com with your name, postal address, daytime telephone number, and email address by 11:59 pm ET Wednesday, January 2, 2025. (One entry per person, and each person can only win up to one prize. US residents only. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. See Official Rules for more information, including how to enter without making a donation. Also, refer to the Ars Technica privacy policy (https://www.condenast.com/privacy-policy).We'll then contact the winners and have them choose their prize by January 31, 2025 (choosing takes place in the order the winners are drawn). Good luck!Kyle OrlandSenior Gaming EditorKyle OrlandSenior Gaming Editor Kyle Orland has been the Senior Gaming Editor at Ars Technica since 2012, writing primarily about the business, tech, and culture behind video games. He has journalism and computer science degrees from University of Maryland. He once wrote a whole book about Minesweeper. 0 Comments

Operation: Big Boy The quest to save the worlds largest CRT TV from destruction 440-pound 1980s behemoth rescued from an Osaka restaurant days before demolition. Kyle Orland Dec 23, 2024 2:48 pm | 14 Credit: Reddit Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreAt this point, any serious retro gamer knows that a bulky cathode ray tube (CRT) TV provides the most authentic, lag-free experience for game consoles that predate the era of flat-panel HDTVs (i.e,. before the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 era). But modern gamers used to massive flat panel HD displays might balk at the display size of the most common CRTs, which tend to average in the 20- to 30-inch range (depending on the era they were made).For those who want the absolute largest CRT experience possible, Sony's KX-45ED1 model (aka PVM-4300) has become the stuff of legends. The massive 45-inch CRT was sold in the late '80s for a whopping $40,000 (over $100,000 in today's dollars), according to contemporary reports.That price means it wasn't exactly a mass-market product, and the limited supply has made it something of a white whale for CRT enthusiasts to this day. While a few pictures have emerged of the PVM-4300 in the wild and in marketing materials, no collector has stepped forward with detailed footage of a working unit. The PVM-4300, seen dwarfing the tables and chairs at an Osaka noodle restaurant. Credit: Shank Mods Enter Shank Mods, a retro gaming enthusiast and renowned maker of portable versions of non-portable consoles. In a fascinating 35-minute video posted this weekend, he details his years-long effort to find and secure a PVM-4300 from a soon-to-be-demolished restaurant in Japan and preserve it for years to come.A confirmed white whale sightingShank Mods' quest started in earnest in October 2022, when the moderator of the Console Modding wiki, Derf, reached out with a tip on a PVM-4300 sighting in the wild. A 7-year-old Japanese blog post included a photo of the massive TV that could be sourced to a waiting room of the Chikuma Soba noodle restaurant and factory in Osaka, Japan.The find came just in time, as Chikuma Soba's website said the restaurant was scheduled to move to a new location in mere days, after which the old location would be demolished. Shank Mods took to Twitter looking to recruit an Osaka local in a last-ditch effort to save the TV from destruction. Local game developer Bebe Tinari responded to the call and managed to visit the site, confirming that the TV still existed and even turned on. Quite possibly the world's largest game of Duck Hunt (which doesn't work on stock flat-panel TVs). Credit: Shank Mods After a nerve-wracking quest to contact the restaurant's owner, Shank Mods confirmed that he could take possession of the TV if he could manage to handle the shipping himself. That left Shank Mods with two weeks to figure out how to get a 440-pound TV (and its specially designed, reinforced 171-pound stand) down from the second floor of an Osaka restaurant and to a safe location.Luckily, Tinari had a friend who worked for a company that regularly shipped large-scale industrial equipment internationally that would be able to help. Shank Mods wouldn't detail the precise cost they quoted to get the TV down the stairs, to a warehouse, crated up for air shipment to the US, and then shipped via truck to the garage of his (very tolerant) parents. But he did say that the "used car amount of money" that he was quoted was fronted by a video sponsor, helping him save this piece of television history from the bottom of a Japanese landfill. Shank Mods' full video detailing the PVM-4300 rescue process. It belongs in a museumThe full video includes lots of footage and details of the shipping and unboxing process, and confirmation that the TV still works after its incredible journey. Shank Mods also includes a breakdown of the internal design and processing hardware that went into such a uniquely large CRT and an extended discussion of the intricate process of calibrating and tuning the tube to deliver a sharp, color-corrected picture after years of magnetic and electron beam drift.Shank Mods mentions multiple times in the video that this gigantic CRT looks much better in person than on a YouTube video. We can only hope he can raise the funds to turn his parents' garage into a public museum for classic gaming enthusiasts eager to make a pilgrimage to see the one-of-a-kind find for themselves. Or maybe an old-fashioned whistle-stop tour of the countryside can be arranged, hopefully on a specially designed train car with a reinforced floor. Let's make it happen, people!Kyle OrlandSenior Gaming EditorKyle OrlandSenior Gaming Editor Kyle Orland has been the Senior Gaming Editor at Ars Technica since 2012, writing primarily about the business, tech, and culture behind video games. He has journalism and computer science degrees from University of Maryland. He once wrote a whole book about Minesweeper. 14 Comments

The choice of products promising to slow or reverse ageing can be overwhelmingGabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesWhether you want to brighten, firm, plump or smooth, there is an eye cream, neck cream, lip cream, face cream, serum, lotion or capsule available, for day or night use. But should you choose the one containing retinol or ceramide; enriched with green tea extract, marine collagen or pentapeptides? The choice of products, ingredients and regimes can be bewildering.One thing that many dermatologists agree on is that it pays to keep things simple. If you dont have time for anything else, a cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen will cover about 90 per cent of what skin needs on a day-to-day basis, says Victoria Fu, a skincare chemist and co-founder of Chemist Confessions, a cosmetics company that says it helps consumers decipher skincare ingredients.Although it is a good idea to cleanse twice a day, doing so in the evening is more important in order to remove the build-up of sweat, oil, pollutants, sun cream and make-up, if you wear it. The breakdown of those chemicals can cause a stress response in the skin, so it is important to get those things off, says Emma Craythorne, a London-based dermatologist and founder of skincare company Klira. It is also important because our skin cells [are constantly replaced], otherwise you end up with bits of dead skin stuck to you like a crusty scale.Expensive cleansers arent necessary a soap-free synthetic detergent, such as a gentle cream cleanser, will do, says Craythorne.Cleansers and moisturisersAfter cleansing, most people will want to restore the

Ina Garten's potato-fennel gratin requires just five main ingredients.Garten's potato-fennel gratin also includes heavy cream and Gruyre cheese. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider To make Garten's gratin for four, you'll need:1 pound russet potatoes (2 large ones)1 small fennel bulb yellow onion1 cups Gruyre cheese1 cups plus 1 tablespoon heavy creamThe first step is properly cutting the fennel.Garten's recipe was the first time I'd ever cooked with fennel. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider I will admit that the first time I made this dish, I had to watch a Martha Stewart YouTube video on how to cut fennel. But if you're an amateur, there's no need to let this herb intimidate you.Make sure to thinly slice the fennel bulb. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider First, cut off the stalks as close to the bulb as possible. Then, cut the bulb in half lengthwise.Remove the cores at the bottom. For Garten's recipe, you'll then thinly slice the bulb halves crosswise which should make about two cups of fennel.Pro tip: Don't throw out your stalks and fronds! Stewart recommends using the fronds in salads and saving the stalk to flavor stockpot dishes.Once that's out of the way, get your onion ready.You'll also want to thinly slice your onion. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider You should thinly slice your yellow onion for this dish. Peel your potatoes, then slice them crosswise.Peel your potatoes before thinly slicing them. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Garten recommends thinly slicing them by hand or with a mandoline.You'll also need to grate your Gruyre cheese.Garten's recipe calls for the Gruyre cheese to be grated. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Preparing Garten's gratin takes under 10 minutes, which is great when you're juggling multiple dishes for a holiday feast. And don't forget to butter your baking dish!Make sure to butter your baking dish before building the gratin. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider If you're making the gratin for four, Garten recommends using a 9-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish. Once you're done with your prep, saut your fennel and onions together.Saut your fennel and onions for 10 to 15 minutes. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Per Garten's recipe, you'll want to add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and tablespoon of unsalted butter to a pan.Then, saut the fennel and onions on medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until they're tender. While your stove is working away, add your potatoes to a large bowl with the heavy cream.First, add the potatoes and heavy cream to a large bowl. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider You'll use 1 cups of heavy cream for this step. Then, add 1 cup of the Gruyre cheese, as well as salt and pepper.Add your Gruyre cheese, plus salt and pepper. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Garten recommends adding teaspoon of salt and teaspoon of pepper to the mix.I really love pepper, so, as you can see, I may have added a touch more. Next, add your sauted fennel and onions on top.Don't forget to add your sauted fennel and onions. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider It's almost time to bake!To build the gratin, start by pouring your potato mixture into the baking dish.Smooth your potato mixture in the baking dish. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Gently press down to smooth the potatoes out. Then, mix the rest of your heavy cream and cheese together and sprinkle on top.Then, add the rest of your cheese and heavy cream on top. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Remember, you'll want to use 1 tablespoon of cream and cup of Gruyre for this quick step. After an hour in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, your gratin will be beautifully browned and bubbly and almost ready to eat.Garten's gratin looks beautifully golden-brown when it comes out of the oven. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Garten recommends letting the gratin sit for 10 minutes before serving it hot.She also notes that the gratin can be cooked a day ahead and reheated at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, a helpful tip if you want to save some time during the holidays. Garten's potato-fennel gratin doesn't just look delicious it tastes incredible, too.And it tastes like a creamy, cheesy dream. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Few things in this world are more comforting than potatoes mixed with heavy cream and cheese. Garten's gratin is creamy and satisfying, thanks to the Gruyre, and the potatoes are perfectly cooked. Since the fennel is sauted, its flavor is mild and sweet rather than overpowering.But one of the best things about the gratin is how well it goes with everything, making it a great sidekick for any meat or holiday side dish. I think the potato-fennel gratin is a perfect side for any holiday spread.I can't wait to make Garten's gratin for Christmas again. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider It's so simple to make that you could easily delegate the task to a young budding chef in your family or at least let the kids help you with it in the kitchen. Plus, the gratin is easy to make ahead and reheat before dinner, giving you some much-needed space in the oven for a big holiday menu.And you can't go wrong with creamy potatoes and cheese, especially during the winter season.Believe me, you'll all be fighting for seconds.

The accommodations were more than comfortable.My king suite had high ceilings, a massive bathroom, and sweeping ocean views. Rebecca Strong During my trip, I stayed in a king suite with an ocean view.I don't tend to sleep well while traveling, but at Palmaa, I had no trouble getting seven to eight hours of shuteye. The king-size mattress was perfectly firm, and my room always felt cool.The high ceilings, chic sitting area, exposed-brick wall, and enormous bathroom with plenty of counter space didn't hurt, either. I loved the 24-hour room service and took full advantage of it.Late-night black-bean enfrijoladas hit the spot after a long day of travel. Rebecca Strong When I arrived at the hotel around midnight, I was excited to learn the resort offered 24-hour room service.Upon checking in, the receptionist took my order, and a piping-hot dish of black-bean enfrijoladas (a type of enchiladas served with a black-bean sauce) arrived just moments after I was escorted to my room.Around-the-clock room service also came in handy when I was craving a snack or didn't have time to sit down for breakfast. The resort's nomadic guide added a personalized touch to my experience.My nomadic guide escorted me across the resort when I didn't know how to get to an activity. Rebecca Strong During my stay, I was assigned a nomadic guide a staff member who acts as a personal concierge. Each morning, my guide messaged me with updates about the day's scheduled activities and dinner reservations.They even escorted me from my room to a class when I didn't know how to get there, replaced my room key when I lost mine, and arranged for a staff member to take me to a convenience store for medicine when I developed a sun rash. There were tons of food options and nonalcoholic beverages to choose from.I loved the range of plant-based dishes available at the resort. Rebecca Strong The resort has four main restaurants, all of which I enjoyed dining at. Many of the creative takes on traditional Mexican dishes were flavorful and nutrient-rich think waffles infused with matcha and plant-based poke bowls with marinated watermelon "tuna."Palmaa offered lots of vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free items. However, as someone who doesn't have any dietary restrictions, I appreciated that I had the option to add barbacoa to my tacos or real Parmesan to my salads.I also loved that Palmaa had unique nonalcoholic drinks with the option to add liquor. The restaurants offered wine and cocktails, but alcohol didn't seem to be a central part of the resort's social environment. The activities were super unique.The outdoor cacao ceremony was an experience to remember. Rebecca Strong All-inclusive resorts typically offer access to fun activities, but Palmaa's daily itineraries were truly one-of-a-kind.I participated in a few activities including a mindfulness-focused drawing session and a primal-movement class but my favorite experience was an outdoor cacao ceremony.This session, inspired by Mayan tradition, involved setting intentions and drinking a ceremonial cacao beverage while listening to live music. Getting around the grounds was a breeze.I took full advantage of the on-site bikes. Rebecca Strong I've been to resorts that are so sprawling it takes 15 minutes or longer to walk from my room to a restaurant. Luckily, this wasn't the case at Palmaa the grounds were super walkable.Even better, Palmaa offered complimentary bicycles for guests to use around the property. I used them when I was rushing to scheduled activities or just wanted to feel the breeze on my face. I never had to fight for a beach or poolside chair.I relaxed with a book at the pool. Rebecca Strong Palmaa had no shortage of places to swim or relax with a good book.There were a few infinity, adults-only, and kid-friendly pools in front of the guest-room buildings. The long stretch of beach in front of the resort also had ample cabanas and lounge chairs.There were even some cenotes large natural pools in a jungle area on the property. The trip was a tad expensive but I'd go back in a heartbeat.I'd definitely return to Palmaa, The House of AA. Rebecca Strong This trip may have been a splurge, but it was well worth the $1,500. In the past, I've often found myself coming home from all-inclusive getaways feeling worse than when I arrived maybe due to all the food, alcohol, and sedentary time on the beach.However, between the engaging activities, the nutrient-dense meals, and the attentive staff catering to my every need, Palmaa left me feeling refreshed, renewed, and invigorated and (almost) ready to return to real life.

American Airlines will launch new longer-haul routes from LaGuardia. They'll only fly once weekly.LaGuardia's new routes are doable thanks to the "perimeter rule" being waived on Saturdays.American and other airlines also use perimeter rule exemptions in Washington, DC.American Airlines will use a special rule exception to fly longer-than-normal routes out of New York's LaGuardia Airport next year.An airline spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider on Monday that American will launch new flights to Bozeman and Kalispell in Montana and Calgary in Canada in June 2025 to target leisure travelers.There is one caveat: The routes will only operate on Saturdays.This is because, to manage airport capacity, LaGuardia allows flights of only 1,500 miles or fewer from Sunday through Friday. This is known as a "perimeter rule." Longer flights and bigger jets are primarily pushed to the nearby Newark Liberty and John F. Kennedy airports.However, the rule is waived for flights to Denver at all times and for flights operated to all other places on Saturdays. The latter exception gave American the leeway it needed to fly the new Saturday routes to Montana and Canada.LaGurdia's slot restriction is also waived on Saturdays, meaning American won't need special takeoff and landing permissions for the routes. Cirium data shows all three flights will use a Boeing 737 Max and trek about 2,000 miles.Operating Saturday-only flights to avoid the perimeter rule at LaGuardia is not new, though airlines have struggled to fill planes because Saturdays are lower-demand days.Delta Air Lines, for example, cut two Saturday cross-country flights from LaGuardia to Los Angeles and Phoenix in January.American also uses perimeter exemptions in the US capitalRonald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, DC, is the only other US airport with a mandated perimeter rule. The restrictions at both airports were established in the 1980s.Reagan's routes are limited to 1,250 miles. Dulles International Airport, about 30 miles away, gets longer flights.However, over the past two decades, Congress has increased daily slot allowances to allow for more flights beyond the perimeter on Sunday through Friday.American and other airlines have taken advantage of the exemptions. Cirium shows American already flies daily to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix.Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines also use exemptions to fly daily from Reagan to cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, Denver, and Seattle. Airlines fly near the Capitol during final approach to Washington National Airport. CQ-Roll Call, Inc./Getty Images The Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Bill, signed in May, approved 10 additional slots that could operate within or beyond Reagan's perimeter. That equates to five more roundtrip flights.American was awarded one of the slots on Friday, a daily roundtrip to San Antonio starting in March. It will be the only airline operating the flight.Meanwhile, Delta was awarded a slot pair to Seattle, Alaska was given one to San Diego, Southwest will use one to serve Las Vegas, and United received approval to San Francisco which will be the airline's second daily flight to the California city.There is debate over keeping the perimeter rule at Reagan and LaGuardia.Some advocates say it reduces noise and airport congestion and ensures airlines don't shift slots to abandon regional routes within the perimeter. A near-miss at Reagan in May also sparked concern that more flights could impact runway safety.Opponents of the rule say it restricts airline networks, gives travelers less choice, raises airfares, and limits economic growth. For lawmakers, eliminating the rule at Reagan would mean more convenient flights into DC from their home states.

If youre reading this, you probably know theres no shortage of advice good, bad, middling in our digital landscape. Influencers are always peddling one weird trick to help you hack your health; many people on the internet wont bat an eye before telling you to divorce him, and Reddit has become the de facto destination to tell you whether youre being an asshole (and for actually honest reviews). Of course, if youre a regular Vox reader, you mightve noticed our practical guidance on topics ranging from personal finance to friendship to health and wellness.As we close the book on 2024, I combed through some of the best tips and tricks experts gave to Even Better this year. From small tweaks to major reevaluations, therapists, researchers, dating coaches, and more have shared their insights with us all year. Heres a cheat sheet for all the best advice we learned and will be taking with us into 2025.Get out of your chair once an hourIf you, like me, have a job that requires you to sit for many hours on end, Keith Diaz, an associate professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, says daily exercise isnt enough to offset the negative effects of prolonged sitting. (Those negative effects include higher risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even early death.) Experts say you should be getting out of your chair at least once an hour. To help remind you, Diaz suggests using natural break points in your day as a way to get movement. Have an hour-long meeting? Go for a short walk after. Have to refill your water bottle? Take the long route to the kitchen.RelatedHow to microdose movementUse past regret to inform your futureRegret, at some point in life, comes for us all. Instead of getting stuck amid the what ifs, regret can actually teach you about how to move forward in life. In her reporting, contributor Charley Locke found it helpful to place your choices in context. Why did you make the choices you did? What pressures or constraints influenced your decisions? Ask yourself what you can learn from regret: What do you wish youd done differently and how can you make those past dreams a reality now?Make a specific observation to kick-start a conversationThere are few things more awkward than attending a party where you dont know many people. Who do you talk to? What do you say? What should you do with your hands? Well, I have some advice that can help: Make an observation or pay a compliment. Talk to a stranger about the hosts immaculate design choices or approach the person with a Phillies hat and chat about baseball you have that much in common. As for what to do with your hands, Im still figuring that out, too. Dont be afraid to let your kids feel a full range of emotionsParents are rightfully protective of their children its their role to try to shield them from lifes misfortunes, after all. But parenting experts caution against being too quick to problem-solve when your child experiences emotional pain, social conflict, and even boredom. Give kids space to process their emotions on their own terms, says Dorsa Amir, an assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University who studies kids and culture. Boys, especially, hear messaging reinforcing the importance of toughness and anger. But part of being a full human is being able to access and express a fuller range of emotions, Christopher Pepper, author of the forthcoming book Talk to Your Boys, told my colleague Keren Landman. So for adults, its important to ensure its safe for boys to do that, that youre not criticizing them or judging them for it.RelatedMost people would probably say theyd like to earn and save more money. But are they totally honest with themselves about why? Advice columnist Nicole Dieker Finley suggests setting specific and realistic financial goals. Think more granularly than Id like to be saving more. Even more specific than Id like to save more so I dont have to worry about losing my job. Get as nitty-gritty as Id like to save more because I want a financial cushion so I can start my own business. Once you get specific, you can start making an actionable plan, Dieker Finley writes. Not that anyone plans on getting into an argument, but if you do, keep this tip in your back pocket. Underneath seemingly petty disagreements over who takes out the trash are deeper issues at play. Influential couples counselors John and Julie Gottman call this the dreams within conflict. To get to the root of an argument, they suggest asking the person youre clashing with questions like, Tell me why this is so important to you, or, Is there a story behind this for you? Hear them out and then answer these questions for yourself, too.RelatedHow to fight without ruining a relationshipDont believe every health hack you see onlineTikTok is rife with tricks and hacks meant to improve your health. Some of it is wacky and others might be downright harmful. Voxs Keren Landman an actual medical doctor has some sage words for the health content consumers among us: If a wild health claim is too good to be true, it probably is. Is the person sharing the information trying to sell you something by making a health claim? If so, thats a concerning sign, and you should be especially careful to further check the accuracy of what theyre saying. Be on guard and dont believe everything you hear.To meet potential romantic interests IRL, take romance off the table (at first)Many singles, exasperated by dating apps, are taking a tried-and-true approach to dating: meeting potential romantic interests in the wild. But theres a lot of ambiguity in the real world unlike on dating apps, its unclear whether that person across the yoga studio is into you, or is even single in the first place. To take some of the pressure off, relationship expert Susan Winter says to avoid flirting from the jump and to simply enjoy pleasant conversation with new people. If you get boxed up, forget that they are a romantic prospect, Winter says. Actually tell yourself they are a human being and your task is to engage with this human being.As with any personal or health relationship, fit is everything. A therapist could be exceptional, but if you dont jibe with their style or personality, then theyre not the right mental health professional for you. Jeff Ashby, a psychologist and professor at Georgia State University, says you shouldnt be afraid to shop around for a therapist. After trying on a mental health professional for a bit, you can decide to move on to another one. Youre still absolutely within your rights and not in violation of any norms to move on to someone whos a better fit, my colleague Keren Landman writes.Dont go looking for news that makes you enragedCable news, X, that one Facebook group that drives you insane: There are plenty of sources of maddening information. You probably dont need me to tell you how harmful it is to live in a perpetual state of anger. But part of breaking that cycle involves avoiding seeking out news or posts that get your blood boiling. Consume just enough where you feel informed and avoid falling prey to rage bait on social media. Im going to choose not to go looking for things that make me mad, says psychologist Ryan Martin, author of How to Deal With Angry People and Why We Get Mad: How to Use Your Anger for Positive Change. Its not that different, honestly, from choosing not to see scary movies.Keeping your phone out of sight will help you embrace small moments of connectionEven the smallest, most mundane forms of social interaction have the ability to brighten your mood and make you feel more connected: a quick hello to a neighbor, a brief exchange in an elevator. Its hard to engage in these moments of humanity when youre staring at a phone. Nicholas Epley, a professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, says we should be more intentional to live in a way that promotes sociality and that might mean removing your phone as a distraction. I, for instance, dont keep my phone in my pocket ever unless Im supposed to talk to somebody, Epley says. I have it in my backpack. That just makes it easier for me to engage with other people when theyre around.Be skeptical of products making big health claimsWhether it be full-body deodorant, energy drinks, or the burgeoning number of functional beverages now available in grocery stores, its good practice to be cautious when a new category of products is making big health promises and have an awareness of possible harms they may cause. Its also wise to think about whether the product is just a solution looking for a problem. As Sarah Everts, author of The Joy of Sweat, told Keren Landman about the glut of full-body deodorants that were introduced this year: Nobodys being fooled into thinking that youre a citrus fruit.Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

By AJ Dellinger Published December 23, 2024 | Comments (0) | Tesla CEO Elon Musk (L) and Palantir CEO Alex Karp appear together on Capitol Hill Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images New Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse just dropped: According to the Financial Times, major defense technology companies Palantir and Palmer Luckeys Anduril are in conversations with SpaceX and OpenAI (among other tech players) to form a consortium to bid for US government defense contracts. The goal of the group, which reportedly plans to announce its membership as soon as January, is to disrupt the prime contractors who have a habit of scoring major deals with the Pentagon. In the crosshairs of the consortium, theres Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Boeing. There is little question that the legacy brands do well bidding on defense work. According to the Department of Defenses Fiscal Year 2023 review, Lockheed Martin took home $61.4 billion, RTX (ne Raytheon) scored $24.1 billion, and Boeing got a cool $20.1 billion. In 2021, 71% of all of Lockheed Martins revenue came from contracts with the US government. Just under 50% of all annual sales for Boeing and RTX went to the feds during the same time period. As The American Prospect has previously pointed out, these are basically state-funded companies but the government has no real control over operations or leadership. So would the safety and security of the country improve by disrupting the big threes vice grip on the Pentagon? Probably, under the assumption that mass-producing weapons of war and supplying them to allies for conflicts that range from mostly just to genocidal is a net positive on national security, which, lets call that dubious.But this particular collection of tech firms as the hammer to bash the oligopoly? Its not clear that this is an improvement upon the status quo. Palantir has carved itself out a niche as the Defense Departments go-to for AI systems. Just this year, it snagged a $100 million contract to build the military AI-powered targeting tools and $480 million to expand the Pentagons data analysis and decision making tools. The company has been more than happy to lend its tech to programs that are at best ethically questionable, including being the technological backbone of the Trump administrations Immigration and Customs Enforcement, helping lead to the breakup of migrant families and facilitating mass raids that led to the separation of children and parents. The companys technology has also been central to Israels ongoing seige in Gaza that has killed over 45,000 people.Anduril, called techs most controversial startup by Bloomberg, has built sensor towers for use on the US-Mexico border to track migrants and has explored the development of autonomous weapons. The companys big play is building drones for warfare, but it also has its eyes on building surveillance satellites, all of which carry some serious ethical questions attached. OpenAI recently announced a partnership with Anduril to work on anti-drone systems, but it seems likely that will be the first of many collaborations if the consortium comes together. The agreement, which has caused some upheaval among OpenAI employees who dont particularly want to be involved in doing defense work, comes after OpenAI quietly removed language from its usage policy restricting the use of its technology for military and warfare purposes.And on top of all that, Its Peter Thiel all the way down, baby. Thiel, the techno-libertarian lizard man who has not-so-quietly been trying to place his acolytes in as many branches of government as possible, has his hands in basically all of these firms. He founded Palantir, co-founded OpenAI, put major financial backing behind Anduril, and was an early-stage investor in SpaceX. Hes proven himself to be a less-than-scrupulous person with an ideology that can far-too-generously be summed up as technological progress no matter the human cost. Thiels biographer, Max Chafkin, told Time that Thiel is worth fearing, stating, When you combine the hostility to democracy and institutional norms with the bankroll of a billionaire you can potentially do some damage. Suddenly, maybe the malignant but status quo evil of the old school defense contractors doesnt seem quite as bad.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Thomas Maxwell Published December 20, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published December 18, 2024 By Thomas Maxwell Published December 18, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published December 18, 2024 By AJ Dellinger Published December 16, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published December 16, 2024

Its hard to imagine Marvel Studios as an underdog. The multi-billion dollar studio has done the impossible over the past two decades, releasing dozens of movies and TV shows that all share a universe, culminating in some of the biggest and most successful films of all time. But, over the past few years, Marvel looked slightly vulnerable. It looked like the wheels were in danger of coming off. Then 2024 changed that, and it happened mostly behind the scenes. Thats because in 2024, Marvel only released one film: Deadpool & Wolverine. Its easy now to think of the film as a huge hit, but despite its very popular characters, it was initially viewed as something of a risk. Its not every day one of Disneys brands goes against its family-friendly style but Deadpool & Wolverine was Marvels first R-rated film. And a hard R at that. The risk paid off though. The violent, irreverent superhero comedy went on to break all sorts of box office records, eventually becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film in history. Think about that. Think about all the R-rated movies youve watched over your lifetime. Deadpool & Wolverine has outgrossed all of them. It was a major, major win for the studio after a few years which, for the most part, fell way below its 2008-2019 expectations. Those years, referred to as the Infinity Saga, saw damn near universal praise and box office success for Marvels work, changing the face of Hollywood as we knew it. But, in the years that followed, the huge successes have been as numerous as the disappointments. For every Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, theres a Thor: Love and Thunder. For every WandaVision or Loki theres a Secret Invasion or Moon Knight. This culminated in 2023 with less-than-stellar reviews, and returns, for Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels. Those were balanced by the hit that was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but as that was raking in the dough, its filmmaker James Gunn was already down the street making movies for the competition. So, not a total win. Those missteps necessitated a refocus that resulted in Deadpool & Wolverine being the only Marvel movie released in 2024. Which, as we just stated, was a success. Things also largely worked on the TV side too. Marvel Animation released the highly anticipated X-Men 97, which quickly became a smash, and later the release of Agatha All Along followed suit, pleasing fans as well as critics.Thats significant because very little of that was part of the original plan. In 2022, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige showed up in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con and presented the slate for the next few years. Agatha was on there, as well as a few films from the previous years, but the cohesive direction fans saw in the years leading up to Avengers: Endgame wasnt there. What was all of this building up to? We didnt know. And there was no mention of its eventual 2024 saviors Deadpool, Wolverine, or the X-Men. Some of that uncertainty continued in 2024 as creatives like Michael Waldon and Destin Daniel Cretton left their posts on some upcoming Avengers movies. Echo didnt quite hit, and films like Thunderbolts and Captain America 4 were moved back months while one, Blade, was postponed indefinitely. A lot was riding on Marvels return to Hall H on July 27 this year and thats when it all changed.By the time San Diego Comic-Con 2024 came around, Marvel had reloaded and then some. We got to see footage from 2025s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which had barely started filming. The Russo Brothers, directors of several of the biggest and best Marvel movies ever, were coming back to helm two more Avengers movies: Doomsday and the big one, Secret Wars. Then, the very expensive cherry on top, the first star of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Robert Downey Jr. would be returning, as its next big villain: Dr. Doom. Later in the year, plans for a fourth Spider-Man with Tom Holland also added to the goodwill. Finally, things had a direction. Finally, things we wanted to see were happening. And though it felt ever so slightly like going back to what worked before, at least some hope was restored.The return of Downey and the Russos, Spider-Man, the promise of one of Marvels biggest untouched properties in the Fantastic Four, plus the success of Deadpool & Wolverinewhich itself set up all sorts of new potential thanks to cameos from the likes of Gambit, Blade, and Elektraall worked together to make 2024 a great year for Marvel. After a few years of stumbling, the studio finally regained its footing and happened at just the right time. As Marvel readies several major projects for 2025 and beyond, its old friend James Gunn is opening up his own DC Universe in direct opposition. Let the games begin. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.