The Moon?Were almost certainly not getting a new GTA 6 trailer this week, but some fans have really convinced themselves that we areIt's not impossible, but the idea that we may be getting a new GTA 6 trailer by the end of this week borders on the absurd.Image credit: Rockstar News by Sherif Saed Contributing Editor Published on Dec. 24, 2024 Were in the middle of the last full week of December, so almost everyone has already called it a year and kicked off their holiday break. This also includes Rockstar, the maker of GTA 6. All of that is to say: the chances of us getting a new trailer for the highly-anticipated game are slim to none.None of that matters to a certain group of fans, however, who have convinced themselves that yes, we are getting a new GTA 6 trailer this week.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Before we get into the specifics, its probably worth suspending your disbelief a little when reading this one. I am not even entirely sure the same people behind the theory believe it themselves, but lets crack on.As spotted by PC Gamer, this all started when one Rockstar developer posted a photo that contained some clues that seem to point to the number 27. Be it a troll or not, the photo was picked up by a GTA 6 leaks Twitter account, who took it upon themselves to dissect it for any possible hints.The photo has a Rockstar Games jumper with GTA 6 colours, as well as some other Rockstar-themed memorabilia. What makes it interesting is that theres cat hair on the jumper shaped like the Roman Numerals VI. Look closer, and youll find a phone number on a piece of paper towards the bottom. The number turns out to be for an auto shop in Florida called 27 Auto Sales. The leaks account took that number as the clue and ran with it. Give it up, folks. | Image credit: Rockstar GamesIf youre on team Believe, youll be happy to know that the number 27 does actually lead to several things. For one, the Rockstar Instagram account currently has exactly 27 posts. Making things more interesting, 27 seconds into the only GTA 6 trailer we have we see a car with the same number written on its rear window. Theres also the license plate of a Lost Santos State Trooper car whose numbers add up to 27.Here is when things take a sharp turn into the unhinged. This particular discovery relies on the moon theory, which suggestes that Rockstar is using the phases of the moon to tell fans when GTA 6 trailers will be released. There are 27 days in a lunar cycle, which is yet another element with 27 on it.The Waning Gibbous moon phase is the cycle of interest here, because that's when we got the first GTA 6 trailer (December 1, 2023), so it follows that the second trailer will be released on a day that happens to also host a Waning Gibbous moon. That day was December 20, which was last Friday, and we certainly didnt get any trailers then.So the theory has now shifted to this Friday, December 27 as the next possible date. And, because these things are malleable and dont follow any solid logic, some have even suggested that the trailer will arrive on January 14, which is when the next Waning Gibbous can be sighted.Back in the real world, were still expecting GTA 6 to be released before the end of 2025. We have no idea when the next major piece of information about the game will be released, but theres a good reason Rockstar is staying quiet.

Throughout 2024, UK government and law enforcement rhetoric around technology largely focused on the role of automation in reducing cost while boosting efficiency and productivity. Since the ascent of the new Labour government in July, there has also been a renewed focus on law and order given its manifesto commitment to take back our streets.This has translated to expanding the role of various technologies throughout policing, particularly facial-recognition and cloud-based artificial intelligence (AI) tools. However, many of these deployments as with previous years are plagued by data protection issues and ethical concerns.Computer Weeklys coverage also considered how the governments new data reforms could further reduce transparency and oversight around police technology, and challenged the assumption that people in the UK are policed by consent, given how little say they have over the technologies being deployed with taxpayer money in public spaces.1. Spring Budget risks funding legally questionable police techIn March, then-chancellor Jeremy Hunt committed 230m to police forces to pilot or roll out a host of productivity-boosting technologies, including live facial recognition (LFR), automation and AI and the use of drones as potential first responders.Pre-briefings of the governments technology plans to journalistsrevealed thatautomated redaction technologies would be a priority, so that personal information can be removed from documents or irrelevant faces can be blurred out from body-worn video footage.Hunt also committed to providing a further 75m to the roll-out of Violence Reduction Units and hot spot policing tactics, the latter of which largely revolves around the use of data to target police resources and activities to areas where crime is most concentrated.However, lingering concerns around the legality of how UK police are deploying cloud infrastructure and AI-powered facial recognition could undermine the effectiveness of the investment. In the case of facial recognition, there have been repeated calls for new biometric-focused legislation from a wide range of actors due a lack of clear rules controlling its use.Given the focus on cloud migrations, as well as the computing power and storage required to effectively use AI, data protection experts told Computer Weekly that many of the new AI tools being deployed will be hosted on this US-based cloud infrastructure, opening them up to potential legal compliance challenges as well.2. Microsoft admits no guarantee of sovereignty for UK policing dataIn June, Computer Weekly reported on documents that showed Microsoft admitted to Scottish policing bodies that it cannot guarantee the sovereignty of UK policing data hosted on its hyperscale public cloud infrastructure.Released under freedom of information (FoI) rules, the documents were related to the deployment of Police Scotlands Digital Evidence Sharing Capability (DESC), which Computer Weekly first reported was rolled out with major data protection issues in April 2023.The disclosure revealed that data hosted in Microsofts hyperscale public cloud infrastructure is regularly transferred and processed overseas; that the data processing agreement in place for the DESC did not cover UK-specific data protection requirements; and that while the company may have the ability to make technical changes to ensure data protection compliance, it is only making these changes for DESC partners and not other policing bodies because no one else had asked.The correspondence also contains acknowledgements from Microsoft that international data transfers are inherent to its public cloud architecture. As a result, the issues identified with the Scottish Police will equally apply to all UK government users, many of whom face similar regulatory limitations on the offshoring of data.The same set of disclosures also revealed that Police Scotland chose not to formally consult with the data regulator about the risks identified with the system, while the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) itself did not follow up on why there was no formal consultation until nearly three months after live deployment, despite being in full view of the risks.The disclosures also revealed the ICOs advice to Police Scotland about how to make the cloud deployment legal. While it highlighted some potential transfer mechanism the regulator believes can ensure compliance, it was explicit that the guidance does not constitute approval for the roll-out or assurance of compliance.3. Met Police to scrap and replace racist Gangs Violence MatrixIn February, the Met Police announced it scrapping its controversial Gangs Violence Matrix (GVM) database after long-standing concerns over the tools racial disproportionalitySet up in 2012 as a part of thegovernments self-declaredandevidence-freewar on gangs in the wake of the Tottenham riots, the secretive GVM was being used by the Met to identify, monitor and target individuals the force considers to be involved in gang violence.Two separate investigationsby the UK information commissioners office (ICO) and Amnesty International from 2018 found that the GVM disproportionately affected people from minority ethnic communities, with 78% of those listed in the database at the time being black (compared with 27% of people convicted for serious youth violence-related offences being black).They also found that 40% of those listed on the matrix had a harm score of zero applied by the algorithm, meaning police had no record of them being involved in a violent offence, while 64% of all individuals had been labelled green (the lowest risk category). Some 75% of all people named on the matrix were found to be victims of violence themselves.However, human rights groups warned that its replacement is likely to repeat the same mistakes, and criticised the Met for how long it took the force to stop using the system.4. Starmer announces tech-enabled crackdown on people smugglingIn November, UK prime minister Keir Starmer committed an extra 75m to the recently established Border Security Command (BSC) to fund its acquisition and use of state-of-the-art surveillance equipment, as part of a wider clampdown on the national security threat of people smuggling gangsThe new investment in border security builds on 75m the UK government previously committed to the BSC in September 2024, which focused on unlocking sophisticated new technology and extra capabilities, such as covert cameras, monitoring technologies, new intelligence units, and improving intelligence and information flows between law enforcement bodies.This means the overall investment into the BSC which was set up in July 2024 to coordinate the work of the National Crime Agency (NCA), intelligence agencies, police forces, Immigration Enforcement and Border Force will be 150m over the next two years.However, some charities have criticised the governments focus on enforcement, noting it could lead to desperate people taking more dangerous and deadly journeys. They suggested that, instead, the government should focus on creating safe and legal routes for refugees to enter the UK, which are currently extremely limited.5. MPs hold first ever debate on live facial recognitionMPs held an open debate on police use of live facial-recognition technology in November for the first time since it was initially deployed by the Met Police in August 2016, with a consensus emerging on the need for it to be regulated by a specific law, rather than the patchwork of legislation and official guidance that currently governs police deployments.The MPs including members of both front benches discussed a range of issues associated with the technology, including the impacts of LFR surveillance on privacy; problems around bias, accuracy and racial discrimination; the lack of a clear legal framework governing its use by police; and how its wider roll-out could further reduce peoples dwindling trust in police.The majority of MPs involved in the debate also openly lamented why there had been no debate about the use of the technology by police up until now.There have been repeated calls from Parliament and civil society for new legal frameworks to govern law enforcements use of the technology in recent years. These include three separate inquiries by the Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee (JHAC) intoshoplifting,police algorithmsandpolice facial recognition; two of theUKs former biometrics commissioners,Paul WilesandFraser Sampson; anindependent legal reviewby Matthew Ryder QC; theUKs Equalities and Human Rights Commission; and theHouse of Commons Science and Technology Committee, which called for a moratorium on LFR as far back as July 2019.During his time in office beforeresigning in October 2023, Sampson also highlighteda lack of clarity about the scale and extent of public space surveillance, as well as concerns around thegeneral culture of retention in UK policing around biometric data.However, the Home Office and policing bodies have repeatedly maintained there is already a comprehensive legal framework in place.6. Police cloud project raises data protection concerns despite legal reformsNine police forces are seeking to replace their common records managements system (RMS) with a cloud-based alternative but despite upcoming changes to the UKs data laws, experts told Computer Weekly the strong likelihood of a US-based hyperscaler winning the contract presents continued risks.Under the UKs current data regime, moving sensitive police records to one of the US cloud giants introduces major data protection issues. However, the governments recently proposed data reforms which would most likely eliminate many of these risks by allowing routine transfers to hyperscalers could jeopardise the UKs ability to retain its law enforcement data adequacy with the EU, while issues around data sovereignty would still persist.To avoid falling into the same situation with the new cloud-based RMS, the experts made a number of suggestions about the steps the forces should be taking now as data controllers, before the procurement progresses further down the line.While the governments newData Use and Access Bill(DUAB) is set to the change legal rules around law enforcement processing in a way that would unequivocally allow routine data transfers to hyperscalers, the experts say doing so could still risk the UKs ability to retain its law enforcement adequacy with the European Union (EU) when it comes up for renewal in June 2025.7. Met Police challenged on claim LFR supported by majority of Lewisham residentsThe Metropolitan Police claimed that its LFR deployments in Lewisham are supported by the majority of residents and local councillors, but a community impact assessment (CIA) later obtained by Computer Weekly shows there has been minimal direct consultation with residents, while elected officials continue to express concern.In August 2024, Lewisham councillors complainedthere had been no engagement with the local community ahead of the controversial technology being deployed in the area, with the Met announcing the tech would be used in Tweet just a month after being urged by councillors to improve its community engagement around LFR.Responding to Computer Weeklys questions about the concerns raised by Lewisham councillors, a Met Police spokesperson said at the time that its LFR deployments have been very much supported by the majority of Lewisham residents, business owners and political representatives namely Lewisham councillors.However, according to the CIA obtained under Foi rules by Computer Weekly, the only mention of residents in the entire document is when detailing the press response given to Computer Weekly.Both elected officials and campaigners criticised the Mets community engagement approach, saying the force was pushing ahead with deploying LFR despite opposition; asking leading questions during the minimal consultation carried out; and using the CIA process as a rubber stamp.8. Metropolitan Police officer dismissed for unlawfully accessing Sarah Everard filesA Metropolitan Police officer was dismissed after repeatedly accessing sensitive files related to the disappearance and murder of Sarah Everard while off-duty, prompting concern that legal requirements around police data access which are due to be removed by the governments data reforms are not being followed.The Met said a total of 104 officers and staff (68 officers and 36 staff) were initially identified as potentially accessing files relating to the investigation without a legitimate policing purpose, which resulted in seven officers being served with gross misconduct notices and appearing in front of a hearing. Ultimately, two thirds of the staff and officers involved had action taken against them.campaigners and privacy experts said these situations would be made more likely if the governmentsData Use and Access Bill(DUAB) passes, as its set to remove the police logging procedure that requires forces to keep records detailing how information is accessed and used.This includes recording a justification for why an individual officer has accessed a particular piece of information, although according to theDUABs explanatory notes, officers and staff will still be legally expected to log the time, date and, as far as possible, their identity when accessing information.Liberal Democrat peer Lord Clement-Joneshad previously told Computer Weeklythat the removal of police logging requirements was egregious, and that it represents a potential divergence from the European UnionsLaw Enforcement Directive(LED) that could prevent the UK from renewing its LED data adequacy decision.9. Automated police tech contributes to UK structural racism problemIn theirjoint submissionto the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination which independently monitors states efforts to eradicate racism and promote human rights the Runneymede Trust and Amnesty International said the use of AI and facial-recognition technologies in policing is contributing to a worrying rowback in the civil and political rights of people of colour in the UK.The submission noted, for example, that despite the propensity of LFR to mis-identify people of colour, the Home Office haspreviously affirmed the right of police forces to use it in existing legal frameworks, and thatuse of the tech is generally ramping up.It noted that the use of automated systems such aspredictive policingandAutomated Number Plate Recognition(ANPR) by police can result in human rights violations and fatalities.The submission further highlighted thediscriminatory outcomes of the Mets Gangs Matrix database, which resulted in people of colour (predominantly young Black boys and men, in this case) being racially profiled for the music they listen to, their behaviour on social media, or who their friends are.In its recommendations for the UK government on police AI, the civil society groups said it should prohibit all forms of predictive and profiling systems in law enforcement and criminal justice (including systems which focus on and target individuals, groups, and locations or areas); provide public transparency and oversight when police or migration and national security agencies use high-risk AI; and impose legal limits to prohibit uses of AI that present an unacceptable risk to human rights.10. Campaigners criticise Starmer post-riot public surveillance plansPrime minister Keir Starmer announced that the government will establish a national capability to deal with violent disorder in the wake of racist rioting across England in August, but campaigners and civil society groups said they are concerned about the surveillance implications of the initiative and its damaging effect on wider civil liberties.Known as theNational Violent Disorder Programme, the government said that it will bring together the best policing capabilities from across the UK to share intelligence on the activity of violent groups so that authorities can swiftly intervene to arrest them.The programme announcement follows the outbreak of violent far-right riots in more than a dozen English towns and cities, which specifically targeted mosques, hotels housing asylum seekers, immigration centres, and random people of colour.Despite acknowledging the clearly far-right nature of the current disorder during a press conference announcing the programme, Starmer also said that the new initiative would be used to identify agitators from all parts of the ideological spectrum.According to the Network for Police Monitoring (Netpol) which monitors and resists policing that is excessive, discriminatory or threatens civil liberties the programme will clearly be used to target organised anti-fascists that went out to oppose the far-right across the country on Wednesday 7 August.The prime minister actively supports the polices dismissal of objections to the intrusion, unreliability and discriminatory nature of facial recognition, and the infringement on civil liberties that the extensive filming of demonstrations entails. We may also see more public order legislation and a greater willingness to quickly deploy riot units onto the streets, it said.After the immediate crisis recedes, expanded police surveillance is just as likely to focus on movements for social, racial and climate justice as it does on the far right.Read more about police technologyUK police continue to hold millions of custody images unlawfully: Annual report from the biometrics and surveillance camera commissioner of England and Wales highlights the ongoing and unlawful retention millions of custody images of innocent people never charged with a crime by police.Tech and digital skills key to improving police productivity: The Policing Productivity Review sees data and technology as a way of improving productivity and outcomes, as well as a potential means of restoring diminishing legitimacy, but warns there needs to be a revamp in digital skills, investment and coordination to harness the full range of benefits.What do the home secretarys policing reforms mean for the future of the Police Digital Service? The government is to create a new central body for policing with IT strategy in its proposed purview, but what does this mean for the Home Office-backed Police Digital Service?

The latest Northern Lights forecast means that the aurora borealis may be seen in the continental ... [+] U.S. on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day after experts in space weather predicted a G1 or G2 geomagnetic storm. (Photo by: Alan Dyer /VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesChristmas Eve and Christmas Day may feature Northern Lights for some northern-tier U.S. states and northern Europe after a well-timed solar flare on the sun.According to the models of space weather forecasters at NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center, a G1 or G2-class geomagnetic storm on Earth's atmosphere is expected to result late on Dec. 25.There may also be some geomagnetic disturbance possibly triggering aurora on Dec. 24.Northern Lights Forecast Tonight: When And WhereNOAA states that a G1 event could mean aurora is seen from Washington, northern Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine. If it becomes a G2 event, then the viewing area could be extended south to between New York and central Idaho.Skywatchers are advised to keep an eye on NOAAs 30-minute forecast and apps like Aurora Now. Only a G5 storm as experienced on May 10-11 and Oct. 10-11 can see aurora down to Florida, Arizona, and worldwide.The aurora viewline for Dec. 25 Christmas Day according to NOAA. NOAAMORE FOR YOUNorthern Lights Forecast Tonight: Solar MaximumAfter the most recent global display of aurora on Oct. 10-11, the sun has been relatively quiet, ironically since NASA and NOAA's Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel announced that the sun had reached its solar maximum phase, the peak of its 11-year solar cycle.Despite the quiet period, solar activity has been at a 23-year high in 2024, with displays of the aurora borealis at more southerly latitudes than is typical.Northern Lights Forecast Tonight: Major Solar FlareHowever, a large sunspot a dark area of intense magnetic complexity on the sun's surface produced an M8.9-class solar flare at 11:12 UTC on Dec. 23. It was very nearly a powerful X-class event. What happened in its wake was decisive a coronal mass ejection. Crucially, this cloud of charged particles ejected by the sun, rapidly accelerating into space, is Earth-directed.According to SpaceWeather.com, the bulk of the CME will miss Earth to the south, but there is still a significant Earth-directed component.Space weather forecasters also detected two other solar flares on Dec. 24 M4.7-class and M4.1-class events, respectively which could affect on the nights to come if a CME results.An M8.9-class solar flare was detected on Dec. 23, 2024 by NOAA's GOES-16 satellite. NOAANorthern Lights Forecast Tonight: Exact TimesExact timings and intensity are hard to predict. The G1 or G2 geomagnetic storm is tentatively forecast to occur between 15:00 and 21:00 UTC (10 a.m. and 4 p.m. EST/3 p.m. and 9 p.m. GMT), but space weather forecasters will be relying on the DSCOVR and ACE satellites to confirm when the arrival at Earth of the CMEs are imminent. It could arrive significantly earlier or later.Only when its particles strike the sensors of these satellites, which orbit Earth about a million miles out, can NOAA's forecasters know the characteristics of a CME. Depending on the speed of the CME, the satellites give about 15-30 minutes warning of a significant space weather eventDSCOVR and ACE measure a CME's speed and magnetic intensity, which is critical in calculating how the solar wind is about to change.Northern Lights Forecast Tonight: CausesThe solar wind is a stream of charged particles from the sun interacting with Earths magnetic field. Theyre super-charged by a coronal mass ejection that travels to Earth over a few days.Aurora is typically seen in polar regions at around latitudes of 70 degrees north and south, but during extreme geomagnetic conditions usually when CMEs arrive at Earth one after another or in tandem the auroral oval can bulge, with displays then seen as low as 25 degrees north and south of the equator.The night sky in Wisconsin glows with the Northern Lights as a geomagnetic storm brings vibrant pink ... [+] and green colors to a majority of the northern states. (Photo by Ross Harried/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty ImagesNorthern Lights Forecast Tonight: ColorsAs charged particles strike Earths magnetic field, they accelerate down its magnetic field lines at the north and south poles to create ovals of green and red. Green aurora are caused by charged particles striking low-altitude oxygen molecules in the Earths atmosphere, while red aurora result from high-altitude oxygen molecules.The colors tell you how high up the aurora you see. According to the Canadian Space Agency, green aurora occurs about 60-190 miles (100-300 kilometers) up, red aurora at about 180 to 250 miles (300 to 400 kilometers) and rarer blue about 60 miles (100 kilometers).If you see red, youre likely looking at the high-altitude edges of a display raging farther to the north.Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 05: Teofimo Lopez speaks to media during a public workout ahead of the ... [+] Teofimo Lopez v Jamaine Ortiz boxing match at Mandalay Bay Casino on February 05, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)Getty ImagesWBO super lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez appears to have finally locked in his next opponent. According to a report from ESPNs Mike Coppinger, Lopez is in the process of finalizing a deal to face former IBF champion Subriel Matias on March 15.Lopez made an offer to fight Devin Haney, but that was rejected. Recently, Lopez was rumored to be in discussions with Jaron Boots Ennis, but that fight has seemingly fallen through as well.The fight with Matias is a strong pivot and arguably just as intriguing as one with Haney or Ennis.Lopez is making his third defense of the 140-pound title. The fight will headline Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ PPV. The location for the event hasnt been announced, but it is expected to take place in the United States.Because its a PPV event, there is a possibility it could take place at Madison Square Garden or in MSGs Hulu Theater. Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) is ranked No. 1 in ESPNs and Ring Magazines junior welterweight rankings.In his last fight, Lopez earned a unanimous decision win over Steve Claggett. In February, Lopez edged out a win over Jamaine Ortiz. Neither win produced widespread acclaim because both Claggett and Ortiz were viewed as less-than-challenging opposition.MORE FOR YOUThe fight with Matias is more in line with what is expected of a star on Lopezs level.CARSON, CALIFORNIA - MAY 29: Subriel Matias (C) celebrates his eighth round TKO win against Batyr ... [+] Jukembayev during their IBF Super Lightweight World Title Eliminator at Dignity Health Sports Park on May 29, 2021 in Carson, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)Getty ImagesMatias (21-2, 21 KOs), ESPNs No. 8 boxer at junior welterweight and Ring Magazines No. 6-ranked fighter in the weight class, is looking to bounce back. He lost his IBF junior welterweight title in an upset to Liam Paro in June. Paro recently dropped the title via unanimous decision to Richardson Hitchins.Now, the 32-year-old Puerto Rican is getting another shot at winning a world title. If the fight is in New York, it would be a major attraction. Lopez is a native New Yorker, and there is a large and powerful Puerto Rican population in the city. Theres every reason to believe the fight could create an exciting atmosphere.Pay-per-view could be a different story. Its tough for any fighter in the sport not named Terence Crawford, Gervonta Davis, Canelo Alvarez, Tyson Fury, or Anthony Joshua to find an opponent that justifies a fight landing on pay-per-view.As it is, well find out how this one performs assuming it comes to fruition.Many in the fight community are beginning to wonder whats next for Haney and Ennis. Neither man appears to have an opponent lined up. Haney is coming off his crushing loss turned no decision against Ryan Garcia in March. Hes seemingly being very selective about his next move.Ennis is still undefeated, but he took some criticism for his unanimous decision win over Karen Chukhadzhian in November. Ennis didnt look overly impressive and took more shotsspecifically the left hookthan most expected.At one point, Ennis was rumored to move up to 154 pounds to fight Vergil Ortiz Jr. on the February 22 card in Saudi Arabia. Ortiz is fighting Israil Madrimov on that outstanding card instead.Perhaps Ennis-Haney is a fight that can be made at 147 pounds. That fight would be a big one for both men and one the boxing community would be eager to see.Stay tuned.

Why it matters: Steam's Best of The Year feature is one of those end-of-year events that has turned into tradition. 2024 saw a mix of older and newer games that were top sellers, and there are a couple of titles conspicuously low in the charts or missing completely. Valve never shows individual total gross revenue numbers of its best-selling titles; instead, it groups them into Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze categories.The Platinum group features some of the best releases from 2024: Space Marine 2, Helldivers 2, Black Myth: Wukong, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. You'll find all of these in our Best PC Games You Should be Playing feature.Several older games are still making their studios and publishers money -- Elden Ring and Baldur's Gate 3 are also in the Platinum group.As the chart is based on total gross revenue for the year, popular free-to-play titles with in-game transactions, including Counter-Strike 2, Apex Legends, and Destiny 2, make up the rest of the Platinum category.Scanning further down the list, it's good to see that Cyberpunk 2077 made it into the Gold group this year. After being universally panned on release, the RPG's long redemption arc has led to a Very Positive rating its 94% positive Recent Reviews rating is just 1% off Overwhelmingly Positive. // Related StoriesThe Silver Group features the likes of Dragon's Dogma 2, Diablo IV, and Stalker 2, which was only released on November 20 and recently became profitable. The FPS survival/horror sold a million units in two days impressive, considering it's also on Game Pass.The Bronze section of the best-sellers chartAs the chart is based on revenue, you'll find the excellent, budget-priced Balatro in the Bronze section. Silent Hill 2 is also here, which is a little surprising, as is Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which isn't. Another game that went from loser to winner, No Man's Sky, made enough money to enter the Bronze group this year.PC Gamer notes that every game from last year's Platinum category is somewhere in the 2024 list, with the one exception being Starfield.Steam also compiles a most-played list based on peak player numbers. The category for games with 450,000 or more peak concurrent players features the usual multiplayer games, as well as Black Myth, Elden Ring, and the recent Path of Exile 2.The rest of the charts are made up of most-popular Steam Deck games, which includes Balatro, Dave the Diver, and Hades. There is also a New Releases chart featuring Manor Lords and Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero in the Platinum section. Valve even includes a list of the top games played with a controller.

FCC regulator Brendan Carr parlayed cell-tower climbs and social-media acumen to become a leading figure in the next administration.

Chinese artificial-intelligence startups are using workarounds to challenge OpenAI despite a lack of access to advanced chips.

This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first, sign up here. Heres a question. Imagine that, for $15,000, you could purchase a robot to pitch in with all the mundane tasks in your household. The catch (aside from the price tag) is that for 80% of those tasks, the robots AI training isnt good enough for it to act on its own. Instead, its aided by a remote assistant working from the Philippines to help it navigate your home and clear your table or put away groceries. Would you want one? Thats the question at the center of my story for our magazine, published online today, on whether we will trust humanoid robots enough to welcome them into our most private spaces, particularly if theyre part of an asymmetric labor arrangement in which workers in low-wage countries perform physical tasks for us in our homes through robot interfaces. In the piece, I wrote about one robotics company called Prosper and its massive effortbringing in former Pixar designers and professional butlersto design a trustworthy household robot named Alfie. Its quite a ride. Read the story here. Theres one larger question that the story raises, though, about just how profound a shift in labor dynamics robotics could bring in the coming years. For decades, robots have found success on assembly lines and in other somewhat predictable environments. Then, in the last couple of years, robots started being able to learn tasks more quickly thanks to AI, and that has broadened their applications to tasks in more chaotic settings, like picking orders in warehouses. But a growing number of well-funded companies are pushing for an even more monumental shift. Prosper and others are betting that they dont have to build a perfect robot that can do everything on its own. Instead, they can build one thats pretty good, but receives help from remote operators anywhere in the world. If that works well enough, theyre hoping to bring robots into jobs that most of us would have guessed couldn't be automated: the work of hotel housekeepers, care providers in hospitals, or domestic help. Almost any indoor physical labor is on the table, Prospers founder and CEO, Shariq Hashme, told me. Until now, weve mostly thought about automation and outsourcing as two separate forces that can affect the labor market. Jobs might be outsourced overseas or lost to automation, but not both. A job that couldnt be sent offshore and could not yet be fully automated by machines, like cleaning a hotel room, wasnt going anywhere. Now, advancements in robotics are promising that employers can outsource such a job to low-wage countries without needing the technology to fully automate it. Its a tall order, to be clear. Robots, as advanced as theyve gotten, may find it difficult to move around complex environments like hotels and hospitals, even with assistance. That will take years to change. However, robots will only get more nimble, as will the systems that enable them to be controlled from halfway around the world. Eventually, the bets made by these companies may pay off. What would that mean? One, the labor movements battle with AIwhich this year has focused its attention on automation at ports and generative AIs theft of artists workwill have a whole new battle to fight. It wont just be dock workers, delivery drivers, and actors seeking contracts to protect their jobs from automationit will be hospitality and domestic workers too, along with many others. Second, our expectations of privacy would radically shift. People buying those hypothetical household robots would have to be comfortable with the idea that someone that they have never met is seeing their dirty laundryliterally and figuratively. Some of those changes might happen sooner rather than later. For robots to learn how to navigate places effectively, they need training data, and this year has already seen a race to collect new data sets to help them learn. To achieve their ambitions for teleoperated robots, companies will expand their search for training data to hospitals, workplaces, hotels, and more. Now read the rest of The Algorithm Deeper Learning This is where the data to build AI comes from AI developers often dont really know or share much about the sources of the data they are using, and the Data Provenance Initiative, a group of over 50 researchers from both academia and industry, wanted to fix that. They dug into 4,000 public data sets spanning over 600 languages, 67 countries, and three decades to understand whats feeding todays top AI models, and how that will affect the rest of us. Why it matters: AI is being incorporated into everything, and what goes into the AI models determines what comes out. However, the team found that AI's data practices risk concentrating power overwhelmingly in the hands of a few dominant technology companies, a shift from how AI models were being trained just a decade ago. Over 90% of the data sets that the researchers analyzed came from Europe and North America, and over 70% of data for both speech and image data sets comes from YouTube. This concentration means that AI models are unlikely to capture all the nuances of humanity and all the ways that we exist, says Sara Hooker, a researcher involved in the project. Read more from MelissaHeikkil. Bits and Bytes In the shadows of Arizonas data center boom, thousands live without power As new research shows that AIs emissions have soared, Arizona is expanding plans for AI data centers while rejecting plans to finally provide electricity to parts of the Navajo Nations land. (Washington Post) AI is changing how we study bird migration After decades of frustration, machine-learning tools are unlocking a treasure trove of acoustic data for ecologists. (MIT Technology Review) OpenAI unveils a more advanced reasoning model in race with Google The new o3 model, unveiled during a livestreamed event on Friday, spends more time computing an answer before responding to user queries, with the goal of solving more complex multi-step problems. (Bloomberg) How your car might be making roads safer Researchers say data from long-haul trucks and General Motors cars is critical for addressing traffic congestion and road safety. Data privacy experts have concerns. (New York Times)

Another year is coming to a close, so lets look back at the MIT Technology Review stories that resonated most with you, our readers. We published hundreds of stories in 2024, about AI, climate tech, biotech, robotics, space, and more. There were six new issues of our magazine, on themes including food, play, and hidden worlds. We launched two newsletters, to share tech industry analysis from our editor in chief and to step people through the basics of AI. And we hosted 11 exclusive conversations with our editors and experts in our subscriber-only event series, Roundtables. What did people enjoy most? Heres a quick look at some of the stories that performed best with our audience: 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2024 Every year as we compile this annual list, we look for promising technologies poised to have a real impact on the world. It represents the advances that we think matter most, and the 2024 edition included weight-loss drugs, chiplets, and the first gene-editing treatment. The 2025 list is dropping in early January. To find out what made the cut, join us for a special live Roundtables event, Unveiling the 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2025, on Friday, January 3, at 12:30 p.m. ET. This is a subscriber-only event. Register to attend or subscribe for access.) What is AI? Everyone thinks they know, but no one can agree. Senior editor Will Douglas Heaven explored the problem in this in-depth feature storyand explained why it matters for all of our futures. He covers the origins of modern AI and digs into the ongoing debate among experts about this technologys capabilities and potential. The AI Hype Index Theres no denying AI moves fast, and it can be hard to know whats worth your attention. Thats why we started plotting everything you need to know about the state of AI in a new matrix, along axes that run from Hype to Real and Doom to Utopia. What are AI agents? Major tech companies are now developing AI tools that can do more complex tasks, like sending emails or booking plane tickets, on your behalf. Heres how they will work. Super-efficient solar cells: 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2024 Solar cells that combine traditional silicon with cutting-edge perovskites could push the efficiency of solar panels to new heights. Thats why we put them on our list of the 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2024. Happy birthday, baby! What the future holds for those born today As part of our 125th anniversary issue, contributor Kara Platoni spoke with a dozen experts to sketch out how technology might influence the life of someone born today over the next 125 years. The messy quest to replace drugs with electricity In the 2010s, the field of electroceuticals was born, attracting much fanfare and investment. Contributor Sally Adee explored how the field fizzled and how its being revived as an effort to turn gene expression on and off with electric fields. 15 Climate Tech Companies to Watch For the second annual edition of this list, our reporters and editors chose 15 companies from around the world that we think have the best shot at making a difference on climate change. Weight-loss drugs: 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2024 Drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro have quickly become embedded into American life. In 2024, they even earned a place on our 10 Breakthrough Technologies list. The long-term implications are unknown, but plenty of people are using semaglutides anyway, and many lose around 15% of their body weight. Don't miss out on even more emerging technology coverage and subscriber-only stories.Subscribe today for unlimited accessto expert insights that you can't find anywhere else.

Emily Schildt, 37, is a veteran brand marketer and CEO of Pop Up Grocer, a boutique grocery store.Pop Up Grocer, which has been called NYC's answer to Erewhon, has plans to expand across the US.Its success thanks to Gen Z viewing a pantry stocked with pricey snacks as a status symbol.Emily Schildt is a millennial, but if you peeked into her pantry, you could easily mistake her for Gen Z.Bank of America reported Gen Z customers spent more at premium grocery stores than any other generation in 2024. Younger consumers are more likely to buy luxury grocery items as they become priced out of more expensive purchases, like a house or designer handbag.Schildt, 37, gets the hype. The self-proclaimed "peanut butter connoisseur" currently has two spreads on rotation in her Brooklyn home: One Trick Pony Nuts, a peanut butter made of Argentine peanuts and Patagonian sea salt, and Pistakio's pistachio spread. Together the two jars retail at over $25.Schildt, the CEO of Pop Up Grocer, is accustomed to the price of luxury condiments. She launched the boutique grocery store in 2019 to spotlight the newest modern food and beverage brands. Schildt founded Pop Up Grocer in 2019. Brian Bills The brand's first brick-and-store opened last year in the West Village. TikTokers dubbed Pop Up Grocer as New York City's answer to Erewhon an upscale market chain in Los Angeles known as a celebrity hotspot and for pricing essentials like milk for $20.Schildt was working as marketer for small food companies and saw firsthand how difficult it was for her clients to succeed at large retailers."You can obviously have a great product and a wonderful story to tell, but ultimately, it was really difficult, if not impossible, to find a shelf on which to sell your product," Schildt said.That realization led her to launch Pop Up Grocer in 2019. Schildt told Business Insider, "I started as a single pop-up store here in New York and it was just 10 days long and it was really successful. So we went on to do nine more of those." Pop up Grocer raised a $3 million seed round in 2021.Now, the company has evolved into a permanent store. Schildt said the store, which opened in 2023, has been successful "in terms of year-over-year growth.""We have been fortunate to operate every unit since our start profitably," she said, adding "I'm very proud and excited about that.""Now we are putting plans in place and making inroads to open a second store," she said.Gen Z is redefining groceries as a luxuryThe last four years haven't been without challenges.First, there was the not-so-small hurdle of launching Pop Up Grocer during a worldwide pandemic. "It was wild," Schildt said, adding that she felt it has had a lasting impact on consumers.People might be more "flush with cash" nowadays, she said, but "they're being very reserved about how they're spending it."However, one demographic isn't afraid of splurging on pantry products: Gen Z. BI previously reported that Gen Zers are spending more on expensive snacks, food, and beverages than ever. Schildt echoed this, telling BI the generation has redefined groceries as "a more accessible luxury product." Pop Up Grocer plans to expand to more brick-and-mortar stores. Brian Bills "A $20 Hailey Bieber smoothie from Erewhon might give you some clout among your peers and social audience," she said. Similarly, at Pop Up Grocer, some of the most expensive snacks have the highest sales in revenue.A $20 Coconut Cult yogurt is small potatoes compared to a luxury handbag, but it still gives you a feeling of indulgence, Schildt said.The Sephora of Food RetailLike many CEOs, Schildt does some of her best problem-solving and ideating on the shop floor."I learned that I didn't really know my customers at all until, you know, I sat in our caf for a week and watched how people use the store, what they're buying, and how they interact with our team."It's a strategy that Schildt used long before she opened the first Pop Up Grocer store. When asked about the Erewhon comparisons, Schildt said, "Erewhon is my Mecca," adding, "I went many times as a point of inspiration for starting my business. To go in there and to find camel milk as a concept was really sort of inspiring."In the aisles of Erewhon, Schildt asked herself: "If I'm using the store in this way for discovery and inspiration, why isn't there a store that is created specifically for that purpose?" Schildt wants Pop Up Grocer to be the Sephora of grocery stores. Brian Bill Enter Pop Up Grocer."Ultimately, our goal is to be the Sephora, if you will, of food and beverage, of grocery," she said, "a place for discovering new brands and new products, for prioritizing, as a company, new brands and underrepresented and under-resourced founders across the US."Aspirational grocery shopping is a promising market for Schildt to bet her success on. Erewhon made an estimated profit of $171 million last year and told Bloomberg it averages four times the annual revenue per square foot of other groceries. Bayley & Sage, a luxury independent grocery store in London, saw a 29% increase in revenue last year, according to the Financial Times. Schildt wouldn't say where she plans to open the next Pop Up Grocer, though Los Angeles, a hub for the rich and famous of America, does seem like a logical next step.If Pop up Grocer does head west, Erewhon should brace for some friendly competition, which Schildt said is necessary to grow the category."The more the merrier," she added.