When I was a college student, I decided to skip studying abroad.There were many reasons, but mainly, I wanted to stay with my boyfriend and roommate on campus.Now, as a mother of two, I regret that decision to travel freely at a young age.I went to a liberal arts college that felt, at times, like a four-year sleepaway camp.After spending high school studying, not dating, and having no social life, college was a dream come true. During freshman year, I snagged a great roommate, several lifelong friends, and a boyfriend.When it came time to decide if I should study abroad, it was sophomore year, and I was still going strong with my roommate, friends, and boyfriend. I didn't want to leave them, so I decided not to study abroad.I'm big on accepting my past decisions, but this one, to decline the opportunity to study abroad, is one of my persisting regrets.I didn't study abroad for a few reasonsWhen asked, I told people I "couldn't" go abroad and still graduate on time. I was a double major and trying to minor in classics. There were quite a few graduation requirements I'd yet to take, and I remember thinking it would be hard to get all my credits for general ed and my majors while abroad. I didn't want my senior year of college to be spent scrambling to graduate.If I'm being honest with myself, though, I was scared. I wasn't good at learning languages, so I'd either have to go somewhere English-speaking or put forth a significant effort to gain mediocre language skills in order to navigate another country. I wasn't a very chill traveler, had only ever traveled with family, and liked my comfort foods and spaces.But my biggest fear was that I would miss out on a great social life I built. Socially, my life had never been better. I'd found a home at my school, had friends who were like family, and was in a relationship. He told me he wasn't planning to go abroad either for similar reasons: He also had a competitive major and liked his life the way it was. I didn't want to miss a moment with those people.I regretted my decision the following yearI was immensely lucky and privileged to be at college: A scholarship and my parents paid my tuition. I should've taken the opportunity given to me at that time, so it was short-sighted not to have the chance and study a culture other than my own.My junior year ended up being one of the most stressful times of my life. The boyfriend and I broke up and got back together and then we had even more issues. Many of my friends were abroad either for one semester or the whole year, including my previous roommate. Her replacement for the fall semester and I were, to put it mildly, a bad fit. I never felt so alone as I did those first few months of junior year.I regretted not going abroad, but I was still nervous to do so because my on-and-off-again boyfriend was still on campus.Years later, I still imagine what my life would be like if I did study abroadLooking back 20 years later, I wish I'd just gone on my own little adventure. It would have been good for me to stretch my comfort zone at 20 when I was able to move more freely than I am now that I'm financially and physically responsible for myself and two kids.Because I married that college boyfriend, had two children, and then divorced in 2020, I often wonder if it was worth staying behind for him.I honestly think it was a sliding doors moment, and my entire life would be different today if I'd taken the opportunity. While I'd like to think I learned from my junior year experiences, I think I could have gotten there faster with a little physical distance from the place and people I'd come to rely on for emotional regulation.The "Friends" finale aired in the spring of my freshman year when I was entrenched in these relationships. Rachel famously gets off the plane, doesn't go to Paris, and gives up her dream career. We were supposed to think her staying with her friends and baby-daddy/sometimes boyfriend was the peak of romance. Now, I wish that both Rachel and I had gotten on that plane and taken the chance on the unknown.

While video game adaptations have been on a steady resurgence for some time, 2024 may have been one of the busiest years yet. Prime Video boasted Fallout, Like a Dragon, andSecret Levelwhile Netflix toutedArcanesfinal season andTomb Raider: Legend of Lara Croft.Sonic 3is currently killing it in theaters, andBorderlandswell, it came out. And thats just the high-profile stuff: you mightve forgotten or not known that Dead Cellsgot an animated series over in France, or that Paramount put out a show for Ark: Survival Evolved,which was surprisingly fun. Its safe to say that Hollywood is now hoping video games can become a new profit driver, especially since some of these shows have picked up major award nominations and wins and 2023s Mariomovie made over $1 billion in theaters. In fact, Marios success led some to wonder if game adaptations would replace superhero movies as the new hotness, which seemed to be losing their shine prior to Deadpool & Wolverinethis past summer. Like how 2025 will test if superheroes are truly back, video games have some heavy hitters that may determine how things go these next few years: at time of writing, we know to expect the Devil May Cry adaptation and new seasons for The Last of Us andCastlevania: Nocturne, plusMinecraft, Mortal Kombat 2, Five Nights at Freddys 2,andUntil Dawnon the big screen. Other previously announced adaptations forWatch Dogs, Among Us,and whatever else are currently TBD, if they even still exist at all. Netflix In some ways, things havent changed; go back a decade or two, and youll find plenty of games had movies or TV shows announced that ultimately never went anywhere. (Case in point, we learned in November a movie based on the Splinter Cellgamesfirst announced waaaaaaaay back in2005was dead.) Theres always a chance Netflix doesnt make those Gears of WarorBioShockmovies it previously announced, ditto CapcomsStreet Fighterfilm, and so on, since thats just how things roll sometimes. But what might give this new resurgence of game adaptations a better overall chance is several developers being more involved this time around; Nintendo actively had a hand in theMariomovie and its upcomingLegend of Zeldafilm, Capcom basically pitchedDevil May CryLast of Usseries. Having the developers in the kitchen isnt essential,but as Riot Games guiding hand for Arcane showed, it can be an extra sell to fans of those games to know the creatives behind them arent just sitting back and cashing a check. Another way in which game adaptations have changed? Many games are tangibly benefitting from these hitting the small or silver screen. Both Falloutand Last of Usfamously saw spikes in sales and player numbers after their respective jumps to a new medium, and even Borderlands benefitted, despite its movie being a massive non-starter. Not every developer has been entirely forthcoming as to the impact of these expansions, but what results there are show everybody can win from this. Its something game publishers have picked on upShadow Generations got a DLC pack featuring Keanu Reeves voicing the antihero hedgehog as he does inSonic 3, andEpic Games put out character skins forUnreal TournamentinFortniteahead of the long-dormant shooters episode inSecret Level.Making games takes a lot of time nowadays, and as the number of game adaptations grow, both will end up playing off the other. Some Secret Levelepisodes focused on games that had either recently come out or wont be out for another few years; its divisive, sci-fi horror-themed episode for Pac-Manended up being a surprise lead-in for next years action-adventure titleShadow Labyrinth. Back in October, Sony released a remake forUntil Dawnthat seemed to fizzle in sales, but will likely gain more traction when its movie hits in April 2025 (or whenever it gets its first trailer). By that same token, its easy to imagine Naughty Dog spent the last five years remaking the twoLast of Usgamesso viewers of the show would fork over $60 or $70 to see how Ellie and Joels stories played out (and differ) in video game form. And knowing Nintendo, it probably doesnt have a Mario game or three explicitly made to coincide with 2026s Mario, but it certainly wouldnt hurt to have those on hand, right? Netflix / Powerhouse Animation As is the case with superhero movies, game adaptations will go through a trial and error period as developers and Hollywood try to find some kind of happy place. It wont be without without its lossesright now, its not entirely clear if Riot will get to make good on its promise of Arcanefollow-ups, and its equally telling that Castlevania: Nocturnedirectors Sam and Adam Deats have explicitly called on fans to watch season two next year as the crew waits to find out if theyve been renewed. Both the game and film/TV industries have been notably quick to bet big, and in several cases, came up shorter than they (or anyone) couldve anticipated. Well just have to wait and see how things play outheres hoping such a collapse of the games-to-TV/film pipeline doesnt take either the developer or film studio with it. 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.

It doesn't take long for the Oceanic Flight 815 survivors to realize they're not alone on the island. Besides the Smoke Monster, there are other inhabitants and as Lost progresses, others make it onto the island as well. Some of these other characters end up being just as important on the show as the Season 1 survivors.

The relationship between children and parents is a significant theme in Dandadan season 1. Seiko and Momo's bond is one example. Then there's season 1, episode 7, "To a Kinder World," which focuses on Acro-Silky's life as a single mother. However, Dandadan has not given viewers any information regarding Okarun's parents.

While the name Abyssal Horror may sound terrifying, these creatures aren't as dangerous. The scariest part about Abyssal Horrors is how much time you may spend playing No Man's Sky looking for one of them.

NASA said on Friday that it received a signal from the Parker Solar Probe confirming that the spacecraft had survived its closest ever flyby of the sun. The approach took it just 3.8 million miles from the surface, passing within the suns corona and allowing for unprecedented data collection in the vicinity of a star. A few million miles might seem like a pretty great distance, but to put things in perspective, NASA explains, If the solar system was scaled down with the distance between the sun and Earth the length of a football field, Parker Solar Probe would be just four yards from the end zone.The probes current orbit takes it closest to the sun about every three months. Itll swing back around for two more close flybys in 2025, on March 22 and June 19. The probe is expected to transmit the data from its latest close approach soon, once its in a better location to do so. The data that will come down from the spacecraft will be fresh information about a place that we, as humanity, have never been, said Joe Westlake, the director of the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters. Its an amazing accomplishment.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/parker-solar-probe-survived-its-close-approach-to-the-sun-and-will-make-two-more-in-2025-180350510.html?src=rss

Netflix relies on its rivals technology to deliver its own service and doesnt know how much its paying.

Consumer electronics and iPhone accessory maker Zagg is letting customers know that credit card transactions between October 26 and November 7, 2024 may have been compromised due to a hack of a third-party payment processor.Zagg's customer information has been compromised via a third-party hack.Zagg, based in Utah, makes products such as keyboards, phone cases, screen protectors, power banks, and other accessories. It uses BigCommerce to process credit card transactions on its website, which also provides an app called FreshClicks for creating commerce-friendly websites.It was discovered that an attacker was able to breach the FreshClicks app, injecting malicious code that stole customers' card details, reports BeepingComputer. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

With 2025 and the New Year quickly approaching, now is the time to score some last-minute holiday deals. Here are the best deals for Saturday, December 28. Persona 5 Royal for $14.88Persona 5 Royal - Nintendo Switch (Digital)Today, Walmart has digital Nintendo Switch copies of Persona 5 Royal available on sale for only $14.88. Acting as the definitive version of P5, Persona 5 Royal is one of the must-play RPG experiences of the last generation. This game offers well over 100 hours of content, making this an excellent deal. HORI Split Pad Compact for $39.99HORI Nintendo Switch Split Pad Compact (Light Gray & Yellow)The HORI Split Pad Compact is one of the best ergonomic controllers you can buy for the Nintendo Switch. Attaching like standard Joy-Con, the Split Pad Compact slides onto each side of your Switch and immediately widens the console. This makes longer handheld play sessions much more comfortable and bearable over time, especially if you have larger hands. Gran Turismo 7 for $19.97Gran Turismo 7 - PlayStation 5Walmart has Gran Turismo 7 available for $19.97 today, and this is a perfect last-minute gift for the racing fan in your life. This is still one of the PlayStation 5's best games, with hundreds of hours worth of fun at your hands. You can test and drive over 500 cars in total. Plus, you can even play Gran Turismo 7 in VR with PlayStation VR 2!Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition for $44.99Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive EditionIf you recently completed the Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, this is the perfect game for you. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Defintive Edition is the newest mainline title in the series, and there is so much it offers. For many, this is one of the best Dragon Quest games out there, and you can't go wrong picking this up for only $44.99.Persona 3 Reload for $24.97Persona 3 Reload: Standard Edition - PlayStation 5Persona 3 Reload is one of the best RPGs of the year. This remake recreates one of the most praised Atlus titles ever, with loads of new quality-of-life and gameplay features. An all-new voice cast debuted with this release, and each cutscene was remade with new assets for higher quality. If you've never jumped into the world of Persona before, this is a great place to start, especially at this price. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for $39.99PlayStation 5Final Fantasy 7 RebirthAmazon Exclusive EditionFinal Fantasy VII Rebirth was one of 2024's biggest games, continuing the story from 2020's Final Fantasy VII Remake. Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barret, and Red XIII begin their journey outside Midgar, meeting characters like Yuffie, Vincent, and Cid along the way. This experience offers well over 100 hours of content, with 36 sidequests and a main story over 40 hours long. Plus, there are dozens of minigames to discover.Save on WD_BLACK Xbox Series X|S Expansion CardsWD_BLACK 2TB C50 Expansion CardWD_Black 1TB C50 Expansion CardBoth Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S cannot use standard NVMe SSDs. Instead, you can expand the storage of the internal SSD by plugging in an expansion card. Today, you can save on both a 1TB and 2TB model from WD_BLACK, which is perfect for downloading many more games to your system. If you find yourself quickly running out of storage, don't pass up this sale. Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics for $34.99Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics - Nintendo SwitchYou can score Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics for only $34.99 this weekend at Amazon. This collection packs in seven different titles, including the beloved Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes. At last, you can play these classic titles on modern platforms. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD for $39.99The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HDThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is the long-awaited remaster of the classic Wii game. Set at the beginning of the Zelda timeline, Skyward Sword takes Link to the skies as he traverses across the world to save his childhood friend Zelda. You'll uncover the Master Sword was created as part of this journey, among other things. For $39.99, this is an excellent title to add to your Switch collection.Save 30% Off The HORI Fighting Commander OCTA (Street Fighter 6 Cammy Edition) HORI Fighting Commander OCTA (Street Fighter 6 Cammy Edition) If you're searching for a new fighting game fightpad, look no further than this HORI Fighting Commander OCTA. Compatible with both Windows 11 and Windoews 10, this tournament grade controller features microswitch buttons, a six-button layout, accurate D-Pad, analog slide pad, and more. Plus, this particular model features art of Cammy in Street Fighter 6!Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven for $39.99Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the SevenRomancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is arguably the best entry point into the SaGa series at this time. Acting as a full 3D remake of the 1993 release, this game features English and Japanese voiceovers, rearranged music, retooled gameplay, and more. If you're still unsure about Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, you can check out the free demo across all platforms! Xenoblade Chronicles 2 for $44.99Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Nintendo SwitchXenoblade Chronicles 2 follows the story of Rex and the Aegis, who aim to reach the fabled land of Elysium. This massive RPG takes place across the world of Alrest, a land covered in clouds, where there are only a few landmasses remaining. With incredible music, exciting gameplay, and a memorable story, this is a fantastic deal for only $44.99. Simply put, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is one of the best games available on Nintendo Switch. I've put over 600 hours into the massive adventure, with all sorts of quests and exploration to be discovered. WD_BLACK NVMe SSDs On SaleWD_BLACK 1TB SN850X NVMe Internal Gaming SSDWD_BLACK 2TB SN850X NVMe Internal Gaming SSDWD_BLACK 4TB SN850X NVMe Internal Gaming SSDFinally, you can save on WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSDs. These are perfect for any gaming PC, and you can even use one of these in a PlayStation 5, as long as you have a heatsink attached. The SN850X has speeds up to 7,3000 MB/s acoss all models, which is essential for quick and speedy load times. If you're purchasing for PS5, there are heatsink models available, though the sale on the standard models makes these SSDs much cheaper. Pokmon Legends: Arceus for $44.99Pokmon Legends: ArceusPokmon Legends: Arceus is often praised as one of the best Pokmon games available on the Switch. This original title takes place far in the past, somewhere in the Hisui region. With a focus on exploration, you can freely walk all around the map to capture Pokmon, explore different environments, and so much more. You can save $15 at Best Buy this weekend on the best Pokmon experience Switch has to offer.

This list contains shows whose networks made their cancellation announcements in 2024, even if a show won't air its final season until 2025 or beyond.We're keeping a running list of all of the TV shows that have been cancelled, or ended, or announced to be ending here in 2024.Curb Your Enthusiasm, Chucky, The Acolyte, Arcane, Young Sheldon, Halo, The Umbrella Academy, and What We Do In the Shadows are just some of the notable series leaving us this year, as well as final seasons being announced for The Boys, The Witcher, and Squid Game.A few long-running network shows also closed up shop in 2024, including S.W.A.T., SEAL Team, The Good Doctor, Station 19, and a couple CSI/NCIS entries. On the spinoff front, we lost Grown-ish, Dead Boy Detectives, and Orphan Black: Echoes. Paramount's new Golden Era of Star Trek is still chugging along -- with Section 31, Starfleet Academy, and more Strange New Worlds on the way -- but we saw the conclusions of both Star Trek: Discovery and Star Treks: Lower Decks. And speaking of eras, a big one ended with The CW axing Walker, All American: Homecoming, and Superman & Lois, leaving All American as the network's only scripted series.For a look at all of the cancelled or ending shows announced in 2024, check out the gallery below:Every Cancelled and Ending TV Show Announced in 2024TV Shows Cancelled and Ending TV Show Announced in 20249-1-1: Lone Star is airing its fifth and final season (Fox)Alex Rider aired its third and final season (Freevee)All American: Homecoming was cancelled after three seasons in June (The CW)American Born Chinese was cancelled after one season in January (Disney+)American Rust was cancelled (again) after a second season (Prime Video)Arcane ended after two seasons (Netflix)PlayAvatar: The Last Airbender was renewed for a second and third (final) season in March (Netflix)Beacon 23 was cancelled after two seasons (MGM+)Big Mouth will air its eighth and final season in 2025 (Netflix)Black Cake was cancelled after one season (Hulu)Blood of Zeus was renewed for a third and final season in July (Netflix)Blue Bloods is ending with Season 14 (CBS)Bob Hearts Abishola ended after five seasons (CBS)Bosch: Legacy's third and final season will air in 2025 (Freevee)Bupkis will end after one season (Peacock)Chucky was cancelled after three seasons (USA/Syfy)PlayClone High was cancelled after two seasons in July (Max)Constellation was cancelled after one season in May (Apple TV+)CSI: Vegas was cancelled after three seasons in April (CBS)Curb Your Enthusiasm ended after Season 12 (HBO)Dave was cancelled after three seasons (FXX)Dead Boy Detectives was cancelled after one season (Netflix)Death and Other Details was cancelled after one season (Hulu)Evil ended with its fourth season (CBS/Paramount+)Extended Family was cancelled after one season (NBC)Good Trouble ended with its fifth season (Freeform)Grown-ish ended with its sixth season (Freeform)Halo was cancelled after two seasons in July (Paramount+)PlayHigh School was cancelled after one season (Freevee)Heartbreak High was renewed for a third and final season (Netflix)Hightown ended with its third season (Starz)HouseBroken was cancelled after two seasons in May (Fox)Julia was cancelled after two seasons in January (Max)Kaos was cancelled after one season (Netflix)La Brea ended with Season 3 (NBC)Life & Beth was cancelled after two seasons (Hulu)Magnum, P.I. ended with its fifth season (CBS/NBC)Minx was cancelled after two seasons in January (Max/Starz)My Brilliant Friend ended after four seasons (HBO)My Dad the Bounty Hunter was cancelled after two seasons in June (Netflix)My Lady Jane was cancelled after one season (Prime Video) NCIS: Hawai'i was cancelled after three seasons in April (CBS)Not Dead Yet was cancelled after two seasons in May (ABC)Obliterated ended after one season (Netflix)Orphan Black: Echoes was cancelled after one season (AMC/AMC+/BBC America)Orphan Black: Echoes Season 1 GalleryOur Flag Means Death was cancelled after two seasons (Max)Outer Range was cancelled after two seasons (Prime Video)Parish was cancelled after one season (AMC)Power Book IV: Force will end with its third season (Starz)Pretty Little Liars was cancelled after two seasons (Max)Primo was cancelled after one season (Freevee)Quantum Leap was cancelled after two seasons in April (NBC)Rap Sh!t was cancelled after two seasons (Max)Ratched was cancelled after one season (Netflix)Raven's Home was not renewed and ended after six seasons (Disney Channel)Reginald the Vampire was cancelled after two seasons in July (Syfy)Run the Burbs ended with Season 3 (The CW)S.W.A.T. is ending with Season 8 (CBS)Scavengers Reign was cancelled after one season (Max)Schmigadoon was not renewed for a third season (Apple TV+)SEAL Team ended with Season 7 (CBS/Paramount+)Secrets of Sulphur Springs was cancelled after three seasons (Disney Channel)So Help Me Todd was cancelled after two seasons in April (CBS)Squid Game will end with Season 3 in 2025 (Netflix)Star Trek: Discovery ended with Season 5 (Paramount+)Star Trek: Lower Decks will end with Season 5 (Paramount+)Star Wars: The Bad Batch ended after three seasons (Disney+)Station 19 ended with Season 7 (ABC)Superman & Lois will end with Season 4 (The CW)Sweet Tooth ended with Season 3 (Netflix)Tacoma FD was cancelled after four seasons in February (truTV)That '90s Show was cancelled after two seasons (Netflix)The Acolyte was cancelled after one season (Disney+)The Big Door Prize was cancelled after two seasons in June (Apple TV+)The Boys will end with its fifth season in 2026 (Prime Video)PlayThe Brothers Sun was cancelled after one season (Netflix)The Conners will end with its seventh season in 2025 (ABC)The Flight Attendant was cancelled after two seasons in Janaury (Max)The Girls on the Bus was cancelled after one season (Max)The Good Doctor ended with Season 7 (ABC)The Handmaid's Tale will end with Season 6 in 2025 (Hulu)The Other Black Girl was cancelled after one season in May (Hulu)The Serpent Queen cancelled after two seasons (Starz)The Talk is ending with Season 15 (CBS)The Umbrella Academy ended with Season 4 (Netflix)The Upshaws was renewed for a fifth and final season (Netflix)The Winter King was cancelled after one season (MGM+)The Witcher was renewed for fifth and final season (Netflix)This Fool was cancelled after two seasons (Hulu)Time Bandits was cancelled after one season (Apple TV+)Tokyo Vice was cancelled after two seasons in June (Max)Uncoupled ended after one season because Showtime unrenewed Season 2 (Netflix/Showtime)UnPrisoned was cancelled after two seasons in September (Hulu)Unstable was cancelled after two seasons (Netflix)Upload was renewed for a fourth and final season (Prime Video)Velma was cancelled after two seasons in October (Max)Vikings: Valhalla ended with Season 3 (Netflix)Walker was cancelled after four seasons (The CW)We're Here was cancelled after four season (HBO)What If...? will end with its third season (Disney+)What We Do in the Shadows will end with its sixth season (FX)PlayWolf Pack was cancelled after one season (Paramount+) Yellowstone is ending with Season 5 (Paramount Network)Young Sheldon ended with Season 7 (CBS)