RISE Visual Effects Studios has unveiled its new showreel, featuring jaw-dropping visual effects from some of the biggest recent blockbusters. The reel showcases RISEs incredible work on blockbuster films such as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Fallout, Megalopolis, and Red One.It marks this special edition on the studios commitment to exploring the boundaries in VFX artistry. With breathtaking space battles and intricate cityscapes and high-octane action sequences, RISE continues to break new ground for cinematic visual effects.With their attention to detail and breakthrough techniques, RISE has established itself at the forefront of the VFX industry, transforming filmmakers imaginations into moving pictures that attract viewers worldwide.The post RISE REEL 2025 Hyper Championship Special Edition appeared first on Vfxexpress.

Usually I type my initial thoughts for these columns on a computer, but this week I wrote them in a paper notebook instead.Ive never been much of a paper person. Although I did carry around a reporters notebook for a newspaper job in the pre-iPhone era, I prefer to file my thoughts away in digital form, where they can be categorized, backed up online, and accessed from any device.But after a recent office cleaning project yielded a stack of unusedField Notes notebooksalong with a couple of nice pens that Id accumulated as gifts over the yearsIve been inspired to give paper notes another try as a supplement to my digital note-taking.This story first appeared inAdvisorator, Jareds weekly tech advice newsletter.Sign up for freeto get more tips every Tuesday.The case for paper notesAlready I can see why paper notes endure.Theres the obvious stuff: Paper is cheap, you dont have to keep it charged, and it never nags you for in-app purchases. At worst you just buy more of it.Theres also the immediacy factor: You dont have to think about which app to use or which folder to open. Should you decide to digitize a handwritten notemore on that shortlyyou can still write first and categorize later.Paper notes are more relaxing to work with as well. I started scribbling some things down while watching baseball on a recent evening, and it felt less stressful than having a glowing screen in my face and keyboard in my lap. The lack of immediate distractions within a few finger swipes is also helpful.Perhaps best of allat least for meis that you cant delete what youve written in ink. Ive tried using an iPad with an Apple Pencil for handwritten notes and havereviewed a few digital writing tablets, and they always feel counterproductive to me. As an obsessive self-editor, I cant resist the erase and undo tools that digital notepads provide. The only option with paper is to forge ahead.None of this means that Im ditching digital notes.I still stash quick bits of info inGoogle Keepwhen Im out and about, and I make extensive use ofObsidianto plan my week, organize story ideas, and write my actual drafts. For interviews, I still rely onNotability, an iPad app that syncs handwritten notes and audio recordings together (though Im also starting to weave in Apples Voice Notes app for automatic transcription).But just as Ive carved out distinct roles for each of those apps, I can foresee a place for paper as well. At the very least, it helped with putting this column together.Digitizing handwritten notesWhile I dont intend to immediately digitize all my handwritten notes, I like the idea of scanning completed notebooks for archival purposes, and the apps that Ive previously recommended for document scanning work just as well for handwritten pages:On iOS:Open the Files app, press the button, and select Scan Documents.On Android:Open the Google Drive app, then press the Camera button.Scanning pages in Files for iOS (left) and Google Drive for Android (right)Both apps will open a camera mode so you can point at your notes, and theyll automatically scan and crop each page with no need to even hit the shutter button between scans. Once you get in a rhythm, you can turn an entire notebook into a PDF file in just a few minutes.There are also a bunch of free ways to convert that handwriting into text:iOS and MacOS: Just select the text in your PDF file as if it were a printed document. Apples system will automatically detect and highlight the text, which you can then copy and paste elsewhere. (On a Mac, you can even hit Cmd+A to select the entire document.)Windows:If youve installedMicrosoft PowerToys, press Win+Shift+T to select a section of your notes and copy the text to your clipboard. Alternatively, a free program calledNAPS2can make text selectable in PDF files.Any web browser:Open your PDF in Google Drive, then use the Open with drop-down menu at the top and select Google Docs. This will create a new document with all the handwriting converted to text.One more trick:Try uploading a PDF to GooglesNotebookLMAI tool to generate a summary, brainstorm further ideas, orstrangest of allturn your notes into a podcast.Unfortunately my handwriting tends to stump even the most sophisticated text recognition systems, but perhaps youll fare a bit better.This story first appeared inAdvisorator, Jareds weekly tech advice newsletter.Sign up for freeto get more tips every Tuesday.

The Gigabyte M27U hides versatility and reliability under an unassuming design.

Peter CleggSource: Feilden Clegg Bradley StudiosThe National Trust HQ by Feilden Clegg Bradley StudiosSource: Simon Doling1/2show captionPeter Clegg, senior partner and co-founder of Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, has been awarded an OBE in the New Years Honours List for services to architecture.Clegg foundedFeilden Clegg Design with Richard Fielden in 1978.Cleggs work at the practice has included headquarters for environmental organisations such as Greenpeace, the National Trust, and the Woodland Trust.These buildings featured passive design principles, such as natural ventilation, daylighting, and thermal mass, intended to reduce energy consumption..In response to the award, Clegg said: I regard this honour as one which acknowledges the long history of the practice in promoting environmentally and socially responsible architecture.Architecture is a collaborative discipline, and the recognition needs to be shared by the hundreds of people over the years that have been part of the practice and the thousands of consultants contractors and clients that have worked on projects that have allowed us to explore a new approach to architectural design.Beyond his architectural practice, Clegg is also a professor of architecture at the University of Bath and chair of trustees at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.Source: Battersea Power Station Development CompanySimon MurphySimon Murphy, who served as CEO of the Battersea Power Station Development Company until March 2024, has been awarded an OBE for services to real estate, heritage, and the community in London.Reflecting on his tenure at the time of stepping down, he said: It has been a huge honour to have played a part in delivering such a special addition to the London landscape.While there have been many challenges along the way these have been more than eclipsed by the many remarkable highlights such as bringing the iconic Grade II* listed building back to life after a thorough restoration and collaborating with Transport for London to deliver the first extension to the London Underground in 25 years.Murphy worked on the Battersea Power Station development for 11 years, six of which were as CEO, overseeing the completion of the first three key phases of the project.> Also read:Battersea power station: the remarkable journey from ruin to rejuvenationAmos SimboAmos Simbo, founder of Black Professionals in Construction, has been awarded an OBE for services to the construction industry and to diversity. Simbo is managing director and founder of Winway Group,an independent M&E consultancy.In response, he said: Im truly humbled to have been honoured with an OBE in the Kings New Years Honours representing construction. Its the honour of my life being in construction, promoting inclusion for individuals and small businesses showcasing how the industry is truly at the heart of community building.Other honours in the built environment sector:Timothy John Beech Williamson, architect, Department for Education OBE for services to educationRichard Andrew Wilson, landscape architect and garden designer OBE for services to the landscape and garden design industry and to heritageAlexander William Adam, chair, Springfield Properties plc OBE for services to the construction industry in ScotlandDr Wei Yang, CEO and co-founder, Digital Task Force for Planning OBE for services to the construction industryDavid Hugh Fellows Odgers, consultant and researcher, Historic Building Conservation MBE for services to heritageAman Sharma, CEO, Totus Digital MBE for services to building and fire safetySally Anne Strachey, founder, Sally Strachey Historic Conservation Ltd MBE for services to the repair and conservation of heritage buildingsMaira Shernaz Bana, co-founder, SheCanEngineer BEM for services to diversity in engineering

Looking for the most recentregular Connections answers? Click here for today's Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.Connections: Sports Editiondelivered an all-graphic game grid yesterday to start off 2025. Today, there are just two images, both of athletes. If you know who they are, you're a step ahead, but if their smiling faces don't ring a bell, today's puzzle could be a struggle. Shake it off (that's a hint to one of the photos) and read on for hints and answers for today's Connections: Sports Edition puzzle.For now, the game is in beta, which means the Times is testing it out to see if it's popular, before adding it to the site's Games app. You can play it daily for now for free and then we'll have to see if it sticks around.Read more: NYT Has a Connections Game for Sports Fans. I Tried ItHints for today's Connections: Sports Edition groupsHere are four hints for the groupings in today's Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest, yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.Yellow group hint: Speedy.Green group hint: Singular soccer teams.Blue group hint: Triumphant TEs.Purple group hint: Big Apple jocks.Answers for today's Connections: Sports Edition groupsYellow group: Fast.Green group: MLS teams, in singular form.Blue group: NFL career yards leaders among tight ends.Purple group: New York athletes.Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English WordsWhat are today's Connections: Sports Edition answers? Two athlete photos showed up in the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Jan. 2, 2025. Can you identify the players? NYT/Screenshot by CNET The completed NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Jan. 2, 2025. NYT/Screenshot by CNETThe yellow words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is fast. The four answers are brisk, rapid, swift and zippy.The green words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is MLS teams, in singular form. The four answers are Earthquake, Sounder, Timber and Whitecap.The blue words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is NFL career yards leaders among tight ends. The four answers are Gates, Gonzalez, Kelce (photo) and Witten.The purple words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is New York athletes. The four answers are Ionescu, Judge (photo), Rodgers and Shesterkin.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer?Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Connections puzzles.It's cold and wintry in many parts of the world in January, so the topic of today'sStrandspuzzle might be an appropriate meal. If you need hints and answers, read on.Also, I go into depth about therules for Strands in this story.If you're looking for today's Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visitCNET's NYT puzzle hints page.Read more:NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So FarHint for today's Strands puzzleToday's Strands theme is:For the soul...If that doesn't help you, here's a clue: Good meal if you're sick.Clue words to unlock in-game hintsYour goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle's theme. If you're stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints, but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:CHIT, STAT, STATE, NEAR, CART, CARTS, SAKE, LAKE, LAKES, BUTT, BUTTS, STOP, ROTS, PLOD, PLODS.Answers for today's Strands puzzleThese are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you've got all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:CARROTS, SALT, THYME, BUTTER, NOODLES, POTATOESToday's Strands spangramToday's Strands spangram isCHICKENSOUP.To find it, start with the C that's two letters in from the far left on the top row, and wind down. The completed NYT Strands puzzle for Jan. 2, 2025. NYT/Screenshot by CNET

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer?Click here for today's Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections and Strands puzzles.I lucked out today. The New York TimesWordleanswer shared a lot of letters with one of my favorite starter words. Today's word is a fairly basic one, with no unusual letters. If you need hints and answers, read on. Today's Wordle hints Before we show you today'sWordleanswer, we'll give you some hints. If you don't want a spoiler, look away now.Wordle hint No. 1: RepeatsToday's Wordle answer has no repeated letters.Wordle hint No. 2: VowelsThere are two vowels in today's Wordle answer.Wordle hint No. 3: Start letterToday's Wordle answer starts with the letter C.Wordle hint No. 4: EndingToday's Wordle answer ends in a vowel.Wordle hint No. 5: MeaningToday's Wordle answer is the past tense of a verb meaning to select something.TODAY'S WORDLE ANSWERToday's Wordle answer is CHOSE.Yesterday's Wordle answerYesterday's Wordle answer, Jan. 1, No. 1292, was NERVE.Recent Wordle answersDec. 28, No. 1288: DECRYDec. 29, No. 1289: MAMBODec. 30, No. 1290: STAREDec. 31, No. 1291: LEMUR

The Cybertruck that exploded in Las Vegas was rented on Turo, the company said.The app was also used to rent the truck used in the New Orleans attack.President Biden said authorities are looking into whether the two incidents are connected.The Tesla Cybertruck that exploded on Wednesday in Las Vegas was rented on Turo, the same car-sharing app used to rent the pickup truck used in the New Orleans attack early Wednesday.In a statement on its website on Wednesday, Turo confirmed the vehicles involved in both incidents were rented through its service."Our trust and safety team is actively partnering with law enforcement authorities to share any information that could be helpful in their investigations," the statement read. "We do not believe that either renter had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat, and we are not currently aware of any information that indicates the two incidents are related."Shamsud-Din Jabbar has been identified as the suspect in the deadly New Orleans attack.Jabbar's criminal record, obtained from the Texas Department of Public Safety and viewed by Business Insider, shows two prior arrests in 2002 and 2005.The first was for theft, while the other was for driving with an invalid license. Both were classified as misdemeanors.Celebrity-backed companyTuro lets private car owners rent out their vehicles. It's similar to Airbnb or Vrbo but for vehicles instead of homes.The San Francisco-based company offers a wide range of cars, from Toyotas to Porsches and Teslas, and is active in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and France.Investors include the venture arms of American Express, BMW, and Liberty Mutual, and top venture capital firms like Kleiner Perkins and Google Ventures. Celebrities like rapper 2 Chainz and NBA and NFL players have also invested.Turo has close to 1,000 employees and was valued at $1.5 billion in 2020, per PitchBook. The company, which was founded in 2009, registered for an initial public offering in 2021 but has not yet gone public.The company had 360,000 cars listed on its platform at the end of 2023, and about 3.7 million people booked cars that year, according to a March 2024 filing. In that filing, Turo said customers' actions that result in criminal activity could affect the company's reputation and create potential legal liabilities a standard line in these documents.The company wrote that it has no control over or the ability to predict the actions of car renters, who it calls guests."We cannot conclusively verify the identity of all guests, nor do we verify or screen third parties who may be present during a trip using a vehicle booked through our platform," per the March filing. "Our trust and safety processes focus primarily on guests to reduce the risk of vehicle theft and motor vehicle accidents."The company reportednearly $880 million in revenue in 2023, an 18% year-over-year growth. It posted $14.7 million in profits, a sharp fall from $154.7 million in 2022. Losses and high costs are common for growing tech companies, especially those that are not yet public.Authorities are investigating possible connections between attacksIn a press conference Wednesday, President Joe Biden said authorities were investigating whether there was any connection between the Las Vegas explosion and the New Orleans attack.Kevin McMahill, the Metropolitan Police Department sheriff, said at a press conference that the driver of the Tesla Cybertruck was killed and seven others injured after the vehicle exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas."We're very well aware of what has happened in New Orleans with the event that occurred there, and the number of victims there and the additional IEDs," McMahill said, referring to the attack in New Orleans that killed 15 on Wednesday morning. "So, as you can imagine, with an explosion here on iconic Las Vegas Boulevard, we are taking all of the precautions that we need to take to keep our community safe."Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote on X that the explosion was "caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb" in the bed of the Cybertruck.This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

The Nasdaq 100 is capping off 2024 with a return of 27.0%, building upon 2023s 53.8% return (its best year since 1999). Since the start of 2023, the Nasdaq 100 has nearly doubled with stellar returns of 95.3%, its second highest two year performance since 1998 and 1999s 274.2% rise.This year, the Nasdaq had countless winners and strong repeat performances from AI leaders like Nvidia, but 5 stocks took the market by surprise with significant outperformance relative to the broader indices. I think its important to pause and draw some parallels around the stocks that performed well in 2024 to form an opinion on what might perform well in 2025, as many of the years top performers shared similar fundamental improvements or had similar thematic tailwinds such as AI, nuclear and quantum computing.NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 21: Reddit CEO Steve Huffman stands on the floor of the New York Stock ... [+] Exchange (NYSE) while ringing a bell on the floor setting the share price at $47 in its initial public offering (IPO) on March 21, 2024 in New York City. The social media platform Reddit had priced its IPO in the range of $31 to $34 per share on Wednesday. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)Getty ImagesBelow, I review five of the top stocks of 2024, selected based on their price action, fundamentals and presence withing leading tech themes. Choosing a top 5 means many great stocks were left off this list, yet this sample helps to form conclusions around how 2024 shaped up versus years past, centered around leading, core thematic opportunities.Read about our Top 5 Stocks from 2023 here and our Top 5 Stocks from 2022 here many of which went on to lead the following years.AppLovin (APP)AppLovin was one of the Nasdaqs best performers, up 735%and joining the Nasdaq 100 on a special rebalance in November. From the start of 2024, AppLovin rose from a mere $13 billion valuation to $111 billion, peaking above $135 billion in early December the stock has done the unthinkable this year, awakening a low-growth mobile gaming ads industry with an AI engine that is showing demonstrable results.MORE FOR YOUThis meteoric rise stems from APPs AXON 2.0 AI advertising engine, which has driven significant revenue acceleration and massive fundamental improvements to margins and cash flow. AppLovin has reported four consecutive quarters with revenue growth above 30% YoY, a major acceleration from late 2022 and late 2023 where three of four quarters saw declining revenues. Management expressed confidence in maintaining 20% to 30% YoY growth for the foreseeable future due to the efficiencies of AXONs self-learning and catalysts from web-based e-commerce expansion.AppLovin has reported four consecutive quarters with revenue growth above 30% YoY, a major ... [+] acceleration from late 2022 and late 2023.Source: I/O FundNot only has revenue accelerated substantially, but AppLovins margins have more than doubled further down the income statement. GAAP gross margin expanded more than 8 points to 77.5% in Q3, while operating margin rose more than 13 points to 44.6%. Taking a look annually, AppLovin is on track to potentially double its operating margin to ~38% from 19.7% in FY23. Additionally, net margin nearly tripled to 36% in Q3 on a GAAP basis, up from 13% a year ago. EPS rose 317% YoY to $1.25, with YTD EPS reaching $2.81, up 462% YoY.AppLovin is on track to potentially double its operating margin to ~38% from 19.7% in FY23.Source: I/O FundAppLovins near-flawless execution has also translated to strong cash flow generation, with operating cash flow margin doubling, rising from 23% a year ago to 46% in Q3. Free cash flow margin followed, reaching 45.5%, up from 22% a year ago.This kind of operating leverage while maintaining revenue growth rates in the 30% range is quite rare indeed, separating AppLovin from a majority of its ad-tech and software peers. Analysts are excited to see what the companys expansion to e-commerce can contribute to growth and a path to $6+ in EPS next year from AppLovins very strong margin profile.Palantir (PLTR)Palantir joins this Top 5 list for a second-year running, with shares rising 356%. My firms free stock newsletter previously pointed out that Palantir was one of the rare few that sees AI drive both real returns for its business and real value for its customers, as it continues to crush its software competitors in AI-related growth. Palantirs Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP) has driven a significant revenue re-acceleration following its launch, with profitability also expanding a rare combination for growth software stocks.Palantir has capitalized on the AI software opportunity at hand via AIPs unique value proposition, its scalability and versatility. November and Decembers partnership announcements alone help demonstrate the versatility of Palantirs platform, spanning numerous different industries from autonomous drone navigation to AI models for defense tech to more government program wins. Palantir benefits from the best of both worlds in both government contracts and AI exposure, as enterprise adoption of AI builds.For a deeper look at AIP and how it has been transforming Palantir and driving revenue growth higher, read This Stock Is Crushing Salesforce, MongoDB And Snowflake In AI Revenue. Palantirs 2024 was characterized by strong underlying AI momentum, with Q3 seeing revenue growth reach 30%, more than 10 points faster than when it entered the year and nearly 5 points above guidance for 25.2% growth. AIP has aided this revenue acceleration story by driving significant growth in Palantirs US commercial segment, with the past two quarters seeing growth there above 50% YoY.Palantirs 2024 was characterized by strong underlying AI momentum, with Q3 seeing revenue growth ... [+] reach 30%, more than 10 points faster than when it entered the year.Source: I/O FundSimilar to AppLovin, these AI growth tailwinds are not just driving revenue, but also aiding operating margin expansion and EPS growth. GAAP operating margin was 16% for the second quarter in a row, up 9 points from last year, while adjusted operating margin is approaching 40% and has been >30% for four quarters in a row. Cash flow margins have been strong operating cash flow was nearly $420 million, or a 58% margin, while adjusted free cash flow was $435 million, a 60% margin in Q3, up from the low-20% range in the first half of 2024. Palantir is targeting adjusted FCF of $1 billion-plus this year, or ~36% of revenue.Fundamentally, to have revenue growth around 30%, free cash flow margin of 30%, and adjusted operating margin nearing 40% is impressive, to say the least. Palantirs returns this year reflect that fundamental strength from AI-driven growth as well as optimism about its AI growth prospects for next year.IonQ (IONQ)Quantum computing stocks have been on a tear to end the year, with a handful of names seeing returns of more than 2,000% over the past three months. IonQ has risen 244% on surging enthusiasm for the quantum computing sector and revenue reaccelerating 40 percentage points over the past three quarters.IonQ reported $12.4 million in revenue in Q3, with revenue growth of 102% YoY, following on 106% YoY growth in Q2. This has accelerated 42 points from 60% YoY growth in Q4, as IonQ is starting to quickly scale revenues as it has been consistently delivering on its technical roadmap ahead of schedule. IonQ also slightly raised its full year revenue guidance to $40.5 million at midpoint, for growth of 84% YoY.As it is still in its scaling phase, IonQ is by no means profitable or close to profitability, with analysts not expecting the quantum computing firm to break into profitability until well after 2027. However, revenue is currently expected to grow at a ~95% CAGR through 2027, from $22 million last year to an estimated $315 million.IonQ's revenue is currently expected to grow at a ~95% CAGR through 2027, from $22 million last year ... [+] to an estimated $315 million.Source: I/O FundThis positioning in a leading theme among investors in the second half of 2024, as well as consistent execution ahead of schedule with revenue growth forecast to rise at a nearly triple digit CAGR through 2027 has landed IonQ a spot on this list.Reddit (RDDT)Despite not even trading for the entire year with its IPO in March, Reddit has returned a remarkable 224% from its first day close of $50.44. The social media and online community platform reported a blowout beat and raise in Q3, with investors eyeing some AI training data opportunities ($60M/year deal with Google) on top of strong advertising growth.Q3 revenue rose 68% YoY to $348 million, a 14 point acceleration from 54% YoY growth in Q2 and up 20 points from 48% YoY growth in Q1. Advertising revenue growth accelerated 15 points sequentially, rising 56% YoY to $315 million. Q4s guide for $385 million to $400 million in revenue came in well above the $361 million consensus estimate, pointing to growth of 57% YoY. The market is expecting another blowout in Q4, with analysts already projecting $403 million in revenue, above the high end of managements guided range.Reddit's Q3 revenue rose 68% YoY to $348 million, a 14 point acceleration from 54% YoY growth in Q2 ... [+] and up 20 points from 48% YoY growth in Q1Source: I/O FundReddit is demonstrating significant operating leverage, as it surprised the Street by reporting GAAP net income in the high single-digit percents in the quarter. GAAP operating expenses rose 53% YoY, less than that 68% YoY revenue growth, pushing GAAP operating margin to 8.6%, up from (3.4%) a year ago and (3.7%) in Q2.Cash flow generation has improved, with Reddit generating $71.6 million in operating cash flow and $70.3 million in free cash flow in Q3, or margins of ~20%. This doubled from ~10% cash flow margins in Q2. Adjusted EBITDA has increased more than 9x from the start of the year, at $94.4 million in Q3, a 27% margin, up from just $10.0 million in Q1.Reddit excites the market due to its fundamentals a 90% gross margin business quickly shifting to GAAP profitability on rapid quarterly revenue growth. This combination hints at potentially strong EPS growth, should it scale from the single-digit net margin range of 8.6% in Q3, to the double-digit range in short time.Astera Labs (ALAB)Though Nvidia arguably deserves a spot on this Top 5 list with a 114% gain following Hoppers breakout 2023, with data center revenue continuing to beat estimates by $1 billion each quarter, I think its time to highlight an Nvidia supplier and ASICs beneficiary Astera Labs. Astera returned 179% in Q4 for a total YTD gain of 128%, with the company showing multiple growth opportunities and a push for profitability despite still solidly being in its hypergrowth phase.Astera is a major supplier to Nvidias PCIe-enabled GPUs with PCIe5 retimers and components, and its upcoming Scorpio fabric switches built on its lead in PCIe5. Management expects the new product to exceed 10% of revenues in 2025 with good momentum going into 2026 as it unlocks a $12 billion TAM by 2028.Astera reported record revenue of $113.1 million in Q3, up 47% QoQ and 206% YoY, beating estimates by 16.1%. Management guided for $126 million to $130 million in revenue in Q4, well ahead of the $108 million consensus estimate and representing YoY growth of 153%, its fifth consecutive triple-digit growth rate.Astera Labs reported 206% YoY revenue growth in Q3 and guided for 153% YoY growth in Q4, its fifth ... [+] consecutive quarter of triple-digit growth.Source: I/O FundEven with revenue growth expected to be triple-digits for at least the next two quarters, management forecast for GAAP net income in Q4, though at a razor thin margin. GAAP operating margin is moving towards positive territory, from (7.9%) in Q3 to (4.3%) at midpoint of Q4s guide. Adjusted operating margin expanded significantly to above 32% in Q3, up from 2% a year ago, while adjusted net margin improved 35.6% compared to (-1.1%) last year.Astera was one of a handful of AI-exposed semiconductors to see dazzling returns this year, as AI semiconductors remained investor favorites throughout the year. Astera also shared key similarities to the rest of this list: adjusted margins showing strong expansion, high cash flow margins (56% operating cash flow margin in Q3), and AI-related rapid revenue growth.For a more detailed look at Asteras product lines, Blackwell and ASICs opportunities and its AI-driven TAM growth, read more here. ConclusionIf theres one major takeaway from this selection of 2024s top tech stocks, its that being at the top comes with quite the price tag and premium. All five of these stocks trade at quite high multiples, headlined by IonQ at 230x forward revenue and Palantir at a 2021-esque 63x forward revenue and 32x 2027 revenue. Astera Labs trades at 53x forward revenue, while AppLovin and Reddit are not quite as high, at 24x and 22x respectively. However, these revenue multiples are all 130% to 500% higher than they were six months ago, highlighting just how quickly these five have gotten more expensive as theyve rallied.All five of these stocks trade at quite high multiples, headlined by IonQ at 230x forward revenue ... [+] and Palantir at a 2021-esque 63x forward revenue and 32x 2027 revenue.Source: YChartsLooking back at 2024 can be important as it often provides clues for tech investors as the new year begins. Winners have kept winning, from Nvidia to the five discussed here, and that is one reason I like to reflect on the clear winners from the previous year. These five stocks above highlighted similarities among winning tech stocks in 2024 presence and prevalence in leading themes such as AI and quantum computing, strong revenue acceleration (and rapid growth), and operating leverage driving margin expansion.For 2025, the I/O Fund has worked to identify key Nvidia suppliers with Blackwell on deck to ramp significantly, sharing this research and buy zones with premium members. Stay tuned for our upcoming 2025 and Q1 webinars to hear more about what the I/O Fund expects for the new year. Learn more here.If you would like notifications when my new articles are published, please hit the button below to "Follow" me.I/O Fund Equity Analyst Damien Robbins contributed to this report.

Even while at war, Ukraine has been piping gas for Russia to European customers.But that arrangement, which dates back to the fall of the Soviet Union, has now expired.Russia was estimated to rake in $5 billion in 2024 from the gas transits, with Ukraine getting up to $1 billion.Russia is no longer able to send natural gas to Europe through Ukraine's pipelines after a five-year deal, struck before the war began, expired on Wednesday.It marks the end of a long-standing arrangement that used Ukraine as a conduit for westbound Russian gas an agreement that continued even as full-scale war broke out in 2022.European countries that received that gas, such as Slovakia and Austria, were paying Russia for this energy. Reuters calculated in December that the Russian economy would earn about $5 billion in 2024 alone from piping gas through Ukraine.Meanwhile, the news agency estimated that Kyiv stood to receive between $800 million to $1 billion over that year from collecting transit fees.However, Ukraine has signaled for months that it planned to let the deal expire on January 1, 2025, and it's now made good on that pledge."When Putin was presented with the Russian presidency more than 25 years ago, the annual gas transit through Ukraine to Europe totaled more than 130 billion cubic meters. Today, it equals 0," wrote Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Ukraine's energy minister, Herman Halushchenko, said the transit deal ceased due to national security reasons.Russian gas conglomerate Gazprom confirmed on Wednesday that its energy flows through Ukraine had stopped, citing "repeated and explicit refusal of the Ukrainian side to extend these agreements."The now-defunct Ukrainian-Russian deal laid bare the complexities of the war and its political consequences in Europe, with European Union nations struggling to reduce their reliance on Russian energy even as they supplied arms to Ukraine and tried to sanction Moscow.And as thousands died every week amid bitter fighting in Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Kursk, gas flowing through the same areas allowed both Kyiv and Moscow to profit off each other's goods and facilities.Ukraine has piped Russian gas to Europe since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, and energy customers initially expressed concerns that they wouldn't be able to find an alternative supply in time if the deal expired.Slovakia's president, Robert Fico, criticized Kyiv's decision in a New Year's address, saying cutting off cheap Russian gas to Europe would create a "drastic impact" on EU nations but not hurt Russia.Austria, on the other hand, cut ties with Gazprom in December, accusing Russia of blackmailing Austrian gas company OMV by using energy as a bargaining chip over European support of Ukraine.Losing Austria as a customer was yet another blow to Moscow's gas industry as Europe weans itself off its Russian energy supply.The EU said in March that about 8% of its natural gas came from Russia in 2023, down from 40% in 2021.Since the war began, the US and Norway have emerged as two of the biggest winners among natural gas suppliers. The EU said that gas purchases from the US in 2023 had tripled since 2021, filling nearly 20% of the union's gas imports.Some countries on the continent such as Hungary, an EU member led by a president who keeps close ties with Moscow, still have access to Russian gas through the TurkStream pipeline, which runs along the Black Sea to the Balkans.Moldova, which is not an EU member state, and its separatist-controlled territory, Transnistria, are expected to be hit hard by the cessation of the Ukraine-Russia deal, with the country's largest power plant historically reliant on Russian gas.