Season's GreekingsHonkai Star Rail kicks off the new year with a release date reveal for version 3.0Alongside this, a new cinematic OP trailer that swings past all the new characters.Image credit: HoYoverse News by Connor Makar Staff Writer Published on Jan. 2, 2025 Happy new year, Honkai Star Rail fans! Did you have some nice R&R away from your favourite gacha? If so, sit back down and get ready for a major in-game update buddy, as the developers at HoYoverse have announced the release date for the version 3.0 Paean of Era Nova update.Revealed during a special live stream only a few hours ago, the team dropped the January 15 release date for version 3.0 of Honkai Star Rail to live viewers around the world. In addition, a nice little trailer was shown off for the first time, packed with slick visuals and a new original song, which you can watch yourself on YouTube here.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. In addition, given the special livestream was quite a lengthy one, there's plenty of details about what the new content will look like, some info on the backstory of the new world we're travelling to, some missions we'll get to play when the update comes out, and more. This, all presented on a special set with devs dressed up in togas. Fun stuff.Finally, the livestream dropped three limited-time codes you can redeem in-game for rewards, but only if you do so within 24 hours of the original stream. So if you're reading this soon after it's written, you should quickly check to see if they're still valid. If you're like a day late, bad luck. There's always next time!Are you keen to jump into Honkai Star Rail later this month? Let us know below!

But DLC though...The Space Marine 2 content train is not stopping in 2025, and Saber has revealed what to expectWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 will continue to receive new content in the new year, and some of those updates are going to be big.Image credit: Saber Interactive News by Sherif Saed Contributing Editor Published on Jan. 2, 2025 Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 developer Saber Interactive has revealed a little bit of what we can expect from the co-op shooter in 2025. Just before the end of 2024, the studio posted something of a roadmap that includes various bits of new content due out in 2025.While the 2025 calendar is (understandably) looking a little light compared to last years, we are getting new PvE as well as PvP content.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Starting off with PvE, the biggest news is undoubtedly the arrival of Horde Mode, which Saber confirmed last year. Unfortunately, we still dont have a release date for it, and it sounds like it wont be in the game until later in 2025.In the more immediate future, Season 3 will introduce Prestige Rank, which will open up new upgrades for the various classes. The blog post also confirmed that Space Marine 2 will be getting new Operations, and new enemies. Those who already mastered the current content will be happy to know that a new difficulty level is in the works, too, and with it, new rewards will be available to unlock.PvP is looking no less exciting, with a new map set indoors, with narrow corridors and a layout that encourages close-quarter combat. 2025 will also mark the official arrival of custom lobbies, which will be available as part of patch 7.0. The system will offer the ability to select from a few base modifiers, as well as control the number of players per match (though no larger than 6v6). Other parameters like round time limit and score are also among the available options. The even more exciting news is that youll be able to allow more than two players per class, meaning all six can be a single class - should you want it. That's the fella! | Image credit: Saber Interactive, Focus Entertainment.In-game community events are also part of the calendar for 2025, and the first one already kicked off, and will be available all the way until January 20. The Decimation Event tasks players with winning ten times in Operations. Its fairly doable, and finishing it earns you the the Mark 11 Hells Teeth Pattern Chainsword skin.The cosmetic content train will keep on rolling in 2025, too, with the release of The Salamander Champion, available in PvE and PvP. Hes a sniper, a class that hasnt seen much love in terms of new cosmetics since the release of the game.Speaking of customisation, more elements will be added throughout the year. Saber showed off the Mark 6 Corvus as one of the new pieces coming to the game. Beyond that, you can also expect the Datavault to be available on the Battle Barge. This one is admittedly a little less exciting, but it will let you read up on enemy details, and also serve as another way to spend your in-game currency.Though it is largely a fairly straightforward video game, Space Marine 2 was well-received for that very reason. It was among my favourite games of 2024, and Ill certainly be returning to it in the new year to play the new content.

Telegram has rolled out its first update of the year, adding a new account verification method powered by third-parties, new message search filters, and the ability to turn gifts into NFTs.The chat app already had a program to verify public figures and organizations on the platform, and it has now launched a new project to let already-verified third-party authorities, such as food quality regulators or educational consortiums, verify an account.Accounts that are verified by a third party will have a new logo next to their names instead of a blue checkmark. This decentralized platform for additional verification will help prevent scams and reduce misinformation with a unique proactive solution that sets a new safety standard for social platforms, Telegram said in a blog post. People or organizations that want to be authenticated will need to be first undergo verification and complete an application to become eligible to recieve the verified mark. Telegram said that entities can use its Bot API to assign or remove verification somewhat akin to organizations buying verification on X and verifying their affiliated accounts. These affiliated accounts will have the organizations logo on their profile once they are verified.Image Credits: telegramTelegram also launched a way to turn gifts into NFTs with custom backgrounds and icons. Users can send gifts by spending Telegram Stars, which you can buy through the app or through the Fragment site by connecting their TON crypto wallet. Telegram said users would be able to trade these NFTs on different platforms. Notably, Telegram charges users to upgrade their gifts to collectibles to cover blockchain transaction costs.Image Creidts: telegramTelegram has used cryptocurrencies for creator monetization as well as for payments on the platform for games and mini apps. The company has also rolled out an emoji reaction feature for service messages, such as someone joining a group, and new search filters for private chats, group chats, and channels.Image Credits: telegram

In BriefPosted:1:17 AM PST January 2, 2025Chinese government hackers reportedly targeted US Treasurys sanctions office during December cyberattackChinese government hackers targeted the U.S. Treasurys highly sensitive sanctions office during a December cyberattack, according to reports. According to The Washington Post, the state-sponsored hackers targeted the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), a government department that imposes economic and trade sanctions against countries and individuals, to potentially access information on Chinese organizations that the U.S. government may be considering designating for financial sanctions.The China-backed hacking group, which compromised the U.S. Treasury in December to access employee workstations and unclassified documents, also breached the Treasury Departments Office of Financial Research and the Office of the Treasury Secretary, according to the report.The cyberattack, described as a major cybersecurity incident by the Treasury, was discovered on December 8 when BeyondTrust, a third-party software provider of identity management tools, alerted the agency to a cybersecurity incident.The U.S. Treasury did not immediately respond to TechCrunchs questions.Topics

Wegovy (semaglutide) is a self-injectable prescription weight loss medicine that has helped people ... [+] with obesity. It is to be used in conjunction with an appropriate dietary regimen and increased physical activity. (Photo by: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesFor those who are overweight or obese, medications known as glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists, or GLP-1s, have become very popular as weight loss treatments. Taken in accordance with instructions on the label and an appropriate diet and exercise regimen, GLP-1s are effective at lowering a persons weight. Given the various co-morbidities associated with obesity, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease, intuitively, it would seem that GLP-1 use for weight loss would reduce overall medical costs despite the increase in drug spending. But thus far, the data dont show this.The pharmacy benefit manager Prime Therapeutics released a study in October stating that findings indicate in the real world that individuals taking GLP-1 therapies without diabetes [over a two year period] will see no medical cost offset. Analysis of health insurance claims showed that the treatments did not lower other medical costs. Overall, average healthcare costs increased 46% over two years for patients trying GLP-1 drugs for obesity, from $12,695 to $18,507.The Congressional Budget Office states that there does not appear to be any direct empirical evidence pointing to a medical cost offset. This also includes accounting for the positive impact of GLP-1s on heart disease. Data from a large, randomized clinical trial named SELECT indicate cardiovascular protective benefits from taking the GLP-1 weight loss therapeutic Wegovy (semaglutide) for a sub-population with preexisting cardiovascular disease. The Food and Drug Administration added a cardiovascular indication to Wegovy in March 2024.In the trial, Wegovy decreased relative risk by 20% of a composite primary endpoint measure which included death from cardiovascular causes, non-fatal myocardial infarction and non-fatal stroke. But the data didnt show Wegovy lowered the risk of cardiovascular death by a statistically significant margin. Further, the absolute risk reduction is small, which translates into a comparatively high number needed to treat of 67. This means that 67 people with (severe) cardiovascular risk need to be on Wegovy consistently to avoid one cardiovascular event, for example, a heart attack.A peer-reviewed study published this past autumn estimated that about 4.7 million U.S. adults would meet SELECT trial eligibility criteria. Applying a lifetime horizon model, which simulates all relevant costs and health outcomes over patients lifetimes, researchers projected that semaglutide-based products would avert 538,000 major cardiovascular events at an incremental cost of $613 billion. They then calculated an incremental cost effectiveness ratio for semaglutide (costing $700 per month per person) of $443,000 per quality-adjusted life year gained. Generally in the U.S., healthcare technologies and services are considered cost-effective if theyre below $150,000 per QALY. And so, semaglutide does not meet this criterion at its current price.MORE FOR YOUUp to 20% of (specialty) drugs can be cost-saving, that is, for each dollar spent payers can actually save money over a given period of time in terms of lower downstream costs. But the majority of prescription drugs are not cost-saving. In other words, they do not offset medical costs. Most of the time, more money is spent to get additional benefits relative to standards of care. This is what is called value for money. But it is not necessarily the same thing as cost-saving. And in the case of the latest wave of weight loss drugs, right now at their current prices they are not even cost-effective, let alone cost-saving.Perhaps the time frame being considered is the issue. Maybe in the long run, say, after ten years, GLP-1s for weight loss are cost-effective or even cost-saving. Other than modeled projections, since there hasnt been a decade long study examining GLP-1s for obesity, we just dont know yet.But suppose they do prove to be cost-effective or cost-saving in long-term studies. Insurers in the U.S. would still face the problem of churn, or enrollee turn-over, as they migrate from one health plan to another. GLP-1s cost payers money upfront, but with member churn its unlikely a typical insurer will have the same enrollee ten years from now to realize potential cost-effectiveness or savings. A publication notes that one in five members disenrolled from a commercial insurer each year. Furthermore, churn in insurance programs such as Medicaid is much worse.This helps explain why payer coverage restrictions for GLP-1s used for obesity continue to be a hurdle for patients who seek access. According to Beckers Hospital Review, some insurers and self-funded employers across America are dropping coverage altogether or imposing strict limits in 2025, reflecting the financial and operational challenges posed by the high-cost medications.If Medicare were to cover weight loss drugsit currently doesnt, with the exception of Wegovy for a cardiovascular indicationthe program wouldnt be immune to cost issues. Therefore, while the Biden administrations proposed reinterpretation of Medicare Part D coverage of weight loss medications would allow for access to such therapies to approximately 3.4 million Medicare beneficiaries who have obesity, for budgetary reasons its unclear if the incoming Trump administration will go along with it.Further compounding the cost burden issues for insurers is the fact that patients are often non-persistent. In the Prime Therapeutic study cited above, only one in four patients were still on Wegovy or Ozempic two years later. And in a Blue Cross Blue Shield Association white paper posted last summer, the number was even lower, 15%.This doesnt mean GLP-1s arent valuable products. They certainly deliver value to some: The minority of patients who are persistent long enough to achieve clinically meaningful weight loss. But the hype that surrounds them belies the facts that must be included in any thorough analysis.

Apple Watch Series 10.Getty ImagesJan.2 update including details of prices for more models including Apple Watch SE and Watch bands on sale at Nomad. New year, they say, new you. If youve been swayed by the new ad promoting the Apple Watch as a great device to boost your motivation and help keep your new years resolutions, then new sales at Amazon and Best Buy are timely. And if youre looking for something even more affordable, there are also discounts on the entry-level Apple Watch, the SE. And if youre after some really cool Watch bands, Nomad has a sale: more on that below.The prices on Series 10 are cut to the lowest prices yet, matching Black Friday deals. All the prices below relate to the models with GPS, but not cellular connectivity.This means that the $399 entry price for the 42mm sized model and the $429 equivalent for the larger, 46mm version are both cut by $70 each. At Amazon, thats 18% off the smaller model, bringing it down to $329 and 16% off the larger one, meaning its on sale for $359. Its not across all colors or straps, please note.In 42mm size, it applies for the jet black aluminum model with black Sport Band, jet black with ink Sport Loop, rose gold with plum Sport Loop, rose gold with light blush Sport Band and silver with blue Sport Loop. However, if youd rather have the silver case with denim Sport Band, thats $383.28.For the larger, 46mm case, the aluminum options are as follows: silver with denim Sport Band, rose gold with light blush Sport Band, rose gold with plum Sport Loop, jet black with black Sport Band and jet black with ink Sport Loop $359, while the silver case with blue Sport Loop is the outlier at $419.99.MORE FOR YOUApple Watch Series 10 in rose gold finish. AppleSimilar prices can be found at Best Buy right now.Best Buy has the $329 price for three 42mm options here: rose gold aluminum with light blush Sport Band, silver aluminum with denim Sport Band and jet black aluminum with black Sport Band. In 46mm size, you can pay $359 for the same three aluminum Watches.You can find the 42mm aluminum in silver with blue cloud Sport Loop, jet black with ink Sport Loop and rose gold with plum Sport Loop for $329 here. For the 46mm aluminum Watches, there are the same colors and bands here, for $359.Apple Watch SEAnd then theres the bargain-basement Apple Watch, the SE. It usually costs $249 for the smaller case measuring 40mm and $279 for the larger 44mm case. Right now at Amazon, the smaller model costs just $199, thats $50 off, and the larger is from $219, a slightly bigger discount of $60.The $199 price point applies for the 40mm version in midnight with ink Sport Loop, midnight with midnight Sport Band and starlight with M/L starlight Sport Band, while the starlight case with lakegreen Sport Loop is $10 cheaper still at $189, as is the starlight with S/M starlight Sport Band. Some other models have different prices.In the 44mm case size, midngith with midnight Sport Band is $219, midnight with ink Sport Loop, silver with blue cloud Sport Loop, silver with denim Sport Band and starlight with lakegreen Sport Loop are $229. Other prices apply to other colors.Nomad Apple Watch BandsIf youre looking for a Watch Band to go with your new timepiece, Nomads excellent Holiday Hangover Sale is still onthough its likely to finish any time now, so be quick.Nomad, the excellent manufacturer of accessories, bands, cases and more, has knocked 20% off selected items. These include the Sport Band, usually $60, reduced to $48 in the sale. The band feels great, is waterproof and fits every size of Watch. There are plenty of colors to choose from, including black, naval blue, ultra orange, ash green, lunar gray and stone.If you fancy something dressier, the Steel Band comes in silver and graphite and regularly costs $200, which means it drops by $40 to $160 in the sale.Theres also the Rugged Band which looks especially good with the Apple Watch Ultra or Ultra 2, coming as it does with metal connectors (Nomad calls these bits the hardware) in both black and silver. That said, its also available in sizes to fit the other Apple Watch models. Normally $60, the discount knocks $12 off to bring the price to $48. Its tough and solid, though soft to the touch and breathable thanks to the ribbed design. Like the Sport Band its waterproof.To obtain the discount on any of these bands, apply the code HOLIDAY20 at the checkout.The deals highlighted in this post were independently selected by the Contributor and do not contain affiliate links.

In brief: Being faced with a CAPTCHA is about as welcome as opening a Christmas present and finding it's a Humane Ai Pin. But a new variant offers a little more fun than clicking on boxes of specific items, though it's about 10 times more difficult: kill three demons on a secret level of Doom. Completely Automated Public Turing tests to tell Computers and Humans Apart have been frustrating internet users for years. Preventing the likes of account-creating bots, spam, data-scaping, etc., is important, but it's hard to remember that fact when squinting at a squiggled word on the screen, or faced with the dilemma of whether that tiny bit of bicycle handle peeking into a square means you should select it.There are fewer anger-inducing CAPTCHAs these days, such as dragging items to locations and listening to audio clips we also saw a Doom minigame in 2021. Now, there's a new CAPTCHA version of the iconic FPS, which you can try out here. The idea is to kill at least three demons. Good luck with that it took me a lot of attempts before I managed it.As reported by TechCrunch, the latest Doom CAPTCHA is the work of Guillermo Rauch, CEO of Vercel, a frontend-as-a-service product. He used his company's AI site builder to create the program.While it's a fun twist on classic CAPTCHAs, it shouldn't come as a surprise to learn that people have been complaining about the Doom variant's difficulty.The reason why it's so hard is explained by commenter smitelli on Hacker News: this is actually the secret E1M9: Military Base level that players would normally encounter after E1M3. By this point in the game, you would have a shotgun, chaingun, rocket launcher, and probably some armor. So, starting with just a pistol and no protection means this is going to be a challenge, especially as the difficulty level is set to Nightmare. // Related StoriesThere are also questions over just how well this program will work as a CAPTCHA, given that AI bots can be trained to play games like Doom. Still, it's better than clicking on traffic lights.

The two Chinese technology companies had each obtained licenses under requirements for internet- messaging and social-media companies unveiled last year.

CommentFrom Doctor Who and Severance to Apple Cider Vinegar, there are plenty of great sci-fi and science-inflected TV shows coming up this year, says Bethan Ackerley 1 January 2025 Ncuti Gatwa returns formore adventures asthe Fifteenth DoctorJames Pardon/Bad Wolf/BBC StudiosIf you live in a part of the world where January is a hardscrabble month of inclement weather, you might well be tempted to lock yourself away for the rest of the year, fearing the sun will never return. Should you succumb to this awful temptation, there would, at least, be a wealth of brilliant television to fill your days, as some hotly anticipated science fiction and science-focused TV series are arriving in 2025.We dont have to wait too long for sci-fi gold: three years after it first aired on Apple

Artists rendering of the Stratos facility that is due to open in Texas1PointFiveThe worlds largest facility for removing carbon dioxide from the air is set to open in Texas in 2025, increasing the sectors worldwide capacity by a factor of 13.Currently the largest direct air capture (DAC) plant in the world is in Iceland the Mammoth site, built and operated by Swiss firm Climeworks. It opened in May 2024 and can extract up to 36,000 tonnes of CO2 each year from Earths atmosphere.