John Edwards, Technology Journalist & AuthorDecember 27, 20245 Min ReadYuri Arcurs via Alamy Stock PhotoAs the threat landscape grows, investment in cybersecurity training and awareness programs is expanding rapidly. The reason is simple -- cybersecurity's weak link is people and how they behave. It's a challenge that many experts now believe can only be resolved through an enterprise-wide culture change.Prioritizing cybersecurity and building an enterprise-wide cybersecurity culture is essential, says Jennifer Sullivan, a principal in Deloitte's cyber strategy practice. In an era of rapid technological evolution, cyber threats pose significant risks to organizations' operations, reputation, and financial stability. "Cultivating a culture of continuous education and awareness empowers every employee to take ownership of cybersecurity, supporting sustainable growth and innovation," she states in an email interview. "By prioritizing cybersecurity, potential vulnerabilities can be transformed into strategic strengths, ensuring a long-term culture of resilience and trust both inside and outside the organization."Getting StartedThe first step in creating an enterprise-wide cybersecurity culture is building a comprehensive policy that establishes what's considered right and wrong. "This policy should be clear, well-documented, and easily accessible to everyone in the organization," advises Erez Tadmor, field CTO at security policy management company Tufin, in an online interview. The policy should outline network security rules, such as access controls and data communication standards, setting the foundation for expected behaviors, he explains. "When all security teams align with these guidelines, it fosters a sense of unity and responsibility that becomes ingrained in the companys culture."Related:Promote ownership in cybersecurity functions, recommends Amanda Satterwhite, Accenture Federal Services' managing director of cyber mission and enablement. This goal can be most effectively achieved by assigning security roles and responsibilities across various levels or teams within the organization, she notes via email. Rewards and recognition are also important. "Reward employees who demonstrate strong cybersecurity practices and who willingly take the time to report potential threats through vigilance."Make cybersecurity a factor in each employees annual performance, Satterwhite advises. "This ensures that individuals clearly understand what's personally expected from them," she says. "Setting minimum security performance goals for each individual fosters a culture of accountability and shared responsibility."Related:Cybersecurity culture planning requires a cross-organizational effort. While the CISO or CSO typically leads, the tone must be set from the top with active board involvement, Sullivan says. "The C-suite should integrate cybersecurity into business strategy, and key stakeholders from IT, legal, HR, finance, and operations must collaborate to address an ever-evolving threat landscape." She adds that engaging employees at all levels through continuous education will ensure that cybersecurity becomes everyone's responsibility.Culture BuildingLiberty Mutual Insurance builds its cybersecurity culture with "Responsible Defenders," a culture-based awareness initiative that's designed to educate the firm's 45,000 global employees about their role as frontline guardians against cyberattacks. "The program aims to educate employees about their responsibility to keep sensitive customer, employee, and company information secure," says Jill Areson-Perkins, a cybersecurity manager at Liberty Mutual Insurance, in an online interview. The program's goal is to keep employees engaged throughout the year with social engineering exercises, gamification tactics, blog posts, videos, and online training and events. "As the cyber threat landscape continues to evolve, we regularly update and enhance our training and education."Related:Liberty Mutual also fosters a cybersecurity environment by deploying exercises that use real phishing emails as templates. Employees that fail the exercise are given real-time training that highlights the rogue emails' suspicious components. "We also provide a 'Friends and Family Cyber Guide' for employees to share externally." The guide offers tips on topics such as 'phishy' emails, password management, and social media privacy, Areson-Perkins says. "By actively engaging every employee, as well as senior leaders and business partners across the company, we cultivate a culture where everyone feels empowered to safeguard the company."Final ThoughtsA big mistake many organizations make is treating cybersecurity as a separate initiative that's disconnected from the organizations core mission, Sullivan says. "Cybersecurity should be recognized as a critical business imperative that requires board and C-suite-level attention and strategic oversight."Creating a healthy network security culture is an ongoing process that involves continuous learning, adaptation, and collaboration among teams, Tadmor says. This requires more thought than just setting policies -- it's also about integrating security practices into daily routines and workflows. "Regular training, open communication, and real-time monitoring are essential components to keep the culture alive and responsive to emerging network threats," he says. "By making network security a shared responsibility across the organization, companies can build a resilient and adaptive security posture."Seek clarity and openness, Satterwhite suggests. "One of the biggest mistakes in building a cybersecurity culture is adopting industry buzzwords that don't resonate with employees," she explains. Use company-aligned terms in internal campaigns that promote the importance of securing the companys mission. "Make sure that the messaging is clear and understandable at every level of the organization."About the AuthorJohn EdwardsTechnology Journalist & AuthorJohn Edwards is a veteran business technology journalist. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and numerous business and technology publications, including Computerworld, CFO Magazine, IBM Data Management Magazine, RFID Journal, and Electronic Design. He has also written columns for The Economist's Business Intelligence Unit and PricewaterhouseCoopers' Communications Direct. John has authored several books on business technology topics. His work began appearing online as early as 1983. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, he wrote daily news and feature articles for both the CompuServe and Prodigy online services. His "Behind the Screens" commentaries made him the world's first known professional blogger.See more from John EdwardsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

Submitted by WA ContentsCentro de Colaboracin Arquitectnica completes wooden Orchid Pavilion for Casa Wabi in Mexico Mexico Architecture News - Dec 27, 2024 - 12:52 html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Mexican architecture firm Centro de Colaboracin Arquitectnica (CCA) has completed a wooden pavilion for the Casa Wabi Foundation, a non-profit organization that fosters dialogue between contemporary art and local communities across its locations in Puerto Escondido, Mexico City, and Tokyo.Image Jaime NavarroNamed Orchid Pavilion, the pavilion is situated between the mountains and the sea on the outskirts of Puerto Escondido.It is a lightweight, sustainable, and permanent wooden building that celebrates the close relationship between the biological and cultural richness of the terrain and is devoted to the protection of orchids in the Oaxaca region.Image Jaime NavarroThe firm's research guided the design of the Orchid Pavilion, which aimed to create a climate that is humid, somewhat shaded, and well-ventilatedall of which are ideal for orchid growth. As a result, distinct technical aspects that guarantee the pavilion's operation were developed.Image Jaime NavarroBut the project's deeper inspiration comes from examining the connection between the rich customs of the Oaxacan coast and the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi.The region's locally obtained, vernacular materials and the superb skill of its artisans are in line with Wabi-Sabi, which values simplicity, imperfection, and unconventionality. The design approach of CCA | Bernardo Quinzaos was founded on this link as well as an unexpected guiding concept: the Japanese word Ikigai.Image Rafael GamoIkigai, meaning "a reason for being", is the enjoyment that comes from leading a purposeful life. Kai, meaning "effect, result, fruit, or worth") and iki, signifying "life" or "alive", are combined in this phrase.This way of thinking, which focused on finding happiness in meaningful work, was ideal for the pavilion's objectives of creating a peaceful, contemplative environment for orchids and guests alike.The pavilion encourages visitors to rediscover their own sense of purpose in the peaceful surroundings of nature by establishing an area that epitomizes Ikigai.Image Rafael GamoThe design prioritizes three main elements: Functional simplicity: Twelve concrete humidifiers that use gravity to produce a regulated humid atmosphere are perfect for Oaxacan coast orchids. Without the need for manual watering, this technique guarantees the orchids' success.Sustainable materials: The structure is comprised of locally obtained wood and specially produced concrete ceramic pieces that are baked in high-temperature kilns. These materials follow ecological processes while echoing the local vernacular traditions.Image Jaime NavarroA sanctuary for reflection: In addition to its technical function, the pavilion seeks to provide its guests a deep understanding of Ikigai. The sensory experience of entering the room, which encourages reflection and harmony, includes breathing in the humidity, hearing the soft drips of water, and feeling the passing winds.Image Rafael GamoThe meticulously managed humid climate is the primary factor promoting orchid growth. The timber structure is topped by pyramid-shaped concrete basins filled with water.These basins release tiny droplets that fall to the ground and are gathered by concrete trays that are continuously humid.In addition to keeping the orchids healthy, this method does away with the necessity for manual irrigation. In order to replicate their natural environment, the plants are able to directly collect moisture from the air and surfaces thanks to the breeze and warmth.Image Jaime NavarroThe Orchid Pavilion provides a peaceful haven for Casa Wabi visitors following a strenuous stroll. Both people and orchids drink the same water, which serves as a metaphor for how humans relate to the natural world.The sound of dripping water creates a meditative experience that reorients visitors to the basic source of existence by resonating with human activity and natural cycles.Image Jaime NavarroThe Casa Wabi organization, which has its roots in the Japanese concept of Wabi-Sabi, aims to use art to foster social development through five main programs: exhibits, residencies, ceramics, film, and a mobile library.Image Rafael GamoA Ceramic Pavilion by Portuguese architect lvaro Siza, a Guayacn Pavilion by Mexican studio Ambrosi Etchegaray, a Henhouse by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, a Compost Pavilion by Paraguayan architects Solano Bentez and Gloria Cabral, and, more recently, a high-temperature oven and gardens by Mexican architect Alberto Kalach are just a few of the noteworthy projects the foundation has recently inaugurated.Image Rafael GamoEach of these pavilions celebrates the intersection of art, architecture, and community while offering useful areas that assist the foundation's initiatives.Image Rafael GamoImage Rafael GamoImage Rafael GamoImage Rafael GamoImage Jaime NavarroImage Rafael GamoImage Rafael GamoImage Jaime NavarroProject factsProject name:Orchid PavilionArchitects:Centro de Colaboracin Arquitectnica (CCA)Location:Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, MxicoClient:Fundacin Casa WabiOffice:CCA | Bernardo QuinzaosArchitects:Bernardo QuinzaosDesign Team:Santiago Vlez, Begoa Manzano, Andrs Surez, Miguel Izaguirre, Florencio de Diego, Carlos Cruz Ay, Javier Castillo, Carlos Molina, Cristian Nieves, Abigail Zavaleta, Fernanda VenturaProject Completion Date:February 2024Model Photography:Vanessa Nieves, Arturo Arrieta, CCA Centro de Colaboracin ArquitectnicaTop image in the article Rafael Gamo.Images Rafael Gamo, Jaime Navarro.> via Centro de Colaboracin Arquitectnica

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Mobile network outages can leave you strandedwithout one of our most critical lines of accessto the world for hours. What good is a smartphone if it can't phone, especially in an emergency?An AT&T outage earlier this year took down services formore than 12 hoursin many of the most populous cities in the US, and in September, a Verizon outage caused some customers to be stuck in SOS mode for a large part of the day. These outages serve as a reminder of theperils of relying only on mobile phones.Maybe it made you rethink the place of a home device that used to be standard issue but is now nearly obsolete: the landline telephone. Here's what to consider when deciding whether to keep (or get) a landline. Remember the landline? Those old-fashioned landlines may still have a place, but only 28% of American households have one. Peter Dazeley/Getty ImagesLandlines are telephones that connect to specialized wiring in our homes. The iconic image is that of a rotary-dial phone -- usually rented from the phone company -- that either hung on the wall or sat on a counter or table, though push-button and later cordless landlines replaced many of those oldsters in the 1980s. Landline phones connect to one another through a global communication network that was built over more than a century. But as cellphones became broadly available and affordable, many people chose to drop their landlines altogether. A 2022 survey by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that only about 29% of US adults lived in a house with a landline phone, down from more than 90% in 2004. The crossover happened around 2015, which was also when smartphone sales entered a boom period that reshaped the tech industry and helped turn iPhone maker Apple into one of the world's most highly valued companies. Ann Williams is one of the folks who hasn't given up on their landlines yet. When asked why she keeps hers around, she describes moving to Huntsville, Alabama, after a tornado outbreak on April 27, 2011, when dozens of twisters killed at least 250 people and knocked out power for days. Although she moved there after the tornadoes, hearing about the event brought home to her the importance of always needing a phone connection. "The weather here is so unpredictable," she told me in an interview. But landlines have dedicated power and often work even in an outage. "We remember a day when it was absolutely necessary to have (the landline)," Williams said. What makes landlines more reliable?Landline phones operate on a separate infrastructure, built from copper phone lines that are inexpensive to build and rather reliable. They also don't have the drawbacks of cellular networks, like dropped calls, poor and distorted quality or weak reception. A key reason people keep landlines around is that they tend to work even during power outages, which is a big plus for folks whose work involves emergency services, business or health care. Analog fax machines are also built around landline phone systems, which means most hospitals and doctor's offices, as well as policy and law offices, need to keep a landline connection running. Landline downsides Remember cordless phones and phone books? Catherine McQueen/Getty ImagesThe US Federal Communications Commission is phasing out requirements for phone companies to provide landline services (called Plain Old Telephone Service) across the country. As a result, more homes and business offices are being built with ethernet jacks rather than phone jacks.Landline phone connections aren't cheap, either. CNET corporate cousin AllConnectnotes that AT&T's traditional home phone plan starts at $48 per month, and you have to use the company for internet too. CenturyLink is cheaper, starting at $30 per month, and Spectrum will charge as little as $20 per month. And not all landlines use copper phone lines. Increasingly, companies are piggybacking their phone systems on their internet connections, a service called Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP. AllConnect currently tracks only three service providers offering old-style landlines: CenturyLink, Comcast Xfinity and Cox. How to get a landline If you're ready to get set up with a landline, call the local phone company and ask about phone services. If you live in an apartment building, it's important for you to find out where the phone junction box is. Typically, the landlord should know and if not, the local phone company should be able to find it. Here are some follow-up questions you want to ask, and what to look for in the answers: Are the landlines VoIP or are they POTS? Ideally, if you're looking for security and reliability, POTS is what you want. VoIP can work but understand that it likely relies on your internet modem and connection to work.If VoIP, does the company have backup power systems to ensure the voice line works in a power outage? Most companies do sell backup batteries you can buy directly from them. You can use an uninterrupted power supply, perhaps from CyberPower or APC. Do note that these are different from portable power supplies. Portable power supplies do allow you to stay electronically powered on the go, but those aren't meant to continuously monitor for power outages and then kick in as needed.Typically, local calls are free but dialing out of your area code costs. What's the rate structure? Companies like AT&T have various extra fees they charge for nationwide calls, as well as for international long distance. Long-distance calls in particular are usually charged per minute, and the companies don't always publish that information on their website. Make sure you know what it'll cost, and if it's too much, consider using a chat app likeSignal, WhatsApp, Google Meet or Apple FaceTimefor your long-distance calls instead. What to do with a landline If you have a landline but leave it languishing, just sucking money out of your bank account each month, you aren't alone. But there are some ways to make it more useful. Google Voice is a popular option, giving you a new phone number that acts as a sort of hub. Whenever people call, Google Voice then calls every phone to which you have it connected, be it a home landline, a cellphone, a work phone or anything else. There are other such services too, including Zoom andRingCentral, if you don't like working with Google. A landline phone can also connect with home security systems and medical alert sensors to help ensure that if you're in an emergency, help will be there as soon as possible. If you can't get a landline If you're ineligible for a landline, or don't like the service being offered, you do have more options from satellite providers. Companies such as HughesNet and SpaceX can support VoIP over their internet connections. Phone makers like Apple are also slowly buildingsatellite messaginginto their devices. The iPhone 14, which debuted in 2022, has a feature calledEmergency SOS, which can connect with a satellite to send location data to your friends or an emergency text to authorities.

It's always a fun challenge to see how two of the best smartphone cameras stack up. I spent a week shooting photos and videos with the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the Galaxy S24 Ultra to compare everything from sharpness to color contrast to zoom capabilities. If you're a creative type, like a photographer or filmmaker -- or if you simply want to take the most eye-catching Instagram photos -- choosingthe best phone cameracan feel daunting, but these takeaways should make decision-making easier. Both devices certainly pulled their weight, but there were moments when each stole the spotlight.Let's start off with some specs. The iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 48-megapixel main camera with a wide-angle lens, a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom. It also has a 12-megapixel front-facing camera. The iPhone 16 Pro Max can shoot up to 4K video at 120fps.The Galaxy S24 Ultra, meanwhile, sports a 200-megapixel wide camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera, a 10-megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom and a 50-megapixel telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. It also has a 12-megapixel front-facing camera and can shoot up to 8K video resolution. Watch this: iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: Camera Comparison 06:41 It's important to note that more megapixels don't automatically mean better photos, as a phone's software plays an important role too. The best way to get the full picture is to test out the cameras in the real world. Also, while I'm comparing photos taken at the default setting on each phone, customization is becoming a bigger focus through tools like the new Photographic Styles feature and tone mapping on the iPhone. That way, you can bump up saturation or contrast however you'd like.Price-wise, the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,200 for 256GB of internal storage, while the Galaxy S24 Ultra will cost you $100 more for the same storage amount.What's new on this year's iPhone lineup is the Camera Control button, which sits on the right side of the phone and lets you trigger the camera, snap photos and swipe to change settings like exposure, aperture and zoom. I've enjoyed using it as a shortcut to summon the camera, but don't yet see the appeal of doing much else with it, especially when using the touchscreen (the old-fashioned way) works just fine. (My colleague Bridget Carey has similar thoughts.) Thankfully, iPhone case makers like Speck and Otterbox have quickly developed cases to make that new button easily accessible, if you're like me and are trying to warm up to the concept while keeping your phone protected.Now, let's get into the photos.Favorite iPhone 16 Pro Max photosBefore jumping into the comparison, here are a few shots from the iPhone 16 Pro Max that really show how it shines. An afternoon stroll at Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco. Notice the reflection on the water. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET This nighttime shot is one of my favorites because of how crisp and vibrant all the colors are, and how rich the dark sky looks in the background too. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET The best opportunity to test the 5x optical zoom was from the nosebleeds of Oakland Arena during a Hans Zimmer concert. It did not disappoint. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET Another one with that 5x optical zoom, because I love how the golden hour light illuminates this shot at Lake Merritt. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNETiPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra photo comparisonsTo compare the cameras on these two phones, I toted them around San Francisco, brought them along on nighttime strolls and used them to shoot concert videos.During an afternoon walk at Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco, the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Galaxy S24 Ultra both captured this satisfyingly crisp cascade. The S24 Ultra image is slightly brighter throughout, especially among the trees and shrubs in the background. iPhone 16 Pro Max takes crisp photos, even with elements in motion. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET The Galaxy S24 Ultra produces slightly brighter results. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNETThese shots of a mural show a slightly higher overall brightness on the iPhone 16 Pro Max photo and deeper shades of each color on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Both are beautifully eye-catching, and I'm impressed with how little variation there is between them. iPhone 16 Pro Max delivers consistent results with vivid colors. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET The Galaxy S24 Ultra's color photos show a bit more richness. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNETMy favorite way to test portrait mode is by photographing a plant to see whether the camera picks up on any stray leaves of flowers and keeps them focused in the foreground. In this comparison, each phone does a comparable job in that regard, but I like how the S24 Ultra brightens the overall image and reduces a lot of those harsh shadows. High contrast is typical in bright settings with the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET The Galaxy S24 Ultra softens the shadows, in contrast. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNETApplying Portrait mode to pictures of people, these shots of my colleagues Faith Chihil and Jessica Fierro demonstrate that same brightness in the S24 Ultra photo, and the telephone booth in the background is a more vibrant red than in the iPhone photo. I actually prefer the iPhone 16 Pro Max image; the colors are darker but more true-to-life, bringing richness to the image by playing up the black of Faith's shirt and the blue of Jessica's jeans. Both photos feature a clean background blur. The iPhone 16 Pro Max provides more realistic lighting in this photo. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET You get slightly more brightness with indoor photos taken on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNETOne of the features I was most eager to play with was camera zoom. The iPhone 16 Pro Max has .5x, 1x, 2x and 5x optical zoom, while the Galaxy S24 Ultra has .6x, 1x, 3x, 5x and 10x optical zoom.The S24 Ultra's 10x zoom really is quite impressive, as it preserves the quality of the shot and its sharpness. The 5x zoom on the iPhone 16 Pro Max also showcases stunning detail and crispness. In these images of a skyscraper captured at a distance from Salesforce Park, the S24 Ultra again brightens up the overall shot, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max brings a sharpness that can best be seen by looking at the more defined windows of the building ahead. .5 zoom on the iPhone 16 Pro Max results in higher sharpness. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET 1x zoom on the iPhone 16 Pro Max retains sharpness without distortion. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET 2x zoom on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, still with crystal clarity. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET Even at 5x zoom on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, the detail impresses. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET .6x zoom on the Galaxy S24 Ultra distorts perspective a bit but is brighter. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET 1x zoom on the Galaxy S24 Ultra with higher contrast between light and dark. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET 3x zoom on the Galaxy S24 Ultra with decently clear results. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET Although not as crisp, the 5x zoom on the Galaxy S24 Ultra performs comparably. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET The 10x zoom on the Galaxy S24 Ultra provides impressive range. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNETFlipping to the front-facing cameras, the biggest difference is in color, as the S24 Ultra brightens up my face and black shirt a bit more, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max depicts deeper colors throughout, from the green of my couch to my complexion. Even the wall behind me takes on more of a beige hue, as opposed to the grayer, more muted shade in the S24 Ultra image. Both photos are pleasingly sharp and focused. More richness achieved with the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET Targeted brightness improves my complexion with the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNETOne of the areas in which I feel the iPhone has significantly improved over the years is with nighttime shots, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max did a great job of brightening up low-light images and making them pop. I still prefer this nighttime shot taken on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, since the sky is a more vivid blue, but the colorful lighting is similarly punchy in both photos. Big improvements have been made to the iPhone 16 Pro Max's ability to take night photos. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET The Galaxy S24 Ultra produces richer colors at night. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNETI brought both phones to Hans Zimmer Live to test out not only the quality of video footage but also zoom capabilities as I sat way in the nosebleeds. Both delivered crisp footage, despite all the flashing lights and my distance from the stage, but the S24 Ultra really came in clutch with that 10x optical zoom; I could clearly see Zimmer's face even from so far away. Other folks had their binoculars, I had the S24 Ultra.The iPhone 16 Pro lineup introduces 4K slow-motion recording at 120fps, while the S24 Ultra has a UHD slow-motion setting at 120fps. That 4K setting on the iPhone brings a crispness and higher level of detail that makes these videos pop -- even if you don't really find yourself recording in slow motion all that often.In other, more everyday instances, I still prefer video on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, as footage looks sharper and colors are more true-to-life. You'll get smooth shots, especially when set to 60fps, on both devices. Both the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Galaxy S24 Ultra have their strengths. Celso Bulgatti/CNETFinal thoughtsGiven the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra are some of the best camera phones you can get your hands on today, which images are "better" often comes down to personal preference.I've always admired the vibrancy of photos captured on Galaxy phones; the higher saturation and brightness can offer richer-looking images, especially out in nature and with photos of people. I also admire the sharpness of photos and videos on the iPhone, and how images tend to appear more true to real-life colors.Night mode used to be something that clearly set the Galaxy apart from the iPhone, but Apple has upped its game in recent years, and images shot at night on both devices are almost indistinguishable in terms of quality. Portrait mode also matches up more on both devices, as the iPhone used to be leagues ahead of its competitors in that regard. Both devices offer impressive zoom capabilities, though the S24 Ultra still takes the cake with that 10x optical zoom. Selfies are equally flattering -- despite minor color differences -- on both devices.All this to say, no matter which phone you choose to spend your hard-earned money on, you hopefully won't be let down. Check Out the iPhone 16 Pro Max's Cameras, Display and Colors See all photos

December 27, 20249 min readHow the Duck Stamp Became One of the Most Successful Conservation Tools in U.S. HistoryInside the fiercely competitive Federal Duck Stamp Contest, part of the wildly successful conservation program that has preserved millions of acres of waterfowl habitatThe 1997 Duck Stamp featured a painting of a Canada Goose by Robert Hautman. Entry number 123! The resonant words of Larry Mellinger, a senior attorney at the U.S. Department of the Interior, were followed by murmurs from the assembled crowd. An official from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) moved slowly across the stage, holding up a seven-by-10-inch painting before each of five expert judges. Behind the judges, a screen displayed the same image writ large: a pair of bizarre yet beautiful ducks. With its bright orange bill, dense green feathers behind the nostril and round patch of silvery-white feathers surrounding the eye, the Spectacled Eider is unlikely to be confused with any of the other four species that were eligible for this years contest. The colorful drake was pictured next to its brown-feathered mate in the early morning light, snowcapped Alaskan mountains rising in the far background.This was the scene at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Conn., on September 20, when the judging of the 2024 Federal Duck Stamp Contest was poised to reach its climax. Over the previous two days, the auditorium had been packed with artists and spectatorsa melting pot of flannel-clad veterans, aspiring young artists barely out of high school, curious onlookers, and even an adorable Seeing Eye puppy-in-training. The Duck Stamp Contest defies stereotypes: one is just as likely to spot a gray beard or a shock of bright blue hair in the audience. Additional thousands had been watching online, the live chat of the FWS YouTube channel bubbling with comments such as I love the lighting on the neck here, eiders always look a little bit suspicious, and even Something about that Brant [goose] cheek is giving IDGAF brat energy.In the first round of judging, a field of 239 artworks was winnowed to 85. In the second round, 15 finalists were selected. Now everything was on the line. One of these paintings would appear on the 2025 Duck Stamp. The winner receives a sheet of 25 stamps signed by the Secretary of the Interior. It is a modest prize, to be sure, but victory conveys instant stature in the field of wildlife art. And print sales are so lucrative that the winning painting is often called The Million-Dollar Duck.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.For the 338th time at the event, Mellinger intoned, Please vote. One by one, judges raised their numbered placard in an old-school process reminiscent of the judging for cold warera Olympic figure skating. Four judges held up a 5, and one raised a 4. The audience gaspedthe painting of the Spectacled Eiders had scored 24 out of a maximum of 25 possible points! Six more paintings were judged, but none surpassed that score.For two days, the artists had been anonymous, but now it was revealed that the Spectacled Eiders were the work of Adam Grimm. This is Grimms third win, and his previous winning paintings of a Mottled Duck and a pair of Canvasbacks are currently on display in a gallery upstairs from where the competition was held, in an exhibition titled Conservation Through the Arts: Celebrating the Federal Duck Stamp, on view through February 9, 2025.David Maass's painting of a pair of Wood Ducks appeared on the 1974 Duck Stamp.Duck Stamp Art on DisplayAs I stood in the back of the auditorium, listening to the thunderous applause fade away, I took a moment to reflect on my personal journey into the universe of the Duck Stamp. As recently as 2021, my familiarity with the Duck Stamp was limited to a vague awareness that its purchase is required to hunt waterfowl. Then I met Richie Prager. A conservationist and former Duck Stamp judge, he spent many years assembling a world-class collection of Duck Stamps before turning to a much more difficult task: tracking down the original art behind each stamp. Prager managed to acquire an astonishing 61 original artworks, along with many associated preliminary drawings and prints. Ultimately, he decided to donate them to the Bruce Museum, and Duck Stamp history became my life for the next three years. As science curator at the museum, I worked to organize an exhibition that showcases the art and artists behind the stamp.Our exhibition opens with a timeline. In 1900 ducks in the U.S. were in dire straits. The rise of technologies such as refrigeration, the railroad and punt guns that fired hundreds of pellets in a single blast facilitated the rise of market hunting. Whereas traditional hunters had long pursued ducks for their own table, market hunters killed birds indiscriminately and in great numbers, supplying merchants in ever-growing population centers where the publics appetite for duck meat and feathers was seemingly insatiable. At the same time, drought conditions and the draining of wetlands for agriculture were shrinking habitat that waterfowl relied upon for feeding and nesting.Pummeled from all sides, ducks found a defender in American political cartoonist Jay Norwood Ding Darling. A two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, Darling used his platform to agitate for conservation legislation. Through the efforts of Darling and others, the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act arrived on Franklin D. Roosevelts desk in 1934. The Act required waterfowl hunters to purchase a $1 Duck Stamp, with sales supporting migratory bird sanctuaries. In addition to preserving land, Darling worked tirelessly to push through hunting regulations that reversed the declining fortunes of waterfowl, giving the beleaguered U.S. ducks and geese the protections they needed to rebound.Pressed to deliver a design for the very first Duck Stamp, Darling quickly whipped up six drawings on cardboard shirt stiffeners salvaged from his dry cleaning. These were merely intended as concept sketches but were passed along to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing by mistake. By the time Darling tracked down his missing sketches, engravers had already started production. Although the original sketch used for the first stamp appears to have been discarded, Darling later re-created the image as an etching. A trial proof print from this etching opens the art section of the exhibition.For the next 15 years, from 1935 to 1949, a select few wildlife artists were invited to submit designs the annual Duck Stamp. Many were natural history scholars and museum professionals, and in keeping with the times, all were men. Among them was Edwin R. Kalmbach, who worked for the Bureau of the Biological Survey, a precursor of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Kalmbachs research helped identify avian botulism as the cause of a mysterious western duck sickness that had killed more than two million ducks in the Great Salt Lake region in 1910. Emphasizing the programs conservation mission, his wash painting of Ruddy Ducks for the 1941 Duck Stamp included a flotilla of adorable ducklings.Many of these early artists were self-taught. For example, Walter E. Bohl worked for a telephone company but took up drawing while recuperating from a serious illness. Encouraged to pursue printmaking, he improvised a press and etching tools from an old clothes wringer, darning needle and hand-polished copper. Soon he was displaying his etchings at Chicagos Century of Progress Exposition, where one was purchased by none other than Eleanor Roosevelt. Bohl was subsequently invited to design the 1943 Duck Stampa pair of Wood Ducks taking flight. Although the original drypoint etching on copper plate has been lost to rust, a preliminary sketch for his winning design is a highlight of our exhibit at the Bruce Museum. Today Bohls work is housed in such high places as the Smithsonian American Art Museum.James Hautman's painting of a pair of Redheads appeared on the 2022 Duck Stamp.The Super Bowl of Wildlife ArtThe Bruce Museum was able to host the 2024 Duck Stamp contest thanks to a decision made almost 75 years ago. Robert Warren Hines, who had been selected to design the 1946 stamp and became an artist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1948, subsequently argued that the selection process for the design should take the form of a competition that anyone could enter following stated guidelines. Thanks to Hiness efforts, an open competition was declared for the 1950 Duck Stamp. Walter Weber, widely known for his illustrations in National Geographic, won that year with his Trumpeter Swans design, which bested 87 other entries. The early contest years feature relatively simple designs. They are clean, stylized representations of ducksand the art tends to have a very stamplike feel, in part because it had to be submitted in black and white and also because the artists were aware an engraver would have to replicate it on a steel die at stamp size (1.75 by 1.5 inches).Beginning in 1970, the contest allowed color submissions. David Maasss painting of Wood Ducks for the 1974 stamp, on display in our exhibit, emphasizes this change with an explosion of color. A male and female pair are captured taking flight in front of a foggy autumn sky crossed by bare tree branches. The drakes wings are lifted on the upstroke, and the hens are powering into the end of the downstroke. Its an idealized representation of a real moment, a style of that era of the stamp that I particularly enjoy. Directly below Maasss painting hangs the final black-and-white work to appear on a stamp since the doors were opened to color submissions. Alderson Sandy Magees scratchboard rendering of a family of Canada Geese for the 1976 stamp is sublime. Scratchboard engraving, in which the artist uses sharp implements to scratch a boards dark ink surface, revealing the light-colored layer underneath, can lend itself to almost harsh lines. Yet Magee perfectly captures the softness of the goslings down.As the exhibition proceeds towards the present day, acrylic paintings begin to dominate, and the artwork shifts toward near-photorealistic portrayals of waterfowl and their environment. It is almost a given that the depictions of the ducks and geese will be executed flawlessly. The winning paintings have an added edgea certain warmth to the sunlight illuminating a Canvasback or an ominous storm brewing behind a White-fronted Goose. In 1991 Nancy Howe became the first woman to win the Duck Stamp competition with a pair of King Eiders poised in a landscape of contrasting textures. The image gives a realistic impression, but close examination reveals stylized choices strategically tailored to the small scale of the physical stamp.One name that appears repeatedly on the wall labels over the last stretch of the exhibition is Hautman. Three brothersJames, Joseph and Robert Hautmanhave collectively won the contest an astonishing 15 times. Their paintings are not only terrifically atmospheric but also capture the subjects in the finest detail. In 2001 Joe Hautmans Black Scoters prevailed after four rounds of tie-breaking votes when one judge recognized that only Hautmans painting included the tiny projections on the ducks bill called lamellae, which form a sieve for filter feeding.The exhibition closes with an array of the stamps themselves and a celebration of the pop-culture impact of the Duck Stamp. A poster highlights a subplot in the movie Fargo, whose creators, the Coen brothers, were childhood neighbors of the Hautmans. Toward the end of the film, a character announces that his Mallard painting came in second place and will be featured on the three-cent stamp, and he laments that Hautmans Blue-winged Teal got the 29-centa nod to the many real-life wins by the Hautman brothers. More recently, the Duck Stamp was featured in an episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Oliver explained the importance of the conservation funds generated by the program and successfully raised more than $70,000 for wetland conservation through the auction of five humorous paintings submitted to the Duck Stamp Contest. One of these paintings, Feuding Artists Handshake, by Roberto Parada, depicts erstwhile rival artists Tim Taylor and Rob McBroom making peace under the wings of a giant duck. Hanging in the exhibition, it captures both the serious nature of the art competition and the charm of a fandom that never takes itself too seriously.As people exit the exhibition, the last thing they see is a video loop of footage from the National Wildlife Refuge System and a QR code beckoning them to buy their own stamp. Although hunters are still required to buy the stamp, almost half of all duck stamps sold these days go to collectors and those who wish to support conservation98 percent of sale dollars go directly to conserving habitat. Less than three square inches in size, the Duck Stamp has protected more than six million acres of waterfowl habitat. Ive got mine (signed by the artist, no less) sitting on my dresser right now.

December 27, 20245 min readHow to Tactfully Ask Your Childs Friends Parents if They Have Guns at HomeA gun safety check of where your child is going for a playdate or sleepover may save livesBy Sara Novak edited by Gary StixA child opens a gun safe. imageBROKER.com GmbH & Co. KG/Alamy Stock Photo.It's a conversation that Marian Betz admits can feel awkward at first. Broaching it might even be viewed as questioning the adequacy of someone elses parenting. But Betz, the mother of two teenage girls in Denver, Colo., says that because of the ubiquitous nature of firearms in American homes, she regularly asks other parents about securing guns. In fact, she has done so since her kids started having playdates and sleepovers a decade ago.Many parents either dont realize they should ask about guns or feel too embarrassed to do so. A study released last month in Pediatrics found that more than 60 percent of the Illinois parents that the researchers surveyed had never asked another parent whether there was an unlocked firearm in that persons home before allowing their child to visit for a playdate. Its a startling statistic when you consider that, among children aged 14 and under, almost 20 percent of unintentional firearm-related deaths occur at a friends home.Betz, a professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and an expert in the prevention of firearm injury and suicide, has seen firsthand the harm that guns can do when theyre left unlocked in the home. In all, 2,526 kids and teens died from gunshots wounds in the U.S. in 2022, according to a report released in September from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.A simple conversation can go a long way in preventing accidental deaths. Betz frames questions about guns as one of several safety topics parents should discuss with one another before playdates, including everything from food allergies to unsupervised pool access, marijuana, alcohol and adult supervision. But the most important discussion is about access to unlocked firearms. Betz taught herself to have these conversations because she contends that you cant accurately predict who might be a gun owner. Our stereotypes about gun owners can be wrong, Betz says. In a country where up to 40 percent of adults live in a house with a gun, you cant just go by the political yard sign or their chosen TV news station.While non-gun owners might think that asking about guns feels overbearing, research, perhaps surprisingly, shows that gun owners welcome the conversation, says Nick Buttrick, a psychologist who studies the symbolism of gun ownership at the University of WisconsinMadison. People in focus groups who own guns say that talking about gun safety is actually really important to them. The anticipated friction stops people from having the conversation, Buttrick says, but when they actually have it, theyre received with a lot more positivity than they might have imagined.Non-gun owners, he adds, may feel out of their depth when it comes to asking about safe gun storage because they might not know what it entails. The ideal practice is called triple-safe storage: a gun that is locked up and unloaded with ammunition stowed away separately. Knowing what youre looking for before you ask can ease preconversation anxiety, Buttrick says.Additionally, a study published in PNAS on April 8 found that within the gun-owning community, there is widespread discomfort with insecure firearm storage. In the study, even Republican gun owners didnt want their neighbors to have quick access to unlocked, loaded firearms. And that if a person knew someone living close by didnt store their gun in a safe or at least with a chamber lock on a pistol, they were less likely to be willing to socialize with that neighbor, says Justin Sola, lead study author and an assistant professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This consensus held true for both red and blue voters, whether or not they were gun owners themselves. Theres a penalty that people assess toward their neighbors if they dont store their guns safely, Sola says. He contends that theres a universal aversion to unsafe storage that both gun owners and non-gun owners can agree on, all of which can make these conversations between parents easier.Another good strategy is not to ask whether an individual has a gun but to assume they do and go straight to asking whether that gun is locked up, says Paul Nestadt, an associate professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University, whose research focuses on gun death and suicide prevention. The question isnt whether you should judge someone for owning guns; its whether those guns are locked up in a way that keeps kids from having any access to them. Asking something more innocuous like How do you store your gun? makes people feel less defensive, so theyre more likely to be honest, Nestadt says. If they dont have a gun, they can just say soand if they do, the data show that theyre more likely than you might expect to want to talk about how they store it, he adds.The risk of unlocked firearms to children and teens extends beyond gun accidents to the pressing threat of suicides, which increased by 21 percent in that age group from 2019 to 2021. And teen mental health might, for some parents, be a more comfortable starting point for a firearm conversation. In the U.S. many parents dont realize that the most common form of firearm death is suicide. We know that teens are notoriously impulsive, so guns should be locked and inaccessible to kids without supervision, Betz says. Additionally, parents should talk to their kids about what to do if they encounter a gun at a friends house. The short answer: leave the room and call a parent immediately. While this might seem obvious, it may not be to kids who have never been around firearms.Many parents may think that their teen doesnt have access to a gun in their home, when in fact their child knows the combination to the lock and where its hidden. Research published in the March 2021 issue of JAMA found that while 70 percent of parents reported that their adolescent could not access the household gun, more than one third of those teens actually knew how to do so, underlining the necessity of taking requisite safety measures.While mass shootings make up a much smaller percentage of firearm deaths compared with suicide, they can be devastating to the communities where they happen. Around half of school shootings are perpetrated by current or former students. And three quarters of the time, the weapon came from the shooters home or the home of a friend or relative.In the end, parents will have lots of sometimes uncomfortable conversations with other parents, teachers and caregiversnot because they want to but because theyre trying to keep their kids safe. Imagine if something happened, and it did because you had been too embarrassed to ask, Betz says. That just feels horrible to me.IF YOU NEED HELPIf you or someone you know is struggling or having thoughts of suicide, help is available. Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or use the online Lifeline Chat.

December 26, 20245 min readAn Earth-Rocking Cosmic Explosion Turns 20Twenty years ago today a magnetars epic tantrum made our planet ring like a bell from tens of thousands of light-years awayBy Phil Plait edited by Lee BillingsAn illustration of a magnetar producing a superflare. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image LabTwenty years ago today a tiny neutron star reached across the Milky Way to land a blow on Earth, ringing our planet like a bell. Despite being half the galaxy away, an explosion on that dead stars surface was able to physically compress our planets magnetic field, overload some satellites and even partially ionize Earths upper atmosphere. Yet this all came from an object no bigger than about two dozen kilometers across.Sometimes terrifying things come in small packages.The culprit was SGR 1806-20, a magnetar located some 50,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius. A magnetar is a special kind of neutron star that is already at the top end of what the extreme universe can produce. Forged in the fires of a supernova, a neutron star forms when a massive stars core collapses even as the rest of the star explodes outward at a significant fraction of the speed of light. The core falls into itself, its density skyrocketing, until it becomes so compressed that its electrons are squeezed into neighboring protons (with an added antineutrino, for those subatomic particle bookkeepers keeping track), resulting in the formation of neutrons.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.The resulting neutron-packed object is almost beyond human comprehension. It holds more than the mass of the sun but is typically only about 20 kilometers across, making its density almost comically high: a single cubic centimeter of a neutron star, a portion roughly a fourth of the size of a standard six-sided die, would weigh 100 million metric tons. Imagine taking every single car in the U.S., smashing them together into a lump, then crushing that lump down into the size of a single sugar cube, and youll start to get the idea.The surface gravity of a typical neutron star can be tens or even hundreds of billions of times that of Earth. Standing on the surface of a neutron star, a person would weigh billions or even trillions of tons. But they wouldnt be able to stand; the immense gravity would flatten them into a vaporized smear of atoms less than a micron high.Run-of-the-mill neutron stars are born with a strong magnetic field, billions of times stronger than Earths. Some can become even more powerful, however, with a field that can reach a staggering quadrillion times that of Earth. These are the magnetars, and they are among the most dangerous objects in the galaxy.Just sitting out there in space, doing its thing, a magnetar is already an ultralethal astrophysical beast you wouldnt want to tangle with. Yet sometimes these objects flare, a word that so undersells what actually happens that its laughable.A neutron stars intensely powerful magnetic field is embedded in the objects crust, coupled to it like the hair growing out of your scalp. In some magnetars the crust can become unstable and eventually slip. Such a starquake is very similar to an earthquake, but remember that the crust is unimaginably dense and subject to fantastically high gravity. If the crust cracks and slips a single millimeter, the energy released is cosmically huge, creating temperatures high enough to vaporize hundreds of trillions of metric tons of matter on the surface. This shakes the magnetic field so violently that the field reshapes itself, the magnetic field lines snapping and recombining. When they do this, they release stored-up energy as well. The result is catastrophe on an epic scale.Magnetars are relatively uncommon as far as neutron stars go and thus sparsely distributed throughout space. This usually means the effects of their flares are attenuated by great distances, so such outbursts are typically only detectable by specialized astronomical instruments. On rare occasions, however, a magnetar blasts out a superflare.SGR 1806-20 suffered just such an event some 50,000 years ago. It was all over in the blink of an eye: in just a tenth of a second, the crust slipped, exploded and blasted the stars magnetic field. The fireball had about 10 trillion times the suns total energy output over the same length of time. Much of that energy was in the form of super-high-energy gamma rays, though it also included x-rays and other forms of light as well.To put this on an earthly scalea nearly impossible taskthe starquake was roughly the equivalent of a magnitude 32 earthquake, something like 32 sextillion times stronger than the most powerful earthquake ever recorded on our planet.That energy rippled out across space for millennia, finally sweeping over Earth on December 27, 2004. The effects were felt immediately.NASA had just launched the Swift satellite about a month before. Swift was designed to detect high-energy cosmic explosions from billions of light-years away, yet it was unprepared for SGR 1806-20s outburst. The satellites gamma-ray detectors saturated with energy, even though Swift wasnt even pointed in the direction of the blast; the energy penetrated the walls of the spacecraft and pummeled the detectors anyway.The initial spike of energy endured for less than a second, but Swifts exquisite instruments detected a long tail of energy that lasted for more than five minutes. The brightness of the superflare rose and dipped with a very well-determined period of 7.56 seconds, the rotation rate of the magnetar. As SGR 1806-20 spun, it swept the raging scar of the starquakes location into and out of our view, creating the oscillations in brightness like a blinking Christmas light.The energy was enough to physically impact our planet: it increased the ionization in the ionospherea layer of Earths atmosphere that reaches up to roughly 600 kilometers above the surfaceand also measurably affected the magnetosphere. The overall effect was small, but bear in mind that the magnetar is 50,000 light-years from Earth, literally halfway across the Milky Way from us. Had it been much closer, the effects would have been much stronger, similar to a powerful solar flare that can fry the electronics of many satellites and create chaos down here on the surface.The good news is that 50,000 light-years is a long way. There are some magnetars closer to us, yet none has been seen spitting such powerful superflares. SGR 1806-20 is still at the top of its class in terms of power.So theres probably no need to panic or even fret about a magnetar ruining our day. I remember that at the time of the superflare some pseudoscience crackpots speculated that it caused the massive Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and subsequent tsunamian entirely terrestrial disaster that killed nearly a quarter of a million people. That earthquake, however, occurred more than a day before the magnetar blast hit us, when the explosions wave, traveling at the speed of light, was roughly 50 billion kilometers from Earth, still well outside the orbit of Neptune. The two events were unconnected.But SGR 1806-20s outburst does show how casually the universe wields such unimaginable forces. Stars explode, magnetars erupt, and other cosmic events cry havoc. The good news is that distance dwindles these colossal catastrophes so much that we didnt even know they existed until relatively recently. Earth has been around for 4.6 billion years, and were still here.So if youre the sort to count your blessings as a new year starts, raise a toast to the sky and be happy space is so bigand thank science that we observe and try to understand it.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereWinterfest 2024 has arrived in Fortnite, transforming the island into a frozen wonderland brimming with Christmas cheer and boundless excitement. From snow-dusted POIs to festive decorations, the winter event is full of beauty.Alongside that, exclusive Winterfest-themed quests are now available, providing a mix of investigative challenges and rewarding gameplay. However, to kick off these quests you need to interact with an NPC on the island on behalf of Sgt. Winter. But some players have raised a major concern thats spoiling the fun of these challenges in Fortnite Chapter 6.Fortnite players slam Wintervestigation challenges for ruining the funFortnite players like always_Long are taking over Reddit to voice their displeasure with the new Wintervestigation challenges which are a set of quests that involve them looking for clues around the island and reporting to Noir with their findings.Players need to interact with Noir NPC on the island to complete Winterfest quests. Image by Epic Games.But to begin and conclude each set of such quests, players need to visit the Noir NPC at Seaport City POI and interact with him. Blaming this always_Long said, This straight up is not fun, and absolutely ridiculous. I shouldnt have to stress out about people camping or hot-dropping the mission objectives just so they can camp/farm kills. I cut the clip short, but I died about 2 minutes after this trying to get out of the city, I couldnt run 1 second in any direction without running into somebody trying to shoot me.The problem highlighted by the user resonated with a bunch of other Fortnite players who tend to focus on completing quests in Battle Royale, rather than eliminating enemies and chasing the Victory Royale. Another similar player wrote, Freaking hate this too. I dont care if this is considered teaming, but I literally elimd someone who was attacking another player while they were trying to speak to Noir too. Serves them right.A third player offered a solution by commenting, Just drop somewhere else, run around for a while, and get shield, stuff and a car then come back when theres less players?, to which several agreed by saying, This is exactly how I did all the quests. Wait until the area has cooled off and/or storm threatens the area then youll have the city to yourself.While Winterfest 2024 quests only grant players XP, you can still head over to the Yule Log Cabin if youre looking to open some presents to get free cosmetic items in the game. FortnitePlatform(s):Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter9VideoGamerRelated TopicsFortnite Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide Theres nothing more satisfying than scoring a hard-fought victory in Call of Duty, even in Black Ops 6. Whether its a nail-biting game of Hardpoint in Ranked Play or a Nuketown Kill Confirmed that comes down to the final tag, seeing your name at the top of the scoreboard is always a thrill.Black Ops6 features a wide range of game modes with numerous criteria needed for players to score the win. Despite some players managing to reach the required score, one mode in particular is handing out losses instead of victories much to the annoyance of players managing to defeat their opponents.Losing even when winningFree for All may not be the most popular mode in Black Ops 6 multiplayer but it is a staple of the first-person shooter (FPS) genre putting individual skill to the test on the virtual battlefield. Although players are hitting the 30-kill score to achieve a win, the game issues a defeat.The exact cause of Free for All dishing out defeats remains a mystery. According to some players, recent updates could be the reasons why the iconic mode is experiencing some technical difficulties in the second half of Season 1. FFA wasnt broken until the last two updates, reports one fan. How does this even happen? questions another frustrated player.Free for All bugs are another addition to a growing list of issues for Treyarch to deal with. Hackers continue to run rampant in casual and competitive playlists alongside the wrong weaponry appearing in the melee weapon slot.A Free for All fix?Treyarch is often quick to respond to any game-breaking issues uncovered by players meaning theres a high chance Free for All victories will appear correctly in the not-too-distant future. For the time being, its best to avoid the mode completely if you dont want your win/loss ratio to be impacted.Despite being one of the strongest entries into the Call of Duty franchise in recent years, the early stages of the Black Ops 6 cycle have started heading in the wrong direction. Thankfully, there is still plenty of time to reverse its fortunes before attention turns to Call of Dutys 2025 release.For even more CoD, check out the best Saug loadout for close-quarters action along with the best mouse and keyboard settings to keep you shooting straight.Call of Duty: Black Ops 6Platform(s):PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):ShooterSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share