A hot potato: The European Union decided to impose USB-C as the de-facto standard for data communication and battery charging on small devices two years ago. The new rule is now going into effect, despite Apple's objections, which include concerns about reduced technological innovation. The European market is making USB-C the sole interface for battery charging on mobile and portable gadgets. The EU Parliament approved the USB Type-C mandate in 2022, compelling even reluctant manufacturers to adopt the port for their chargers. By the end of 2024, all mobile phones, tablets, and cameras sold in the EU must feature a USB-C charging port and that's just the beginning.By 2026, the mandate will extend to laptops as well.European authorities explained that the new rule would allow consumers to use a single, universal charger for all their portable devices. USB-C chargers will remain compatible with new products, creating a standard for a wide range of small and medium-sized portable electronic devices with power delivery under 100 watts. By 2026, the mandate will extend to laptops as well.The EU also stated that devices supporting fast charging will have the same charging speed, ensuring that any compatible charger can power up devices at the same rate. According to the European Commission, the adoption of a common USB-C charger will improve interoperability across the market, reducing the impact on both consumers and the environment.The USB-C mandate is expected to increase consumer choice and force manufacturers to abandon their outdated "lock-in" business model, which requires customers to purchase products exclusively from a single brand. Apple, one of the most notable offenders in this practice, actively resisted the EU's push for a common USB-C charger.In 2022, Apple argued that the regulation would enforce "conformity" in the types of connectors used by devices, stifling innovation. Apple also claimed the regulation would harm both European consumers and the broader economy. However, the company was ultimately forced to comply. Apple's SVP of Marketing, Greg Joswiak, admitted that they had no choice but to adopt USB-C in their devices. // Related StoriesThe iPhone 15, introduced last year, marked the first generation to replace Apple's proprietary Lightning port with USB-C. According to EU estimates, the ability to reuse old chargers will save consumers up to 250 million annually. Europe also warned that disposed chargers currently account for 11,000 tonnes of additional e-waste every year.

In a nutshell: Do you ever feel that there may be too many games released these days? It could be because 2024 saw more new titles launched on Steam than any year before, a total of almost 19,000, up 32.5% compared to last year. The ever-helpful SteamDB stat tracker reveals that as we enter the final few hours of 2024, a massive 18,965 games (at the time of writing) have been released on Steam during these last 12 months.The figure is quite remarkable when you look at Steam's previous yearly totals. 2024 saw the highest number of new games ever released on Valve's platform, with 4,655 more games appearing this year compared to 2023 (14,310), marking the largest-ever yearly increase.Just four years ago, in 2020, there were 9,686 new games released on Steam, around half the number of new releases in 2024. Go all the way back to 2006, three years after Steam first arrived, and just 70 games were launched on the service.Courtesy of SteamDBWhile there were more games than ever before released this year, only 3,973, or just over 20%, were popular enough for Valve to enable community profile features, including trading cards, badges, emoticons, etc. It's these games that count toward a user's Game Collector and Achievement Collector totals, too. // Related StoriesLast year, 3,874 new games were enrolled in Steam community profile features, while the figure was 3,491 in 2021, indicating a steady yearly increase. Nevertheless, the fact that 14,992 new releases in 2024 weren't popular enough to receive these features illustrates how many games go unnoticed.Also read: Best PC Games (You Should Be Playing)SteamDB also includes a list of the top-rated games of 2024, based on user ratings. Unsurprisingly, the crack-like addictiveness of Balatro helped it secure second place with a score of 96.75%, beaten only by MiSide's rating of 96.78%.Other top-rated games include Black Myth: Wukong (95.91%) in seventh, Tactical Breach Wizards (95.12%) in sixteenth, and Silent Hill (93.72%) in the 66th spot. All these titles appear in our Best PC Games (You Should Be Playing) feature.Earlier this month, Valve released its Best of the Year lists, highlighting the top-selling and most-played games of 2024.

NetflixTable of ContentsTable of ContentsCarry-On (2024)Dont Move (2024)The Guilty (2021)Emily the Criminal (2022)Fair Play (2023)And with that, the 2024 season has come to an end. Its the last day of the year, so were taking stock of films released in the previous 12 months. From blockbusters and superhero adventures to horrors and comedies, 2024 started slow, but finished strong.There is always a ton of excitement on New Years Eve. What better way to channel that bottled-up energy than with a thriller? Netflix has an entire section dedicated to exciting thrillers. Consider watching some of our recommendations, which include a holiday thriller, a crime saga, and a cat-and-mouse showdown.Recommended VideosWe also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max,andthe best movies on Disney+.RelatedNetflixA thriller set around Christmas deserves to be watched around the holidays. Carry-OnDie Hard, where one unlikely protagonist attempts to thwart an entire terrorist operation. Carry-Onsversion of John McClane is Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton), a TSA agent tasked with working on Christmas Eve.While working the security line, Ethan is ordered to wear an earpiece. On the other end of the line is a mysterious traveler (Jason Bateman), who blackmails Ethan into letting a dangerous package through security and onto a plane. If Ethan refuses to comply, the traveler will kill his pregnant girlfriend, Nora (Sofia Carson). Unwilling to let an innocent person die, Ethan springs into action and fights back in this highly entertaining action thriller.Stream Carry-On on Netflix.Vladislav Lepoev / NetflixDont Move? More like Cant Move. The Sam Raimi-produced Dont Move stars Yellowstones Kelsey Asbille as Iris, a grieving mother who wakes up one morning and visits the memorial of her deceased child. While contemplating her life, Iris meets Richard (Finn Wittrock), a kind man who literally talks her off a cliff.Before they part ways, Richard unexpectedly stabs Iris with a paralyzing agent. Richard is a serial killer and plans to torture and kill Iris. In 20 minutes, Iris entire body will shut down, so she runs into the forest to hide. This is where the dont move part rings true, as Iris must hide from Richard long enough for her body to regain mobility. Though its a movie where the protagonist must remain calm, Dont Moves suspense makes your heart beat out of your chest.Stream Dont Move on Netflix.NetflixThe Guilty is one of the few effective one-location movies from the COVID era. Speaking of COVID, Antoine Fuqua caught the virus days before the shooting, so he directed the scenes from a secure location off set. Serving as the American remake of a 2018 Danish film,The Guiltystars Jake Gyllenhaal as Joe Baylor, an LAPD officer working the night shift at a call center. Joe was recently demoted after a questionable incident occurred while he was on duty.During his shift, Joe receives a strange call from Emily Lighton (Riley Keough), who claims to have been abducted. Joe gets to work on solving the crime, and as the night progresses, he becomes so obsessed with the case that he cant let it go. The entire movie takes place in the call center, so its a testament to Gyllenhaals acting that The Guiltygets more tense with each passing minute.Stream The Guilty on Netflix.Vertical EntertainmentAubrey Plaza is mostly known for her comedic work. In 2022, Plaza ventured outside of comedy and proved she has dramatic chops in Emily the Criminal, John Patton Fords wildly underrated thriller. Los Angeles resident Emily Benetto (Plaza) struggles to make ends meet as a delivery driver for a catering company. Emily would love a better-paying job to pay off her student loans, but her felony conviction prevents many companies from hiring her.Emily gets the chance to make some quick cash as a dummy shopper, someone who buys goods with stolen credit cards. The scheme works, and Emily becomes more involved in the illegal business. Plaza is a revelation as Emily, a woman forced into the criminal underworld in this slick commentary about capitalism.Stream Emily the Criminal on Netflix.Image via NetflixFair Playis an ode to the erotic thrillers of the 1990s. Written and directed by Chloe Domont, Fair Playstars Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich as Emily Meyers and Luke Edmunds, two young analysts at a Manhattan hedge fund. Emily and Luke are in a secret relationship and get engaged without notifying their company.When one of the portfolio managers is fired, Emily, not Luke, receives the promotion. At first, Luke is happy for his soon-to-be wife. However, the admiration quickly turns to jealousy as the cutthroat nature of the business takes over in this well-constructed exploration of gender politics and power dynamics within a relationship.Stream Fair Play on Netflix.Editors Recommendations

Nvidias upcoming RTX 5080 and RTX 5070 Ti just appeared in several iBUYPOWER gaming PCs. This is the first U.S. retailer to list Nvidias RTX 50-series in prebuilt systems. The listings are interesting, with performance figures that really dont add up. Still, the biggest question is: Wheres the GPU thats bound to beat all the current best graphics cards? Yes, were talking about RTX 5090.The listings have already been taken down, but they were preserved by VideoCardz. A total of five systems were listed by iBUYPOWER, but they all contained the same two GPUs either the RTX 5080 or the RTX 5070 Ti. Both cards are said to come with 16GB of memory, and we expect them to be announced on January 6 during the CES 2025 keynote held by Nvidias CEO, Jensen Huang.Recommended VideosThe manufacturer didnt reveal much in the way of GPU specs, although most have already been leaked. The gaming PCs featured both AMD and CPUs; for the former, the 7800X3D was used as opposed to the newer 9800X3D. On the surface, these look like standard high-end gaming PCs, but having seen these listings, Im left with more questions than before.For starters, the performance figures. Some tests for each PC were shared, and some of the numbers are way off. for example, one of the PCs achieved a mere 20 frames per second (fps) in Baldurs Gate 3 at 1440p. This is pretty much impossible for a rig of that caliber (provided nothings wrong with it), so Im discarding these benchmarks and assuming theyre placeholders until the actual announcement takes place.Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming Next, the pricing. Weve already seen a leaked listing of an RTX 5080-based PC, and it cost around $3,600 for the whole system, which also contained an Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU. Thats pretty expensive, especially when you consider that the RTX 5090 version was listed at a whopping $6,200. However, these PCs, which briefly appeared at a German retailer, dont necessarily mean that every similar desktop will be priced this high.RelatedThat brings me to my final question: Wheres the RTX 5090? Although recent whispers point to the RTX 5090 launching after the RTX 5080, both are expected to be announced soon. Also, the RTX 5090 is said to appear on the shelves before the RTX 5070 Ti, so it would have been nice to see it appear in a prebuilt. Hopefully, the listing just wasnt posted and its not a matter of it being too expensive (or too powerful) to appear in mainstream prebuilts.Were mere days away from finding out more. Stay tuned well keep you posted on all things CES 2025, including Nvidias keynote.Editors Recommendations

In a year of total cultural domination, the Oscar- and Emmy-winner has become a model for actorly range and career longevity in an ever-changing industry.

John Edwards, Technology Journalist & AuthorDecember 31, 20245 Min ReadBrain light via Alamy Stock PhotoBudget planning tools help IT leaders build an accurate estimate of future income and expenses in a detailed enough way to make sound operational decisions. That sounds simple enough, yet in actual practice creating a realistic budget is a time-consuming task that many IT leaders dread.AI has the ability to analyze historical finance data, usage patterns, project expenditures, and related inputs to better forecast the future, says Tyler Higgins, managing director of management and technology consulting firm AArete, via email.When teamed with automated data collection, AI has the potential to enhance many budget modeling processes, says Anurag Sahay, managing director and global lead of AI and data sciences at digital engineering firm Nagarro. In an online interview, he notes that AI can also improve extrapolation and forecasting to assess resource needs, extract key insights from unstructured feedback, and optimize decision-making models for the best planning outcome and what-if scenarios.Multiple BenefitsAI-supported budget planning offers both direct and indirect benefits. "The direct benefits are streamlining and shortening the budgeting process," Higgins says. "The ideal outcome is a predictive budgeting process that contains powerful scenario planning tools and improved accuracy."Related:The most exciting part about using AI in IT budget planning is how it can shift the entire mindset from cost-cutting to value-building, says Jeff Mains, founder of Champion Leadership Group, a business training and coaching provider. Traditionally, budgets were seen as waysto manage resources and avoid overspending, but with AI were talking about a tool that identifies opportunities for innovation, he explains via email. "It doesnt just keep you within budget -- it shows you where strategic investments in IT can drive growth." Mains says he uses AI to not only forecast expenses, but to create dynamic budget models that adjust in real-time based on shifting business needs and external factors. "Its about creating a budget that grows with you, rather than just containing costs."AI-driven predictive analytics and benchmarking tools are already available for parts of the overall IT budget process, says Steven Hall, chief AI officer at technology research and advisory firm ISG. In an email interview, he notes that several technology business management tools, such as Apptio, provide deep insights and scenario planning to analyze current spending patterns and run savings and growth scenarios. "These platforms are integrating GenAI capabilities to provide even deeper insights and look for savings by integrating usage, external benchmark, and demand data to plan better IT spending."Related:First StepsHiggins says the best way to begin using AI budget planning is to pick a specific use case and explore its potential. "We're still in the infancy of AI, yet use cases keep growing," he notes. "Instead of biting off everything at once, pick a few use cases and ensure that your baseline operational, financial, and usage data is sufficient, clean, and well structured." Higgins suggests establishing an objective for each use case, then deploying a pilot AI project to determine if it's delivering the anticipated output.When embedded into IT financial platforms, AI budgeting will provide deeper insight into opportunities as well as create the ability to model various scenarios for growth, Hall says. "These evolving capabilities will also provide leaders with actionable insights and identify specific actions to address budget challenges."The best approach is to take the long view, Mains says. "AI can deliver immediate insights, but its real power comes when its integrated into long-term strategic planning." He suggests selecting a single area of volatile IT spending, such as cloud services or software licenses, and allowing AI to analyze usage patterns in order to offer smarter budget recommendations. "From there, you can gradually scale AIs role, aligning its outputs with broader business goals."Related:Risks and BenefitsAI's biggest benefit is predictive accuracy. It's not just about saving time -- it's about knowing where your IT investments will have the highest impact six months from now, or even a year down the road, Mains says. The biggest risk is treating AI as a silver bullet. "The human element is still critical," he warns. "Without context and strategic insight, even the most advanced AI models can miss the mark."Hall notes that AI models are only as good as the data they're fed, and poor-quality or incomplete data can easily result in inaccurate budget forecasts. "Implementing AI tools also requires an upfront investment in technology and talent, which can be a barrier for smaller organizations."Looking ForwardThe hardest part of most AI-driven projects, including budgeting, is getting started, Higgins observes. "These tools are never going to be perfect at first, but they will get better, and the results will be tangible for every 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

When particles act like waves, they create a circular diffraction pattern after passing through a small apertureE. R. DEGGINGER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARYA classic quantum experiment that shows how particles can behave like waves has been demonstrated with atoms for the first time, something that was thought to be impossible. The finding could be used to design atomic detectors that can measure gravitational waves that cant be detected with current technology.In 1927, physicist George Paget Thomson showed that electrons passing through a crystal would diffract,

Separating AI reality from hyped-up fiction isnt always easy. Thats why weve created the AI Hype Indexa simple, at-a-glance summary of everything you need to know about the state of the industry. More than 70 countries went to the polls in 2024. The good news is that this year of global elections turned out to be largely free from any major deepfake campaigns or AI manipulation. Instead we saw lots of AI slop: buff Trump, Elon as ultra-Chad, California as catastrophic wasteland. While some worry that development of large language models is slowing down, you wouldnt know it from the steady drumbeat of new products, features, and services rolling out from itty-bitty startups and massive incumbents alike. So whats for real and whats just a lot of hallucinatory nonsense?

A London home was targeted in a $13M jewelry heist. MailOnline says the owner is a rich influencer.The victims are offering a large reward for people who help get the jewels back.$1.3M is for information leading to their return, and $627K more for helping secure a conviction.The victims of a $13 million jewelry heist in a wealthy London neighborhood are offering a hefty reward.More than a million dollars is pledged to people who can give information leading to the jewels' return and the thieves' conviction.London's Metropolitan Police said in a news release on Monday that jewelry worth 10.4 million (around $13 million) was stolen on December 7 from the Primrose Hill neighborhood.Among the stolen items were a 10.73-carat Graff diamond ring, two De Beers butterfly diamond rings, and other luxury items from Van Cleef & Arpels, Chopard, and Hermes, according to police.Some $190,000 worth of Herms Crocodile Kelly handbags were also taken, as was 15,000 in cash, police said.The targeted property is on Avenue Road, which has some of the most expensive properties in London including the residences of the ambassadors from Sri Lanka and Israel.MailOnline identified the home as belonging to Shafira Huang, a wealthy socialite and Instagram influencer with some 13,000 followers. Huang's profile was private as of Tuesday.Images provided by the Met of stolen items included a bespoke diamond bangle with the name "Shafira" on it.Business Insider was unable to reach Huang for comment. The Met, in an email to Business Insider, declined to comment on the identity of the victim.The Met confirmed that the victims are offering two separate rewards.Those who provide information that leads to the retrieval of the stolen jewelry would receive 10% of the recovered items' valuation, amounting to a potential total of a little over $1.3 million.In addition to this, the Met said the victims are offering an additional reward of 500,000 (about $627,000) to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect.In total, there's about $1,927,000 up for grabs.The police gave a description of a suspect: a white man in his late 20s or early 30s, of medium build. They said he covered his face during a break-in.Paulo Roberts, an officer in the investigation, described it as a "brazen" offense that "violated the sanctuary of the victims' home."In a statement, he said: "The suspect has stolen 10.4m worth of jewelry, much of which is sentimental and unique in its design, and therefore easily identifiable."Luxury theft is a growing problem in London, which has the sixth highest number of billionaires of any city in the world.According to a review of police data by the criminal defense law firm Lawtons, the number of luxury thefts in the city rose by 22% between February 2023 and February 2024.

Updated 2024-12-31T14:22:27Z Read in app Angle down iconAn icon in the shape of an angle pointing down. The author inside a replica of the Oval Office at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? I visited the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta last year.I was surprised by the historical significance of the artifacts on display and a celebrity cameo.I also didn't know that presidential libraries have stamps you can collect in a special passport.As someone who often writes about US presidents, first families, and White House history, I've wanted to visit a presidential library for a while.Not every former US president has built one only 15 have done so since Congress established the practice with the Presidential Libraries Act in 1955. Maintained by the National Archives, the libraries preserve documents and artifacts from a president's time in office. Some also include museums with exhibits about their administrations.On a trip to Atlanta in 2023, I spent the afternoon at The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, which opened in 1986. The library stores millions of documents, photos, and hours of video from Carter's time in the White House, and the museum features 15,269 square feet of exhibits about his life and presidency, according to the organization's official website.Carters's presidential library and museum will continue to preserve his legacy following the former president's death on Sunday at the age of 100.Here's what I found surprising during my visit. I didn't realize how many other programs were housed at Jimmy Carter's presidential library.A map of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The 30-acre campus houses The Carter Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to conflict resolution, eradicating diseases, and promoting human rights around the world. The grounds also contain a restaurant, non-denominational chapel, reception hall, and meeting rooms for retreats and training sessions.I was astonished by how many authentic pieces of White House history were on display.The "red phone" displayed at Carter's presidential library and museum. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The Bible that Carter was sworn in on. The "red phone" that sat on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office that he used to communicate with the US military in crisis. Presidential speeches with Carter's handwritten notes. I figured there would be some notable artifacts at the presidential library and museum, but I didn't realize just how many and how significant they would be. I also didn't expect to see so many relics from Carter's early life, like his sixth-grade report card.Jimmy Carter's schoolwork, report card, and high-school diploma on display at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider Carter grew up in the small farming town of Plains, Georgia, which is about 150 miles south of the presidential library in Atlanta. In a section about Carter's youth, a display case held Carter's sixth-grade report card, high-school diploma, class ring, and an essay that earned him an "A." I loved that the museum focused on his childhood, as well as his presidency. Walking into the museum's full-scale replica of the Oval Office left me speechless.A replica of the Oval Office at Jimmy Carter's presidential library and museum. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The replica was designed to look exactly like the Oval Office did during Carter's presidency, complete with the same pink, gold, and green striped couches and oval-shaped rug.In the audio tour of the room, Carter said that people would often walk into the magnificent office and feel so awestruck that they'd forget what they were going to say. Even though it was just a recreation of the actual room, I could feel the same gravitas. When I heard a familiar voice narrating the exhibits, I was surprised to discover it belonged to actor Martin Sheen, who played President Bartlet in "The West Wing."The "Day in the Life of the President" exhibit at The Carter Center. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider Sheen narrated an introductory video at the museum's entrance and the "Day in the Life of the President" exhibit, which chronicled Carter's schedule of meetings and memos on December 11, 1978.Sheen told Empire magazine that President Bartlet in "The West Wing" was partially inspired by Carter as well as John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton."We wanted to represent the very best that we had in that office in recent history and those three men covered all of the territory that Bartlet would inhabit," he said.In the gift shop, I was thrilled to discover a passport that you could fill with stamps from presidential libraries nationwide.Stamping my presidential library passport. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider ; Coren Feldman This was my first visit to a presidential library, but it won't be my last. I'm determined to collect stamps from all 15 across the US. Close iconTwo crossed lines that form an 'X'. 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