The medium of video games has proven to be a great place for storytelling, and a lot of that merit can be attributed to the interactive nature of it all. Video games can take you through the perils of adventure, put you against insurmountable odds, or treat you to fantastical worlds that make you feel like a living and breathing part of the story. And when done correctly, these stories hit unlike anything especially when the ending perfectly encapsulates that journey or throws an oddball to sweep any expectations off the floor. We have been pretty grateful this year for experiences that fall under this bracket, and to that effect here are 10 video games that were released this year and have fantastical endings.Please note there are major spoilers ahead!Black Myth WukongDeveloper Game Science produced a great action adventure in the form of Black Myth Wukong, taking the known narrative elements of the classic novel Journey to the West and crafting a thrilling sequence of memorable boss fights one after another. While the narrative beats follow a more traditional approach to storytelling, Black Myth delivers a fitting finale to the entire ordeal with a showdown against the Stone Monkey which is followed by a long sequence that puts an end to the tale of Wukong and his search for the Six Senses. Of course, there are multiple endings involved but each of them is equally emotional in its own right.

For RPG fans, 2024 has been an incredible year, to put it mildly. Regardless of which style of RPG you prefer, these last dozen months have had plenty on offer for everyone, and the majority of it has been excellent. Whether 2025 will continue that trend remains to be seen, but even so, a handful of titles are officially confirmed for the year that suggest theres going to be no shortage of great RPGs to play in the near-future- and in that list of games, few grab attention the way Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2does.The wait for a sequel toKingdom Come: Deliverancehas obviously been a long one. The first game in the series, releasing in 2018, may have had its fair share of rough edges, but it developed a sizeable fan following over time, having sold over 8 million units by November. That there would be a sequel at some point was never really in doubt, given that success, and now that that sequel is within touching distance, for fans of the original, the prospect of an iterative sequel that promises to build on its predecessors solid foundations while sanding off its rough edges is looking like an increasingly exciting one.That, in fact, is exactly how Warhorse Studios is describingKingdom Come: Deliverance 2. The studio says the upcoming open world action RPG is meant to be an evolution of established ideas, rather than something that reinvents the wheel. A more polished and fleshed out take on the first games formula that eliminates most of its jank and expands on its best ideas was exactly what many had been hopingKingdom Come: Deliverance 2would be, and sure enough, thats what Warhorse Studios is planning.That, of course, will mean thatthe game will offer a familiar experience in a number of ways- including some that not many would have expected. For instance, Henry returning as the protagonist and the game being a direct follow-up wasnt something everyone expected, though Warhorse Studios reasoning is easy enough to understand. With Henry set to return, the studio is promising a story that raises the stakes while also building on established narrative arcs and worldbuilding foundations. The result, according to the developer, is a more epic and sweeping story.Deliverance 2 is being billed as the story of how Henry continues his climb up the medieval social ladder from blacksmith to hero to beyond, his personal journey becoming increasingly tied to the larger politics of Central Bohemia, with the developer saying that the game will wrap up his tale. Those are all grand promises, if nothing else. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 also boasts over five hours of cinematics, according to Warhorse, so clearly, the games placing plenty of emphasis on storytelling.And of course, player choice is going to have a big role to play in the storytelling department as well. Choice and consequence mechanics can be a difficult thing to pull off, but Warhorse Studios is promising a greater emphasis being placed on branching stories in the sequel. Quests will be more reactive, the story will throw players in situations where theyre required to make tough decisions more frequently, and the different choices you make over the course of your story will also have an impact on how everything culminates, with the game confirmed to feature multiple endings. Again, implementing meaningful player choice mechanics is much easier said than done, so it remains to be seen how wellDeliverance 2does here, but the promises made by the developer are certainly encouraging.As important as all of that is, however, arguably nothing aboutKingdom Come: Deliverance 2is going to be a bigger sell than its promise of an authentic open world setting that prioritizes immersion and realism above all else. Obviously, massive open worlds are a dime a dozen these days, and medieval European settings (or settings adjacent to that aesthetic) have been a thing in games for as long as anyone can remember. What is far less common are games that choose to eschew all forms of fantasy elements and cut down on gamified abstractions as much as possible, and that promise is exactly what makes Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2such a compelling prospect- potentially. Especially for all the virtual tourism buffs out there of which theres no shortage in gaming circles the games promise of a highly detailed recreation of 15th century Bohemia is one of its biggest selling points.On top of a continued devotion to diegetic realism, Deliverance 2is also looking to heighten its sense of immersion with the introduction of a new reputation system. Depending on player actions and the way you choose to play, Henry will develop different reputations among the denizens of the world, which, as you may imagine, will impact the way they will behave around him and react to his actions, and will, in turn, also impact the decisions that Henry himself will make. Im curious to know how much this will impact the main story, but even if it doesnt do that much but is still implemented well enough, it should, at the very least, help ground you in the games world, which, in a game such as this one, is supremely important.And yes, on top of all that,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2is promising to be a huge, sprawling experience. No longer crowd-funded and being developed on a larger budget and with a greater pool of resources all around,Deliverance 2is looking like a much bigger and more expansive game than its predecessor. Warhorse Studios saysthe game is going to be anywhere between 80-100 hours long, with a world twice as large as the first game (across two separate maps, no less, one of which also includes the large, dense city of Kuttenburg), while presumably, there will also be no shortage of side content on offer. Bang for your buck? Sure sounds like it.Of course,Deliverance 2is also going to have to make marked improvements in several key areas. The first games more eccentric tendencies were a big part of its identity, but some of them actively took away from the experience, like the survival mechanics or the saving system, so hopefullyDeliverance 2will be much smarter about how it implements those systems. Were also hoping for a significantly more technically stable and polished experience, because as anyone who played it will remember, the first game was a huge mess from a technical perspective when it originally launched.With enough quality of life changes and coats of polish,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2can be the game that its predecessor showed the promise to be, but didnt quite have the means to fulfil. The iterative improvements that the sequel is making are sounding encouraging, and that, combined with the inherently strong appeal of a sweeping open world action RPG that prioritizes realism, immersion, player freedom, and player choice can make for a special game. Whether all of those elements can come together cohesively and strike the exact right balance remains to be seen, but for now,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2certainly has our attention, at the very least.Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

For all the fuss made about console exclusives and mid-gen refreshes, PC gaming had an excellent year on its own. Some long-awaited PlayStation titles finally made the jump and looked better than ever. Numerous indie efforts emerged and offered incredible story-telling, gameplay, and mechanics. And though platform exclusives are few and far between, those that delivered would become some of the defining experiences of the year. Check out our picks for the 20 best PC games of 2024.Senuas Saga: Hellblade 2Did Hellblade 2 disappoint some because it wasnt a sprawling experience or stuck too closely to the previous games linearity? Undoubtedly. However, the continuation of Senuas journey as she embarked on a blood campaign of revenge was one that still delivered. Between the stunning visuals and performances, with Melina Juergens once again killing it, going beyond the confines of Senuas darkness to rescue others offered a new dimension to the overall story. Of course, the combat also delivered thanks to its visceral nature and animations.

Jan 01, 2025Ravie LakshmananWeb Security / VulnerabilityThreat hunters have disclosed a new "widespread timing-based vulnerability class" that leverages a double-click sequence to facilitate clickjacking attacks and account takeovers in almost all major websites.The technique has been codenamed DoubleClickjacking by security researcher Paulos Yibelo."Instead of relying on a single click, it takes advantage of a double-click sequence," Yibelo said. "While it might sound like a small change, it opens the door to new UI manipulation attacks that bypass all known clickjacking protections, including the X-Frame-Options header or a SameSite: Lax/Strict cookie."Clickjacking, also called UI redressing, refers to an attack technique in which users are tricked into clicking on a seemingly innocuous web page element (e.g., a button), leading to the deployment of malware or exfiltration of sensitive data.DoubleClickjacking is a variation of this theme that exploits the gap between the start of a click and the end of the second click to bypass security controls and takeover accounts with minimal interaction.Specifically, it involves the following steps -The user visits an attacker-controlled site that either opens a new browser window (or tab) without any user interaction or at the click of a button. The new window, which can mimic something innocuous like a CAPTCHA verification, prompts the user to double-click to complete the step.As the double-click is underway, the parent site makes use of the JavaScript Window Location object to stealthily redirect to a malicious page (e.g., approving a malicious OAuth application)At the same time, the top window is closed, allowing a user to unknowingly grant access by approving the permission confirmation dialog."Most web apps and frameworks assume that only a single forced click is a risk," Yibelo said. "DoubleClickjacking adds a layer many defenses were never designed to handle. Methods like X-Frame-Options, SameSite cookies, or CSP cannot defend against this attack."Website owners can eliminate the vulnerability class using a client-side approach that disables critical buttons by default unless a mouse gesture or key press is detected. Services like Dropbox already employ such preventative measures, it has been found.As long-term solutions, it's recommended that browser vendors adopt new standards akin to X-Frame-Options to defend against double-click exploitation."DoubleClickjacking is a twist on a well-known attack class," Yibelo said. "By exploiting the event timing between clicks, attackers can seamlessly swap out benign UI elements for sensitive ones in the blink of an eye."The disclosure arrives nearly a year after the researcher also demonstrated another clickjacking variant called cross window forgery (aka gesture-jacking) that relies on persuading a victim to press or hold down the Enter key or Space bar on an attacker-controlled website to initiate a malicious action.On websites like Coinbase and Yahoo!, it could be abused to achieve an account takeover "if a victim that is logged into either site goes to an attacker website and holds the Enter/Space key.""This is possible because both sites allow a potential attacker to create an OAuth application with wide scope to access their API, and they both set a static and / or predictable 'ID' value to the 'Allow/Authorize' button that is used to authorize the application into the victim's account."Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

Time zones: GMT (UTC +0), CET (UTC +1), EET (UTC +2), AST (UTC -4), FKST (UTC -3)You will need to be either UK-based or have the right to work in the UK for this role. This role and the whole business are fully remote.EllipsisAs our Executive Assistant, you'll build the systems that protect focused work in our fast-growing remote team. Success means handling the constant flow of information and operations so our Managing Director can concentrate on strategic priorities. Your excellent support will make this possible.We're looking for someone who finds satisfaction in excellent support. You'll solve the interesting puzzles that keep a remote business running smoothly. You'll handle our core operations while spotting ways to make things better. Your careful attention to finance, team coordination, and meeting management will help the whole team succeed.We take a different approach at Ellipsis. We value Deep Work in a world of constant connection. You'll help manage this balance: handling urgent client requests, coordinating strategic projects, and creating space for focused work. Your support will be critical in managing these competing demands effectively.This role rewards both reliable execution and thoughtful improvements. As you build trust, you'll help shape how our remote team works together. Show us how you've helped others succeed, whether through EA experience or skills from a different field.==Ellipsis is a 100% remote team, and weve been fully remote since our first day 7 years ago. We lean into the best things about being remote: we balance collaboration, Deep Work, regular team retreats, and we put a lot of work into a supporting and inclusive culture where everyone can do the best work of their careers.Were distributed across the world, but our core collaboration hours are GMT/UTC-based. We often meet up with colleagues for team meetups and conferences.Our SEO Content work is branded as Content Growth, and clients engage us to produce a set number of posts each month on retainer based on an SEO Content strategy we formulate for them, which is focused on bringing them impressive results.With Content Growth, we take care of everything end-to-end, from high-level SEO strategy, keyword selection (which is powered by our proprietary FALCON AI), content briefs, content production, publication, promotion and link building, rank tracking, and troubleshooting SEO queries. Our Content team leads these projects and takes care of the content production, and our SEO team takes care of the SEO requirements.Ellipsis is growing quickly. We do outstanding work and are building something special. Its an exciting time to join us.==This position can be broken down as follows:50% process-driven company admin / MD admin30% reactive work and special projects20% meetings preparation, attendance, follow-upRemote work requires trust, and in this role, this will be absolutely critical. Below is a list of some of the responsibilities you'll be able to grow into over time:Finance, HR, and company operations admin - you'll own these areas and the associated processes, taking this over from the MD and protecting the time it frees up:Manage day-to-day financial tasks, including expense processing (bookkeeping), drafting of batch payments, invoice collection, and maintaining accurate records.Handle client invoicing, and ensure timely payments (both incoming and outgoing).Coordinate with external accountants for accurate financial reporting and payroll/pension administration.Manage compliance-related paperwork and ad-hoc financial requests from the team.Support with new hires; post job descriptions to our Applicant Tracking Software and job boards, and handle initial screening of candidates before passing over to the Hiring Manager.Meetings - meetings shape how information flows through our business internally and externally. You'll ensure the MD and team are in a position to use them as engines of clarity and action:Prepare for meetings, including ensuring agendas and internal notes are prepared. Your goal is to ensure we utilise our meeting time most effectively and are able to put our best feet forward.Attend meetings and take minutes, or listen to recordings of meetings and take minutes. You should be extremely comfortable with crafting accurate, effective, and useful minutes.Triage next actions arising from meetings, including assigning or drafting follow-up emails or tasks.Sales and marketing admin - we need to move quickly when enquiries come in, to secure new business. You'll both proactively handle parts of this, and help us build better processes:Draft contracts and proposals for clients. These are all templated but need careful attention to detail to ensure details are up-to-date for the client. Once we have a yes from a client these are often time-sensitive, so working quickly and accurately is important.Draft sales emails, primarily as follow-ups from the MD or Head of Partnerships meetings.Youll be expected to take the initiative. For example, we might tell a client on a call well draft a quote. Youll need to draft the quote based on pricing youve found for similar previous projects, for the MD to review.Ensure all follow-ups are delivered in a timely manner, roping in stakeholders if and where necessary and taking the responsibility for delivery.Emails - email is one of our biggest sources of context-switching and interrupted focus. You'll help build better patterns for managing this flow of information:Assist the Managing Director with maintaining an organised and efficient inbox, including drafting replies or responding directly on his behalf at timesEffectively triage emails, understand possible courses of action, and present information to the MD in a way that lets him quickly provide a batch of responses that unblock youBuild templates and systems for handling recurring email patterns, creating more predictable response flows and reducing the cognitive load of constant triageTravel - coordinating team connection in a remote business requires both tactical skill and strategic thinking. From retreats that bring our whole team together through to Leadership conference trips that build our industry presence, you'll handle the logistics that create seamless experiences:You will be responsible for organising our (typically twice-a-year) company meet-ups, including researching and budgeting locations, booking flights and hotels for 20+ people, finding and booking restaurants, meeting rooms, and activities.Youll need to mix effective research skills with organisation. Whats the best compromise for a hotel, between the cost of 20+ rooms, travel time from our meeting space, and the need for a comfortable stay? How will we get from the hotel to dinner if its raining? Where will we find a local photographer? Are there enough restaurants that meet everyones dietary requirements? These are all questions youll need to proactively deal with to ensure we have a productive and smooth trip.On a smaller scale: members of the Leadership team travel a couple of times a year for conferences. These are often multi-city trips requiring tight coordination. Youll be responsible for (remotely) assisting them with travel, hotels, and client dinners/gifts.Special projects - great Executive Assistants anticipate needs and build systems that stick. You'll take on a mix of one-off projects and ongoing improvements, spotting ways to make our business work better:Assist the MD with tasks day-to-day. The remit of this role is not follow this clearly defined process every time, but take this mostly finished project and figure out how to proactively take it to completion. These tasks might touch project management, writing/editing, triaging information, and ensuring action is taken. Some examples:We are on the pathway to becoming a B Corporation and this requires a lot of paperwork. You'll handle a lot of the work to take us in line with B Corp standards. This will involve a lot of project management, coordinating new policies, delegating tasks and follow-up to ensure projects are done on-time and successfully.Put together the company monthly newsletter from content provided by the MD or Strategy team: load into our email software + WordPress and schedule, draft and schedule social media posts (including Thought Leadership style LinkedIn content) based on the newsletter (this requires understanding which parts of the content work as standalone pieces, liaising with our Graphic Designer to get assets), and schedule content across company and personal LinkedIns.Ellipsis is a fully remote company with team members across the globe. We operate a generous flexitime policy and once-a-month we run a 4 day week! While this role generally follows standard UK business hours (9-5.30pm), some flexibility is required to support occasional late meetings. Once or twice a week, you may need to assist with meetings scheduled between 4-6.30pm UK time to accommodate clients in California. This may involve preparing for, attending, and following up on these meetings. Time off in lieu will be provided for any hours worked outside of regular business hours.We have a wonderfully collaborative culture at Ellipsis, driven by our shared vision and values. In this role, you'll be our only Operations person which means working independently for extended periods and the freedom to build your own systems. The goal is to take operational load off the MD's plate so he can focus on strategic growth. You'll need to be self-motivated and able to thrive without constant interaction, while staying connected with the team through our digital platforms.This is a business-focused role and the overwhelming responsibility is with the business. You may be occasionally asked to take care of personal admin for the MD.What we're looking forYou're at your best making things run smoothly behind the scenes. Your attention to detail helps catch small issues before they become problems, and you take pride in anticipating what's needed next.Some essentials for this role:Sharp eye for detail, especially with written EnglishExperience improving how things work (in any context)Strong writing and editing skillsComfort working remotely and managing your own timeConfidence with digital tools like Google Workspace and project management softwareAbility to work UK hours with flexibility for occasional late meetingsWe welcome candidates with traditional EA/PA backgrounds and those who've developed these skills elsewhere. More important is your knack for turning chaos into calm and building trust through consistent execution.BenefitsThis is a full-time, 100% remote role. Work from home, or the beach! You must have the right to work in the UK for this role.Competitive, full-time salary with pension, benchmarked to UK rates and based on experience. The range for this role is: 35k-42k/year28 days of paid holidayAn additional 1 paid holiday day a year with each year of tenure, up to a maximum of 5 additional days4-day work week, once a monthGenuinely flexible working, although noting the meeting schedule requirements aboveRegular team retreats (~2 per year); last was Edinburgh, previously in Oxford, Madrid, and BudapestEnhanced maternity/paternity leave, and sick payYoull work for a sustainable, ethical company: we are aiming to become a B Corp by the end of 2025The application processIts important we find the best candidate for this position, and our selection process will reflect this.Much of our company Wiki is externally accessible, and youre encouraged to read through this before applying. We have a very useful guide to our interview process available here. This tells you what were looking for and reading this will significantly increase your chance of success!Well review applications on a rolling basis but interviews start after the closing date. Theres thus no benefit to rushing to apply: we will bias heavily towards your applications answers rather than your CV, and wed love for you to take your time.Were fortunate to receive a large volume of applications. You can make your application stand out by paying special attention to the main responsibilities of this role, and how to apply. If you think youre a fit, or could be a fit go for it!We use video calls for interviews. Youll have video interviews using Google Meet, including with members of the Leadership team and the Managing Director.We understand that this is as much you interviewing us, as the other way round. Throughout the interview process, were extremely happy to answer your questions about the business, working here, and the future of the company.The final stage of our hiring process is a paid test project, which will be similar to work you could expect to do if you were hired. Well give you a week to complete the project, but expect that youll only need ~4 hours.Following the completion of trial projects, well ask for professional references from your previous 2 managers. We ask candidates to introduce us to their references, for a 10 minute call.We do great work for clients and are building an ethical business that lets everyone do their best work. If you think you could be the next person to join our team, please apply :)How to applyPlease apply through Workable: https://apply.workable.com/getellipsis. We will decide who progresses to the next stage based on the form you submit, and your CV. Please give us a good reason to select you! Taking the time to research the role, what were looking for, what we do, and what you can do for us will increase your chance of success. Your cover letter is where you have the space to do this.Ellipsis is an equal opportunity workplace and is committed to equal employment opportunity.Whilst we love technology and sit at the leading edge of its adoption (we automate hundreds of thousands of actions a month internally), we want to hear from you rather than from ChatGPT.We will be screening applications for AI-generated content and will automatically disqualify AI-generated applications. Roughly a third of applications either dont read or ignore this point; please dont ignore it! We otherwise review applications manually and are looking forward to receiving your application.The deadline for submission is the end of the day, on 20th January 2025. Well be in touch with all candidates, following the close of applications. Related Jobs See more All Other Remote jobs

7 /10 SCORE Our Verdict Our Verdict Best for: Combo sleeper Side sleeper Score Breakdown Performance 8 /10 Policies 7 /10 Durability 7 /10 Features 8.5 /10 Pros and Cons Pros Easy on your wallet Multiple firmness levels to suit all sleeping positions Memory foam perfect if you love a conforming feel Great motion isolation Best for people under 230 pounds Cons Resistance when combination sleepers try to switch positions Not ideal for people over 250 pounds Table of Contents It's usually easier to buy a mattress directly from its manufacturer and also get the best deal, but sometimes third-party retailers can also be great places to buy mattresses. One that's caught our eye is the Lucid Gel Memory Foam mattress. It's well-reviewed by buyers, with a 4.4-star rating and 20,000 reviews. On top of that, it's one of the most affordable mattresses I've ever tested. If you're looking for a great pick for a new memory foam mattress, I suggest you keep reading.Editors note: The Lucid Gel Memory Foam mattress has been updated with a new construction and renamed the Bamboo Charcoal Hybrid mattress. This review focuses on the Lucid Gel Memory Foam model. If youre looking for a close comparison to the original construction, we recommend the all-foam version of the Nectar Premier mattress or SweetNight Dreamy memory foam mattress. The 10-inch Lucid Gel Memory Foam mattress. My Slumber Yard First impressionsI honestly had low expectations for this mattress because it was so much cheaper compared to other foam beds I've tested (sorry, Lucid), but actually I was pleasantly surprised. I remember one foam mattress I purchased from Amazon years ago was just a slab of flimsy, exposed foam. This one is fit with a cover and you can pick how thick you want your Lucid Gel Memory Foam mattress to be for more or less support. The feel will differ slightly depending on the firmness you get, but either way, it feels like classic, sink-in memory foam. The question will be how far you sink into that memory foam. The softer the Lucid mattress was, the more I became nestled into the bed's foam layers.Amazon customer sentimentWith a rating of 4.4/5, the Lucid 10-inch mattress has overall positive customer reviews. Reviews mention that the mattress is more affordable than similar mattresses, easy to unbox, supportive and more comfortable than expected. Others mention that the mattress didn't provide proper support, and some say that the mattress was delivered in damaged boxes when they bought it through Amazon.Firmness Thankfully, you have three firmness options when it comes to choosing your Lucid mattress. I really appreciate when a brand makes a bed so versatile, because it gives you the chance to cater to your primary sleeping position. Here's how I'd rate the three firmness levels: Medium Plush: This is the softest mattress of them all and rated around a medium-soft or 3 out of 10 with 10 being the firmest. It's best for people who want maximum pressure relief. Medium: This sits around a medium or 5 out of 10 on the firmness scale. It's ideal for combination sleepers or people who want both pressure relief and support. Firm: This falls around medium-firm to firm or an 8 out of 10 on the firmness scale. It's the most supportive, and good for back or stomach sleepers. Comfort You have the pick of the crop when it comes to how tall you want your Lucid Gel Memory Foam mattress to be. You can go with 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 or 14 inches. Here's is a breakdown of its happy-medium 10-inch model: A thick 7.5-inch layer of firm, dense foam, which is the bed's primary source of support.A 2.5-inch layer of memory foam with tiny little gel beads, meant to help regulate temperature, scattered throughout. The two layers inside the Lucid Gel Memory foam mattress My Slumber YardThe cover is thin and stretchy, and it doesn't fit tightly around the foam, but at least it's still on there. Unless you're a neat freak who needs flat and wrinkle-free sheets/bedding, this shouldn't be a problem for you. Feel This mattress has dense, slow-responding, pressure-relieving memory foam that will feel comfy to memory-foam lovers. I switch positions often when I sleep, so it makes it harder for me to pull myself out of the position I'm in into a new one. But, if you like that hugging, nestling feeling, I don't think you'll mind -- especially if you stay in one position for most of the night. Also, the firmer mattress model does help you stay more on top of the mattress than inside the foam layers. Motion isolation If there's one thing this bed excels at besides price, it's motion isolation. If you have a partner who gets up often in the middle of the night or moves around the mattress, the Lucid Gel Memory Foam bed is great at deadening the movement. Edge support The thicker your mattress the better edge support it will have, so I'd opt for the 12- or 14-inch model if it's something you're really serious about. The 10-inch model didn't perform great in this department, which is to be expected with a two-layer bed and the thinner models would feel even less supportive. Though, if it's not something you care about (i.e. you don't share a bed with anyone or you share a large, king size bed), the 10-inch model would be just fine. Temperature Lucid tries to help prevent its mattress from retaining heat as much as traditional memory foam used to do with the gel beads, but I wouldn't say it's a cold sleeping mattress by any means. It won't actively cool you down with technology in the bed's layers, nor does it have a cooling cover. So, in general, it won't make you sleep warmer if you're a cold sleeper, but it won't keep you cool if you're a hot sleeper. Who is this mattress best for? There are hundreds of different mattresses on the market and you can't expect them all to be perfect for you. Here's who I think will be most accommodated by this Lucid mattress. Position There are three different firmness levels available from Lucid, each one offering a little something different. Its Medium option will accommodate all sleeping positions because of its balanced firmness profile.Side sleepers who want a soft feel can opt for the Medium Plush and back or stomach sleepers who want a firmer mattress should go for the Firm bed for more support. In other words, this mattress does accommodate all sleeping positions. Zooey Liao/CNETBody typeI don't think the Gel Memory Foam mattress is supportive enough for someone who weighs over 230 pounds, if it's meant to be used as an everyday, long-term use mattress. If you want it in your guest bedroom, then that's OK. However, if you're plus-sized and want the most from your bed, I'd suggest a Lucid Hybrid mattress for its more supportive coils. Folks under 230 pounds, on the other hand, should be just fine on the Lucid Gel Memory Foam bed. Lucid mattress pricing SizeMeasurements (inches)Price Twin 38x75$209Twin XL 38x80$217Full 54x74$266Queen 60x80$343King 76x80$440Cal king 72x84$434 One of my favorite things about this mattress is its low price and how it competes with big budget-bed names like Tuft and Needle and Allswell. Prices vary depending on the firmness, height and size you choose (and prices fluctuate on Amazon often in general), but a queen-size, 10-inch-thick Lucid mattress will cost you around the $300 to $360 range through Amazon, which is hundreds of dollars cheaper than your average 10-inch bed-in-a-box mattress. Although, Lucid and many other mattress brands are lowering their prices for Cyber Monday. Check out our best mattress deals page to see what kind of promotions are happening. Shipping, trial, warranty Whether you have Amazon Prime or not, you'll receive free shipping on the Lucid mattress and it's backed by a 10-year warranty. Lucid doesn't offer a generous trial period like some other mattresses in a box, but it is eligible for return within Amazon's standard 30-day window. Returning the mattress to Amazon isn't the easiest, so I'd make sure you're positive on your purchase before you pull the trigger. Final verdict The Lucid Gel Memory Foam bed's prime audience is memory-foam fanatics on a tight budget who love the slow-responding, syrupy feeling it provides. This bed is offered in multiple firmness levels so side, back, stomach and combination sleepers under 230 pounds can all find a firmness level that's accommodating and comfy. I personally liked the Medium option because it was a nice balance between firm and soft, but it's nice that you can go on either side of the spectrum to best accommodate your own preferences. You can even choose a different height if you're looking for more (or less) support and durability. For the surprisingly low price point it offers, it's a quality choice for the right kind of sleepers. You might like this mattress if:You weigh under 230 poundsYou like the feel of pressure-relieving, slow-responding memory foamYou're on a budget of under $500You're a big Amazon shopper and fanYou might not like this mattress if:You weigh over 230 poundsYou're turned off by the "stuck" feel of memory foamYou want a hybrid mattress with more supportLucid mattress FAQs How long does it take a Lucid mattress to expand? It should take around 24 to 48 hours for your Lucid mattress to expand to its intended size and feel. However, you're able to sleep on your mattress right away -- just know it'll be most comfortable after it has fully expanded. Show more What are Lucid mattresses made of? Lucid mattresses are made with different types of foam, and the Lucid Gel Memory Foam mattress helps regulate temperature better than standard memory foam. The foam is covered in little blue gel beads that are designed to draw heat away from your body. Show more How much is a Lucid mattress? Lucid mattresses tend to be very budget-friendly. The queen-size Lucid Gel Memory Foam mattress, for example, retails around $300 to $360 via Amazon. Show more

Whenever a new year rolls around, I imagine my future: picturesque settings in the form of beautiful, awe-inducing lands; minimalistic yet intentional design; and a squeaky-clean presence. Sometimesartificial intelligencecan help with putting an image to your hopes -- like a freshly designed bathroom.I was recently spending time in the Bay Area, in an Airbnb located in a three-story 1910s home tucked away in the corner of a second-floor en suite that was chosen for accessibility and affordability. I was prepared for the room to meet my basic needs, but I was still underwhelmed by its bathroom design and overwhelmed by its fluorescent lighting. As a digital nomad, I've spent many nights in various Airbnbs for various needs, ranging from last-minute stays to specific design-focused choices.Partly from imagination, partly from curiosity, I turned to Renovate AI, an app that uses AI and generative models to create and re-create design-driven worlds. For me, navigating to its site felt like entering a very specific corner of SimsNation, built for architecture and interior design enthusiasts and experts. After spending far too long staring at the moving blob on the homepage -- somewhere between a trance experience and an art therapy session -- I began the process of temporarily redesigning my temporary bathroom to test out whether you could genuinely use this app to get started on your home renovations. The original, underwhelming bathroom. Carly Quellman/CNET The Renovate AI process Upgrade your inbox Get cnet insider From talking fridges to iPhones, our experts are here to help make the world a little less complicated. Renovate AI has a free plan, and paid plans range from $8 to $60 per month. Since I planned to redesign only one space, I didn't miss out by not upgrading. However, if you're interested in interacting with the site beyond a trial run and plan on seriously using Renovate AI to help with ideas for more than one room, a paid plan is necessary to get the most out of the tool. Once I signed up and signed in, I toggled over to the Bathroom image as part of the Residential tab. (There are Exterior and Commercial tabs, too.) After a couple of attempts at capturing the entire space, I was able to upload the image of my Airbnb bathroom to the site. From here, I could decide the extent of my redesign, including Tweak, Enhance, Renovateand Transform. Since I was on the free plan, I had the option of using Renovate or Transform once before needing to upgrade. Renovate includes style themes and changes to layout, and it gives your space major furniture updates in hopes of crafting a fresh, new ambiance. Transform provides complete interior reinventions and provides structural modifications and design shifts that create an entirely new living environment. I stuck to Renovate. From here, there's an option to choose which room type you're redesigning, or you can have AI auto-detect based on the details within your image. I was excited about the next step, which is where you can add the style influences that artificial intelligence will use as a template for the redesign. I chose Japandi (Japanese mixed with Scandinavian), Zen and Urban styles. I imagined a bathroom design that oozed warmth, simplicity and refinement. The last three steps involve deciding if you'd like to preserve any objects from your photos, and choosing a color tone and descriptors to influence the AI-operated outcome. I added descriptors like minimalist, warm and refined. From here, I clicked the final button, which read Renovate, and waited for the newly generated image to appear. Renovate AI gave me three options based on my style choices and descriptor words. My favorite was the redesign that had warm lighting cascading over the mirror, and that contained paneling that enhanced the refined look I'd imagined. My favorite AI redesign of the bathroom -- though it did have some oddities. Created by Carly Quellman using Renovate AISure, it had some wonky features. A basket instead of a toilet, for one. A bamboo screen inside the shower for another (not sure how long that would last), and a circular rug that looks more like a platform or a lazy Susan. Definitely less dull, though -- and it'll point you in the direction of the vibe you're going for during your remodeling project.There isn't an option within the app for a "redo" (so I essentially had to stick with one of the three designs per my free plan), but for an initial trial run, I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. Even through the lens of artificial intelligence, good or upgraded design can truly make a space feel bigger. Who should use Renovate AI? Design can be grueling to learn if it's not your area of expertise, so I appreciate how artificial intelligence can broaden the range of users to include people who have no design experience but do have a desire to be immersed in design's possibilities. I've always had a hard time nailing down what kind of design type I like, so I was immediately excited when I found a platform that offered the capability to "redesign" a space in response to a picture upload and a "style" choice. (Who doesn't like to look at visually stimulating things?) Whether you're someone like me, who simply wants to reimagine their Airbnb, or someone who's looking to remodel a room or their entire house, in my opinion Renovate AI is thoughtful and inclusive.Besides design "renovations," the platform also offers virtual staging and 3D renders, along with the ability to change interior and exterior paint colors and to upscale blurry images.I imagine that if someone like me enjoyed the experience of such a tool, folks in the industry would find it fascinating if for nothing more than insight into how design choices influence data, or to quickly get a feel for different designs.I'm all in on something that can help refine or organize a process and strengthen communication in a visually stimulating way. All to reimagine any world, in seconds. Isn't that what dreaming is all about? For more tips on how AI can help you redesign your living room or evencreate social media headshots of you, check out CNET's AI Atlas homepage.

Our Experts Written by Tyler Lacoma, David Anders Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement Why You Can Trust CNET 16171819202122232425+ Years of Experience 14151617181920212223 Hands-on Product Reviewers 6,0007,0008,0009,00010,00011,00012,00013,00014,00015,000 Sq. Feet of Lab Space How we test CNETs expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. What to consider Price Are you will to pay around $200 for a starter security system for an apartment? Would you prefer to save more money with fewer devices? How do you feel about paying a subscription fee that usually starts around $15 for these kinds of systems? Are you willing to pay much more for professional home monitoring? Installation Does the system have options like adhesive to install without significantly damaging walls? Is it easy to pack up and move with you? Sensors Does the security kit come with basic sensors for front door contact and additional sensors to monitor a window or entryway? App Is the app easy to use and intuitive for first-timers? Does it make setup easy? Can you quickly arm or disarm the system from the app? Smart device compatibility Does the system integrate with your preferred smart home platform, such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple HomeKit? Can it work with third-party smart home devices? Additional devices Is it easy to add more sensors to the security system? Does it support add-ons like cameras or smart locks if you ever want to expand? Table of Contents Our Picks Best overall home security system for renters Ring Alarm 5-piece kit (2nd gen) View details $200 at Amazon View details Best home security system for renters with other smart tech Abode Security Hub 5-piece kit View details $160 at Abode View details Best compact home security system for renters Arlo Dual Sensor Home Security System View details $110 at Amazon View details Best adhesive-based home security system for renters Simplisafe The Foundation Kit View details $125 at SimpliSafe View details Best video doorbell alternative for renters Ring Peephole Cam View details $130 at Amazon View details HOME SECURITY DEALS OF THE WEEK SimpliSafe The Beacon 10-Piece Wireless Home Security System: $365 (save $365) Ring Alarm 8-Piece Kit With Wired Doorbell and Stick Up Cam: $350 (save $50) Arlo Home 6-Piece Security System: $200 (save $100) Eufy Security 5-Piece Home Alarm Kit: $95 (save $66) Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article. Table of Contents What are the best apartment security systems?When renting, you can still get a home security system that offers top-of-the-line safety measures. You just have to make sure that you get something that keeps apartments and rental properties in mind in the design. Throughout our extensive years of testing home security systems, weve kept an eye on the best home security kits for renters: Our top choice is the Ring Alarm five-piece kit, which has an excellent mix of sensors, affordability and installation options that wont leave you with unsightly damage -- plus it's easy to move to a new home.Read more: 11 of the Best Smart Home Gifts for the Holidays 2024We have chosen a variety of renter-friendly security options, including a compact all-in-one sensor kit from Arlo and a Ring peephole camera that is especially useful for apartment buildings. Explore our complete selection below, discover more about home security for apartments and rentals and get answers to common questions. If youre on a renter-security binge, visit our guides to cheap home security systems and affordable home security cameras to tap into more of CNET's knowledge.Best apartment security systems of 2024 Photo Gallery 1/1

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 While Path of Exile 2 and Diablo 4 currently dominate the ARPG space, with the latter games lead deeming similar games should be classed as Diablo-likes, industry veterans are reuniting to create an all-new entry in the genre.Original Diablo lead designer Erich Schaefer and Diablo 2 lead programmer Peter Hu have joined forces alongside other ARPG alumni to form Moon Beast Productions. Following a round of seed funding, the studio is now officially looking to create a new ARPG franchise that learns from the developers past.Ex-Diablo devs return to ARPG genreVia a press release, Moon Beast Productions has successfully roped in a network of angel investors, including ex-Blizzard developer and popular live-streamer Cohh Carnage. Other investors include 1AM Gaming, 1UP Ventures, Overwold and more.In the press release, Moon Beast Productions chief creative officer Erich Schaefer explained that the studio is hoping to create a new type of ARPG. Instead of static environments with hordes of mobs to slice and dice, the studio hopes to create open, more dynamic environments for players to battle through.We finally have the technological capabilities and decades of design experience to bring those visions to life. Were going back to what made those early Diablo games feel so awesome but taking them in some cool, fresh directions, the CCO explained.Built for modsAlongside the new focus, Moon Beast Productions new ARPG aims to create an ARPG designed for user-generated content on launch. This means that the game will support modding from the off, or at least be designed with it in mind.The studio explains that the arrival of modding has resulted in massive successes, namely citing Warcraft 3s popular DOTA mod.Our world technology is inherently dynamic, which makes it incredibly easy for players to create and integrate their own content, explained Hu. Were building in-game tools that allow players to not just mod, but potentially create entirely new game modes using our robust, client-server ARPG systems.Moon Beast Productions has still not revealed its new ARPG, but its an exciting project. Alongside a new game from Age of Empires veterans, there is a new explosion of classic gaming alumni returning to their respective genres. Hell, even Peter Molyneux is back.For more Diablo news, read about the series general managers thoughts on how fans turned the genre into a live-service platform, or read about the games Christmas event. DiabloPlatform(s):macOS, PC, PlayStationGenre(s):Action, RPGSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

Almost two years ago, Louisiana passed a law that started a wave thats since spread across the entire U.S. south, and has changed the way people there can access adult content. As of today, Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina join the list of 17 states that cant access some of the most popular porn sites on the internet, because of regressive laws that claim to protect children but restrict adults use of the internet, instead.That law, passed as Act 440, was introduced by sex addiction counselor and state representative Laurie Schegel and quickly copied across the country. The exact phrasing varies, but in most states, the details of the law are the same: Any commercial entity that publishes material harmful to minors online can be held liablemeaning, tens of thousands of dollars in fines and/or private lawsuitsif it doesnt perform reasonable age verification methods to verify the age of individuals attempting to access the material.To remain compliant with the law while protecting users privacy, Aylothe company that owns Pornhub and a network of sites including Brazzers, RedTube, YouPorn, Reality Kings, and several othersis making the choice, state by state, to block users altogether.Pornhub is currently blocked in:VirginiaMontanaNorth CarolinaArkansasUtahMississippiTexasNebraskaIdahoKansasKentuckyIndianaAlabamaOklahomaFloridaTennesseeSouth CarolinaGeorgias age verification bill has passed and is set to go into effect in July.On a map, it looks like this:Georgias age verification bill will go into effect in July.In Louisiana, sites in the Aylo network direct visitors to use the states LA Wallet, a digital drivers license for Louisianans, before they can enter the site. That system has been in place since January 1, 2023. But the law is not working as the lawmakers would have us believe they intended it. Instead of protecting children from harmful material, its sending visitors elsewhere across the internet. An Aylo spokesperson told me that the number of visitors in Louisiana instantly decreased by 80 percent when the platform introduced age verification in the state. Instead, visitors go to sites with worse moderation practices and no requirements on identity verification for uploadersjust a few of the security and safety practices Pornhub started putting into place in late 2020 amid allegations of abusive imagery on the site and a campaign by religious conservative groups to have the whole platform shut down.Even if someone wanted to visit Pornhub from Florida today, they could easily get around any age verification barriers with a VPN, which we consistently see searches for spike when these laws go into effect.Aylo sent 404 Media a statement about the age verification laws progress across the country:"First, to be clear, Aylo has publicly supported age verification of users for years, but we believe that any law to this effect must preserve user safety and privacy, and must effectively protect children from accessing content intended for adults.Unfortunately, the way many jurisdictions worldwide, including Florida, have chosen to implement age verification is ineffective, haphazard, and dangerous. Any regulations that require hundreds of thousands of adult sites to collect significant amounts of highly sensitive personal information is putting user safety in jeopardy. Moreover, as experience has demonstrated, unless properly enforced, users will simply access non-compliant sites or find other methods of evading these laws."In place of the homepage, in several blocked states, Aylo-network sites show a message read by adult performer and activist Cherie Deville: "The safety of our users is one of our biggest concerns. We believe that the best and most effective solution for protecting children and adults alike is to identify users by their device and allow access to age-restricted materials and websites based on that identification," DeVille says. "Until a real solution is offered, we have made the difficult decision to completely disable access to our website in your state."2025 will be a year of intensifying legal battles against the creep of age verification laws. As such, there is some hope: Not every state where bills were introduced rolled over and allowed their constituents to face more censorship with less safety. In Arizona, governor Katie Hobbs vetoed the copycat bill there. Children's online safety is a pressing issue for parents and the state, Hobbs wrote in a letter announcing her decision. While we look for a solution, it should be bipartisan and work within the bounds of the First Amendment, which this bill does not.The Free Speech Coalition filed a challenge to the law in Florida earlier this month, along with several co-plaintiffs, including the sex education platform O.school, sexual wellness retailer Adam & Eve, adult fan platform JustFor.Fans, and Florida attorney Barry Chase. These laws create a substantial burden on adults who want to access legal sites without fear of surveillance, Alison Boden, Executive Director of the Free Speech Coalition, said in a press release published in December. Despite the claims of the proponents, HB3 is not the same as showing an ID at a liquor store. It is invasive and carries significant risk to privacy. This law and others like it have effectively become state censorship, creating a massive chilling effect for those who speak about, or engage with, issues of sex or sexuality.And in Texas, Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton continues and will be heard this month.Age verification bills like the ones flooding the south and beyond are regressive at best, and actively harmful at worst. Theyre not just ineffective, theyre worse: they push people to sites where piracy is rampant and moderationmeaning, protection from actual harmful materialis almost nonexistent. Well be following these laws and their challengers into 2025 as we have been for years; if you have anything to share from inside of lawmakers offices about how theyre approaching these laws, please get in touch via Signal: sam.404.Sam Cole is writing from the far reaches of the internet, about sexuality, the adult industry, online culture, and AI. She's the author of How Sex Changed the Internet and the Internet Changed Sex.More from Samantha Cole