December 31, 20247 min readNearly Forgotten Phage Therapy Fights Antibiotic ResistanceIn a new book, a science journalist recounts the story of a lifesaving treatment for infection that scientists broadly dismissed until recentlyBy Saima S. Iqbal edited by Tanya LewisBacteriophages infecting bacterial cells. Nobeastsofierce Science/Alamy Stock PhotoImagine that the next time you catch a stomach bug and antibiotics fail to work, you knock back a vial of clear liquid. The solution teems with bacteriophages, viruses resembling tiny rocket ships. These benign microbes exclusively dock onto and destroy bacteria, and your infection clears in a matter of days. Such a future is within reach, journalist Lina Zeldovich writes in her new book The Living Medicine: How a Lifesaving Cure Was Nearly Lost―And Why It Will Rescue Us When Antibiotics Fail. The book chronicles the history of a decades-old, sometimes finicky approach to infection that U.S. science has long dismissed in favor of antibiotics.As microbes develop cleverer and cleverer ways to evade antibiotics, some scientists have returned to bacteriophages, scooping them from wastewater and testing their pathogen-killing abilities in the laboratory and clinic. Experimental trials are now underway to test bacteriophage therapies against superbugs such as Shigella, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, and a strain of Escherichia coli implicated in Crohns disease. And some food industry producers already use Food and Drug Administrationapproved phage sprays to decontaminate their supply of, say, lettuce or sausage. (No medical uses of the treatment have yet been approved for the U.S. public.)Scientific American spoke with Zeldovich about the differences between bacteriophages and antibiotics, the history of bacteriophage experimentation, and the therapys potential future regulation and use in the U.S.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.[An edited transcript of the interview follows.]How worried should the average person be about antimicrobial resistance?Many scientists whom I interviewed for the book told me they are very worried that the next pandemic is going to be bacterial because were losing our antibiotic armor. In 2019 I found a statistic that said that every 15 minutes, someone in the U.S. dies from an antibiotic-resistant infection. I just couldnt wrap my mind around that. And COVID only made things worse because people were sicker and used more antibiotics. The United Nations has made some dire predictions that if we continue business as usual and dont find any viable alternatives to defunct antibiotics by 2050, well start losing millions of people to infection.Whats driving this resistance? Antibiotic overuse, or reliance on a single type of therapy?Resistance is an inevitable side effect of evolution: the organisms we want to outcompete will always develop their own defenses. But we also certainly overuse antibiotics in medicine and in agriculture. In the mainstream media, theres a lot of emphasis on people demanding antibiotics that arent necessary. But Big Agriculture plays a much bigger role. When you feed cows, pigs or chickens antibiotics, they then poop them out into the environment, where the medications continue causing damage. They kill certain soil bacteria but not all. So successful mutants appear in the soil and the water. And then they can arrive on our plates, where we consume them and get sick from them and have no viable treatments left. Hospitals are also superbug breeders because they require sterile environments.What possible solutions are scientists exploring, and where do bacteriophages fit among them?Phages are viruses that only infect bacteria. Their biological machinery does not match that of our cells, but it near perfectly matches bacterial machinery. The virus attaches itself to bacteria, squeezes inside, multiplies and then bursts the cell. Bacteria can develop resistance to a phage that preys on it, but because of evolution, the phage can also evolve more mechanisms to attach to the bugs. Phages and bacteria have evolved alongside each other for millions of years. There are trillions of phages in nature. Scientists who work on them say theyre an inexhaustible resource.Alternative approaches include finding new antibiotics, also in nature. [Penicillin, the first naturally derived antibiotic, came from mold.] But this takes longer than finding suitable phages and is harder to do now. You can also use artificial intelligence to design antibiotics and synthesize them in the lab.Do you think bacteriophages are currently receiving enough attention or investment?I think theyre finally coming to the scientific forefront. Phages were first discovered in 1917before antibiotics. In the 1920s and 1930s [phages] had a really great moment. They were in some cases the only lifesaving infection medicines, and doctors almost all over the world used them fairly successfully. But then companies started marketing phages for things they could not do (such as curing viral disease, fungal infection or allergies), and two prominent American physicians [Monroe Eaton and Stanhope Bayne-Jones] determined that phages were too unpredictable to use. Shortly after, we got antibiotics, and we almost completely forgot about phages.Countries in Eastern Europe and in the former Soviet Union always used phages alongside antibiotics because antibiotics are difficult to manufacture. In the Soviet Union, for instance, there were often antibiotic shortages, so doctors would go to a river, find a bunch of phages, test them in the lab and use them. It was a different mentality. In the U.S., we embrace convenience and stability. Antibiotics had a longer shelf life than phages; they could be made into pills; and you didnt need to run a bunch of tests to identify the pathogen to target.Now that we have this pressing issue of antibiotic resistance, more money is coming into bacteriophage research. In the early 2000s pioneers told me it was impossible to get any money. Thats been changing, maybe in the past eight years or so.Is it fair to say desperation forced the FDA to consider bacteriophage therapies?Thats not a bad word for it. I think the real pivoting point was the Tom Patterson case. In 2015 Patterson [a researcher at the University of California, San Diego] contracted an antibiotic-resistant bacteria called Acinetobacter baumannii in Egypt, while traveling there on vacation with his wife, Steffanie [Strathdee]. Steffanie is herself a scientist, so she began looking for alternative treatments and stumbled upon phages. Toms doctor was somewhat familiar with the concept and said hed try anything that might work. So Steffanie contacted a researcher at [Texas A&M University] and the Navy, and doctors eventually gave Tom a cocktail of an antibiotic and a phage [under a special exemption from the FDA] that killed the bug.I later learned that the FDA actually wanted to see a case like Toms. Toms treatment worked well [as a proof of principle] because his disease was so serious and his treatment was well documented. After that, money started trickling in. When I was writing the book, there were 50 clinical trials. Now there are many more. Theyre all in different stages.How far along are some of these trials, and what kinds of hurdles do they face?Everything starts in phase 1, where you just need to show safety in a small number of participants. The clinical trial process is slowand for a reason: you dont want to put something out there that could cause more harm than good, right? So bacteriophages are still in the fairly early stages. I am fairly optimistic that we are moving in the right direction in the U.S. I just dont know how much time we have on our hands. Some European phage researchers told me they feel our regulatory bodies need a better way to approve these treatments, not necessarily on an individual basis. In Europe, and in Germany in particular, the rules are a bit less rigid.Many of the bacteriophages currently being studied destroy stomach bugs. If you inject phages intravenously rather than swallow them, can you target a wider range of pathogens?We dont have solid knowledge of what happens in the body. With anything intestinal or urinary tract infections, bacteriophages can go very far. Intravenously? Thats a different story.Does it feel like an eventual phage therapy approval is inevitable, or could the field be derailed by a horrible adverse effect?I think people are committed enough because we dont have an alternative. And people have adverse reactions to antibiotics all the time, and the drugs are still on the market. Without them, things are worse.Generally speaking, adverse reactions are very unlikely if phages are prepared correctly: If you give phages intravenously, that phage solution has to be really, really purified, with no bacterial debris [that the immune system can vigorously reject]. Otherwise your system can go into toxic shock. A hundred years ago there werent any good technologies to adequately purify solutions, but thats no longer a problem today.Theres also a question about to what extent the immune system can go after phages themselves, [possibly limiting the efficacy of the treatment]. We dont have enough information about this, though. For a phage to work, it needs to extinguish the infection before the immune system destroys it.Could scientists ever engineer phages with desired traits such as, say, the ability to evade the immune system more easily?They probably could. If you knew which genes to replace with what genes, you could design a stronger phage. You could also administer multiple phages in a sort of cocktail. Genetic engineering is often attractive to pharmaceutical companies because you cant patent a phage aloneits a natural organismbut if you tweaked it or combined it with other ingredients, you could patent the product.How might regulatory bodies speed up the process?Its complicated. I dont write about policy much, but I imagine the FDA could regulate bacteriophages like they do the flu vaccine. One problem with regulating phages is that they evolveover time and even inside a person. And given that they multiply within the body, how do you establish the dose? We like to have things measured, but with phages you almost have to trust Mother Nature to do what she does.

Its [about] remembering how people made you feel when you worked for them, Nickey says. What could have been inspiring that was actually demoralizing or felt really crappy? And how do you take that information and then amplify the opposite? Thats a really powerful tool to work from.Little Wing Lee has simple advice for a more sustainable demolition.This Client-Designer Conversation Isnt Happening Enough, Says Little Wing LeeThe Brooklyn-based designer shares her singular path to designand how her intuition continues to shape her careerAs a design director for Atelier Ace, principal of her own Studio & Projects practice, and the founder of Black Folks in Design, Brooklyn-based multihyphenate designer Little Wing Lee is qualified to provide all manner of expert advice and business tips. Inspired to pursue design after working on a documentary series about death and dying with Bill Moyers, shes an advocate for taking chances, and learning from as many different types of projects as one can.But its in her capacity as the board member of recycling nonprofit Big Reuse that her words of advice might have the greatest impact. She implores designers and architects to loop sustainability partners into the demo process a little bit earlier, which can have an outsized impact on keeping furniture and reusable materials out of the trash.[Big Reuse will] pick up the demo materials for free, but oftentimes people wait until the last minute to call, she says. That timing is a challenge. With a little more planning, we could have saved these beautiful oak shelves from going into the garbage.Young Huh believes in creatingand trustingthe process.The Power of a Process Mapand Other Young Huh-ismsThe AD100 interior designer shares the systems that have made the biggest impact on her practice, from process mapping to outsourcing and moreFitting for someone who finished law school before finding her calling as a designer, Huh understands the importance of both formalizing processes and asking the right questions.What you have to do is have a process map: What do we do to onboard a client? Whats the process for scheduling design meetings? What needs to happen at meeting one, meeting two, and so on? she explained in The Source.While the multi-time Kips Bay Decorator Show House contributor places a great emphasis on learning the ropes through direct experience (even if it just means shadowing a designer for a bit), her commitment to getting these processes down in writing would make any lawyer proudand every designers workflow a little easier.[Everything] has to get mapped out because there [is] so much room for error, she says. You have to go through the process of creating systems, managing the accounting, figuring out how to be an effective communicator and how to control logistics and operationsand all of those things take time.Stop the scrolling and get real, advises Faye Toogood.Faye Toogoods Magic Ingredients for Company CultureThe multidisciplinary designer invites AD PRO into her new North London studio, where a fresh footprint enlivens company culture and creativityWhile Instagram and TikTok are crucial sources of both inspiration and eyeballs, Faye Toogood knows all too well how easily we can sacrifice our time and personal tasteto an endless cycle of scrolling.

A chair can be a living link to the past, writes influential architect and author Witold Rybczynski on the first page of his book, Now I Sit Me Down (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, $25). That much becomes abundantly clear throughout the engaging account, which traces the unexpected design history of seating. The idea for the book came to Rybczynski, an emeritus professor of architecture at the University of Pennsylvania, while researching a 2014 article for Architect magazine on Tadao Andos dazzling but flawed Dream chair. In this 227-page account, which is dotted with illustrations drawn by the author himself, anecdotes range in subject from ancient Greek designs to postmodern master Michael Gravess work for JCPenney. One of the most intriguing sections appears near the end, focusing on chairs with special usesincluding wheelchairs, strollers, swings, and folding chairsand detailing how many of them have deep historical roots. Discover 13 chairs that had an impact on the world of design and read Rybczynskis thoughts on seven of the most influential chairs in the book.Photo: Getty Images1/13Klismos ChairThe Greek klismos, which appeared in the fifth century BC, is considered one of the most graceful chairs ever conceived. It has been imitated over the ages, most recently by Michael Graves for JCPenney.Photo: Getty Images2/13Windsor ChairGeorge Washington owned two dozen of these chairs. Whether made by cottage industry or in an automated factory today, the anonymous Windsor combines simplicity, lightness, and comfort. Hard to beat.Photo: Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art3/13French Fauteuil la ReineThe 18th century was the golden age of furniture, and nothing was better than a French fauteuil, beautifully crafted, upholstered in woven fabrics, and padded in all the right places. Une merveille.Photo: Getty Images4/13No. 14 Bentwood Caf ChairIn 1859, Michael Thonetthe Henry Ford of chairsunveiled the first truly mass-produced chair, the No. 14 caf chair. It was shipped flat, with only 6 pieces of bentwood, 10 screws, and 2 washers. And it looked good too.Photo: Getty Images/Carlos Alvarez5/13Cesca ChairThe Bauhaus was responsible for several memorable chairs, including Marcel Breuers classic Cesca. Innovative tubular steel made possible the springy cantilever design, which was combined with traditional woven cane. The Cesca came with and without arms.Photo: Getty Images6/13Round ChairDanish modern furniture brought together modern production with old-fashioned workmanship and materials and has been called industrialized craftsmanship. Hans Wegners classic Round chair is a quintessential example. The beautifully shaped oak is combined with a caned seat.Photo: Getty Images7/13The Monobloc Plastic ChairThe injection-molded one-piece polypropylene chair is an anonymous design of the 1980s. Apart from being cheap and virtually indestructible, it solves the great bugbear of chair makingit eliminates all joints. Love it or hate it, the monobloc is the reigning global chair.Photo: Sepia Times/Getty Images8/13Curule ChairThe curule began as a ceremonial seat of Roman dignitaries and magistrates and military commanders would use a variation of the folding X-framed seat in the field. The design drew inspiration from Greek and Minoan folding stools. Roman versions were backless, crafted with or without arms, and made of or clad in ivory.Photo: Getty Images9/13SitzmaschineArchitect and Wiener Werksttte cofounder Josef Hoffmans Sitzmaschine, or machine for sitting, was designed in 1905 for the Purkersdorf Sanatorium outside Vienna. Made of bent ash with sycamore inserts, the chair features an adjustable back with a footrest that tucks beneath the seat. The chair exemplifies the cooperatives ethos of designing every element of a building, and it is a part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.Photo: Getty Images10/13Red Blue ChairArtist Gerrit Rietveld played with geometry and space in the design of his Red Blue Chair. Rietveld, a member of the De Stijl art group, initially crafted the chair of varnished wood when it was first designed in 1918, and he incorporated black, blue, red, and yellow around 1923. The chair was made out of pieces of standard lumber so it could be easily produced.Photo: Getty Images11/13Barcelona ChairAnother iconic chair to emerge from Bauhaus was Mies van der Rohes Barcelona Chair. The seat, which features leather cushions and a polished stainless steel X-shaped base reminiscent of the curule chair, was designed for the German pavilion at the 1929 International Exhibition in Barcelona. The pavilion featured two of the chairs, which were used by King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugnie of Spain during the formal opening of the building.Photo: David Cooper/Getty Images12/13Eames Shell ChairCharles and Ray Eames produced a number of famed chairs, from the Eames Lounge to the LCW. Their fiberglass Shell chair was created for the Museum of Modern Arts International Competition for Low-Cost Furniture Design, and it quickly became an icon of midcentury design. The initial versions came in side and armchair versions in three neutral hues, and the shell seat could be attached to a variety of bases, including a rocker.Photo: Getty Images13/13Folding Lawn ChairThe now ubiquitous folding lawn chair was invented by Fredric Arnold in 1947. The World War II fighter pilot crafted a lightweight chair made of aluminum tubes and canvas, which was later replaced with nylon webbing. Arnold patented his invention in 1956 and, at one point, his company was producing 14,000 chairs per day at its Brooklyn factory.

The United States has imposed sanctions on two groups linked to Iranian and Russian efforts to target American voters with disinformation ahead of this year's election.Treasury officials announced the sanctions Tuesday, alleging that the two organizations sought to stoke divisions among Americans before November's vote.US intelligence has accused both governments of spreading disinformation , including fake videos, news stories and social media posts, designed to manipulate voters and undermine trust in US elections.'The governments of Iran and Russia have targeted our election processes and institutions and sought to divide the American people through targeted disinformation campaigns,' Bradley T. Smith, Treasury's acting undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement.Authorities said the Russian group, the Moscow-based Centre for Geopolitical Expertise, oversaw the creation, financing and dissemination of disinformation about American candidates, including deepfake videos created using artificial intelligence .In addition to the group itself, the new sanctions apply to its director, who authorities say worked closely with Russian military intelligence agents also overseeing cyberattacks and sabotage against the West.Authorities say the centre used AI to quickly manufacture fake videos about American candidates created scores of fake news websites designed to look legitimate and even paid US web companies to create pro-Russian content.The Iranian group, the Cognitive Design Production Centre, is a subsidiary of Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, U.S. officials said, which the United States has designated a foreign terrorist organisation. Officials say the centre worked since at least 2023 to incite political tensions in the United States.US intelligence agencies have blamed the Iranian government for seeking to encourage protests in the US over Israels war against Hamas in Gaza. Iran also has been accused of hacking into the accounts of several top current and former officials, including senior members of Donald Trumps campaign.In the months ahead of the election, US intelligence officials said Russia, Iran and China all sought to undermine confidence in US democracy. They also concluded that Russia sought to prop up the ultimate victor Trump, who has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggested cutting funds to Ukraine and repeatedly criticised the NATO military alliance.Iran, meanwhile, sought to oppose Trump's candidacy, officials said. The president-elect's first administration ended a nuclear deal with Iran,reimposed sanctions and ordered the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, an act prompting Irans leaders to vow revenge.Russian and Iranian officials have rejected claims that they sought to influence the outcome of the 2024 election. 'Russia has not and does not interfere with the internal affairs of other countries,' a spokesperson for Russia's embassy in Washington wrote in an email Tuesday.

Image: Nintendo LifeOver the holiday season, we're republishing some of the best articles from Nintendo Life writers and contributors as part of our Best of 2024 series. This article was originally published in September. Enjoy!For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, summer has come to an end. Fortunately, through the magic of video games and the video games created by one man in particular it's never too late to take a little summer holiday...With the recent English-language release of Spike Chunsofts open-world summer simulator, Natsu-Mon, coming hot on the heels of 2022s Shin-chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation, and the upcoming Shin-chan: Shiro and the Coal Town, the time seemed right to sit down with Natsu-Mon director, game designer, and writer, Kaz Ayabe. We discuss the hard-earned breakthrough in the West of the cosy game genre he helped establish in Japan with his long-running series Boku No Natsuyasumi colloquially known as Bokunatsu made popular on PlayStation, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation 3.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube790kWatch on YouTube Over the course of two days and nearly six hours of conversation, Ayabe-san graced my wife and interpreter, Joy, and me with engaging, enthusiastic, and frequently hilarious conversation in which he discussed his current projects like Natsu-Mon and Shin-chan, as well as past efforts such as Attack of the Friday Monsters! and, of course, the Boku No Natsuyasumi series. Other topics that surfaced during our in-depth chat were his love of electronic music, his Tokyo curry restaurant, and preserving the fleeting magic of childhood through the interactive art form of video games.As we conducted the interview online, we made our introductions to Ayabe-san over Zoom, introduced our very Boku-esque 10-year-old son to him on-screen, and got to know each other a bit before jumping right into the conversation. As such, the contents of our workspace were visible to him, and so begins perhaps the most comprehensive overview of Kaz Ayabes works (in English) ever documented.Kaz Ayabe: [Noticing our Bluetooth speaker] Oh, the small speaker on the floor is the same as mine. The wooden portable speaker.Nintendo Life (James Mielke): The [House of Marley] Bag of Riddim? Oh it has such good sound, doesnt it? Speaking of music, is it true you really like electronic music a lot?Image: Kaz AyabeKA: That's right. Yes.NL: Who are your favourite musicians?KA: Well, I listen to a lot of music, so it might be hard to say who they are. I was born in 1965. In my generation, the Yellow Magic Orchestra was prolific during our middle school and high school years. That's where it started. We all grew up listening to YMO.NL: I discovered YMOwell, I always knew about YMObut I really got into YMO through [the late WARP founder and game developer] Kenji Eno. Because he was a YMO maniac. Every time I would visit the FYTO [formerly WARP] Studio in Ebisu, we would basically drink and listen to YMO. Wed listen to every YMO spinoff, like Human Audio Sponge, HAS/YMO, and the bands individual solo projects. It was always a YMO marathon whenever I visited him.The only time I was able to see YMO in concert was after the 3/11 disaster in Japan, and YMO held a No Nukes concert in 2012 at Makuhari Messe [Interviewers note: The location of Tokyo Game Show] with Kraftwerk headlining.KA: I went to see that concert at Makuhari Messe!NL: Wow, we were there together 12 years ago.KA: Yeah.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube790kNL: So I want to speak to you about your body of work, but more from your perspective and approach as a creator and less specifically about the individual games themselves, because my former colleague, Ray Barnholt, already did such a fantastic job with that with his own magazine. Id basically like to pick up where he left off, so for Natsu-Mon, how did this project come to life?Were you inspired after, for example, the Shin-chan games did you have some kind of momentum, and think, I'd like to do more of this, but with something new and an original IP? Or was it Spike Chunsoft who reached out to you and said, Hey, Ayabe-san, would you be interested in making a new series for us? How did it all come about?KA: [Natsu-Mon developer] Toybox approached me first. Toybox is a company created by [Harvest Moon creator, Yasuhiro] Wada-san and they make the Bokujo [Harvest Moon] series. They basically said, If youre interested in making a summer vacation game on Switch, we can help find funding for the development costs.So, it was decided from the beginning the hardware would be Nintendo Switch, and since the budget was quite large, I decided to make an open-world game instead of a 2D game. That's how it started. The publisher, Spike Chunsoft, came on board later. We had the developer first and then the publisher joined later.Images: Spike ChunsoftNL: Natsu-Mon is interesting to me because the development team, Toybox, has made a lot of games in the past, but nothing quite like this game. One of the games that my 10-year-old son and I played the most of this past year has been Tears of the Kingdom. In regards to the open world, it really reminds me of Tears of the Kingdom. It really kind of expands the feel of your summer games concept, because you're not restricted to preset camera angles as with Bokunatsu or Shin-chan. You can run everywhere. If you see it, you can run there, or you can climb it. Of course, the vibrant colours really remind you of Japanese summer, too.KA: Thank you very much. Originally, when I made my first game in 2000, there was no word for open world at the time. But I wanted to make a game like this one. I wanted to make a world where everything was made in 3D. But at the time, we didnt have the technology. So I used 2D anime backgrounds to make my summer series.For Natsu-Mon, we had the technology to bring my vision to life. I also had fun playing Zelda: Breath of the Wild [when it was released]. So when I decided to make an open-world game, I was inspired by Breath of the Wild. In Japan, it's the most popular game. So I thought that if I made it like that, everyone would be able to play it.I've been thinking about making a game like this for the past 20 years, and I think I finally achieved that goal.NL: So people playing Natsu-Mon should just be able to jump right in and start to get going. I felt the same way. It is a very comfortable game. Of course it doesn't have crafting systems or anything; Natsu-Mon keeps things simple. You didn't give into the temptation to overload the game with too many systems. For example, I like the fact that the fishing is very simple, whereas in other games it can get very convoluted with timing meters and things like that. Is keeping it simple a game design philosophy of yours?Image: Spike ChunsoftKA: There are three reasons. First of all, considering the current trends in Zelda I thought I could make a lot of things but to be honest I didn't have that much budget [...] but another thing I used as a reference was an indie game called A Short Hike. A Short Hike is similar to Zelda in that if you get more hearts you can climb higher walls. Fundamentally, Zelda and A Short Hike are the main inspirations for [Natsu-Mon], with Bokunatsu aesthetics on top. I believe that Bokunatsu is pretty well refined, so I didnt want to make it any more complex than the Boku series. So it was my intentional decision not to make the gameplay any more complex than what you see in my prior games and thats why you dont see any craft elements in Natsu-Mon.Fundamentally, Zelda and A Short Hike are the main inspirations for [Natsu-Mon], with Bokunatsu aesthetics on top.The other thing is that I presumed that Nintendo would be releasing new hardware soon and we would miss our opportunity to release the game on the current system if we didn't release the Japanese version last summer. So we developed the game in a year and a half, which is quite short, but we had a relatively large team and these factors came into play for the underlying reason for a lot of the design decisions.Players who are not familiar with the Boku series might not be familiar with the insect collection feature. In the insect collection, there's a mode where you can see the insects up close with poem-like texts about the insect and detailed explanation of the insects. After the Japanese release, we spent a year to update this feature version which we put in the English version.Combined with the development for the Japanese release and the extra year before the English release, we spent two and a half years for the English version. Once the Japanese version was released we evaluated areas of improvement, like making it easier to control and speeding up the tempo in certain areas, and adding fortune-telling for the English release.NL: Are those improvements that were created for the English version patched back into the Japanese version?KA: Yeah there was a patch in June for the Japanese version.Image: Spike ChunsoftNL: It's interesting, because historically you've taken a lot of opportunities to create a director's cut. The first Bokunatsu on PS1 you ported the game to PSP and that version incorporated a lot of upgrades and fixes and improvements over the original release. You're always improving your games. Do you consider the US version of Natsu-Mon the director's cut?KA: Yes. We were originally working on this as the director's cut, although its not officially released as a 'Directors Cut' in the title. The development of the Japanese version took a lot of time and pressure to make. After the Japanese version was released, parts that we decided that we wanted to do another way were changed for the English version.NL: Since Spike Chunsoft is an international publisher they usually release their games internationally was Natsu-Mon always planned as a Western release in addition to the original Japanese release?KA: Yes, that's right. Initially, we didn't know when it would be released. But we had already decided to make an English version and release it on Steam.NL: So how does that compare to Bokunatsu 24 years ago? How does your design process change, if at all, when you know that you're developing a game for a global audience rather than a Japan-specific audience?KA: Actually, the first Bokunatsu initially had a global release planned. Consequently, it wasn't released overseas due to various market circumstances. I like old movies and watch them a lot. I find that especially old Japanese movies that have a high rating don't pay much attention to foreign audiences. I think that's the strength of Japanese movies and has a more international appeal. So when making Natsu-Mon, we were conscious of selling overseas, but not too much.I thought it would be okay if we made something that we thought was interesting. Rather, we made it with the idea that if we made something interesting as Japanese people, it would be more interesting for the overseas audience. Of course, I thought it would be a problem if there was no hook at all. So we decided to set the game in 1999 as a nostalgic year that people all over the world can relate [to].NL: Turn of the century 2K timing.KA: Yes, that's right. I felt that the adults around the world can kind of think back and feel nostalgic for 1999.Images: Spike ChunsoftNL: While the kids should be attracted just to the colourful and simple designs and ease of gameplay. I'm a big fan of movies too. I watch a lot of Japanese and foreign movies, and Godzilla Minus One is a very Japanese movie that has received a lot of international acclaim. It has a lot of relatable things in common for a global audience. There's a lot of human drama in it. Like you said, as it's more Japanese-centric than internationally-focused, its probably why it's very popular in the West.KA: In my case, when I'm making a game and I don't know which direction to choose, I tend to choose the wilder one. For example, if a developer has three choices, they usually just choose one, right? But this time, I decided to include all three choices.by adding a little bit of selfishness from the game developers, I thought it would leave a lasting impression on the gameplayUsually if I did that, maybe the player would get irritated, but I thought it was okay because it gave the game originality. I felt that I was showing my unique personality by choosing the wilder option of providing the player with more choices than limiting the options to one. My creative decisions were based on my personal preferences and not on trying to please the overseas markets. There are decisions that were made with the overseas market in mind. For example, I tried to make the insect collection set a little more luxurious and interesting, but for the most part, I didn't want to make it for people overseas.NL: Can you give us an example of how this manifested in the game?KA: When you're introduced to Kyoko's character at the very beginning, there are three different introductions that the player can chose from. Usually, there would just be one response from Kyoko. I decided to leave in all three phrases and the player can go back and listen to her different introductions. That's one example where we left all three lines in the game instead of just simplifying it. One reason for it is that we happened to come up with three good answers. [laughs]If every conversation was like that, there would be a problem. But by adding a little bit of selfishness from the game developers, I thought it would leave a lasting impression on the gameplay.NL: I noticed that. Usually when you deal with NPCs in games, you get one static line of dialogue, and it's almost a clich. But I noticed that the conversational paths with each character at least generate a couple different responses each time, which I thought was very refreshing.Speaking of Kyoko, one of the fun things to see every day is the different dishes that she prepares. It's always a very interesting selection, and it reminds me actually of Japan, because every day it veers wildly what we're going to have for dinner. Does that come from your own personal interest in delicious food, or your curry restaurant?Image: Spike ChunsoftKA: When I first started making Bokunatsu 24 years ago, the food in games generally looked terrible. I figured we could do better to illustrate food in our games. That was the starting point.NL: Between your work that helped establish the cosy game genre, and your focus on making sure that food looks delicious in games, it seems like it would be a very natural thing for you to develop a cooking-themed game. Have you ever considered this?KA: Let's see... In the '80s or '90s, there was a game called Dungeon Master. Im not sure if thats the English title [Interviewer's note: It is]. That was a game that had delicious-looking meat in it. I thought it would be interesting to make something like that in my games, as well.NL: It's interesting that Toybox approached you about making a summer game. There's something really wholesome about how they reached out to you specifically about this. Because when you think of summer game, you think of Ayabe Kaz, right? I wonder, would they have been able to make Natsu-Mon without you?KA: I think it's better that they asked me to make it. [laughs] A great vacation, or Natsu much?NL: In the Bokunatsu days, we didnt have things like Twitter and Reddit, so it was difficult to take feedback from the public and implement improvements until you actually created a sequel. But nowadays, since you can patch things in, of course the internet gives you direct feedback on Twitter or other channels. Has there been any feedback about Natsu-Mon in particular that you've taken to heart and are considering for the future?KA: Yes, especially after the English version came out, first of all, compared to people in the English-speaking countries of America, England, and Australia, there has been a lot more feedback from people in Europe, from people outside of English-speaking countries, and I think that was interesting.I've forgotten the details, but there was someone who wrote that it was a game that made me feel warm, like I was enclosed in a blanket, and that made me really happy. Also, the feedback from people in Japan was interesting. There were a lot of people who said they thought it was another Bokunatsu game, but it turned out to be 'Natsu-Mon of the Wild.' In varying degrees and different ways, but basically it was a more rambunctious game than they expected. As a creator, I made it to be a pretty wild game, so I'm really happy about that.Images: Spike ChunsoftNL: Personally, when I'm playing, even though your games are very low-pressure, and you can play however you want to, I feel like even though I've got this list of things to do, like climb these towers, find rare fish, find rare bugs, my personal struggle with the game is prioritising what to do because it's so open-ended. I'm not exactly sure where to go or what to do in what order, and sometimes when I forget about a daily routine, like doing my morning exercises, I get really OCD about it and I'm like, 'Damn it, now Im missing a stamp in my stamp collection.' So I'll get mad at myself.KA: Well, for example, you can purchase a chestnut gun a toy gun that shoots chestnuts that you collect from under chestnut trees and use it to catch bugs. At first, I thought everyone would use the chestnut gun to catch bugs but weve found that players have preferences and it wasnt always the case.We also found that many times, even when the mission is clear, players will find themselves distracted on their way to completing the mission and start doing something else. But that's actually exactly what we wanted and it's intentionally in the game because that's kind of what summer vacation is. Kids going off to do random stuff without a particular mission in mind.NL: My 10-year-old son is someone who gets easily distracted like this. So basically, the game makes me a 10-year-old boy again. But is learning these things conducive to replaying the game? Because basically, while I appreciate revisiting the 10-year-old in me, the adult gamer in me wants to min-max the perfect summer. So I want to get everything, I want to achieve everything. I want to get all the stamina medals and climb all the towers and I don't want the summer to end having missed out on anything, even though that seems like it's the point.KA: I personally don't like to complete games or, you know, min-max or 100% the game. Of course, when I'm making my own game and when we're testing bugs and stuff, I'll complete it and 100% the game. But when I'm playing for my own enjoyment, I don't like to do that, so maybe I'm not really ... maybe I'm still kind of like a child. I don't have the need as an adult to complete things.NL: On that note, when you're designing a game one of these summer games do you put so much into the game that it's not really possible, based on the time limit, to actually complete everything in the summer?KA: I mean, it's possible, it's actually possible, but I don't put it in there as a goal. I know that there are people who like to complete a game, so we have designed it so that it's possible to complete it, but obviously that's not the purpose of it, and I want people to play it in the way that they find it enjoyable, but I do think that maybe I added a little too many bugs in the game. [laughs]Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube790kNL: I know that the game just came out in the West so its a little too soon to tell how well its doing here, but how has the game done in Japan so far?KA: The Japanese version was [released] at the end of last summer, and its sold just over 100,000 copies which isn't bad, but I was hoping it would sell a little bit more, so I mean it's not bad but it wasn't great.NL: Do you think the awareness among the Bokunatsu crowd is high enough and do they recognise that this is sort of like a spiritual successor to the Bokunatsu series?KA: Well, the title is different so people thought it was a different game at first. But when they actually played it, they quickly realised the rules were the same. I was the one who designed the map and wrote the text. So I think the essence is pretty much the same. I imagine the players assumed it might be different at first, but when they played it I think they recognised similarities to the Bokunatsu series.By the way, as a creator, the era has changed, the character designs have changed, and the 2D has become 3D. So even though the way it looks has changed, I'm making it as if it's a Bokunatsu game. So it's not officially a Bokunatsu series, but as a creator, I'm making it as if it's a Bokunatsu title and I think players can consider it to be the next successor in the series, or Bokunatsu 5.I think players can consider [Natsu-Mon] to be the next successor in the series, or Bokunatsu 5'NL: On that note, I haven't started a New Game+ yet, but is Natsu-Mon set up so that there's a reason to go through a second time? Like, if you didn't get all the exercise stamps on your stamp card.KA: There are a few things One, you can transfer everything that you collect from the first game when you start over. You can play the things you already have over and over again. That gives you an advantage when you're replaying it. It gives you a different experience. The basic storyline is the same, but it's impossible to experience everything in one go. So if you play it two or three times, especially if you go to places you haven't been to before and during a time of day that you havent before, I think you can experience a lot of new things.And one more thing. Before the game was released in Japan, we gathered people from the Japanese game media and we all went to Niigata on the Shinkansen from Tokyo to do an overnight press tour. We took everyone to see a real live circus together as part of the media PR event. Part of the PR event was an opportunity to play the game. And there was a moment when the eyes of the people from the media really glowed with awe. It was the same moment where even I got lost in the game, as well, while making the game.There are a lot of rocky mountains in the sea. It was really fun to start climbing this steep rocky mountain. There are items to collect at the rocky top, naturally. But, the key thing is that its not something that you might usually think to do. I encourage players to push the boundaries on where and what you think you can do and collect in the game. I think thats the key to fully enjoying the game.Images: Spike ChunsoftNL: I really wanted to play through the DLC before this interview, but I didn't have enough time, so I'm really looking forward to it because I know that you get a glider, similar to Tears of the Kingdom. It should be fun seeing how different the DLC is from the base game. Before we move on to other topics, I want to ask if you have any visibility on whether or not Natsu-Mon could turn into a new franchise.KA: So while it hasn't been a super bestseller, I personally would like to see it become a series, but we haven't... it hasn't come to that yet.NL: OK. So now we'll work backwards a little bit. We'll touch upon the Shin-chan series, and Attack of the Friday Monsters, and then we'll talk about Bokunatsu at the end...Page :1234Next Related GamesSee AlsoShare:04 James is a veteran games journalist, co-founder and designer at Tigertron, and co-founder and creative director for BitSummit, Japan's premier indie gamedev festival. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesBest Nintendo Switch Games Of 2024The finest Switch games of 2024Feature: 15 Best-Looking Switch Games Of 2024Hello, my prettiesFeature: The Best Hidden Gems And Underrated Switch Games Of 2024Some shinies that may have slipped through your fingersBest Of 2024: The Company You Can Pay To X-Ray Unopened Pokmon Card Packs Speaks Out"The technology is not going away, and people know what it can do"Feature: Nintendo Life's Alternative Game Awards 2024Biggest surprise! Most long-winded title! Crappiest Switch publisher!

It's a kinda magic (module).Despite some increasingly convincing leaks, we still don't actually know 100% what form Switch 2 is going to take.It's safe to assume at this point that it will retain the same basic form factor as the original Switch a tablet-like console with detachable controllers but a recent announcement from Chinese firm AYANEO has us secretly wishing that Nintendo might think outside the box with some aspects of its new machine.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Dive into Framestores showreel, showcasing their innovative work on blockbuster films like Deadpool & Wolverine, Civil War, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and Wicked. From captivating commercials to iconic visual effects, their artistry brings the extraordinary to life! Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2025The post Framestore Showreel 2024 appeared first on The Art of VFX.

Tech Receiving unexpected international calls? What you need to know Understanding the risks and how to protect yourself from these scams Published January 1, 2025 8:00am EST close 'CyberGuy': Receiving unexpected international calls? What you need to know Beware scam calls: Avoid unknown numbers and protect your personal information. Tech expert Kurt Knutsson talks about the increasingly common scam. Receiving unexpected international calls can be a source of anxiety for many individuals. Whether its a single ring from an unknown number or multiple missed calls from abroad, the uncertainty can leave you wondering about the implications for your privacy and security.Kathy S. recently reached out with a concern many of us can relate to: "I have received calls from Beijing and Russia on my cellphone. I did not answer them. Can you tell me why this is happening? Is my phone at risk?"If you've experienced similar calls, you're not alone. Let's examine this issue and discover what's really going on. A man receiving an international call on his cellphone (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)The rise of international call scamsInternational call scams have become increasingly common in recent years. One particularly prevalent scam is known as "Wangiri," which originates from Japan and means "one-ring-and-cut." These scammers typically let your phone ring once or twice before hanging up, hoping to pique your curiosity and prompt a callback. A woman receiving an international call on her cellphone (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Why are you receiving these international scam calls?There are several reasons why you might be receiving calls from unfamiliar international numbers.Wangiri scam: Scammers use automated systems to call thousands of numbers, disconnecting after one ring. If you call back, you may be connected to a premium rate number, incurring significant charges.Telemarketing and robocalls: Some companies use international numbers to bypass local regulations and reach a wider audience.Number spoofing: Scammers can make their calls appear to come from different countries, tricking you into answering. A woman receiving an international call on her cellphone (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Is your phone at risk?While receiving unexpected international calls doesn't necessarily put your phone at immediate risk, there are several potential dangers to be aware of.The primary risk lies in potential financial losses if you engage with these scammers. If you call back, you may be connected to a premium rate service number owned by the fraudster. You could also be charged heavily for these calls, with the scammer aiming to keep you on the line to increase the billed amount.While less common with Wangiri scams, there's always a risk of personal information theft if you engage with unknown callers. Sharing sensitive data like bank account numbers or Social Security numbers could lead to identity theft.Answering or returning these calls may signal to scammers that your number is active, potentially leading to more scam calls in the future. Although not typically associated with Wangiri scams, some sophisticated phone scams can potentially install malware on your device if you click on certain links, prompts or follow instructions given by the scammer.The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices. A woman receiving an international call on her cellphone (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)How to protect yourselfWhile these international calls can be concerning, there are several steps you can take to safeguard yourself and your personal information. Here are six effective strategies to help protect against potential scams and unwanted calls.1) Don't answer or call back: If you receive a call from an unknown international number, resist the urge to answer or return the call.2) Block suspicious numbers: Use your phone's built-in features toblock these numbers and prevent future calls.3) Report the calls: Inform your phone carrier and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about these suspicious calls.4) Use call-blocking apps: Consider installingcall-blocking apps to identify and block spam calls.5) Be cautious with personal information: Never share sensitive data over the phone, especially with unfamiliar callers.6) Invest in personal data removal services: Consider using services that remove your personal data from the internet, reducing the chances of scammers obtaining your information. While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time.Check out my top picks for data removal services here.Kurt's key takeawaysWhile unexpected international calls can be alarming, understanding the nature of these scams empowers you to protect yourself. By staying informed and following the preventive measures outlined above, you can significantly reduce your risk of falling victim to these schemes. Remember, your best defense is a combination of caution, awareness and proactive steps to safeguard your personal information.Are phone companies doing enough to help protect consumers from international scam calls? Let us know what you think by writing us atCyberguy.com/Contact.For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to cover.Follow Kurt on his social channels:Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com.All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurts free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus in handPrakhar KhannaThe Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus is a good-looking phone featuring a new chipset, an upgraded display for an intuitive content consumption experience, improved cameras, and a larger battery. On paper, it seems like a recipe for a fantastic upgrade, but does it deliver? Here are five things I like (and two I dont) about the new Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus.Elegant and Stylish DesignRedmi Note 14 Pro Plus backPrakhar KhannaThe Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus is a head-turner and one of the most stylish devices in its segment. The in-hand feel is excellent, thanks to the curved sides on the back. The vegan leather variant feels more elegant than the glass-back models, but all three retain a sophisticated look. It feels more premium in the hand than its price suggests. Despite the added weight of 6g, the phone feels sturdy and premium, not hefty.You also get a redesigned camera island centered on the upper side of the rear panel. It looks cleaner and has a more premium aesthetic. The aluminum frame and tactile feedback of the volume rockers and power button further add to the premium experience. The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus is rated IP68 and IP69 for dust resistance as well as protection against freshwater submersion and pressurized water, respectively.Big and Bright DisplayRedmi Note 14 Pro Plus screenPrakhar KhannaThe new Redmi phone features a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 3000 nits peak brightness, and a 1220 x 2712-pixel resolution at 446ppi. It also supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision and is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2.The display is sharp, vibrant, and perfect for watching your favorite movies. Its complemented by stereo speakers that are loud and clear. The screen gets bright enough for easy legibility in outdoor conditions. Overall, its an excellent device for content consumption.MORE FOR YOUAll-Day Battery LifeRedmi Note 14 Pro Plus camera modulePrakhar KhannaThe Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus packs a 6,200mAh battery, a significant upgrade from the 5,000mAh battery on the Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus. Its a nice step forward, given todays phones are more demanding in nature with added AI features. I like the move to carbon silicon battery tech.My usage included hopping between WhatsApp, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram, while also using Slack and Teams and snapping a few photos. The phone easily lasted through the day. If battery life is a priority for you, this phone is an excellent choice.The phone supports 90W fast charging with the bundled charger, going from 15% to 100% in under an hour. Features like optimized charging and a charging limit are also included if you want to better battery longevity.Performance is Good for Most UsersRedmi Note 14 Pro Plus multitaskingPrakhar KhannaThe Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 SoC, paired with up to 12GB RAM and 512GB of storage, with the base configuration starting at 8GB/128GB. In day-to-day usage, the phone performs smoothly, handling multitasking, browsing, and other non-demanding tasks with ease. However, you may notice occasional jitters when playing demanding games.This phone isnt designed for hardcore gamers but offers sufficient performance for most users, including casual gamers. Plus, Redmi has also added new AI features like Live Interpreter and Circle to Search, which enhance the overall experience.Decent CamerasRedmi Note 14 Pro Plus camera modulePrakhar KhannaThe Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus features a 50MP primary camera, a 50MP telephoto lens with 2.5x optical zoom, and an 8MP ultrawide-angle camera. Daylight photos are impressive, with good dynamic range, vibrant colors, and consistent color science across the three sensors.The portraits look good, and the night mode captures vibrant images, decent for social media use but low light camera performance isnt something to boast about here.The phone still lacks 4K60 video recording, but the stabilization is impressive, and audio quality is good. Overall, the primary camera delivers great results, while the other two sensors add versatility.The Two Dislikes: Software SituationRedmi Note 14 Pro Plus softwarePrakhar KhannaThere are two things that I dislike about the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus software. First, it runs Android 14 out of the box, which isnt ideal for a phone launched in December 2024.While the company promises three major OS updates, this includes Android 15, effectively bringing down the number to only two more years of OS updates. You can expect it to get up to Android 17 (potential release in 2026) and four years of security patches.Second, there are a lot of bundled apps that spam you with unnecessary notifications. I dont mind turning the notifications off for each app as a new user but it gets annoying when they reappear. The UI is smooth but the look and feel can be worked upon.Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus Review: VerdictRedmi Note 14 Pro Plus in handPrakhar KhannaAt INR 30,999, the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus stands out as one of the most stylish phones in its segment.It offers excellent battery life and display capabilities. The performance is also decent and the cameras can deliver superb results. But you will have to look past the aforementioned software situation which can be a dealbreaker for many to opt for this phone.If you need a phone for content consumption with battery life and in-hand feel being a priority, you should consider the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus.

Update: Wednesday January 1, with details on the Galaxy S25 chipset and performance implications.Galaxy S24 Ultra on show at Galaxy Unpacked, January 17 2024, London, United Kingdom.EWAN SPENCESamsungs Galaxy Unpacked event in January 2024 saw the launch of the current Galaxy S24 Ultra flagship, alongside the other S24 handsets, the debut of Galaxy AI, and a preview of the Galaxy Ring. With the first Galaxy Unpacked of 2025 expected to happen in a few weeks, how will the upcoming Galaxy S25 Ultra build on the success of 2024? Which features will help the handset stand out from the crowd?Qualcomm or Exynos For Galaxy S25 Ultra?Update: Wednesday January 1. The Samsung community has been waiting to see if the Galaxy S25 family will have their preferred option of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 across the portfolio or if some territories would adopt the slower Samsungs own Exynos 2500 chipset.Another round of benchmark testing online through Geekbecnhwhose results are publicly availableshows the various Galaxy S25 models all sporting the preferred Snapdragon option. This should positively impact each handset's battery life and overall performance, as well as leverage Qualcomms custom AI-focused hardware.While this has not been conclusively stated by the South Korean manufacturer, it follows reports that Samsungs mobile processor development team were not able to complete the necessary work to have the Exynos 2500 chipset ready for the Galaxy S25 family due to South Koreas strict limits on weekly working hours. Instead, the advanced chipset should debut on the Galaxy Z Flip7, due in the Summer of 2025.Samsung logo in the window of the Samsung Experience Store on Oxford Street in London (Photo by Olly ... [+] Curtis/Future via Getty Images)Future via Getty ImagesMORE FOR YOUGalaxy S25 Ultra DisplayThe look of the Galaxy S25 Ultra will iterate on the current S24 Ultra, a sharper edge to the corners is one of the few visible changes to the design. The display should have one unexpected strength, debuting Cornings second generation of Gorilla Glass Armour.The first-generation featured on the Galaxy S24 Ultra offered a notable increase in protection. Yet it was the anti-reflective coating, helping the S24 Ultra display quality in brightly lit indoor areas and under strong sunlight, that gathered critical acclaim. As the protection increases, so will the view of the pixels.Galaxy S25 Ultra CameraMuch of the Galaxy S25 Ultras main camera system will carry over from the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Forbes contributor Pail Monkton has highlighted one upgrade new users will see: the ultrawide camera will have an increased sensor size of 50 megapixels, offfering broad equality with the camera choices in the Pixel 9 Pro and many of the upcoming 2025 flagships. Crucially, this should allow for more detail in photography, and allow 8K recording when in use.Galaxy S25 Ultra And Galaxy AIThe launch of the Galaxy S24 ULtra was tightly bound with Galaxy AISamsung's push into generative AI softwareand the S24 family were the top-selling AI-powered handsets in the first half of 2024. That allowed Samsung to set the commercial tone of generative AI for the year, following Googles scene-setting to the industry with the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pros Google AI facilities.Google has set the scene for the second generation of smartphone AI with Gemini and is pushing this and the Pixel 9 family online. Samsungs powder will stay cool until the S25 family launches, and you can expect the S25 Ultra and Galaxy AI to offer a potent package thanks to the increased performance on-device and a year of AI development work.Galaxy S25 Ultra Safety FeaturesAlthough the hardware that allowed for car crash detection was present in the Galaxy S24 Ultra, it was never turned on by software. Looking through the current beta of the OneUI software that will debut with the S25 Ultra, the team at Android Authority has discovered new references pointing to car crash detection software. The software should be there, and the hardware is present, so will this be the year to have it turned on?Galaxy S25 Ultra Satellite ConnectivitySamsung has spent many years working on satellite connectivity for its Galaxy handsetsindeed, it was expected to be announced as a Galaxy S24 Ultra feature. That did not come to pass. With the increased focus on this channel, both through Samsungs beta code and Googles code contributions to Android integrating the principle deeper into the code, this is another feature that many are waiting for.When Will We See The Galaxy S25 Ultra?Samsung is widely expected to hold the next Galaxy Unpacked event on January 22nd 2025, with pre-orders opening a few days after the launch, and the S25 handsets shipping on February 7th.Now read the latest thoughts on a mysterious fourth handset that will join the Galaxy S25 Ultra, the mysterious Specia Edition...