Marvel Rivals fans just spent their first weekend with new playable characters Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, but some are having trouble taking Reed Richards as seriously as the other heroes.The stretchy scientist made his debut with the launch of Season 1 on Friday, January 10, bringing his elastic skills to the battlefield as one of Marvel rivals' first post-launch heroes. His powers as a Duelist allow him to take long swings at one or multiple enemies at a time, while also giving him the option to expand his body and take on more of a tank role. Players are still piecing together how to best use Mister Fantastic against the rest of the roster, but until then, most people just cant get over how goofy he can be.A character who can contort his body into strange shapes carries a lot of meme potential. You might have already seen some of the many comparisons to One Piece protagonist Monkey D. Luffy, for example, thanks to Mister Fantastics Elastic Strength ability. Its a bit thats already gained enough traction for the modding community to create a One Piece custom skin despite NetEase cracking down on modding recently. Turning into a rubber bodybuilder is funny on its own, though some fans, including X/Twitter user @BOOMERANG_117, tapped into their creative side by imagining Marvel Rivals Reed Richards without his new beard.It's all slightly unsettling, but few of the character's elements have attracted jokes like his Reflexive Rubber ability. Its a useful tool that can be used to turn an enemys damage against them, and it also happens to look almost too silly in motion. Using the move sees Mister Fantastic grow to the size of a refrigerator, so you can imagine what walking around like that might look like."Ngl I think Mr. Fantastic's design encapsulates everything great about this game," one Reddit user said. "He's stupid and silly and cheesy and the game just lets him be that and is better for it."While well have to wait and see if Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman will stick around as favorites for Marvel Rivals fans, but the two have at least made quite the impression in their first weekend. As Season 1 rolls on, players can expect to latch on to the remaining Fantastic 4 cast when The Thing and Human Torch are added as playable characters in the second half of the season. When the rest of the team eventually arrives, we can only hope they'll make just as much of an entrance.In the meantime, check out the Marvel Rivals Season 1 patch notes, and official stats that reveal Marvel Rivals' pick and win rates in Quickplay and Competitive modes for Season 0. And keep an eye on the latest Marvel Rivals codes for free skins, and vote on the strongest Marvel Rivals characters in our community tier list.Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

In 2018, after decades of research and tens of millions in funding, Russian astronauts attached a wildlife-tracking receiver to the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS). The device received data from tagged animals across the planet and beamed it to a ground station in Moscow. From there, it went to an open-source database called Movebank.The space tracker was the final piece of the puzzle for the ICARUS project, an international effort led by German biologist Martin Wikelski to track the migratory patterns of wildlife from space. It was a game-changer for conservationists, who could monitor the journeys of tiny birds, bats, cats and other animalson a global scale for the first time. The data could even warn us of volcanic eruptions or protect us from diseases.That was until Russia invaded Ukraine in March 2022. After that, the West severed most of its bilateral research with Moscow. ICARUS was shot from the sky. But now, Wikelski the director of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior looks to give the project new wings.Russian astronauts Sergei Prokopyev and Oleg Artemyev install the ICARUS antenna assembly on the Zvezda module of the ISS. Credit: Roscosmos, DLRToday, the Max Planck Society announced that it has teamed up with German spacetech startup Talos to launch ICARUS 2.0. Founded in 2022, Talos builds tiny solar-powered IoT tags that attach to the fur or feathers of wildlife. The five-gram devices gather location data, alongside measurements of the surrounding temperature, humidity, pressure, and acceleration. The tags then beam this information to a receiver aboard an orbiting CubeSat, which then relays it to researchers back on Earth.Price increase on Friday - Book NowICARUS 2.0 represents a complete technological overhaul, Gregor Langer, Talos CEO, told TNW. Were replacing the Russian ISS-based technologies while also significantly improving the update frequency and accuracy of the animal-tracking data.For Wikelski and scientists across the globe, its the perfect solution. The system enables high-precision tracking of animals. Its relatively inexpensive to deploy and operate. And perhaps most importantly, it means that ICARUS is finally freed from the clutches of geopolitics, putting scientists back in control.The shutting down of ICARUS illustrated the potential vulnerability of international research projects to geopolitical changes and, thus, the importance of sovereign infrastructures, said Langer. However, this relaunch also demonstrates the huge potential of NewSpace technologies and companies that can provide services for which governmental institutions were still needed just a few years ago.Once up and running again, ICARUS will allow scientists to observe animal movements in near totality for the first time and help create what Wikelski calls the internet of animals.A blackbird fitted with a GPS transmitter. Credit: TalosWhile ICARUS 2.0 will use 5-gram GPS tags for now, the project plans to deploy devices weighing less than 1 gram in the future. Meanwhile, other scientists in Germany are even working on miniature trackers for bees.ICARUS 2.0 will be a critical tool for addressing environmental challenges, including climate change, conservation, and zoonotic disease tracking such as SARS, bird flu, and the West Nile virus, said Wikelski. The ICARUS 2.0 mission aims to launch the CubeSat constellation in phases. The first satellite is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket this autumn, with all five CubeSats expected to be operational by the end of 2026. Funded by the Max Planck Society, the system will cost roughly $1.57mn to launch and have annual operating expenses of around $160,000.By leveraging space technologies and collaborating with innovative space startups, the ICARUS initiative benefits from faster development cycles and enhanced capabilities, further expanding its reach and impact in global scientific research and conservation efforts, Wikelski concluded. Story by Sin Geschwindt Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecos (show all) Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecosystem. He's happiest sourcing a scoop, investigating the impact of emerging technologies, and even putting them to the test. Sin has five years journalism experience and holds a dual degree in media and environmental science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Get the TNW newsletterGet the most important tech news in your inbox each week.Also tagged with

Another state has committed to supporting digital IDs in Apple Wallet by the end of the year. Illinois says it will launch the best mobile ID program in the nation by the end of 2025New legislation went into effect in Illinois on January 1 that allows the Secretary of States office to issue digital ID cards and drivers licenses for the first time. As part of that program, the state is also collaborating with Apple to support IDs in Apple Wallet. In a press release today, Illinois Secretary Alexi Giannoulias confirmed that the state will launch support for IDs in Apple Wallet by the end of the year. Were excited to have kickstarted our work with Apple a company that shares our commitment to data security to provide IDs in Apple Wallet that will offer convenience and privacy for Illinoisans. This is the first component of a multi-faceted approach to deliver a state-of-the-art mobile drivers license and state ID program that leverages best-in-class technology for residents. Once the program launches, Illinois residents will be able to add their IDs to Apple Wallet on their iPhones. The digital IDs are accepted at select businesses and venues and can be used at select TSA checkpoints. Residents can go to the Illinois Secretary of State website to learn more and sign up to be notified as the development of digital IDs progresses throughout the year. Where are IDs in Apple Wallet currently available? Currently, digital IDs in Apple Wallet are available in these locations: Arizona CaliforniaGeoriga HawaiiIowaMarylandNew MexicoOhioPuerto RicoIn addition to Illinois, the following states have also committed to supporting IDs in Apple Wallet but they havent shared specific timelines. ConnecticutMontanaKentuckyWest VirginiaNorth Carolina MississippiOklahomaUtahHave you used digital IDs in Apple Wallet? Do you find them useful? Let us know down in the comments. My favorite iPhone accessories: Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

"Its brutal murder. Cold-blooded murder."Never KYSIn the wake of OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji's shocking death, the young man's family say they believe he was murdered but there's a lot more to this story, and that claim, than meets the eye.As theSan Francisco Standard reports, Balaji's mother Poornima Ramarao is not only claiming that her 26-year-old son was killed as opposed to dying by suicide, which the city's medical examiner ruled as his cause of death but also that media and local government were orchestrating a coverup.Ramarao insisted to The Standard that Balaji "was very proud" that he'd come forward with allegations that OpenAI, his employer of four years, was committing copyright infringement. In October, the New York Times published those claims and a month later, the young whistleblower was found dead of an apparent gunshot wound to the head."He was very proud of what he was doing where is the depression?" the grieving mother said. "How do you think its suicide? Its brutal murder. Cold-blooded murder."Pointing FingersAfter her son's death was ruled a suicide, Ramarao and her husband, Balaji Ramamurthy, began questing for answers. They hired a forensic pathologist to do a second autopsy which she says demonstrates that Balaji was shot in the back of the head.Despite using that independent autopsy to corroborate her claims, though, Ramarao has also accused the secondary pathologist of being "hand-in-glove involved" with the medical examiner who had done the first. The family also hired and fired a lawyer who was, as Ramarao charged, "changing the narrative," and accused a reporter with The Standard of being "paid PR" for OpenAI.According to Girish Bangalore, a realtor who said he went to college in India with Ramarao and who has created an online petition demanding a "comprehensive investigation" into Balaji's death, grief and cultural differences may be fueling the family's claims."On one side is the trauma of losing their only child," he told The Standard. "On the other side is, theyre immigrants from a foreign country that dont really know what to do or how things work here."Losing a child does indeed seem enough to drive parents to extremes and the publicity surrounding Balaji's death certainly can't be helping.More on OpenAI: Former Enron Banker Points Out "Intriguing" Parallels With OpenAIShare This Article

Time zones: EST (UTC -5), MST (UTC -7), ART (UTC -3), UTC -4, UTC -4:30, UTC -3, UTC -2We are currently seeking an experienced Graphic Designer to join our US team.Responsibilities:Create digital graphics for websites, social media, email campaigns, and ads while maintaining brand consistency across all materials in adherence to brand guidelines.Take visual projects from conception to final product.Use a variety of tools including Photoshop and Canva.Meet project deadlines and manage multiple projects simultaneously.Required experience:Graphic Design or other creative background, minimum 2 years of experience.Proficiency in relevant tools, including Adobe Creative Suite and Canva.Strong understanding of design principles, including layout, typography, colour theory, and visual hierarchy.Creativity and the ability to think outside the box to solve design challenges.Full working proficiency in English Related Jobs See more Design jobs

Teams selected for the framework will have the opportunity to work on a range of public building projects with the municipality which has ambitions plans to promote healthy living and to become climate neutral by 2030.According to the brief: The City of Malms Service Directorate together with the Property and Streets Directorate now welcomes applications from architecture practices for a framework contract procurement for architectural services.The procurement is also open to consortia, where smaller architectural practices can apply as part of a combined team.AdvertisementThe procurement process was informed by a market dialogue in autumn 2024 and we would like to thank those who participated for your valuable input.Connected to Copenhagen by the resund Bridge Malm is the third largest city in Sweden with a population of around 350,000 residents. In 2023, UK firm 6a won a contest to rethink a series of disused cement silos in the centre of the city.The latest framework comes just two months after Skanska and the City of Malm launched a contest to create a new athletics and football stadium for the Swedish city on the site of its existing Malm Stadion which was originally built for the 1958 FIFA World Cup.An international contest was launched for a new transport hub next door to the MalmMssan exhibition hall and Emporia shopping centre in Hyllie on the outskirts of Malm in October last year.Competition detailsProject title Malm is procuring a new framework for architectural servicesClient City of MalmContract value TbcFirst round deadline 16 February 2025Restrictions TbcMore information https://tendsign.com/login.aspx?URL=s_meformsnotice.aspx%3fMeFormsNoticeId%3d40587

The Biden-Harris administration on Mondayannounced an additional round of student loan forgiveness, canceling the balances of over 152,000 borrowers. The loans forgiven total nearly $4 billion.The latest relief news applies to three groups: 6,100 borrowers enrolled in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program; 85,000 borrowers who were cheated or defrauded by their schools; and 61,000 borrowers with total or permanent disabilities. This brings the administration's total student loan forgiveness amount to $183.6 billion for over 5 million borrowers in the past four years.Senior administration officials did not confirm whether this is the last round of forgiveness before President-elect Donald Trump takes office next Monday, Jan. 20. However, Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal shared in the announcement that the current administration expects student loan forgiveness programs already authorized by Congress, such as the PSLF and approved income-driven repayment plans, to continue.Notifications are being sent to eligible borrowers, so keep an eye on your email to see if your balances have been forgiven. You can also check the status of your student loans and forgiveness at StudentAid.gov.Read more: New Student Loan Forgiveness 'Buyback' Program Could Help You Get Debt Relief Sooner

January 13, 20253 min readPhotos Show Why Los Angeles Fires Were the Worst in Citys HistoryThe ferocity and scale of the fires that tore through the Los Angeles area become clearer in photographsBy Andrea Thompson & Amanda Stosz A home on Mariposa Street in Altadena, Calif., goes up in flames during the Eaton Fire on January 8. Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty ImagesIn a matter of hours, entire blocks of the Los Angeles area were destroyed, gutting thriving communities and leaving thousands with only the items they carried as they ran from their homes to escape fast-moving fires. More than 10,000 structures have burned across some 35,000 acres in the region.The blazes were driven by unusually extreme Santa Ana winds that turned brush fires into infernos: these winds rush down from the interior desert through narrow mountain canyons, and in this case, they reached hurricane-force levels in some places. In the face of such ferocious winds and the spot-fire-igniting embers they blow, there is little firefighters can do beyond conducting rescue operations and saving individual structures.The catastropheslikely some of the most destructive and costly fires to have ever hit the state of Californiaare also the product of an overlap between the Santa Ana wind season and a very warm, dry start to winter. The cold season is normally when rains come and tamp down fire risk. This overlap is becoming increasingly likely with climate change.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.There have been countless stories of the raging battles fought by firefighters and the damage that has been wrought, but as the adage goes, pictures really tell the story in a way words often cant. Here Scientific American has rounded up photographs that show some of the key aspects of the Los Angelesarea fires.Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty ImagesSmoke from the Palisades Fire billows out over the ocean on January 8. Both that blaze and the Eaton Fire have generated huge smoke plumes that have left nearby neighborhoods with poor air quality.Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty ImagesWinds during the height of the event reached gusts above 70 and 80 miles per hours in places. Gusts in one part of the San Gabriel Mountains reached 99 mph. The speed of the winds sent embers far ahead of the fire front, igniting spot fires and setting homes, trees and other structures ablaze.Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesThe ferocity of the flames is evident in this photograph of firefighters attempting to battle the Palisades Fire in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades on January 7. The fast-moving nature of the fire meant there was almost nothing firefighters could do to halt its progress or save the thousands of homes set alight.Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesLos Angeles County firefighters try unsuccessfully to get water from a hydrant as they battle the Eaton Fire on January 8 in Altadena, Calif. Water demand for fighting the fires was so high that some hydrants were running dry.Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty ImagesAn apartment building burns during the Eaton Fire in Altadena on January 8.Maxar/Getty ImagesThe scale of the fires becomes clearer in this infrared satellite image that shows the heat signature of homes and other buildings in Altadena burning from the Eaton Fire.Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty ImagesA man walks by downed power lines in Altadenas business district on January 8. Some 5,000 structures in the neighborhood burned.Mario Tama/Getty ImagesA firefighting helicopter drops water as the Sunset Fire burns in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on the evening of January 8. Such water drops were not possible in the Los Angeles area the previous day because of the dangerously high winds.Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty ImagesHomes that were burned by the Palisades Fire are seen on January 9. Whole blocks of houses were nearly wiped out.

Netflix's Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 gets new trailer and final release dateAnd it's out this week.Image credit: Netflix News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on Jan. 13, 2025 There's some good news if you're been eager to sink your teeth into more Castlevania: Nocturne since Netflix's latest animated take on the classic franchise aired in 2023. The long-promised second season finally has a release date, and arrives this Thursday, 16th January.Castlevania: Nocturne, if you're not up to speed, follows the adventures of Maria Renard and Richter Belmont (a distant descendant of Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belndaes, who both featured heavily in Netflix's original Castlevania adaptation), with its vampiric action playing out against the backdrop of the French Revolution, circa 1792.Season One of Castlevania: Nocturne was well received on its arrival back in September 2023, its eight-episode run wrapping up with the unexpected arrival of a familiar face. And while a second season was confirmed shortly after the first aired, it's been a bit of a wait for its return.Castlevania: Nocturne - Season 2 trailer.Watch on YouTubeSeason Two, though, is just days away now, and will once again consist of eight episodes. Additionally, Powerhouse is back on animation duties, while showrunner Clive Bradley and directors Sam and Adam Deats also return. And if you're curious for a glimpse at what the team has cooked up for Castlevania: Nocturne's second season, there's two minutes and 40 seconds of teases in Netflix's newly shared trailer above.So to recap, that's Castlevania: Nocturne's second season, back this Thursday, 16th January on Netflix. Its arrival continues what's been a remarkably busy time for a franchise that hasn't had a new instalment since Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 in 2014. It's appeared in Dead Cells, popped up in V Rising, and even received a third classic games collection last August, this time bundling up the series' three DS titles. Hopefully, all this is leading up to a brand-new game!

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 hereHelldivers 2 is being turned into a movie. A film basically already exists under the name of Starship Troopers, but Sony is planning to bring Arrowheads HD2 to the big screen sometime in the future. Pilestedt has admitted that Sony will have the final say when it comes to actors and actresses, but there is one actor Arrowhead really want to see in the Helldivers 2 movie, and we couldnt agree more with the casting choice. Helldivers 2 dev wants Craig Lee Thomas in movie adaptation It may come as no surprise that Arrowhead would love to see Craig Lee Thomas cast in the Helldivers 2 movie. Craig Lee Thomas is a part of HD2 as theyre John Helldiver in the game, and they were also recently John Helldiver in the flesh on stage at The Game Awards 2024. While its been acknowledged by Pilestedt that Sony will decide the actors and actresses for the film, on the games Discord, community manager, miitchimus, has said, My only request is Craig Lee Thomas. Image credit: Helldivers DiscordThe want to see Craig Lee Thomas in the movie is shared by us as well large parts of the HD2 community. Even when the idea of a film was just a dream pitch on Reddit, fans were saying Craig Lee Thomas needs to be cast as John Helldiver. Its possible Craig Lee Thomas could be given a cameo as Nolan North received one on the beach in the Uncharted movie, Merle Dandbrige was recast as Marlene in The Last of Us HBO, and Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson both received cameos in TLOU HBO, too. Theres no doubt Sony will want to cast A-star actors for the movie to appeal to as broad an audience as possible, but just seeing Craig Lee Thomas in a cameo as John Helldiver on the big screen would be fantastic. The only thing we know about the movie so far is that it is a collaboration between Sony Productions and Sony Pictures. Theres no release window for when it could arrive, but hopefully it will be a much better movie than Tom Hollands Uncharted and Sonys recent milking of the Spider-Man universe with Madame Web and Kraven. For more Helldivers 2, check out our guide to thebest warbonds ranked, along with thebest stratagemsandbest throwables. We have also a guide to thebest weapons, and, if youre coming back to HD2 for the first time in a long while, we have a bunch oftips and tricksto help you get reaccustomed to the battlefield.Helldivers 2Platform(s):PC, PlayStation 5Genre(s):Action, Shooter, Third Person8VideoGamerRelated TopicsHelldivers 2 Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share