People sit on a London Underground tube train as it waits at a underground station on October 24, ... [+] 2023 in London, England. With an array of notable tourist attractions, London, the capital city of England, is one of the world's most visited cities attracting millions of visitors every year. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)Getty ImagesTransport for London (TfL) can exclusively reveal that 1.40 isn't enough to get Londoners out of their flats and into offices on a Friday.The transport authority for the British capital ran an intriguing experiment from the beginning of March to the end of May last year, dropping peak fare pricing for Fridays across London's Underground network, as well as the Overground and Elizabeth Line.The aim was to boost commuter figures, which are down since home working took off during pandemic lockdowns. According to TfL, ridership across the network remains at 90% of pre-pandemic levels such a decrease may not be entirely unwelcome for the commuters who remain, given overcrowding caused frequent delays.According to a report assessing the trial, Mondays in 2019 saw an average 1.18 million rail journeys during peak times versus 850,000 in 2023; Tuesdays through Thursdays saw 1.21 million in 2019 versus 990,000 in 2023; and Fridays fell from 1.1 million in 2019 to just 700,000.TfL fare discountsIn an attempt to persuade people back into central London on Fridays, TfL didn't charge pay-as-you-go users the extra fare for travelling at peak times, advertising the fact with a campaign it believed reached half of Londoners. On weekdays, TfL increases fares between 630am and 930am, and again between 4pm and 7pm, in an attempt to encourage people to travel at less busy times.MORE FOR YOUOn Fridays last spring, travellers didn't pay that peak travel charge. For anyone commuting from Zone 3 to the central district, that would result in their cards being charged 3 instead of 3.70 for a one-way trip.People pass through a ticket barrier at Tottenham Court Road underground station on November 18, ... [+] 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)Getty ImagesSavings would be more significant for those commuting from further out: Chesham residents, out in Zone 9, would have paid 4.80 rather than 7.90, for example while that's a nice chunk of money to keep in your pocket, it's hardly on par with the free public transport offered in some countries.Of course, there's more to fares than one-way journeys. Anyone travelling most days of the week is likely to get a weekly pass, meaning that the savings weren't of any use.Plus, the aim of encouraging people to go out in London in the evenings means anyone who travels to work at peak times but then hits the pub after with colleagues only really benefits one direction, as staying out past 7pm means they would have saved that cash regardless.And any small savings even the pounds saved for those travelling from out in Chesham are quickly obliterated by the rising costs of going out, with a Pret cappuccino rising to 4.05 now from 2.45 in 2019 and the average price of a pint in the UK topping 4.70 last year versus 3.67 in 2019 (and likely higher in London).The price of a coffee at Pret has leapt considerably in the last five years. (Photo by Robert ... [+] Alexander/Getty Images)Getty ImagesStaying home saves not only the full price of a commute but also the cost of going out with coworkers, though TfL also teamed up with local businesses to offer discounts under the "Let's do Fridays!" marketing slogan.Lower fares didn't cut itEither way, it seems Londonders weren't convinced, and the peak-fare discount had no impact."This trial has shown that a temporary discount to peak fares on a Friday does not result in a significant increase in travel, suggesting that there are factors other than price that influence our customers when deciding on which weekdays to travel," the report noted. "The relative affordability of our fares means the discount may not have been perceived as significant enough to warrant people changing their flexible working patterns."The report included a quote from Professor Nick Tyler, the Director of the Centre for Transport Studies at University College London."It is good that Transport for London took the initiative to test the idea of off-peak Fridays by doing it, rather than just asking people about it," he was quoted as saying. "The result is interesting because it suggests that the reduced numbers are about behaviour and lifestyle rather than money people realise they can work more flexibly and not travelling into the centre of London, for example, on a Friday is one element of that."Fixing London with TfL fare discountsWhy is TfL spending as much as 24 million on a trial to encourage Londoners to travel into town? TfL says its own research suggested businesses wanted them to do more to help out.But it's curious that there's no effort to encourage Londoners to simply go out closer to home on Friday evenings, a move that could help spread some of the revenue from central districts further across the city, perhaps helping pubs out in the suburbs though TfL said via email it is indeed looking at how to support suburban high streets and "the benefits of people staying local", pointing to the "Superloop" network of buses that link outer districts of the city.Of course, one motivation behind the trial could also perhaps be that TfL needs to keep collecting more fares, as the agency receives much less government funding than other metro networks.People are alighting from a London Underground train in London, England, on February 4, 2024. (Photo ... [+] by Alberto Pezzali/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty ImagesA TfL spokesperson said: "Like many transport authorities across the world, we are always looking at ways to innovate and grow ridership on our services. The Off Peak Friday fares trial formed part of a wider approach to make fares and ticketing more flexible and innovative, and looked at whether reducing fares on Fridays would impact ridership and revenue, as well as Londons wider economy. While it was positively received by customers and supported by stakeholders including Londons hospitality industry, ultimately the trial showed that a temporary discount to peak fares on a Friday did not result in a significant increase in travel."Fridays is now the weekend?Instead of being dissuaded by the results, TfL should consider keeping the off-peak pricing anyway after all, Fridays are clearly not peak travel times anymore, hence the trial. Or TfL could simply declare Friday a weekend, as it may well one day become, if four-day work week campaigns prove successful.TfL said it was continuing to consult on the issue of fares, saying the trial has helped inform the agency's understanding of how fares impact ridership. "This will be supported by ongoing analysis of customer behaviour, as well as discussions with stakeholders and business groups," TfL said in a statement via email."We will continue to work with the Mayor to review our fares and ticketing system to ensure it continues to be world-leading and can meet the evolving needs of passengers," the statement added. "This includes working with stakeholder groups to ensure disadvantaged Londoners can benefit from our wide range of concessionary fares to make travel across the capital more affordable, as well as undertaking a study to better understand how cost affects the travel of people with protected characteristics, to inform our investment priorities."Anything to simplify fares is welcome even if it's not enough to drag Londoners back to the office on Fridays.

Choose your answer and the correct choice will be revealed. Correct Answer:ExciteHere's the story behind itIn 1997, Larry Page, one of Google's co-founders, wanted to sell the search engine to Excite for $1.6 million. The proposed deal included $600,000 in cash, $700,000 in stock, and $300,000 for Stanford University. This was during Google's earliest days when it was still called "BackRub" and both Page and Sergey Brin were PhD students. Despite the seemingly modest price tag, the deal obviously didn't happen, though the reason why varies depending on who you ask.In an interview years after the failed negotiations, then CEO of Excite George Bell said the company was comfortable with spending that amount of money on Google. However, they could not agree to one of Page's key conditions: the replacement of Excite's existing search technology with Google's algorithm. This demand created friction, as Bell and his team were reluctant to abandon their proprietary system entirely.While Bell denied certain claims, other accounts offer a different perspective. Some suggest that Excite turned down the acquisition because Google's search technology was "too good." This counterintuitive concern stemmed from fears that Google's highly accurate search results would reduce user engagement. If users found what they were looking for too quickly, they might spend less time browsing the site, leading to lower ad revenue a critical source of income for Excite.Ironically, this is exactly what is happening to Google in recent years (2020 2025). The quality of search results has declined, partly due to the company's focus on monetizing users and discouraging them from leaving Google's ecosystem after viewing search result pages. Additionally, the rise of generative AI and Google's struggle to effectively identify and filter out spam content have further contributed to this decline.In the late 1990s, Excite was a very recognizable brand of the early web. In 1997, it was ranked as the sixth most visited website and had already become a public company. However, its fortunes would soon fade as Google and other competitors rose to prominence.Today the website is merely a shadow of its former self. Excite was eventually acquired by Ask Jeeves (later known as Ask.com) and is now operated as a minor property by the media conglomerate IAC. Once a symbol of early internet success, Excite is now largely a relic of the past.

What just happened? Gaming chairs are great for those of us surgically attached to our desks, barely moving from the same spot for over ten hours each day. Sadly, the top models are usually very expensive. But Razer has announced a much cheaper version of its excellent Razer Iskur V2 at CES. The company also announced the "world's first heating and cooling" gaming chair. Priced at $649, Razer's Iskur V2 gaming chair is up there with some of the segment's best, including the Noblechairs Legend and the near-perfect Secretlab Titan Evo.Most people aren't too happy about paying high-end graphics card-like prices for a chair, even if it is a very good one. As such, Razer has unveiled the Razer Iskur V2 X, which at $299 is less than half the price of its sibling.Several of the more expensive chair's features can be found in the Razer Iskur V2 X, including its high-density foam, the 152-degree adjustable back angle, the 299-pound weight limit, and the overall look.Also read: FlexiSpot C7 Ergonomic Office Chair ReviewThere are reasons why the Razer Iskur V2 X is $350 is cheaper, of course. Instead of a lumbar support panel, it has a non-adjustable lumbar arch. The armrests are restricted to two movements height and swivel dropping the extra forward/backward and lateral movements of the Razer Iskur V2. It also comes with a multi-layered fabric material instead of EPU leather, the foam isn't moulded, it uses a butterfly mechanism, and you don't get an adjustable memory foam head cushion. It only comes in black, too. // Related StoriesIt's hard to know how the Razer's Iskur V2 X will stack up against other gaming chairs around the $300 mark. It shouldn't take long to find out, though: the chair is available to pre-order now.Razer also revealed what it calls the world's first gaming chair with an integrated heating and cooling system. Currently codenamed Project Arielle, the chair is based on its extremely well-reviewed Razer Fujin Pro mesh chair.Project Arielle features a built-in bladeless fan system that Razer says is both quiet and energy efficient. It offers three fan speed levels that can "reduce the perceived temperature by 2C to 5C in dry environments."For those in locations where you freeze to chairs instead of stick to them, Project Arielle also has a heating function that lets it blow air as warm as 30C / 86F.Project Arielle is one of the many concepts that we see at CES every year. Not all of these end up being turned into retail products, but there are plenty that prove popular enough to warrant their sale.

Wireshark is the world's foremost and widely-used network protocol analyzer. It lets you see what's happening on your network at a microscopic level and is the de facto (and often de jure) standard across many commercial and non-profit enterprises, government agencies, and educational institutions. Wireshark development thrives thanks to the volunteer contributions of networking experts around the globe and is the continuation of a project started by Gerald Combs in 1998.FeaturesDeep inspection of hundreds of protocols, with more being added all the timeLive capture and offline analysisStandard three-pane packet browserMulti-platform: Runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, Solaris, FreeBSD, NetBSD, and many othersCaptured network data can be browsed via a GUI, or via the TTY-mode TShark utilityThe most powerful display filters in the industryRich VoIP analysisRead/write many different capture file formats: tcpdump (libpcap), Pcap NG, Catapult DCT2000, Cisco Secure IDS iplog, Microsoft Network Monitor, Network General Sniffer (compressed and uncompressed), Sniffer Pro, and NetXray, Network Instruments Observer, NetScreen snoop, Novell LANalyzer, RADCOM WAN/LAN Analyzer, Shomiti/Finisar Surveyor, Tektronix K12xx, Visual Networks Visual UpTime, WildPackets EtherPeek/TokenPeek/AiroPeek, and many othersCapture files compressed with gzip can be decompressed on the flyLive data can be read from Ethernet, IEEE 802.11, PPP/HDLC, ATM, Bluetooth, USB, Token Ring, Frame Relay, FDDI, and others (depending on your platform)Decryption support for many protocols, including IPsec, ISAKMP, Kerberos, SNMPv3, SSL/TLS, WEP, and WPA/WPA2Coloring rules can be applied to the packet list for quick, intuitive analysisOutput can be exported to XML, PostScript, CSV, or plain textWhat's NewBug FixesThe following bugs have been fixed:Potential mis-match in GSM MAP dissector for uncertainty radius and its filter key. Issue 20247.Macro eNodeB ID and Extended Macro eNodeB ID not decoded by User Location Information. Issue 20276.The NFSv2 Dissector appears to be swapping Character Special File and Directory in mode decoding. Issue 20290.CMake discovers Strawberry Perl's zlib DLL when it shouldn't. Issue 20304.VOIP Calls call flow displaying hours. Issue 20311.Fuzz job issue: fuzz-2024-12-26-7898.pcap. Issue 20313.sFlow: Incorrect length passed to header sample dissector. Issue 20320.wsutil: Should link against -lm due to missing fabs() when built with -fno-builtin. Issue 20326.New and Updated FeaturesNew Protocol SupportThere are no new protocols in this release.Updated Protocol SupportARTNET, ASN.1 PER, BACapp, BBLog, BT BR/EDR RF, CQL, Diameter, DOF, ECMP, FiveCo RAP, FTDI FT, GSM COMMON, GTPv2, HCI_MON, HSRP, HTTP2, ICMPv6, IEEE 802.11, Kafka, LTE RRC, MBIM, MMS, Modbus/TCP, MPEG PES, NAS-EPS, NFS, NGAP, NR RRC, PLDM, PN-DCP, POP, ProtoBuf, PTP, RLC, RPC, RTCP, sFlow, SIP, SRT, TCP, UCP, USBCCID, Wi-SUN, and ZigBee ZCLNew and Updated Capture File SupportCLLog EMS ERFUpdated File Format Decoding SupportThere is no updated file format support in this release.Security EnhancementsThe Wireshark team continues to prioritize security, addressing vulnerabilities found in previous versions:Fixed a FiveCo RAP dissector infinite loop vulnerability (wnpa-sec-2024-14).Resolved an ECMP dissector crash issue (wnpa-sec-2024-15).Wireshark 4.4.3 builds upon the improvements introduced in version 4.4.0:Automatic Profile Switching: Users can now associate display filters with configuration profiles, allowing Wireshark to automatically switch profiles based on the opened capture file.Enhanced Display Filters: Improved support for value strings and the ability to implement display filter functions as plugins.Custom Columns and Output Fields: Users can define custom columns and output fields using any valid field expression, offering greater flexibility in data presentation.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Great, heres the entitled journalist telling me that the $2,000 graphics card won CES 2025. Ive seen plenty of strong opinions about Nvidias CES announcements online, but even ignoring the bloated price of the new RTX 5090, Nvidia won this years show. And it kind of won by default. Between Intels barebones announcements and an overstuffed AMD presentation that ignoredwhat might be AMDs most important GPU launch ever, its not surprising that Team Green came out ahead.But thats despite the insane price of the RTX 5090, not because of it.Recommended VideosNvidia introduced a new range of graphics cards, and the impressive multi-frame generation of DLSS 4, but its announcements this year were much more significant than that. It all comes down to the ways that Nvidia is leveraging AI to make PC games better, and the fruits of that labor may not pay off immediately.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsThere are the developer-facing tools like Neural Materials and Neural Texture Compression, both of which Nvidia briefly touched on during its CES 2025 keynote. For me, however, the standout is neural shaders. They certainly arent as exciting as a new graphics card, at least on the surface, but neural shaders have massive implications for the future of PC games. Even without the RTX 5090, that announcement alone is significant enough for Nvidia to steal this years show.Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming Neural shaders arent some buzzword, though Id forgive you for thinking that given the force-feeding of AI weve all experienced over the past couple of years. First, lets start with the shader. If you arent familiar, shaders are essentially the programs that run on your GPU. Decades ago, you had fixed-function shaders; they could only do one thing. In the early 2000s, Nvidia introduced programmable shaders that had far greater capabilities. Now, were starting with neural shaders.RelatedIn short, neural shaders allow developers to add small neural networks to shader code. Then, when youre playing a game, those neural networks can be deployed on the Tensor cores of your graphics card. It unlocks a boatload of computing horsepower that, up to this point, had fairly minimal applications in PC games. They were really just fired up for DLSS.Nvidia has uses for neural shaders that it has announced so far the aforementioned Neural Materials and Neural Texture Compression, and Neural Radiance Cache. Ill start with the last one because its the most interesting. The Neural Radiance Cache essentially allows AI to guess what an infinite number of light bounces in a scene would look like. Now, path tracing in real time can only handle so many light bounces. After a certain point, it becomes too demanding. Neural Radiance Cache not only unlocks more realistic lighting with far more bounces but also improves performance, according to Nvidia. Thats because it only requires one or two light bounces. The rest are inferred from the neural network.Similarly, Neural Materials compresses dense shader code that would normally be reserved for offline rendering, allowing what Nvidia calls film-quality assets to be rendered in real time. Neural Texture Compression applies AI to texture compression, which Nvidia says saves 7x the memory as traditional block-based compression without any loss in quality.NvidiaThats just three applications of neural networks being deployed in PC games, and there are already big implications for how well games can run and how good they can look. Its important to remember that this is the starting line, too AMD, Intel, and Nvidia all have AI hardware on their GPUs now, and I suspect there will be quite a lot of development on what kinds of neural networks can go into a shader in the future.Maybe there are cloth or physics simulations that are normally run on the CPU that can be run through a neural network on Tensor cores. Or maybe you can expand the complexity of meshes by inferring triangles that the GPU doesnt need to account for. There are the visible applications of AI, such as through non-playable characters, but neural shaders open up a world of invisible AI that makes rendering more efficient, and therefore, more powerful.Its easy to get lost in the sauce of CES. If you were to believe every executive keynote, you would walk away with literally thousands of ground-breaking innovations that barely manage to move a patch of dirt. Neural shaders dont fit into that category. There are already three very practical applications of neural shaders that Nvidia is introducing, and people much smarter than myself will likely dream up hundreds more.I should be clear, though that wont come right away. Were only seeing the very surface of what neural shaders could be capable of in the future, and even then, itll likely be multiple years and graphics card generations down the road before their impact is felt. But when looking at the landscape of announcements from AMD, Nvidia, and Intel, only one company introduced something that could really be worthy of that ground-breaking title, and thats Nvidia.Editors Recommendations

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsSpotifyApple MusicTidalQobuzAmazon MusicDeezerYouTube MusicWho could ever have imagined that, one day, all of our favorite music, artists, and albums would have entire discographies that you could access on your smartphone or tablet from pretty much anywhere in the world.Thats the beauty of music streaming services, and the modern age is jam-packed with these audio platforms. While some are better than others, the end goal for these streamers, whether it's Spotify or Tidal or Apple Music, is to beam your favorite tracks, podcasts, comedy specials, and other soundbites to your ears.But with so many to choose from, it can be difficult to find the diamond in the rough. Not to worry though, weve had the opportunity to test out all of the best music streaming services (we look at all the best free music download sites as well), and have compiled and consolidated our favorites into this roundup.SpotifyThe best for most peopleJump to detailsApple MusicPerfect for Apple users who want hi-res audioJump to detailsTidalAudiophile quality with wide device supportJump to detailsQobuzAudiophile quality for a little lessJump to detailsAmazon MusicExcellent value, hi-res audio, great for Prime customersJump to detailsDeezerSomewhere in the Goldilocks zoneJump to detailsYouTube MusicThe best of music and YouTube is all hereJump to detailsDerek Malcolm / Digital TrendsThe best for most peopleSpotifyProsExcellent UIBest-in-class discoveryMore than 100 million songsThe biggest podcast networkFun special featuresConsNo lossless or hi-res option ... yetGlitchy performance at timesSpecsPlans (monthly):Free / Basic: $11 / Individual: $12 / Duo: $17 / Student: $6 / Family: $20Library Size:More than 100 million tracksQuality:160kbps to 320kbpsWhen it comes to music streaming, Spotify is definitely one of the most recognizable brands on the planet. Launched in 2006, the platform is available across the globe, and is home to more than 100 million songs and growing. Spotify is also the world's biggest podcast platform. And late last year, Spotify also became the home to an immense trove of audiobooks too. Whether youre rocking an iPhone, a Google Pixel, a laptop, or you're in your car, theres a good chance that Spotify is going to be compatible with your hardware.Beyond the music archive, Spotify offers several different subscription options, including Basic, Individual, Family, and Student plans, as well as a free version with ads. Spotify Premium users also receive unlimited track skips, 320kbps audio quality, offline downloads for up to 10,000 songs across five devices, and up to 15 hours of audiobook access per month. And if you dont care about audiobooks, the Basic subscription is essentially a Spotify Premium plan, sans audiobooks. On the flip-side, if all you want are audiobooks, theres now even a $10 per month Audiobooks Access plan that gives you 15 hours of audiobook-listening and ad-supported music.Spotify is also great for sharing. Thanks to integrations with social platforms like Facebook and Instagram, your circle of pals will get to see what youve been jamming out to lately. Youll even have the option of sharing songs with others and even creating collaborative playlists you can all add to. Additionally, no one is quite as good as Spotify at always adding and experimenting with new and fun features, like its AI-driven DJ and, most recently, its beta AI Playlist that lets you type Chat GPT-style text prompts to get it to curate playlists for you.So, where does the service struggle? Track quality, for one. Unlike platforms like Tidal and Qobuz that place a big emphasis on hi-res audio, Spotifys tracks are capped at 320kbps, which only the most critical of audiophiles will notice. Spotify's long-awaited Hi-Fi tier may still see the light of day, though, so if it's not a deal breaker, you could just wait it out. But if you just want a music streamer that offers tons of genres, playlists, and fun social features, Spotify is going to be your best bet.SpotifyThe best for most peopleAndy Boxall / Digital TrendsPerfect for Apple users who want hi-res audioApple MusicProsMore than 100 million songsExcellent hi-res options and Dolby AtmosGreat interfaceCompetitive pricingConsNo free tierCant keep downloaded songs if you cancelNo plan for couplesSpecsPlans (monthly):Individual: $11 / Student: $6 / Family: $17Library Size:More than 100 million tracksQuality:256kbps AAC, 16-bit/44.1kHz, 24-bit/48kHz, 24-bit/192kHzSome folks will remember Apples original foray into digitized music from a little platform called iTunes that launched back in 2000. Paving the way for Apples streamlined interface and big music library, iTunes eventually evolved into Apple Music in 2015. A fierce competitor to rivals like Spotify and Tidal, Apple Music is simple to use, boasts a library of more than 100 million tracks, is available across multiple platforms, and even offers hi-res listening options.Apple Music also lets you test the waters before enrolling in one of its many subscription options. With a one-month free trial, youll have plenty of time to get a good lay of the land, at which point youll need to shell out for a monthly subscription, which runs $5 for students, $11 for an Individual plan, and $17 for the Family plan. And if you purchase a new pair of AirPods, Beats, or an Apple HomePod, Apple will give you six months of Apple Music on the house!Every tier gives you access to full playback controls, recommended music based on your listening habits, and some nice visual treats for your phone, tablet, and computer screens. Were talking immersive album artwork, line-by-line lyrics, and intuitive search tools that make finding songs and artists a breeze. And when iOS 18 finally rolls out, Apple Music will get a few UI tweaks and new features, including Music Haptics and the ability for multiple users to control SharePlay listening.As far as track quality is concerned, Apples audio far exceeds Spotifys 320kbps cap, with lossless ALAC tracks that can get as high as 24-bit/192kHz. Apple Music also uses the smaller AAC format with resolution up to 256kbps and offers many tracks and albums in Dolby Atmos, which Apple brands as Spatial Audio. And while youll be able to share tracks with friends and family, Apple Music doesnt offer the same social integrations as Spotify.If youre familiar with the design and UI of devices like the iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and Apple TV, youre going to feel right at home using Apple Music. Both desktop and mobile interfaces are clean, simple, and easy to navigate, with just about everything you could need right at your fingertips. Plus, there are all kinds of smart speakers (such as Sonos and Apple's HomePod) and smart displays that offer native Apple Music support.Apple MusicPerfect for Apple users who want hi-res audioRelatedDerek Malcolm / Digital TrendsAudiophile quality with wide device supportTidalProsMore than 110 million tracksSome of the best hi-res tracks in the gameIncludes offline listeningWorks with many different types of devicesAwesome playlist curationsConsWeak podcast libraryMusic discovery tools are not as good as othersUI could be improved and more streamlinedSpecsPlans (monthly):Individual: $11 / Family: $17 / Student: $5 / DJ Extension add-on: $9Library Size:More than 110 million tracksQuality:320kbps, 16-bit/44.1kHz, 24-bit/192kHzRegarding top-notch music streaming quality, Tidal is one of the best names in the business, bar none.Renowned for its focus on excellent sound quality (along with its main rival, Qobuz), Tidal gives you access to an immense library of songs inCD quality 16-bit/44.1kHz up to 24-bit/192kHz in various formats, including FLAC, HiRes FLAC, and Dolby Atmos. Not all of Tidal's artists and albums are in hi-res, but there's a good chance that several artists you enjoy have at least some hi-res offerings in the archive. Up until summer 2024, subscribers also had access to Sony 360 Reality Audio and MQA tracks, but unfortunately Tidal nixed support for both formats.Diehard fans will also enjoy Tidal's dedication to additional content, including videos and real-time streams, creating a more immersive musical experience. We're also big fans of its artist-generated playlists.In terms of cross-platform compatibility, Tidal is also available on a range of popular devices, from iOS and Android hardware to smart speakers, smart displays, streaming devices, and even native AV support from audio brands like Sonos and Harman Kardon through Tidal Connect. But what sets Tidal apart is its user-friendly interface. While not as user friendly as Spotify, from apps to desktop versions, Tidals UI is designed to be clean, ultra-navigable, and tethered to your preferences, ensuring a comfortable and personalized experience.Beginning in April 2024, Tidal removed its expensive HiFi plans, while still keeping its high-quality library. The best part? Its new plans are cheaper and more in line with what Apple Music, Spotify, and others are charging. This means you can enjoy premium music streaming without breaking the bank. And for an extra $9 per month, you can now add a DJ Extension to an Individual Tidal subscription. This is a cool service for professional DJs who want to extract and re-mix audio stems from over 110 million Spotify tracks.If youre looking for supreme audio quality and talented curation, you should give Tidal a try. Plus, youll be hard-pressed to find many of these high-resolution tracks elsewhere.TidalAudiophile quality with wide device supportBryan M. Wolfe / Digital TrendsAudiophile quality for a little lessQobuzProsBig hi-res music libraryInspired editorial contentCan purchase songs and albums without a subscriptionFree trial for Studio planConsLacks social listening featuresNo podcastsSpecsPlans (monthly):Studio: from $11 / Sublime: from $180 per yearLibrary Size:More than 100 million tracksQuality:16-bit/44.1kHz, 24-bit/192kHzA close competitor to Tidal, Qobuz is another music streaming platform that goes all in on the hi-res catalog. It is home to over 100 million tracks in lossless CD quality, and more than 240,000 albums in hi-res audio. Qobuz streams audio using high-quality FLAC files ranging from 16-bit/44kHz to 24-bit/192kHz, translating to some seriously good sound. Whether you're listening through a pair of speakers or a pair of headphones, Qobuz tracks are going to sound about as good as they can get.Qobuz offers two subscription plans, namely Studio and Sublime. Each plan has three levels to choose from. The Studio plan provides offline listening and a visually appealing desktop and mobile interface enriched with additional content such as artist bios, reviews, feature op-eds, and how-to guides. The Solo Studio level costs $13 per month, Duo costs $18 per month, and the Family plan (for up to six accounts) costs $22 per month. You can get discounts on these plans by opting for a yearly payment.The Sublime subscription offers the same benefits as the Studio plan and up to 60% off many hi-res download purchases. However, you need to purchase a yearly subscription to get these benefits. The Solo Sublime plan costs $180/year, Duo costs $270/year, and the Family plan costs $350/year. Note that the Sublime subscription can only be purchased through a yearly payment, not monthly.Oh, and we can't forget this gem: You can pay to download Qobuz hi-res tracks and albums without a monthly subscription.On the downside, Qobuz does not have Dolby Atmos tracks like Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music, and there are no podcasts or video content.QobuzAudiophile quality for a little lessAmazonExcellent value, hi-res audio, great for Prime customersAmazon MusicProsHuge music libraryLots of hi-res tracks and albums90-day free trialDiscounted plans for Amazon Prime membersDiscount for owning an Echo deviceNow offers a student planConsComplicated subscription optionsAmazon Music only has shuffle modeSpecsPlans (monthly):With Prime: $10 / w/o Prime: $11 / Family: $17 / Single Device Owner: $6 / Student: $6Library Size:More than 100 million tracksQuality:320kbps, 16-bit/44.1kHz, 24-bit/192kHzAmazon Music is a unique streaming option, especially for those of us who are already paying for Amazon's $139 annual Prime membership (or $15 per month). Like many platforms we've covered up to this point, Amazon Music offers both CD quality and lossless audio formats, Dolby Atmos and 360 Reality Audio tracks, a large music library, and some awesome smart home integrations (especially for Alexa-powered devices). The "unique" descriptor is mainly aimed at Amazon Music's pricing, though, which is complex, to say the least.Are you an Amazon Prime member? Great! That means you'll be able to get the ad-free Amazon Music Unlimited (AMU) for $10 per month, as opposed to the non-Prime member subscription tier, which costs $11 per month. If you're interested in nabbing Amazon Music Unlimited and just so happen to own an Echo speaker, you can sign up for the Single Device Owner plan. It only costs $6 per month, but you'll only be able to use AMU on that one device. Oh, and there's also an AMU Family Plan for $17 per month ($169 per year) that covers up to six users.The pricing isn't impossible to understand, but figuring out which option makes the most sense for you and yours can be confusing. Plus, Amazon technically has two different music streaming options: Amazon Music Unlimited and Amazon Music Prime. The latter is built into your Amazon Prime membership and gives you access to Amazon's entire music library, but playback is limited to shuffle mode, and you won't be able to listen to any hi-res tracks either.Whether you're listening with Amazon Music Unlimited or Amazon Music Prime, Amazon Music looks great on mobile and desktop platforms. Unlimited subscribers also benefit from video content, offline downloads, and a fun scrolling lyrics feature.Amazon MusicExcellent value, hi-res audio, great for Prime customersSomewhere in the Goldilocks zoneDeezerProsRobust music libraryOffline downloadsIncludes video content and podcastsCD-level qualityCan upload your own MP3s on desktopDuo plan is now availableConsNo hi-resCant upload MP3s using mobile devicesSpecsPlans (monthly):Free / Premium: $12 / Family: $20 / Duo: $16 / Student: $6Library Size:More than 120 million tracksQuality:128kbps, 320kbps, 16-bit/44.1kHzDeezer lives in the Goldilocks zone of music streaming options. It offers a bigger library than competitors like Spotify and Apple Music and has CD-quality music, but it doesnt touch the top-shelf hi-res content youll find on platforms like Tidal and Qobuz. Price-wise, though, its weirdly more expensive than everyone except Tidal, but Tidal gives you hi-res. Its individual plan is $12 per month, and for that, you get access to unlimited listening, lyrics, video content, offline listening, and a few other features.Deezer is also one of the only streaming platforms that lets you upload your own tracks. While the quality is limited to MP3, and you wont be able to do any uploading with a mobile device, its nice to have the ability to spread your own library across multiple gadgets.Deezer used to have a HiFi plan that was $15 per month, but now its 16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC tracks are built into its Premium and Family plans. As mentioned, this is lower quality than top-tier plans from the likes of Tidal and Qobuz, but it still packs quite a punch. Deezer free tier customers can only access MP3 files up to 128kbps, though. On a positive note, like Spotify, there's now a duo package available through Deezer for $16/month.As for Deezers UI across desktop and mobile platforms, both versions are geared toward easy navigation through playlists, genre labels, and similar search criteria. There are also several recommended categories and an excellent podcast library to check out.Deezer does a nice job at checking several of the most important boxes for what makes up a solid music streaming service. Hi-res devotees may want to look elsewhere, but we definitely think Deezer is worth trying out, so make the best of that 30-day free trial!DeezerSomewhere in the Goldilocks zoneDerek Malcolm / Digital TrendsThe best of music and YouTube is all hereYouTube MusicProsTerrific music librarySimple pricing modelIntuitive user interfaceCool community upload featuresConsNo hi-res tracksNo editorial contentSpecsPlans (monthly):Free / Premium Individual: $11 / Family: $17 / Student: $5.50Library Size:More than 100 million tracksQuality:256kbpsLast but not least, we have YouTube Music. A rebranding and consolidation of multiple Google/YouTube paid services that came before it (including Google Play and YouTube Red), YouTube Music is your one-stop-shop for everything ... music-related. Subscribers will have access to over 100 million tracks, podcasts, an intuitive lyrics tool, excellent playlists, and much more. Right off the bat, though, we'd like to let our hi-res fans know that YouTube Music caps its track quality at 256kbps.That doesn't mean you should look away, though. In fact, we think YouTube Music has a lot going for it when it comes to overall desktop and mobile interfaces. Navigating from one panel to the next is fast and easy, with most of what you'll want to be listening to housed under the "Home" and "Library" tabs. The former is a hub for recommended content based on your listening habits, while the latter is the storage site for all your personal playlists, favorited songs and albums, and other user-specific features.It's also a thrill to watch YouTube Music sync up to your local time of day and weather conditions. These factors affect the type of music that the platform will recommend.Regarding pricing, there's only one paid subscription plan: YouTube Music Premium. This paid tier removes ads for desktop and mobile listening, grants you offline downloads, and gives you a sweet feature called Smart Downloads. When enabled, this lets YouTube Music automatically download your favorite songs, artists, and albums for offline listening and even adds in recommended tracks and albums.And, of course, YouTube Music is packed with video content. When you search for a song or artist, you will get officially licensed media and see video results for YouTubers covering the song, lyric videos, and more.YouTube MusicThe best of music and YouTube is all hereEditors RecommendationsTopics Michael BizzacoAV ContributorMichael Bizzaco has been selling, installing, and talking about TVs, soundbars, streaming devices, and all things smart home for the better part of 15 years. He even knows a thing or two about how to fix this stuff when it starts misbehaving (because no tech is perfect!).Mike has been writing for Digital Trends and several other publications since 2020. Fortunately, hes still able to write after he got his index finger stuck in a vending machine at the Ramada Inn the summer before fourth grade! From hands-on reviews to best-of roundups, Mike does his best to share his expertise in a friendly and informative way with all readers, and loves staying on top of the latest AV and smart home trends.When hes not thanking his father for dislodging his finger from that vile vending machine in New Jersey, Mike enjoys playing guitar, reading, and indulging in horror films with his girlfriend. Derek MalcolmContributing Editor, A/VDerek Malcolm is a contributing editor and evergreen lead for the A/V and Home Theater section of Digital Trends. Derek joined the DT team in 2020, spending his days wrangling the movie and TV streaming guides before getting the chance to nurture his obsession with the latest audio/video gear. A former musician and practicing vinyl nerd, his passion for sound can be found in his writing, whether its a guide to the best speakersand turntables, or a review of a party speaker thatll blow your roof off.Derek studied journalism at Torontos Humber College, graduating in 1999. He started his career writing about music, movies, and TV, back when people still read things on paper, working at such magazines as TV Guide and celebrity mag Hello! Canada. Derek counts Matt Damon, Britney Spears, and Coldplay among his favorite interviews.From 2006 to 2018 Derek was the editor-in-chief of Canadian tech and entertainment magazine Connected, where he steered the publication through the invention of the iPhone and the rise of streaming to the demise of BlackBerry and the print industry.One of two Canucks on the Digital Trends A/V team, Derek is based in Toronto where he lives with his wife, daughter, two cats, and his prized vintage Marantz stereo receivers.When Derek isnt cussing at the labyrinthine setup menus of the latest projectors, he can be found at home listening to records or counting the days to ski season.You can find Derek on Threads and sharing his vinyl exploits on Instagram. Since Apple added spatial audio to the Apple Music streaming service and the AirPods family of wireless earbuds and headphones in 2021, it feels like you cant read about new audio products or services without running into that term. And just a few short years later, its seemingly everywhere.This has led to a lot of misconceptions about what spatial audio is, how it works, and why you need to hear it for yourself. People often ask, If Apple created spatial audio, why are other companies claiming they do it, too? The answer is that Apple didnt create it, and you certainly dont need to own its products to experience spatial audio. Read more If youre a huge music fan, youve probably combed through the many playlists, artists, and albums of your Spotify or Apple Music subscription. But what about all the indie artists of the world? Some music-streaming platforms are better than others at celebrating theunsung gem acts, but one of the most reliable forums for new, off-the-grid tunes is SoundCloud.Founded in 2007, SoundCloud has always prioritized music thats a bit under the radar. With over 320 million tracks in its library, the platform will even let you download a majority of its songs and albums. Read more Kid-friendly consumer tech is all the rage these days, so its no surprise that theres an entire market of headphones designed exclusively for young ones. But when we think kid-friendly, sometimes we imagine products that are built to be a bit more throwaway than their adult counterparts. Thats not the case with the products on our list of the best headphones for kids, though.We want our child-tailored headphones to include parental-controlled volume limiters, to ensure our children arent harming their eardrums. Pretty much every entry on our list checks this vital box, but we also wanted to point you and yours toward products that offer exceptional noise-canceling, built-in mics for phone and video calls, and long-lasting batteries for schooldays or a long flight. Read more

Xbox has confirmed that another Developer_Direct will take place later this month, offering use new looks at games like Doom: The Dark Ages, South of Midnight, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Plus, well see a brand new game from a mystery studio sometime during the showcase.January 2025s Developer_Direct will take place on official Xbox social media channels at 10 a.m. PT on January 23. Its the latest iteration of a type of showcase that Xbox began in 2023, which is meant to give us a deeper look at upcoming Xbox games and the studios behind them. Hi-Fi Rushfamously shadow-dropped after the first Developer_Direct, and previous shows have also featured games like Indiana Jones and the Great Ciricle, Minecraft Legends, Forza Motorsport, Redfall, Avowed, Senuas Saga: Hellblade II, Visions of Mana, and Ara: History Untold.Recommended VideosThis show focuses on titles we know are coming later this year, with an Xbox Wire post teasing details on each. Well finally get the full reveal of Doom: The Dark Ages, iD Softwares latest shooter, first announced at 2024s Xbox Games Showcase. A deep dive into South of Midnight is also confirmed, giving us another look at the American Deep South folklore-inspired action-adventure game that impressed Digital Trends when we saw it in action at Complusion Games studio last November.Compulsion GamesOn the third-party front, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33will also show up. This gorgeous RPG impressed at the latest Xbox showcase, and developer Sandfall Interactive is poised to give us a behind-the-scenes look at the game and will share more about the games creation and how they plan to deliver an incredible story in a gorgeous fantasy world. Hopefully, we get release dates for these highly anticipated Game Pass titles.Please enable Javascript to view this contentThe most exciting part of this Developer_Direct is that the Xbox Wire post teases that it will visit a surprise location to see another studios brand new game. Although Xbox isnt saying anything more about it, rumors suggest it could be an Unreal Engine 5 remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The phrasing of brand new game seems to dispel that possibility, though, so well have to tune into the show when it takes place in a couple of weeks to see if thats true.Editors Recommendations

Behind the clash is a new Biden administration effort to block Chinas access to sensitive technologies.

Lunar dreams Intuitive Machines set for second landing, looking to build a lunar economy "You just can't trash everything associated with the Moon and go to Mars." Eric Berger Jan 9, 2025 10:55 am | 2 A view of the second Intuitive Machines lander on Wednesday. Credit: Eric Berger A view of the second Intuitive Machines lander on Wednesday. Credit: Eric Berger Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreFive years ago, a small company in Houston named Intuitive Machines had just 30 employees, a couple of 3D printers, and a few soldering irons.Oh, and it had some big dreams. The company's founders wanted to open a business on the Moon.On Wednesday morning, when I drove into the company's new headquarters at Spaceport Houston, there were no spaces to park in a lot filled with hundreds of cars. Inside, the offices were buzzing. And a large integration hangar was packed with hardware: two lunar landers, two lunar rover mock-ups, a hopper, and other spaceflight vehicles.This is what can happen when NASA strikes the right balance with the commercial space industry.In May 2019, NASA issued the first three awards as part of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services Program to pay private companiesin this case, Astrobotic, Orbit Beyond, and Intuitive Machinesto deliver scientific payloads to the lunar surface. It's been a long road since then. Astrobotic's first mission a year ago failed on the way to the Moon. Orbit Beyond dropped out. But Intuitive Machines largely succeeded, putting its Odysseus lander on the Moon, albeit sideways, after its altimeter failed. For the first time ever, a private company successfully made a soft landing on the Moon.Now, it's going to try again.To the Moon in a week"For us, it's been a real journey," said the chief executive of Intuitive Machines, Steve Altemus, as we stood a few feet away from the company's second lunar lander, which will soon be shipped to a launch site in Florida. "In February of 2023, we went public, and that was a huge milestone for us in terms of growing up. In February 2024, we landed on the Moon, and everything has changed since then. And here we are again, ready to launch our second mission in February 2025."The company's lander, named Athena, is presently scheduled to lift off on a dedicated Falcon 9 rocket at the end of February, Altemus said. The current launch date supports a lunar landing about a week later, on March 6 or 7, near the South Pole of the Moon. The goal is to have about 10 days in sunlight before the lunar night sets in.With programs like the Commercial Lunar Payload Services Program, or CLPS, NASA is attempting to stimulate a lunar-based economy. No one is sure whether such an economy will actually develop, but NASA has had success previously in fostering an economy in low-Earth orbit. The lunar CLPS program is a clever attempt by the space agency to solve the chicken-and-egg conundrum when it comes to the Moon. Lander companies like Intuitive Machines could not be sure any private companies actually wanted stuff delivered to the Moon. And private industry was unsure of building payloads and businesses without knowing a lander delivery service would exist.NASA stepped in and said it would be an anchor customer, buying about a dozen of lunar landing missions, each carrying several hundred pounds of cargo, to the Moon. For several million dollars, private companies could send payloads along to test new ideas.Lots of goodies on boardNASA's efforts seem to be working. There are a handful of larger NASA payloads onAthena. These include a NASA-supplied drill that will attempt to drill about 1 meter below the surface and look for water ice and other volatiles with a mass spectrometer.Additionally, there is a "hopper" funded by NASA and developed by Intuitive Machines. Named "Grace" Hopper after the mathematics pioneer, the hydrazine-fueled drone will "hop" into a nearby crater, potentially giving NASA its first detailed look inside a permanently shadowed region of a lunar crater. If this works, it will be exceptionally cool. Future hoppers are expected to have a range of about 15 miles (25 km).Some of the commercial payloads include "Freedom" from Lonestar Data Holdings as part of an effort to establish a physical data center beyond Earth; an autonomous rover developed by Lunar Outpost; a cellular network demo mission from Nokia that will relay communications from the rover and a hopper back to the Athena lander; and a small rover built by the Japanese Dymon corporation.Finally, there are some interesting payloads tagging along with the spacecraft to the Moon but not landing there. These include a small orbiter for NASA called Trailblazer, which seeks to map the distribution of water on the Moon. Additionally, the space mining company AstroForge is flying its Odin spacecraft, which will separate from Athena and seek to make the first-ever flyby of an asteroid by a commercial spacecraft.All in all, it's an incredibly fun mission. But Intuitive Machines has to deliver. And if Athena can successfully reach the lunar surface, it will send a strong signal to the commercial space industry in the United Statesand around the worldthat the Moon is open for business.What comes next?One thing Altemus wanted to speak about Wednesday was the renewed interest in Mars by the incoming Trump administration. "There's been a lot of churn about what this administration is going to do," he said. "But you just can't trash everything associated with the Moon and go to Mars. That doesn't make any sense from a national security standpoint."The next Trump administration is expected to have a renewed focus on Mars, fueled in part by Trump's interests as well as those of SpaceX founder Elon Musk. However, the next administration is also likely to value private companies that are already delivering on spaceflight, which includes Intuitive Machines and other participants in the CLPS program. In addition to Athena's launch in February, another CLPS missionFirefly's Blue Ghost landercould fly as early as January 15 on a Falcon 9 rocket.NASA's Artemis plan to send humans back to the Moon serves a couple of purposes, including not just commercial development but also reaching the South Pole before China's space program, which has set a date of its first astronaut landing by 2030. As part of that, Altemus believes the space agency should extend the CLPS program for another decade (it began in 2018) with a second phase starting in 2028. This would support medium-sized landers capable of sending a ton or two of cargo to the lunar surface and buttress NASA's human plans."I'm talking to anybody I can about what that looks like," he said. "You need that regular cadence of missions to keep learning and getting smarter about landing on the Moon as a country. It improves our supply chain, and it improves our pipeline of talent. It also gives us a better understanding of the conditions in the environment around the Moon.Eric BergerSenior Space EditorEric BergerSenior Space Editor Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, covering everything from astronomy to private space to NASA policy, and author of two books: Liftoff, about the rise of SpaceX; and Reentry, on the development of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon. A certified meteorologist, Eric lives in Houston. 2 Comments

will trump kill it off? Winners and losers as the EV tax credit rules change for 2025 27 EVs now qualify for the tax credit, up from 24 in 2024. Jonathan M. Gitlin Jan 9, 2025 10:30 am | 29 Credit: Getty Images Credit: Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreThe list of electric vehicles that qualify for the IRS clean vehicle tax credit has changed with the arrival of the new year. No longer linked to battery capacity, the credit of up to $7,500 is now tied to the sourcing of battery componentseach year, an increasing amount must be extracted or refined in the US (or a free trade partner) to be eligible. The total number of eligible EVs has actually increased in 2025, from 24 last year to 27 this year, but a number of automakers' products have also dropped off the list in the process.The $7,500 tax credit is split into two components. $3,750 is available if the battery components are made or assembled in the US. The other half now requires that 60 percent of the critical minerals in the batterythings like lithium, nickel, and so onbe extracted or refined in the US (or by a free trade partner). Last year, this threshold was 50 percent; next year, it will increase to 70 percent.Additionally, national security concerns mean that no EV is eligible if any of its battery components are manufactured by a "foreign entity of concern," which means any company with direct links to the governments of China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia. While the latter three have no domestic EV production they're trying to sell in the US, that obviously does not apply to China, which heavily subsidizes its domestic car makers to allow them to export their vehicles at rock bottom prices to undermine local industry in other regions.Winners and losersGenesis' GV70 Electrified now qualifies for the full EV tax credit, as do Hyundai's Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9, and the Kia EV6 and EV9. But those appear to be the only newly qualified EVs for 2025. And the Tesla Cybertruck joins the list as well.Many more OEMs have lost eligibility, however. The Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV have both fallen off the list as General Motors has ended production of those models. Nissan is still building the Leafin Smyrna, Tennessee, in factbut for 2025, it too loses tax credit eligibility. Volkswagen's ID.4 similarly drops off the list, as do the Rivian R1S and R1T, which last year were eligible for half of the credit. Tesla also appears to have lost eligibility for the Model Y rear drive, but not other Model Y variants.And now, only one plug-in hybrid EV still qualifiesthe Chrysler Pacifica PHEV minivan. Last year, the partial tax credit was available for the Ford Escape plug-in hybrid, the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe and Jeep Wrangler 4xe, and the Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring; this year, none qualify.Will the tax credit even exist in six months?While those changes affect purchasing a new clean vehicle, due to a loophole, the restrictions do not apply to leased EVs. This means leasing is still probably the preferred route to go, especially for buyers who may plan on replacing their car in a few years.Whether or not that option will exist by the end of the year remains to be seen. President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly made well-known his opposition to clean energy and EVs, and his close advisor Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, is also publicly in favor of ending the clean vehicle tax credit, going on record to state that the effect would be far more deleterious to rival companies than Tesla.Killing off the tax credit will require the action of Congress, howeverthis cannot be done by executive action. But it is widely believed that Republicans in Congress will use the budget reconciliation processwhich is immune to filibusterto wipe out this part of the tax code.Jonathan M. GitlinAutomotive EditorJonathan M. GitlinAutomotive Editor Jonathan is the Automotive Editor at Ars Technica. He has a BSc and PhD in Pharmacology. In 2014 he decided to indulge his lifelong passion for the car by leaving the National Human Genome Research Institute and launching Ars Technica's automotive coverage. He lives in Washington, DC. 29 Comments