AI Vs Human influencer at Spotify and Meta. Source: Yoga withAdrienneThe proportion of AI-generated content has been increasing on Spotify. Some businesses now specialise in generating low-cost AI generated songs and playlist under artist profiles that cant be differentiated. You dont know it, but if you are a regular user of Spotify, you most likely have listened to AI-generated music.These music arent songs that were crafted by artists going through a breakup and needing to express their emotions, they are the output of an AI that learnt to do music, using these artists work. The problem was uncovered by some users after they started to notice that the same song was played under different names and artists. Often they are part of playlists meant to fill the silence such as chill orfocus.https://medium.com/media/ecca6d05b8b922dedd88b8d4837ea590/hrefIts interesting because Meta and Spotify once connected humans and supported their creativity by giving them a free, opened platform. But now, the increasing focus on revenue and the rise of AI in the last few years means that this relationship is stumbling. The AI-generated songs were uncovered after a user stumbledacrossThey are not happy with being a simple platform, and want a share of the content creation pie either by creating content themselves or finding cheaper content where theycan.This is a big shift as it questions the relationship that Spotify or Meta will have with artists and influencers in thefuture.Can the platforms create AI-generated content while remaining fair, transparent and authentic to their mission? How does it impact the way we connect to people and consumemusic?The rise of the creatoreconomyThe creator economy has boomed in recent years. Between 2020 and 2023, the number of creators monetizing their work online grew by over 30%, and global creator economy is now valued at over $191billion.By 2030, the creator economy is expected to surpass $525billion.Platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, and now TikTok have become the backbone of this economy, connecting creators with their audiences and taking a cut of the revenue in exchange for their services.Platforms and tools for content creators. Source: https://grin.co/blog/understanding-the-creator-economy/For years, this model worked wellat least for those who made it on these platforms and the platforms themselves.Creators earned income from ad revenue, brand partnership, and fan support, while platforms thrived by hosting and distributing this content. The more eyeballs they were getting, the more ad revenue making it a win-win relationship. But the pressure to generate revenue only increased and pushed them to want a slide of the content creationpie.Enter AI.With the ability to generate content at scale and at minimal cost, platforms saw a way to take a larger share of the revenue by becoming content creators themselves.Spotifys AI shift: what happens when the platform becomes thecreator?AI-generated music is created using algorithms trained on vast amounts of data from human-made compositions.Heres how it typically works:How is AI-generated musiccreatedSpotify doesnt label these AI-generated tracks as such, so users often dont realize theyre listening to machine-made music.Spotify doesnt label AI-generated tracks andartistsFor instance, a Focus playlist might include real songs (made by a human) and AI-generated piano tracks with no way to differentiate them.While they may sound harmless or even pleasant, they raise significant questions about transparency and artistic integrity.Why is Spotify leaning into AImusic?Daniel Ek, CEO of Spotify recently said to the BBC that hehadno plans to completely ban content created by artificial intelligence from the music streaming platform.Spotifys embrace of AI-generated music is less likely about improving the listening experience than it is about cutting costs and boostingprofit.Heres why its such an attractive strategy for the platform:Lower licensing fees: Spotify pays royalties for every stream of human-made music, which adds up quickly. Spotify, Liz Pelly discovered, not only has partnerships with a web of production companies, which, as one former employee put it, provide Spotify with music we benefited from financially, but also a team of employees working to seed these tracks on playlists across the platform. In doing so, they are effectively working to grow the percentage of total streams of music that is cheaper for the platform.The majority of Spotifys revenue is distributed to recording owners, songwriters, and publishers. However, by producing its own content, Spotify retains full control of the revenue, acting as the recording owner, songwriter, and publisher all in one. Source:https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2021/11/how-spotify-royalties-actually-work.html2. Algorithmic synergy: AI music fits perfectly into Spotifys algorithmic playlists. Its tailored to match the moods and themes these playlists aim to evoke, ensuring users stayengaged.3. Endless content: With AI, Spotify can generate infinite tracks to fill playlists, ensuring theres never a shortage of content, no matter how niche thetheme.While its easy to see why this is a win for Spotifys bottom line, its harder to see how it benefits usersor the music industry as awhole.The UX problem: no transparency, notrustSo to begin, Spotify uses artificially intelligent music-generation. Not particularly a big deal, until one considers the whole thing is set up to be profoundly opaque: it doesnt flag when a track is AI-generated, nor does it give one the option to filter themout.This lack of transparency has several consequences:1. Trust: Users dont know and cant decide not to listen to AI music which is a problem if you value authentic, human-made art and freedom ofwill.2. Undermining artists: By prioritising AI songs, Spotify impacts the exposure of human artists and their revenue. Over time, AI music composers could take over humanartists.3. Passive consumption: As The New Yorkers Kyle Chayka pointed out, Spotify design and algorithm encourages passive consumption of vanilla content, instead of exploring new music. Over time, users become more dependent on the playlists instead of forming their own musicaltastes.Music has always been more than just relaxing background soundits an art, a cultural expression, and a deeply personal experience.Fixing Spotify: what needs tochangeIf Spotify wants to regain the trust of its users, it needs to rethink its approach to AI-generated music.Heres what the platform coulddo:1. Be transparent: Clearly label AI-generated tracks and inform users when theyre listening to machine-made music.Example of how Spotify could inform users that the artist they are listening to is AI generated2. Give users a choice: Allow listeners to filter change their preferences in profile to exclude AI-generated music.Example of ways Spotify could give users achoice3. Support their artists: Ensure that human song writer continue to be at the center of the platforms mission, rather than being sidelined by prioritiding cheaper AImusic.Whats next forSpotify?Spotifys strategy with AI-generated music is a symptom of a larger issue: a shift from customer-centricity to monetization-first.If the platform goes too far, it risks alienating the very users who made it a global phenomenon.Metas pivot: from connecting people to competing withthemMeta has a somewhat similarstory.It was once the quintessential enabler of social interaction, built its empire as a platform where billions of users could share their lives through photos, videos, and stories. For creators, platforms like Facebook and Instagram became the essential tools to build an audience, connect to them and eventually monetize.Instagram (and now TikTok) are the main platforms for amateur creators. Source:https://influencermarketinghub.com/income-disparity-creator-economyBut with the rise of AI and the continuous pursuit of profitability, similarly to Spotify, Meta has also ventured into the dangerous territory of content creation.How Metas AI-generated personasworkIn 2024, Meta introduced AI-generated profiles.These profileslike Liv, a fictitious Black queer momcreated posts, shared images, and even interacted with users in ways meant to mimic human behavior.The personas were meticulously crafted to appeal to diverse audiences, and were posting some cute posts about their family time, ice-skating Sundays, charitable events, and so on, all this using AI-generated images.Source: https://x.com/DramaAlert/status/1875217669089288610?mx=2The underlying technology combined advanced AI language models and image generators, enabling these AI profiles to simulate complex identities and narratives.Zoomed in image of one of the post from Lizs profile. Some progress still remains when it comes to generating images offeet.US-based users could chat and interact with them, blurring the line between authentic social interactions and artificial connection.The fallout: a case study in brokentrustThe profiles were labeled as AI-managed by Meta, but the reception wasnt great, highlighting a few problems.Livs profile, for example, portrays a marginalized identity that was entirely fabricated by a team largely composed of white male developers.Some angry users on X labeled the project as digital blackface, highlighting how it trivialized real experiences and diluted the value of genuine representation.Chatting with these AI profiles only made mattersworse.When questioned by users, Livs AI admitted that no Black creators were involved in her designmaking me wander what the process to get this approved by senior leadership was. This revelation deepened public mistrust, exposing the lack of diversity and ethical consideration behind theproject.Within 24 hours, Meta removed the AI-generated profiles, issuing a statement that the profiles were part of an early experiment.Why Meta is pushing into contentcreationThe motivations behind Metas foray into AI-generated personas areclear:1. Revenue retention: Again, by generating its own content, Meta no longer needs to share ad revenue with content creators. This allows the company to maintain full control over monetization.Infuencer marketing and ad share revenues are some of the main source of income for influencers. Source: https://influencermarketinghub.com/income-disparity-creator-economy/2. Engagement optimization: AI-generated content can be optimised to increase user interaction, keeping people on the platform longer and boosting ad impressions and, therefore revenue.3. Infinite content creation: AI can generate infinite content at scale, ensuring a constant stream of new posts without the costs of paying creators.While these strategies align with Metas monetisation objectives, they erode their vision and mission as social media, which is to connect realpeople.Metas AI personas: when fake profiles spark realproblemsSimilarly to Spotify, Metas experiment revealed deeper issues that go beyond public backlash:1. Erosion of authenticity: By introducing AI-generated personas made for connection, Meta forgets the importance of trust. The blurred line between real and fake interactions creates a dystopian sense of disconnection.2. Ethical oversights: Once again, the lack of diversity in tech impacts its ability to ethically create unbiased content and risks further alienating the very communities these profiles tried to represent.3. Competition with creators: By generating its own content, Meta competes with human creators who rely on the platform for visibility andincome.Metas pivot toward creating content underscores its desire to dominate every aspect of its ecosystemfrom hosting content to generating and monetizing it.The bigger picture: platforms vs.creatorsThe shift from enabling to competing with creators is a risky gamble for platforms like Meta andSpotify.On one hand, creating content in-house offers some monetisation opportunities and a way to fill gaps in their ecosystems. On the other hand, it undermines the trust and loyalty of creators and users, the lifeblood of these platforms.Key impactsFor creators: As platforms generate their own content, creators face increased competition for visibility and revenue. This will drive smaller creators away or force them to find other platforms where they can better create, grow, and retain their audience.For users: The lack of transparency on AI-generated content erodes trust for users who come to find authentic connections andcontent.For platforms: While this strategy may boost short-term profits, it risks hurting their network effects by driving users and content creators to other platforms.Content clash, Platforms vs. creators in the AIageMeta and Spotifys pivot from empowering creators to competing with them reveals a troubling truth about tech today: profitability beats everything.By turning to AI-generated content, these platforms are chasing short-term gains at the cost of their users and creators.For creators, its a wake-up call to diversify and reclaimcontrol.For users, its a stark reminder to ask for transparency and authenticity in an increasingly synthetic world.The future belongs to platforms that can innovate without sacrificing their communities, and they will need to strike a balance between making money and giving creators control over their audiences.Interesting reads to gofurther:The ghosts in themachineIs There Any Escape from the Spotify Syndrome?Metas AI bots are weird (and really fuckingbad)Enjoyed this? support my work by Subscribe to my newsletter for more deep dives!Meta and Spotifys AI takeover: is this the end of human-created content? was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

CES is a week-long showcase of new products and service from across industries. Some products are true innovations, while others are definitely duds. Some, however, are just plain weird.As I walked around CES this week, from convention center halls to media-only events, I had a blast checking out the weirdest tech I could find. After all, just because something is weird, doesn't make it boring or useless. On the contrary; some of these items were among the most interesting things to see. These eight products, however, stood out most to me:Electric Salt Spoon Credit: Jake Peterson This was CNET Group's pick for weirdest and most unexpected product of CES, and it's not hard to see why. Kirin's Electric Salt Spoon makes food taste saltier, not with extra sodium, but via electricity. According to Kirin, the salt spoon uses a mild electrical current to attract sodium molecules in your mouth that would otherwise be lost on your taste buds. In doing so, the food on the spoon tastes saltier than it otherwise would. You choose one of four intensity levels (the company recommends the lowest setting for beginners), press the button, and you're good to go. The spoon is enormous, however, which makes it difficult to activate the electric current while eating at the same time. It's weird, but also noble, since it could enable people who need to cut down on their sodium intake to still enjoy "salty" foods.I only saw the spoon at the show, and didn't have a chance to taste test the product. However, Mashable's Matt Binder did: He wasn't sure at first whether it was working, until the spoon shut off halfway through a sip of broth, due to how awkward it was to hold. Losing the effect while eating with the spoon did show off how it was making the food saltier. Bodyfriend Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt I didn't think one of the weirdest things I would see at CES would be a massage chair, but that's because I didn't think someone would make a Transformers-style massage chairand one so clearly inspired by Bumblebee, at that. To be clear, Hasbro has nothing to do with the chair. This is Bodyfriend, a massage chair with arms and legs that can move as if it were a robot. That, supposedly, helps people stretch muscles they wouldn't otherwise be able to move themselves. However, to me, it seems like a slow-moving robot that's fallen and can't get up.The chair has 733 parts and can measure your heart rate, in addition to, of course, offering massages. You can see CNET's Bridget Carey give it a try at CES Unveiled: Petal Credit: Jake Peterson Do you love your plants? Do you ever wonder how they're feeling? Do you wish they could text you? Of course you do. That's why there's Petal, from the makers of Bird Buddy. Petal is a camera with a flexible stem you can add to your yard, to keep tabs on your plants and flowers. Of course, since it's 2025, Petal is also powered by AI and can identify potential hazards to your flora, such as insects and bees. There's even an interactive option that lets you "chat" with your flowers via Bird Buddy's chatbot, so you can learn how many things your flower "saw" today.Nkojita FuFu Credit: Jake Peterson If you hate your drinks being too hot, you don't have to cool them down yourself; instead, you could use Nkojita FuFu. This small cat device sits on the rim of a mug or bowl, and, using a tiny internal fan, blows on your hot drink or food for you. It sounds silly, and it definitely is, but the company claims it works: The FuFu can cool hot water down from 190F to 160F in three minutes, and 151F in five minutes. Compare that to 176F after three minutes and 171F after five minutes without the cat, and it does seem to do something. I can't imagine these things gaining widespread popularity, but it's also fun. It reminds me of novelty tea infusers, like "Mr. Tea." If it makes you happy to have a cute cat on your mug cooling your coffee to a drinkable temperature, I'm all for it. I also like the idea proposed by the top comment on our article about the Nkojita FuFu: "Put this on one of the rechargeable 'stay hot mugs' and let 'em fight it out."AeroCatTower Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt The AeroCatTower is an air purifier. It's also a cat tower. You might have gathered that by the creepy cat sitting atop the device. It's not clear how well the AeroCatTower cleans the air, but it does take your cat into consideration. When your pet jumps on top to rest, the machine slows down so as to not disturb them. Plus, there's a built-in seat heater to make sure they're extra comfy. Hey, maybe it'll keep your cat off your keyboard.Realbotix If you were walking around CES and weren't sure whether or not you saw Realbotix's booth, you missed it. Realbotix is out here trying to make anthropomorphic AI-powered robots, and the result is, well, weird. Just watch CNET's interview with Aria, one of Realbotix's robots, to see why. Aria's face is firmly in the uncanny valley, as is the fact her lips are totally out of sync with her speech. Her movements in general are far from natural. The whole thing kind of seems like chatting with a character from a PS1 game. What's weirder, though, is when Realbotix swaps out the faces on the robots, leaving you with a flimsy, creepy face mask. I get what Realbotix is going for here, but its current robots are disconcerting, to say the least. (I walked past this booth and audibly said "Jesus Christ" to myself.) Credit: CNET/YouTube ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt We covered two major products from Lenovo at CES this year: One was the Lenovo Legion Go S, the first PC gaming handheld not from Valve to natively run SteamOS. Very cool. The other was the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable, a laptop that has a rollable display that extends an extra 2.7 inches vertically. Very weird, but also very cool.Lifehacker associate tech editor Michelle Ehrhardt sat down with Lenovo to try out the funky laptop. As advertised, you can press a button or use a hand gesture to unfurl your laptop's display to a full 16.7 inches, which is neat. You get the benefit of a large display in the form factor of a 14-inch laptopplus the novelty of revealing parts of your display you never knew were hidden in the laptop, of course. The rest of the machine is a basic Copilot+ PC, though, with an Intel Core Ultra 7 chip, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storageso no overly fancy internals to compliment the novel display tech. At $3,500, Lenovo may have priced this into being more weird than cool, though. Dell's big rebrand Credit: Dell You know what's weird? Throwing out an established brand like XPS in favor of language every other tech company uses. It's a confusing move from Dell, who made headlines during this week's CES when it announced the end of XPS, Inspiron, Latitude, Precision, and its other brands. Now, Dell computers will come in three lines: Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max. In each of those lines, there are three extra lines to consider: Base, Plus, and Premium.Your friend might have a Dell Plus, while another might buy a Dell Pro Base, all the while you have a Dell Pro Max Premium. That's not so confusing, is it? If it is, check out Khamosh Pathak's explainer here.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.Real life is pretty mid at this point, so I'm committed to letting the soothing glow of the television (or tablet or phone) lull me into a state of peaceful euphoria. It's not all comfort viewing, though: The entertainment industry is changing month to month, but the choices for television viewers remain pretty broad going into 2025. Your favorite show, if it's not a CBS procedural or a reality show, will almost certainly get canceled after a season or maybe twobut if we can accept that life is short but TV is shorter, we can come to terms with these realities. I'm starting with the series that have firm dates, but keep scrolling for shows that are very likely to drop in 2025 but don't have firm dates attached.Traitors, Season 3 (Jan. 9) An impeccably dressed Alan Cumming is back in the third season of the highly addictive and deeply campy reality show. Among the competitors in season three are Survivors Rob Mariano, Big Brothers Danielle Reyes, Real Housewife Dorinda Medley, and RuPaul alum Bob the Drag Queen. You can stream Traitors right now on Peacock.Severance, Season 2 (Jan. 17) Apple's sci-fi satire has been away for a couple of years now, so you may have forgotten that this is the one in which employees of Lumon Industries (including Adam Scott's Mark Scout) have their consciousnesses separated (well: severed) so that their work selves have no idea what their home selves are up to, and vice versa. Following last season's revelation that Mark's wife Gemma (Dichen Lachman) is still alive as a counselor inside Lumon, he and his coworkers will continue to question what the hell it is they're all doing there. You'll be able to watch Severance on Apple TV+.Watson (Jan. 26) This medical/mystery procedural (because: CBS) has a weird but interesting spin: Though set in the present, it finds Sherlock Holmes' sidekick Dr. John Watson returning to medicine following the supposed death of the great detective at the hands of his archnemesis. Learning that Moriarty might in fact be alive, Watson finds himself solving mysteries all on his own. You'll be able to watch Watson on CBS and stream it on Paramount+.Paradise (Jan. 28) Sterling K. Brown stars as Xavier Collins, once head of security for President Cal Bradford (James Marsden)and the last person to see him alive. This juicy-sounding political conspiracy thriller comes from Dan Fogelman, in his first new show since the end of This Is Us. You'll be able to stream Paradise on Hulu.Mo, Season Two (Jan. 30) After more than two years, Netflix brings us back to comedian Mo Amer's slightly autobiographical comedy-drama about a Palestinian refugee living in Texas. The first season of the immigrant story was heartfelt and fun, and this concluding run of eight episodes might be perfectly times. You'll be able to stream Mo on Netflix.Clean Slate (Feb. 6)Laverne Cox stars as Desiree, a proud trans woman returning to her hometown in Mobile, Alabamaand not everyone is ready. George Wallace plays the old-school father with whom she's trying to reconnect. This was one of the very last projects to have involved the late, great Norman Lear. You'll be able to stream Clean Slate on Prime Video.Cobra Kai, Season 6 (Feb. 13) Technically, this is part three of the sixth season, but the main point is that this is the last round for Cobra Kai, the rather shockingly successful (and addictive) update to a franchise that started way back in 1984. It would be tempting to call this the conclusion to four decades of martial arts dramabut there's already a new Karate Kid movie coming out in May. You'll be able to stream Cobra Kai on Netflix.Yellowjackets, Season 3 (Feb. 14) After an impressively gruesome climax to the last season, Showtime is using "Eat Your Heart Out" as a slogan for the third serieswhat with all of the cannibalism. The main cast (well, those who survived last season) are set to return for season three, joined by Hilary Swank and Joel McHale. You can watch Yellowjackets on Showtime and stream it on Paramount+ (with Showtime).The White Lotus, Season 3 (Feb. 16) It's time for a new crop of wildly obnoxious and privileged Americans to get what's coming to 'em in frequently hilarious ways, now in Thailand. This time, the cast includes Carrie Coon, Scott Glenn, Walton Goggins, Leslie Bibb, Michelle Monaghan, Parker Posey, and Lalisa Manobal head up the stacked cast, joined by Natasha Rothwell as Belinda, returning from the first season. Having apparently not learned her lesson. You'll be able to watch The White Lotus on Max.Zero Day (Feb. 20) The premise (a conspiracy involving a global cyberattack) doesn't tell us much, but this miniseries might be worth checking out for its stacked cast led by Robert De Niro and Lizzy Caplan joined by Angela Bassett, Jesse Plemons, Connie Britton, Joan Allen, Matthew Modine, Bill Camp, Dan Stevens, Gaby Hoffmann, and Clark Gregg. You'll be able to stream Zero Day on Netflix.1923, Season 2 (Feb. 23) The Yellowstone prequel series continues, and probably concludes, with this second season. The impressively cast Jacob (Harrison Ford) and Cara (Helen Mirren) will continue to defend the Dutton ranch against nasty land baron Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton). The synopsis promises a "cruel winter" as well as an arduous journey home for Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) following last season's cliffhanger. You'll be able to stream 1923 on Paramount+.Suits L.A. (Feb. 23) If you missed the nine(!) seasons of the USA legal drama, you're not alone. You might be slightly less likely to have missed the buzz around the show when it popped on Netflix and Peacock and became pretty much the biggest show streaming. That resurgence led directly to this spin-off starring Stephen Amell (Arrow) as a former federal prosecutor who heads to Hollywood. Gabriel Macht's character from the original is slated to pop in for a few episodes, but no word on a Meghan Markle cameo. You'll be able to watch Suits: L.A. on NBC and stream it on Peacock the next day.The Americas (Feb. 23) Award-winning wildlife producer Mike Gunton (the Planet Earth series) has been working on this series for at least five years, promising an unprecedented scale and groundbreaking technology in its exploration of iconic locations across the Americas, with each episode focusing on a different region: the Atlantic Coast, Mexico, Wild West, the Amazon, the Frozen North, the Gulf Coast, the Andes, the Caribbean, the West Coast, and Patagonia. Tom Hanks narrates. You'll be able to watch The Americas on NBC and stream it on Peacock.Daredevil: Born Again (March 4) It's been an uneven road for Marvel over the last couple of years, but this one sees a return to the most successful Netflix shows of yore. A welcome return or a desperate attempt to reclaim past glories? We'll find out! Charlie Cox is back as lawyer/superhero Daredevil, as is Vincent DOnofrio playing archnemesis Wilson Fisk, with Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson and Jon Bernthal also set to return. You'll be able to stream Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+.The Residence (March 20)Shonda Rhimes doesn't miss, so even though we don't know a ton about this White House murder mystery, it's still very much on the radar. A comedy, at least in part, it stars Uzo Aduba as detective Cordelia Cupp joined by Randall Park, Giancarlo Esposito, Bronson Pinchot, Isiah Whitlock Jr., and Mary Wiseman. You'll be able to stream The Residence on Netflix.Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (March 23) My own personal most-anticipated show of 2025, this BBC drama returns to the world of Hillary Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy. Following the (spoiler?) execution of Anne Boleyn at the conclusion of the first series (way back in 2015), Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance) continues to navigate the increasingly deadly court of King Henry VIIIwith very mixed results. You'll be able to watch or stream Wolf Hall on PBS.The Last of Us, Season 2 (April) More poignant zombie drama is coming following the impressive (and impressively nasty) first season. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are returning, of course, joined by Kaitlyn Dever and Isabela Merced as Abby and Dinawho fans of the games, I'm told, will recognize. A third season is reportedly already in development. You'll be able to watch The Last of Us on HBO and stream it on Max.Andor, Season 2 (April 22) Despite being a prequel to a prequel (Rogue One), the first season of Andor was the only recent Star Wars project that felt like it really mattered, or at least that had any reason to exist outside of nostalgia. We don't know much about season two, except that Diego Luna is back as the title character for a run of twelve episodes. You'll be able to stream Andor on Disney+.Ironheart (June 24)Dominique Thorne returns as Riri Williams following her role in Wakanda Forever. It's increasingly tough to work up excitement for new Marvel showsbut Agatha All Along, the most recent, was a real triumph, and Thorne was a bright spot in that last Black Panther movie. Marvel says that this will mark the conclusion of Phase Five of the MCU, for whatever that's worth. You'll be able to stream Ironheart on Disney+.Alien: Earth (TBD) After the success of the theatrical Alien: Romulus, the franchise makes the leap to television. Set just a couple of years before the first Alien movie, it involves a ragtag group of soldiers coming upon a crashed space vessel containing a mysterious threat (it's probably a xenomorph). This will, presumably, be the first time that we see our favorite extraterrestrial killers on Earth, and, promisingly, it's headed up by Noah Hawley (Fargo, Legion). It's expected to drop in the summer. You'll be able to watch Alien: Earth on FX and stream it on Hulu. The Gilded Age, Season 3 (TBD)Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Cynthia Nixon, and Christine Baranski all return to the sumptuous, snarky, soapy world of The Gilded Age, joined by the great Andrea Martin as a medium who can supposedly communicate with the dead. Love it. It's expected to drop in the summer. You'll be able to watch The Gilded Age on HBO and steam it on Max.Anne Rices The Talamasca (TBD)Having made a critical and ratings triumph of Interview with the Vampire, and a more modest success of Mayfair Witches, AMC is spinning off yet again with The Talamasca, about the secret society that watches over both vampires and witches in Anne Rice's novels. Not much is known at present, but William Fichtner and Elizabeth McGovern are set to star. You'll be able to watch The Talamasca on AMC and stream it on AMC+.Squid Game (TBD)Season two just dropped in December, but creator/writer/director Hwang Dong-hyuk promises that the third, and final seasonfilmed back-to-back with season twowill be released sometime this year. You'll be able to stream Squid Game on Netflix.Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Season 3 (TBD) With the conclusions of Discovery, Picard, and Lower Decks, and the uncertain fate of Prodigy, 2025 looks like it's going to be a bit less Trek-heavy than recent years. Still, Captain Pike and crew are more than capable of holding down the fort, especially if they can find an excuse to do another musical episode. There's a possibility that the next-next Star Trek show, Starfleet Academy (with Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti) will premiere later this year, as well. You'll be able to stream Strange New Worlds on Paramount+.It: Welcome to Derry (TBD)What, ya don't like clowns? This It prequel series reunites Bill Skarsgrd, who played Pennywise the Clown in the movies, with Stephen King's Derry. We know that Pennywise tormented the town prior to the events of the films, and the series will reportedly visit 1962, 1935, and 1908 over a planned three seasons. You'll be able to watch Welcome to Derry on HBO and stream it on Max.

I have no qualms with traditional boiled pierogithe slippery dough pockets stuffed with anything from potatoes to cabbage, cheese, or meat is pure comfort. But if I had the choice, Id almost always opt for a crisp and golden fried pierogi. Air-fried, to be specific. Do note that theres one crucial step to achieving incredibly light and shattering skin with the air fryer, and that, my friends, is boiling.The trick to great air fryer pierogiIf youve ever dumped frozen pierogi into an air fryer you probably only tried it once, because that stuff turns out dry and hard (not to be confused with crispy). The air fryer, as we know, does not magically fry anything: its a petite convection heating system. While the fan forces the hot air around the small interior space, high temperatures can be achieved. Your food might cook faster, and theres a good chance that what you tossed in there will become nice and crispy. Perhaps a similar texture to something that was deep friedor a nice piece of cardboard.The arid winds of the air fryer are very effective for drying out items, so things that dont have much moisture going in just get dryer. Thats why its not so good for toasting sliced bread. Frozen pierogi have an exterior of, essentially, dry pasta. Putting that in the air fryer simply dries it out while reheating the filling. The finished pierg will be edible, but the skin will have a floury taste and pasty texture. Not ideal. Left: a twice-cooked (boiled and air-fried) pierg. Right: a pierg directly air-fried from the freezer. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann In the side-by-side comparison of air-fried only (right) and boiled-first (left), you can immediately see the difference in color and texture. If you look closely, the boil-first pierogi on the left has tiny little bubbles rippling across the entire surface. Those are the air pockets that develop after hydrating and quickly evaporating moisture from the shell.Boiling first changes the composition and textureTaking a cue from air-fried caramel pasta crisps, I boil my pierogi first and toss them in a bit of butter. Boiling the pierogi for a few minutes first hydrates the wrapper and the light coating of fat helps with browning. After boiling, the pasta becomes soft and pudgy with water molecules. Now, when you put the pasta in the air fryer, whether theyre potato filled pierogi or plain pasta, the high blast of heat from the convection oven will evaporate the water quickly, resulting in a sheet of pasta riddled with tiny air pockets. Biting into this thin, bubbly sheet feels light and crisp, not hard. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann I like to toss the pierogi in a bit of butter and salt before air frying. This helps conduct the heat of the air fryer even more evenly, and it tastes good. Two birds, you know? If youre air frying homemade fresh pierogi, only boil them until they float; about two minutes.Air-Fried Pierogi RecipeIngredients:8-10 frozen pierogi tablespoon butterPinch salt1. Fill a medium pot with water. There should be plenty of water for the pierogi to be submerged and not bump into their neighbors too much. Bring it to a boil.2. Drop the pierogi into the boiling water and cook them almost completely. Check out the packages directions for boiling and subtract two minutes from the timing. Depending on their size, this could take five to eight minutes. Mine were medium-sized and I boiled them for seven minutes.3. While theyre boiling, add the butter and a pinch of salt to a wide mixing bowl.4. Drain the pierogi in a stranger and let the residual moisture evaporate for about two minutes, then drop the still-hot pierogi into the bowl. Toss and flip the dumplings so they all get coated in salty butter.5. Drop the pierogi into the air fryer. Set it to the air fry setting at 350F and cook them for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping them halfway through the cook time. Serve with your favorite pierogi condiments or with a swipe of garlicky butter.

If you're in the market for a new controller, you're in luck. Microsoft's Xbox Elite Series 2 Core controller is on sale for $98 at Amazon and Target, down from $130. That means its about $3 off its lowest price to date a great opportunity to upgrade to something a little nicer. We've recommended the Xbox Elite Series 2 Core controller before, and that's mainly based on its ability to give you the best of the $180 Xbox Elite Series 2 controller for a more approachable price. That includes fits and finishes like a rubberized grip and sturdier, longer-lasting versions of a traditional controller's triggers, joysticks and directional pad (it's circular now). On top of that, it has up to 40 hours of battery life. The Elite Series 2 Core also lets you adjust the tension of the joysticks and triggers to your liking, and remap the controller's buttons in the Xbox Accessories app. That's helpful if there's specific settings your prefer for Call of Duty: Warzone versus something more relaxing, like Viva Piata, or if you share your controller with someone else. The main disadvantage with the Xbox Elite Series 2 Core controller, besides the limited color options you have purchasing it anywhere other than the Xbox Design Lab, are the lack of accessories. Included in the price for a normal Xbox Elite Series 2 controller is a variety of different joysticks, directional pads and back paddles you can attach when you want to experiment with a new setup. Those aren't included at all with the Core controller. In fact, there's awkward divots on the back of the controller where the paddles are supposed to be attached. It's a small annoyance in the grand scheme of things, and one that can be rectified by buying the accessories when you figure out that you actually need them down the road. Even without paddles, the Xbox Elite Series 2 Core controller should feel noticeably more pleasant to use, and when you're trying to make your way through an extra-long RPG, that's what really matters anyway. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-xbox-elite-series-2-core-controller-is-on-sale-for-98-222712100.html?src=rss

As the world turns, so do the console generations. The Nintendo Switch is over seven years old, so its due for a refresh. Nintendo Switch 2 rumors have been swirling for years, but now they are really heating up. A sequel to Nintendo's most successful home console ever is coming and its likely coming sooner rather than later.Will it be a straight up sequel to the Switch with updated specs while retaining the same hybrid functionality or will Nintendo get weird with it? Will it even be called the Switch 2, or will the company go with something like the Super Switch or even the New Nintendo Switch? You can never tell with Nintendo. Heck, maybe itll call the thing the Switch U.In any event, recent weeks have brought feverish speculation regarding all aspects of the forthcoming gaming console. Its important to note, however, that very little information has been confirmed by Nintendo. The company operates on its own timetable. With that said, here are all of the rumors that are most likely to come true, given industry analysis.When will the Nintendo Switch 2 be announced?As previously mentioned, Nintendo marches to the beat of its own drum. We dont exactly know when itll hold an event to reveal the console. A lot of people wrongly assumed it would happen toward the latter part of 2024, but that didn't happen.Even Nintendo has trouble keeping the lid on a major console release, so we could learn something before the official reveal. There are parts that have to be sourced and shipments that have to be made. A senior analyst at MST Financial noted a spike in production equipment spending by Nintendo assembler Hosiden.When will the Nintendo Switch 2 come out?Once again, this is more or less a mystery. We arent totally in the dark, but its mostly rumor and speculation. One thing we know for sure is that Nintendo will announce the Nintendo Switch 2 (or whatever it chooses to call it) by March 2025, as the company confirmed back in May. Some are saying there will be a March release date, which makes sense given the OG Switch came out on March 17, 2017. However, other reports put the consoles release window later in 2025.Accessory manufacturer Genki, which has been a major source of leaks in recent months, claims the console will be released in April.Will it even be a proper Switch sequel?Nintendo has a weird track record here. The baffling Wii U followed the massive success of the Wii. The Wii itself followed the more traditional GameCube. In other words, its possible itll be something out of left field and not exactly a true sequel to the Switch. However, this is unlikely this time around. As much as I would love to see wacky VR glasses or a completely bonkers console concept, all points indicate a more traditional approach.Nintendo Patent Points to (Another) VR Headset https://t.co/pofTjclgOt #LaboVR #Nintendo pic.twitter.com/A5WEZUG3kL The Escapist (@EscapistMag) September 10, 2019 Developers have already seen the hardware, though in a much earlier form, and it seems to be a regular old console. While Nintendo hasn't confirmed hybrid functionality, itd be a weird omission given the absolute financial firestorm of the Switch. Weve also heard rumors of a Mini-LED display, which would track for a hybrid console. Its highly likely this will be a straight-up Switch 2, or something like it, calling to mind the Super Nintendo.A summary of today's alleged Switch 2 images 'leak'. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/Z4rfSGz4WQ Andy Robinson (@Andy_VGC) September 18, 2024 To that end, recent rumors suggest a design that recalls the original Switch. According to reporting by VGC, photos of the console have appeared online and they show an 8-inch screen and magnetic Joy-Con controllers. There looks to be SL/SR buttons and front-facing player LEDs on these controllers.Will there be a bit of Nintendo weirdness?Everything leaked or rumored so far on this console has been fairly, well, traditional. It looks like the original Switch, but better. That's awesome, but will there be any of that unpredictable Nintendo magic? Maybe! Recent reports indicate two puzzling additions that folks can't make hide nor hair of.Genki, the accessories manufacturer, just published a landing page for their Nintendo Switch 2 accessories. This landing page features a video that includes a very detailed look at a Switch 2 mockup. pic.twitter.com/Db7RSk4YlQ Bob Wulff (@BobWulff) January 8, 2025 An accessory maker called Genki accidentally leaked an alleged mockup at CES 2025 of the entire console. If the Switch 2 is coming sooner rather than later, it makes sense that accessory makers would have these kinds of mockups. There looks to be a mysterious "C" button on the bottom-right side and nobody knows what it does. Could it initiate voice chat during gameplay? Could it calibrate the controllers? Could it create a room-sized hologram of Bowser in your living room? We'll have to wait and see, and there's always a chance that the button won't even exist.Now onto the updated Joy-Cons, those same leaks seem to indicate a new sensor on the connecting side of each controller. It looks a whole lot like an optical sensor, which is what a computer mouse uses. This has led to speculation that players will be able to flip the Joy-Con over and use it like a mouse.Genki reveal isnt a mockup, its straight up just the Switch 2, optical sensor is literally flashing in this shot @Stealth40k #Switch2 pic.twitter.com/COeLsonqMd Ash (@Ashinarii) January 8, 2025 But why would anyone even want this? I can think of three words. New Mario Paint. In any event, take all of that Genki stuff with a big grain of salt, as Nintendo came out and said that the images and video were "not official." The accessory manufacturer has also stated that its mockup wasn't based on an actual console, but rather leaked information thats circulating in the industry.Is the Nintendo Switch 2 backwards compatible?If its a sequel to the Switch, the next question has to be about backwards compatibility. The Switchs library is absolutely massive, and continues to grow, so gamers would be rightfully peeved if they couldnt play Tears of the Kingdom on their new next-gen console. Theres good news on this front.The company has officially announced in a recent earnings report that the console will be fully backwards compatible. It will also feature access to Nintendo Online, so users will be able to play all of those old retro titles.What about specs?The rumors regarding specs are all over the place, so its tough to pin down. We know one thing for sure: Itll be more powerful than the ancient Switch hardware, which was already antiquated back in 2017. One analyst allegedly got a hold of a spec sheet from the Korean United Daily News that said the Switch 2 would boast an eight-core Cortex-A78AE processor, 8GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal eMMC storage. This tracks for me, as these specs are about as underpowered in 2024 as the original Switch was in 2017. However, some reports do indicate that the console would include 12GB of RAM.Another source suggests that the eight-core CPU will be packaged inside an NVIDIA-produced Tegra239 SoC (system on a chip). Given the current Switch runs on an NVIDIA chip, that makes a lot of sense. The CPU will be more powerful, but it's the Switch 2's new GPU that will be a major differentiator. It's all-but-confirmed that the Switch 2 will support DLSS, NVIDIA's "deep learning supersampling" upscaling tech, which would allow the console to render games at a low resolution internally while outputting a high-resolution image. (Fun fact: We actually wrote about how perfect DLSS was for the Nintendo Switch 2 when the technology was announced alongside the RTX 20 series back in 2018.)There are still questions about the Switch 2 and DLSS: Will the system support newer DLSS features like frame generation? Will existing games be automatically tidied up by NVIDIA's algorithm? Regardless of the exact implementation, DLSS upscaling will be a huge leap over the rudimentary techniques available to Nintendo Switch developers.As for the display, there are many conflicting rumors. Early reports from solid sources suggested the Switch 2 would have an 8-inch display LCD display, but there have also been rumors about an 7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Some analysts have suggested this would be an OLED screen, while others have said it would be a Mini-LED display. A Mini-LED display is basically an LCD display that has a backlight made of (surprise!) mini-LEDs rather than edge lighting. This allows for local dimming, making the blacks more black. Im hedging my bets here. I think itll be a standard LCD, to cut costs, with an OLED or Mini-LED model coming later down the line. However, Mini-LED screens are slightly cheaper than OLED displays, so thats certainly a possibility at launch.As for resolution, recent reporting suggests that the console will output 1080p in handheld and 4K when docked. That's much better than the OG Switch.How much will the Nintendo Switch 2 cost?We don't have too much information regarding price but we do have plenty of history to work with. The original Nintendo Switch launched at $300, which is pretty much the "magic number" when it comes to Nintendo console releases in recent years. The Wii U also came in at $300.However, there are plenty of rumors circulating that Nintendo could be upping the asking price for the Switch 2. Numerous outlets have reported it'll be $400, or potentially even more expensive. However, the same analysts who say the console will be $400 were also fairly certain it would be out by the end of 2024 and, well, it looks like that ain't happening.Dipping back into history, there is some precedence for a price uptick. The GameCube was $200 and the Wii was $250. The Wii U and Switch increased to $300 and, well, numbers like to go up. A $400 price tag would make it nearly as expensive as a PS5 and Xbox Series X. That would also put it at the same price as the 256GB LCD Steam Deck.Do we know about any launch games?Nope! But its certainly been a long time since weve gotten a proper 3D Mario adventure, right? That would be one heck of a system seller. Other than that, your guess is as good as mine. Past as prologue, we can expect something from Ubisoft and an off-the-wall title like 1-2-Switch.If theres a gimmick or hook involved with the console, well also get a game that takes advantage of that. A dual release of Metroid Prime 4, just like Breath of the Wild and Twilight Princess before that, is also a possibility. Finally, there have been rumblings that the big launch title could be none other than Mario Kart 9.That's everything we know about the Nintendo Switch 2 today. We'll update this article with rumors we trust and with information we gather directly from sources. Any changes made to the article after its initial publishing will be listed below.Update, January 10, 2025, 12:40 PM ET: This story has been updated with details about the Switch 2's alleged "C" button, along with the Joy-Con optical sensors. We also wrote about the announcement window and launch games. Finally, we covered announcements from Nintendo and Genki regarding a potential leak.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-switch-2-everything-we-know-about-the-upcoming-console-110023968.html?src=rss

It was while walking past the RadioShack booth at CES 2025 that I spied the Kodak stand not far ahead. And it was while musing about the fate of those two storied okay maybe not storied names that I spied another Kodak booth two rows over. For a company thats been dead more than a few times over, its certainly enjoying something of a renaissance. Look, its not as if there havent always been brands that die and get revived in pursuit of a quick buck. Especially if the price is cheap and theres any residual degree of affection for it, but even so there are a hell of a lot of them now. Do we need four different companies selling Kodak-branded wares?Daniel Cooper for EngadgetPerhaps the most egregious example at this years show was from Mizari, an LA-based company that sells hardware under a variety of names. This year, it was showing off a lineup of products under the Memorex brand, including e-bikes, scooters and golf caddies. If youre unfamiliar, Memorex made recordable media in the analog era: computer and cassette tapes, VHS, CDs and eventually DVDs. Its slogan was Is it live, or is it Memorex? boasting its superior audio quality. Does that slogan work as well for e-bikes, scooters and golf caddies? Thats less clear.Daniel Cooper for EngadgetThe companys representatives said that using the Memorex name was an experiment to see how much affection the public has for the brand. Theyre targeting people over the age of 40 who remember what they slammed in their tape decks. At the same time, theyre targeting younger generations who may feel the pull of that retro name, since were apparently in an era where anything old is inherently laudable. Mizari also holds the license for Delorean, albeit just to make e-bikes, scooters and go-karts, for the kids, you know?Daniel Cooper for EngadgetRadioShack has been passed from owner to owner since it initially filed for Chapter 11 back in 2015. In May 2023, it was bought by Unicomer, a RadioShack franchisee from Central and South America which is now relaunching the parent brand in the US. It will act, like so many of these companies, as a distributor, adding its name to a variety of products made elsewhere. Its lineup is already 400 products strong, from gaming keyboards and mice to portable projectors and speakers. The idea, as you might have guessed, is to cash in on the fact people likely remember the name of this over some generic product they'll find among the dregs on Amazon.Daniel Cooper for EngadgetThe two Kodaks nearby share the Kodak name, but very little else: One is showing off the Kodak Mini Shot (lead image), made by Prinics Co. Walk 50 yards further down the plush CES carpet and youll find another Kodak (pictured above), this one selling digital photo frames and tablets. Staffers at both booths are happy to talk about which part of the sprawling Kodak license they are paying for. Hell, the latter Kodak stand was also advertising those same products under the Thomson name, an old French electronics company that was rebranded as Thales 25 years ago.Daniel Cooper for EngadgetA little walk and youll soon find a large stand from RCA, which also holds the names Thomson and Blaupunkt. All three are nothing more than names and logos slapped on products that are shipped in from various manufacturers. RCA is famously known for making radio equipment and other electronics before branching into broadcasting, music and movies. So its natural, too, that you can pick up an RCA-branded e-bike and scooter, cashing in on all those bikes RCA made when your pop pop was in diapers.Daniel Cooper for EngadgetNext to Mizaris Memorex-branded exhibits was the third Kodak booth Id stumbled across, this one showing off a wide variety of products. This included smartwatches, cameras, binoculars, mirrors with halo lighting and Bluetooth speakers, all made by various licensees. And, quite literally two booths over, was another Kodak stand, this time from C&A Global, which makes Kodak branded photo printers (and the HP Sprocket) as well as projectors and scanners.Daniel Cooper for EngadgetIm not sure I need to wave my hands around and try to make some sort of grand point about All Of This. One one hand, it doesnt matter. Lots of low-cost products are sold to folks who arent going to interrogate their purchases. Given how common the practice of buying a dead brand and slapping it on whatever you sell, it must be profitable enough to justify doing it. But it just leaves me scratching my head, wondering whos going to remember the tape company from the 90s and want to ride an e-bike with its logo on the side. Or who would think theres any trust left in the Kodak brand given the near-homeopathic levels of dilution its subjected to. Maybe these companies' real lingering value is to serve as a reminder to all the other tech brands that this is the fate that awaits them if they keep messing up.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/a-tale-of-four-kodaks-173040742.html?src=rss

Looking for NYT Strands answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, including the spangram.

Looking for NYT Connections answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, plus my commentary on the puzzles.

Looking for Quordle clues? We can help. Plus get the answers to Quordle today and past solutions.