Retail assistants have accused a gig economy firm of holding them to ransom by making them pay a fee if they want to receive their wages within 30 days.A new payment system brought in by YoungOnes, which supplies freelance retail assistants to many well-known high street stores, charges gig workers 4.8% of their earnings to be paid in one minute or 2.9% to be paid in three days. If they decline, they typically have to wait 30 days. Previously the workers were paid in three days, without a charge.Tom Gillam, who has worked at least six shifts at the Emma Sleeps store in Manchester, said gig workers on low and irregular wages needed money quickly to buy essentials and pay bills. People do gig work for short-term cash ... it feels like were being held to ransom, he said. It is so immoral its unreal.Gillam, 37, claimed some of the workers at the store were last week still waiting to be paid for shifts in late November and early December. They cant really badger their managers because working as a freelancer you have no voice, you might not get any more shifts if you are seen as outspoken.Another worker at the Manchester store said he was forced to borrow money from his family to buy gifts and travel home for Christmas. It is unfair for people working on a low wage with reduced rights to be charged to get their money quickly, he said.Last month, the Observer revealed the growing use of gig economy workers without basic employment rights in the retail sector, a move the TUC had called worrying.The minister for employment rights, Justin Madders, told the Observer he would be asking the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate to investigate the allegations against YoungOnes. He added he would also be writing to the firm to demand answers. We find it entirely unacceptable for employers to avoid their legal obligations by claiming someone is self-employed when they are not. Action that reeks of this exploitation is intolerable, and we will not hesitate to ask all relevant authorities to scrutinise such employers, he said.Concern is mounting that companies could seek to evade protections laid out in the governments flagship employment rights legislation by recruiting gig economy workers. Liam Byrne, chair of the business and trade committee, which is examining the governments employment rights bill, said: Were deeply concerned that companies will try to get around the law and continue to exploit vulnerable workers by pretending they are self-employed when they should enjoy the full protection of the law.The bill will bring in a range of new workplace rights, including immediate protection from unfair dismissal and the right to guaranteed hours for anyone on zero-hour contracts. It will also abolish the waiting period for statutory sick pay, set at the first three days of illness, and give workers the right to unpaid paternity and bereavement leave as soon as they start a new job.However, the new protections will not apply to the estimated 4.4 million people working in the gig economy.The government has promised to consult on a simpler two-tier employment framework, which distinguishes between genuine self-employment and all other types of workers, but nothing has been published yet.Last week Margaret Beels, who is the governments independent director of labour market enforcement, told the committee that the UKs complex three-tier employment status system which includes employees with full rights, casual workers with limited rights, and freelancers with no rights was being abused. Having three levels of status allows people to engage in sharp practice, shifting workers around between those [levels], she said.skip past newsletter promotionSign up to ObservedFree weekly newsletterAnalysis and opinion on the week's news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionBeels called on the government to act more quickly: I really would like to see the government stepping up to doing more you can probably consult till the cows come home on this issue, and its about time to do something about it.James Medd, YoungOnes chief operating officer, said the new payment system allowed freelancers to choose between standard payment terms at no extra cost or pay for faster options. We deeply value the freelancers on our platform and understand the challenges they face, particularly when it comes to payment timelines, he added.Medd said freelancers choose to work through YoungOnes as it offers them independence and a flexible solution tailored to their needs. They have the freedom to decide when, where, and with whom they work, he said.Emma Sleep said it took the allegations very seriously. It said payment issues were reported by some workers but the team had been paid for several weeks now. Emma is committed to continuously improving the working experience for freelance employees in our stores while ensuring full compliance with labour laws, said a spokesperson.

Need A Pick-Me-Up?I need you to stop what you're doing and watch this Games Done Quick Crazy Taxi speedrun that has a live backing bandPure cinema.Image credit: Games Done Quick/ Crazy Taxi News by Oisin Kuhnke Contributor Published on Jan. 12, 2025 If you need a video game pick-me-up that will cure you of any ailment, then you absolutely need to watch this Crazy Taxi speedrun.I would argue that Crazy Taxi is one of the most video games to ever video game - it is ridiculous, loud, it's a game many people have played because they see it in an arcade and go "oh man I haven't played Crazy Taxi forever, let's play a couple rounds!" You just can't go wrong with it, and for the first time in apparently a decade, the game made an appearance at the annual charity fundraising event Awesome Games Done Quick. Except, it isn't any ordinary speedrun. No, this one has a live backing band playing a whole bunch of pop punk tracks, and it's just as wild, fun, and silly as you'd hope from the concept.Watch on YouTubeThe runner in question goes by the name Chuckles825, who is of course trying to play the game as quickly as possible, as is the case for literally every speedrun ever, but generally with Games Done Quick you'll find some commentary to explain what they're doing. That's not the case here, not in the slightest, as it's obviously a bit difficult to do when you have a live band playing. It's a fun one to watch, because the band has to be paying attention to the game too - they're not just playing continuously uninterrupted, they have to immediately stop as soon as a level is finished or restarted, making for a good few laughs.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Awesome Games Done Quick is all wrapped up now, raising money for the Prevent Cancer Foundation this year, this year amassing a massive $2,556,305, a huge amount that always goes to a worthwhile cause. There's plenty of other fun runs that have been uploaded on the official Games Done Quick YouTube channel too, so if you're in need of some time killers, you're in luck.Don't forget that there's a new, open-world, MMO Crazy Taxi game in the works too, even if that doesn't sound quite right.

After more than two years and nearly 100 episodes as a host of TechCrunchs recently ended Found podcast, I have learned a lot about how founders approach building their startups.Ive heard stories about how founders know when it is the right time to expand from their core product, to how startups approach hiring, to what got entrepreneurs to take the leap in the first place, and everything in between.While not a founder myself, some of the learnings and advice I heard on the show stood out more than others. Ive compiled a short and sweet list of the five best pieces of advice for founders I heard on the show that are both practical and philosophical.Founders should lean into what they arent good atWhile many of the founders talked about finding co-founders or making early hires who helped fill their experience or knowledge gaps, Rippling co-founder and CEO Parker Conrad thinks founders should do the opposite.Conrad called the practice of hiring people to fill roles a founder isnt good at, or doesnt want to do, bullshit.You should find the things that you hate within the company, and you should run towards them and bear hug them and just really take them on and focus on those things, because those are the things that are probably going to kill you, Conrad said. Those are the things that youre probably avoiding because its uncomfortable to focus on them. Ive definitely seen that in myself, and the things that you really hate, like, thats where you should spend all your time.VCs arent always rightWhile the right venture capitalist can provide invaluable insight and guidance to a startup, good VCs are hard to find, and even the best VCs dont always have the best advice for every startup.When Ashley Tyrner, the founder and CEO of FarmboxRx, a direct-to-consumer produce box company meant to help solve food deserts, pitched VCs, they told her to pivot to being a meal kit company, the hot trend of the time. Shes glad she ignored the advice and bootstrapped instead.Every VC we talked to, any of them that were actually even remotely nice to us at the time wanted us to become a meal kit, Tyrner said. Thats not what our focus was. We did not want to jump on the meal kit bandwagon. Now looking back, Im really glad that I never raised any capital and we still havent raised any capital to this day. Most of the meal kits are, you know, theyve slowly died.Instead, just a few years later, FarmboxRx was able to link up with insurance companies and start sending its produce boxes as part of patients prescriptions, a revenue stream Tyner said has been really lucrative for the company.It pays off not to be firstIf you read a lot of PR pitches, as I do most days, a common thread is that many companies want to tout that they were the first to either a technological innovation or a new market. But is being first always the best thing?Jordan Nathan, the founder and CEO of non-toxic homeware company Caraway, wouldnt necessarily agree. Nathan told TechCrunch that when he was getting ready to launch Caraways first set of non-toxic cookware, he initially wasnt thrilled that it looked like they would be the last to launch in an increasingly crowded category, but it worked out. Nathan said launching last allowed the company to find the gaps in the market left open from what had already been released, and allowed Caraway to cater to those audiences directly.It helped us change our color palette, it helped us change our price point, what pieces that we put in the set, Nathan said. And while a lot of those other brands did a lot of things right, we were able to craft our space within the kitchen [direct-to-consumer] world that others werent playing in.Companies should try to get to market right away, regardless of their longterm goalsWhile some startups build software that can start acquiring customers, and making money, within a week, the same cant be said for startups looking to introduce innovative deep tech or moonshot companies. But that doesnt mean these deep tech companies have to wait years to make any money.Joe Wolfel, the co-founder and CEO of Terradepth, a company looking to build autonomous drones to map the ocean floor, told Found that Terradepth was very intentional about setting up its revenue streams. While it still has a ways to go before its autonomous drones will be roaming the ocean floor, the company is looking to provide the same services to commercial and government customers in the meantime, both manually and through a dashboard, because companies need information on the ocean floor now.One thing you learn pretty quickly in combat is you cant steer something thats not moving, Wolfel said. Theres no substitute for on-the-ground learning right? We are eating our own dog food everyday.We heard a different approach to this same concept from Paul Hedrick, the founder of Western wear company Tecovas. Hedrick told Found that he knew he wanted Tecovas to be a direct-to-consumer brand but he didnt want to just set up a website and wait around for sales to come in. Because of this, he started selling his boots out of the back of his car at farmers markets right away so he could get customer feedback and sales from the beginning.Dont forget to build a company around your productWhen a startup is just getting off the ground, founders are focused on building a product and getting said product to market as they probably should be. But founders should make sure they dont forget to think about building the actual company around the product too.Gavin Uberti, the co-founder and CEO of chipmaker Etched, told Found that one early mishap the company had was that they didnt think about setting up employee benefits until it was too late. Uberti said the company only realized it had waited too long when one of its employees broke their leg before the company had set up health insurance which wasnt a quick process to remedy.Ubertis story was a good reminder that when founders are trying to move fast and break things, its important for them to also take care of all the other elements needed to build a lasting company that takes care of its employees.

Located across from the North Cornwall Congregational Church in Cornwall, Connecticut, this vernacular, Greek Revival building was constructed by 1847 as the Adelphic Institute, a private school. The Adelphic Institute was founded by Ambrose Rogers, son of Deacon Noah Rogers of the Congregational Church in the village, on land and adjacent to the house he had inherited from his father. The school would eventually relocate to New Milford, Connecticut, in 1860 and this building was converted to a parsonage and meeting room for the church and village. It is now privately owned on the property of the old Rogers house.

Discovering that your Google Account has been compromised can be alarming, but it's usually not too ... [+] difficult to regain controlNurPhoto via Getty ImagesTABLE OF CONTENTSGmail is and has been for years one of the most popular free email services, with around two billion active users around the world. Access comes via a Google account, which also includes Google Ads, YouTube and Google Play. And because of this, a compromised Google account can give the hackers access to a wide range of data, including emails, documents, photos and even financial details. Using this information, they can scam your contacts with spam, phishing emails or malicious attachments or even extort you. But don't despair: if your Google account is hacked, it's possible to regain it and keep it secure in future.Is Your Google Account Compromised?While Google implements powerful security measures, there are still ways for hackers to gain access to your account, most commonly by using credentials stolen in data breaches or through phishing emails, as well as malware or insecure wifi connections.There are a number of signs that your Google account may have been hacked. You might find that your password no longer works, for example, or that other personal information relating to the account has been changed. You may receive a security alert from Google warning that there has been a sign-in to your account from a new device, or of other behaviour that it deems unusual or suspicious. Other warning signs include a tip-off from friends or family who may be receiving strange messages purportedly from you.Sign 1: Changes To Security SettingsIt's a sure-fire sign that your Google account has been hacked if you see changes to your security settings that you didn't make.You could find that there's a different recovery phone number or recovery email address, for example, or alternative or contact email address. The name on your account may have been changed, or your security question, and you might find that two-factor authentication has been turned off without your knowledge. All these are signs that a hacker has gained access and is now controlling the account.MORE FOR YOUSign 2: Suspicious ActivityYou may spot odd activity in Google products that you use: missing or deleted emails, or sent emails that you didn't write.Similarly, if you have a YouTube channel you may see videos that you didn't upload or unauthorized changes to your profile. Google Drive, too, could show activity that's nothing to do with you, Photos may be sharing your pictures without permission, and Blogger users may see posts appearing that they didn't write. You may spot any of these events yourself, or be alerted by bemused contacts.Sign 3: Unauthorized Financial ActivityPerhaps the most alarming sign that your Google account has been hacked is discovering unauthorized financial transactions.You may find that unknown purchases have been made with Google Pay, or that new payment methods such as bank accounts, credit cards, debit cards or gift cards have been added. The same thing can happen with Google Play too.Sign 4: A Security Alert From GoogleGoogle sends out security alerts when it thinks it's detected suspicious behaviour from a Google Account. These will be sent to your recovery phone or email address.This can include a sign-in from a new device, or unusual activity such as a big increase in the number of emails being sent. The company will also issue an alert if it needs to block someone from taking an important action, such as viewing stored passwords. Be warned, though: sometimes fraudsters issue false security alerts themselves; you can check if it's genuine here.What Should You Do If Your Google Account Is Hacked?As we've seen, a hacked Google account can cause no end of damage, particularly if the hackers are able to gain access to financial information. This means you'll need to act fast.Your first move should be to sign in to your account if you can, select Security and then Review security events to check that you have actually been hacked. You should turn on two-step verification to make sure the hackers don't just get straight back in, check for and delete any malware, and check other apps and services to see whether they have been hacked too. It's a good idea to contact your bank or other financial services to let them know what's happened. And it's also worth informing all of your contacts, in case the hackers try to make a move on them too.Step 1: Turn On 2-Step VerificationWith two-step verification turned on, anyone signing into your account will need to go through a second step to get access or else use a passkey.When you create a passkey the simplest option you'll no longer need a password. If you choose to continue using a password instead, there are various options for the second step such as receiving Google prompts or using a verification code. You can check out the options and sign up by going to Security, followed by How you sign in to Google.Step 2: Check For And Delete Any MalwareThere's a fair chance that the hackers have gained access to your Google account by persuading you to unwittingly download malware.You can check whether this is the case by going to myaccount.google.com/security-checkup. Install and run a trustworthy anti-virus package, which should identify and remove any suspicious software. You may want to install a more secure browser too.Step 3: Check Other Apps And ServicesHackers often try to use a hacked account to access other services where you may have used the same password.This might include online banking, financial platforms and social media. You should take a look at all of them, change all your passwords to something unique and hard to guess, and enable two-factor authentication.Step 4: Contact Your BankYou should obviously contact your bank if you find that the hackers have been accessing your cash but even if you've seen no signs of this, it's not a bad idea.Your Google account could contain all sorts of information that could allow the criminals to gain access to your bank account or other financial services or start using your identity to impersonate you.Step 5: Warn Your ContactsHackers frequently use a compromised account to target friends and contacts with phishing scams or malware-laden links.And while it may be embarrassing to have to admit that you've been hacked, it's the decent thing to do. Warn everybody in your contacts list to be on the lookout for suspicious messages from you, and to delete anything that could be suspicious.How Can You Recover Your Google Account?As we've seen, regaining control of your Google Account isn't usually too problematic as long as you can still log in. But what if the hackers have changed your account information, such as your password or recovery phone number, so you can't?The good news is that it's still generally perfectly possible, and that you'll just need to jump through a few extra hoops tyo get back in control of your Google Account. You should start by visiting the account recovery page. It makes things much easier if you do this from a device and location that youve used before, as this helps reassure the company that you are who you say you are. Here, you'll find a series of questions designed to make sure that you really are the owner of the account. You'll be asked for your recovery email address or recovery phone number, as well as previous passwords and answers to security questions even if you can't get these exactly right, it will help to make your case.How Can You Protect Your Google Account From Hackers?Protecting your Google Account from hackers is a question of basic cyber hygiene and if you've been hacked already, now is the time to make sure it doesn't happen again. First, make sure your recovery email address and phone number are up to date and then remember which ones you've used.It's important to use a strong password, with upper and lower case letters, numbers, symbols and so on. And if you haven't already turned on two-step verification, do it now. Other good practices for keeping your account safe include making sure that your anti-virus package, apps, browser and operating system are all up to date, so that you always have the latest security updates. Get rid of any apps and browser extensions that you aren't actually using. And finally, be very, very wary of any unsolicited messages asking you to click on links, or that seem suspicious in other ways.Bottom LineDiscovering that your Google Account has been compromised can be alarming and for good reason. However, it's usually not too difficult to regain control, though the process can sometimes be time-consuming. And a few simple measures should help keep it safe in future.Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)Can You Get Hacked By Opening An Email?It's easy to get a bit paranoid about the risk of being hacked but, in fact, this rarely happens unless you've done something risky.Theres very little chance that your email account can be hacked if all youve done is open an unsolicited email. The risk only really arises if you interact with it in some way, by clicking on a link or downloading an attachment. Nowadays, with improved security, it's simply not possible to get a virus simply by opening an email.What Should You Do If Your Gmail Account Is Hacked?If your Gmail account has been hacked, you may be tipped off by changed personal information or a password that no longer works. Other signs are a security alert, sign-ins from new devices or strange emails coming from your account.Unfortunately, a hacked Gmail account will give the criminals access to all the Google services you use. However, this also means that the process for recovering and protecting your Gmail account is the same as for any element of your Google Account just visit the Google help center recovery pagehere. You should regain control of all Google services.How Do You See If Someone Logged Into Your Google Account?It couldn't be simpler to see whether somebody else is logged into your Google Account.Just visit your account,here, select Security and then select Manage all devices on the Your devices panel. This will display where youre currently signed in yourself, along with any that have been used in the last few weeks. If there are any that arent you, simply click on them and select Sign Out.

In context: A recent report about the video game industry put the spotlight on skyrocketing development costs and the pursuit of ever more realistic graphics. While graphical fidelity certainly contributes to inflated budgets and extended development timelines, other factors play equally significant roles in driving up costs. These include the creation of massive open worlds and broader, non-gaming-specific issues such as resource misallocation and poor management. There is a compelling case to be made that the gaming industry's bloated budgets are driven by a frenzied quest for greater graphics. This push for realistic visuals has been a trend for decades as gaming giants sought to captivate audiences. And for many this strategy paid off: it transformed simplistic 2D environments into richly detailed, lifelike worlds, drawing in legions of players.However, as the cost of achieving such realism surged, the returns started to diminish. At the same time, as a new generation of gamers entered the market, their tastes have gravitated towards games with simpler graphics but robust social features."It's very clear that high-fidelity visuals are only moving the needle for a vocal class of gamers in their 40s and 50s," Jacob Navok, a former executive at Square Enix who left that studio to start his own media company, told The New York Times. "But what does my 7-year-old son play? Minecraft. Roblox. Fortnite."While graphical fidelity undoubtedly plays a role in inflating budgets, it is not the sole culprit. An equally compelling case can be made that the primary factor of rising video game development costs are labor expenses and resource mismanagement. In high-cost cities like Los Angeles, each employee can cost a studio between $15,000 and $20,000 per month, including salaries, benefits, and overhead. As development teams have grown significantly in size, these costs have multiplied exponentially.Whatever the cause of the soaring development costs, some argue that the gaming industry faces a critical juncture because its current path is not sustainable. Video game journalist Jason Schreier illustrated this point in his Bloomberg report: "Let's do some quick napkin math. If you have 100 employees and you're estimating $15,000 a month (a conservative guess) for each one, you're spending $18 million a year. But these days, the top game studios are much bigger than that. So if you have 300 employees and you're estimating $20,000 a month for each one (got to pay good wages to compete in 2025), you're spending $72 million a year." // Related StoriesRecent revelations from an Activision executive's deposition in a lawsuit shed further light on the staggering costs of modern game development. Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015) cost $450 million to develop, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) cost $640 million, and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020) cost $700 million. With over 3,000 people working on the Call of Duty franchise, labor costs are undeniably substantial.There are other factors at play. Modern games often feature massive levels and sprawling open worlds, requiring significant development time and resources. Management issues, such as inefficient workflows, technological shifts, and indecisive executives, can also lead to wasted time and inflated budgets.Abrupt changes in direction such as pivoting from single-player to multiplayer games-as-a-service can further compound inefficiencies and costs.Industry veterans frequently share stories of wasteful practices, such as features being canceled due to executive whims or teams continuing work on levels slated for removal because of poor communication. While iteration is a natural part of game development, excessive "wasted" work often results in crunch time and budget overruns.As production expenses for major gaming titles breach the hundred-million-dollar threshold, game companies would be wise to engage in serious self-reflection and examine their internal processes if they hope to maintain a sustainable and innovative industry.

Run Windows, Linux and BSD virtual machines on a Windows or Linux desktop with VMware Workstation Pro.Build, test and demo software across an array of different devices, platforms and clouds. IT professionals, developers and businesses rely on Workstation Pro every day to support their projects and customers. Workstation Pro makes it easy to run complex local virtual environments to simulate operating systems, platforms and clouds, all from the same desktop PC.What are the different editions of VMware Workstation?The VMware Workstation product line consists of two products: Workstation Pro and Workstation Player. Collectively they are referred to as 'VMware Workstation,' and when there are differences, they are called out.What are the differences between Workstation Pro and Workstation Player?Workstation Pro and Workstation Player share the same hypervisor technology, but with unique user interfaces for different types of use.Workstation Player is designed for a single graphical VM operation, or for command line operation with 'vmrun' or ' for running a different operating system in a secure isolated sandbox on a PC.Workstation Pro is designed for IT professionals and developers, providing a more fully featured interface with capabilities for running multiple virtual machines at the same time. Workstation Pro can provide and configure virtual networking, create clones, connect to vSphere, show multiple VMs at the same time in a tabbed UI and more.Do I need to dual boot or repartition the disk?No, VMware Workstation uses your computer's file system and creates files that map to a virtual machine's disk drives, so there is no need to create a partition for each operating system. If you already have another OS with dual boot installed on your computer, you can use VMware Workstation to run the other OS in a virtual machine on your host operating system.Instead of dual booting, you can run both operating systems simultaneously and seamlessly switch from one operating system to another with a click of your mouse.FeaturesRun VMs and Containers on a Single PCDeploy local OCI containers and Kubernetes clusters with VM isolation, virtual networking and virtual resource options through the new vctl CLI tool.Develop and Test for Any PlatformFix more bugs and ship quality code on time using Workstation Pro in development and testing. Virtualize nearly any x86 operating system available today on a desktop PC.Enjoy Baked-In vSphere and ESXi SupportRun ESXi and vCenter as virtual machines on the desktop, and connect to a remote vSphere environment for quick VM access and basic management tasks.Run Secure and Isolated DesktopsRun a secure second desktop with different privacy settings, tools and networking configurations for online protection, or to take "snapshots" that can be restored later.Expand the Power of Your PC with VirtualizationDiscover the true power and flexibility of your desktop or laptop computer with VMware Workstation. Reduce hardware costs by 50% or more by running multiple operating systems simultaneously on a single PC. Automate and streamline tasks to save time and improve productivity. Join the millions worldwide who use Workstation to:Host legacy applications and overcome platform migration issuesConfigure & test new software or patches in an isolated environmentAutomate tasks for software development and testingDemonstrate multi-tier configurations on a single PCUse Multiple Operating Systems Concurrently on the Same PCVMware Workstation makes it simple to create and run multiple virtual machines on your desktop or laptop computer. You can convert an existing physical PC into a VMware virtual machine, or create a new virtual machine from scratch. Each virtual machine represents a complete PC, including the processor, memory, network connections and peripheral ports.VMware Workstation lets you use your virtual machines to run Windows, Linux and a host of other operating systems side-by-side on the same computer. You can switch between operating systems instantly with a click of a mouse, share files between virtual machines with drag-and-drop functionality and access all the peripheral devices you rely on.Take Snapshots & Videos of your Virtual MachinesWith Workstation, you can take a "snapshot" that preserves the state of a virtual machine so you can return to it at any time. Snapshots are useful when you need to revert your virtual machine to a prior, stable system state. Workstation displays thumbnails of all your snapshots on a single screen, making it easy for you to track and revert to a previously saved snapshot.You can even use Workstation 6 to record and play video files that capture all changes to a virtual machine over a period of time. This function is exclusive to VMware Workstation and is incredibly useful for software debugging, Help Desk forensics, sales demonstrations and training.Run an Entire Multi-tier System on a Single Host ComputerRun multi-tier enterprise applications on a single piece of hardware by managing network-connected virtual machines with the Teams feature of Workstation 6. Teams let you create virtual network environments that include client, server and database virtual machines.With Workstation Teams, you can turn an entire multi-tier environment on and off with a single click of the mouse button. Workstation displays live thumbnails of all connected virtual machines, enabling you to easily identify and switch between the virtual machines associated with a team.Clone your Virtual Machines to Accelerate DeploymentInstalling operating systems and applications can be time consuming. With clones, you can make many copies of a virtual machine from a single installation and configuration process. This capability makes it fast and simple to distribute standardized computing environments to employees and students, or to create a baseline configuration for testing.Take Your Virtual Machines With YouNew to Workstation is the ability to create and deploy secure virtual machines (called ACEs) with the ACE Option Pack. Mobility is one of the primary benefits of this option pack, as it enables users to securely take their desktops with them on portable media devices such as USB thumb drives.What's NewWe're thrilled to announce a significant change that reflects our commitment to making VMware Fusion and VMware Workstation more accessible than ever. Starting November 11, 2024, these powerful desktop hypervisor products will be available for free to everyone commercial, educational, and personal users alike.Introducing vmclivmcli is a command-line tool included with VMware Workstation Pro, enabling users to interact with the hypervisor directly from a Linux or macOS terminal, or the Windows command prompt. With vmcli, you can perform a variety of operations such as creating new virtual machines, generating VM templates, powering on VMs, and modifying various VM settings. Additionally, you can also create scripts to run multiple commands sequentially. For more information, see Using VMware Workstation Pro.New Guest Operating System SupportWindows Server 2025Windows 11 Version 23H2Ubuntu 24.04Fedora 40New Host Operating System SupportWindows Server 2025Windows 11 Version 23H2Ubuntu 24.04Fedora 40Resolved IssuesVMware KVM crashes while running the 'vmware-kvm --preferences' commandVMware KVM crashes when you try to open its Preferences dialog by using the 'vmware-kvm --preferences' command. This issue is resolved.Virtual machines run unusually slowly on Windows hostsRunning virtual machines on Windows hosts as a non-administrator user might result in high host CPU usage and poor guest performance. This issue is resolved.Workstation installation fails on Linux hosts with a compilation errorIf you try to install Workstation on Linux hosts with kernel version 6.8, you receive a compilation error. For details, see https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article?legacyId=80807. This issue is resolved.Security IssuesOpenSSL has been updated to 3.0.14Expat has been updated to 2.6.27zip has been updated to 23.01Known IssuesCentOS 9 Stream with kernel versions later than 5.14.0-432 is not supported on Workstation Pro 17.6 as a hostWorkaround: NoneInline product upgrade from versions earlier than 17.6 will not be automatic for Workstation Pro on Windows HostDue to the migration from VMware services to Broadcom, Workstation Pro cannot automatically apply this upgrade.Workaround: Refer to the KB368734 article for downloading and installing Workstation Pro from the Broadcom support portal.The multi-monitor feature might not work correctly in specific topologiesIn specific situations, based on different hardware and topologies, the multi-monitor feature does not work as expected. You might see issues like reverting the topology to a single screen, or not cycling through monitors.Workaround: None.

Recap: Mark Zuckerberg's offensive against Apple hasn't materialized out of thin air Meta has been locked in a years-long battle with the tech giant. A major point of contention is the 30% cut Apple takes on transactions through its App Store, which Meta sees as an arbitrary "tax." Meta has also been hamstrung by Apple's recent anti-tracking features on iOS devices, which have dealt a significant blow to its data-driven ad-targeting capabilities. In a recent podcast interview with Joe Rogan, Zuckerberg went after rival Apple, accusing the iPhone maker of resting on its laurels and hamstringing competition with restrictive policies. "They haven't invented anything great in a while," he stated bluntly. "It's like Steve Jobs invented the iPhone, and now they're just kind of sitting on it 20 years later."He also warned companies that don't keep pushing new boundaries "eventually you're just going to get beat by someone."He argued that lackluster iPhone upgrades are causing people to hold onto their devices longer, putting a dent in Apple's sales. To make up for the shortfall, Zuckerberg claimed Apple is nickel-and-diming consumers and third-party developers."They do it by basically squeezing people...having this 30% tax on developers by getting you to buy more peripherals and things that plug into it," he said, referencing Apple's commission on in-app purchases and add-ons like AirPods.But Zuckerberg reserved his harshest criticism for Apple's strict control over connectivity with iPhones and other devices. He groused that Apple uses security and privacy as an excuse to hamstring rivals from plugging into its ecosystem. "It's insecure because you didn't build any security into it. And then now you're using that as a justification for why only your product can connect in an easy way," he ranted.The CEO provided a personal example his company's struggles to get their new Ray-Ban smart glasses to integrate smoothly with iPhones. He claimed if Meta could bypass Apple's "random rules" around hardware integration, it could double their profits. // Related StoriesTo be fair, Zuckerberg didn't lay all the blame at Apple's feet. He acknowledged the fast pace of the tech sector, saying that the good news is it's just "super dynamic" and things are constantly "getting invented." He warned that any company failing to innovate risks getting "beat by someone" else.He also acknowledged Apple's latest headset, the Vision Pro, represented a rare new product category for the company in recent years. But he said with a dismissive shrug that he heard "it's really good for watching movies."All in all, Zuckerberg's comments highlight the growing tensions between the two tech giants. Apple's long-standing prioritization of security and privacy has increasingly put it at odds with adtech companies like Meta that want unfettered access to user data.

MGM Distribution CoTable of ContentsTable of ContentsSafe (2012)Walking Tall (2004)War (2007)There are so many great action movies to choose from starring A-listers as well as newcomers. A good action movie gets you pumped as you live vicariously through the stars who drive, fight, and charm their way through dangerous situations.Jason Statham and action movies go hand in hand, and this month, three action movies on Amazon Prime Video you need to watch in January 2025 include two films in which he stars. Thats no surprise since he always brings the heat and the box office success. Once you finish enjoying The Fall Guy, an action comedy thats also coming to Amazon Prime Video this month, take a look at these older action flicks.Recommended VideosNeed more recommendations? Then check out thebest new movies to stream this week, thebest movies on Netflix, thebest movies on Hulu, thebest movies on Amazon Prime Video, thebest movies on Max, and thebest movies on Disney+.RelatedSafe (2012)Safe (2012) - Official Trailer #1In the action thriller Safe, Jason Statham is Luke Wright, an ex-police officer who is also a cage fighter. When a fight is fixed but he wins it anyway when he wasnt supposed to, the head of the Russian mafia orders the murder of Wrights pregnant wife in retaliation, along with anyone else who is close to him. Angered and depressed, Wright abandons his life to become homeless. But when he meets a young Chinese woman named Mei (Catherine Chan) who is on the run from the same enemies, he has a reinvigorated sense of life, fueled by the need to both protect and avenge.If youre looking for a formulaic, predictable action movie, Safe is, well, a safe choice. Our reviewer says the film packs a punch and manages to deliver the goods when it comes to the precisely choreographed, gritty fight scenes that Statham is so great at performing.Stream Safe on Amazon Prime Video.Walking Tall (2004)WALKING TALL (2004) | Official Trailer | MGMRising from wrestler to one of the most bankable (and highest-paid) movie actors in Hollywood, Dwayne The Rock Johnson stars in this vigilante action movie that highlights his dominating presence in a way fans will love. He stars as Chris Vaughn in Walking Tall, a former U.S. Army Special Forces serviceman who returns home to find that an old school friend is running a shady casino there, with plenty of power and influence within the community. Vaughn is almost killed for trying to report the casinos misdeeds, but he wont give up that easily and promises to clean up the town. That starts with being elected as the new sheriff.Now that hes literally the new sheriff in town, Vaughn is ready to make sweeping changes and flex his muscles in more ways than one. Walking Tall, which also stars Johnny Knoxville, Neal McDonough, Kevin Durand, and Cobie Smulders, is corny fun that is high on entertainment value. It even spawned two direct-to-video sequels.Stream Walking Tall on Amazon Prime Video.War (2007)War (2007) Trailer #1If its action you seek, it doesnt get much better than Jet Li. Or perhaps it does when you add Jason Statham to the mix. While most critics did not like War, audiences were all for it, if for no other reason than the enthralling choreographed fight scenes and testosterone-filled moments of violence and anger. Set in San Francisco, its about FBI agent John Crawford (Statham), who mourns the death of his former partner Tom Lone (Li) at the hands of a notorious assassin known as Rogue who is working for the Japanese yakuza.There are twists in War that bring the plot into focus, and themes of friendship, honor, and trust. If youre just looking to pump your fists in the air at epic fight scenes from two of the best in the genre, War delivers. James Berardinelli of ReelViews puts it best: This isnt great cinema, but it adequately fills a niche. Those who like their action loud and bloody wont be disappointed.Stream War on Amazon Prime Video.Editors Recommendations

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Table of ContentsTable of ContentsNo, it doesnt predict the futureLatency isnt the issue you think it isA completely new modelNvidia stole the show at CES 2025 with the announcement of the RTX 5090, and despite plenty of discourse about the cards $2,000 price tag, it ushers in a lot of new technology. Chief among them is DLSS 4, which brings multi-frame generation to Nvidias GPUs, offering a 4X performance boost in over 75 games right away when Nvidias new RTX 50-series GPUs hit the streets.Ive seen way too much misunderstanding about how DLSS 4 actually works, though. Between misleading comments from Nvidias CEO and a radical redesign to how DLSS works, its no wonder theres been misinformation floating around about the new tech, what its capable of, and, critically, what limitations it has.So, lets set the record straight, at least as much as I can before Nvidias new graphics cards are here and we all experience what DLSS 4 has to offer first-hand.Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming NvidiaOne of the main issues about properly understanding how DLSS 4 works comes from a comment Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang made during a Q&A. Jarred Walton over at Toms Hardware asked Huang about how DLSS 4 works on a technical level, and Huang categorically denied that DLSS 4 uses frame interpolation. He said that DLSS 4 predicts the future, instead of interpolating the past. Thats a buzzy quote, for sure. Too bad its incorrect.Huang has waxed poetic about DLSS Frame Generation in the past, and although this type of framing works for explaining a technology like DLSS 4 to a mainstream audience, it also leads to some misunderstandings about how it actually works. Following this quote, I actually had several readers reach out telling me that I was misunderstanding how DLSS 4 works. Im not misunderstanding how it works, as it turns out, but I understand why theres a lot of confusion.DLSS 4s multi-frame generation uses a technique called frame interpolation. This is the same technique that we saw in DLSS 3, and its the same technique youll find in other frame generation tools like Lossless Scaling and AMDs FSR 3. Frame interpolation works like this: Your graphics card renders two frames, and then an algorithm steps in to calculate the difference between those frames. Then, it generates a frame to go in between, guessing what the interstitial frame would look like based on the difference between the two frames that were rendered.NvidiaAnd DLSS 4 uses frame interpolation. There has been some early research on new techniques to generate frames in particular, research from Intel about frame extrapolation but its still early days for that technology. Theres some details I cant share quite yet, but Ive confirmed with multiple sources now that DLSS 4 is, in fact, using frame interpolation. It makes sense, too. These types of rendering tools dont just pop up out of nowhere, and theres almost always a long lineage of research papers before any new rendering technique is turned into a marketable product like DLSS 4.That doesnt take away from what DLSS 4 is capable of. It might be using the same technique as DLSS 3 for creating new frames, but that shouldnt distract you from what DLSS 4 can actually do.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsI understand why Nvidia doesnt want to comment a lot on DLSS 4s use of frame interpolation. Thats because frame interpolation introduces latency. You need to render two frames and then perform the interpolation before the first frame in the sequence in displayed, so when using any frame interpolation tool, youre essentially playing on a slight delay. The assumption Ive seen is that these extra frames linearly increase latency, which isnt the case.The Verge showed concern saying it wanted to see how the new frame generation tech affects latency, while TechSpot declared that users are concerned that multi-frame rendering could compound the [latency] problem. Its a natural counter to the multiplied fake frames that DLSS 4 can spit out. If generating one frame causes a latency problem, surely generating three of them would cause a bigger latency problem. But thats not how it works.This is why its so important to understand that DLSS 4 uses frame interpolation. The idea of playing on a delay isnt any different between DLSS 3 generating one extra frame and DLSS 4 generating three extra ones the process still involves rendering two frames and comparing the difference between them. Your latency doesnt significantly increase between inserting one, two, or three extra frames in between the two that were rendered. Regardless of the number of frames that go in between, the latency added by the frame interpolation process is largely the same.Let me illustrate this. Lets say youre playing a game at 60 frames per second (fps). That means theres 16.6 milliseconds between each frame you see. With DLSS 3, your frame rate would double to 120 fps, but your latency isnt halved to 8.3ms. The game looks smoother, but theres still 16.6ms between each rendered frame. With DLSS 4, youll be able to go up to 240 fps, quadrupling your frame rate, but once again, the latency doesnt drop to 4.2ms. Its still that same 16.6ms.This is a very reductive look at PC latency theres overhead for DLSS Frame Generation to run, plus the latency added by your monitor and mouse but its useful for understanding that the core latency doesnt linearly increase when adding more frames to the frame interpolation process. The time between each rendered frame doesnt change. The latency you experience is still largely the result of your base frame rate before DLSS Frame Generation and the overhead that the tool has.DLSS 4 on Nvidia RTX 5080 First Look: Super Res + Multi Frame-Gen on Cyberpunk 2077 RT Overdrive!You dont have to just take my word for that. Digital Foundry has tested DLSS 4, including latency, and found exactly what I just described. It seems to me that the majority of the extra latency still comes from buffering that extra frame, but adding further intermediate frames comes with a relatively minimal increase in latency, wrote Digital Foundrys Richard Leadbetter. The small amount of additional latency simply comes from DLSS calculating more frames in between the two that have been rendered, so the bulk of the latency increase with DLSS 4 isnt much different from DLSS 3.The latency issue with DLSS 4 is largely the same as it is with DLSS 3. If youre playing at a low base frame rate, theres a disconnect between the responsiveness youre experiencing and the smoothness youre seeing. That disconnect will be more significant with DLSS 4, but that doesnt suddenly mean theres a massive increase in latency as a result. Thats why Nvidias impressive new Reflex 2 isnt required for DLSS 4; just like DLSS 3, developers only need to implement the first version of Reflex for DLSS 4 to work.NvidiaClarifying how DLSS 4 works might lead you to believe its more of the same, but thats not the case. DLSS 4 is a very significant departure from DLSS 3, and thats because it uses a completely different AI model. Or, I should say, AI models. As Nvidia details, DLSS 4 runs five separate AI models for each rendered frame when using Super Resolution, Ray Reconstruction, and Multi-Frame Generation, all of which need to execute in a matter of milliseconds.Because of what DLSS 4 entails, Nvidia did away with its previous Convolution Neural Network, or CNN, and its now using a vision transformer model. There are two big changes with a transformer model. First is something called self-attention. The model can track the importance of different pixels over multiple frames. Being self-referential in this way should allow the new model to focus more on problematic areas, such as thin details with Super Resolution that may show shimmering.DLSS Ray Reconstruction with New Transformer Model | Alan Wake 2Transformer models are also more scalable, allowing Nvidia to add far more parameters to DLSS than with the previous CNN approach. According to the company, the new transformer model has double the parameters, in fact.DLSS Super Resolution with New Transformer Model | Horizon Forbidden WestAs you can see in the videos above, Nvidia claims this new model has better stability and preservation of fine details compared to the previous CNN approach. These improvements arent exclusive to RTX 50-series GPUs, either. All RTX graphics cards will be able to leverage the new transformer model in DLSS 4 games, at least for the features that are supported by each generation.Ive seen DLSS 4 in action a couple of times, but the real test for the feature will be when Nvidias next-gen GPUs launch. Then, Ill be able to evaluate how the feature works across several games and scenarios to see how it holds up. Regardless, there are a lot of changes with the feature, and according to what Nvidia has shared so far, those changes work to make DLSS even better.Editors Recommendations