Friends dont let friends buy a new MacBook Air right before a newer MacBook Air comes out, right? Thats mostly true, but two exceptions. There are currently two very good MacBook Air models that you can purchase brand new that are both incredible values.M1 or higherFirst is the oldest MacBook Air thats still sold. That would be the M1 MacBook Air that currently goes for $649 (regular $699) from Walmart. If youre buying a MacBook Air thats older than this model, then make sure it costs well below $649. Thats because it still uses an Intel chip and not Apple silicon, meaning performance and features just wont be the same.While its far from state-of-the-art, the M1 MacBook Air exclusively sold through Walmart is your most affordable ticket to an Apple laptop.M2 if base modelIf budget allows, however, the M2 MacBook Air is worth careful consideration at its current sales price of $799 (regular $999). This model features the current MacBook Air design with MagSafe charging, the blackish-blue Midnight color option, and most importantly, double the RAM. Thats thanks to Apple doubling the base RAM from 8GB to 16GB last fall, likely to support future Apple Intelligence features more easily. For this reason, we love Apple Intelligence.While Apple will sell you an M2 MacBook Air for $999, we only recommend buying at this point if you can take advantage of a $200 off discount.M3? Wait for M4Everyone else should wait for these reasons:If you care about the performance difference between M2 and M3, you should wait for the M4. We already know what kind of performance it provides since the M4 has been out for a while now.If you want to increase your storage or RAM from the base 256GB and 16GB, you should wait. Youre already paying Apple upgrade prices so budget isnt a big factor. Hold out for the M4 configurations.If you want a 15-inch MacBook Air, definitely wait. Apple only sells the 15-inch MacBook Air with the M3 chip, and Apple doesnt discount its products just because new hardware is about to replace it. So there you have it. On a budget? Dont wait to upgrade. The deals today are as compelling as ever. Want the latest and greatest, upgraded specs, or a bigger screen? Hold out for the M4 MacBook Air. Its just around the corner.Best MacBook Air accessoriesApple 35W Dual Port USB Power Adapter for recharging your MacBook Air and your iPhone, iPad, or AirPods at the same time.An inexpensive MacBook Air sleeve for keeping the scratches on the shiny aluminum finish between uses.Or a transparent snap-on case that stays on without making your MacBook Air thick and heavy.Want to keep your keyboard looking pristine? Using a keyboard cover will prevent your keys from turning shiny after a few months of usage.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Oh no.Slop Goes the WeaselReddit is poised to be overrun with infinite AI-powered marketing campaigns, if one enterprising techEnter Astral, billed as a "24/7 AI startup that works to grow your startups" by relentlessly shilling any brand. In a brief demonstration on X-formerly-Twitter and spotted by Gizmodo, Astral founder Savannah Feder showcases the speed with which Astral can mercilessly spam Reddit threads with targeted ad copy designed to read like posts by actual people complete with a fake disclosure, to keep things ethical."Been using Probe lately to run automated interviews with users (disclosure: currently working with them)," the software spits out in reply to a post asking how to get better at taking customer feedback. "It's actually helped me be more objective since the AI handles the conversations and summarizes patterns."Startups on StartupsFeder went out of her way to design Astral as an AI agent in order to get around Reddit's API restrictions, which are specifically designed to ward off the kind of spam the founder hopes to build her tech dynasty on. This is Astral's primary use case not accessibility or simplifying tedious tasks, but unlocking another way to hawk products. Because we didn't have enough of those, clearly.For many, simply plopping "reddit" at the end of a search query has been the only surefire way to cut through the AI-generated slop Google increasingly shoves down our throats.Thanks to Astral and other "computer use" AI agents like it, that temporary oasis will soon be clearcut by opportunistic AI spam purveyers ad infinitum until the bubble bursts, and maybe long afterward as well, since the worst uses of AI also seem to be the cheapest.While the spammy enterprise might just be the latest footnote in the startup churn, it's nonetheless another sign that the old internet is being stripped for its parts which might be agreeable, as long as your vision of utopia is a LinkedIn feed that never ends.Share This Article

Jan 15, 2025The Hacker NewsICS Security / Threat DetectionWhy does ICS/OT need specific controls and its own cybersecurity budget today? Because treating ICS/OT security with an IT security playbook isn't just ineffectiveit's high risk.In the rapidly evolving domain of cybersecurity, the specific challenges and needs for Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Operational Technology (OT) security distinctly stand out from traditional IT security. ICS/OT engineering systems, which power critical infrastructure such as electric power grids, oil and gas processing, heavy manufacturing, food and beverage processes, and water management facilities, require tailored cybersecurity strategies, and controls. This is due to the increasing attacks towards ICS/OT, their unique operational missions, a different risk surface than that of traditional IT networks, and the significant safety consequences from cyber incidents that impact the physical world.Critical infrastructure should be protected against today's threats to continue supporting national safety and economic stability. ICS/OT-specific controls and a dedicated cybersecurity strategy is an effective and responsible approach.The Rising Cyber Threats to ICS/OT EnvironmentsICS technologies, crucial to modern infrastructure, are increasingly targeted in sophisticated cyber-attacks. These attacks, often aimed at causing irreversible physical damage to critical engineering assets, highlight the risks of interconnected and digitized systems. Recent incidents like TRISIS, CRASHOVERRIDE, Pipedream, and Fuxnet demonstrate the evolution of cyber threats from mere nuisances to potentially catastrophic events, orchestrated by state-sponsored groups and cybercriminals. These actors target not just financial gains but also disruptive outcomes and acts of warfare, blending cyber and physical attacks. Additionally, human-operated Ransomware and targeted ICS/OT ransomware pose concerns being on the rise in recent times. When it comes to leveraging ICS/OT specific controls to detect threats to our critical infrastructure, recent data from the 2024 SANS ICS/OT Cybersecurity Survey revealed that only 31% of respondents have a SOC (Security Operations Center) that includes capabilities specific to ICS/OT, which is crucial for effective incident response and ongoing system monitoring.As such, critical infrastructure, the engineering systems we rely on that make, move, and power our world, would do well to leverage ICS/OT specific threat detection and visibility, controls with an ICS specific budget to protect the engineering systems that operate our modern way of life.Evaluating ICS/OT Cybersecurity Spending and RiskThere may be a risky imbalance in security budget allocation in some ICS/OT organizations. It's understood, and rightfully so, that for the last few decades, security funding was almost solely dedicated to IT technology and IT networks due to traditional attacks using traditional vectors on traditional support systems. However, the threat landscape has changed due to interconnectivity. Now, IT networks and the Internet introduce significantly higher risks to connected ICS/OT environments than the risks ICS/OT and engineering environments had a few decades ago.In fact, data from the 2024 SANS State of ICS/OT Cybersecurity Report indicate that 46% of attacks on ICS/OT environments are sourced from a compromise in IT support networks that allow threats into ICS/OT, impacting networks and operations. This is concerning given the complex nature of ICS threats and the severe multi-sector cascading impacts that may result from a coordinated engineering cyber-attack in a vital critical infrastructure sector, such as the electric sector. Furthermore, attacks on ICS/OT can have serious consequences to the environment, and to the safety of people.Evaluating ICS/OT Cybersecurity ControlsThere may be a risky deployment of security controls in ICS/OT, if they are IT-centric. Despite their critical role, many ICS/OT systems remain under-protected in several areas, such as security controls dedicated to ICS/OT environments and incident response. For example, research from the 2023 SANS ICS/OT Cybersecurity Report revealed that only 52%of these facilities have a dedicated regularly exercised ICS/OT incident response plan that is engineering-driven.Traditional IT security measures, when applied to ICS/OT environments, can provide a false sense of security and disrupt engineering operations and safety. Thus, it is important to consider and prioritize the SANS Five ICS Cybersecurity Critical Controls. This freely available whitepaper sets forth the five most relevant critical controls for an ICS/OT cybersecurity strategy that can flex to an organization's risk model and provides guidance for implementing them.It is also important to note that using just one of the Five ICS Cybersecurity Critical Controls ICS Network Visibility Monitoring as an example - has benefits far more than just security-related. For example, mature organizations cite the main benefits of this control in the following areas as directly contributing to safety and engineering across: Safe, passive industrial traffic analysis to identify engineering assets to build an ICS/OT asset inventoryEngineering troubleshooting capabilitiesSafe, passive industrial traffic analysis to identify engineering system vulnerabilitiesIndustrial and engineering-driven specific incident response capabilitiesMeeting compliance requirementsStrategic Realignment OpportunitiesIt is worth reevaluating ICS/OT risks, impacts, budgets, and controls to protect what makes an ICS organization a business the engineering and operating technology systems. ICS/OT environments in many cases are not suited to leverage traditional IT security controls, where traditional IT security controls cause more problems than good.By aligning security expenditures with the critical functions that drive business in ICS organizations and critical infrastructurenamely, the operational technologies at Purdue Levels 1 to Level 3.5 to start for exampleorganizations and utilities can enhance security to operate more safely and efficiently in today's ICS/OT cyber threat landscape. Leadership and tactical analysts in ICS/OT critical infrastructure sector utilities can verify and/or implement the threat-driven prioritized SANS Five ICS Cybersecurity Critical Controls.Tactical analysts can attend my course run of ICS515 - a 6-day technical ICS/OT incident response and visibility training this February at the SANS New Orleans event Powered by ICS Security.Join industry peers, SANS expert instructors, and practitioners for hands-on workshop and ICS/OT security training at the 20th Annual ICS Security Summit in Orlando this coming June 15-17. About the AuthorDean Parsons is a renowned ICS/OT security expert with over 20 years of experience in the field. As a prominent figure at SANS, Dean has devoted his career to advancing the defense posture of critical infrastructure in all sectors, worldwide.Join Dean in class for ICS515 in New Orleans, Orlando, San Diego, or another convenient time in 2025 for tactical ICS/OT cybersecurity defense, and connect with him and other ICS/OT experts at this year's 20th Anniversary SANS ICS Summit in June 2025 in Orlando.Found this article interesting? This article is a contributed piece from one of our valued partners. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

Every movie is different; different stories, different actors, different characters, different languages, different genres. The great constant in all of them is time. The time it takes to make them. The time it takes to watch them. It is the uniting factor in every single film, as it is in all of our lives.Onscreen characters can sometimestravel through time or stop it entirely,and the creators of moviescan useediting to alterthe flow of time. But for the audience in the theater, the clocknever stopsticking. Thats one of the concepts bubbling throughThe Clocka one-of-a-kind, 24-hour video essay.Director Christian Marclay(plus a team of researchers) compiled thousands of film clips involving clocks, watches, and references to specific times of day, then edited them together into a chronological loopthat also functions as a working clock. Whatever time it is when you watchThe Clock, thats the time it is onscreen.Marclay developed The Clockover a period of five years and first showed it publicly in 2010.Its currently on display at MoMA but only during the museums operating hours. (They held one 24-hour screening of the whole thing back in December. It sold out instantly.)I missedThe Clockthe handful of times its played in New York Cityin the past, so Iwas determined to catch it this time. The screening room where its on display in MoMA isnt large, and containsjust three rows of cramped Ikea couches. Once the room reaches capacity, you have to join a virtual queue and wait for someone inside to leave before you get your turn.Once youre inside, you can watch as long as you want. But if you have to get up for a bathroom or food break, youve got to wait on line again if you want to go back in. Hoping to avoid a significant wait time, Ishowed up at MoMArightthey opened at 10:30 AM. Thankfully, I was able to walk right in.A film compiled entirely from snippets of movie scenes involving the passage of time might sound boring or repetitive. (Thewoman who sat down next to me turned to her companionandwhispered Wait,this is it? when the reality ofwhat shed signed up forfully dawned on her.) In fact,the 100 minutes I spent watchingThe Clockpassed faster than any others Ive spent in 40+ years of going to the movies (or to big black rooms filled with Ikea furniture). I couldnt believe how quickly 10:30 turned into 12 PM.If I didnt have a job and responsibilities I would have sat there until MoMA kicked me out. (If MoMAdidnt kick people out when they closed, I would have gladly sat there for 24 hours.)Paradoxically, it seems that calling attention to the passage of time in a cinematiccontextonly makes it move faster.CertainlyThe Clockcontains its share ofsuperficial pleasures. Its fun when you instantly recognize a movie.(Some of the films that appeared in the excerpt I watched:The Breakfast Club,Once Upon a Time in the West,Big Daddy,The 400 Blows,The Bank Job,The Game,Sideways,Falling Down,The Quick and the Dead,High Noon,Bad Santa, Easy Rider, andDressed to Kill.) I also spotted a clip from onetelevision show, which felta little bit likea betrayal of Marclayspact withhis audience. Then again, given that the clip in question was from the episode ofThe Twilight Zone entitled Time Enough at Last, perhapsitsthematic link to The Clocks centralconceit was strong enough tomerit its inclusion.Its also fun when you dont recognizeMarclays film picks, which happens quite often in avideo essay comprised of some 12,000 movie excerpts. A viewing of The Clock is sure to inspire a viewer to go track down (or at least Google) some of the stranger scenes. As soon as I left the theater, Ilooked up the sequencein which a man climbs out onto the face of Big Ben to delay a bomb explosion. (Its from the 1978 remake ofThe Thirty Nine Steps, directed by Don Sharp.)Even stripped of context, that sequence was suspenseful; watching a man dangle hundreds of feet in the air will always make your palms sweat, even if you dont know who the man is or why hes up there. Funny how that and all movies work, somethingyou get plenty of time to contemplate watchingThe Clock.But theres a lot more to The Clockthan that. Itsstructure calls attention to how time works, both on and off screen; howso many thrillers use a literal ticking clock as a storytelling crutch, and how so many others use itto enhance a punchline. Maclayincludes a ton of scenes that feature recognizable actors, whose presence has a stabilizing effect on our attention. (A familiar face in a movie instantly aligns us with that character even if, as in the case ofThe Clock, their actions and motivations are unclear.)Recurring cameos from famous movie stars also allow the viewer to contemplate the effect of the passage of time on the human body. In the feature-length segment I saw this week, CharlesBronson popped up three different times at three totally different ages; once as a young hunk, once as a weathered, confident star, and once as a fading action hero. Photography captures a momentin time, but if you string enough ofthose moments together you start to see time flow and ebb and slip through the proverbial hourglass.Sadly, I could only stay for 100 minutes of The Clockbefore I had to surrender my seat to another willing participant in this illuminating and slightly hypnotic experiment. As I got up to exit the theater, the filmWhatever happened next, I dont know.I left, and The Clockkept going. Time marches on.The Clockis on view at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City through February 17.Get our free mobile appThe Dumbest Questions People Ask Google About MoviesThese are all real questions from the People Also Ask section of Google. People asked these questions!

About Us:Customer Success Manager to join our dynamic, fully remote team and help our clients maximize the value of Lindy.ai's solutions.The Role:Customer Success Manager, youll be the go-to person for our clients, ensuring they achieve their goals with Lindy.ais products. Youll build strong relationships, provide proactive support, and act as a bridge between our customers and internal teams. Your ability to listen, strategize, and deliver results will make you an invaluable partner to our clients.Key Responsibilities:Serve as the primary point of contact for a portfolio of clients, ensuring their needs are met and exceeded.Develop and maintain strong, long-term relationships with customers.Onboard new clients, providing training and resources to set them up for success.Proactively monitor client usage and performance metrics to identify opportunities for growth or areas of concern.Collaborate with product and technical teams to ensure customer feedback informs product development.Resolve issues and provide timely, effective solutions to customer challenges.Identify upsell and cross-sell opportunities, contributing to revenue growth.What Were Looking For:Proven experience in customer success, account management, or a similar role (preferably in SaaS or tech).Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts in a clear and approachable manner.A proactive and problem-solving mindset with excellent organizational skills.Familiarity with CRM tools and customer success platforms (e.g., Salesforce, Gainsight).Ability to work independently in a remote environment, with a strong sense of accountability.A passion for technology, AI, and driving customer satisfaction.What We Offer:Competitive salary and performance-based incentives.Fully remote work with flexible hours.Opportunities for growth and professional development.A collaborative and innovative work culture.Access to cutting-edge AI tools and resources.How to Apply:[emailprotected] and explain why youd be a great fit for this role.Join us at Lindy.ai, where technology meets innovation, and customer success drives everything we do!

Black Ops 6 zombies players are getting a good start to the year, as developerTreyarch on Wednesday revealed that a new zombies map, The Tomb, will launch at the beginning of the game's second season on Tuesday, Jan. 28.We already knew a new map was going to be revealed for 115 Day, Call of Duty's annual zombie celebration, but nobody expected such an early release date. Black Ops 6 is about to launch four zombies maps in four months, an unprecedented release schedule for the shooter franchise.In addition to information about the new map, Treyarch pulled the curtains back on how well its zombie Directed Mode is working and shared details about quality-of-life improvements that'll be folded into the season 2 launch.Here's everything we know so far about the next content drop on Jan. 28.What we know about the next Black Ops 6 zombies map Black Ops 6 players got their first look at some shots from within The Tomb's catacombs today. ActivisionPicking up after the events of Citadelle des Morts, The Tomb will have Weaver, Maya, Carver and Grey plunge into the heart of an ancient catacomb to rediscover a powerful artifact capable of helping them deal with the undead threat.The new map has been built from the ground up for zombies. It's not reusing any locations from the campaign or Warzone modes.The Tomb will be smaller than maps like Terminus and Citadelle des Morts, forcing engagements in tighter play areas. Treyarch cited Liberty Falls as a key contributor to the design philosophy for the new map, explaining that the Black Ops 6 launch map was the most replayed zombies experience in recent years.Fan-favorite weapons will return, including an old Black Ops SMG and a "reimagined Wonder Weapon inspired by [Treyarch's] past." While there's no word yet on what these weapons will be, the Wunderwaffe DG-2 lightning gun featured prominently in the Liberty Falls intro cutscene and has not yet appeared on a Black Ops 6 zombies map.In addition to the main Easter egg, The Tomb will have a strong focus on side Easter eggs -- like the Liberty Falls bowling alley minigame and bank vault. More info about the new map will be unveiled in next week's season 2 blog.Black Ops 6 season 2 quality-of-life improvements revealedIt looks like the beginning of season 2 will largely focus on improving the Black Ops 6 zombies experience, but that doesn't mean the multiplayer mode is being left high and dry. There are four key changes being made to players' quality-of-life at the beginning of season 2.Multiplayer and Zombies mode challenge tracking: Players will now be able to separately track challenges for multiplayer and zombies. In addition, players can now pin 10 challenges for each mode at any given time -- if no challenges are manually pinned, Black Ops 6 will show players the challenges they are closest to completing.Separate HUDs for multiplayer and zombies modes: Players who want to use different heads-up display layouts for the different modes will now be able to do so without toggling each and every option whenever they swap between multiplayer and zombies.Co-op pause: If everyone in a lobby is grouped in a single co-op party, pausing in zombies mode will function like it does in a solo session. Crucially, this feature will not work if you aren't in a party with every player in your co-op game.AFK kick loadout recovery:If you're kicked from a zombies game for AFKing for too long, you are now able to rejoin the lobby and recover your weapons, equipment, score streaks and perks.Black Ops 6 zombies Directed Mode is working as planned Directed Mode makes the main Easter eggs much easier, giving players ample time to build up their loadout of Pack-a-Punched weapons, perks, armor and more. ActivisionThe final insight we received for 115 Day focuses on the new zombies mode introduced in Black Ops 6: Directed Mode.Treyarch created this mode to increase community participation in the zombies maps' main Easter eggs -- round caps and guided objectives make the challenges much easier for new and casual players to finish.Now, the developer has revealed that Directed Mode is working the way it intended. Whereas 3.38% of Call of Duty zombies players completed the main Easter egg on maps before the guided mode was introduced, that number has more than doubled with 8.23% of players completing the Black Ops 6 maps' main Easter eggs.Treyarch intends to continue looking for ways to make its zombies storyline more easily accessible to all players, but is optimistic about the results so far.Maybe more players will be able to beat the Black Ops 6 zombies maps by 115 Day in 2026.

January 15, 20253 min readBiden Opens Publicly Owned Land to Data Centers Run on Clean EnergyPresident Biden issued an executive order to permit data centers on federal lands in a move aimed at bolstering clean energy and protecting national security during a boom in artificial intelligenceBy Christa Marshall & E&E News The IAD71 Amazon Web Services data center in Ashburn, Virginia, US, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesCLIMATEWIRE | President Joe Biden issued an executive order Tuesday that directs the departments of Energy and Defense to lease sites to the private sector for a build-out of "gigawatt-scale" data centers.The move is intended to bolster clean energy and protect national security during a boom in artificial intelligence. Data centers built on federal sites would be required to bring clean energy online to match the facility's electricity needs, according to the White House.The Biden administration did not fully define clean energy in its announcement. But it called for DOE and DOD to select sites that have access to transmission and do not negatively affect communities. The executive order also directs the Interior Department to identify land that could support the data centers and enhance permitting for geothermal power.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.The order requests that federal agencies speed up permitting at selected sites, including through categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Policy Act. DOE would be required to work with utilities to connect AI infrastructure to the grid, as well as promote the deployment of renewable and nuclear energy.DOE will take appropriate steps to coordinate with developers in constructing, financing, facilitating, and planning the upgrade and development of transmission lines around those sites. To facilitate this work, DOE will also collect information to improve transmission planning in these regions, such as utility data on transmission congestion, the order states.With President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration occurring next week, its unclear how much influence the order will have. Trump has chastised Bidens push for clean energy but has called for more drilling to boost energy supplies to get ahead of China on AI. He also has pushed for a data center build-out of his own.At a press conference last week, Trump said Hussain Sajwani, a real estate developer in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, would invest $20 billion to build data centers in eight states.Bidens order has been expected for weeks. POLITICO previously reported that the president pushed for it partly because technology companies are eyeing subsidies in the Middle East to build data centers. In November, Google inked a deal to develop an artificial intelligence hub in Saudi Arabia.Tuesday's order states that the new plan would prevent adversaries from accessing powerful computer systems to the detriment of our military. AI is too important to be offshored, the order states.A DOE report last month found that data centers could triple their energy use and account for 12 percent of the countrys electricity by 2028. States and utilities have been grappling with how to plan for the surge in electricity demand. In Virginia, one of the worlds largest AI clusters, officials have warned that growth in data centers may challenge the grid without much faster construction of gas, renewables and transmission.Prior to the orders release, environmental groups warned the administration not to release a plan that would loosen environmental restrictions and increase the potential for more pollution. The order states that expedited permitting should occur for infrastructure that does not significantly affect the environment.It further directs agencies to complete a study on data centers' effects on electricity prices.According to the White House, developers would have to pay the full cost of building, operating and maintaining data centers on federal land so they don't raise costs for consumers. The order also directs DOE and DOD to require companies to assess national security risks of projects and ensure that workers are paid prevailing wages."Reporter Robin Bravender contributed.This story also appears in Energywire.Reprinted from E&E News with permission from POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2025. E&E News provides essential news for energy and environment professionals.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's next Zombies map is called The Tomb and plunges players into ancient catacombsArriving with Season 2.Image credit: Activision News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on Jan. 15, 2025 As Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 readies for the release of Season 2 on 28th January, developer Treyarch has shared initial details of Zombies mode's next map, The Tomb - which plunges players deep beneath the earth, down into ancient catacombs."As the rumours have it," Treyarch explains in a post on the Call of Duty website, "a British archeologist by the name of Sir Archibald Fotherington-Smythe conducted an excavation at the site back in 1908 with grand expectations. Although no one can say for sure what became of him, a handful of photographs from his doomed expedition have recently surfaced..."Following the events at Citadelle des Morts - Zombies mode's third Black Ops 6 maps, introduced during Season 1 - The Tombs sees Weaver, Grey, Carver, and Maya following Gabriel Krafft's final words to a nearby excavation site as they continue the search for the Sentinel Artifact. From there, it's down into the catacombs, said to be built on an ancient burial ground, and perhaps even deeper still. A glimpse of Zombies mode's new The Tomb map. | Image credit: ActivisionTreyarch says The Tombs has been designed to offer a similar experience to Zombies mode's Liberty Falls map, offering tighter play spaces with a focus on replayability. It's also promising "plenty" of Easter Eggs, as well as a reimagined Wonder Weapon inspired by its past. The studio plans to reveal more on The Tomb's gameplay features closer to The Tomb's release - but in the meantime, it's revealed a number of improvements coming to Zombies mode in Season 2.These include a much-requested co-op pause feature which, as its name suggests, enables a party leader to pause the game, provided all participants are in the same party. That's on top of loadout recovery for players who rejoin a season after being kicked while ARK, Challenge Tracker and Near Completion improvements, plus the ability to set up separate HUD presets for Zombies and multiplayer modes.According to Treyarch, Black Ops 6 players have now amassed 480m hours in Zombies since its launch last October, with Directed Mode - introduced a month later - having helped raise the average Main Quest completion rate from 3.38 percent to 8.23 percent. "This still means over 90% of people whove played Zombies haven't completed a Main Quest yet, so our mission continues," it notes, "but we're proud of these initial results, and excited to welcome so many new players into the fold with this new feature. Onward and upward!"

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereNEXONs looter shooter The First Descendant is attempting to claw back players with the introduction of jiggle physics and a wealth of new content. Unfortunately, it seems the studios attempts to entice gamers isnt working as the game continues to drain player counts with every passing day.The First Descendant player count dropsWith Season 3 promising brand-new characters and massive improvements, there was hope that The First Descendant could be the next Destiny. As it turns out, the game is quickly becoming modern Destiny as players leave the game en-masse.Via journalist Paul Tassi, who also covers other live-service loot-based games, NEXONs live-service game has lost 95.5% of Steam players in just six months. While the game launched to massive player counts, hitting an all-time peak of 264,860 concurrents on Steam alone, the game now sees a daily peak of just 12,366.The First Descendant is far from the only live-service video game suffering from dwindling player counts. After all, the aforementioned Destiny 2 has seen a massive departure of players since the release of The Final Shape, and new arcs are only seeing further declines.While NEXONs game has a strong 2025 roadmap of new characters, skins, weapons and gameplay mechanics, updates are failing to catch hold of existing players, let alone new ones. Without any growrth, despite TikTok adverts and other marketing schemes, TFD may not last as long as its core fanbase will want. At least its outlasting Concord.For more live-service game coverage, read about the highly successful Helldivers 2, and the one restriction that will be given to future crossover events. You can also read about the latest update for Diablo 4 which brings a whole host of Witch Doctor abilities to the game, but not the actual class theyre based on.The First DescendantPlatform(s):PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series XGenre(s):Action, Adventure, RPG5VideoGamerSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

The results interrogate pearl-clutching assumptions of private and public realms, embracing voyeurism and exhibitionism as underlying tensions. Imagine an apartment where your clothes fall off the moment you walk in, says Jett, who divided the floor plan into what he calls the shell and the core. The dining and living areas open onto the sleeping space in one fluid sweep, with sliding glass partitions as barriers. A carpeted plinth forms not only the base of sectional seating but also the single step up and down into the bedroom, where that same low pile extends wall-to-wall and up the bespoke bed and integrated side tables. Central to the whole scheme is the open-concept closet and bathroom, with a circular shower of glass bricks. Youre putting on a show, Jett jokes of the transparent but ultimately modesty-preserving blocks. You should be able to tell if a person is thereor two people.The bathroom vanity is crafted from the same marble used in the kitchen.The materials palette blends industrial hallmarks with soign interventions reminiscent of a bygone SoHo scene. Walls of exposed brick and pressed-tin ceilings set the stage for maple millwork, Nero Marquina marble surfaces, and stainless-steel cabinetry. Rounded forms, meanwhile, offer their own languagefrom arched doors that riff on warehouse precedents to the folds of curtains that wrap the bedroom to the wavy motif on the custom coverlet, Jetts homage to kimono fabrics. Lighting too forms a kind of architectural language, with track fixtures, uplights, and Ingo Maurer icons casting a calm collective glow.True to Jett and Chious shared sybaritic ambitions, the home comes alive in the nighttime. Its dark in a way that speaks to me, Chiou notes. The sun goes down and light comes through the windows, creating distinct shadows. Friends pop by for cocktails, fanning out on the built-in sectional, scattering across the carpeted floor, or lounging atop the bed. A projector can transform the whole space into a theater. Being home is such a joy, he adds. It feels quintessentially New York. Come bedtimecurtains drawn, door closedhe retreats to the sheets, cocooned in the carefully calibrated vibe. Turns out his comfort zone is broader than he thought. I work in finance; part of my job is to be conservative, Chiou jokes. This experience pushed me to embrace risk.This Soho loft designed by Darren Jett is featured in ADs February issue. Never miss a story when you subscribe to AD.