Over the years, there have been many theories that fans have thrown around in relation to Squid Game and its characters. In the second season, the Front Man himself joins the Games and becomes a more prominent character, prompting fans to look deeper into his past and his family. While the only confirmed blood relation is his brother, Jun-ho, many believe he might be related to someone else in the show as well namely, a key character from the first season.

Throughout the entirety of CES 2025, Ill be carrying around a MacBook Pro in my backpack, and even just one day into the event, Im already tired of it. Maybe thats why Asus is coming for Apples throne with a new laptop thats not just lighter than the Pro, but lighter than even the smallest MacBook Air.Named the Zenbook A14 (you can guess what the A stands for), this laptop comes in at a starting weight of 2.18 pounds and a max weight of 2.4 pounds. Yes, there are featherweight laptops that technically beat that, but whats impressive here is the weight-to-performance ratio.While other laptops bearing similar chips usually weigh in at about 2.6 pounds to start, this laptop manages to pack the totally respectable Snapdragon X and Snapdragon X Plus mid-range chipsets into the smallest form factor Ive held yet, and to be honest, I think my (significantly weaker, but admittedly a little old) iPad might be heavier.What makes this possible is the laptops ceraluminum chassis, which is basically just a fancy way of saying its ceramic and aluminum, with a little bit of Asus secret sauce thrown in. Marketing terms aside, whatever theyre doing is working, because aside from feeling like Id need to lift 10 at once to get a half-decent bicep curl in, the Zenbook A14 looks pretty cool, too. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt Rather than being painted, ceraluminum is colored via a dip in electrolytic water and minerals during manufacturing. That also leaves it with a mild porousness that adds some light texture and visual detail without getting overwhelming, giving the whole thing a premium effect. Ceraluminum isn't new, but the A14 is the first Asus laptop to have the whole body made out of it, rather than just the lid.Only two colors are available right nowgray and beigeand each comes with a distinct cost and configuration. The beige is the cheaper of the two, and paradoxically, has the more advanced chip with the Snapdragon X Plus. Coming in at $899, what holds it back compared to its sibling is its 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. While not meager, the $1,099 gray Zenbook A14 has 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, plus its the lighter model, coming in at 2.18 pounds rather than 2.4.If you're curious, while its dimensions are not as standout as the weight, the A14 is also quite thin, measuring in at 12.23 x 8.42 x 0.53-0.63-inches (with the exact thickness depending on the configuration).Still, regardless of model, Asus is claiming this is the lightest Copilot+ PC yet. While Im still not sold on the AI features that come with Copilot+, the Snapdragon PC chips are a good get for this price point, although if $899 is still too much for a thin and light, theres also a refreshed series of plastic Vivobooks that offer the Snapdragon X starting for $200 less.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.When you get serious about your fitness goals, one first step is usually to get your nutrition in order. You want to get enough protein to support your muscles, fruits and vegetables for health, carbs for fuel, and a total amount of calories that supports your activity and your goals without undereating or overeating.Preparing your meals ahead of time ("meal prepping") really helps with that. Instead of deciding what to have for lunch, you just grab a container from the fridge and heat up what's in it. You can't beat that convenience, and prepping makes sure you're staying on track with your plan. A bodybuilder who eats the stereotypical chicken and broccoli for lunch every day may get bored with his meals but he also knows how much protein hes getting without even thinking about it. (You, of course, will make something tastier.)But meal-prepping has its pitfalls. Maybe you will get bored with your meals. Or maybe you wont even get that far, and youll burn out just from the mental and physical effort of cooking a whole weeks meals at once. With that in mind, here are some beginner tips to ease into the process with your sanity intact.Have a go-to breakfastBefore we start prepping anything, lets start planning. Most of us are fine with eating the same breakfast every day, and theres a good chance you already have a few favorite breakfasts that you can throw together quickly before youve fully woken up. So, your first step is to come up with a breakfast that fits your macros and that is easy to prepare. Were taking baby steps here, so dont worry too much about prepping this ahead of time. Just make sure that it will be ready when breakfast time arrives. For example, maybe your breakfast is yogurt and fruit. Thats easy enough: Buy some yogurt and buy some fruit. In the morning, you can put the two together. Or you can make something the night before to grab on your way out the door. A smoothie in a jar is perfectjust shake it in the morning and it's ready to drink. (Don't use ice, since ice melts, but frozen fruit is fine.) Or for another option, I like to make Bircher muesli two servings at a time, since each calls for half an apple. So on Sunday night, Ill prep jars for Monday and Tuesday. On Tuesday night Ill make another pair.Save your takeout containersWhen you start packing up dinners and lunches, youll need something to put them in. While cute little bento-esque Tupperwares may look nice, you may decide you dont actually want all those divided containers. Or the boxes you buy may turn out to be the wrong size once you start filling them. Save money and time by selecting one or two types of takeout container that you get plenty of, and save those whenever you get them. I like the flat rectangular ones and the round one-pint soup containers. Once you've figured out what you like, I'll admit there is a convenience to buying yourself some containers. Here's a fresh 50-pack of those rectangle containers, to save you from having to eat 50 takeout meals first. And if, unlike me, you enjoy packing lunches bento-style, you can get divided containers. (I like eating bento lunches, but it's work to come up with something to fill each compartment. Much easier to make a one-pot dish that fills the container by itself.) Moretoes 30-Pack Meal Prep Containers $12.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $12.99 at Amazon For something more durable, these are made of thicker plastic. I'm too clumsy to be trusted with glass containers, but perhaps you are not. These are more expensive than the options abovearound $5 each, while the semi-disposables were more like 50 centsbut they'll last forever if you take care of them. While you're gathering your supplies, make sure to grab a Sharpie and some masking tape (or, if you prefer, fancy labels). Label each meal, even if it's a simple reminder like "PASTA" or "CHICKEN," so that you can tell your lunches apart. If you're prepping for more than one person, you can add names as well.Make one meal at a timeAfter you get into the habit of eating your planned breakfast every day, the next step is to choose a second meal. For most of us, it will be lunch. This way, you have your first two meals taken care of, and youre still free to make any dinner plans you like. (It is fine if you never advance past this stage.) I also recommend, at least at first, not planning for seven days at a time. Since I work a Monday-through-Friday job, I like to prep my weekday meals and then wing it on the weekends. (A weekend menu for me usually involves my regular breakfast, some kind of meal scrounged from leftovers, and often a takeout meal or two.) For your first foray into cooking for the week, I recommend finding a recipe that makes three servings. Two such recipes will get you through the work week with one to spare. You can even alternate the two meals. An important food safety tip: Meals prepped on Sunday arent going to be in the greatest shape come Saturday. I recommend choosing one of the following strategies: On Sunday, make one dish and divide it up for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday meals; then on Wednesday night, make another three-serving dish for the second half of the week. On Sunday, make both your dishes so you can alternate. Pop three of the meals into the freezer. Then, on Tuesday or Wednesday, take them out of the freezer to begin to thaw. If a meal is still slightly frosty at mealtime, just microwave it a little longer.Try a recipe before you commitReady to start making that first meal? Hold up: Did you choose a recipe you actually like? Im not asking whether it looks good in photos. The ideal meal prep recipe is something that you have not only eaten in the past, but also one where you have an idea of how well it reheats. That means that you can stay off the recipe websites for now. Choose an old favorite; you can get experimental later. And if you ever become tempted to make, say, a months worth of food on your meal prep day, definitely try that exact recipe out in a one-week batch first. Be lazyThis is honestly my most important tip. When I started meal prepping, Id spend an entire Sunday afternoon shopping and cooking. My feet would ache and my other household chores would be unfinished. No time or effort was saved; it was just moved. Ive gotten better since then. One of my favorite meal preps is to buy two bags of Trader Joes chimichurri rice and a pound of ground beef, heat each of them up appropriately, and combine them. The job is done in barely 15 minutes, and I now have four lunches for the week that each fit perfectly into one of those round soup containers. Do I care that Mr. Joe gets half the credit for my culinary artistry? I do not.Even when cooking from scratch, it's not cheating to find ways to be more efficient. Buy frozen veggies, since theyre already chopped. Get a rice cooker if you find yourself using rice for a lot of your meals. If theres a special homemade sauce or condiment you want to use, allow yourself that one labor-intensive item, and make sure your other tasks are simple ones. For example, most items in the animal and vegetable kingdoms can be thrown onto a sheet pan and roasted. Ill buy some frozen fish and fresh or frozen veggies (both very healthy options, sometimes more so than fresh) and then roast a tray of each with appropriate seasonings. (Olive oil and garlic salt are perfect for broccoli or, to be honest, any vegetable.) Chicken tenderloins marinated in mayo are another protein option that go with anything and can be prepared en masse. Thanks to the extra moisture, they reheat superbly well.You get the idea: Make a lazy meal, make no more of it than you will actually eat, and pack it into the containers that you already have around. Dont expect to get everything perfect at first; youll refine your workflow over time.

The start of the new year is a perfect time to resolve to max out contributions to your retirement accounts before April. You should work IRA contributionstraditional or Rothinto your budget all year long. In 2025, if you're under age 50, you can contribute up to $7,000 across one or more IRAs. If you're age 50 or older, the limit is $8,000. And the sooner you can invest your IRA money, the more time it has to potentially grow through compounding. So while you should grow your nest egg consistently throughout the year, there is a best time of year to put money into your IRA, and it's right now. Why you should contribute to your traditional or Roth IRA right nowYou can make an IRA contribution for a given year anytime between Jan. 1 and the tax-filing deadline of the following year (usually April 15). So, technically, you can keep making 2024 IRA contributions until April 15, 2025but I don't recommend it. Not when you can instead start making 2025 IRA contributions for an April 15, 2026 deadline. By making your IRA contribution in January or February, that money can be invested and start accumulating potential returns right away. The extra months compounding could make a big difference. Consistency is keyeven small, regular contributions add up over decades.Remember, you can make contributions any time throughout the year. Some other good times to consider adding money to your retirement account include:After a bonus or tax refund. Got an influx of cash from a work bonus or tax refund? Consider putting some or all of it into your IRA to give your retirement savings a healthy boost. The first few months of the year is often when people receive lump sums that can be put straight into retirement accounts.When you get a raise. If your salary goes up, consider putting all or part of that raise toward increasing your retirement contributions. This can be a relatively painless way to boost your IRA contributions over time without noticeably impacting your take-home pay.By the tax deadline. You technically have until your tax filing deadline (usually April 15) to make IRA contributions for the previous year. Try to make contributions by this date.If nothing else, right now is a fresh start for savings goals. A new year brings a clean slate for reaching your financial targets. By front-loading your IRA contribution for the year, you take advantage of momentum and enthusiasm for saving money in 2024. And motivation hacks asidemathematically, contributing early in the year gives your investment more time to potentially grow.The bottom lineTry to make IRA contributions early in the calendar year if you can. The sooner you get your money into the account, the sooner it can start growing tax-deferred. Making your contribution in January, February or March maximizes the amount of time your money is invested.When it comes to retirement, the key is to start saving early (compound interest rules!) and use a mix of accounts to build your retirement funds. Here are our guides to opening an IRA and opening a 401(k).

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

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

The U.K. on Monday laid out plans to become a leader in AI, including ambitions to build a homegrown to global AI success stories like OpenAI.

Yarn, commonly understood as spun short fibers, has traditionally been a cornerstone of textiles and crafts. The YYYarn collection reimagines this versatile material, transforming it into a stunning array of unique furniture pieces. By innovatively adapting the classic three-strand braiding knot into a singular yarn design, the collection breaks new ground in modern furniture design while honoring the enduring legacy of traditional craftsmanship.Designers: Choi Piljae,Baek In-ho,Kmuid, andYegeun JoThe YYYarn collection features a sofa, table, and stool, each embodying the essence of woven artistry. With its adaptable design, the collections signature technique allows for diverse applications and creative possibilities:The table consists of a woven piece that serves as the base, supporting a marble or terrazzo top to create a functional and visually stunning table. The sturdy top contrasts beautifully with the soft, braided base, achieving a perfect balance of textures. The sofa is crafted for ultimate comfort, this seating piece uses large woven fibers to provide a soft, inviting experience. Ideal for recreational spaces such as offices, educational institutions, or home theaters, it combines style and relaxation. The stool is compact yet elegant, this piece encapsulates the YYYarn aesthetic, making it a versatile addition to smaller spaces without sacrificing charm or functionality.The YYYarn collection isnt just about functionality, its about making a statement. The bright colors and bold forms inject a playful, quirky aesthetic into any room, making these pieces conversation starters as much as practical furniture. The soft, oversized fibers ensure exceptional comfort, while the designs inherent versatility offers endless opportunities for exploring new forms and shapes. The woven yarn adapts to create a variety of unique configurations, showcasing the potential for innovation within the craft.Available in three vibrant colors; brown, orange, and white, the collection provides a range of options to suit different interior styles. Yet, the potential for customization is vast. With the modular nature of its design, YYYarn opens the door to an expanded palette and new applications, allowing users to personalize their spaces with creativity and flair. By blending artistry, comfort, and functionality, the collection bridges the gap between craft and contemporary design. Whether placed in a professional setting or a personal space, YYYarn redefines what it means to create furniture thats both beautiful and meaningfulThe post Innovative Braided Furniture Merges Craftsmanship and Modern Elegance first appeared on Yanko Design.

Crime in the world of Apple continues with bad guys misusing AirTags in Florida, while others elsewhere use them for good. A few thousand in merchandise were stolen in California, and a disco ball was taken with an iPad in Nashville.The Brent Cross Apple Store in London The latest in an occasional AppleInsider feature, looking at the world of Apple-related crime. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums