The FlashAquaman and the Lost Kingdom, but that underwater superhero movie arrived in theaters like a sunken afterthought. Meanwhile The Flash, directed with a lot of pep and energy by filmmaker Andy Muschietti, came roaring out and swinging for the fences.With a galaxy-brained premise that spent close to a decade in production, The Flash saw Ezra Millers super-speedster cause the entire DC universe to implode after he went back in time to prevent the murder of his mom. In the end, a major reason the film finally got off the ground is that the powers-that-be at the time saw The Flash as a fresh start. It would be the movie that allowed Warner Bros. Pictures to fix the real and substantial flaws in the previous DCEU installments by hitting an in-canon reset button that would replace Ben Afflecks Batman with Michael Keaton and introduce Sasha Calle as a an underrated Supergirl. It also would service fans with cameos by Affleck, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Michael Shannon as Kryptons dastardly General Zod, and even Nicolas Cage as a long-haired Superman fighting a giant spider, an easter egg that only the most dedicated Kal-El fans (and/or Kevin Smith diehards) would get.Its safe to say The Flash screenplay attempted to do a lot. Too much. And like the DCEU as a whole, it proved to be in a huge hurry getting nowhere. Even though the then newly installed Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav trumpeted the movie as the best superhero movie Ive ever seen, audiences by and large disagreed. At least those who showed up.After the movie received a mixed 63 percent fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, The Flash opened to a disastrous $55 million in the U.S. and would go on to earn only $271 million globally. Its a bleak figure when compared to the films reported $200 million budget (and the number is probably larger, even before marketing and publicity costs are tallied in). So despite being intended to set up grand new things for the DCEU, The Flash traveled super-fast down a road to nowhere.Looking back on the films reception, director Muschietti has a theory about why it didnt work. Speaking with Radio Tus La Baulera del Coso Variety, Muschietti said, The Flash failed, among all the other reasons, because it wasnt a movie that appealed to all four quadrants. It failed at that. When you spend $200 million making a movie, [Warner Bros.] wants to bring even your grandmother to the theaters. The director went on to add that people generally dont seem to care about the Flash character, especially women.Ive found in private conversations that a lot of people just dont care about the Flash as a character, Muschietti said. Particularly the two female quadrants. All of that is just the wind going against the film Ive learned.Muschietti is not entirely wrong (though close). It is fair to say that while comic book fans might adore DC Comics fastest man alive, he does not enjoy the same widespread popularity of Batman and Superman, or Spider-Man and the X-Men across the street. However, there was also a time not that long ago where the same could be said about Iron Man. Or Captain America. Or the Guardians of the Galaxy and their talking raccoon. Yet all of them became the faces of multi-billion dollar franchises with four-quadrant appeal, and none of those characters had a hit TV series on the female-skewing CW networkSo why didnt the same thing happen for the Flash? While this is ultimately just an educated guess, we have some ideas.A Falling StarIt is difficult to diagnose how much bad PR or social media chatter influences the average moviegoers perception of a superhero movie. As recent history has shown, audiences are only too happy to show up for a new superhero movie starring an actor they have never heard of but then fail to return after that same performer becomes a star. As future Captain America Anthony Mackie succinctly put it, Anthony Mackie isnt a movie star. Falcon is a movie star.Be that as it may, the marketing push of all major Hollywood movies these days still need to pivot around a real face and personality, even if its just the guy who plays Falcon. Or the Flash for that matter. Someone who can do the interview junkets, the late night television rounds, and show up on younger skewing online programs that run the gamut from Celebs Play with Puppies to Hot Ones. It may not make them a star, but it makes them a face that reminds audiences that a big movie is coming, and they should theoretically be excited about it.Yet when it came to The Flash that proved frustratingly impossible. Or at least implausible considering the allegations and legal entanglements the Flash actor Miller found themselves in by 2023. Whether general audiences were fully aware of Millers troubles or struggle with mental health is difficult to say, but the fact of the matter is WB wisely decided The Flashs biggest lead should not promote the film, and its second biggest lead, Michael Keaton, chose not to. Newcomer Sasha Calle gave it an impressive college try, but she played a character audiences were unsure abouta Supergirl from a different universe who may not appear in another DC filmand didnt have the resume of working in previous DC films.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!In other words, Millers absence createda black hole in the marketing campaign around The Flash that nobody was able to fill. That is a pretty major problem right there, but its not the biggestWB Already Signaled This Was the End of the LineIn January 2023, new DC Studios co-head James Gunn boldly announced the first slate of what he dubbed the new DC Universe. There would be a new Superman movie with a new actor and timeline, then tentatively titled Superman: Legacy; there would be TV shows in live-action and animation; there would even be a new Batman unrelated to either Ben Afflecks character in the DCEU or the one played by Robert Pattinson in The Batman; and there would be a new SupergirlSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.When asked whether Calle might play that Supergirl, Gunn at the time was vague and perhaps evasive. It left room for fan speculation, as well as intense skepticism. And that was in regard to The Flashs biggest new addition to the DC Extended Universe. Meanwhile it was already confirmed by then that Henry Cavill was done as Superman, Gal Gadot seemed unlikely to play Wonder Woman again as she seemingly said goodbye to the character on social media, and Affleck had spent the past half-decade with one foot out the door.The entire lineup of the DCEUs once glistening Justice League was going, going, gone, and whatever promises The Flash made about the next era of the onscreen DC universe seemed illusory at best. And so they were. House of the Dragons Milly Alcock is now Supergirl, Gunn and Muschietti are both allegedly creating a new Batman for The Brave and the Bold, and David Corenswets Superman presumably hails from a far sunnier Krypton than the bleak hellscape Michael Shannon represented in The Flash.Like Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Aquaman 2, and the rest of the 2023 DC slate, The Flash arrived two years ago as a lame duck, a new phenomenon in cinema created by the industrial scale at which superhero flicks are now churned out. Admittedly, a movie should be enjoyable unto itself as a complete experience. And whatever else you might think of The Flash, we do concede it is a self-contained story with a beginning, middle, and end. However, it is also a piece of a studios grander marketing strategy, and for the last 20 years Marvel, Disney, and sure enough the DCEU have trained media-savvy fans to anticipate each film as a pseudo-commercial for the next two or three in the pipeline.The brilliance (or cynicism) of Marvels success is that each product acts as a commercial for the next one, and the fans cheer all the louder when they can piece together what the advertisement means like a child deciphering their Little Orphan Annie Decoder Ring. But when you publicly and forcefully announce the next four films will be advertising things that will never comelike Calle as Supergirl or a world where Millers Flash will have a key role opposite George Clooney(?!)it turns into the equivalent of false advertising.And no one wants that. And Then Theres the Rest of the DCEUOf course there is a reason WB brought in James Gunn and Peter Safran to ultimately reboot and remake the DC Universe in their own image: the DCEU brand had become hopelessly toxic even before Gunn publicly pulled the plug.While fandom worlds were rocked about a decade earlier when Zack Snyder announced that Batman would appear in the sequel to Man of Steel, which in turn would lead into Justice League, the castle he promised turned out to be made of sand. Snyders Batman v Superman: Dawn of JusticeBvS from earning $874 million in 2023. Consider instead the massive drop off between that film and the following years Justice League, which despite being the big one opened to about $94 million (down 44 percent from BvS debut) and wound up grossing only $661 million worldwide. Thats a far cry from Avengers billion-dollar expectations.The DCEU had critical and financial successes outside of that trajectory, too. Patty Jenkins Wonder WomanWonder Woman 1984The Suicide SquadBefore The Flash and the other DCEU movies of 2023 were abandoned, the previous three theatrically released DCEU movies (not counting WW84) either underperformed or outright flopped, including 2022s much maligned Black Adam, which was unsuccessfully marketed by its star Dwayne Johnson around the idea that the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is changed.Ultimately, audiences came to the conclusion long before WB that the DCEU brand was unsustainable, and viewed new trailers not with the excitement of the Marvel Studios joint in the 2010s, but with the kind of derision and incredulity that was greeting late-era Fox X-Men movies (think Dark Phoenix and New Mutants). The DCEUs brand perception was in free-fall by the time The Flash came along, and this was not the movie to turn things around.Read more Superhero FatigueStill, at the end of the day, The Flash did not die alone. In fact, 2023 marked not only the end of the DCEU but the first year where Marvel Studios experienced its first unmitigated flop. The Disney studio had seen underperformers before, including the then-recent Eternals (2021). They also experienced another at the beginning of the year when Ant-Man and the Wasp: QuantumaniaAll that turned out to be small potatoes when compared to The Marvels earning a bleak $206 million worldwide, and less than $85 million in the U.S. For context, the first Captain Marvel grossed nearly double that latter figure in its opening weekend.Audiences increasingly show a higher degree of burnout and weariness when it comes to the superhero genre. But that might just be another way of saying theyre better at parsing out capestuff that is of dubious quality. Now mediocre superhero movies will not become runaway box office hits by virtue of their genre and/or universe. The Flash was just one casualty in a growing battlefields worth of bland, fallen superhero fodder.Luckily, does not mean the genre is dead or the future dimmed. Last years Deadpool & WolverineSuperhero movie fatigue is real. But a movie that delivers whats on the box can still beat it. Unfortunately, The Flash didnt deliver for much of anyone.

Jan 14, 2025Ravie LakshmananCryptocurrency / Online ScamThe Telegram-based online marketplace known as HuiOne Guarantee and its vendors have cumulatively received at least $24 billion in cryptocurrency, dwarfing the now-defunct Hydra to become the largest online illicit marketplace to have ever operated.The figures, released by blockchain analytics firm Elliptic, show that monthly inflows have increased by 51% since July 2024.Huione Guarantee, part of the HuiOne Group of companies, came under spotlight mid-last year when it was exposed as a hub for online fraudsters, advertising money laundering services, stolen data, and even electrified shackles meant for use against people who are trafficked into scam compounds under the pretext of high paying jobs to conduct romance baiting scams. The development led to cryptocurrency company Tether freezing $29.62 million of cryptocurrency connected to the marketplace.Established in 2021 ostensibly to facilitate the sale of cars and real estate, it's said to have strong links with Cambodia's ruling Hun family."The marketplace appears to be a key enabler of transnational organised crime groups that are perpetrating scams against victims around the world," Elliptic said in a new report shared with The Hacker News.Public disclosures about HuiOne Guarantee and HuiOne Pay, another of HuiOne Group's subsidiaries, have since prompted the Chinese-language market to distance itself from its parent, rebranding itself as Haowang Guarantee. It's worth noting that HuiOne Pay was identified as receiving over $150,000 in cryptocurrency from an anonymous wallet used by the North Korean hacking outfit Lazarus between June 2023 and February 2024. The wallet was used to deposit digital assets stolen from three crypto companies in June and July 2023.HuiOne Guarantee, which previously claimed it took no responsibility for the goods and services advertised on the platform, has also stepped in to block certain types of commerce, including those related to human trafficking, firearms, and terrorism.However, Elliptic's analysis shows that the marketplace continues to grow, with cash inflows topping $24 billion. The value of cryptocurrency received by wallets used by HuiOne Guarantee and its vendors surpassed $4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024 alone. In contrast, the Hydra marketplace received approximately $5.2 billion in cryptocurrency during its entire six-year lifespan."In addition, nearly $6 billion in crypto has flowed through a Telegram bot used primarily for online gambling on HuiOne Guarantee," the company said. "Initial analysis of bets placed through the platform indicates that much of this may constitute money laundering."Elliptic's investigation also found that HuiOne Pay is one of the many vendors offering services to launder the proceeds of romance-baiting scams. Another vendor identified by the company claimed to be operating from the Golden Fortune Science and Technology Park in Chrey Thom, Cambodia, a scam compound linked to online scams.In recent months, HuiOne Group has also launched a range of crypto-related products including a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin called USDH, a decentralized crypto exchange that allows users to swap USDH for other cryptocurrencies, and a messaging app named ChatMe for Android and iOS."This appears to be an attempt to reduce the risk of being deplatformed by the likes of Tether or Telegram," Tom Robinson, co-founder and chief scientist at Elliptic, said in a statement.Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

Time zones: EST (UTC -5), CST (UTC -6), MST (UTC -7), PST (UTC -8), AKST (UTC -9), HST (UTC -10), ART (UTC -3), UTC -4, UTC -4:30, UTC -3, UTC -2, SBT (UTC +11), GMT (UTC +0), CET (UTC +1), EET (UTC +2), MSK (UTC +3), AST (UTC -4), FKST (UTC -3), NST (UTC -3:30)Location: Europe/US/LATAM remote.Form of employment: Contract of employment or B2B contract (self-employed).We are a fast-growing tech company created by experienced international talents. Our product is a top-rated online platform for small and medium businesses to grow sales through outstanding customer service. Our goal is to create a frictionless customer experience for individual users and, at the same time, help entrepreneurs worldwide grow their businesses by giving them access to a top-notch AI-driven tool.Working at Tidio means impacting thousands of companies and millions of their users. But our clients are not the only ones who can grow with us. By joining Tidio, you can grow, too!A few facts about us:Our product is one of the world's leading AI customer service solutions, and our goal is to become no. 1.We are among the Top 50 AI and Customer Service Products in G2s Best Software Awards 2024.We currently rate at 4.7/5 in both Shopify and G2.The new Tidio AI feature (Lyro) answers up to 70% of customers questions in seconds and is available to users even on a free plan. Its a real AI revolution! Every month, our widget is viewed by 350 million unique users, which is 4% of the global population.Currently, we hire over 170 fantastic people.In March 2022 we secured $25 mln in a Series B Investment round (read TechCrunchs article to learn more)In June 2023, our monthly MRR exceeded $1M.We are a fast-growing tech company created by experienced international talents. Our product is a top-rated online platform for small and medium businesses to grow sales through outstanding customer service. Our goal is to create a frictionless customer experience for individual users and, at the same time, help entrepreneurs worldwide grow their businesses by giving them access to a top-notch AI-driven tool.Working at Tidio means impacting thousands of companies and millions of their users. But our clients are not the only ones who can grow with us. By joining Tidio, you can grow, too!As the Customer Success Manager, you will:Build relationships with our top clients.Serve US-based clients with the availability for video calls in the PDT zone (9 AM to 5 PM).Identify client needs and deploy solutions.Conduct video training and showcase new features.Drive adoption of our product and encourage best practices.Identify opportunities for growth.Oversee a large book of business.Influence retention, expansion and churn rate for your clients.Create automation and flows within our success software that supports your efforts.Report on activities and results.Collect strategic feedback and share it internally.Create impactful emails and outreach campaigns for your book of business.You are the perfect fit if you have:Ability to cover PTD zone (9 AM to 5 PM) from Monday to Friday.English proficiency at C2 level or equivalent.At least 2 years of previous professional experience in a SaaS customer success role.Ability to build mutually beneficial relationships.Great understanding of how to use and teach others to use the software.Experience with customer success or sales tools (Gainsight, Totango, ChurnZero, Salesforce, Hubspot).A good understanding of industry-standard KPIs (churn rate, retention rate, net dollar retention).A good understanding of customer experience tools and the industry.We would like to offer you:A chance to work with one of the top products in the customer experience industry.Work with an experienced and international team that continually shares knowledge and is not afraid of testing new solutions.Great development opportunities company-supported courses and conferences.Contract form according to your preferences (B2B or contract of employment).Remote-first work with flexible hours.26 days off guaranteed in a year.Possibility to work 100% remotely or book a Regus coworking space in your city.Individual work tools Macbook Pro, Dell screen, JBL headphones? You can tailor the equipment to your needs.Sport & wellness benefit or its financial equivalent.Mental well-being program individual therapy sessions and resources for employees.Free access to one of the most popular e-book/audiobook services.Regular integration events (company-wide meetings, team events).What happens when you send your CV?Video call with a recruiter about the position and the team.A recruitment assignment.Interview with the Hiring Manager and the recruiter.Offer and fireworks ;)Don't hesitate and apply right away!Diversity StatementOne of Tidios core values is to play fair. Therefore, we treat all candidates equally. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability status. This means recruitment and selection of talent to Tidio is only based on individual merit and qualifications directly related to professional competence.

Recalling the enclosed moorland farmsteads of the West Country, this single-storey courtyard house for a farm manager establishes a considered relationship with its surrounding rural landscape.Across the field from the house stands a recently constructed livestock shed, housing the cattle herd associated with the farm managers livelihood. Although, by necessity, the house is close to the neighbouring barn, its domesticity does not intrude into the agricultural setting. Instead, the house nestles into a wooded corner of the field, only a mile from the Atlantic coast. The building is protected from the elements through an introverted courtyard house typology, the two arms of its L-shape plan sheltering a south-facing garden.The protective wings of the house are formed by thick masonry walls, the depth of these a result of the specific construction system employed: monolithic clay blocks used without a cavity or insulation layer. At once load-bearing and insulating, the walls are simply finished with textured lime render to the exterior and lime plaster on the inside. This monolithic base supports a singular, unifying timber roof, legible throughout the interior, and redolent of surrounding older barn structures.Hugh Strange, director, Hugh Strange ArchitectsAdvertisementProject dataStart on site October 2020Completion Gross internal floor area 2Construction cost 400,000Construction cost per m2 2,285Architect Hugh Strange ArchitectsClient PrivateStructural engineer Price & MyersM&E consultant Ritchie + DaffinPrincipal designer Hugh Strange ArchitectsApproved building inspector Cornwall CouncilMain contractor GTL ConstructionTimber frame Timber WorkshopCAD software used VectorworksPredicted design life 100+ yearsEmbodied carbon (structure) 222 kgCO2e/m2Engineers choicesThe house is a modest, simple structure which attempts to reference the familiar clarity of rural building forms. At the same time, it uses modern materials and a level of quality in the resolution of the detailing, in the timber fabrication and in the material choices that elevates it to something special. Basic foundations and ground floor slab support thick terracotta Porotherm block walls to the perimeter. These are the only load-bearing walls and allow full flexibility of the internal layout.The roof is a system of tied rafters where a repetitive element is tied to form an A-frame every fourth rafter. The spread of the typical rafters between the ties is resisted by a flat wall plate timber, sized to span horizontally between the tied rafter feet but also to be large enough to span vertically as the window lintel. Taking this simple roof form around the corner of the 90-degree roof junction, with all the members and details exposed to view, required some careful detailing.Andy Toohey, partner, Price & MyersSpecificationThe preference for UK structural timber in the sizes required led quickly to the decision to use Douglas Fir a strong, durable and versatile timber, available in long lengths and large sections. We made an effort to find a sawmill willing to seek out slower-grown, older trees to ensure higher-quality stock evident in tighter growth rings and a lower knot content. Logs were sourced from both west Scotland and Norfolk.The frame was entirely prefabricated in our Devon workshop, then shipped, and installed on site. While predominately a process of manufacturing components in isolation, the principal truss that forms the corner of the building was framed up in its entirety in the workshop to overcome the more complex roof geometry in this location.AdvertisementThe timber was planed all round, and sanded clean after carpentry, but left unfinished. Canadian Douglas fir plywood doubles as structural sheathing and internal ceiling. Hot-dip galvanised bolts were left visible and unplugged but set into shallow counterbores to ensure some finesse when using these more agricultural-graded fixings. Similarly, galvanised brackets that connect the roof to the Porotherm blockwork appear above the wall plaster as a small reminder of how the house was put together.Alex Thomas, director, Timber WorkshopSelected productsGalvanised steel profiled roofingCladcoCladco Profiles (13/3)Roofcladco.co.ukClay blocksWienerbergerPorotherm, T8 425External Wallswienerberger.co.ukLime render/plasterHeritage Cob & LimeBespokeExternal renderheritagecobandlime.comFloor tilesLiving TerracottaBL012Flooring throughoutlivingterracotta.com

Most Biloxi residents have access to Sparklight cable, but it may not be the best internet provider for every household. Here are CNETs top picks in the region.

Sony announces donation to Los Angeles wildfire relief"The home of our entertainment business for more than 35 years."Image credit: Sony News by Tom Phillips Editor-in-Chief Published on Jan. 14, 2025 PlayStation maker Sony is among the companies that have announced donations to help with relief and rebuilding efforts in the wake of Los Angeles' devastating wildfires. A week on, several areas of the city are still burning - and there's now fresh fear of further destruction as forecasters expect "close to hurricane force" winds to spread the fires once again over the coming days (via BBC News). At least 24 people are known to have died, 23 more are missing, and 12,401 structures have been lost.As firefighters continue to tackle the blazes, Sony has announced a $5m donation to support first responders and the community affected by the fires."Los Angeles has been the home of our entertainment businesses for more than 35 years," Sony chairman and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida and Sony president and COO Hiroki Totoki said in a joint statement shared on social media. "We will continue work with our local business leadership to determine how best Sony group can support relief and recovery efforts in the days ahead."Other entertainment companies have also announced donations, including $10m donations each from Amazon, Netflix and NBCUniversal owner Comcast, plus $15m from Warner Bros Discovery. Paramount is chipping in $1m, while Beyonc has said she's donating $2.5m.Away from the disaster's human cost, the early impact of the fires was also seen in a spate of delays to Los Angeles' film and TV industries, including a pause in production of Fallout season two.

QuadrilateralWant to know why The Flash failed? According to its director, it's because it failed to appeal to the, uh, "four quadrants"Only four?Image credit: DC News by Oisin Kuhnke Contributor Published on Jan. 14, 2025 We all know The Flash wasn't a good movie, but according to its director it didn't do well because "it wasnt a movie that appealed to all four quadrants."It's pretty clear from looking at the original DCU that it was all a panic response to everything Marvel was doing with its cinematic universe. Like, who wanted a Black Adam film? You don't just make things for the sake of having a connected world, and you especially don't listen to The Rock when it comes to making business decisions (we all remember that Henry Caville Superman cameo). The Flash too clearly just existed to build that universe out more than having a good film for Warner Bros, and despite the cost it really should have been written off considering all of Ezra Miller's controversies. But if you ask director Andy Muschietti, the reason it flopped is because it didn't have enough broad appeal.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. "The Flash failed, among all the other reasons, because it wasnt a movie that appealed to all four quadrants. It failed at that," Muschietti said in an interview with Radio Tu where he also spoke about his upcoming Batman movie and Shadow of the Colossus adaptation (thanks, Variety). "When you spend $200 million making a movie, [Warner Bros.] wants to bring even your grandmother to the theaters." The director went on to explain that he found "in private conversations that a lot of people just dont care about the Flash as a character. Particularly the two female quadrants. All of that is just the wind going against the film Ive learned."For some context, that four quadrant thing he's going on about is the very reductive breakdown of demographics into men over and under 25, and women over and under 25. Personally, I'm not confident that even if you did take your grandmother that it would have helped out - the DCU was clearly on its deathbed at that point, so why go see a film that ultimately won't lead anywhere?Either way, Muschietti's fine because he still gets to make movies, who cares why it did bad! That baby rescue scene is a bit ridiculous though.

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube792kNobody expected Nippon Ichi Software to announce a sequel to the 2004 PS2 strategy RPG 'Phantom Brave', but over 20 years later, the company did just that. Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero sets sail on Switch on 30th January, and for those who want to see what it's all about before release, NIS America has announced that a free demo will be available from 17th January (that's this Friday).In its reveal tweet, the company noted that all save data from the demo carries over to the full version, so you can give the trial your all and not worry about having to do it all again. Ahh, bliss.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube792kWatch on YouTube But what's this one all about? The Lost Hero is a sea-faring RPG where you play as Marona, a young girl with the power to contact those beyond the grave OooOOooO. A fleet of ghastly ghost ships is on the prowl, and it's up to you and your spectral pals (and some alive ones you pick up along the way) to stop it.How you do this is through a series of strategic turn-based battles, where you can bind your phantoms to inanimate objects on the playing field and combine them with gadgets to take down foes talk about environmental hazards. It's a strange take on the genre's usual Fire Emblem-style sword-focused affair, but hey, at least it looks cute.Images: NIS AmericaPhantom Brave: The Lost Hero's free demo will arrive on the Switch eShop this Friday before its full release lands later this month. We were lucky enough to go hands-on with it briefly at last year's Tokyo Game Show, and you can find our full thoughts in the round-up below. Fantasian! DQ3! Phantom Brave! Sonic, again!What do you make of this one? Will you try out the demo later this week? Let us know in the comments.[source x.com]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:00 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo and Lego Are Collaborating On A New Game Boy SetNow you're playing with buildable powerSurprise! Another 'Switch 2' Accessory Has Been Revealed"Stay tuned for more"Random: Metroid Prime 4 'OG' Amazon Pre-Orders Are Being CancelledThe game was first announced in 2017126 Games You Should Pick Up In The Nintendo Switch eShop Holiday Sale (Europe)Every game we scored 9/10 or higher

Toward the end of 2023, an Israeli security researcher from Tel Aviv said that he was approached on LinkedIn with an opportunity to work abroad with good pay. He said that the companys HR department told him that it was a legitimate offensive security company that was starting from scratch in Barcelona, Spain.But during the whole recruiting process, the researcher recounted to TechCrunch, things felt a bit off.The whole secrecy was very weird. Some employees that interviewed me didnt use their full names, they took super long to reveal where the company even is, let alone its name. Why is it such a secret if everythings legit? the researcher told TechCrunch. It seems like a company that might get sanctioned in the future, and things might get dirty.When he spoke to the companys chief technology officer, the researcher said that he was told something along the lines of, we will only have legit customers and unlike other companies wont sell to shady nations.Alexey Levin, the hiring CTO and a former researcher at the sanctioned spyware maker NSO Group, told the researcher that the company trying to hire him was called Palm Beach Networks, and that it develops everything from the zero-day exploits used for compromising devices to the spyware implant itself, referring to the surveillance software that gets installed on a targets device, according to the researcher.The researcher said that Levin also told him that Palm Beach Networks had at least one U.S. government customer. (Levin did not respond to a request for comment.)But why found a spyware startup in Barcelona, which just years earlier was at the center of a wide-reaching political scandal where Spanish government officials used spyware to target local politicians who pushed for independence? Just like many other startups in the city; the researcher said that company employees told him that it was because living in the city is similar to living in Israel, that there are good tax benefits, and good weather.Those are some of the reasons why in the last couple of years, Barcelona has become an unlikely hub for spyware companies, according to multiple people who work in the offensive cybersecurity industry who spoke with TechCrunch, as well as business records we have seen.Having Barcelona become a crucial regional outpost for offensive cybersecurity companies puts the spyware problem squarely on the doorstep of Europe, which has a fractious relationship with surveillance tech, due to scandals in Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, and Poland all involving Israeli spyware makers.It is a concerning development if a major city in Europe becomes a hub for spyware makers, Natalia Krapiva, the legal counsel at nonprofit Access Now, which specializes in investigating and researching spyware, told TechCrunch. Krapiva said that the spyware business goes hand in hand with corruption and abuse of power.Spanish citizens, media, and policymakers should be carefully scrutinizing these businesses in terms of whether their operations are consistent with national and EU laws and whether the Spanish government may be involved in abusing their surveillance tools, especially given Spains history with Pegasus, said Krapiva.John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at the Citizen Lab, where he and his colleagues have for more than a decade investigated abuses carried out with spyware tools, also expressed concern. Scott-Railton noted that in the past there have been cases of spyware abuse not only against human rights activists and dissidents in non-democratic countries like Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia, but also against U.S. diplomats and targeted individuals, including politicians and citizens within Europes borders.This will add fuel to the fire of Europes spyware crisis. If experience is a guide, its only a matter of time before this tech winds up used by customers against Spains allies and EU partners, Scott-Railton told TechCrunch. Governments that allow this industry to flourish take a gamble with their own secret capabilities and human capital. These capabilities tend to drain outwards, including to potential future adversaries, once mercenary spyware and exploit developers come to town and start hiring.View of the Sagrada Familia in the evening light in Barcelona, Spain, on October 19, 2024. (Photo by Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto/GETTY IMAGES)Sun, seafood, and spywareApart from Palm Beach Networks, as it was known at the time, Barcelona is home to several other exploit and spyware makers that too are making the most of the citys sunny, temperate weather, fresh seafood, and vibrant expat community.Among them are Paradigm Shift, a spin off of the embattled startup Variston, which lost staff and was struggling to survive in 2024; and Epsilon, which is led by Jeremy Fetiveau, an industry veteran who used to work for a division within U.S. defense giant L3Harris that was created after the company acquired the Australian startup Azimuth. Fetiveau did not return a request for comment.The city is said to be also home to an unnamed group of Israeli researchers who moved to Barcelona from Singapore to work on developing zero-day exploits. The existence of this unnamed team as well as Epsilons presence in Barcelona was first reported by Israeli newspaper Haaretz, whose article sparked coverage in local newspapers and news websites.Other cybersecurity companies have a presence in Barcelona, even if they are not headquartered there. Andrijana ekularac, the chief executive of Austrian cybersecurity company SAFA lives in the city, according to her public LinkedIn profile. SAFA has sponsored offensive cybersecurity conferences, including OffensiveCon and Hexacon, and employs at least two security researchers with past experience at spyware companies, according to their public LinkedIn profiles. ekularac also did not respond to a request for comment.These zero-day and spyware companies are part of a broader cybersecurity and startup ecosystem in Barcelona. As of last year, according to the Catalan regional government, there were more than 10,000 people working for more than 500 cybersecurity companies in Barcelona, or around 50% more workers than five years earlier.Contact UsDo you have more information about Epsilon, Head and Tail, Paradigm Shift, or other government spyware makers? From a non-work device, you can contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai securely on Signal at +1 917 257 1382, or via Telegram and Keybase @lorenzofb, or email. You also can contact TechCrunch via SecureDrop.Barcelona isnt just a hotbed for surveillance tech makers, but startups in general, with some ranking the city among the top startup hubs in Europe. The city is the founding home for food delivery startup Glovo, which competitor DeliveryHero valued at 2.3 billion in 2021 when it acquired a majority stake in the Catalan company; orthodontics startup Impress, which raised $125 million in 2022 and $114 million in 2024; and business travel management platform TravelPerk, which raised $105 million in 2024; among more than 2,200 other startups, according to the Barcelona and Catalonia Startup Hub, a local government project that tracks the startup ecosystem in the region.The city is attractive to workers because its cost of living is cheaper than other European startup hubs like London, Amsterdam, and Berlin. Then, theres the perhaps more obvious reasons, at least for anyone whos been to Barcelona: The city has nice beaches, similar to Tel Aviv, Cyprus, and Greece, places that are or were home to spyware companies like NSO Group, Circles, and Intellexa.There are also other reasons, apart from the citys attractiveness, that have brought Israeli security researchers in particular to Barcelona. As Haaretz reported at the end of December 2024, Israel has become more restrictive in granting licenses to export spyware to other countries in the wake of the scandals involving NSO Group, leaving the door open for companies to move abroad. It is now more difficult for companies to export spyware from Israel to the rest of the world, including the European Union, than from within the bloc itself.One person told Haaretz that this process is not emigration to Spain, its expulsion to Spain.While Paradigm Shift is openly advertising itself as an offensive cybersecurity company, with job listings for roles that fit this type of business, other companies arent as transparent, just like Variston used to be. Paradigm Shift is headed by Leone Pontorieri, according to the companys business records, as well as Filippo Roncari and Simone Ferrini, according to their public LinkedIn profiles. The three were part of an Italian startup that was acquired by Variston in 2018, when the company launched in Barcelona, and one of the first spyware companies to set up its operations in the Catalan city.Representatives for Paradigm Shift did not respond to a request for comment.A stealthy startup with many namesPalm Beach Networks has so far avoided any public claims of involvement in human rights abuses, unlike spyware makers NSO Group, and before it Hacking Team and FinFisher, have in the past. But the company does have an intriguing history of changing names, a strategy that other spyware vendors have previously used to mask their corporate ownership. Israeli spyware makers Candiru rebranded several times before the company was added to the U.S. governments trade ban list in 2021, and NSO itself had a complex corporate structure.The name Palm Beach Networks was a bit secretive and only said by Levin and others at later stages, according to the Israeli researcher.As it turns out, Palm Beach Networks may already be an obsolete name, and the second iteration of a startup with a different identity.A company called Defense Prime Inc. became Palm Beach Networks on May 11, 2023. On June 16, 2023 a company called Head and Tail started operations in Barcelona. Then on June 28, 2024, Palm Beach Networks was dissolved, according to business records filed in Florida and Spain.Defense Prime and Palm Beach Networks appear to be linked to Head and Tail due to overlapping executives and key figures.A person named Sai Gopal is listed as Head and Tails authorized signatory in Spanish business records, and someone with the same name was listed as the treasurer of Defense Prime in Florida business records. Gopal could not be reached for comment.Business records also show Alexey Levin, the CTO who tried to hire the Israeli security researcher for Palm Beach Networks, is the director of Head and Tail. Representatives from Head and Tail did not return TechCrunchs request for comment.A current executive at a spyware maker, who asked to remain anonymous, told TechCrunch that Levin works at Palm Beach Networks. Previously, the executive said, Levin was an early developer at NSO Group, and then also worked at Candiru.On its official website, Head and Tail makes no explicit mention of the fact that it develops surveillance technology, but instead says it addresses a myriad of cybersecurity issues, including threat intelligence, vulnerability assessments, security awareness training, and incident response. The company has job listings for Barcelona, Madrid, and Sevilla.In the end, the Israeli researcher turned down the chance to work at Palm Beach Networks, even though people he knows told him the company pays some of its employees eye-watering salaries that vastly exceed the countrys gross annual average.The researcher said he was worried he may end up like some NSO Groups employees, who have had to deal with the fallout from human rights scandals, Facebook blocking and deleting their personal accounts, and the U.S. government threatening to deny their visas.I could get good enough money elsewhere and not have to worry about what will happen or who Im working for, said the researcher, especially when I felt they arent a transparent company and I wouldnt know who the customers are.

The Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) has announced its keynote speakers for the 2025 AMUG Conference.Taking place from March 30 to April 3, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois, the AMUG Conference will bring together additive manufacturing professionals for nearly 150 presentations, workshops, panel discussions, and hands-on training sessions.Featuring distinguished keynote speakers and interactive opportunities, the event will foster collaboration and highlight the evolving AM applications across industries.This years conference will see Ryan Watkins, Research Engineer with NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), deliver his keynote address on Tuesday, April 1, followed by Joe Scarbo, President of Scarbo Performance Corp, who will take the stage on Thursday, April 3.Both speakers bring a diverse range of expertise, showcasing the potential of 3D printing in industries ranging from aerospace to high-performance automotive engineering.Conference details and registration are available atwww.amug.com.Ryan Watkins, Research Engineer with NASAs JPL. Photo via AMUG.Aerospace and automotive advancesThis year, Watkins will present his work on 3D printed crushable structures for high-speed impact attenuation during the upcoming conference.Developed for aerospace applications, these structures integrate advanced materials and computational design techniques like topology optimization to overcome unique engineering challenges. Watkins will share insights from his role at JPL, where he focuses on enabling innovations to support future space missions.As a Ph.D. graduate in aerospace engineering, Watkins has been part of NASAs JPL for nine years, contributing to projects like the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission and the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission, where he designed, built, and tested launch restraint hardware.His current research extends to lattice structures, 3D printed shape memory alloy systems, and optimizing workflows for flight projects. In 2024, Watkins achievements were recognized with the 3D Printing Industry Awards in the aerospace category. His software, UnitcellHub, was also named JPLs Software of the Year and made available as open-source technology.Shifting from aerospace to high-performance motorsports, Scarbo will highlight how AM has been utilized in creating high-performance motorsport vehicles.As the founder of Scarbo Performance, he has integrated 3D printing into the design and manufacturing of components for race cars, including those that competed in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and the Baja 1000. Scarbos presentation will offer insights into the decision-making process behind using AM for vehicle optimization.Scarbos passion for engineering began at a young age and led him to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. He started his career working for Arciero Racing and later contributed to Volkswagen Motorsports Baja program, focusing on the Toureg TDI.After exploring 3D printing at a California firm and applying it in consumer electronics design, Scarbo returned to Scarbo Performance, where he shifted the companys focus to low-volume manufacturing.To date, Scarbo Performance has produced more than 30 bespoke vehicles and numerous performance components, combining traditional engineering expertise with novel manufacturing techniques.Together, Watkins and Scarbos work highlights the versatility of AM, demonstrating its ability to address challenges in aerospace and motorsport while facilitating new developments across industries.Joe Scarbo, President of Scarbo Performance Corp. Photo via AMUG.A recap on previous AMUG ConferencesLooking back, previous AMUG conferences have explored diverse uses of 3D printing, diving into developments in film, energy, medical, and aerospace industries.Last year, the 2024 AMUG conference featured Jason Lopes of Gentle Giant Studios, who explored the role of 3D printing in film industry, showcasing its impact on Disney collectibles and large-scale art installations. His talk also highlighted advancements in metal printing, translucent materials, and integrating traditional color techniques.In addition, Siemens Energys Tad Steinberg discussed AMs use in hydrogen technology, emphasizing rapid prototyping and combustion challenges.The event also celebrated achievements, with Gary Rabinovitz of Reebok receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to additive manufacturing.Two years ago, the 2023 AMUG Conference highlighted a collaboration between Nicholas Jacobson of CU Anschutz Medical Campus and Robert Ducey of LAIKA Studios.Their partnership blended techniques from special effects and medical fields, resulting in new workflows for 3D bitmap printing. Max Haot, CEO of Launcher, discussed how AM accelerated the creation of the E-2 liquid rocket engine and Orbiter space tug program, showcasing the technologys aerospace applications.Attendees at past conferences also engaged in technical sessions, networking events, and the Innovators Showcase, with contributions celebrated through the return of the DINO Awards.Who won the 20243D Printing Industry Awards?All the news fromFormnext 2024.To stay up to date with the latest 3D printing news, dont forget to subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter or follow us on Twitter, or like our page on Facebook.While youre here, why not subscribe to our Youtube channel? Featuring discussion, debriefs, video shorts, and webinar replays.Featured image shows 2025 AMUG Banner. Image via AMUG.