Koyaana Redstar, a luxury bag authenticator, has decades of experience identifying fake Herms Birkin bags.She said that the viral "Walmart Birkin," or "Wirkin," has several telltale signs of being a dupe.But Walmart is also not trying to convince anybody that the Wirkin is the real deal, she added.This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Koyaana Redstar, the head of luxury buying at Luxe Du Jour, an online luxury boutique for vintage designer handbags. It has been edited for length and clarity.I've worked for Rebag, The RealReal, and other vintage consignment stores and have 20 years of experience in the resale industry.To me, the Herms Birkin and Kelly are the most iconic bags in fashion. They are classic and retain value more than almost any other bag.So, of course, I have thoughts on the viral $78 "Walmart Birkin" bag.Signs that the Wirkin is an obvious dupeFirst, the proportions of the Wirkin wouldn't look right to anyone who knows their stuff and knows Birkins.The handles are too long, and the fact that it comes with a crossbody strap is a dead giveaway the Birkin doesn't come with one. To my knowledge, the only Birkin with a strap is the Micro Birkin if you exclude Jane Birkin's first Birkin.The hardware is also almost too gold and has a slightly green undertone, which a real Birkin wouldn't have.From afar, the imitation leather-like material looks almost puffy, which also throws off the shape. I can also tell the size of various components isn't of regular Birkin proportions.As far as I'm concerned, the Wirkin's design doesn't seem to have been intentionally created to convince anyone that it's a Birkin.It does look similar but major changes have been made to avoid confusion, and they haven't used trademarked branding that would lead someone to believe that it's a real Herms Birkin.I think it's likely not the last we'll see of Birkin dupes from other brands, partly due to the demand for this particularly iconic style.Dupes are fair gameThe Birkin is the most coveted handbag in the world, so it's not surprising that there are so many dupes and replicas.Replicas are attempted duplicates of a luxury bag, down to the types of hardware, fonts, materials, and branding.Dupes are not branded, like the bags they are trying to imitate. They use a style or concept, alter it, and remove its branding. However, these products may use similar materials and have similar functionalities.I don't approve of replicas, but I can get behind the idea of dupes because they aren't made to trick people into confusing them with the real deal.I do find that consumers I've interacted with have become more conservative about spending on luxury products. Now, what I see is that there is brand loyalty especially among consumers who enjoy buying products from specific brands.However, an uptick in prices and the idea that dupes are readily available could drive some people to find cheaper alternatives to items that are way out of their budget.A word of warning, though. Knowingly purchasing, distributing, or shipping inauthentic items is illegal under federal law.It constitutes "trafficking in counterfeit goods," which can result in significant fines and potential jail time depending on the severity.

Jan 14Kenny TorrellaBig Oil and Big Ag are teaming up to turn cow poop into energy and profits. The math doesnt add up.The hundreds of billions of pounds of waste produced by Americas dairy cows every year has long been a headache for farmers. Manure is expensive to manage and, to state the obvious, it smells terrible, which can lead to complaints, protests, and lawsuits from neighbors even the occasional fine or misdemeanor charge. And when dairies store their manure in giant open-air lagoons, the most common and cheapest method, it becomes a climate problem: As the manure decomposes, it produces methane, a climate super pollutant that accelerates climate change at a much faster rate than carbon dioxide. Read Article >Jul 11, 2024Grace van DeelenHow public universities hooked America onmeatAmericans are eating more meat than ever, but livestock giants still see plenty of room to grow. As pressure mounts for meat producers to improve their treatment of animals and environmental footprints, theyre turning to a tried-and-true strategy used in the past by the tobacco and oil industries to expand their markets and shore up the publics trust in their products: funding favorable research from university scientists.Last year, the National Pork Board, a pork marketing group sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), funded a nearly $8.5 million program in partnership with researchers from Iowa State University, the University of Georgia, the University of Minnesota, North Carolina State University, and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University to research popular perceptions of the pork industry and improve its reputation, according to federal records obtained by Crystal Heath, a veterinarian and founder of animal advocacy nonprofit Our Honor.Read Article >May 31, 2024Kenny TorrellaBig Milk has taken over American schoolsThis is the first in a series of stories on how factory farming shapes America. You can visit Voxs Future Perfect section for future installments and more coverage of Big Ag. This series is supported by Animal Charity Evaluators, which received a grant from Builders Initiative.In early 2023, Marielle Williamson emailed her Los Angeles high school principal requesting permission to protest milk. Read Article >

Dynasty Warriors Origins puts the series back on the map with ambitious changes, even larger battles, and a customisable combat system to make it the best we've seen in yearsTech16:47, 14 Jan 2025Nothing else scratches the same itch as Dynasty Warriors(Image: KOEI TECMO GAMES)You know the Ratatouille scene where the food takes the guy back to his childhood? Dynasty Warriors Origins is a bit like that.As someone that played 2000s Dynasty Warriors 2 at the age of 10 and was convinced games simply couldnt get more epic, my enthusiasm for the series has waned as Ive only tended to hop back to the Musou genre for its licensed tie-ins.Now, though, Dynasty Warriors Origins manages to recapture what made the series so captivating in the first place, and as soon as I started swinging my sword I was back to being a kid again and I mean that as a huge compliment.Origins is full of flashy moves for your character(Image: KOEI TECMO GAMES)As with prior games, Origins picks up with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms saga thats been retold countless times, and not just in video games.New this time, however, is our protagonist a near-silent amnesiac that acts as a cipher for the player. On the one hand, the introduction of someone so obviously a blank slate amongst so many strong characters feels a little like a step backwards, but it does allow for Dynasty Warriors Origins to do more interesting things with its combat (more on that shortly).The focus on a smaller tale does remove some of the breathless pace of switching between key personalities throughout the historical conflict, and thats certainly welcome after years of following the same characters around.Im a little mixed on performances, though, with some of its larger-than-life characters feeling a little too keen to chew the scenery, and the writing sometimes struggles under the weight of the vast web of characters it needs to reference at any given time. Thankfully, cutscenes are well done, and there are some characters that sound better than others notably in more intimate conversations, which only seems to make the protagonists deadpan expression even more noticeable.Youll sign up with one of the three kingdoms at a certain point, but unlike games with similar choices, you dont have to start right from the beginning to jump back in (were looking at you, Fire Emblem: Three Houses).Similar to Three Houses, though, you can build relationships with other characters. As someone who used to get my a*** handed to me by Lu Bu, I was thankful to be able to sit down for a nice chinwag with him this time around.Dynasty Warriors Origins makes me yearn for the devs to make a Lord of the Rings version(Image: KOEI TECMO GAMES)The allure of the Dynasty Warriors series has always been the way in which players can carve through huge swathes of enemies, and while earlier entries could get dozens of foes on screen, the jump to PS5 and Xbox Series X means the carnage is amplified tenfold.Your character, The Wanderer, leverages his Jason Bourne-like ability to hurt people without remembering why hes hurting people to pick up plenty of tricks throughout the campaign.There are new weapon types to unlock, additional abilities, fresh combos, and more. Each new weapon feels a little weak at first, but as you improve your skills youll unlock additional skills. They even have their own stats, and none of them feel underwhelming once you put in the time.You can create tornados to send enemies (literally) flying, roll up enemies like a sort of Katamari ball, or resort to the old-fashioned throw them in the air and knock them about a dozen times (the classics are the best).Dynasty Warriors Origins finally has the tech to achieve the series' vision(Image: KOEI TECMO GAMES)All of this customisation comes at the cost of not being able to play as other characters with their own move sets. Some missions will let you swap to other characters, but for the most part, youre playing as, well, yourself.With so many games leaning into the weighty, animation-lock style of Dark Souls et al, it feels so refreshing to just slap people silly with a good old button mash, and that leans into the inherent power fantasy of defeating the population of an entire town in 10 minutes.Between campaign missions you can roam a map to find additional activities (spoiler alert, they mostly revolve around fighting hundreds of baddies), and I loved the way it feels like a tabletop game that has a grown adult charging over the top of it like someone that just lost a game of Warhammer.Dynasty Warriors Origins is a bold new step for a series that hasnt needed to really reinvent itself this much in 25 years.Article continues belowThat it does this so impressively is a very pleasant surprise, and its likely to be a perfect entry point for newcomers while also offering a fresh perspective for longtime fans.Reviewed on PS5 Pro. Review code provided by the publisher.RECOMMENDED

After social media latched onto the theory that It Ends With Usdirector and co-lead Justin Baldoni inspired Nicepool in Deadpool & Wolverineto the point that the actors legal team, led by Bryan Freedman, addressed it outrighttheres now a new strike back against Ryan Reynolds wife, Blake Lively, who was featured in the film as Ladypool. This time, Baldonis team is bringing Marvels Kevin Feige and Disneys Bob Iger into the fray. According to Variety, Baldonis lawyers are using the accusation as grounds for issuing a litigation hold letter which calls on Disney and Marvel Studios to retain documents and data in regards to Baldoni and Nicepool. Over the course of the Deadpool & Wolverine and It Ends With Uspress tours, the rift between Baldoni and Lively (who starred opposite Baldoni in the Baldoni-directed film) became laden with public shots at one another over visibly creative differences. It all led up to Lively filing a lawsuit against Baldoni last December over misconduct allegations on the set of their drama; then, Baldoni countersued both Lively and the New York Timesalleging that the actress and newspaper purposefully misconstrued leaked texts to support Livelys case. The particular moments in Deadpool & Wolverine that echo Livelys claims against Baldoni include Nicepools lines about Ladypool snapping back into shape after having a baby and following that up with Its okay, I identify as a feministsince Baldoni touts his status as a feminist in his podcast. A deleted scene in Deadpool & Wolverine also saw Nicepool making reference to a feminist podcast; that latter scene in particular helped the Baldoni is Nicepool? theory go viral.The litigation letter presented by Baldonis team asks Marvel and Disney to preserve any and all documents relating to the development of the Nicepool character in addition to communications relating to the development, writing, and filming of storylines and scenes featuring Nicepool' and all documents relating to or reflecting a deliberate attempt to mock, harass, ridicule, intimidate, or bully Baldoni through the character of Nicepool. Variety notes the letter it viewed was dated January 7; amid the ongoing fires in Los Angeles, not much has moved on that front as neither side has commented on the case since. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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Hide all the licence plates in your shot instantaneously with the power of AI! Our Licence Plate ML model has been recently updated and improved in our latest 2025 maintenance release.Learn more and get a free trial of Boris FX Continuum:https://borisfx.com/products/continuum/ Continuum is a plugin for Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer, Final Cut Pro, Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve. VEGAS Pro, and more.

In their battle against antibiotics, bacteria are gaining an edge, becoming more and more resistant to antibiotic attacks. But a new paper published in PLOS Biology suggests that computer models could contribute to making more targeted antibiotics, with a reduced risk of increasing bacterias antibiotic resistance.According to the authors of the paper, these laser-like antibiotics could attack specific bacteria in specific areas of our bodies once created, reducing our overall contact with antibiotic drugs, and thus reducing the chance that the bacteria throughout our bodies could become resistant to them.Many biomedical challenges are incredibly complex, and computer models are emerging as a powerful tool for tackling such problems, said Jason Papin, a study author and a professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Virginia, in a press release. Were hopeful that these computer models of the molecular networks in bacteria will help us develop new strategies to treat infections. Antibiotic AdaptationsWhen we take antibiotic drugs, we open an opportunity for the bacteria inside our bodies to adapt, developing an antibiotic resistance. Due to the widespread use of antibiotic drugs in modern medicine today, dangerous bacteria are increasingly developing an antibiotic resistance, sapping these medicines of their ability to fend off disease.To address this issue, a team of researchers made a series of computer models of dangerous bacteria, then analyzed the models, identifying their shared metabolic traits. Their analysis revealed a series of metabolic traits that they could use to make customizable antibiotics, allowing them to target particular bacteria in particular body parts, instead of targeting the bacteria throughout the body. Curbing our contact with antibiotics, these targeted treatments could replace non-targeted treatments, which attack a broad spectrum of bacteria.An Alternative to Broad Bacterial TreatmentsUsing a type of computer model called a genome-scale metabolic network reconstruction (GENRE), the researchers discovered that certain metabolic traits are common in certain bacteria, such as stomach bacteria. Using our computer models we found that the bacteria living in the stomach had unique properties, said Emma Glass, a study author and a student of biomedical engineering at the University of Virginia, in the press release. These properties can be used to guide design of targeted antibiotics, which could hopefully one day slow the emergence of resistant infections.Testing this approach in the lab, the study authors showed that targeted antibiotics could curb the survival and spread of stomach bacteria, indicating their potential as a precision-medicine treatment. We still have much to do to test these ideas for other bacteria and types of infections, Papin said, in the press release. But this work shows the incredible promise of data science and computer modeling for tackling some of the most important problems in biomedical research.Article Sources:Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Sam Walters is a journalist covering archaeology, paleontology, ecology, and evolution for Discover, along with an assortment of other topics. Before joining the Discover team as an assistant editor in 2022, Sam studied journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Several of the Roman gold coins that were stuck during the reign of nine different emperors. C. Nosbusch/INRAShareA team of archaeologists recently discovered a hoard of 141 Roman gold coins dating back to around the Fourth Century CE in northern Luxembourg. According to the National Institute for Archaeological Research (INRA), the coins were struck during the reign of nine different emperors who ruled between 364 and 408 CE. Get the Popular Science newsletter Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.Eight emperors are shown on the coins. However, three of the coins featured an unexpected rulerEugenius, who only ruled the Western Roman Empire from 392 to 394 CE. Eugenius came to power partially due to the support of a powerful general Arbogast. Arbogast was a Frankthe Germanic-speaking peoples who invaded the Western Roman Empire during the Fifth Century.When Christianity was becoming increasingly dominant in the Roman Empire, Eugenius attempted to restore pagan practices and traditions. His brief reign was marked by conflict and political instability. Eugenius primary opponentEastern Roman Emperor Theodosius Ieventually defeated Eugenius during the Battle of the Frigidus in 394 AD. Eugenis was then executed and Christian authority in the empire began to consolidate.One of the three gold coins showing Eugenius. CREDIT: C. Nosbusch/INRA. Due to his only two-year-long reign, coins like these three bearing Eugenius image are incredibly uncommon.It is extremely rare to be able to study an ancient monetary deposit in its entirety in its archaeological context, the INRA wrote in a translated press release. Its examination will allow us to understand the motivations that led to its burial.The gold solidithe Latin word for gold coins like thesewere uncovered in the ruins of a Roman fort in the village of Holzthum during excavations from 2020 to 2024. The find was kept secret for almost four years. Additionally, the Luxembourg Army Mine Action Service helped with the dig due to the danger posed from several World War II-era explosives and munitions that are buried nearby.The coins are said to be in excellent conditions and have an estimated value of roughly $322,000 (308,600 Euros). In accordance with the legal provisions on cultural heritage in Luxembourg, this sum is reserved for those who have legal rights, such as property holders, over the find.The excavation also uncovered the remains of a small fortified observational tower. These watchtowers were commonly built along the Roman Empires Germanic borders during the 4th Century. There were also several graves surrounding it.With the archaeological excavations now complete, the data is currently being analyzed. These results are expected to be published in a scientific journal at a later date.

NewsAnimalsHand-feeding squirrels accidentally changed their skullsRed squirrels fed peanuts showed signs of weaker bite force versus those getting their own nuts Squirrels love peanuts of course, but peanuts may not love them back. Populations of red squirrels fed a supplemental diet of peanuts developed weaker jaws than those living on a natural, harder nut diet.Simon Hind/500px/Getty Images PlusBy Bethany Brookshire26 seconds agoSoft diet, weak jaws. If red squirrels eat too many peanuts, their jaws end up weaker than the jaws of squirrels eating natural diets, researchers report January 15 in Royal Society Open Science. The results show that supplemental feeding can produce changes in squirrel morphology, potentially affecting their future success.The red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) has a dedicated fan base in Great Britain. They are the native squirrel for the U.K., and yet a large proportion of the population probably has never seen one, says Phil Cox, an anatomist at University College London.

Nature, Published online: 14 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00033-2Researchers need to define safe zones for joint work in which the benefits outweigh the political risks. Heres how.