Housework Wont Kill You, But Why Take a Chance (2024), oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches. All images courtesy of Stephen Morrison and Hashimoto Contemporary, shared with permissionThe Dog Did It! Stephen Morrisons Trompe-lils Brim with Canine CharacterJanuary 16, 2025ArtKate MothesTo say that Stephen Morrisons work is inspired by dogs would be an understatement. Through sculptural assemblages and paintings of puppy faces tucked in foliage or morphing from household items, Morrison evokes the timeless love for our pets.I think Ive always been a bit of a hedonist and kind of set up to love the life of a dog, of doing whatever you want when you want to do it, Morrison recently told Hyperallergic in an interview. Thats why making work with dogs feels so natural because its deeply a part of my character.Every Direction at Once (2025), oil on panel, 20 x 16 inchesMorrison also draws inspiration from his beloved pit bull mix, Tilly, who was the ring bearer at his wedding and died three years ago. Her curious visage lives on in the artists idiosyncratic compositions, bringing expressive life to everything from birdhouses to table lamps.In the artists forthcoming solo exhibition at Hashimoto Contemporary, Morrison continues to channel canine personalities in Dog Show #4: House Broken.Trompe-lil paintings portray the supports on the backs of canvases, teeming with botanicals, stuffed animals, magazine clippings, and fruit. Likewise, a series of sculptures made from epoxy clay, resin, paper, and oil paint appear like assemblages of seemingly disparate items. In Clump Spirit #5 (Study), for example, a puppys face emerges from the front of a violin hanging from a hook, and Clump Spirit #1 (Living Room) displays a happy dog on a TV screen, stacked high with other objects that also feature distinctive eyes and snouts. Everything appears in a state of joyful yet barely contained disarray.Clump Spirit #1 (Living Room) (2024), television, silicone, textile, resin, and epoxy clay, 12 x 21 x 12 inchesThis show reflects on the chaotic messiness of home life, inspired by the lively and dysfunctional environment I grew up in, Morrison says. Our house was filled with dancing, yelling, slapdash crafting, and a constant swirl of half-finished projects. Amid all the noise, there was an odd harmonymoments where the chaos seemed to hum along just right, as if disorder itself had a rhythm.Dog Show #4: House Broken runs from January 18 to February 8 in New York City. Find more on the artists website and Instagram.Build a Little Birdhouse in Your Soul (2024), oil on panel, 24 x 24 inchesClump Spirit #4 (Study) (2025), epoxy clay, paper, resin, and oil paint, 26 x 10 x 5 1/2 inchesThe Council of Plastic Limbs (2025), oil on panel, 24 x 36 inchesClump Spirit #3 (Bedroom) (2025), epoxy clay and oil paint, 15 x 8 x 7 inchesThank You for Your Business (2025), oil on panel, 48 x 36 inchesNext article

Fujitsu staff working at HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will walk out for two days this month after union members voted for industrial action in a pay dispute.Staff directly employed by HMRC, but doing similar jobs to Fujitsu colleagues working alongside them as part of an outsourcing deal, received a much larger pay rise, according to the union representing the Fujitsu employees.Over 300 workers at the government department will walk out over two days in strike action over pay, after Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union members voted to strike.Fujitsu has faced heavy criticism as a result of its involvement in the Post Office Horizon scandal and there have been calls for it to be replaced on government contracts, so for many critics the dispute will be seen as another damaging indictment of the Japanese IT giants UK business.The strike at HMRC coincides with the 31 January deadline for online self-assessment tax returns, but HMRC said this will have no impact on people submitting returns because Fujitsu workers are striking and not HMRC staff.The Fujitsu workers, based in Telford and other offices across the UK, will strike on 30 and 31 January after being offered a pay rise of just 1.5%, according to the PCS, which added that their in-house colleagues received 5% for doing similar jobs.PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: There is no excuse for workers employed by Fujitsu being offered less than those employed directly by HMRC. If the government was serious about its pre-election pledge to bring in the biggest wave of insourcing in a generation, now is the chance to end the scandal of a two-tier workforce.Heathcote added: Its not too late for ministers to step in, resolve the pay issue and prevent strike action likely to play havoc with peoples tax returns.An HMRC spokesperson said: We have robust plans in place to ensure we continue delivering critical services for our customers during any industrial action.Fujitsu had not responded to Computer Weeklys questions when this article was published.Fujitsu staff at HMRC also took industrial action in January last year when rejecting a 3-4% pay rise from Fujitsu after learning that employees working for the company in Japan were being offered salary increases of up to 29%.Fujitsu is already under extreme scrutiny in the UK since the Post Office scandal reached the public conscience as a result of the ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office, broadcast at the start of 2024. Its sales to the public sector have fallen dramatically since the supplier agreed with the government to cease bidding for new public contracts until the statutory inquiry into the scandal completed its work.As revealed by Computer Weekly, prior to the festive period Fujitsus UK staff were sent a memo instructing them on aggressive cuts to spending on travel, recruitment, social and external organisations.In its latest financial statement for the 12 months to March 2024, the company reported a loss of just over 170m, compared with a loss of 99m in the previous 12 months.Fujitsu told its UK staff, in September last year, there would be no UK-wide pay rise this year as it prioritised a limited budget, fueling anger among a workforce with low morale.2024 was a year Fujitsu would like to forget

While a TikTok ban looms over the US, users are flocking to Lemon8 (again). Here's everything you need to know about it.

(COMBO) This combination of pictures created on January 15, 2025 shows South African businessman ... [+] Elon Musk (L) in Los Angeles, on April 13, 2024, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew (2L) in Jakarta on June 15, 2023, Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos (2R) in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 6, 2019 and Mark Zuckerberg (R), CEO of Meta, in Washington, DC, on January 31, 2024. The chief executive of social media giant TikTok will attend Donald Trump's inauguration on Janauary 20, US media said, as the incoming president reportedly weighs saving the app from a likely ban on US operations. Shou Chew will join several other high-profile social media and tech moguls reported to be attending the January 20 ceremony, including Tesla, X and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Meta's Mark Zuckerberg. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENTBAY ISMOYOMARK RALSTONANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesWere going to hear any minute if the US Supreme Court upholds a law that would ban TikTok starting this Sunday, January 19th. Bloomberg reported that parent company Bytedance is dancing with none other but Elon Musk. And Bytedance has reassured U.S. employees that their jobs are secure. Because there is a deal to be made here, maybe before Sunday.This photo illustration created on January 8, 2025, in Brussels, shows the media giant Meta's logo ... [+] displayed on a smartphone behind Scrabble letters forming the word "fact". Social media giant Meta on January 7, 2025, slashed its content moderation policies, including ending its US fact-checking program, in a major shift that conforms with the priorities of incoming president Donald Trump. (Photo by Nicolas TUCAT / AFP) (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesMeta ended fact-checking on its platform in the US. They will continue to fact check in Brazil and where they are legally obligated to do so. What are facts, anyway? Its all the product of bias. Whos to say what the truth is, in a post-truth era? Lets state the fact not often discussed: Facebook is a cesspool of misinformation, child trafficking, and violent crime. Like TikTok, and AI, it should be regulated. But Meta is not going to be, especially now that theyve made their willingness to play ball with Elon (that dude is everywhere) and the incoming laissez-faire administration. They replaced the liberal lobbyist with a republican. They donated to Trumps inauguration. They added outspoken conservative leadership from UFC to their board. They are going to make sure corporate taxes remain low, and regulation of social media and AI remain theoretical - i.e., nonexistent. The more of this Meta does, the greater shareholder returns will be. Those returns are the CEOs primary responsibility, trumping morality and politics. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, like Elon Musk, are what outgoing President Joe Biden called the new oligarchs.OpenAI has launched a new beta feature in ChatGPT called "Tasks,"MORE FOR YOU As of January 2025, Beat Saber is approaching 10 million units sold on the Quest platform alone.Beat Saber was bundled with Quest 2 purchases for a five-month period in 2022, it's estimated that around 20% of players received the game through this promotion. This suggests approximately 7.76 million paid copies, generating an estimated $233 million in revenue from the base game on Quest, priced at $30. This figure does not account for additional revenue from the game's extensive paid DLC music packs.Cinematic AIDo we believe this video or our lying eyes?

What just happened? Many users who relied on Windows' built-in Mail and Calendar app are understandably disappointed about Microsoft discontinuing it at the start of this year. The company now wants people to use the new Outlook experience, but not everyone is a fan, as it's essentially just a wrapper for the web app. Fortunately, a developer has resurrected the old Mail app's functionality with a modern twist in the form of Wino Mail. Wino Mail is the creation of developer Burak Kaan Kse, who is upfront about the app being inspired by Microsoft's discontinued Mail and Calendar app. As the description states, "Wino Mail, built-in Mail app clone for Windows device families. Wino is not a web wrapper. It's a native mail client that works with all Windows device families."That native approach is crucial, as it avoids the performance and design drawbacks of Microsoft's new Outlook app, which is essentially just a web wrapper. Wino Mail bypasses these issues by being a true native Windows 11 app. It simply works better, with an interface and responsiveness that align with what you'd expect from a first-party Windows app.The app also supports all the core functions you'd expect sending and receiving emails, notifications, archiving, marking emails as read/unread, and more. It works with Microsoft account emails like Outlook and Hotmail, Gmail via API integration, as well as IMAP/SMTP accounts. Additional features include offline support, dark/light mode toggles, and system tray functionality.Customization options are abundant too, with support for accent colors and full theming.One minor limitation currently holds the app back from achieving true perfection it can only check for new message notifications every three minutes. However, this is a small issue that could (hopefully) be addressed in the future.That said, Wino Mail has been warmly received so far. One App Store review praises it as "miles better" than the new Outlook, describing the design as "beautiful" and the performance as "snappy and reliable." Over 5,000 users have already tried it, according to the developer, and the store listing currently boasts more than 160 glowing reviews.You can use Wino Mail for free with up to three email accounts connected. If you wish to connect unlimited accounts, however, you'll need to pay 8.39 to unlock that feature. // Related Stories

If youve long been interested in Samsungs smartwatches and you dont mind going for a previous-generation model to access huge savings, here are some offers from Samsung to check out the 40mm Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 for only $190 instead of $350 for savings of $160, and the 43mm Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic for only $300 instead of $450 for savings of $150. Were not entirely sure how much time is remaining on these smartwatch deals, so we highly recommend completing your purchase immediately if youre interested in either of them.Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (40mm, LTE) $190, was $350Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic (43mm, LTE) $300, was $450RelatedThe Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is already available, but the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic remain worthwhile purchases especially the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, which still holds a spot in our roundup of the best smartwatches as the best premium smartwatch for Android. Both models, however, are equipped with Super AMOLED panels with a full-color always-on display and a sapphire crystal glass coating for protection. Theyre also both powered by the Exynos W930 Dual-Core 1.4GHz processor with 2GB of RAM, and they ship with Google Wear OS 4 with the One UI 5 Watch interface. The wearable devices also feature Samsungs 3-in1 BioActive Sensor, which enable its comprehensive suite of health-tracking capabilities.In our comparison of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 versus Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, the obvious difference is their design. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 looks sportier and simpler, while the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic looks more like a traditional timepiece but with a rotating bezel for navigating its menus. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic also has a bigger battery and a stainless steel case.Its all a matter of preference in choosing what to buy between the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, but either way, you can get them with a huge discount from Samsung Galaxy deals. The 40mm Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is $160 off for a lowered price of $190 from $350, while the 43mm Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is $150 off for a lowered price of $300 from $450. You need to decide quickly though, as youre going to miss out on the savings if you keep delaying your transaction.Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (40mm, LTE) $190, was $350Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic (43mm, LTE) $300, was $450Editors Recommendations

Directed mostly by Ben Stiller, the provocative sci-fi series about a mysterious biotech company returns on Apple TV+, starring Adam Scott, John Turturro, Christopher Walken and Patricia Arquette.

Phones down, eyes up Girl strangled by her own wheelchair as bus monitor sent 34 texts, checked Instagram 10 years in prison is possible. Nate Anderson Jan 16, 2025 5:13 pm | 0 Even when you're not driving, texting can be dangerous. Credit: Benjamin Rondel | Getty Images Even when you're not driving, texting can be dangerous. Credit: Benjamin Rondel | Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreCell phones are magnets for our attention, but you can, of course, face significant legal jeopardy for giving them that attention. Just ask the "safety driver" of an Uber self-driving vehicle, which hit and killed a pedestrian in Arizona in 2018. According to authorities, the driver was watching The Voice on Hulu just before the crashand was then charged with negligent homicide.These kinds of cases are always tragic because they feel so easily avoidable, but they also happen with enough regularity that it's easy to tune them out. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,308 people were killed by distracted drivers in 2022 aloneand "texting is the most alarming distraction."That's why states continue to crack down on cell phone use while driving. A Colorado law that went into effect on January 1, for instance, bans a driver from using any mobile electronic device unless it is hands-free. Thirty US states now have such bans in place.But a trial that wrapped up in New Jersey this week caught my attention, because it is one of the sadder and stranger examples of cell phone-mediated distraction while in a vehicle. A young girl died, and a 28-year-old woman is probably going to jail, but this is not your typical tale of texting while driving. Texting was involved34 times, in factbut driving had nothing to do with what happened.Child endangermentThe trial was about an incident in Franklin Township, New Jersey, on July 17, 2023, when a 6-year-old girl named Fajr Williams got on a bus to attend a summer program. Williams had disabilities and was confined to her wheelchair. The bus had a spot for anchoring wheelchairs to the ground, and it had a ride-along bus monitor named Amanda Davila, 28, who was supposed to watch and assist kids like Williams.According to state prosecutors, Williams was properly strapped into her wheelchair and had been taken down to the bus by her older sister. Williams was then loaded onto the bus, but her chair was not allegedly attached to the floor correctly, nor were the proper seatbelts used. As a result, while the bus drove its route to school that morning, Williams began to slide down the seat of her wheelchair. (She could not control her trunk movements normally, and so she was unable to sit back up.) At some point in the ride, she slid low enough that her chair's own four-point harness, which was meant to keep her upright, began to choke her. By the time the bus arrived at school, William had been strangled to death.Investigators focused on the actions of Davila, who was supposed to keep Williams within view. Instead, authorities say, video from inside the bus showed:...that defendant sat in front of the victim instead of across the aisle from her and that defendant used her cell phone with ear buds to scroll through Instagram, listen to Apple music, and send/receive 34 text messages during the bus ride instead of checking on the victim. Testimony revealed that defendant received six years of safety trainings that emphasized a no-cellphone and no-earbuds policy.The state charged Davila with both manslaughter and child endangerment, and she could have faced a couple of decades in prison.The trial itself was raw. According to a local report from NBC, "The video played in court was so painful to watch for the victim's family, her father had to leave the courtroom while jurors watched little Fajr struggling to breathe."But Davila wasn't going to take complete blame. "I made a mistake, but you guys are trying to put me away for 10 to 20 yearson a mistake," she said, going on to argue that the bus company had not in fact banned cell phone use. The New York Times spoke to her lawyer, who said that it "wasnt discouraged for her to be on her phone" and that the bus company actually used the phone to communicate with Davila and even asked her to give her number to parents.Davila also claimed that some of the straps and hooks on her bus weren't workingand that she wasn't properly trained to use them anyway. (The state put great emphasis on the regular training sessions that the bus company gave to employees.) But she admitted that she should have been sitting in the back, with her eyes on the students with disabilities.On January 13, 2025, after a week-long trial, Davila received a split decision. She was cleared on the more serious manslaughter charge but was found guilty of child endangerment and faces the possibility of a decade in jail when she is sentenced in March.Nate AndersonDeputy EditorNate AndersonDeputy Editor Nate is the deputy editor at Ars Technica. His most recent book is In Emergency, Break Glass: What Nietzsche Can Teach Us About Joyful Living in a Tech-Saturated World, which is much funnier than it sounds. 0 Comments

Carrie Pallardy, Contributing ReporterJanuary 16, 20255 Min ReadPresident Joe Biden meets with White House staff in the Oval Office, 2022, to review remarks he will give at an executive order signing. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz) American Photo Archive via Alamy Stock PhotoOn. Jan. 16, just days before leaving office, President Biden issued an executive order on improving the nations cybersecurity. The extensive order comes on the heels of the breaches of US Treasury and US telecommunications providers perpetrated by China state-sponsored threat actors.Adversarial countries and criminals continue to conduct cyber campaigns targeting the United States and Americans, with the Peoples Republic of China presenting the most active and persistent cyber threat to United States Government, private sector, and critical infrastructure networks, the order states.This new executive order, building on the one Biden issued in 2021, is extensive. It addresses issues ranging from third-party supply chain risks and AI to cybersecurity in space and the risks of quantum computers.Could this executive order shape the federal governments approach to cybersecurity? And how uncertain is its impact under the incoming Trump administration?The Executive OrderThe executive order outlines a broad set of initiatives to address nation state threats, improve defense of the nations digital infrastructure, drive accountability for software and cloud providers, and promote innovation in cybersecurity.Like the 2021 executive order, the newly released order emphasizes the importance of collaboration with the private sector.Related:Since it's an executive order, it's mainly aimed at the federal government. It doesn't directly regulate the private sector, Jim Dempsey, managing director of the Cybersecurity Law Center at nonprofit International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), tells InformationWeek. It indirectly aims to impact private sector cybersecurity by using the government's procurement power.For example, the order directs software vendors working with the federal government to submit machine-readable secure software development attestations through the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Repository for Software Attestation and Artifacts (RSAA).If CISA finds that attestations are incomplete or artifacts are insufficient for validating the attestations, the Director of CISA shall notify the software provider and the contracting agency, according to the order.The order also calls for the development of guidelines relating to the secure management of cloud service providers access tokens and cryptographic keys. In 2023, China-backed threat actor stole a cryptographic key, which led to the breach of several government agency Outlook email systems, Wired reports. A stolen key was behind the compromise of BeyondTrust that led to the recent US Treasury breach.Related:AI, unsurprisingly, doesnt go untouched by the order. It delves into establishing a program for leveraging AI models for cyber defense.The Biden administration also uses the executive order to call attention to cybersecurity threats that may loom larger in the future. The order points to the risks posed by quantum computers and space system cybersecurity concerns.Bidens Cyber LegacyThe Biden Administration made cybersecurity a priority. In addition to the 2021 executive order on cybersecurity, the administration released a National Cybersecurity Strategy and an implementation plan in 2023.The current administration also took sector-specific actions to bolster cybersecurity. For example, Biden issued an executive order focused on maritime cybersecurity.Kevin Orr, president of RSA Federal at RSA Security, a network security company, saw a positive response to the Biden Administrations efforts to improve cybersecurity within the government.I was surprised at how many agencies have leaned in the last 18 months, especially within the intelligence community, have really adopted basic identity proofing, coming forward with multifactor authentication, and really strengthening their defenses, Orr shares.Related:While the Biden Administration has worked to further cybersecurity, there are questions about adoption of new policies and best practices. Some stakeholders call for more regulatory enforcement.Much like any regulation, people are only going to follow it if there's some type of regulatory teeth to it, Joe Nicastro, field CTO at software security firm Legit Security, argues.Others argue for incentives are more likely to drive adoption of cybersecurity measures.Cybersecurity is an ongoing national security concern, and the Biden administration is soon passing the torch.I think this administration can leave extremely, extremely proud, says Dempsey. Certainly, they are handing over the nations cybersecurity to the incoming Trump administration in far better shape than it was four years ago.A New AdministrationWhile the order could mean big changes in the federal governments approach to cybersecurity, the timing makes its ultimate impact uncertain. Many of its directives for federal agencies have a long runway, months or years, for compliance. Will the Trump administration enforce the executive order?Cybersecurity has largely been painted as a bipartisan issue. And there has been some continuity between the first Trump Administration and the Biden Administration when it comes to cyber policies.For example, the Justice Department recently issued a final rule on Bidens Executive Order 14117 Preventing Access to Americans Bulk Sensitive Personal Data and United States Government-Related Data by Countries of Concern. That order charges the Justice Department with establishing a regulatory program to prevent the sale of Americans sensitive data to China, Russia, Iran, and other foreign adversaries. That order and subsequent ruling stem from an executive order signed by Trump in 2019.Bidens 2025 cybersecurity executive order puts a spotlight on cyber threats from China, and President-Elect Trump has been vocal about his intention to crack down on those threats. But that does not preclude changes to or dismissal of provisions in Bidens final cybersecurity executive order.There may be some things that the incoming administration will ignore or deprioritize. I'd be a little surprised if they repealed the order, says Dempsey.CISA was a major player in the Biden administrations approach to cybersecurity, and it will continue to play a big role if this new executive order rolls out as outlined. But the federal agency has been criticized by several Republican lawmakers. Some have called to limit its power or even shut it down, AP News reports.The incoming Trump administration is also expected to take a more hands-off approach to regulation in many areas. Critical infrastructure is consistently at the heart of national cybersecurity conversations, and the majority of critical infrastructure is owned by the private sector.In terms of new regulation aimed at the private sector, I think we probably will not see anything out of the Trump administration, Dempsey predicts.Cybersecurity policy could look different under the Trump administration, but it is likely it will remain at the forefront of national security discussions.I'm hoping that threat of what China is doing with their cybersecurity programs and how they're facilitating attacks against BeyondTrust and US treasury et cetera, will help continue the progress that we've made within cybersecurity, says Nicastro.About the AuthorCarrie PallardyContributing ReporterCarrie Pallardy is a freelance writer and editor living in Chicago. She writes and edits in a variety of industries including cybersecurity, healthcare, and personal finance.See more from Carrie PallardyNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

A satellite orbits the planetShutterstock / Andrei ArmiagovOver the past couple years, undersea cables from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean have been severed in apparent acts of sabotage. Now a NATO-backed project has shown how to quickly re-establish the most critical communications using satellites.The first demonstration of the $2.5 million HEIST project short for Hybrid Space-submarine Architecture Ensuring Infosec of Telecommunications took place in Sweden on 16 January. This test simulated how software can swiftly match outgoing data communications with available satellite internet providers, such as SpaceXs Starlink and Viasat.