DDN, which made its name in high-performance computing (HPC), has gained investment of $300m from US fund Blackstone, which it says will be used to translate leadership in supercomputing to storage solutions for artificial intelligence (AI).While arrays aimed at the two workloads are similar in being able to keep up with extremely high-performance processing, there are differences. HPC workloads involve reading a relatively small number of mathematical formulations to produce enormous amounts of simulation data.In AI, its the opposite. A massive amount of data is read to produce a relatively small model during training or to generate a response to an application or human prompt during inference.DDN sells its EXAscaler arrays into the HPC market. They use the Lustre parallel file system, which is open source and was first launched around two decades ago. An EXAscaler array comprises a number of disk drives in which one acts as an index to the contents of the others. Compute nodes interrogate that node to find out which of the others to read and write blocks of data to, then communicate directly with that node.To function, the compute nodes must run a Lustre client and have a direct network connection with all storage nodes. That usually means an Infiniband connection, with no packet loss and the ability for the controller to directly copy data in random access memory (RAM) or in non-volatile memory express (NVMe) storage on the host machine.DDN has put this functionality in its AI400X2 arrays, which are aimed at AI workloads. They use the same 2U nodes as in EXAscaler, but use Nvidia Ethernet SpectrumX controller cards. These use a BlueField DPU from Nvidia and bring the same benefits to Ethernet networks as found in Infiniband. Their use of RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE) also means no packet loss with writes of data in Nvidia graphics processing unit (GPU) memory directly (using GPUdirect).The AI400X2 is primarily intended to communicate as quickly as possible with the GPUs during training workloads. But theyre potentially a very expensive option for storing enormous quantities of data that an enterprise might want to store from models that have already been trained.For this, DDN has had its Infinia arrays since 2023. These provide S3 object storage with the ability to add drives non-disruptively.DNN has offloaded S3 storage functions to containers, such as the metadata server, the storage server, and so on. This means DDN can reproduce in Infinia functionality similar to Lustre when specific S3 containers are deployed on the compute nodes. Infinia arrays can also be equipped with SpectrumX cards to maximise transfer speeds.DNN claims to know better than anyone how intensive storage works. When GPUs write data in parallel and then read data rapidly thereafter, problems of incoherence can arise. Checkpointing regulates this, but its a resource-hungry operation during processing and doesnt produce useful data. DDN says it can avoid such delays by carefully managing data flows and use of caching.DDN already has skin in the AI game, and among its customers is Elon Musks xAI, which has deployed a supercomputer called Colossus with 100,000 H100 GPUs. So, the purpose of the new $300m is not altogether clear.Blackstone is likely positioning itself in a number of AI-focused enterprises, and now has a member on the DDN board. Last year, the fund offered financial support to CoreWeave, a supplier of AI-focused infrastructure as-a-service.DDN promises a significant announcement on 20 February, which it has prefaced with the slogan: Were making AI real.Read more about AI and storageStorage technology explained: AI and data storage. In this guide, we examine the data storage needs of artificial intelligence, the demands it places on data storage, the suitability of cloud and object storage for AI, and key AI storage products.Interview: Nvidia on AI workloads and their impacts on data storage. We talk to Charlie Boyle of Nvidia about data challenges in artificial intelligence, key practical tips for AI projects, and demands on storage of training, inferencing, RAG and checkpointing.

Every Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscription is about to get Copilot AI features, along with a price increase of at least 30%. The global rollout comes after months of testing and is certain to be controversial.

The Invisible Sun Black Cube contains 30 pounds of magic. Everything you need to play like books, ... [+] charaters, cards dice and even artifacts to make your game feel more real.Monte Cook GamesThe folks at Humble Bundle have become a great resource to help players build electronic libraries full of tabletop games. They make it very easy to explore games outside of Dungeons & Dragons that appeal to different genres and player types. Plus a portion of the proceeds benefit a charity selected by the publishers who put their games on offer.Right now they have an offer for one of the most unusual role playing games on the market. Invisible Suntalked about this game before but now the barrier of entry is at an all time low.What Is Invisible Sun?Invisible Sun proposes that the so-called real world is an illusion. The vislae, beings who know the truth of reality, come here to forget about their troubles and take up simple lives full of worrying about mortgage payments instead of a spell they cast centuries ago is still out there looking for revenge on its creator. Some vislae never shake off the lie while other occasionally return to the strange city of Satyrine.Every player in the game has access to some sort of magic. Much like its Cypher System sibling, characters are defined through a sentence with specific elements unlocking game mechanics. These are powerful beings from the start and the game offers plenty of suggestions for strange quests they can attempt with the help of their friends.Invisible Sun Humble BundleThe Humble Bundle offers a huge collection of PDFs for a very low price. The PDF of the core set alone is normally $99. The bundle offers that core set, plus several expansions to the game, for $18.MORE FOR YOUThe core set contains all the materials needed to play Invisible Sun. Rules, characters, story suggestions, printable props and more come in the main set. Its a great experience for a dedicated group of role playing game fans in a surreal setting that someone like David Lynch or David Bowie would love.The supplements burrow deeper into the Acuality and expand the stories the game can tell. Secrets of Silent Streets offers more information on the heart of the game called Satyrine. The Nightside provides a look at powers, beings and spells that even the powerful vislae might consider to be too far into the darkness.The game suggests that sometimes the vislae can bring pieces of the Actuality into the real world. The bundle contains prop documents that can be customized to players stories. Printing them out at home can make the game seem even more real.Invisible Sun Black CubeFor gaming groups who get this bundle and fall in love with the game or for ones who prefer a fully physical experience. I recommend checking out the Black Cube. It can be an investment for gamers used to paying $50 for a Players Handbook but it has one of the most unique presentations I have every seen. The folks at Monte Cook Games sent one home with me after attending GameHole Con this past November.The cube has slots for all the books, cards, dice to go securely rather than rattle around like many boxed sets. Opening the box gives the game an amost ritualistic moment that signals to everyone that the time for ordering pizza and sharing memes is over. The artifacts within the box get players into the mood for their intrigues.This era of gaming offers luxury priced experiences for those who can afford it. The Black Cube stands with things like the Legendary Edition of Curse of StrahdThe Invisible Sun Humble Bundle runs through January 30th. Sales of the bundle benefit Direct Relief which provides medical benefits around the world.

Something to look forward to: China accounts for nearly a quarter of the world's energy consumption, with fossil fuels playing a significant role. However, the Asian giant is exploring a different approach to energy harvesting capturing clean, essentially endless solar power where it is most abundant. Chinese researchers are working on a new power station project that could gather and convert solar energy directly from space. The station would be 1 kilometer wide and capable of sending solar energy back to Earth in the form of microwave radiation. According to proponents of the project, the energy collected by this new orbiting installation in one year would be equivalent to the total amount of oil that can still be extracted from Earth.One of the leading scientists behind the new energy plan is Long Lehao, a rocket expert and member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Lehao is currently working on Long March 9 (CZ-9), a Chinese super-heavy carrier rocket that was recently updated to be reusable and capable of lifting at least 136 metric tons off the planet's surface.Beijing plans to use the CZ-9 and other rockets in the same series to send its taikonauts to the Moon. However, it would also be capable of transporting solar panels into a geostationary orbit around Earth. Energy collected in space would have 10 times the density of solar power reaching the surface, as clouds and the atmosphere can significantly affect the harvesting process.Lehao said that the new project is as significant as moving the Three Gorges Dam to a geostationary orbit 36,000 km above Earth. The Three Gorges Dam, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, is the world's largest power station. The hydroelectric station became fully operational in 2012 and can generate around 100 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.China is not the only country interested in building space-based solar power (SBSP) projects. US-based contractors such as Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, the European Space Agency, and the Japanese space agency are investigating the feasibility of such projects, though they are still in the proof-of-concept phase. // Related StoriesLehao's team hopes to solve some of the issues related to SBSP by leveraging its own reusable space rocket technology with the CZ-9 project. China has big ambitions for its space exploration program, as it plans to use Long March rockets to build an international research station on the Moon's surface by 2035.

For branded coffee maker deals, you really cant find a price lower than the deal weve spotted at Walmart. Right now, you can buy the Keurig K-Express Essentials Coffee Maker for just $35 instead of paying the usual $59. The deal is only available on the red variety, but it looks stylish and is worth checking out. It could end up saving you a lot of cash on buying coffee while out and about. Lets take a look at it.The best Keurig coffee makers are a great addition to any kitchen and home. The Keurig K-Express Essentials Coffee Maker is a particularly accessible entry point for all things coffee. Its compact in its design so you can easily fit it in your countertop. From there, it offers super simple coffee brewing in a matter of minutes. It has a 36-ounce removable reservoir so you can easily brew a second cup without having to wait for reheating.The Keurig K-Express Essentials Coffee Maker has simple button controls, and all you need to do is insert any K-Cup pod and let the coffee maker do the rest for you. Its energy efficient as well thanks to an auto off function that automatically turns the brewer off five minutes after the last brew. If youve been on a quest for the perfect coffee maker, youre in luck here. The Keurig K-Express Essentials Coffee Maker also works with travel mugs. It has room for a 7-inch mug if you remove the drip tray or 6-inches with the drip tray. The drip tray keeps things a little cleaner, but the Keurig K-Express Essentials Coffee Maker is generally very simple to clean up after.RelatedWhile the best coffee makers may offer more features, the Keurig K-Express Essentials Coffee Maker is still a great starting point on your coffee maker journey. It looks great, is super simple to use, and will save you money on takeout coffee over time.Normally $59, the Keurig K-Express Essentials Coffee Maker is down to $35 for a limited time only at Walmart. The Keurig K-Express Essentials Coffee Maker is proving incredibly popular, which means that only the red variant is still available at this price. Its unlikely to stick around for much longer given how popular it is, so if you need a new coffee maker buy it now before you miss out.Editors Recommendations

In a crowded stone cellar he left unlocked, Jeff Joseph kept a world-class collection rich in blue-chip Burgundies. Our columnist and others lucky enough to visit it found rewards far beyond great wine.

Gemini Google increases Workspace plan base prices while adding Gemini features New plans will be cheaper for those who want Gemini, pricier for those who don't. Samuel Axon Jan 16, 2025 3:15 pm | 0 The Google Gemini logo. Credit: Google The Google Gemini logo. Credit: Google Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreGoogle has added AI features to its regular Workspace accounts for business while slightly raising the baseline prices of Workspace plans.Previously, AI tools in the Gemini Business plan were a $20 per seat add-on to existing Workspace accounts, which had a base cost of $12 per seat without. Now, the AI tools are included for all Workspace users, but the per-seat base price is increasing from $12 to $14.That means that those who were already paying extra for Gemini are going to pay less than half of what they wereeffectively $14 per seat instead of $32. But those who never used or wanted Gemini or any other newer features under the AI umbrella from Workspace are going to pay a little bit more than before.Features covered here include access to Gemini Advanced, the NotebookLM research assistant, email and document summaries in Gmail and Docs, adaptive audio and additional transcription languages for Meet, and "help me write" and Gemini in the side panel across a variety of applications.Google says that it plans "to roll out even more AI features previously available in Gemini add-ons only."This perhaps not-so-coincidentally follows a recent announcement from Microsoft that Copilot Pro AI features would be baked into the base cost of Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscriptions.As is often the case with these enterprise software suites, the fine print is complicated, with varying terms for different kinds of users.As a top-level summary: customers will be on this new pricing scheme immediately, while existing Workspace accounts begin on March 17. Those who've been shelling out $20 a month per seat for Gemini for Workspace won't be charged for that subscription anymore starting on February 1, but they'll retain access. These changes don't yet apply to small-business customers, thoughbut Google suggests that's temporary. Likewise, these changes aren't happening right now for education and nonprofit accounts.Google outlines the various edge cases in detail in its blog post, if you care to dig in.Up until recently, LLM- and deep learning-based features were generally treated as an extra or separate service by SaaS companies, but we're seeing a recent shift to baking them right into the core offerings like any other feature, and this is part of that trend.Samuel AxonSenior EditorSamuel AxonSenior Editor Samuel Axon is a senior editor at Ars Technica. He covers Apple, software development, gaming, AI, entertainment, and mixed reality. He has been writing about gaming and technology for nearly two decades at Engadget, PC World, Mashable, Vice, Polygon, Wired, and others. He previously ran a marketing and PR agency in the gaming industry, led editorial for the TV network CBS, and worked on social media marketing strategy for Samsung Mobile at the creative agency SPCSHP. He also is an independent software and game developer for iOS, Windows, and other platforms, and heis a graduate of DePaul University, where he studied interactive media and software development. 0 Comments

Joao-Pierre S. Ruth, Senior EditorJanuary 16, 20254 Min ReadFlame front of the Eaton Fire on the first night during the January 2025 California wildfires in Altadena and Los Angeles.Timothy Swope via Alamy Stock PhotoSatellite-based communication helped clear up some of the smoke and confusion that arose from the LA County wildfires that tore into Southern California.Firefighters, who came from across the country, Canada, and Mexico, contained a number of the devastating fires that began the first week of 2025 but some of the largest patches of flame continue to burn.Rescue and recovery efforts require cohesive communication, for individuals and emergency responders, in such a widespread disaster. So far, the infernos across the region consumed collectively more than 40,000 acres of land, destroyed entire communities, and claimed at least 24 lives.Companies such as Intrado and Cisco offer resources that can help ensure clear lines of communication remain available during disasters that might disrupt standard means of staying connected. What happens in these disaster situations is traditional networks may have impacts to them because of the nature of hurricanes or fires and knocks out the traditional communication what were all used to, says Josh Burch, vice president of product operations at Intrado.That might include cellular, landline, VoIP, or voice over Wi-Fi networks, he says. In such instances, Burch says the use of satellite-based communication, including direct to device satellite communication, may come into play.Related:Two to three years ago, something like this wouldnt even have been possible, Burch says. The ability for satellite constellations to communicate with wireless handsets is now possible in certain scenarios.That communication might be limited to text communication in certain circumstances but can still allow emergency messages to be transmitted by individuals who might otherwise lose contact and service on their phones, Burch says. Intrado has processed more than 2,000 TXT29-1-1 messages in LA county since the wildfires began.The LA County wildfires saw Cisco called into action to provide support to agencies tasked with rescue and relief efforts.To avoid confusion in already challenging circumstances, Cisco Crisis Response Director Erin Connors says the Cisco team gets rolling only after they make contact with the emergency response agencies that focus on critical infrastructure, government continuity, aid delivery, and public safety. She says her team leverages Cisco resources, funding, technology, and expertise to connect vulnerable communities in crisis.In the case of the LA fires, there has been some degradation to cellular infrastructure, but not extensively, Connors says. Her team is made up of emergency response network engineers who can deploy in the event of emergencies. We dont self-deploy; its always at the request of partner agencies that are on the ground that have an expressed need that we can meet.Related:For the LA County fires, Connors says her team received requests from state and local response agencies for such needs as connectivity support for command posts and incident management teams. In a lot of cases, this is where theyre setting up new offices, she says. There might still be some backhaul or cellular connectivity, but if theyre setting up new field offices to be able to coordinate and manage their relief activities, they need network infrastructure.Cisco lent satellite backhaul where needed, Connors says, pairing Cisco Meraki security appliances to secure the network. All this goes toward managing and prioritizing network traffic to help response centers deliver services to affected citizens, she says. You can block Netflix streaming, for example, so that doesnt actually take up all the bandwidth for really critical communications to manage response efforts.Resources Cisco brings to bear for such disasters include equipment or remote guidance while the emergency response agencies look for longer-term solutions. Connors says Ciscos response team continues to provide remote support for the recovery from Hurricane Helene and also lent support in response to the 2023 fires in Maui. The team not only works with government agencies, but also supports nonprofit organizations and provides community Wi-Fi and shelters, she says.Related:Though the LA County wildfires covered a vast breadth of geography and cause widespread damage and displacement, Connors says the situation has not necessarily affected the resources Cisco made available. That is despite the challenge of oversight and communication needed to coordinate support from across international. There is just a lot more to manage for all of the agencies, she says. That maybe is a little bit different.Evolution of satellite technology such as Starlink, Connors says, made these types of resources more accessible and affordable to put into play during such crises. Thats been a big game changer.In prior years, Connors says, when Cisco first offered crisis response, resources had to be deployed in person with skilled technicians to set up and manage the network. Nowadays, she says, with Cisco Meraki the equipment can be shipped to location, is relatively easy to install, and features remote support. AI can also be used to scan for threats and troubleshoot the systems, making it easier to manage without always needing boots on the ground for technology to deliver support to agencies that respond to a disaster. We dont necessarily need to fly in, deploy, set it up, and be there long term, Connors says.About the AuthorJoao-Pierre S. RuthSenior EditorJoao-Pierre S. Ruth covers tech policy, including ethics, privacy, legislation, and risk; fintech; code strategy; and cloud & edge computing for InformationWeek. He has been a journalist for more than 25 years, reporting on business and technology first in New Jersey, then covering the New York tech startup community, and later as a freelancer for such outlets as TheStreet, Investopedia, and Street Fight.See more from Joao-Pierre S. RuthNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

Feedback explores the upsides (and downsides) of Publish or Perish, a game that simulates the experience of building a career in scientific research 15 January 2025 Josie FordPlay your cards rightReaders in the northern hemisphere are facing many more weeks of long, dark nights and cold weather, so what could be better than a fun card game? If youre too cash-strapped for poker and have exhausted the comic potential of Cards Against Humanity (a state typically achieved after about 10 minutes of play), and if you have an interest in scientific research, you might want to consider Publish or Perish.Created by social psychologist Max Hui Bai, Publish or Perish simulates the experience of building a career in scientific research. The game is to publish as many papers as possible and rack up citations even if your papers are rubbish or you have to sabotage other players publications. Or as Bai puts it: Players race to publish useless nonsense while sabotaging each other and delivering snarky comments.After releasing a beta version of the game for academics to try, Bai launched it on Kickstarter in late 2024, quickly racking up 5944 backers and $292,537 of funding. Those arent Brandon Sanderson Four Secret Novels numbers, but thats still a lot of funding.AdvertisementTo publish a paper, players collect cards representing the key elements of a study, from ideas and data to references. To speed this up, you can use cards representing positive behaviours like going to workshops and forming collaborations.However, the real fun comes when you play dirty. Some cards enable dodgy practices like plagiarism and p-hacking (a statistical trick where you repeatedly reanalyse your data in different ways until you find a significant result, which you publish on its own). Others allow you to sabotage your opponents research, for instance by identifying a trivial citation error or calling for an audit of their work.The game includes cards representing the papers you can publish, all of which have insane and frankly Feedback-adjacent headings like Procrastination patterns among academics: A case study of myself (by Anita Break, Psy.D) and A practical field guide to unproductive meetings and organization time wastage (by Max Time-Squander, MBA, J.D., M.D., Ph.D.).Feedback doesnt have a copy although now that this article is published, we feel it might be only a matter of time before Mrs Feedback or Feedback Jr gets it for our birthday. But as a (very) former academic researcher, we recognised the horror and pain of the research experience. We arent sure what it would be like to play the game as an active researcher: it might be cathartic, but it might also resurface a lot of buried trauma. We suggest having a therapist on standby.Feedback also wonders what the games legacy will be. Famously, Monopoly was invented as a scathing satire on landlords and rentier capitalism but after being purchased by Parker Brothers it was marketed worldwide as a fun game about how to get rich. Feedback wonders if in 50 years time Publish or Perish will be sold by The Trump Organization as a fun game about how to discover new knowledge.Bots on paradeJust when you thought it couldnt get any harder to talk to actual loved ones (as opposed to advertisers and meme aggregators) on Facebook and Instagram, parent company Meta has decided to make it even more difficult.It all began with an article in the Financial Times, in which Meta executive Connor Hayes was quoted saying that the company was going to add large numbers of AI profiles to the sites. Or as the FT put it: Meta envisages social media filled with AI-generated users.In the wake of this, many users noticed there actually already were a lot of AI profiles on the sites. According to Jason Koebler at 404 Media, these Meta-controlled AI-generated Instagram and Facebook profiles have been on the platform for well over a year. However, most of them had been deleted and the few that remained stopped posting in April 2024 because users almost universally ignored them.Metas failure to fully delete the profiles was a mistake, because users began experimenting. Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah had a chat with an AI called Liv, who was presented as a queer Black woman. Attiah got Liv to say none of its creators was Black, and only one out of 12 was a woman (though who knows if it was telling the truth or just hallucinating). Alas, Liv has since been deleted.Meanwhile, Business Insider s Katie Notopoulos pointed out that you can create an AI chatbot of your own in Facebook Messenger, and showed off one she had built: Ciao! Im Luigi, your go-to guy for all things healthcare inequality and reform Getting involved in healthcare advocacy is my passion!Meta claims its next generation of AI profiles will be better. That doesnt sound difficult.The real issue is why the firm thinks anyone would want this. The whole point of social media is to be able to talk to people, which is why social media platforms have spent so much effort clamping down on bots and spammers that pollute conversations.Nevertheless, Feedback remains optimistic. Its entirely possible that the AI profiles project will go exactly as well as Metas attempt to drag us all into the metaverse, which fell down when it couldnt create avatars with legs.Or maybe the AI profiles can take on tackling misinformation, now Mark Zuckerberg has decided to fire all the fact-checkers.Got a story for Feedback?You can send stories to Feedback by email at feedback@newscientist.com. Please include your home address. This weeks and past Feedbacks can be seen on our website.

10. WyomingThe Moulton Barn in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Bob Pool/Shutterstock Wyoming, which also came 10th in 2023, ranked relatively high (15th) on both personal and residential and financial safety for 2024.In all other categories road and workplace safety and emergency preparedness it ranked 21st. Casper, the second largest city in the state was also named the second safest city in the US in a separate study by WalletHub.However, the state has the seventh-highest bullying incidence rate and the second-worst fatal occupational injuries per total workers, WalletHub reported.9. Rhode IslandCastle Hill Lighthouse in Newport, Rhode Island. Marianne Campolongo/Shutterstock Rhode Island has also retained its ninth spot on the list.The state ranked eighth on emergency preparedness scale and 11th on road safety. Its ranking for personal residential safety, though, dropped to 19, compared to eight in 2023.Still, the state has the fewest fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel, the fourth-fewest assaults per capita, the third-lowest bullying incidence rate, and the fourth-lowest share of uninsured residents, per WalletHub.The state did not fare as well on the workplace safety ranking, standing 38th, despite having the fewest fatal occupational injuries per total workers.8. MinnesotaThe Third Avenue Bridge in downtown Minneapolis. Sean Pavone/Shutterstock Minnesota, too, has maintained its ranking from 2023, retaining the eighth position.The Midwestern state scored highly under three categories: financial safety, where it ranked ninth among all states; road safety, where it ranked second; and workplace safety, where it stood sixth.It also has the third lowest fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel and the fifth-lowest share of uninsured residents and fatal occupational injuries per total workers.7. ConnecticutHartford, Connecticut. JTMC/Shutterstock Connecticut, which ranked sixth in 2023, has swapped spots with Hawaii, previously ranked seventh.The Constitution State, has the second best personal and residential safety among all 50 states. It is also the 16th safest in terms of emergency preparedness and 20th in road safety.In addition to its high rankings, when compared to other states, it has the third-fewest assaults per capita, third-highest percentage of adults with rainy day funds, and, like Rhode Island, the second fewest fatal occupational injuries per total workers.6. HawaiiMakena Beach in Maui, Hawaii. Pierre Leclerc/Shutterstock Hawaii moved from seventh in 2023 to the sixth-safest state in the US in 2024.This improvement is partly due to its strong performance in financial safety, where it ranked sixth, as well as in personal and residential safety and emergency preparedness, both ranking 11th.The state also stands out for having the fifth-lowest rate of assaults per capita and the highest percentage of adults with rainy-day funds.5. UtahSalt Lake City skyline during sunset. Nick Fox/Shutterstock Utah, the fourth-safest state in 2023, moved down one spot, ranking fifth in 2024.The Beehive State ranked No.1 among all states in workplace safety and fourth in emergency preparedness. It also fared well in road safety, ranking seventh overall.Additionally, the state has the second-lowest per capita losses from climate disasters, which means it suffers relatively low monetary losses from events like hurricanes, floods, or wildfires when calculated per person.4. MassachusettsGood Harbor Beach in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Steve Rosenbach/Shutterstock Massachusetts ranked among the top 10 in at least four categories, including third-highest in personal and residential and road safety.It was also the fourth-best state in the US for financial safety and ranked 10th in emergency preparedness.It's also the state with the second-fewest fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel, the fifth-lowest bullying incidence rate, the lowest share of uninsured residents, and the fourth-highest percentage of adults with rainy-day funds, per WalletHub's report.3. MaineFort Williams in Portland, Maine. Fotogro/Shutterstock WalletHub ranked Maine as the third-safest state to live in the US because of its high financial, personal and residential safety rankings. The state has one of the lowest unemployment rates and one of the strongest job growth rates in the country.According to the report, the state also has one of the lowest crime rates in the country, with the second-fewest aggravated assaults and third-fewest thefts per capita. Between June 2022 and June 2024, it also had the second-fewest mass shootings.In addition to its strong safety ranking, the Pine Tree State also has a very low risk of natural disasters.2. New HampshirePortsmouth, New Hampshire. Sean Pavone/Shutterstock The Granite State, known for its natural beauty, ranked second on WalletHub's safety index.It topped the rankings in personal and residential safety thanks to its low rates of violence, a high number of neighborhood watch groups per capita, and strong financial safety.New Hampshire also secured second place in financial safety and ranked third overall in emergency preparedness. It has the fewest assaults per capita and the lowest unemployment rate, alongside South Dakota, North Dakota, Vermont, and Hawaii.However, the state also has the sixth-highest bullying incidence rate in the country.1. VermontThe Vermont State House. meunierd/Shutterstock Vermont has been the safest state in the US on WalletHub's index for two years in a row.The Green Mountain State has maintained its top position, in part because it is the No. 1 state in the country for financial safety WalletHub reported it has one of the country's lowest employment rates and one of the strongest job growth rates.Vermont also came second in workplace safety and fourth in road safety, with the report chalking this up, in part, to "good driving behavior": The state has the lowest percentage of drivers who've used a phone behind the wheel, per WalletHub.It was also in the top 10 among the two other categories, ranking sixth in personal and residential safety and ninth in emergency preparedness.