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.

Were making this story accessible to all readers as a public service. At Vox, our mission is to help everyone access essential information that empowers them. Support our journalism by becoming a member today.The Los Angeles wildfires, in the course of a week, killed at least 25 people, burned more than 30,000 acres, and displaced thousands of people and wildlife from their homes. Its a difficult time for Los Angeles residents and yet, even in the face of crisis, people are mobilizing to support those in need, especially in neighborhoods that have faced the brunt of destruction like the Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, and Altadena.Across social media platforms, many people are sharing lists of organizations to donate to, links to GoFundMe campaigns, and places to volunteer. But in that deeply human, well-meaning intention to immediately help others comes a very real set of issues. In the aftermath of natural disasters, as Voxs Jess Craig reported in Asheville, North Carolina, last year, resources are stretched thin, safety is a major concern, and the situation is developing and changing each day. RelatedWhat happens when a wildfire reaches a city?The nature of crises are also ripe moments for misinformation to spread. Pictures showing the Hollywood sign on fire (it never was) and rumors that the state turned away fire trucks from Oregon (proven to be not true) widely circulated. The inherent chaos of disasters also makes it easy for benevolent people to share outdated information, such as posts about donation drives that are no longer going on, that spread unintentionally. Now is the time to critically access information online before sharing to others. But if sifting through dozens and dozens of campaigns feels overwhelming, dont let that discourage you. If you want to help people affected by the wildfires in a meaningful way, take a minute to evaluate what aligns with your values it can help you discern how you want to give. For instance, giving cash can be really effective in the short term, especially in low-income communities that could benefit from more support.Heres how you can navigate deciding whether to donate your money, items, or time, and what organizations you could give your resources to.Deciding how and where to giveIts easy to feel powerless when a crisis strikes and with so many calls to action in place. To figure out how you can personally help, think about if youre trying to help immediately, in the long run, or (ideally) both.For immediate relief, especially if youre not local to Los Angeles, consider giving cash. Cash transfers can be simple but very effective. It allows survivors to respond to their exact needs, which they know best, in real time. Giving money with no strings attached may help reduce poverty though most studies on the effectiveness of cash transfers take place in low-income countries. But one study of cash giving after 2017 hurricanes in Texas and Puerto Rico showed a strong impact on stress reduction and avoiding debt for recipients from the cash transfers, and that nearly 90 percent of recipients expected to benefit from the transfers in a years time. A little can go a long way.If youve got even just a few extra dollars here and there, dont underestimate the good they can do, Voxs Sigal Samuel wrote in her advice column, answering a readers question about how to think about charitable giving when they feel like they dont have a lot of money in the first place. For instance, Miriams Kitchen, a DC-based nonprofit with a mission to end chronic homelessness, can serve a full meal to a person experiencing homelessness for just $1.25.Cash is great, but its not the only way to give, especially if youre thinking of how to support people in the long term. If youre local to Los Angeles, volunteering can get you embedded within groups that are supporting wildfire survivors. Building strong relationships with your fellow community members can ease the sense of chaos and powerlessness, and can empower you and your neighbors to combine your collective resources into action. For anyone volunteering in a place thats been hit by disaster, stay patient if youre not immediately being brought in to help. Many of these groups have processes to get people onboarded, and are currently receiving an influx of volunteers. It may take some time before they can get to your volunteer application, but dont let that discourage you volunteers are going to be needed even after the wildfires have been contained and when the initial bursts of donations die down. One way you can approach narrowing down where to give is by looking for well-established groups with clear community connections. Most of us arent experts on what to do during a crisis, but there are organizations as big as national nonprofits and as local as community groups that are well-equipped to transfer money, items, and other resources onto people in need. When deciding where to donate, look to groups with evidence of effectively providing relief, strong connections to the community, and sticking around in the long run. Here are four organizations working on wildfire relief efforts with this approach in mind:California Community Foundation for general support. Altadena Girls is distributing clothes, hygiene supplies, and beauty products to help young girls affected by the fires feel normal again. Project Angel Food delivers meals to people with serious illnesses. World Central Kitchen is currently distributing hot meals to first responders and affected families at over 20 distribution sites across Los Angeles.National nonprofits like GiveDirectly, which focuses on transferring cash directly to the worlds poorest people, also have the technological tools and connections to help. Theyre running a fundraising campaign for low-income survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires, and have received over $478,000 in donations out of their $1 million goal. By partnering with food stamps management app Propel to target people in need as well as groups on the grounds, GiveDirectly is planning to give around $3,000 to $4,000 per family, said Tyler Hall, senior director of communications for GiveDirectly. GiveDirectly doesnt require recipients to craft a sympathetic narrative to receive money or to have a preexisting network of people to receive donations from, as inherently required by fundraising platforms. Its a way to get cash aid to those people who might not have packaged their story for one of those crowdsourcing websites, Hall told Vox. Thats where GoFundMe comes in. The crowdsourcing platform has become a major player for fundraising immediate needs in the US, especially in regards to disaster relief. GoFundMe has a page dedicated to wildfire survivors campaigns and a campaign run by its nonprofit branch thats raised over $3.6 million. But there are a few issues with individual crowdsourcing. One study found that wealthier disaster survivors are more likely to receive help than lower-income survivors on GoFundMe. Theres also individual concerns that fundraisers either arent a direct line of support for a victim or could end up being a grift (GoFundMe does offer full refunds in the case of fraudulent campaigns, which the company says is rare).And theres a decent chance that GoFundMes can disqualify survivors from receiving assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Legally, FEMA cannot duplicate benefits a person receives from another source. If you receive money from a GoFundMe page for a specific disaster-related expense such as home repairs, funeral expenses, or other emergency needs you may not be able to receive FEMA aid for the same expense, reads the FEMA website. These rules can put wildfire survivors in a tough situation between waiting for federal assistance or quickly receiving community funds. According to FEMA, applicants should receive notification within 10 days of their eligibility for assistance (which may not necessarily mean theyll receive their money within 10 days, as FEMA relief recipients have posted about on Reddit). If youve lost your home and belongings, 10 days is a long time to go without immediate monetary relief. You can also look out for organizations that align with your values. For instance, if you care about animals, look to the animal resource nonprofit Pasadena Humane. Over the course of a week, the organization taken in over 650 animals, said Kevin McManus, the groups public relations and communications manager a number that they typically get in a two-month period.But McManus added that thanks to the support of the community and deep connections with groups like San Diego Humane, Best Friends LA, the ASPCA, the Red Cross, and others, theyve been able to get animals the care they need. McManus said that monetary donations and signing up to foster are the best ways people can help right now.Another local organization that has quickly mobilized the community is the Pasadena Community Job Center. Run by the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), the centers usual operations is connecting day laborers with prospective employers. The organization has been leading debris cleanups and handing out essential supplies to displaced residents, many of which have not lost just their homes but their jobs, said NDLON communications director Palmira Figueroa. The immigrant worker community quickly mobilized into action to help their neighbors after this intense loss.They talked about what they could do during this emergency, Figueroa told Vox. That led to the creation of volunteer fire brigades to clean up debris and run donation drives. Figueroa said thousands of volunteers have helped so far, but theres still a lot of work ahead. Theyre still seeking volunteers, monetary donations, and in-kind donations.There is no one-size-fits-all solution for supporting wildfire victims, and that disaster relief efforts will evolve and change in the coming weeks. As my colleague Kelsey Piper reported, disaster relief comes with logistical challenges. Certain roads and areas can be hard to access, charities and community groups can be overwhelmed with donations, and its easy for disorganization to rise in the chaos. Wildfires in particular are long lasting and ever changing. It can take days or weeks to contain the fires, and they spread easily. So as the situation changes, as they often do during disasters, so do the needs. One day, a group may need cash and not physical donations; the next day, they may be putting out a call for supplies like toiletries or baby formula. The Los Angeles wildfires will have long-term consequences on affected residents for months and years to come, long after this acute moment of need and theyll need support even when the news cycle has moved onto the next disaster. With that in mind, a good way to help in the long run is to follow trusted organizations on their social media platforms to stay up to date with their needs. A bonus step is to make monthly donations, so that groups can keep working on recovery efforts long after the fires have been contained. Local mutual aid groups also have community connections and their finger on the pulse of whats most needed, particularly during a crisis. These spaces can also be good for people looking for a long-term way to sustain community and help with recovery after the wildfires are over, whether it be volunteering in-person or donating monthly. Mutual Aid LA Network offers a list of mutual aid projects across Los Angeles and its Instagram is an easy place to receive updates of volunteer and donation needs especially as the situation continues to evolve.We were thinking day by day by day, we were thinking hour by hour. Now its shifted to day by day, McManus said. Now were starting to look like, Okay, whats next week gonna look like? Whats the week after that gonna look like?Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. 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Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii was developed in just a few months, according to its Chief Producer, allowing a quick follow-up from 2024's Infinite WealthTech17:01, 16 Jan 2025Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii was developed quickly(Image: Sega)As we covered in our preview, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is every bit as bonkers as you'd expect from a game with that many seemingly disparate words in the game's title.The first entry in the Like A Dragon/Yakuza series to star Goro Majima as the main protagonist, this time he's off creating carnage on the high seas, wielding cutlasses and summoning dark gods and shadowy doppelgangers (yes, really).With such a surreal take on the series, you may be wondering how it's launching just over a year since the last entry, Infinite Wealth. We had the chance to ask Hiroyuki Sakamoto, Chief Producer on the game, for a rough development timeline.Majima's adventure started development just a few months ago(Image: Sega)Speaking at the Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii hands-on preview event, Sakamoto-san was asked about the length of time it took to develop the title."About the same amount of time as the Man Who Erased His Name," he revealed."A little bit less than a year, but a little bit more than six months. We started in September of 2023."That's a very short turnaround for a title that feels pretty ambitious in scope. For context, The Man Who Erased His Name was developed at the same time as last year's Infinite Wealth, and reportedly took a little over six months to develop.How did the team manage it? As Sakamoto-san explains, much of what was found in Infinite Wealth is also in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, similarly to the way earlier games reused parts of Kamurocho."We have Hawaii in this game and all the areas that were in Infinite Wealth, so there's tons of mini games, tons of what you've already seen in our game."So it's not like we have built a game around this [pirate theme] specifically. We have all of that stuff that we're used to in our game."Article continues belowFor more on Like A Dragon, be sure to check out Sakamoto-san's comments on the game being a good way to onboard new players to the series.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.RECOMMENDED

Akiyama is no leading man, apparently (Sega)Goro Majima might be getting his own Like A Dragon game this year, but dont expect another fan favourite to get the same treatment.The Yakuza series, now known as Like A Dragon, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, with its most extravagant entry yet.Despite being a fan favourite character since the original, its only now Goro Majima is taking the wheel in Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii. While hes been present in every mainline entry, this is the first time the ferocious mad dog has been the sole protagonist, after his joint-billing with Kazuma Kiryu in 2015s Yakuza 0.It feels like a long overdue move, but Yakuza/Like A Dragon is built on an ensemble of memorable (and sometimes playable) characters: including loveable brute Taiga Saejima, Kiryus adoptive daughter Haruka Sawamura, and police detective Makoto Date.After Majima, perhaps the most requested character for a dedicated spin-off is Shun Akiyama, who first appeared in Yakuza 4 as the suave owner of generous loan company Sky Finance. Since then, hes appeared in Yakuza 5, Yakuza 6, and most recently in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, where he reunites with Kiryu in an optional side mission.With Majimas spin-off ticked off the list, the obvious question is whether we could see a game dedicated to Akiyama down the line. When we put this question to Like A Dragon producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto, he was apologetic, as he quashed our dreams.Sorry, no hope for an Akiyama spin-off, Sakamoto told GameCentral. If we just made spin-offs, wed never actually make the main stuff we want to make. Akiyama was a playable character in Yakuza 5 (Sega)The decision to pick Majima for an off-shoot seems to have been borne out of various factors after Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, although one of them is simply a desire to explore the character further.Asked why they chose to bring back Majima now, Sakamoto said: We initially said to ourselves, OK we want to do a spin-off, we want it to [take] about a year to make, and we wanted it to really just be fun and do something that surprises the people who have seen our games before.When we did Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name before, we had Kiryu as our protagonist, and we thought, OK lets go for somebody different who is an interesting character we could explore more? And that, within a year, we could make a really fun, out of the normal mould game? And Majima seemed a pretty good fit for all of these things.At the moment, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is working on various other games outside the Like A Dragon series, including the mysterious Project Century, set in 1915 Japan and a new Virtua Fighter.More TrendingIf you want more on Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii before it launches on February 20, 2025, we recently went hands-on with the ship combat and spoke to Sakamoto further about the studios approach to game development. Goro Majima is taking the wheel (Sega)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy