The Monster Hunter Wilds team at Capcom has revealed its thought process when it decides on a roster of monsters for a Monster Hunter game. In an interview with IGN, director Yuya Tokuda spoke about the studios processes for coming up with the upcoming titles roster of monsters.Tokuda spoke about how, when deciding a monster for a game, the team first tries to answer questions like where the monster would live in an areas ecosystem and hierarchy. Giving the example of Arkveld, Tokuda talks about considering its place in the ecological pyramid of an area.We first consider what we want players to experience when facing major monsters like Arkveld, as well as the setting, ecosystem and so on of the world, unique to each title, Tokuda explained. We then think about the kind of monsters needed to do that. In a way, we start by putting puzzle pieces together, like, If this monster exists in this place, how does the ecological pyramid work here?Tokuda also explained that the team doesnt take any ratios of brand new monsters versus returning ones from previous titles into consideration when coming up with a roster. More important for the team, according to Tokuda, is the player experience, and how it would feel to hunt these monsters.We dont focus too much on the proportion or number of new versus old monsters, said Tokuda. Whats important at the end of the day is the overall level design and order of monsters across the entire game, as well as the balance of ecological pyramids in each area. We take this multifaceted approach to decide which monsters to include.To that end, even the decision to further fill out a new games monster roster with returning monsters and fan-favourites largely comes down to whether it makes sense to bring the monster to the new games environments. Current technological advancements in game development also plays into this.So even when were selecting old monsters to put in the game, part of that involves making sure to stay true to that monsters concept while thinking about how much room each monster has to grow when theyre reborn using current-day technology and game design, he said.Capcom recently revealed that, alongside Congalala, Gravios will also be one of the returning monsters in Monster Hunter Wilds. The announcement was made with a new gameplay showcase, giving us our first look at Gravios with the games current engine. While Rise and Sunbreak players got to fight against Basarios essentially a juvenile Gravios the grown-up version of the monster is capable of doing quite a bit of damage to hunters thanks to an array of moves, ranging from fire, sleep and poison gases, as well as a fire beam.Monster Hunter Wilds will be available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S with it comes out on February 28. In the mean time, players will get the chance to experience the games beta releases between February 6 and 9, and then again on February 13 and 16.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"DNEG Senior Creature TD Mengya Zhang has released the Houdini Skin Slide Deformer: a GPU-accelerated Houdini add-on for creating skin sliding effects in character animation.The hardware-agnostic tool, which can be downloaded for free, generates realistic skin sliding without the need for a full tissue simulation, preserving the volume of the character.A high-performance volume-preserving skin slide deformer for VFX and animation workThe deformer generates realistic skin sliding without the need for underlying tissue simulation.The video above shows the results when applied directly on top of the Point Deform skin mesh from a recent muscle simulation project.Unlike Delta Mush deformers, available in DCC apps like Maya and Houdini to smooth out unwanted artefacts in character animations, it maintains the volume of the character mesh.It supports both triangle- and quad-based meshes, and provides fast results on meshes of reasonable density.Zhang developed the deformer as part of R&D work on OpenCL, the hardware-agnostic parallel programming framework supported in Houdini for GPU-accelerated simulation.On LinkedIn, Zhang noted that she had also created the tool using VEX, Houdinis CPU-only expression language, and that OpenCL is just way much faster in this case.Now available on Gumroad along with Mengya Zhangs Houdini Wrinkle Deformer HDAZhang has now released the skin slide deformer on Gumroad, using a Pay What You Want model for individual artists: you can download it for free, or donate to support the work.As well as the HDA files for the deformer itself and its OpenCL wrapper, the download includes a .hip file for a demo scene.You can also download one of Zhangs previous projects, the Houdini Wrinkle Deformer HDA, which generates jitter-free skin-like wrinkles on animated geometry, on a similar basis.License conditions and system requirementsMengya Zhangs Houdini Skin Slide Deformer is compatible with Houdini. GPU acceleration requires an OpenCL-compatible graphics card, which includes both AMD and NVIDIA GPUs.The tool is available for non-commercial use under a Pay What You Want model. The license agreement prohibits claiming authorship, including of derivative works, in demo reels.For studios, commercial licenses start at $200.Download Mengya Zhangs Houdini Skin Slide Deformer HDA from Gumroad(Enter a figure of $0 to download it for free, or make a voluntary donation)Have your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we dont post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

Cognosphere to pay $20m to settle FTC complaint on Genshin ImpactGames firm will introduce "new age-gate and parental consent protections" and "in-game disclosures around virtual currency" in response News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Jan. 20, 2025 Genshin Impact distributor Cognosphere has agreed to pay $20 million to settle charges made by the US Federal Trade Commission.In a complaint filed on January 17, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, the FTC alleged that Cognosphere violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and deceived users about the cost of in-game transactions.The FTC claimed that Cognosphere pushed the marketing of Genshin Impact towards children under 13 and collected personal information without parental consent, which goes against the COPPA.It also alleged that Cognosphere "deceived players about the odds of winning" loot box prizes and that the purchasing process for in-game currency is too confusing for consumers. It claimed this misleads players regarding "the amount of money that would likely need to be spent to obtain certain prizes."Under the proposed order, Cognosphere is required to adhere to changes outlined in the complaint including the prohibition of selling loot boxes to children under 16 without parental consent and rectify the misrepresentation of loot box odds, prices, and features.In response to the complaint, Cognosphere said that while it believed "many of the FTC's allegations are inaccurate," it agreed to the settlement because it "values the trust of [its] community and shares a commitment to transparency for [its] players.""Under the agreement, we will introduce new age-gate and parental consent protections for children and young teens and increase our in-game disclosures around virtual currency and rewards for players in the US in the coming months," it said.Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection Samuel Levine added: "Genshin Impact deceived children, teens, and other players into spending hundreds of dollars on prizes they stood little chance of winning."Companies that deploy these dark-pattern tactics will be held accountable if they deceive players, particularly kids and teens, about the true costs of in-game transactions."Cognosphere is a subsidiary of Chinese developer MiHoYo and publisher of Genshin Impact. It conducts business in the United States as HoYoverse.

Marvel Snap developer Second Dinner hopes to have the card battler back online "within 24 hours" after it was made unavailable in the United States due to the studio's links with TikTok owner ByteDance."We've been working around the clock to bring Marvel Snap back up in the U.S. and hope to have it back online within 24 hours. We'll update you once it's back up," reads the latest social media post from the studio.The title went dark on Sunday, with Second Dinner confirming the news on X while pledging to remedy the situation as soon as possible."Unfortunately, Marvel Snap is temporarily unavailable in U.S. app stores and is unavailable to play in the U.S.," wrote the developer. "This outage is a surprise to us and wasn't planned. Marvel Snap isnt going anywhere. Were actively working on getting the game up as soon as possible and will update you once we have more to share."Players who attempted to boot up the title were greeted with a message explaining it has been banned in the United States."Sorry, Marvel Snap isn't available right now," it read, as reported by IGN. "A law banning Marvel Snap has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can't use Marvel Snap for now. Rest assured, we're working to restore our service in the U.S. Please stay tuned!"Marvel Snap is published by Nuverse, a subsidiary of TikTok owner Bytedance. It looks like that connection is now causing trouble for Marvel Snap and developer Second Dinner after a new U.S. law banning TikTok came into effect over the weekend.That law prevents people in the United States from using the popular social media app and was purportedly ushered in over concerns about its links to the Chinese government.As reported by the BBC, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the decision on Friday after ByteDance failed to sell TikTok to a company in the United States before January 19, 2025.Although the ban was upheld, President-elect Donald Trump claims he will "likely" give ByteDance and TikTok a 90-day reprieve after he takes office on January 20.In the meantime, Second Dinner co-founder and chief development officer Ben Brode indicated players in the U.S. can use a VPN to circumvent the ban."I am hearing that VPN software will allow you to continue playing Marvel Snap in the meantime, as long as you pretend you're from Canada or something," he noted on Bluesky.It was previously reported that Bytedance was restructuring its video game business and discussing a potential asset sale with Chinese conglomerate Tencent, which was recently added to a list of "Chinese military companies" by the U.S. Department of Defence.Bytedance confirmed it "made the difficult decision to restructure our gaming business" in November 2023, but it remains unclear which subsidiaries were impacted.

Last September, well before Halloween and a full four months out from Leigh Whannells reimagining of a Universal Monsters classic, The Wolf Man, we got our first look at Whannell and Blumhouse Productions new take on the famous werewolf. Supposedly.While a theme park performer visibly stood in front of a poster for this Januarys Wolf Man with a goofy-looking latex mask onpresumably it would seem scarier in the dark at Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights for where it was intended it obviously wasnt the real deal Whannell and makeup artist Arjen Tuiten (Pans Labyrinth) designed for the finished film. Even so, the internet predictably bayed in anger. Thats not a wolf man! many seemed to cry. Its an old timey mountain man with really long hair and a bad dentist!Four months later, the howling is gone and we now know what Whannell and Tuiten actually made. Rest assured, it does not look like Halloween Horror Nights Deliverance reject. But its also safe to say that it is probably the most human-seeming werewolf weve had in decades, even by the virtue of the Wolf Man franchise. Sure, the original The Wolf Man of 1941 canonized the pop culture image of werewolves by having the upright Lon Chaney Jr. be buried underneath yak hair and prosthetic teeth, but even 85 years later it appears more elaborate than the minimalist creature in Whannells Wolf Man.By contrast, when Christopher Abbott steps into the shoes of the doomed protagonist in 2025s Wolf Man, he barely qualifies as a werewolf at all. The term is noticeably never used in the movie. Instead the creature is given a vaguely Indigenous folk origin, with mutterings about the Face of the Wolf being sprinkled into the screenplay. Indeed, the Face of the Wolf curse is suggested to be a mere disease that once transmitted needs neither full moon or silver bullets to be controlled.It simply turns Abbotts kindly father into a pitifully sick man who gnaws at his wounds like a dog in a trap. It is a deliberate departure, and we can attest anecdotally that the design has left a few colleagues (as well as this writer) underwhelmed. Reimagining the werewolf as a metaphor for sickness is well and good, but if you call your movie WOLF MAN, a certain level of furry iconography is expected. Abbotts lycanthrope, however, could just as easily be a poor bastard turning into an extra in the next Planet of the Apes.All of which raises the question of what exactly do viewers want from a big screen werewolf these days? Well, there are two schools of thoughtUniversal PicturesThe O.G. Bipedal WerewolfFew would argue John Landis An American Werewolf in London remains the gold standard for lycanthrope cinema. A shrewd and effective update of The Wolf Man for the Boomer generation, it made werewolves scary again and marked the 1980s as a golden age for sophisticated prosthetics in monster movies. And a lot of that success was achieved by Landis hiring his pal Rick Baker, a barely 30-year-old special effects makeup wunderkind, to design the beast. But as iconic as their hound from hell became, it was also a point of contention between the director and the makeup artist whod win an Oscar for the work.I wanted it to be a biped, and I was actually hoping for something a little more on the man side as well, Baker said in the Beware the Moon documentary about the making of the film. I always thought it was kind of interesting, that kind of combination of animal and person. But John said, No, four-legged hound from hell!It is easy to see why Baker was drawn to the image of a two-legged werewolf standing upright and covered perhaps in a mans tattered clothes. That is, after all, what werewolves had looked like onscreen since the beginning of movies.While the earliest silent film werewolf pictures have been lost to time and obscurity, the first widely seen film about a man turning into a beast came from Universal Pictures six years before the original Wolf Man. Yep, prior to Lon Chaney Jr., there was Broadway thespian Henry Hull and his rather unlikable doomed hero in The Werewolf of London.Released in 1935 near the tail-end of Universals first cycle of monster moviesit came out the same year as Bride of FrankensteinThe Werewolf of Londons eponymous beastie was designed by legendary makeup artist Jack Pierce, the same man who masterminded the looks of Karloffs Mummy and Frankenstein Monster. He also would get to utilize his original werewolf ideas on The Wolf Man, because in 1935 the classically trained Hull demurred sitting beneath such extensive makeup. Instead, he argued, audiences would want to see the human character (and actor) still beneath the wolf design. We imagine he and Leigh Whannell might have gotten along.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!As a consequence, the werewolf in Werewolf of London has more in common with Mr. Hyde in various Jekyll and Hyde flicks. Hulls werewolf prowls the streets of London in an overcoat, scarf and hat, stalking women of the night like the spirit of Jack the Ripper returned. He even apparently retains the power of speech.Future generations of makeup artists affectionately refer to this werewolf design as the Elvis of Werewolves, and even have homaged it on occasionsuch as Josh Hartnetts throwback to the more man than wolf antihero in John Logans underrated Penny Dreadful. Largely however, the look was supplanted and forgotten after Pierces improvements in 41.While a staple of childhood nostalgia and Halloween decorations today, there is still something rather gnarly about Chaney in his full werewolf regalia in The Wolf Man and its various sequels. It also defined the look of a guy still in his clothes covered in so much fur that his face became completely unrecognizable. With a good actor, which on his sober days Chaney very much could be, the design might even become ferocious. There is in fact something quite wicked about the scene in the film where in appropriately dark shadows on a foggy soundstage, Chaney comes running full tilt at first Evelyn Ankers and then Claude Rains with a look of murder in his eyes. Perhaps more thrilling and amusing than scary, its still left an impression for a reason.Over the following 40 years, every cinematic werewolf in one way or another was an homage, imitation, or knockoff of what Pierce and Chaney did. Some of them are quite impressive in their own right, such as another real-life hellraiser in front of and behind the camera, Oliver Reed. He experienced a much more elaborate full body fur-job in Hammer Studios The Curse of the Werewolf (1961). A loose adaptation of Guy Endores underrated novel The Werewolf of Paris, the Hammer film draws on Medieval ideas of werewolfism being passed on through the blood and the sins of the father. Yet the design in the movie is pure Hollywood, if by way of the UKs Roy Ashton. The teeth are sharper, the face more animalistic, and the blood of his victims finally visible, but if you squint it could still just resemble Reed after a particularly bad bender.It was probably the best 20th century upgrade on Pierces standard, especially when compared to the cheaper designs in movies like I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957) and the various Paul Naschy Wolfman knockoff movies from 1970s Spain. But they, along with cartoon shows like Scooby-Doo, also made the emphasis on the Man in Wolf Man kitschy by the 80s.Universal PicturesThe Four-Legged Hound from HellA four-legged hound from hell. With blazing eyes, its wolfen features are twisted and demonic. So reads John Landis screenplay for An American Werewolf in London. Its an image he first dreamed up as a teenager in 1969 while working on Kellys Heroes (1970), and its one that never left him all the way until he forced Rick Baker to accept theyre not doing the Wolf Man anymore.It was a shrewd choice. By the 80s, the bipedal werewolf was a costume that kids went trick r treating in. Yet in American Werewolf, not only did Landis and Baker dream up the greatest werewolf transformation of all time, but also an enormous beast who on four legs appeared like a rabid dog with red eyes so cruel it could turn Piccadilly Circus into a slaughterhouse. It was such a tremendous achievement that the Academy finally made Best Makeup and Hairstyling an official category at the Oscars, just so they could award Baker for his work. It also created a boom industry for prosthetic-heavy creature features.Ironically, it was also not the only groundbreaking werewolf movie of 1981. In fact, the werewolf transformation in The HowlingAmerican Werewolfs, likely much to writer-director Joe Dantes chagrin since he had hired Baker to design his werewolf effects during the years-long gap Baker waited for Landis to find financing for American. Ultimately, Baker awkwardly pulled out of The Howling and left his protege Rob Bottin to design that movies werewolves.In truth, they are closer to a hybrid of what became Pierce and Bakers calling cards. While still bipedal, Dante and Bottins werewolves stand upright at a towering seven feet. With enormous jutting snouts and long lupine ears, they are modeled after the Big Bad Wolf in Walt Disneys classic Three Little Pigs cartoon from 1933. Theyre every bit as terrifying to look at as Landis hound from hell.Still, the hound seemed to mostly win out in the short term. The 80s were subsequently filled with werewolf movies that tried to emulate the elaborate transformations of both 81 films to varying success. While some remained old-fashioned, such as the nostalgic throwback to Universal monsters in Waxwork (1988), or for that matter Baker and Landis work with Michael Jackson on the Thriller music video (which is still more of a werecat than wolf), more of them emulated the four-legged bestial excess of the era. This would include the first transformation in Neil Jordans The Company of Wolves from 1984 (the second transformation, meanwhile, saw characters turn into actual grey wolves).And when the prosthetics craze of the 80s eventually died down, werewolf movies of the 90s and 2000s continued to owe more to American Werewolf than Wolf Man. Even the purely CGI werewolves in Stephen Sommers kitschy Van Helsing spend more time on four legs than two and have a big (and strangely cuddly) cartoon wolfs head on top.There have been throwbacks that went the other way like the aforementioned 2010s TV series, Penny Dreadful. Similarly, Jack Nicholson landed a lot closer to Henry Hull than either Lon Chaney or Landis in Mike Nichols Wolf (1994), but that Baker design likely had more to do with just keeping Nicholsons moneymaker front and center.Baker did eventually get the chance to finally do his true, fullsteam ahead tribute to the bipedal Wolf Man in a literal remake of the 41 movie: 2010s The Wolfman, starring Benicio del Toro. Its not a perfect film, but Baker and del Toros epic monster design is a triumph, as well a tribute to Pierces design that is more ferocious and menacing looking in its bloody, long-clawed sophistication.And yet, audiences rejected it then. The 2010 Wolfman flopped for a variety of other reasons too, but more than a few online critics sniffed that compared to Bakers work on American Werewolf, the old school bipedal werewolf looked hokey. It won Baker another Oscar and today has its defenders (including this one), but the movies failure noticeably put a silver bullet in bipedal werewolves at a time when the creatures were more popularly seen as little better than big furry dogs in the all-CGI Twilight movie designs. Or they were turned into literal wolves, a la HBOs attempt to cash-in on the Twilight craze with the saucier True Blood.The Best of Both Worlds?Based on the mixed reception of Whannells Wolf Manpersonally I found it underwhelming, but our Joe George loved it!it seems unlikely that the film will change opinions about the antiquated nature of the bipedal werewolf. The film might achieve its goal of making the werewolf look purely like a man dying of a strange disease, but frankly, wed rather revel in Baker and del Toros update going hound-dog on London by gaslight.Be that as it may, we think the best looking movie werewolves emulate the sophistication of Landis hound from hell but retain some elements of the bipedal creature. American Werewolf is the lycanthrope masterpiece of 81, but the general monster designs in The Howling are honestly more fun. Similarly, movies that attempted to emulate both in the 21st century, such as Neil Marshalls Dog Soldiers and the first couple of Len Wiseman-directed Underworld flicks (more so the second one where they had a decent budget) look far cooler than the CGI nonsense of either Van Helsing or Twilight.Perhaps the best werewolves are the ones who are caught forever dead in the middle between man and beast?

As the digital world becomes more complicated, the lines between national security and cybersecurity are starting to fade. Recent cyber sanctions and intelligence moves show a reality where malware and fake news are used as tools in global politics. Every cyberattack now seems to have deeper political consequences. Governments are facing new, unpredictable threats that can't be fought with old-school methods.To stay ahead, we need to understand how cybersecurity is now tied to diplomacy, where the safety of networks is just as important as the power of words. Threat of the WeekU.S. Treasury Sanctions Chinese and North Korean Entities The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) leveled sanctions against a Chinese cybersecurity company (Sichuan Juxinhe Network Technology Co., LTD.) and a Shanghai-based cyber actor (Yin Kecheng) over their alleged links to Salt Typhoon and Silk Typhoon threat clusters. Kecheng was associated with the breach of the Treasury's own network that came to light earlier this month. The department has also sanctioned two individuals and four organizations in connection with the North Korean fraudulent IT worker scheme that aims to generate revenue for the country by dispatching its citizens to China and Russia to obtain employment at various companies across the world using false identities. Top NewsSneaky 2FA Phishing Kit Targets Microsoft 365 Accounts A new adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) phishing kit called Sneaky 2FA has seen moderate adoption among malicious actors for its ability to steal credentials and two-factor authentication (2FA) codes from Microsoft 365 accounts since at least October 2024. The phishing kit is also called WikiKit owing to the fact that site visitors whose IP address originates from a data center, cloud provider, bot, proxy, or VPN are directed to a Microsoft-related Wikipedia page. Sneaky 2FA also shares some code overlaps with another phishing kit maintained by the W3LL Store.FBI Deletes PlugX Malware from Over 4,250 Computers The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) disclosed that a court-authorized operation allowed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to delete a variant of the PlugX malware from over 4,250 infected computers as part of a "multi-month law enforcement operation." The malware, attributed to the China-nexus Mustang Panda threat actor, is known to spread to other systems via attached USB devices. The disruption is part of a larger effort led by the Paris Prosecutor's Office and cybersecurity firm Sekoia that has resulted in the disinfection payload being sent to 5,539 IP addresses across 10 countries.Russian Hackers Target Kazakhstan With HATVIBE Malware The Russian threat actor known as UAC-0063 has been attributed to an ongoing cyber espionage campaign targeting Kazakhstan as part of the Kremlin's efforts to gather economic and political intelligence in Central Asia. The spear-phishing attacks leverage lures related to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to drop a malware loader named HATVIBE that's then used to deploy a backdoor called CHERRYSPY.Python Backdoor Leads to RansomHub Ransomware Cybersecurity researchers have detailed an attack that started with a SocGholish infection, which then paved the way for a Python backdoor responsible for deploying RansomHub encryptors throughout the entire impacted network. The Python script is essentially a reverse proxy that connects to a hard-coded IP address and allows the threat actor to move laterally in the compromised network using the victim system as a proxy.Google Ads Users Targeted by Malicious Google Ads In an ironic twist, a new malvertising campaign has been found targeting individuals and businesses advertising via Google Ads by attempting to phish for their credentials via fraudulent ads on Google. The brazen tactic is being used to hijack advertiser accounts and push more ads to perpetuate the campaign further. Google said the activity violates its policies and it's taking active measures to disrupt it. Trending CVEsYour go-to software could be hiding dangerous security flawsdon't wait until it's too late! Update now and stay ahead of the threats before they catch you off guard.This week's list includes CVE-2025-21333, CVE-2025-21334, CVE-2025-21335 (Windows Hyper-V NT Kernel Integration VSP), CVE-2024-55591 (Fortinet), CVE-2024-10811, CVE-2024-13161, CVE-2024-13160, CVE-2024-13159 (Ivanti Endpoint Manager), CVE-2024-7344 (Howyar Taiwan), CVE-2024-52320, CVE-2024-48871 (Planet Technology WGS-804HPT industrial switch), CVE-2024-12084 (Rsync), CVE-2024-57726, CVE-2024-57727, CVE-2024-57728 (SimpleHelp), CVE-2024-44243 (Apple macOS), CVE-2024-9042 (Kubernetes), CVE-2024-12365 (W3 Total Cache plugin), CVE-2025-23013 (Yubico), CVE-2024-57579, CVE-2024-57580, CVE-2024-57581, CVE-2024-57582 (Tenda AC18), CVE-2024-57011, CVE-2024-57012, CVE-2024-57013, CVE-2024-57014, CVE-2024-57015, CVE-2024-57016, CVE-2024-57017, CVE-2024-57018, CVE-2024-57019, CVE-2024-57020, CVE-2024-57021, CVE-2024-57022, CVE-2024-57023, CVE-2024-57024, CVE-2024-57025 (TOTOLINK X5000R), CVE-2025-22785 (ComMotion Course Booking System plugin), and 44 vulnerabilities in Wavlink AC3000 routers. Around the Cyber WorldThreat Actors Advertise Insider Threat Operations Bad actors have been identified advertising services on Telegram and dark web forums that aim to connect prospective customers with insiders as well as recruit people working at various companies for malicious purposes. According to Nisos, some of the messages posted on Telegram request for insider access to Amazon in order to remove negative product reviews. Others offer insider services to process refunds. "In one example, the threat actors posted that they would connect buyers to an insider working at Amazon, who could perform services for a fee," Nisos said. "The threat actors clarified that they were not the insider, but had access to one."U.K. Proposes Banning Ransom Payments by Government Entities The U.K. government is proposing that all public sector bodies and critical national infrastructure, including the NHS, local councils, and schools, refrain from making ransomware payments in an attempt to hit where it hurts and disrupt the financial motivation behind such attacks. "This is an expansion of the current ban on payments by government departments," the government said. "This is in addition to making it mandatory to report ransomware incidents, to boost intelligence available to law enforcement and help them disrupt more incidents."Gravy Analytics Breach Leaks Sensitive Location Data Gravy Analytics, a bulk location data provider that has offered its services to government agencies and law enforcement through its Venntel subsidiary, revealed that it suffered a hack and data breach, thereby threatening the privacy of millions of people around the world who had their location information revealed by thousands of Android and iOS apps to the data broker. It's believed that the threat actors gained access to the AWS environment through a "misappropriated" key. Gravy Analytics said it was informed of the hack through communication from the threat actors on January 4, 2025. A small sample data set has since been published in a Russian forum containing data for "tens of millions of data points worldwide," Predicta Lab CEO Baptiste Robert said. Much of the data collection is occurring through the advertising ecosystem, specifically a process called real-time bidding (RTB), suggesting that even app developers' may not be aware of the practice. That said, it's currently unclear how Gravy Analytics put together the massive trove of location data, and whether the company collected the data itself or from other data brokers. News of the breach comes weeks after the Federal Trade Commission banned Gravy Analytics and Venntel from collecting and selling Americans' location data without consumers' consent.CISA Issues a Series of Security Guidance The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is urging Operational Technology (OT) owners and operators to integrate secure-by-design elements into their procurement process by selecting manufacturers who prioritize security and meet various compliance standards. It's also advising companies to better detect and defend against advanced intrusion techniques by making use of Microsoft's newly introduced expanded cloud logs in Purview Audit (Standard). Separately, the agency has updated its Product Security Bad Practices guide to include three new bad practices on the use of known insecure or deprecated cryptographic functions, hard-coded credentials, and product support periods. "Software manufacturers should clearly communicate the period of support for their products at the time of sale," CISA said. "Software manufacturers should provide security updates through the entire support period." Lastly, it called on the U.S. government to take the necessary steps to bolster cybersecurity by closing the software understanding gap that, combined with the lack of secure-by-design software, can lead to the exploitation of vulnerabilities. The guidance comes as the European Union's Digital Operational Resilience Act, or DORA, entered into effect on January 17, 2025, requiring both financial services firms and their technology suppliers to improve their cybersecurity posture.Researchers Demonstrate Antifuse-based OTP Memory Attack A new study has found that data bits stored in an off-the-shelf Synopsys antifuse memory block used in Raspberry Pi's RP2350 microcontroller for storing secure boot keys and other sensitive configuration data can be extracted, thereby compromising secrets. The method relies on a "well-known semiconductor failure analysis technique: passive voltage contrast (PVC) with a focused ion beam (FIB)," IOActive said, adding the "the simple form of the attack demonstrated here recovers the bitwise OR of two physically adjacent memory bitcell rows sharing common metal 1 contacts." In a hypothetical physical cyber attack, an adversary in possession of an RP2350 device, as well as access to semiconductor deprocessing equipment and a focused ion beam (FIB) system, could extract the contents of the antifuse bit cells as plaintext in a matter of days.Biden Administration Issues Executive Order to Improve U.S. Cybersecurity Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden signed a sweeping executive order that calls for securing federal communications networks against foreign adversaries; issuing tougher sanctions for ransomware gangs; requiring software and cloud providers to develop more secure products and follow secure software development practices; enabling encryption by default across email, instant messaging, and internet-based voice and video conferencing; adopting quantum-resistant encryption within existing networks; and using artificial intelligence (AI) to boost America's cyber defense capabilities. In a related development, the Commerce Department finalized a rule banning the sale or import of connected passenger vehicles that integrate certain software or hardware components from China or Russia. "Connected vehicles yield many benefits, but software and hardware sources from the PRC and other countries of concern pose grave national security risks," said National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, noting the rule aims to protect its critical infrastructure and automotive supply chain. The White House said the move will help the U.S. defend itself against Chinese cyber espionage and intrusion operations. Over the past week, the Biden administration has also released an Interim Final Rule on Artificial Intelligence Diffusion that seeks to prevent the misuse of advanced AI technology by countries of concern. Expert WebinarSimplify, Automate, Secure: Digital Trust for EnterprisesManaging digital trust isn't just a challengeit's mission-critical. Hybrid systems, DevOps workflows, and compliance demands have outgrown traditional tools. DigiCert ONE is here to change the game.In this webinar, you'll discover how to:Simplify: Centralized certificate management to reduce complexity and risk.Automate: Streamline trust operations across systems.Secure: Meet compliance demands with advanced tools.Modernize: Keep up with DevOps with smarter software signing.From IoT to enterprise IT, DigiCert ONE equips you to secure every stage of digital trust. Watch NowP.S. Know someone who could use this? Share it. Cybersecurity ToolsAD-ThreatHunting: Detect and stop threats like password sprays, brute force attacks, and admin misuse with real-time alerts, pattern recognition, and smart analysis tools. With features like customizable thresholds, off-hours monitoring, and multi-format reporting, staying secure has never been easier. Plus, test your defenses with built-in attack simulations to ensure your system is always ready.OSV-SCALIBR: It is a powerful open-source library that builds on Google's expertise in vulnerability management, offering tools to secure your software at scale. It supports scanning installed packages, binaries, and source code across Linux, Windows, and Mac, while also generating SBOMs in SPDX and CycloneDX formats. With advanced features like container scanning, weak credential detection, and optimization for resource-constrained environments, OSV-SCALIBR makes it easier than ever to identify and manage vulnerabilities. Tip of the WeekMonitor, Detect, and Control Access with Free Solutions In today's complex threat landscape, advanced, cost-effective solutions like Wazuh and LAPS offer powerful defenses for small-to-medium enterprises. Wazuh, an open-source SIEM platform, integrates with the Elastic Stack for real-time threat detection, anomaly monitoring, and log analysis, enabling you to spot malicious activities early. Meanwhile, LAPS (Local Administrator Password Solution) automates the rotation and management of local admin passwords, reducing the risk of privilege escalation and ensuring that only authorized users can access critical systems. Together, these tools provide a robust, multi-layered defense strategy, giving you the ability to detect, respond to, and mitigate threats efficiently without the high cost of enterprise solutions.ConclusionThe digital world is full of challenges that need more than just staying alertthey need new ideas, teamwork, and toughness. With threats coming from governments, hackers, and even people inside organizations, the key is to be proactive and work together. This recap's events show us that cybersecurity is about more than defense; it's about creating a safe and trustworthy future for technology.Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.

The governments infrastructure watchdog has given the projects a red rating in its annual report, published on Thursday (16 January), meaning they have major issues with project definition, schedule, budget, quality and/or benefits delivery.The New Hospital Programme, which was touted to deliver 40 new hospitals by 2030 and to rebuild a further five hospitals largely made with Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, was also given a red rating.The report defines red-rated projects as those where: Successful delivery [] appears to be unachievable. There are major issues with project definition, schedule, budget, quality and/or benefits delivery, which at this stage do not appear to be manageable or resolvable.Adjaye Associates plans for a Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens has been given a red rating for the consecutive third year. The project remains on hold while the government tries to overturn a Victorian law prohibiting construction in the gardens.AdvertisementThe Holocaust Memorial Bill was reintroduced by the government in July 2024, more than two years after the High Court ruled to uphold the London County Council (Improvements) Act 1900, which holds the site cannot be built on.Meanwhile, HS2 Phase 1 remains under construction, including stations at Old Oak Common, Solihull and Birminghams Curzon Street designed by WilkinsonEyre, Arup and Grimshaw respectively.The mega-project is not due to complete until the early 2030s and, as plans stand, will not carry passengers into central London. The development of an HS2 terminus at Euston Station is still shrouded in uncertainty as stakeholders consider how to build a more affordable scheme.Other projects given a red rating in the IPAs annual report include the UK Health Security Agencys plans for a science hub in Harlow. Last year the National Audit Office said the cost of the project had increased sixfold, to 3.2 billion, with an opening date of 2036 at the earliest.In a foreword to the report, Georgina Gould, parliamentary secretary at the Cabinet Office, repeated the governments pledge to publish a national infrastructure strategy in spring, saying that it would set out government investment in schools and hospitals as well as energy and transport projects.AdvertisementGould also hailed the forthcoming creation of a National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, which is set to combine the functions of the IPA and National Infrastructure Commission.She said the body would have an enhanced role in supporting major projects, bringing oversight of strategy and delivery into one organisation, developing and implementing our 10-year national infrastructure strategy and driving more effective delivery of infrastructure across the country.2025-01-20Will Ingcomment and share

If you're on the fitness side of TikTok, you might have seen videos of influencers touting the benefits of vibration plates. While this may seem like another new social media trend, the concept of vibration-based exercise goes back decades.During the early to mid-20th century, vibrating belt machines were promoted as a way to lose weight. And in the years since, researchers have continued to study the potential benefits of vibration exercise.Today, vibration plates have gained popularity as an alternative to traditional workouts, with proponents claiming they offer a number of health benefits. But do vibration plates actually work? Let's look at the facts.What is a vibration plate? Upgrade your inbox Get cnet insider From talking fridges to iPhones, our experts are here to help make the world a little less complicated. A vibration plate is an exercise machine that shakes rapidly when you stand on it. By using a vibration plate, you're engaging in a whole-body vibration exercise, where your muscles are forced to contract and relax quickly."The purpose of vibration plates is to generate quick vibrations that cause your body's muscles to contract and relax several times per second," says Dr. Leah Verebes, a physical therapist and assistant professor at Touro University's School of Health Sciences. "At a far greater frequency, this resembles the spontaneous contractions that take place during exercise.""This stimulates a subconscious muscle activation each time the machine moves, meaning your muscles are activating far more than they would on a stable surface," says Laura Wilson, a personal trainer at Life Time Fishers and director of training and curriculum at Power Plate, a company that produces vibrating exercise machines.There are several ways to use a vibration plate, the most common being standing on its rectangular platform. However, you can also perform squats or push-ups on it.Wilson says vibration plates can move in multiple directions: up and down, side to side and front to back. The harmonic vibrations move between 25 to 50 times per second, activating the corresponding muscles.Are there actual benefits to using vibration plates?Yes, there are health benefits to using vibration plates. According to Verebes, some of the advantages may include "improved muscle tone and strength, better circulation, higher bone density, improved flexibility and balance, lymphatic drainage and the possibility of weight loss when paired with a healthy diet and regular exercise."However, experts agree that vibration plates offer the most benefits when used as part of an overall health and wellness plan. In other words, you shouldn't expect to lose weight or increase muscle strength just by standing on a vibration plate -- even if social media makes it seem so. Instead, experts suggest supplementing vibration exercise with other healthy habits, including a balanced diet and aerobic and strength training. urbazon/Getty Images"Vibration plates are not a magic bullet or a replacement for traditional exercise," warns Michael Betts, a personal trainer and director at TRAINFITNESS. "The benefits are modest and work best when combined with other forms of training."Still, research indicates that using vibration plates can have positive effects on your health. For example, one 2021 study looked at whether whole-body vibration training could improve muscle strength in older adults, concluding that it "may be an alternative exercise method to boost the effect of strengthening exercise."Similarly, a 2007 study investigated the effects of whole-body vibration training in men over 60 and found that it has the "potential to prevent or reverse the age-related loss in skeletal muscle mass, referred to as sarcopenia."Other research suggests that vibration-based exercise may help improve bone mass density, reduce inflammation, alleviate chronic low back pain and more.Are there any vibration plate risks?For most, vibration plates are generally safe. However, like any other type of exercise, they come with a few potential risks, including "aggravation of existing conditions, temporary dizziness and joint stress if used incorrectly," according to Betts.There are also certain groups of people who should avoid using vibration plates altogether. "Vibration plates shouldn't be used by anyone with cardiac or circulatory disorders, such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pacemakers; pregnant women; people who have just had surgery; and people who have severe osteoporosis," Verebes says."People with pre-existing disorders, including herniated discs, joint issues or acute inflammation, may experience worsening symptoms when using vibration plates," she adds. "The vibrations may also be disconcerting to people who have inner ear problems or balance abnormalities."Verebes points out that "excessive use or high-intensity vibrations may strain ligaments, muscles or joints."Even if you don't have one of these conditions, it's still a good idea to talk to your doctor before getting on a vibration plate.It's also worth mentioning that a 2015 study discovered a link between regular exposure to whole-body vibration and a higher risk of lower back pain and sciatica. However, the participants in that study were regularly exposed to vibration as part of their jobs, so the results may not apply to vibration plate users. LordHenriVoton/Getty ImagesHow long and often should you use a vibration plate?If you're new to whole-body vibration training, it's important to start slowly."To allow the body to adapt to vibrations, beginners should start with 510 minutes at a low intensity," says Verebes. "Moderation is key, as excessive use may lead to fatigue or injury."As a beginner, it's best to limit yourself to two to three sessions per week, says Betts. Over time, you can work toward longer and more frequent sessions. "As your body adapts, you can increase to 15-20 minute sessions up to 3-4 times a week," he says. "Never go over 30 minutes, as this can cause fatigue and joint stress."For proper recovery, Betts also recommends leaving at least 24 hours between vibration plate sessions. "Listen to your body and adjust accordingly," he advises. "Quality of movement matters more than duration."Exercises you can do on a vibration plateTo use a vibration plate, you can simply stand in place with slightly bent knees. You can also engage in other exercises -- like squats or push-ups -- while using the machine."Incorporating exercises such as squats, lunges, planks, push-ups and core workouts enhances results by engaging more muscle groups and boosting calorie burn," says Verebes.If you're up to the challenge, here are three vibration plate exercises to try, as recommended by Wilson:Push-ups"Push-ups work your chest and shoulders -- and doing them on a vibration plate activates many more muscle fibers per second than if you were to do them on the floor," says Wilson.To perform a push-up on a vibration plate, follow these steps:Get into a high plank position by placing your palms flat on the platform and stretching your legs long behind you.Lower into a push-up position slowly. Your chest should come close to touching the platform.Perform three sets of 10 reps, taking 30 seconds of rest between each set.High plank holdsYou can also use a vibration plate to perform a high plank hold, which is "great for your core and upper body strength," says Wilson. Here's how:Get into a high plank position by placing your palms flat on the platform and stretching your legs long behind you.Hold for 30 seconds. Perform three sets, taking 15 seconds of rest between each set. urbazon/Getty ImagesTricep dips"This exercise works the back of the arm as well as the shoulder," says Wilson. "You're going to experience much more muscle activation when doing it on a vibration plate machine." Here's how:Sit on the edge of the platform.Place your palms on the platform (just outside of your hips). Keep your feet flat on the ground with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.Scoot forward until you're hovering in front of the platform, only supported by your arms and legs.Lower your hips toward the ground by bending at the elbows, stopping when your elbows reach 90 degrees or when you can't lower your hips further.Push through your palms and return to the starting position.Perform three sets of 10 reps, taking 30 seconds of rest between each set.Do vibration plates work if you just stand on them?You don't need to perform exercises while using a vibration plate, but experts say moving your body -- rather than standing still -- will help you get more out of the machine."Actively moving while using the plate maximizes its benefits, even though simply standing on it can support circulation and balance," says Verebes.Betts agrees, adding: "Standing still on a vibration plate provides some stimulus through the muscle contractions, but adding movement increases the benefits. Static positions can help with circulation and muscle activation, but dynamic exercises will give you strength gains, balance improvements and overall training effects."If you've never used a vibration plate before, you could begin by standing in place or squatting while you're on the machine. As you get more comfortable, you can incorporate different exercises and positions. Or you can alternate between standing still and exercising, suggests Betts."Combine both approaches -- use static holds to build comfort and awareness, then move for optimal results," he says. "Form and progression are key regardless of whether you're moving or holding positions."The bottom lineSimply scrolling through social media, you might get the idea that vibration plates are an easy, low-commitment way to transform your body. While it's true that vibration plates offer some compelling benefits, they aren't a shortcut to fitness.To get the best results from your vibration plate training, experts also recommend following a healthy diet and participating in other forms of exercise. It's also a good idea to speak with your doctor before you start using a vibration plate --especially if you've had blood clots, joint issues or other health conditions.

January 19, 2025A Mixed Bag for Private Spaceflight, a New Spider Species and the Health Risks of AlcoholWe discuss a big week for commercial spaceflight, a red dye ban and a scary spider species in this news roundup. Anaissa Ruiz Tejada/Scientific AmericanSUBSCRIBE TO Science QuicklyApple | Spotify | RSS[CLIP: It Doesnt End Here (Instrumental), by Nehemiah Pratt]Rachel Feltman: Happy Monday, listeners! For Scientific Americans Science Quickly, Im Rachel Feltman. Lets kick off the week by catching up on some science news you might have missed.Last Tuesday a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services committee released a new draft report on alcohol. The review of existing data tied just one drink a day to increased risk of liver cirrhosis, oral cancer and esophageal cancer. The committee also found that alcohol use was associated with a higher risk of death from seven types of cancer. And this isnt the first time that the health effects of alcohol have made headlines in 2025: earlier this month Surgeon General Vivek Murthy argued that alcoholic drinks should come with cancer warning labels.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.The report did find some counterintuitive connections, too: people who had one drink a day had a lower risk of ischemic stroke than people who didnt, and women who consumed one, two or three drinks per day had a lower risk of diabetes. But these apparent benefits are fickle. The lower risk of ischemic stroke, for example, can disappear if people even occasionally drink four or five servings in one sitting. And women who consumed two alcoholic drinks per day may have had a lower risk overall of diabetes, but they also had significantly higher risks of ischemic stroke and liver disease.So the details might seem kind of confusing, but the takeaway is simple enough: you definitely shouldnt take up drinking as a way to improve your health or use supposed benefits youve read about to justify your intake. The World Health Organizations stance is that no level of alcohol consumption is safe for your health. Of course, we all do plenty of things that arent, strictly speaking, good for us. But judging by this new report, we should try to be mindful of how alcohol fits into the big picture of our lifestyles. There will no doubt be headlines in the future saying that, for example, red wine is good for x, y or z, but those headlines really never mean you should drink more alcohol than youre currently drinking.Meanwhile, last Wednesday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the use of Red Dye No. 3 in food, beverages and ingested drugs. The dye, which is made from petroleum, was rejected for use in cosmetics and topical drugs back in 1990 after lab testing on rodents showed it could have carcinogenic effects in high doses. Food manufacturers will have until January 2027 to reformulate their products without Red Dye No. 3, and companies that make ingested drugs will have until January 2028.Advocacy groups filed a petition for the FDA to ban Red Dye No. 3 in 2022, and the agency has concluded that the dye does violate something called the Delaney Clausea part of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act that keeps the FDA from authorizing any additive shown to cause cancer in humans or other animals. But we should note that, according to reporting from Stat News, the mechanism by which the dye causes cancer in male rats isnt actually applicable to humans.[CLIP: Let There Be Rain, by Silver Maple]Feltman: In other public health news, a team of more than 50 experts publishing in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal argued last week that the current diagnosis of obesity is flawed. The use of body mass index, or BMI, as a determinant of health has been on the chopping block for a while now, and these researchers propose focusing on more precise measurements of excess body fat. Theyre also suggesting that people who meet the definition for obesity but who do not have any of the conditions that can sometimes be associated with higher weight, like diabetes or heart disease, be put in a separate category from folks who are already dealing with those health problems. The researchers say this will help physicians provide more nuanced care, though its not really clear how this would address the existing issue of weight stigma in medicine. If you want to learn more about how size bias impacts health care, check out our November 8 episode on the subject.And now for some space. Last Wednesday a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched with two new lunar landers in tow. The two landers were created by two different private companies and were released into slightly different orbits.[CLIP: The Farmhouse, by Silver Maple]Feltman: One of the SUV-sized landers is from the Japanese startup ispace. The other comes from Texas-based Firefly Aerospace. Dubbed the Blue Ghost lunar lander, its carrying payloads for 10 different NASA experiments. Blue Ghost is expected to reach the lunar surface in about 45 days.That wasnt last weeks only commercial space win. On Thursday morning Blue Origins New Glenn rocket launched for the very first time. The rockets upper stage made it into orbit, which made the launch technically a success. But Blue Origin didnt quite manage the extra credit portion of their exam: they tried and failed to land the rockets reusable booster on a ship waiting in the Atlantic. But given that New Glenn was originally supposed to take off back in 2020, this SpaceX competitor is probably happy to take the win.Circling back to SpaceX, it wasnt all sunshine and rainbows for them last week, either. On Thursday afternoon the company ran the seventh test launch of its Starship vehicle. The second stage of the megarocket, which was carrying a test payload of mock satellites, exploded a few minutes after takeoff. According to a social media post by SpaceX founder Elon Musk, some kind of leak was likely the culprit, and the company plans to go ahead with another launch next month.Well wrap up with something pretty wild. Have you ever thought about spiders in Australia and been like, Nah, thats not big or venomous enough for me? Well, scientists have got you covered.Last Monday researchers announced the discovery of a new species of funnel-web spider. Its a close relative of the Sydney funnel-web spider, which is known for painful bites that can cause serious illness and even death. This new species, which scientists have nicknamed Big Boy, can growyou guessed italmost twice as long as other funnel-web spiders and it also has bigger fangs and venom glands. So have fun with that, Australia![CLIP: Theme music]Feltman: Thats all for this weeks news roundup. Well be back with another episode on Wednesday.Science Quickly is produced by me, Rachel Feltman, along with Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper, Madison Goldberg and Jeff DelViscio. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check our show. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Subscribe to Scientific American for more up-to-date and in-depth science news.For Scientific American, this is Rachel Feltman. Have a great week!

Digseum is a treat for anyone who's finished their Animal Crossing museumAnd a bit about trowel envy.Image credit: Rat Monthly Feature by Christian Donlan Contributing Editor Published on Jan. 20, 2025 Digseum is a new clicker game - one of those games where you click madly on things while the numbers go up - that Steam recommended to me last week. The timing was perfect. I'd just finished installing the final art work in my Animal Crossing museum, and here was a brand new museum to fill with trinkets and doodads pulled from the earth.DigseumPublisher: Rat MonthlyDeveloper: Rat MonthlyPlatform: Played on PCAvailability: Out now on PC.Pulling trinkets and doodads from the earth is very much what Digseum is about. So far, it's very simple and pleasant going. You have a museum, and the more exhibits you have means the more visitors you have, which means the more money you get flowing in. You find things to exhibit by clicking on grids of earth and uncovering the stuff under the surface. You're hemmed in by stamina, which means you can only swing your pickaxe so many times in one session, so finding buried objects in even a small grid quickly becomes a bit like a game of Battleships. You learn to punch speculative holes all over the earth in the hope of finding something that glints.Then the loop kicks in. Find multiples of the same exhibit and it levels up, which means more visitors, which means more money. That money, meanwhile, can be spent on improving stamina, how many holes your pick opens with a single swing, and how easily it bites into the earth. You can also pay for marketing, which improves visitor flow, and you can buy new plots to dig in, which means new exhibits etc etc. Digseum. | Image credit: Rat MonthlyPretty soon all the numbers are going up, and everything you spend money on just makes the numbers go up faster. It's elegant, as clickers tend to be, but it's also more than elegant. By chucking in the Battleships-style digs, players get a better sense of the role that luck plays, I think.But it also does more than that. Silly as it all is, the digs really deliver on the fantasy of being an archaeologist or a treasure-hunter, swinging your pick and maybe finding something cool. My sister trained as an archaeologist years ago and talked with real fondness about the moment you saw something in the earth you had just disturbed. She said the thing she liked to dig up the least was teeth - an animal jaw would give her nightmares for days. And she said archaeologists are often so tightly packed into their intellectual worlds they develop all these strange fascinations, like trowel envy. Trowel envy related to how much you envy a more experienced archaeologist whose excavation trowel is more thoroughly worn down than yours.I'll be honest: I haven't thought of trowel envy in many years. But that's just one of the delights of this compact and ingenious clicker. If you have a few minutes to burn, or if like me you're mourning a recently completing Animal Crossing museum, maybe give it a look.Code for Digseum was purchased by the author.