It might seem strange to say that Conclave, a movie nominated for eight Oscars including Best Picture and Best Actor, is becoming something of a Best Picture long shot but conventional wisdom suggests Conclave is now something of a Best Picture long shot. While the Vatican thriller received a host of nominations, including a Best Adapted Screenplay nod for Peter Straughan and Best Film Editing for Nick Emerson, the films absence was conspicuously noted in the Best Director race where James Mangold got in for A Complete Unknown over Edward Berger. It was also snubbed in Best Cinematography where, to more than a few folks surprise, Emilia Prez was nominated instead.The ascent of Emilia Prez has indeed frightened some corners of social media, which has lashed back hard at the new frontrunner status applied to the Jacques Audiard film. As the horse race narrative emerges, folks are already leaning one way or the other on if they think this will finally be Netflixs year thanks to Emilia Prez, or if the critical esteem previously accumulated by Brady Corbet and A24s The Brutalistwhich received 10 nominations, including for Directing and Cinematographywill carry it through. Meanwhile Conclave falls further into the rearview.And yetyet, dear readerwhile its good to take all this with some healthy skepticism, there is still a path forward for Bergers movie about a papal conclave where progressives and conservatives come to blows, but then in the end do the right thing and elect a forward-looking new leader (you know: wish fulfillment). After all, underdogs have done it before.In the last 25 years, there have been exactly three Best Picture winners that earned that most coveted of Oscar golds without being nominated for Director and/or Cinematography: Argo (2012), Green Book (2018), and CODA (2021). And its the last one that is of special interest to me.Three years ago marked the first awards season after quarantine restrictions were lifted. Nonetheless, it was still an odd and somewhat muted Oscar season due to productions freezing in Hollywood the year before. As a consequence, the Oscar field seemed strangely muted in January 2022 with the initial frontrunner being a critical favorite that was awarded Best Picture by prestigious critics groups like the New York Film Critics Circle, as well as a Netflix release: Jane Campions The Power of the Dog. The critical and media narrative was that it had to win. Campion was the clear frontrunner for Best Director, and what could beat it for Picture? (Personally, we far preferred Steven Spielbergs West Side Story, but that musical flopped, so it was a nonstarter with the Academy).Come Oscar night, the Academy again found a way to deny Netflix a Best Picture Oscar, but only in lieu of giving the top award to another streaming film, Apple and Sian Heders feel-good and easily accessible CODA. It was also a film nominated for only two other awards, Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay. It won both.While CODA has arguably gone down as one of the slighter Best Picture winners in recent memory, it also was the antithesis of The Power of the Dog: hopeful, earnest, and ultimately reassuring in a dark moment that things were going to be alright. It also was not a Netflix movie, and while Apple is in the streaming business, only Netflix has seen leadership state more than once that they do not consider theatrical their business model.Cut back to 2025. We again are in a bit of a slow-down year after film production dried up in 2023 due to the writer and actor strikes. The mood is also once more mournful in much of the country, especially California. The general sense in the industry and media is that 2024 was a weaker year for cinema than the past several, and one of the frontrunners which is again a critical darling and NYFCC Best Picture winner is a dark, cynical, and ultimately dispiriting auteur piece: The Brutalist. Furthermore, according to Variety, a not-insignificant number of Academy members are refusing to watch the 3.5-hour epic. Yes, there is another frontrunner which has a more hopeful and optimistic message, the lightning rod musical Emilia Prez, but that film is still a Netflix release. And this one comes with a lot of online controversy and baggage.Admittedly, online backlash didnt thwart Green Books chances in early 2019. However, its biggest competitor was, guess what, another Netflix film in Alfonso Cuarns lyrical Roma. Also it seems online sentiment did play a role in La La Lands stumble two years earlier, a film so securely seen as the frontrunner that when it was incorrectly named Best Picture at the 2017 Academy Awards, no one at home or in the audience guessed anything was amiss.Lastly, one other major factor to remember is that Best Picture, unlike all other categories at the Oscars, are voted on by way of preferential ballot. This means that instead of just picking their favorite, each voter ranks the nominees in order from their most desirous to their least for taking home the top prize. And it seems likely while Emilia Prez will receive a lot of number one votes, it could end up either number nine or 10 on plenty of other ballots too.Meanwhile that same preferential system could mean a movie that ends up as a lot of folks number two choiceand with a decent amount of number onescould still seize the day and win Best Picture. This brings us back to Conclave, a political thriller that plays exceedingly well with older audiences who remember when such performance and narrative-heavy entertainments were part and parcel of any Oscar season. In fact, the AARP nominated Conclave more than any other film in its annual Movies for Grownups Awards. Another way to put this is that Boomers really like a movie where the cast is uniformly north of 50 and doing exciting things. And while the demographics of current Academy membership is a bit hard to pick out since inclusion initiatives in the late 2010s roughly doubled membership numbers, at least in 2012 the median age of Academy members was 62.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!This is a long way to say that Conclave is a real crowdpleaser for a large portion of Oscar voters, and unlike The Brutalist or even Emilia Prez, it leaves an audience feeling energized instead of wistful or pensive. It could become a consensus pick for a lot of voters who put Brutalist or Prez, or Anora as their number one, but an assortment of the other frontrunners near the bottom.In this vein, well point to one other relatively recent Oscar year. In January 2016, there was once again no clear frontrunner. Many critics groups were lining up behind the artful and reserved Todd Haynes film Carol, but Haynes has always been an acquired taste that the Academy rarely sips from.Other groups were championing Mad Max: Fury Road, a tour de force in action cinema that remains one of the best chase movies ever conceived. It also was a franchise blockbuster and a sequel. Unsurprisingly, it virtually swept the technical categories that year at the Oscars, but was rudely ignored for Picture and Director. Finally, there was a faction lining up behind The Revenant, including the Golden Globes. The Revenant also was another high-concept auteur piece from Alejandro Gonzlez Irritu, this time a Western after he won Best Picture and Director the previous year for Birdman.In the end, Gonzlez triumphed once more in Best Director, but to manys surprise it was neither The Revenant, nor Mad Max, nor Carol that took home the greatest bauble. It was Spotlight, an ensemble piece with excellent performances, a propulsive pacing reflecting our real world, and an unfussy narrative that left grownup audiences satisfied. And it likely got there with a lot of number two and three votes.It could happen again.

Making his Doctor Who debut will be British-Nigerian poet and playwright Inua Ellams MBE (Barber Shop Chronicles, Candy Coated Unicorns & Converse All Stars) , whose Doctor Who fandom goes back to the age of 10. Not underselling the importance of joining the TV shows writers, Ellams described the experience as like touching God.Also making their Doctor Who TV debut is Manchester-based screenwriter Sharma Angel-Walfall, whose television credits include recent releases from Netflix, Disney+, Sky and the BBC, from Supacell to The Ballad of Renegade Nell to Dreamland (coincidentally starring former Doctor Who companion Freema Agyeman). Angel-Walfall won the very first Channel 4 New Writing Award, and is a massive Russell T Davies fan.Finally, novelist and screenwriter Juno Dawson (Her Majestys Royal Coven, This Book is Gay) has made the move from Doctor Who podcasts and books to the main TV show. A familiar name to Who fans, Dawson wrote 2018s 13th-era novel The Good Doctor, created the first official Doctor Who scripted podcast in Doctor Who: Redacted, wrote for the Torchwood and New Series Adventures podcasts, and was a co-presenter on The Official Doctor Who podcast for the shows three 60th anniversary specials.Expect many more Who announcements to arrive over the next few months as the BBC and Disney+ start to hype what Davies is describing as the most wild and exciting season of Doctor Who yet. Well, hed know. Heres the teaser:Doctor Who series 15 is expected to air on BBC One and Disney+ in spring 2025.

Jan 27, 2025The Hacker NewsApplication Security / API SecurityThe Open Web Application Security Project has recently introduced a new Top 10 project - the Non-Human Identity (NHI) Top 10. For years, OWASP has provided security professionals and developers with essential guidance and actionable frameworks through its Top 10 projects, including the widely used API and Web Application security lists. Non-human identity security represents an emerging interest in the cybersecurity industry, encompassing the risks and lack of oversight associated with API keys, service accounts, OAuth apps, SSH keys, IAM roles, secrets, and other machine credentials and workload identities. Considering that the flagship OWASP Top 10 projects already cover a broad range of security risks developers should focus on, one might ask - do we really need the NHI Top 10? The short answer is - yes. Let's see why, and explore the top 10 NHI risks. Why we need the NHI Top 10While other OWASP projects might touch on related vulnerabilities, such as secrets misconfiguration, NHIs and their associated risks go well beyond that. Security incidents leveraging NHIs don't just revolve around exposed secrets; they extend to excessive permissions, OAuth phishing attacks, IAM roles used for lateral movement, and more. While crucial, the existing OWASP Top 10 lists don't properly address the unique challenges NHIs present. Being the critical connectivity enablers between systems, services, data, and AI agents, NHIs are extremely prevalent across development and runtime environments, and developers interact with them at every stage of the development pipeline. With the growing frequency of attacks targeting NHIs, it became imperative to equip developers with a dedicated guide to the risks they face.Understanding the OWASP Top 10 ranking criteriaBefore we dive into the actual risks, it's important to understand the ranking behind the Top 10 projects. OWASP Top 10 projects follow a standard set of parameters to determine risk severity:Exploitability: Evaluate how easily an attacker can exploit a given vulnerability if the organization lacks sufficient protection.Impact: Considers the potential damage the risk could inflict on business operations and systems.Prevalence: Assesses how common the security issue is across different environments, disregarding existing protective measures.Detectability: Measures the difficulty of spotting the weakness using standard monitoring and detection tools.Breaking down the OWASP NHI Top 10 risksNow to the meat. Let's explore the top risks that earned a spot on the NHI Top 10 list and why they matter:NHI10:2025 - Human Use of NHINHIs are designed to facilitate automated processes, services, and applications without human intervention. However, during the development and maintenance phases, developers or administrators may repurpose NHIs for manual operations that should ideally be conducted using personal human credentials with appropriate privileges. This can cause privilege misuse, and, if this abused key is part of an exploit, it's hard to know who is accountable for it. NHI9:2025 - NHI ReuseNHI reuse occurs when teams repurpose the same service account, for example, across multiple applications. While convenient, this violates the principle of least privilege and can expose multiple services in the case of a compromised NHI - increasing the blast radius. NHI8:2025 - Environment IsolationA lack of strict environment isolation can lead to test NHIs bleeding into production. A real-world example is the Midnight Blizzard attack on Microsoft, where an OAuth app used for testing was found to have high privileges in production, exposing sensitive data.NHI7:2025 - Long-Lived SecretsSecrets that remain valid for extended periods pose a significant risk. A notable incident involved Microsoft AI inadvertently exposing an access token in a public GitHub repository, which remained active for over two years and provided access to 38 terabytes of internal data.NHI6:2025 - Insecure Cloud Deployment ConfigurationsCI/CD pipelines inherently require extensive permissions, making them prime targets for attackers. Misconfigurations, such as hardcoded credentials or overly permissive OIDC configurations, can lead to unauthorized access to critical resources, exposing them to breaches.NHI5:2025 - Overprivileged NHIMany NHIs are granted excessive privileges due to poor provisioning practices. According to a recent CSA report, 37% of NHI-related security incidents were caused by overprivileged identities, highlighting the urgent need for proper access controls and least-privilege practices. NHI4:2025 - Insecure Authentication MethodsMany platforms like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace still support insecure authentication methods like implicit OAuth flows and app passwords, which bypass MFA and are susceptible to attacks. Developers are often unaware of the security risks of these outdated mechanisms, which leads to their widespread use, and potential exploitation. NHI3:2025 - Vulnerable Third-Party NHIMany development pipelines rely on third-party tools and services to expedite development, enhance capabilities, monitor applications, and more. These tools and services integrate directly with IDEs and code repos using NHIs like API keys, OAuth apps, and service accounts. Breaches involving vendors like CircleCI, Okta, and GitHub have forced customers to scramble to rotate credentials, highlighting the importance of tightly monitoring and mapping these externally owned NHIs. NHI2:2025 - Secret LeakageSecret leakage remains a top concern, often serving as the initial access vector for attackers. Research indicates that 37% of organizations have hardcoded secrets within their applications, making them prime targets.NHI1:2025 - Improper OffboardingRanked as the top NHI risk, improper offboarding refers to the prevalent oversight of lingering NHIs that were not removed or decommissioned after an employee left, a service was removed, or a third party was terminated. In fact, over 50% of organizations have no formal processes to offboard NHIs. NHIs that are no longer needed but remain active create a wide array of attack opportunities, especially for insider threats. A standardized framework for NHI securityThe OWASP NHI Top 10 fills a critical gap by shedding light on the unique security challenges posed by NHIs. Security and development teams alike lack a clear, standardized view of the risks these identities pose, and how to go about including them in security programs. As their usage continues to expand across modern applications, projects like the OWASP NHI Top 10 become more crucial than ever. Found this article interesting? This article is a contributed piece from one of our valued partners. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

Przemysaw Krokosz, Edge and Embedded Technology Solutions Expert,MobicaJanuary 27, 20255 Min ReadDragos Condrea via Alamy StockArtificial Intelligence continues to gain traction as one of the hottest areas in the technology sector. To meet AIs requirements for processing power we are seeing a race by US vendors to establish data centers worldwide. Google recently announced a $1 billion investment in cloud infrastructure in Thailand, which was followed almost immediately by Oracles promise of $6.5bn in Malaysia. Added to this are many similar ventures in Europe, all under the flag of AI development. Its hardly surprising then that people thinking about AI investment, typically think of a cloud-based project. Yet, we are also seeing significant growth in AI deployments at the edge, and theres good reason for this. The Case for the EdgeTwo of the most compelling reasons are the superiority of speed and security that edge computing can offer. Edges freedom from dependence on connectivity provides low latency and makes it possible to create air gaps through which cyber criminals cannot penetrate. These are both vitally important issues. Speed is of the essence in many applications -- in hospitals, industrial sites or transportation, for example. A delay in machine calculations in a critical care unit is literally a matter of life and death. The same applies to an autonomous vehicle detecting an imminent collision. Theres no time for the technology to wait for a cellular connection. Related:Meanwhile, cybercrime increasingly poses a major threat throughout the world. The 2024 Cloud Security Report from Check Point software and Cybersecurity Insiders, based on conversations with 800 cloud and cybersecurity professionals, found that 96% of respondents were concerned about their capacity to manage cloud security risks, with 39% describing themselves as very concerned. For sectors such as energy, utilities, and pharmaceuticals, security is a top priority for obvious reasons.Another reason for considering the edge deployment for an AI implementation is cost. If you have a user base that is likely to grow substantially, operational expenditure may increase significantly in a cloud model. It may do so even more if the AI solution also requires the regular transfer of large amounts of data, such as video imagery. In these cases, a cloud-based approach may not be financially sustainable in the long term. Developments at the EdgeWhile edge will never be able to compete with the cloud in terms of sheer processing power, a new class of system-on-chip (SoC) processors has emerged, which is designed for AI inference. Many of the vendors in this space have also designed chipsets that are dedicated to specific use cases that allow further cost optimization. Related:Some specific examples of these new products are Intels platforms to support computer vision edge deployments, Qualcomms improved chips for mobile and wearable devices, and Ambarella advancing whats possible with video and image processing. Meanwhile, Nvidia is producing versatile solutions for applications in autonomous vehicles, healthcare, industry and more.These are just some of the contributory factors in the growth of the global edge AI market. One market research company recently estimated that it would grow to $61.63 billion in 2028, from $24.48 billion in 2024. Taking AI to the EdgeSo how do you bring your AI project to the edge? The answer is carefully. Perhaps counter-intuitively, an edge AI project often should begin in the cloud. The initial development of edge AI inference usually requires a level of processing power that can only be found in a cloud environment. But once the development and training of the AI model is complete, the fully mature version can be deployed at the edge. The next step will be to consider how the data processing requirements can be kept to a minimum. The insatiable demand for computing power from the most capable AI models is widely known, but this applies to all scales of AI -- even smaller models at the edge. Therefore, at this point, a range of optimization techniques will be required to minimize the size of both processing power and required data inputs. Related:This will involve reviewing the specific use case and the capabilities of the selected SoC, along with all edge device components, such as cameras and sensors, that may be supplying the data. The process is likely to involve a sizeable degree of experimentation and adjustment to find the lowest acceptable level of decision-making accuracy that can be achieved without undue compromises in the quality of the solution. The AI model itself also needs to be iteratively optimized to enable inference at the edge. Achieving this almost certainly will involve several transformations, as the model goes through the processes of quantization and simplification. Businesses also need to address openness and extensibility factors to ensure that the system will be interoperable with third party products. This will likely involve the development of a dedicated API to support the integration of internal and external plugins, and the creation of a software development kit to ensure smooth deployments. Finally, AI solutions are progressing at an unprecedented rate, with better models being released all the time. So, there needs to be a reliable method for quickly updating the ML models at the core of an edge solution. This is where MLOps kicks in, alongside DevOps methodology, to provide the complete development pipeline. Tools and techniques developed for and used in traditional DevOps, such as containerization, can be applied to maintain competitive advantage.Given the speed of AI development, most organizations will soon be considering its adoption in one form or another. With edge technology advancing rapidly as well, businesses need to seriously consider the benefits this can provide before they invest. About the AuthorPrzemysaw KrokoszEdge and Embedded Technology Solutions Expert,MobicaPrzemysaw Krokosz is an edgeand embedded technology solutions expertatMobica. He works closely with some of the worldslargest and most prestigious organizations on innovative areas of tech development.See more from Przemysaw KrokoszNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

Du liebst Herausforderungen und mchtest Teil eines innovativen Teams sein? Wie wre es, wenn du dich unserem groartigen internationalen Team anschliet und deine Ideen in spannenden Projekten verwirklichst?Wir bieten dir die Chance, remote zu arbeiten oder dich nach erfolgreicher Zusammenarbeit in unserem modernen Headquarter in Dubai weiterzuentwickeln. Arbeite mit den Besten, gestalte die Zukunft der Finanztechnologie und bring deine Fhigkeiten auf das nchste Level. Gemeinsam schaffen wir Innovationen, nehmen Herausforderungen an und entwickeln Lsungen, die einen Unterschied machen.Klingt das nach deinem perfekten Arbeitsumfeld? Dann lass uns herausfinden, ob wir zusammenpassen!Aufgaben Entwicklung und Optimierung von Finanztechnologien: Du wirst unsere bestehenden Systeme und Anwendungen im Bereich Brse und Trading weiterentwickeln und optimieren. Backend- und Frontend-Entwicklung: Je nach Spezialisierung wirst du an der Weiterentwicklung unserer Trading-Plattformen und Analyse-Tools beteiligt sein. Automatisierung von Prozessen: Entwicklung von Automatisierungen fr Datenverarbeitung und Analyse, um effizientere Arbeitsablufe zu ermglichen. Arbeiten mit APIs: Integriere externe Datenquellen (Brsendaten, Finanzmarktinformationen) und entwickle APIs fr den effizienten Datenaustausch. Problemanalyse und Debugging: Behebe technische Fehler und stelle sicher, dass alle Systeme fehlerfrei laufen.Qualifikation Erfahrung in der Softwareentwicklung: Du hast mindestens 2-3+ Jahre Berufserfahrung in der Entwicklung von Software, idealerweise im Bereich Fintech, Brse oder Trading. Technische Fhigkeiten: Du beherrschst gngige Programmiersprachen und Frameworks wie Python, Java, C++, JavaScript, Go, SolidJS, React oder hnliche Technologien. Kenntnisse in Datenbanken: Du hast Erfahrung in der Arbeit mit Datenbanken (SQL, NoSQL) und bist in der Lage, groe Datenmengen effizient zu verwalten. Erfahrung mit APIs und Automatisierung: Du hast bereits APIs entwickelt oder mit ihnen gearbeitet und kennst dich mit der Automatisierung von Prozessen aus. Kenntnis der Finanzwelt/Trading: Ein Interesse und Verstndnis fr Brse, Finanzmrkte und Trading-Prozesse sind von Vorteil. Eigenstndige Arbeitsweise: Du arbeitest selbststndig und bist in der Lage, Projekte zuverlssig und termingerecht umzusetzen. Sprache: Wir sind ein deutschsprachiges Team, deshalb ist es uns wichtig, dass auch du deutsch sprichstBenefits Dynamisches Arbeitsumfeld: Arbeite in einem ambitionierten Team mit flachen Hierarchien. Weiterentwicklungsmglichkeiten: Du wirst in spannende Projekte eingebunden, die deine Fhigkeiten fordern und erweitern. Remote-Arbeit mglich: Flexible Arbeitszeiten und die Mglichkeit, remote zu arbeiten. Zugang zur Finanzwelt: Arbeite direkt an der Schnittstelle von Technologie und Finanzmrkten. Related Jobs See more Full-Stack Programming jobs

The team selected for the estimated 359,000 contract will deliver an upgrade of the landmark John Fogarty-designed Grade II*-listed building which holds 40,000 artworks and is located on the East Cliff overlooking Bournemouth town centre.The project, planned to complete in 2028, will refurbish and upgrade the historic complex which was originally constructed as a private house before becoming a public art gallery but has seen little investment since 1999 despite its exposed coastal location facing the sea.According to the brief: Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum (RCAGM) is a Grade II*-listed building, located on the East Cliff of Bournemouth and housing an internationally important collection of 40,000 items of Victorian fine and decorative art and world cultures, much on open display.AdvertisementThis procurement is to obtain the professional services of a suitably qualified conservation accredited specialist (architect, chartered surveyor or chartered architectural technologist to lead a team of specialist consultants from RIBA Stage 4 (Technical Design) to Stage 6 (Handover).The successful Bidder will be expected to commence the works April 2025. The Successful Bidder will be required to ensure the works are completed by March 2028.The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum was originally constructed as a house and private gallery in 1894 and was gifted to the local council in 1908. The complex is subject to extreme climatic conditions and is need of repair.The latest procurement comes two years after Burrell Foley Fischer won a competition for a landmark new 3 million-to-3.5 million beach pavilion in Sandbanks nearby.Bids for the latest commission will be evaluated 60 per cent on quality and 40 per cent on price. Applicants must hold employers liability insurance of 5 million, public liability insurance of 5 million and professional indemnity insurance of 5 million.AdvertisementCompetition detailsProject title Design Lead for Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum ConservationClientContract value 359,000First round deadline 2pm, 28 February 2025Restrictions TbcMore information https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/002412-2025

The scheme for St William, a Berkeley company, is the fourth phase of the AJ100 practices Kings Road Park masterplan. Consent was recently handed down by the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham for development through delegated powers.The Fosters scheme will see the eastern part of the site, a former gasworks located just south of Chelsea Football Clubs home stadium at Stamford Bridge, redeveloped.The plans feature a seven-storey podium building, a 28-storey tower and a 38-storey tower, together providing 357 private homes and amenities. In addition, nearly two acres of new parkland and public open space will be created.AdvertisementThe consented design includes one less tower than outline proposals first drawn up by Fosters for the Kings Road Park masterplan with single staircases, which were approved in February 2019 before new fire safety regulations were introduced. The previous vision also featured smaller floorplates.Fosters said the updated design reduces the developments embodied carbon compared with the outline planning application, while meeting new fire safety requirements. It also increases daylight entering the new park by 59 per cent.Giles Robinson, senior partner at Foster + Partners, said: The scheme will provide the highest-quality homes that overlook one of Londons most spectacular new public parks.Our design complements the historic urban surroundings and enhances connections with nature by significantly increasing the amount of green space at the base of the towers and extending the experience of the park onto the podiums rooftop.The wider Kings Road Park masterplan proposes 1,800 new homes, both private and affordable, on the site of the former gasworks off Imperial Road. The scheme also includes a new park and a restored Grade II*-listed gasholder.AdvertisementAn earlier vision for the masterplan and fourth phase was drawn up by Apt, also for St William, and was approved in 2018 before Fosters took over the job.Phase 1, including 345 homes, was designed by EPR Architects and is nearing completion.The timeline for completion of the works is unknown.

Warwick doesn't have many internet service providers, but there are a few high-speed internet plans in the city. Here are CNET's picks of the best in the Rhode Island city.

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra's amazing camera setup meant it wasn't just one of the best camera phones of 2024, it was one of the best cameras I've ever seen on a phone. It achieved this primarily with its 1-inch type image sensor, which is physically larger than almost any other smartphone camera sensor. That bigger size, together with the wide, variable aperture, let it capture more light to produce some of the best results I've ever seen from a camera phone. It even blew us away when taking images during Taylor Swift's Eras tour.It also packed a top-end processor for lightning-fast performance, a vibrant display and a battery that lasted the better part of a day. All in all, it was a superb flagship Android phone for those of you wanting to focus on your image-taking.But the tech world doesn't hang around for long and already there are rumors circulating around what we might see from its successor, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. Here then is what we know about this potential photography powerhouse. We'll be updating this article over the coming weeks and months as more rumors surface, so make sure to check back regularly to find out more about the phone.Xiaomi 15 Ultra release date and priceThe 14 Ultra was announced in China in February and was first shown off to Western press -- including CNET -- at Mobile World Congress 2024 in Barcelona back in February. It wasn't until later in March that I was able to get my hands on it for testing. While Xiaomi has yet to confirm the launch date for the phone, all signs suggest that the company is planning a similar timeframe for the follow-up.It's already taken the wraps off the base Xiaomi 15 and 15 Pro for the Chinese market -- again, following the same schedule as the 14 and 14 Pro last year. The 14 Ultra went on sale in the UK for 1,299 and while it's not officially on sale in the US, that price equates to $1,640. There's been no word on any significant changes in the company's pricing so we'd expect the 15 Ultra to sit in that ballpark. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra's cameras. Andrew Lanxon/CNETXiaomi 15 Ultra camerasXiaomi's Ultra line has always focused on photography, with the 14 Ultra packing not just a massive image sensor, but a variable aperture and an impressive 5x optical zoom. We firmly expect the 15 Ultra to be similarly aimed towards photographers and indeed early leaks support that.Known tipster Ice Universe reported that the 15 Ultra's periscope telephoto camera will feature a whopping 200-megapixel image sensor. That's a huge step up from the 50-megapixel sensor found on the 14 Ultra. The downside? Ice Universe also says the optical zoom will drop from 5x to 4.4x, although the extra resolution will presumably allow for further digital zoom without a noticeable loss in quality. Alleged leaked renders of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. SmartprixThis change to the telephoto camera unit is apparently backed up by leaked renders of the phone from SmartPrix, which show an off-center camera unit at the top. A further leaked image (via GSM Arena) purportedly showing the internals of the camera setup indicates that it's off center in order to make room for its large periscope unit. The renders, if accurate, also confirm the continued relationship between Xiaomi and Leica, so expect high-quality lens optics and various Leica color presets to spice up your images.More recently, internet tipster Kartikey Singh posted an image to X purporting to be of the back of the 15 Ultra, while confirming the 1-inch type image sensor and 200 megapixel resolution. The image matches the earlier renders.So far there are few other rumors around the rest of the cameras, including any changes to the main camera and its 1-inch type sensor. I'd certainly hope that Xiaomi continues using at least this sensor size -- if not going even larger -- and maintaining its variable aperture, which can go from wide open at f/1.6 to more closed down at f/4, resulting in attractive starbursts around points of light at night.Xiaomi 15 Ultra processor, display and batteryGiven that the 14 Ultra packed the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor when it launched, it's safe to assume that Xiaomi will equip its new model with Qualcomm's next-generation silicon. Qualcomm took the wraps off the Snapdragon 8 Elite in October, and we've already seen the power this chip can offer in the OnePlus 13. It's also the same chip found inside Samsung's entire Galaxy S25 range.Apart from an expected overall increase in speed, the 8 Elite processor promises improved web browsing speed and is particularly geared towards AI tasks, including powering on-device AI tools like Samsung's Galaxy AI. At its launch event, Qualcomm showed off an AI-powered tool that adds artificial lighting to your selfies, which CNET's David Lumb called "delightfully fun and helpful" when he tried it for himself. We expect to see a variety of AI tools on board Xiaomi's 15 Ultra, for both image manipulation and virtual assistance. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra was a powerhouse. The 15 Ultra is expected to be the same, with the latest Qualcomm chips on board. Andrew Lanxon/CNETRumors tentatively suggest that the 15 Ultra's display will remain at 6.7 inches, like the 14 Ultra, although the battery may be expanded to 6,000 mAh, up from 5,000 mAh. Whether this remains the case on models outside of China remains to be seen as the 14 Ultra did have a slightly larger battery size for models sold within China.It's expected that the phone will continue to offer 90W wired charging, although I'd like to see the company take this further. Some of Xiaomi's other phones -- including the 11T Pro, released back in 2021 -- offer 120W fast charging and it's disappointing not to see such speeds on the company's flashiest, most expensive model.

January 26, 2025WHO Withdrawal, Bird Flu News and the Way Prehab Affects Surgical OutcomesA rundown on whats at stake for global health if the U.S. withdraws from the World Health Organization and an update on bird flu are in this weeks science news roundup. Anaissa Ruiz Tejada/Scientific AmericanSUBSCRIBE TO Science QuicklyRachel Feltman: Happy Monday, listeners. For Scientific Americans Science Quickly, Im Rachel Feltman. Lets kick off the week by catching up on some of the latest science news.[CLIP: None of My Business, by Arthur Benson]Feltman: First, weve got a quick update from one of our SciAm correspondents. On January 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order stating his intention to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization, or WHO. Here to unpack that for us is Tanya Lewis, a senior editor covering health and medicine at Scientific American.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.Tanya Lewis: The World Health Organization is an agency of the United Nations. It was founded in 1948, and it has nearly 200 member states. It has a pretty broad scope, from working to expand health care access around the world to responding to disease outbreaks and pandemics.So Trump issued an executive order that signaled that he intends to withdraw from the WHO, but the full process actually takes a year. He tried to do this during his last term, but Biden reversed it before it took effect.Trump said hes withdrawing because he thinks the organization handled the COVID pandemic poorly and because he thinks the U.S. pays an unfair share of the agencys funding. Its true that we do pay the most of any member country, but most of our contributions are actually voluntary and earmarked for specific projects.[CLIP: The Farmhouse, by Silver Maple]Lewis: The WHO is definitely not perfect. It did make some notable mistakes during the pandemic. For example, the agency initially dismissed the possibility that the virus was airborne, and it was very slow to correct that idea, but it did still play an important role in communicating information to countries and helping them get access to vaccines and treatments for the disease.The WHO has a very broad remit, which arguably makes it harder to achieve any one goal, and at the end of the day, it really lacks the power to enforce any rules on its member states.Being part of WHO means the U.S. gets a seat at the table for how the rest of the world handles major health challenges, and experts have told me that if we leave, it will create a vacuum that China will probably fill. The WHO also shares important data and information with its member states, such as the genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID. Our CDC and other health agencies can fill some of these gaps, but the U.S. withdrawing will definitely have a big impact on the WHO and on other countries. Clear global communication will be especially important if we face a pandemic of bird flu, which poses a growing threat here in the U.S.Many of the WHOs member states are low- or middle-income countries that rely on the public health expertise of U.S. scientists because they dont have a strong CDC of their own. These countries could have a much harder time fighting disease outbreaks or improving health care access. And even though it seems like the WHO gets a lot more from the U.S. than the other way around, its really important to be a part of these larger conversations around global public health threats because if theres one thing weve learned from the COVID pandemic, its that viruses and diseases do not respect borders, and if we dont know what threats there are around the world, we wont be able to protect Americans at home.Feltman: Thanks for that explainer, Tanya. Listeners, well keep tabs on this and other executive orders related to science and health as we move forward.Now lets forget things on Earth for a minute by checking out some space news.[CLIP: Handwriting, by Frank Jonsson]Feltman: Last Tuesday scientists publishing in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics described an exoplanet with wind speeds that put those found in our own solar system to shame. WASP-127b, which is about 520 light-years away, has supersonic jet-stream winds unlike any weve seen before. At the planets equator, winds move at around 20,100 miles per hour. While a couple of other exoplanets have been found with faster atmospheric wind speeds, this is the fastest jet stream found circling around a whole planet, according to Reuters. For context our own planets jet streams can sometimes make it over 275 miles per hour. And the fastest winds on Neptune, which is widely thought to have the strongest winds in our solar system, can surpass 1,100 miles per hour.WASP-127b is a type of gas giant known as a hot Jupiter, which, among other things, means that its quite close to its host star. The windy world is about a third larger than Jupiter but has only around 16 percent of the massso its pretty fluffy. It also has one side facing its sun in perpetual daylight. In fact, one of the study's authors told Reuters that this fierce radiation provides the main energy source for those intense winds.Back down on Earth weve got a troubling bird flu update. On January 17 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced new policies and regulations for pet food manufacturers in response to more than a dozen deaths or illnesses among domestic cats. H5N1 cases in domestic and wild cats have been connected to raw food products in Colorado, Washington, Oregon and California, according to the agency. According to the CDC and the American Veterinary Medical Association, cooked and pasteurized pet foods are the safest options, especially given the ongoing bird flu outbreak. But the FDA is now requiring cat and dog food manufacturers that do use raw poultry or beef products to develop and implement food safety plans that take H5N1 into account.[CLIP: It Doesnt End Here (Instrumental), by Nehemiah Pratt]Feltman: For some pets, a bird flu infection can have serious consequences. While dogs seem to generally experience only mild illness when infected with H5N1, cats can experience seizures and blindness. Now, theres currently no evidence that cats can pass bird flu on to humans, but while the risk of such a jump is extremely low, its not zero, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Of course, youre much more at risk if youre partaking in raw dairy and unpasteurized products yourself. But if youre worried about switching up your shopping habits, either for you or your pets, the good news is theres no evidence that raw dairy provides any health benefits for humansat least none that you wouldnt also get from drinking pasteurized dairyand the World Small Animal Veterinary Association says the same is true of raw meat and dairy for cats.In other health news, two new studies offer advice for dealing with surgery and serious illness. A paper published Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine focused on how physical fitness can improve outcomes during cancer treatment. The paper, which reviewed 42 previous studies involving nearly 47,000 patients, found that muscular strength was associated with a significantly lower risk of death, and high cardiorespiratory fitness had a similar link. The researchers say its possible that tailored strength training and other workout programs could promote better outcomes for cancer patients.[CLIP: Those Rainy Days, by Elm Lake]Feltman: Another study published last Wednesday in the BMJ explored the importance of prehabilitation, a.k.a. prehab. Youre likely already familiar with the idea of rehabthe kind of physical therapy and support you might get after particular types of surgery. Prehab allows people to access nutritional support, exercise guidance, cognitive training and other potentially helpful services before a planned surgery.According to the new study, which reviewed data from more than 186 clinical trials involving a total of more than 15,000 patients, there is consistent evidence that prehab improves surgical outcomes. The researchers say the effects of exercise-based prehab programs are especially significant. And although the researchers called for further investigation into exactly what kinds of prehab are most effective and why, the studys lead author noted in a press release that if youre preparing to undergo surgery, its always a good idea to ask your doctor about prehab options.Okay, lets end on a fun note. Youve heard of contagious laughter and probably contagious yawning. But what about contagious peeing?In a study published last week in Current Biology, researchers from Kyoto University in Japan described an unusual social phenomenon in captive chimpanzees. After spending more than 600 hours observing the animals, the researchers concluded that chimps are ever-so-slightly more likely to pee after they see other chimps do it. The effect was amplified if chimps were physically closer to each other.[CLIP: Theme music]Feltman: The researchers also noticed that a chimps social standing seemed to impact their urine influencer status: low-ranking chimps were more likely to copy the bathroom behaviors of high-ranking chimps. And to that I say: Gee whiz! Sorry.Thats all for this weeks news roundup. Well be back on Wednesday to talk all about the science of the sun. And on Friday well be chatting with an expert on human behavior about why being cynical might not be as protective as you think.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!