Digital distribution RIP EAs Origin launcher: We knew ye all too well, unfortunately End of 32-bit Windows support offered an excuse to put the nail in the coffin. Samuel Axon Jan 21, 2025 4:17 pm | 39 Things did not go well for Origin. Credit: Aurich Lawson / Getty Images Things did not go well for Origin. Credit: Aurich Lawson / Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreAfter 14 years, EA will retire its controversial Origin game distribution app for Windows, the company announced. Origin will stop working on April 17, 2025. Folks still using it will be directed to install the newer EA app, which launched in 2022.The launch of Origin in 2011 was a flashpoint of controversy among gamers, as EAalready not a beloved company by this pointbegan pulling titles like Crysis 2 from the popular Steam platform to drive players to its own launcher.Frankly, it all made sense from EA's point of view. For a publisher that size, Valve had relatively little to offer in terms of services or tools, yet it was taking a big chunk of games' revenue. Why wouldn't EA want to get that money back?The transition was a rough one, though, because it didn't make as much sense from the consumer's point of view. Players distrusted EA and had a lot of goodwill for Valve and Steam. Origin lacked features players liked on Steam, and old habits and social connections die hard. Plus, EA's use of Origina long-dead brand name tied to classic RPGs and other games of the '80s and '90sfor something like this felt to some like a slap in the face.EA eventually put its games back on Steam starting in 2019. It also announced plans to retire the Origin name and app in favor of a more simply branded "EA" app, which launched in 2022.The company attempted to migrate its users from Origin to the new app and stopped releasing games on Origin, but it still remained an option for older games. Come April 17, the app will be retired completely.EA cited Microsoft's plan to end support for the 32-bit version of Windows 10 this coming October as a catalyst. Since there is no 32-bit version of Windows 11, that effectively ends OS support for 32-bit Windows applications as we previously knew it. (The Origin app is 32-bit, and the newer EA app is 64-bit.) It seems as good a time as any to pull the plug.Samuel AxonSenior EditorSamuel AxonSenior Editor Samuel Axon is a senior editor at Ars Technica. He covers Apple, software development, gaming, AI, entertainment, and mixed reality. He has been writing about gaming and technology for nearly two decades at Engadget, PC World, Mashable, Vice, Polygon, Wired, and others. He previously ran a marketing and PR agency in the gaming industry, led editorial for the TV network CBS, and worked on social media marketing strategy for Samsung Mobile at the creative agency SPCSHP. He also is an independent software and game developer for iOS, Windows, and other platforms, and heis a graduate of DePaul University, where he studied interactive media and software development. 39 Comments

Public health programmes around the world could be cut due to the US leaving the WHOJohn Moore/ Getty ImagesIn one of his first executive orders as president, Donald Trump has begun the process of withdrawing the US from the World Health Organization (WHO). One years notice is required to retreat from the international public health body, at which time the US will stop contributing funds. The impact could be huge. In recent years the US has contributed nearly a fifth of the WHOs $6.8 billion budget.In a statement released with the order, the

A ridge in south-east Sicily that was eroded by the megafloodKevin Sciberras and Neil PetroniJumbled deposits of rock found on the top of hills in south-east Sicily were left by the megaflood that refilled the Mediterranean sea 5 million years the largest known flooding event in Earths history.The rock deposits and eroded hills in this part of Sicily, a region of Italy, are the first land-based evidence found for the megaflood, says Paul Carling at the University of Southampton in the UK. You can actually walk around and see it, says Carling. AdvertisementAround 6 million years ago, during the so-called Messinian salinity crisis, the Mediterranean Sea was cut off from the Atlantic Ocean and began to dry out. Vast deposits of salt formed at this time and the sea level may have dropped by a kilometre or more.Water once again started flowing through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean around 5.3 million years ago. Researchers initially thought an enormous waterfall near Gibraltar refilled it over a period of tens of thousands of years.But in 2009, the discovery of a massive eroded channel on the bottom of the strait pointed to a much more abrupt megaflood. The evidence for this has been growing ever since. The latest science news delivered to your inbox, every day.Sign up to newsletterThis megaflood first filled up the western basin of the Mediterranean Sea, says Carling. Eroded features on the seafloor suggest it then spilled over the underwater ridge, known as the Sicilian sill, into the eastern basin.Team member Giovanni Barreca at the University of Catania in Italy, who grew up in south-east Sicily, suspected the land there was also shaped by the megaflood. So he and his fellow researchers took a closer look and analysed rock samples.Sure enough, they found the jumbled deposits near the top of some hills contain rocks that have been eroded from much deeper layers and somehow carried up to the top of the hill. You can tell from their nature that they were from these lower levels, says Carling. And they were carried up and over these hills.Many of the hills themselves have a streamlined shape, and resemble ones in Montana that were sculpted by a massive flood caused by an ice dam breaking at the end of the last glacial period. Theyre quite distinctive, says Carling. And the only thing can streamline features of this scale is very large-scale, deep flooding.More Sicilian ridges shaped by the megafloodDaniel Garcia CastellanosThe team estimated during the peak of the flood the water was flowing at around 115 kilometres per hour and covered the tops of the hills which are around 100 metres above the modern-day sea level with about 40 metres of water.The researchers also studied the seafloor around Sicily and found yet more evidence for the megaflood, such as eroded ridges and channels. Their modelling suggested the entire Mediterranean Sea refilled in between two and 16 years, but the main flooding event in Sicily probably lasted only days, Carling says.Journal reference:Communications Earth & Environment DOI: 10.1038/s43247-024-01972-wTopics:

James Fishback, an outside DOGE advisor, told BI that he wants to take Vivek Ramaswamy's spot.Ramaswamy left DOGE on Monday and is expected to run for governor of Ohio.Fishback said that he wants to refocus DOGE on regulatory reform, but hasn't spoken to Trump or Musk.One day after Vivek Ramaswamy announced he is leaving the Department of Government Efficiency, James Fishback, co-founder and CEO of the investment firm Azoria, told Business Insider he's ready to fill the open role.Fishback, a confidant of Ramaswamy, has said he's already worked as an outside advisor to DOGE. Should he take over as DOGE co-head, he told BI he'd want to focus on deregulation, as NBC first reported Tuesday. It's not yet clear whether someone will step into Ramaswamy's role as co-leader with Elon Musk or how the decision will be made."I think it's honestly going to be up to two people: Elon and President Trump, the latter having, of course, more sway," Fishback told BI. He said he didn't know of other people vying for the role, but added that it was a "fast-moving situation."As of Tuesday afternoon, Fishback told BI he had not talked to President Donald Trump or Musk about his desire to take Ramaswamy's place. Though he's based in Florida, Fishback said he plans to stay in Washington, DC for a few more days and will meet with employees in the White House."And it's not necessarily to make the case for me, it is primarily to make the case that the regulatory work that Vivek Ramaswamy was leading first and foremost that to be reintegrated back into DOGE in one way, shape, or form," he told BI.On Monday, Trump signed an executive order establishing DOGE as an agency inside the White House, instead of an external group as was widely expected. The order seemingly limited DOGE's mission, scaling it back from a commission devoted to deregulation and trillion-dollar spending cuts to one focused on updating the federal government's tech systems.Representatives for Musk and Trump did not respond to BI's request for comment.

When I first tried keto, I lost 130 pounds quickly but found that the diet was unsustainable for me.Now, I'm counting macros to lose weight and rebuilding my relationship with different kinds of food.I want to eat meals that make me feel good about myself without attaching morality to certain foods.Many people sing the praises of the keto diet, and I used to be one of them. I lost 130 pounds over 14 months while being able to stuff my face with bacon. Although the diet was restrictive, it felt sustainable until it wasn't.I no longer follow the keto diet because I ultimately found it wasn't suitable for me. For example, following it raised my cholesterol and gave me food fatigue. I also gained a lot of weight back since I stopped doing keto.Instead, I'm now counting macros adding up the total number of grams of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats I consume per meal. By counting macros, I'm focusing on getting enough protein to maintain muscle mass while eating in a caloric deficit.It's been a few months of following this method, and I already feel happier and less obsessed with my diet.I'm trying to develop a truly healthy relationship with food I want to eat more meals that make me feel good. Jennifer Still Though keto helped me shed weight quickly, I'm one of those people who didn't find the diet helpful in every way.Keto didn't do me any favors when it came to healing my relationship with food, and it furthered my disordered eating by assigning a certain level of morality to what I ate.If I went out to dinner with my partner and had a few french fries, I had an overwhelming sense of guilt and felt I'd "failed" in some way.This time around, I'm trying to find a true middle of the road and learn the meaning of moderation, which is easier said than done.I'm focusing on how food makes me feel rather than how it makes me lookI'd be lying if I said I don't want to lose the weight I regained after stepping away from keto, but it's not my primary focus this time.As I start my macros journey, I have an incredible level of fitness under my belt, which is much different from when I began my keto experience. I'm also approaching food as a vehicle for making me feel stronger and giving me more endurance for workouts.This is a real mindset change, and I'm more drawn to foods that make me feel good instead of things I feel like I have to eat because they fit a certain diet.I'm eating fewer processed and 'keto-fied' treats I'm don't want to attach morality to the food on my plate. Jennifer Still Not everyone on keto falls into this trap, but some of us end up eating a lot of processed foods to make up for what's missing in our diet.For instance, when I was on keto, I ate sausage, bacon, and other processed meats on a daily basis. It wrecked my cholesterol levels. Because I couldn't enjoy regular ice cream or cookies, I'd also load up on protein bars or other keto-friendly versions of treats that were typically high in calories and fat but not very nutritious.Now that I'm counting macros, I make lean protein my priority and fill my plate with plant-based foods like sweet potatoes, beans, leafy greens, and squash. If I want a cookie, I eat a real one. I still occasionally eat sausage and bacon, too.I'm learning to practice patienceWhen I followed the keto diet, it felt great to quickly shed weight, but I also found out how unsustainable it was after I gained it back.My method of counting macros will likely mean it'll take much longer for me to lose a few pounds. But this time, I don't want to lose quite as much and I want to do it right.Above all, I'm treating counting macros as a lifestyle change, not a diet with a finish date and end goal.This story was originally published on August 23, 2022, and most recently updated on January 21, 2o25.

The future ofStar Wars movies is always in an uncertain level of motion, but one of the most mysterious projects among themany mysterious projects Lucasfilm has cooking at the moment might have just taken a major step forward. The Hollywood Reporter reportsand io9 has confirmedthat Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levys mysteryStar Wars film is currently in negotiations with Ryan Gosling for a major starring role. Little else is known about Levys project, which was first unveiled in 2022one of just a handful of recently announced Star Wars theatrical projects that has managed to make it through the last few years of scrapping and reshuffling largely unscathed so far. The filmwhich Levy last gave an update on in 2023, saying that plans for a script had been waylaid by the then-current Hollywood strikeshas not been given any specific setting within the Star Wars timeline, but the Hollywood Reporter further added that the film is indeed a standalone entity, and unconnected to the broad narrative of the main series of Skywalker Saga films, which would fit into what weve heard about Lucasfilms most recent movie slate plans, aligning around a new saga of three films currently being planned by producer and writer Simon Kinberg. THR further adds that should Gosling sign on to appear in the film, Lucasfilms planned slate after release of the firstStar Wars theatrical project since 2019, next yearsThe Mandalorian & Grogu, could shift once more. Levy had previously planned on directing other projects before focusing on the galaxy far, far away, including an upcoming boy band film at Paramount that would reunite him with hisDeadpool & Wolverine colleagues Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. However, should talks with Gosling go well, theStar Wars project will become Levys next filmand the next Star Wars film in Lucasfilms vast slate to actually enter production, with production potentially starting this coming fall. Well bring you more on LevysStar Wars movie, and other future Lucasfilm developments, as and when we learn them. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

By Thomas Maxwell Published January 21, 2025 | Comments (4) | Stripe accidentally sent a picture of a duck to employees being laid off. Jyoti Mann/Business Insider Stripe is laying off approximately 300 people this week, and the payment technology company seems to have made a royal gaffe in executing the firings. Business Insider reports that employees affected by layoffs received a PDF image of a duck in their emails, as well as a termination date that was not correct. A spokesperson for Stripe confirmed the flub to Business Insider and said a follow-up email corrected the error. Stripe says it still plans to grow its headcount this year to reach 10,000. On Blind, a discussion board where employees of the tech industry can speak anonymously, Stripe staffers joked somebody should quickly make a custom duck emoji in the companys Slack. The tech industry has undergone unprecedented layoffs in recent years after nearly two decades of growth, and the mass firingsnecessitated by extreme over-hiring during the pandemichave not always been implemented smoothly. One common occurrence is employees waking up to find their work devices simply will not turn on, or they arrive at the office and try to badge in, only to see their access key does not work. Incorrect information is sometimes delivered to impacted employees, or layoff emails are sent to work accounts just as employees are cut off from accessing them. Better.coms CEO received intense heat and took a leave of absence after he laid off 900 people over Zoom, a call during which he accused the affected employees of stealing by not working hard enough. The CEO of PagerDuty quoted Martin Luther King Jr. in her email laying off staff.Overall, the power has shifted back from tech workers to employers since a string of mass layoffs began in late 2022. No longer can employees protest their companies signing up contracts with the Pentagon, or fight for DEI and other initiatives. For all but the very best, the job market in tech is not that great anymore, and the leaderships disregard for employees concerns is evident. Stripe CEO Patrick Collison took tremendous heat in late 2024 over a post he shared on X of him on a run in Tel Aviv, saying it was great to be back. Ireland, where Collison is from and Stripe maintains offices, has been a vocal critic of Israel throughout its war on Gaza. His company remains strong, with Stripe garnering a valuation reportedly over $70 billion.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Matthew Gault Published January 21, 2025 By AJ Dellinger Published December 26, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published December 21, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published November 14, 2024 Earther Exxon Pays Off Shareholders, Lays Off Workers By Brian Kahn Published October 29, 2020 EartherClimate Change Exxon Is Reportedly Eyeing Layoffs By Brian Kahn Published September 1, 2020

Peace Residence / Quinzhee ArchitectureSave this picture! Adrien WilliamsApartmentsLac-Beauport, CanadaArchitects: Quinzhee ArchitectureAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:48 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Adrien WilliamsManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: Dastex, De Bois Blouin, Isothermic, Lunos Canada, Morso, Protech, Rochon, Tuile 3R More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Peace is a rustic retreat located on a wooded and sloping terrain near the summit of Le Maelstrm Mountain in Lac-Beauport. Serving as both the starting and ending point for several hiking trails developed directly on the vast site, it is the ideal refuge for outdoor enthusiasts.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The project revolves around the meeting of two volumes with complementary functions. The first, a metal volume clad in eastern townshipper tiles, rises over three levels to house the interior spaces, along with a rooftop terrace with a spa. Its profile adapts to the site's natural slope, forming a parallelogram shape that, with its generous parapets, shields the spa from wind and prying eyes.Save this picture!Save this picture!The second volume, a large wooden bleacher covered in open-jointed cedar slats, emerges from the ground and extends southeastward like an observatory, offering panoramic views of the mountainous landscape and the distant river. This giant stair set not only provides access to the various levels of the metal volume but also casts shade over the interior spaces while offering numerous gathering, exercise, and contemplation areas for visitors.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Upon arrival, one first passes beneath the wooden volume to enter the rustic retreat or access the bleachers and forest trails. On the ground floor, the more intimate spaces of the bedrooms are separated by the bathroom. The ceiling's open-jointed cedar covering extends visually, creating a seamless connection between the interior and the exterior. On the upper floor, the living spaces are accessible from the inside via a ladder and from the outside via the stairs of the bleachers. Enveloping the metal volume, the wooden structure reveals, on one side, a balcony offering magnificent, unobstructed views, and on the other, the bleachers overlooking the dense forest.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Lac-Beauport, CanadaLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officePublished on January 21, 2025Cite: "Peace Residence / Quinzhee Architecture" 21 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025872/peace-residence-quinzhee-architecture&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Oysters have long been considered an aphrodisiac. Now, the mollusk might be tapped to fight infectious diseases.A study shows that proteins in the blood, or hemolymph, of a Sydney Rock Oyster not only kills bacteria but boosts some antibiotics efficacies against several resistant strains, according to a study in PLOS ONE.The finding is important because, although antibiotics have helped people fight infectious diseases since the early 20th century, their misuse has created strains of bacteria resistant to existing treatments. Antimicrobial resistance could cause 40 million deaths by 2050.Oyster Blood Could Kill BacteriaIt makes sense to look to the natural world for a solution. And oysters, are, believe it or not, a logical place to start.Most organisms have natural defense mechanisms to protect themselves against infection, Kirsten Benkendorff, a researcher at Southern Cross University, Australia, and an author of the study, said in a press release. Oysters are constantly filtering bacteria from the water, so they are a good place to look for potential antibiotics.The researchers extracted the oyster blood, then added it to both solutions and biofilms that contained harmful bacteria. Testing the extract in biofilms was especially important, because bacteria sometimes armor themselves against antibiotics by cloaking themselves in a sticky matrix composed of microorganisms.Protein PowerThe hemolymph appeared to kill pathogens in both environments. While the researchers arent exactly sure how, they have some clues about oyster blood's bacteria-fighting mechanisms. The hemolymph contains a mixture of proteins with known antimicrobial properties, Benkendorff said. These may act to directly kill the bacteria, as well as preventing them from attaching to the cell surface.They also tested the extract as a booster of four antibiotics (ampicillin, gentamicin, trimethoprim, and ciprofloxacin) against several clinically relevant bacteria. Adding the extract improved efficacy from 2 to 32-fold, depending on the antibiotic and target.The work builds on the groups earlier research that demonstrated how a protein fraction in the same kind of oyster can inhibit Streptococcus pneumoniae, which causes infections like pneumonia and tonsilitis. Developing Safe Antibiotics Takes TimeThe researchers also tested the proteins on human lung cells. The results showed that they were not toxic, which opens the door to potential human use. Turning oyster protein into a safe, effective antibiotic may take time. Until then, people may consider tapping into the organisms properties both for a libido lift and an immune system boost the old-fashioned way.Slurping oysters could help keep the respiratory bugs away, Benkendorff said. Oysters contain zinc, which boosts the immune system, and they have really good polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamins that also help modulate immunity."Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Before joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.

The Super Bowl is coming up, which means people are rushing to upgrade their home theaters before kickoff. Right now, Walmart has the Samsung HW-Q6CC on-sale for just $199. This isnt an entry-level systemit retails for $379, but its from a previous model year. Samsungs Q-series includes its best soundbars including the incredible Q990D As a result, Walmart is clearing shelf space for any new models that debuted back at CES 2025. That means you can score a great system for an entry-level price. SAMSUNG Q-series 3.1ch. Dolby ATMOS Soundbar with Q-Symphony HW-Q6CC $199 (was $379)SamsungSee ItThis system comes with far more bells and whistles than youd expect for $200 if you were paying retail. Its a 3.1 system, which means it comes with a stand-alone wireless subwoofer to add bass. Dolby Atmos compatibility allows this setup to create a surprisingly convincing surround sound effect. It even boasts a lite version of Samsungs Adaptive Sound tech, which automatically adjusts to the content on-screen and provides the perfect settings. Built-in Bluetooth allows it to operate as a music system and game mode cuts lag substantially to maximize game play. Plus, if you have a Samsung TV, this soundbar enables the Q Symphony feature, which enables the TV speakers to operate as part of the overally sound system. SAMSUNG B-Series 4.1.CH Soundbar & Rear Speakers with Subwoofer $199 (was $239)JBL CINEMA SB550 3.1 Channel Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer $149 (was $199)JBL CINEMA SB580 3.1 Channel Soundbar with Virtual Dolby Atmos and Wireless Subwoofer $199 (was $249)SAMSUNG Q-series 11.1.4 ch. Wireless Dolby ATMOS Soundbar + Rear Speakers with Q-Symphony HW-Q990D $959 (was $1,979)SAMSUNG Ultra-slim 3.1ch. Wireless Dolby ATMOS Soundbar with Q-Symphony HW-S700D $397 (was $499)JBL Bar 5.1 Surround Sound Bluetooth Soundbar with 10 Wireless Subwoofer $429 (was $599)LG 3.1 Bluetooth Sound Bar with Dolby Audio S60T $196 (was $249)The post Go grab this Q-series Samsung soundbar with Dolby Atmos for just $199 right now appeared first on Popular Science.