Meta begins testing ads on Threads, aiming to monetize its X competitor launched in 2023.The ad rollout comes amid TikTok's challenges and advertisers' concerns with X.Meta reassures advertisers with brand safety measures and AI tools for ad placement.Meta announced Friday that it's beginning to test ads on Threads. This marks the company's first attempt to generate revenue from its X/Twitter competitor since launching the platform in 2023.The initial test will roll out to a small group of users in the US and Japan, where ads will appear as image posts within users' feeds. Advertisers can extend their existing Meta campaigns to Threads by simply checking a box, Meta's blog post said."We'll closely monitor this test before scaling it more broadly, with the goal of getting ads on Threads to a place where they are as interesting as organic content," Adam Mosseri, who heads Instagram and Threads, posted on the platform.Threads is now used by 300 million active users each month, according to Meta, and three out of four Threads users follow at least one business account, the company said.The timing of the ad rollout appears strategic, as the social media landscape faces upheaval. Meta's push into Threads advertising follows recent turmoil at TikTok, which faces potential restrictions in the US, and continued advertiser wariness around X under Elon Musk's ownership.Meta executives have spent recent weeks reassuring advertisers about the company's decision to relax content moderation policies and end its third-party fact-checking program.At the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, Meta's head of global business, Nicola Mendelsohn, told Business Insider that the company's brand safety commitments would remain unchanged despite the shift toward what CEO Mark Zuckerberg called a return to "free expression.""As with most things Meta does in the marketplace, timing is everything," Ted Harrison, former Head of Production at Twitter/X and founder of Neuemotion, told BI."Meta may have investments in a plethora of other areas, but this move at the moment is a clear capitalization for their core business on the signals audiences and advertisers are sending on wanting to find a home off of X."Meta said that it is implementing brand safety measures to attract advertisers who may be hesitant about platform content. One of the company's brand safety measures includes AI-powered tools that let advertisers control what content their ads appear next to. Meta said it will expand third-party advertising verification tools and language support in the coming months as it gradually scales up the advertising program based on initial test results."One of the greatest benefits that Meta has over any stand-alone platform with similar content and ad units is that advertisers can programmatically place their ads across Meta's entire ecosystem based on real-time efficiency," Jack Johnston, senior social innovation director at Tinuiti, a digital marketing firm, told BI. "When Meta first rolled out Reels, that is how most advertisers purchased inventory so they could ease into the placement."However, Meta executives have tempered revenue expectations in the past.During the company's third-quarter 2024 earnings call, Susan Li, its chief financial officer, told analysts that while the company was "pleased" with Threads' growth, it didn't "expect Threads to be a meaningful driver of 2025 revenue."Baruch Labunski, founder and CEO of digital marketing agency Rank Secure, told BI that "making great ads" would be a key differentiator for Threads from X."The user base on Threads has grown considerably, partially from those fleeing X after the Musk takeover," Labunski said. "It must focus on making great ads to compete."Do you work at Meta? Contact this reporter from a nonwork email and device at pdixit@insider.com or pranavdixit@protonmail.com. You can also reach him securely via Signal at . Your identity will be protected.

Starbucks' new CEO, Brian Niccol, made nearly $100 million in his first four months running the company.His total compensation between taking the gig in September and the end of 2024 was $95,801,676.The pay was mostly in stock awards but also included a $5 million bonus after one month on the job.Starbucks' new CEO, Brian Niccol, made almost $100 million in his first four months at the company, a new filing shows.Niccol's executive compensation package for 2024, valued at $95,801,676, encompasses the total pay he earned between taking the gig on September 9 and the end of the year. While the compensation was mostly in stock awards his base salary is $61,538, before his award of $90,291,772 worth of stocks his pay package also included a $5 million sign-on bonus after completing his first month on the job.The package also included $418,071 in additional compensation, which the filing indicates includes $143,567 of temporary housing expenses as Niccol was not required to relocate from his home in Southern California to the company's headquarters in Seattle, and instead supercommutes using Starbucks' company jet.Niccols' commute costs the company an additional $72,398 of expenses "related to his use of Starbucks aircraft for travel between his city of primary residence and Starbucks headquarters" and $19,367 "related to his other personal use of Company aircraft," the filing notes."Mr. Niccol's aircraft expenses represent the aggregate incremental cost incurred by the Company to operate the aircraft for such use, including fuel costs, flight crew travel expenses, in-flight catering, landing fees, communication expenses, and other trip-related variable costs, and do not include fixed costs that would be incurred regardless of whether there was any non-business use of the aircraft, such as aircraft purchase costs, pilot and crew salaries, insurance costs, and maintenance," the filing reads. "For trips that involve mixed non-business and business usage, we include the incremental cost of any non-business usage (i.e., the excess of the cost of the actual trip over the cost of a hypothetical trip without the non-business usage)."Starbucks also footed the bill for $6,303 in COBRA insurance reimbursements, $48,671 in reimbursements in legal fees related to negotiations over the terms of his employment, and $127,765 worth of physical protection security expenses."Personal driver services were provided to Mr. Niccol at no incremental cost and is fulfilled by Starbucks salaried partners as part of his executive protection support," the filing reads.

The Logoff is a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.Welcome to The Logoff the newsletter that gives you the Trump news you need so that you can log off and get back to the rest of your life. A quick request: If youve found this newsletter useful this week, please forward it to a friend and tell them to sign up it really helps us out.President Donald Trump made headlines today with a threat to do something he cant accomplish on his own: attaching conditions to disaster aid for California. Well see if Congress goes along. Instead, I want to focus on an area where he does have power: deportations.Mass deportations were one of Trumps most controversial promises. Now, the Trump administration is claiming they have begun, touting deportation flights on military aircraft and ICEs arrest of more than 500 people on Thursday. But deportation flights went out all the time under the Biden administration all thats new here is the use of military aircraft. And 500 arrests are, essentially, a normal day for ICE, at or below their daily average during the final year of the Biden administration.So why am I hearing about this now? A hallmark of the first Trump administration was the president taking something that was already happening and claiming it was the result of his revolutionary leadership. That seems to be whats happening here.So were mass deportations an empty threat? No they just arent happening instantly. Throughout the campaign, experts cautioned that deportations on the scale Trump was promising and his team wants to deliver would require massive spending on ICE agents and detention facilities. Republicans in Congress are promising to deliver those resources. But none of that means they can do it right away.What has changed already? Many things, including a Trump executive order that gives federal immigration agents the authority to raid schools, churches, and other sensitive locations. It remains to be seen how often theyll use it. (ICE is denying a report of agents attempting to enter a Chicago public school, and its not clear yet what happened.)And with that, its time to log off ...I finished todays edition and started to doomscroll immediately but numbly reading social media doesnt change the future and it doesnt make me happy. So I was grateful when I remembered this good Vox piece about the mental and physical health benefits of a short walk. I hope you find it useful too. See you back here on Monday.Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

Activision's shooter duo are prepping for another big update, with Call of Duty Black Ops 6 finally getting the fan-favourite 'Gun Game' mode but there's plenty more, tooTech21:13, 24 Jan 2025Black Ops 6 and Warzone are getting new content next week(Image: Call of Duty)Call of Duty Warzone players are getting less content in Season 2 as Activision continues to target cheaters and bug fixes, but there's still plenty to look forward to with Black Ops 6 and Warzone's second season of post-launch content.Season 2 will bring new modes, weapons, Operators and a fresh new Zombies map, meaning that while Warzone might end up being a little lighter in terms of updates, if you've been playing Black Ops 6 you're in for a feast.Here's everything revealed so far, and as a reminder, the update is free for all players when it launches on January 28.Finally, Gun Game is back(Image: Call of Duty)This year's annual instalment is getting three new maps (Bounty, Dealership, and Lifeline) when the update launches, as well as two additional ones during the season (Bullet and Grind).There's a new War Machine scorestreak and perks coming, too, but the big addition is in the Modes. Not only are Overdrive, a Gunfight variant called 'Third Wheel' and a, uh, 'Couples Dance Off' coming, but players can also play Gun Game.Season 2's quality-of-life improvements could tee up a Verdansk return nicely(Image: Call of Duty)For those that aren't aware, Gun Game sees everyone start with the same weapon, and each kill sees you move up to a new one. It's been a core part of Call of Duty for years, and we're thrilled to see it make its return here.Elsewhere, we already knew we'd get a new Zombies map called The Tomb, but we'll also get new perks, weapons and gobblegums, too.Expect plenty more skins in the store(Image: Call of Duty)As for Warzone, it'll get the same weapons and Operators, while new Reactive Armor and Low Profile perks are coming, too. Other than that, though, the team is working to make the game better before layering more content on top.Article continues belowDon't be too sad, Warzone fans. Earlier this month we heard that Activision was planning to bring back Verdansk (the original Warzone map) with Warzone Season 3.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.RECOMMENDED

GTA 6's next trailer could arrive next week, but in the meantime there's a wild parody that's gearing up for a Steam release in just a few months called Grand Taking AgesTech21:05, 24 Jan 2025Could we hear more this month?(Image: Still)The GTA 6 community is hanging on Rockstar Games' every social media post, but after more than a year there's no sign of a second trailer but that could change this month as we covered earlier this week.With the game tipped to 'save' the video game industry unless returning president Donald Trump proposes changes, there's one project hoping to fill the void.The cheekily titled 'Grand Taking Ages' has already been met with its fair share of controversy, but it's targeting a July 2025 release on Steam so we're likely to be playing much sooner than we are GTA 6.Content cannot be displayed without consentGrand Taking Ages 6's developers bill it as "the most anticipated game about making the most anticipated game", but it's less about roaming the streets and committing crimes as its inspiration and more about you "juggling angry fans, corporate chaos, and endless delays".The game was previously removed from the PlayStation Store, seemingly for using AI images that ape the iconic loading screen art of the GTA series, but like one of Rockstar's protagonists walking out of the hospital good as new, it's coming to Steam.The developers lopped the 'VI' in numerals off the end, and the developers seem convinced Valve's platform will let them stay longer.We approached Steam differently by engaging with their team about the concept of our game before officially submitting it, a representative told IGN.Considering the studio invented a few press accolades from a "parallel universe where the game is already out", we can maybe see why Sony wasn't entirely sure about letting it launch on PlayStation.Will it give fans something to take their minds off of the real deal? Rockstar's project is likely to be a big focus when parent company Take-Two holds its earnings call at the start of February, but maybe this will help fans find the fun in the developer's silence or just stop them coming up with fresh theories.Article continues belowIn recent months these have included everything from plotting the phases of the moon in GTA Online, as well as a PlayStation event that didn't materialise, analysing social media posts and a mystery YouTube playlist.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.RECOMMENDED

The filmmaker is known for 2022 horror hit Barbarian.

Section 31 had a lot stacked up against itnot just as Star Treks first streaming movie, but one controversially centered around one of the franchises most divisive conceptseven before reviews this week largely slammed the film. But now that the film is out, we can take a look at just where the film falls flat and where the flickers of potential lie that made its failures all the more frustrating. We Liked The Chemistry of the Cast Regardless of how you ultimately feel about the toneSection 31 goes forwhich definitely leans hard into trying to be cool and cynically jokey a lot of the timeand perhaps even regardless of how threadbare most of the primary cast is treated by Section 31s script,Section 31 has a genuinely compelling cast trying to do the best with what they get. Even though almost half of them get unceremoniously bumped off throughout the film leaving little time to flesh them out (justice forStar Wars Outlaws Humberly Gonzalez as Melle the Deltan femme fatale, who gets to be a bit more fatale than she bargained for when shes disintegrated about five minutes in), what little of Section 31s character moments actually works leans heavily on great performances more than anything else. The (Rare) Moments It Actually Engaged With Star Trek Paramount For as much as the broad swath of the movie barely even acknowledges its set in the universe of Star Trek, two members ofSection 31s crew do at least give the film a flicker of potential, and a glimpse of what couldve been a more thoughtful Trekmovie. The first is Kacey Rohls Rachel Garrett, here a young Starfleet lieutenant years before she eventually ascends to the rank of captain to helm the Enterprise-C as seen inTNGs Yesterdays Enterprise. Putting aside the peculiarity of having an official Starfleet minder on the team for a black ops organization that is meant to be actively disavowed to even exist by the Federation, once the film gets over treating Garrett as a potential stick-in-the-mud getting in the way of letting everyone else do cool action stuff and letting her be treated as an equal, theres a glimmer of getting to see what actually drives her as an officer that will eventually lead the Federations flagship. The other glimmer is Omari Hardwicks Alok, the leader of the team who quietly confesses to Georgiou at one point that like she, he is a man out of time: a displaced veteran of the Eugenics Wars that ravaged humanity in Treks 20th century that was forcibly transformed into an Augment before being put on ice and awoken centuries later. Alok is the exact kind of character that has a ton of potential in a story about Section 31: a man fighting for a utopia he believes in, having endured terrors that paved the way for it, but forced to do so from the shadows in an ethically compromised position because that same utopia hates what he represents. Alas,Section 31 acknowledges this backstory for a single scene and then forgets about it.The Fabulous Stylings of Michelle Yeoh Is this one an excuse to make a great gowns, beautiful gowns joke? Kind of. But as far asTrek-y sci-fashion goes, Yeoh does get some genuinely incredible looks throughout the film, whether its the high glam aesthetic she adopts as the persona of the proprietress of Baraam station, all high heels and glittering dresses, or her high-shouldered, all-black look once shes back on board with Section 31. Theres some great costuming across the board that feels like it embraces Star Treks weird and wonderful fashion sensibilities beyond the Starfleet aesthetic, but Yeoh definitely gets to sashay and stay here. We Didnt Like The Complete Lack of Engagement With What Section 31 Is Paramount From the minute it was announced, making a project centered aroundSection 31 was an incredibly risky, and intriguing, endeavor for Star Trek as a franchise. Since the group was introduced in Deep Space Nine, what it means forStar Treks utopian vision has always been challenging. If a project potentially glamorizes what is essentially Starfleets own super secret warcrimes division, then you completely miss the point about what people have been interested in with Section 31 (or hated it for) for almost 30 years. But then a project that really grapples with the aberration of Section 31s existence, and how people inside and outside the organization view it, runs the risk of making a film about deeply, unsympathetically unpleasant people, which is then much harder to make a fun action film out of.Section 31 fails to rise to the challenge of its premise in the least interesting way imaginable: it just doesnt ever think about Section 31 at all. For the little dramatic weight the movie puts into the people its protagonists are working for, they might as well just be generic Starfleet officers on a mission beyond Federation borders (something Star Trek does all the time!), there is never any pushback on the fact that Section 31 is any different from the rest of Starfleet, and the film just feels all the more hollow for it. Even bad Star Trek at least tries to engage with a sense of curiosity, even if it falters in the execution along the way.Section 31just doesnt try at all. Or the WiderStar Trek Universe in General WhileSection 31 not grappling with the titular organization itself might fall into judging the movie for what it is not rather than what it is, its fundamental failure beyond that is that, for most of the time, the movie feels like it could be any humdrum sci-fi action filmrather than anything that is particularly interested in playing with the world of potential it finds itself in, being set in Star Trek. Theres terminology thrown about here and there of course, and part of the joy ofStar Trek is that it should constantly push itself to try and do new things, butSection 31 doesnt feel like that: it just feels like it couldnt care about beingStar Trek either way. Its absurd that this is the first live-actionTrek material to explore the time period between the originalTrek movies andTNG, the so-called Lost Era, and yet does nothing with it than giving a character the name of Rachel Garrett. Its absurd that the Mirror Universe plays a crucial part of the narrative thrust of the film, yet muddies that conflict between what the Mirror Universe is in contrast to the prime reality in a nonsensical Macguffin-driven plot around a nebulously apocalyptic doomsday device. Even small aesthetic details that couldve nestled the film in the visual language of Star Trek design are largely wasted hereeither in Discoverys re-imagining of classic Trek design hallmarks or even something more akin to Strange New Worlds retro-new approach. Section 31 is just so uninterested in exploring anything about itself in depth that its this sense that makes it feel less unlikeStar Trek than anything new it does for the franchise.The Incoherent Action Paramount Section 31 sacrifices so much in the name of just being an action movie, then manages to biff that too. Not only is it actually kind of action lighteach divided act of the film basically has one setpiece in itwhat action is there is muddily conveyed, either through restrictive edits that make them difficult to track or peculiar execution. Case in point, the first big brawl of the film, in which Georgiou battles a mysterious masked assassin who steals the dangerous device Section 31 wanted to acquire on Baraam station, has an incredibly fun idea: both the assailant and Georgiou use technology to phase themselves out of sync with reality, so they are either protected from harm or can pass through people and objects freely. A fight in which the combatants are swapping between being in and out of phase as they battle both each other and the crowded environment around themshould be a cool idea, butSection 31 not only shoots and edits it messily enough to make the flow incoherent, it also shows the phased effect by essentially putting a blurry filter over the person thats currently out of phase so you have one of the most beloved action stars of her generation in Michelle Yeoh, and youcant actually see her fighting all that well. Thats just kind of emblematic of all the action in the movie: any potentially cool idea, like pitting a garbage scow against a heavily armed ship, or a hovering mine-cart chase, gets undercut in boring, messy execution.Fuzzs Whole Deal Star Trek loves a lot of things, but two things it loves almost more than anything else are big new ideas, and cool little freaks. Fuzz, Sven Ryurgoks bizarro characteran android Vulcan body with a questionable accent choice piloted by a micro-scaled, foul-mouthed upstart little alien flying around in a tiny bug shipshould be the embodiment of this, but he is both simultaneously too weird for the film to just glaze over exploring like it does the rest of the characters, and yet also subject to its dullest takes on spy-fi tropes. Pretty early on in the films second act it gets established that theres a mole among the team, only for Fuzz to be exposed as said mole almost immediatelya blessing if only because the film otherwise manages to throw out a dozen ham-fisted telegraphs that of all the potential candidates for the mole, the guy who repeatedly highlights how he can hide anywhere and be inside anything as he flies his tiny bugship around is the most obvious one. And even if he seemingly gets whats coming to him by the end of the film, Section 31 almost immediately undoes it in its last moments by bringing his Vulcan persona back, only for it to be piloted by Fuzzs estranged wife. Its doing simultaneously too much and not enough. The Rut It Puts Georgiou In Paramount YeohsDiscovery character at least gets the bulk of the character work inSection 31, but actually getting the time every other character in the film is sacrificed for doesnt exactly mean that its spentwell. The Philippa Georgiou we meet in Section 31 feels barely in sync with the character we left behind inDiscoverys third season, one who had been given the time to, controversially or otherwise for the former evil tyrant of the Cartoonishly Evil Alternate Universe, grow and develop as a person and at least come to terms with having changed beyond being the tyrant she once was.InSection 31, not only is Georgiou thrust back into the same premise she was put into after she first left the Mirror Universe at the end ofDiscoverys first season, running a dubiously above-board bar, her relationship with both her past (represented here in James Hiroyuki Liaos antagonist, San, a former lover from the grim competition that made Georgiou the Terran Empires leader) and to Section 31 is completely filed away. Some of that might be necessary for people who paradoxically didnt want to watch that butdo want to watch this movie about aDiscovery character, butSection 31 basically junks it all out of the metaphorical airlock, meaning that it just has nothing interesting or new to actually say about Georgious character. Its not only a disappointing climax to her arc across nearly four years of TV, its a waste of the one thingSection 31 actually spends any decent amount of time on. The Pacing Section 31 started out life as a TV series when it was first announced, and you can feel the bones of a season of television still somewhere in its final form as a moviewhether thats the clunky way the film is sliced into three sections punctuated by on-screen title cards, or in the broader sense that the film is racing through what couldve been multiple episodes of premise in a show. Its constantly stopping and starting as the breaks are slammed for a dump of exposition, only for things to quicken up again for a jolt of unsatisfying action, and as previously mentioned, the film is so utterly uninterested in exploring any of its potential ideas outside of the moment theyre first invoked leads to a bizarre sensation where its simultaneously overstuffed and empty. That Unhinged Final Cameo Paramount Section 31 saves a baffling choice for last in its epilogue, which catches up the surviving members of the team on Baraam station after the days been saved. There, Alok makes a formal offer to Georgiou for her to rejoin Section 31, and they open up a comlink to receive their new mission from the groups handler, Controlnow no longer the evil AI from Discovery season two, thankfully, but an actual person played by Jamie Lee Curtis with a chunk of her face covered up by a tech-greebled plate. Its such a weird cameo, not because of who Curtis is playing, but because it comes completely out of nowherethe identity of Control was not a mystery at any point in this moviebut because its played almost exactly as Oh my god, its this person you know! instead of it being about the character or having a tangible impact. Star Trek is no stranger to stunt casting (see, arguably, Yeoh herself in Discovery, telegraphing her captains death from a mile off before the show premiered), but rarely does it lean on the stunt aspect in totality. Its a very bizarre moment to end what is ultimately a very bizarre movie. 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.

For adults of a certain age, dental implant advertisements appear ubiquitous. But the price at potentially thousands of dollars per tooth might, for many people be a case of financially biting off more than they can chew.What if, instead, they could regrow their pearly whites, perhaps at a fraction of the cost?Approaches that replace rather than patch up teeth with crowns or fillings may be closer than you think. Scientists have been exploring multiple methods in the past few decades including RNA-based medicines, stem cell therapy, and mineral regeneration.Putting RNA Where Your Mouth IsThe idea of regrowing teeth is not so far-fetched, because humans once had the ability to grow a third set. Katsu Takahashi, a researcher in Osaka, is leading a team to do just that.Their premise is based on the notion that humans still possess the buds necessary to grow that long-lost third set. The problem is a pesky molecule named USAG-1 keeps getting in the way. That molecule quashes growth and seems intent on controlling how many teeth adults have in their mouth.In 2023, Takahashis research group announced that it had developed a medicine to turn that molecule off. The approach involves using RNA to administer antibodies against USAG-1.The team has already shown that the medicine works in animals. It is now being tested on humans. If those clinical trials find the medicine to be both safe and effective, it could be widely available as early as 2030. Read More: Why You Should Be Thankful for Your TeethTapping Stem CellsStem cells seem like a promising approach, because they are pluripotent meaning a more generic progenitor cell can produce more specific offspring. The trick is controlling what kind and how many of the right kind of offspring can be coached from a stem cell parent.A team from the University of Washington School of Dentistry in 2023 demonstrated proof of principal in the lab. They created organoids from stem cells that secrete the proteins that then form enamel.It might be possible to patch up teeth with this approach. The team envisions using it as a living filling that would essentially regrow space formed by a cavity.Mining MineralsA similar approach leans on repairing enamel but by growing minerals rather than living cells. In 2019, a team demonstrated this was possible, by chemically producing a gel containing calcium phosphate a key component of enamel.After creating the concoction, scientists from the Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China applied it to damaged tooth samples. The gel formed a three-micrometre-thick layer of enamel, according to the group.Although none of these approaches are yet commercially available at your local dentist, their potential to fix or regrow damaged teeth should give people something to smile about.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:Current Opinion in Cell Biology. Regrowing a tooth: in vitro and in vivo approaches Journal of Oral Biosciences. Development of a new antibody drug to treat congenital tooth agenesisDentistry. Scientists develop tooth gel that repairs enamelBefore 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.

Recurring dreams may feature taking a test the dreamer didnt study for, having to make a speech or being attacked. Here's why our sleeping brain comes back to these unpleasant dreams again and again

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