Facepalm: UnitedHealth Group has confirmed that the ransomware attack on its subsidiary Change Healthcare last February impacted approximately 190 million individuals across the United States. This staggering figure is nearly double the previous estimate of 100 million people affected. The stolen data trove contains a wide range of personal and medical information. The healthcare giant revealed the latest numbers in an email to TechCrunch on Friday evening."Change Healthcare has determined the estimated total number of individuals impacted by the Change Healthcare cyberattack is approximately 190 million," said Tyler Mason, a spokesperson for UnitedHealth Group. He added that the vast majority have already received individual notification or substitute notice about the breach.Despite the sheer scale of the compromised personal data, UnitedHealth maintains there is no evidence of any misuse of individuals' information resulting from the incident so far. The company also claims it has not discovered any of the stolen electronic medical record databases appearing online during its analysis.The massive data breach, which occurred in February 2024, is now regarded as the largest healthcare-related cyberattack in US history. It caused widespread disruptions and outages across the nation's healthcare system for several months. The enormity eclipses the previous healthcare data breach record holder from 2015 involving Anthem Inc., which impacted around 78.8 million individuals.Change Healthcare, acquired by UnitedHealth in 2022, is one of the largest processors of medical claims and handlers of sensitive health data in the country. The stolen patient data includes names, dates of birth, contact details, government ID numbers such as Social Security numbers, medical diagnoses, test results, treatment plans, insurance information, and even financial data.Investigators have attributed the attack to the notorious Russian cybercrime group ALPHV, also known as BlackCat. The hackers gained initial access using a stolen account credential that lacked multi-factor authentication security, according to UnitedHealth. // Related StoriesThe ALPHV gang then deployed its powerful ransomware, encrypting Change Healthcare's data until ransoms were paid to prevent the information from being published online. However, even with the ransom being paid, some of the stolen data still ended up being leaked on the internet by the hackers.The financial fallout has been severe. Profits for the company dropped by over a third in 2024, falling from around $22.3 billion in 2023 to approximately $14.4 billion last year. The projected total cost of recovery and remediation efforts is estimated to be between $2.3 billion and $2.5 billion.Following the breach, the Office for Civil Rights within the US Department of Health and Human Services recommended that healthcare providers enhance security measures. This includes implementing multi-factor authentication, encrypting patient data, and conducting regular compliance checks to identify potential vulnerabilities.The incident further illustrates how the healthcare sector remains the primary target for bad actors.

Its no secret that Apples entry into the AR/VR segment didnt quite stir the product revolution that the company may have expected. A cumbersome build married to a sky-high asking price for the Vision Pro headset were some of the key woes, but the company has not given up on its dreams.On the contrary, Apple might even expand into the wearable category beyond the domains of XR itself. According to Bloomberg, the company is working on multiple ideas for smart glasses, both with advanced AR optics and those without a sophisticated display unit.Recommended VideosApple is already working on a version of visionOS the Vision Pros software that will run on glasses, says the report, which comes courtesy of Mark Gurmans PowerOn newsletter. The outlet recently reported on an internal program called Atlas that entailed collecting feedback from employees about the market and potential for smart glasses. The idea is to chalk out the plans for what kind of features and perks Apple should ideally offer on a pair of smart glasses.Googles AR smartglasses from Google I/O 2022 GoogleApples work on smart glasses is, once again, late to the domain. Meta has already showcased its Orion AR smart glasses concept, even though it is still a few years from a market release as the company waits for the costs to come down.Google has also confirmed that it is serious about the potential of smart glasses, with Android XR formally laying down the foundations of those plans. There are a few other players out there, such as Halliday and Even Realities, who are taking a more minimalist course for smart glasses.It, however, seems that Apple is not merely content with the premise of XR glasses. The company has apparently paid close attention to the smash hit that was the Meta Stories smart glasses, developed in partnership with Ray-Ban.Its also exploring other types of wearable products, including a rival to Metas Ray-Ban spectacles and even camera-equipped AirPods, adds the Bloomberg report.The Meta smart glasses, equipped with a pair of front-facing cameras, originally arrived as a companion device for social media sharing and serving as a companion for basic tasks like handling calls and music playback.Andy Boxall / Digital TrendsBut in the past few months, they have steadily gained new features, including integration with the Meta AI stack that opens a whole new world of interaction and capabilities for users. The company is reportedly working on a successor that will add a screen for deeper immersion in the coming years.Apple is no stranger to the whole premise. Just look at the Apple Intelligence stack powered by OpenAIs GPT ecosystem and features like Visual Intelligence that uses AI to make sense of the world in the view of a persons eyes, and camera sensors aboard a face-worn device like headsets or smart glasses.However, it is unclear how long it is going to take for Apple to put a pair of smart glasses with or without XR chops on the shelves. But given the lukewarm reception it has amassed for its first XR outing with the Vision Pro headset, the company will likely take its own sweet time perfecting its smart glasses and making sure that they stand out from the competition.Editors Recommendations

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Table of ContentsTable of ContentsTransforming the DLSS modelOne frame, two frameThe flagship dilemmaIts hard to say if the RTX 5090 or DLSS 4 won Nvidia more limelight over the past week. The RTX 5090 is undoubtedly the best graphics card you can buy, but a big part of that conversation has involved DLSS 4 and its multi-frame generation capabilities. And for good reason. DLSS 4 is remarkable, enabling gaming experiences like full path tracing in Alan Wake 2at triple-digit frame rates without breaking a sweat.Still, Im worried.DLSS 4 represents a radical change for all RTX graphics cards, from multi-frame generation for the latest RTX 50-series GPUs to a new AI model that reaches down to cards like the RTX 2060 Super. For as impressive as DLSS 4 is, however, Im concerned that the floor will fall out from under it eventually.Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming DLSS 4 is a much more significant update than you might believe. The headlining feature is DLSS Multi-Frame Generation or MFG, but this new version has tweaked every aspect of DLSS. That means that, yes, DLSS 4 will retroactively make DLSS better, even for older GPUs that dont support MFG.The big change is that Nvidia went from a convolutional neural network, or CNN, to a transformer model. Some games, such asCyberpunk 2077andAlan Wake 2,let you switch between the different models within the game. However, I suspect most games with DLSS will just stick with the transformer model moving forward. If, for some reason, you prefer the CNN, you can revert to it through the Nvidia app with its new DLSS override feature.DLSS 4 | New Multi Frame Gen & Everything EnhancedNvidia says that the new transformer model has more parameters, but more importantly, transformer models are self-referential. Instead of tracking every pixel throughout the scene, the new DLSS model can track specific pixels to improve image quality in problematic areas. Nvidia has demonstrated this capability, which you can see in the video above. There are clear improvements, but they arent universal.Cyberpunk 2077 - DLSS Transformer ModelAbove, you can see a comparison between the CNN and transformer model inCyberpunk 2077.Without labels or even with them, actually its basically impossible to tell the difference between the two images. I searched and searched, peeping at every pixel, to find some sort of clear difference between the two, and its just not there. Both look great, especially considering Im running in DLSS Performance mode, but I wouldnt say the transformer model is clearly better.Alan Wake 2 - DLSS Transformer ModelThe situation is identical inAlan Wake 2,where, once again, its basically impossible to tell the difference between the two images. Theres a slight difference in the detail on the bench, but Im struggling to attribute that to DLSS when theres some layer of water blurring the camera.But heres the thing the new transformer model doesntneedto be better, especially right now. Whats important is that its just as good as the CNN model, at minimum, and with no hit to performance. Youll see the benefits in some games and situations, but the transformer model isnt a glossy new coat of paint that covers all of DLSS. Treat it like one of Nvidias smaller DLSS updates, which have quietly made the feature better over the past several years.Cyberpunk 2077 - DLSS Transformer Model Scene 2There are some improvements here, too. Take a look at another scene fromCyberpunk 2077above. The new transformer model not only reproduces the reflections more clearly, it also deals with a ton of ghosting in the CNN model. There are these long, obvious trails behind each tail light as the cars pass the camera with the CNN model, and they completely disappear with the transformer model.This will likely improve over time. Nvidia has said that it has a supercomputer thats been improving DLSS for the past six years, and that work isnt stopping with the new transformer model. Although the benefits might not show up everywhere, theyre still a welcome addition. The transformer model is available to all RTX GPUs, and it covers not only DLSS Super Resolution but also Ray Reconstruction.OK, but I know why youre all here. Lets talk about MFG. Exclusive to RTX 50-series GPUs like the RTX 5090, DLSS 4 unlocks up to 4X frame generation one rendered frame alongside three generated ones. There are 75 confirmed games thatll support DLSS 4, though not all natively. Some will have MFG options in the graphics menu, while the rest will need a DLSS Override from the Nvidia app.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsAnd MFG is really good in DLSS 4. The chart above speaks for itself on that front. In Alan Wake 2,I went from less than 30 frames per second (fps) on the RTX 5090 to well over 200 fps. Thats an exponential increase in performance and with excellent image quality in tow. Latency isnt an issue, either. Nvidia does a wonderful job these days of limiting the latency hit with frame generation, and adding a couple of extra frames into the mix doesnt significantly increase the latency it barely moves the needle.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsThe situation is the same inCyberpunk 2077.Theres barely any additional latency with frame generation turned on, even up to 4X mode. Add DLSS Super Resolution into the mix to increase the base frame rate and reduce the total latency and youre sitting near 240 fps at 4K. The superpower of MFG is that its multiplicative; if you feed it with a higher base frame rate, youll get a larger performance boost out of it.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsYoull get the best experience out of MFG if you feed it with at least 60 fps, andMarvel Rivalsis proof of that. In this title, my base frame rate is acceptable, and latency isnt a concern. In a game like this, I dont need to resort to DLSS Super Resolution. I can just use MFG to improve the smoothness of the game with a minuscule hit to the overall system latency.The overall latency only really becomes an issue if its high to begin with; as you barrel toward 0ms, even large spikes or dips in latency only represent a few milliseconds. If you have a higher base frame rate, even a 50% jump in latency might only move you from 20ms to 30ms. With a lower base frame rate, that same jump might move you from 100ms to 150ms. Same percentage, but the experience couldnt be more different. Marvel Rivalsis a good example of this dynamic.However, it also exposes my concern with DLSS 4 moving forward, particularly when it comes to weaker GPUs in Nvidias lineup.Above, you can see a video ofCyberpunk 2077with DLSS MFG running in its 4X mode. Im not using DLSS Super Resolution here, so Im feeding the AI model with a base frame rate of just under 30 fps somewhere around 27 fps if I remember correctly. This isnt how youd want to play Cyberpunk 2077.Theres a constant motion blur over everything, along with a ton of visual artifacts.Im using the RTX 5090 here at 4K, and thankfully you dont need to settle for this experience. Flick on DLSS Super Resolution to increase your base frame rate, and youre off to the races with a smooth experience free of visual artifacts.But we cant all buy an RTX 5090, can we?Something thats important to remember about DLSS is that its at its best when its pushing the next level of visual quality; its at its worst when its making up for hardware that cant hit the mark. DLSS Super Resolution looks and performs best at 4K. At 1080p, the performance gains are smaller and the visual quality is worse. DLSS Frame Generation is spectacular if youre trying to climb into the triple digits when you already have a playable base frame rate. It falls apart with visual artifacts and unmanageable latency if you dont walk in the door with that playable frame rate. The same problems are here with MFG, and theyre magnified.Eventually, Nvidia will move onto RTX 50-series GPUs lower in its product stack. It hasnt officially revealed its budget offerings, but Id be shocked if we didnt see an RTX 5060 at some point. Its sure to be a popular GPU, likely due in no small part to DLSS 4. But will the GPU itself be powerful enough to capitalize on DLSS 4? Will MFG even be an option for players who cant get to that 60 fps mark in demanding games?Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsThe idea brings me back to the Surface Laptop Studio 2. When the laptop was announced with an RTX 4060, I wrote about how Nvidia is enabling a new tier of gaming experiences on hardware that otherwise wouldnt be suited for prestige titles like Cyberpunk 2077.You may get some visual artifacts, and you may not get perfect upscaling. But its at least possible to play these games thanks to Nvidias dedication to shortcuts on the rendering pipeline.That dynamic is thrown off when looking at MFG. It can provide what looks like a high frame rate, but without enough power to back that up, it falls apart. The video above is a clear example of that. My concern is that the bottom of DLSS 4 will fall out from under it when weaker hardware is brought into the mix. You can compromise on upscaling; you can even compromise on frame generation in titles that arent latency-sensitive. Here, with MFG, its hard to accept the compromises if you cant feed the AI with at least 60 fps.This isnt a critique of Nvidia. I dont believe a $300 graphics card or however much the RTX 5060 ends up being should match the experience of a $2,000 graphics card like the RTX 5090. However, it is an important note. Its easy to look at the benchmarks and dream up what DLSS 4 could do for budget GPUs, but Im holding my breath until those GPUs are here to see if theyre powerful enough to even take advantage of the feature.Thats something that will need to be settled once those GPUs are here, though. For now, DLSS 4 is very impressive. If you feed it with at least 60 fps, it feels like wizardry. Add on top of that a new transformer model that promises even larger image quality improvements over time, and its clear that Nvidia wants DLSS to remain at the forefront of PC gaming tech.Editors Recommendations

Apps can add flexibility and freshness to your routine. Just try not to get injured.

HealthIs 8 hours of sleep really the right amount for you? Understanding your personal chronotype could be a better way to approach how much time you should spend in bed 20 January 2025 Dong QiuWould we feel better if we slept a bit more? Possibly but it isnt guaranteed. While we know the amount of sleep the average person needs, there is a lot of variation. To get a better idea about how many hours you require and how and when to get it lets start with the basics.This article is part of special series investigating key questions about sleep. Read more here.According to the US National Sleep Foundation, a typical adult needs between 7 and 9 hours per night, although we begin life needing a lot more newborns sleep 14 to 17 hours, and this gradually decreases through childhood. Teenagers need about 9 hours a night and people over 65 tend to need around 7 to 8 hours. Sex can also be a factor. There are some studies that show women, on average, need about 20 minutes more than men do, says Veena Kumari at Brunel University of London. And there is evidence that humans, just like many animals, tend to sleep a little longer during winter, too.Of course, there are exceptions. A rare genetic trait called familial natural short sleep sees individuals habitually going to bed late and waking up early, thriving on just 4 to 6 hours. We dont know how prevalent this is, says Liza Ashbrook at the University of California San Francisco, who has identified a number of gene variants involved in the trait, but its a minority.Most of us arent that lucky, although the occasional disturbed or shortened night doesnt matter too much. We are able to get through a night with no sleep and more or less function

I'm a psychologist who drives all over Arizona to do psychological assessments.The long drives exhausted me until I got a Tesla Cybertruck, which has self-driving features.People keep flipping me off because of Elon Musk, but they don't understand how this truck helps me.I'm a psychologist who drives long distances to see patients in towns throughout Arizona. When I arrive and step out of my Tesla Cybertruck, I don't have the fatigue that typically comes with driving for hours.On the days I travel, I often have a full schedule of Social Security disability psychological assessments to conduct. It's mentally exhausting work that demands focus and compassion.I credit my Cybertruck, affectionately named Brick House, for helping me arrive for the day without feeling drained.But the general public thinks my truck is a political statement and not something that helps me.I first turned to Tesla because I needed a car with self-driving featuresMy road to driving a Cybertruck began in 2012 when I was a doctoral student commuting weekly from Phoenix to Tucson for an advanced practicum clinical training.Those drives up and down the I-10 were brutal. Sometimes, I'd have to pull over to take a quick nap to finish the drive safely, but I would still arrive home exhausted. During those drives, I often thought about my favorite childhood cartoon, "The Jetsons," and how their cars drove themselves. That was the future I dreamt of. I wanted my car to drive me.In early 2013, I heard about Tesla and its promise of Full Self-Driving. I immediately vowed not to buy another car until I had a Tesla. In 2021, I could finally lease a Tesla Model 3 Long Range with Full Self-Driving, which I affectionately named Ma'Lady.Over the next three years, Ma'Lady and I drove more than 35,000 miles, crisscrossing Arizona and conducting psychological examinations in rural towns. Ma'Lady became more than a car; it was a lifeline that kept me safe on Arizona's backroads and highways. Interestingly, I never experienced any backlash when driving the Model 3.The Cybertruck then became the right vehicle for meIn 2024, a few months after my Model 3 lease ended, I knew I wanted to purchase my next car. Since the vehicle is technically for my business, it needed to be big enough for a specific tax code. The Cybertruck was the only one that fit the bill.My long-awaited Cybertruck reservation eventually came through. But I then hesitated to upgrade to a Cybertruck due to all the controversy surrounding Tesla, the Cybertruck specifically, and Elon Musk.I already bought a different vehicle with driver assist, but it didn't compare to Tesla's Full Self-Driving. The exhaustion I felt after driving for hours in the other vehicle, seeing patients, and writing reports was extreme.A health scare landed me in the ER and reminded me how crucial it is to minimize stress. Tesla's Full Self-Driving significantly reduces the stress of driving all over Arizona. The author using her Cybertruck's Full Self-Driving feature. Courtesy of Danny Earl Mitchell I left the hospital, went to my credit union, picked up my check for the Cybertruck, drove directly to FedEx, and overnighted the check to Tesla. Two days later, I was picking up my Cybertruck.Unfortunately, the Cybertruck draws a lot of attentionThe reactions I get when driving the Cybertruck have been surprising. It's fun to see kids wave and snap pictures of my quirky-looking stainless steel ride. Most are not shy about it. Some ask if it's OK; others will walk up, pose, and take pictures or videos. Their innocent responses are truly heartwarming.What's heartbreaking, though, is how many adults respond. I've been flipped off, mean-mugged, and given many thumbs down. I've also experienced others aggressively merging in front of me and being shouted at in traffic.A close friend even refused to ride in my Cybertruck, sharing his disdain for Tesla's CEO.With the added controversies since the 2025 presidential inauguration and Musk's actions, I'm concerned that people will become more aggressive with their actions toward my Cybertruck and become physical versus just mean-mugging and flipping me off.It's like driving a Cybertruck makes me a target for adults' opinions about Musk. To be clear, I bought the truck before he became a polarizing political figure. I cannot ignore Musk's behavior, and yet, I cannot take back the money I've already spent on buying the Cybertruck.Tesla's Cybertruck keeps me safeMy Cybertruck isn't just a luxury or trying to look cool. Driving my Cybertruck is about functionality and safety. Arizona's two-lane highways, with fatigued drivers and narrow roads, can be dangerous.Tesla's Cybertruck technology keeps me centered, monitors for hazards, and reduces the mental toll of long drives.I'm not financially able to sell or trade in the truck to avoid all the troubles. It's simply not feasible. When it's time for me to purchase another vehicle, I'm sure other auto manufacturers will have a version of Full Self-Driving, and I'll be able to point my dollars toward a more affirming brand.But right now, I'm just leaning into the positives of my Cybertruck.

Over the years, my family has enjoyed stunning vistas from Washington's ferries.If you want to see a nice view of Washington, try a ferry ride. Amanda Adler When my son was younger, we used rides on Washington's ferries as sightseeing excursions.On a clear day, the ferry between Seattle and Bainbridge Island offers unmatched views of the city's skyline. Its price tag about $10 per adult, kids are free also makes it much more affordable than seeing the city on a land-based tour.On a recent visit to Olympic National Park, we took a ferry to an island with great views and access to outdoor adventures.We took a ferry out of Olympic National Park. Amanda Adler Now that my son is a tween, he loves more active adventures.While planning a recent hiking trip through Washington's Olympic Peninsula, we decided nearby Whidbey Island would be the perfect place to extend our stay and enjoy even more sightseeing and other outdoor activities. To get there from Olympic National Park, we would take a ferry that allowed us to take our rental car with us.The ferry ride from Olympic National Park to Whidbey Island only cost us $21.We drove our car onto the ferry. Amanda Adler To get from the park to Whidbey Island, we took the ferry from Port Townsend to Coupeville.I booked the ferry passage online for my three-person family and our rental car and was pleasantly surprised to see that our one-way trip was only $21.Driving onto the ferry was a smooth, well-organized process that only took a few minutes.Once parked on the ferry, we weren't confined to our car.From the deck, we were able to spot seabirds and seals. Amanda Adler Once our car was all set, we headed up to the ship's deck area. The ferry's great indoor and outdoor sightseeing options allowed us to view birds, seals, and other wildlife. We also enjoyed watching Washington's rugged landscape pass us by. The ship also had a small snack shop, where my son purchased chips and a sports drink.We had a great time once we docked, too. Whidbey Island was fun to explore. Amanda Adler After about 30 minutes, we docked at Whidbey Island, which also proved to be a great spot for sightseeing and wildlife viewing.First, we explored downtown Coupeville's cute boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants. From the town pier, we spotted even more seals swimming close to shore. At one point, we passed a printed guide showcasing whales in the region next to a bell to ring if any were spotted.After eating some fresh seafood, we drove about 30 minutes to Deception Pass State Park.While on the island, we continued to immerse ourselves in nature. Deception Pass State Park was beautiful. Amanda Adler The island's picturesque state park also offered ample wildlife viewing opportunities.At Deception Pass State Park, our one-day parking pass was only $10. My family had lots of time to explore, birdwatch, hike, paddle, and soak up the scenery.Lastly, we did a pricey whale-watching tour that paled in comparison to our affordable ferry ride. We weren't super sold on the whale-watching tour, especially since we'd seen wildlife from our cheap ferry ride. Amanda Adler Wildlife sightings on land or a ferry are never guaranteed, so I'd also booked us a $300 whale-watching tour.Our tour was on the "mainland," so we drove up the bridge on the north end of Whidbey Island to get to the boat. It took us to San Juan Islands, an archipelago known for its orca-watching opportunities.Unfortunately, we only saw one orca during our four-hour excursion.It was beautiful, but the whale's distance from us, combined with the numerous other tour boats in the area all vying for a prime viewing position, made the experience feel crowded and sort of artificial.After this tour, I realized we preferred the more natural and spontaneous feeling of encountering wildlife during our ferry ride. We actually saw more animals from the ferry than we did on the tour. Even if we hadn't, we would've still gotten to enjoy beautiful scenery as we sailed through Washington.Spotting animals in the wild can be unpredictable, so I'd rather take my chances on a laid-back, inexpensive ferry instead of pricey excursions where tourists compete for the best views.

Samsung has just unveiled its highly anticipated Galaxy S25 Series (check out our hands-on here and here), and the pre-order offers available until January 31, 2025 are revolutionary.It is now more cost-effective to opt for the premium Galaxy S25 Ultra than any other Samsung smartphone. By combining all the available benefits, you can save over $1300 in instant savings, cashback, and trade-in value on a device that originally costs $1419 (for the 512GB version).See Galaxy S25 Series at Samsung.comThe Galaxy S25 series boasts impressive upgrades including enhanced AI capabilities (within Galaxy AI), improved camera systems (on the Galaxy S25 Ultra) and more sustainable design elements. These devices are set to redefine the smartphone experience, especially thanks to artificial intelligence. Remember one thing: Samsungs Galaxy S25 pre-order deals are the most generous and enticing weve ever seen for a smartphone launch.Heres a comprehensive breakdown of the exceptional pre-order advantages.$900 Trade-In OfferSamsungs strategic trade-in program for the Galaxy S25 Series offers compelling financial incentives across its smartphone lineup with potential savings ranging from $500 to $900 depending on the model and traded device. For instance, if you trade-in a Galaxy S24 Ultra, Z Fold 6 or Z Flip 6, youll get $900 off on your new Galaxy S25 Ultra.See Galaxy S25 Ultra at Samsung.comInstant CreditYou can also get instant credits ranging from $50 to $300 depending on the model. These credits can be applied towards discounted insurance and accessories, including the Galaxy Buds3 Pro and Galaxy Watches, with potential savings up to 100% off. The Galaxy S25 Ultra provides the most substantial credit of up to $300. For instance, you can get free Galaxy Buds3 Pro if you choose the most premium model.Double Storage at the Same PriceSamsungs ditched the 128GB option, which is great as we need more space for photos and videos. Now, during this pre-order period, youre getting double the storage without paying extra: The Galaxy S25 Ultra 512GB is priced at just $1299 (instead of $1419) and matches the cost of the 256GB model. Same discount applies for the Galaxy S25 and S25+. This applies across the board get 512GB for 256GB pricing, or 1TB for the cost of 512GB.See Galaxy S25 Ultra at Samsung.comSamsung RewardsBy earning 1.5% back in rewards points on all purchases made on the Samsung store, you can effectively create a financial cushion within the Samsung universe where each dollar spent becomes a micro-contribution to future acquisitions. This points mechanism incentivizes brand loyalty and provides you with a compelling reason to remain within Samsungs interconnected product landscape.Exclusive ColorsSamsungs online store provides exclusive color options for the Galaxy S25 series and offers unique variants unavailable through other retailers. The Galaxy S25 Ultra features online-exclusive colors like Titanium Jetblack, Titanium Jadegreen, and Titanium Pinkgold. If you dont want the same model as your neighbor, this is a great way to have a different version of the premium devices.These unprecedented offers on the Samsung store make the Galaxy S25 series (and particularly the S25 Ultra) a great and attractive option if youre in the market for a new premium Android smartphone. The combination of advanced technology and massive discounts creates a value proposition thats hard to ignore. Samsungs pre-order period ends on Friday, January 31st. Make sure you pre-order yours before these deals come to an end.See Galaxy S25 Ultra at Samsung.comSee Galaxy S25 Series at Samsung.com

By Margherita Bassi Published January 26, 2025 | Comments (0) | A honey bee with a tiny QR code glued to its back. Provided by the researchers. All Rights Reserved. We say hard workers are busy as a bee, but in a recent study, honey bees seemed more like employees in an office building. Entomologists and engineers in the U.S. glued tiny QR codes to the backs of tens of thousands of honey bees in rural areas of Pennsylvania and New York. The unprecedented application of this technology, as detailed in a paper published in November in the journal HardwareX, will help scientists and beekeepers study how far the insects travel to collect food. Excitingly, the experiment has already shed new light on this crucial pollinators mysterious behaviors. Previous studies suggest that honey bees can forage up to 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) from their hives, but the entomologists hypothesize that this rarely occurs. The goal is to understand if that 10-kilometer estimation is biologically accurate. Can we determine exactly how far honey bees travel from their hives? Margarita Lpez-Uribe, an entomologist at Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) and co-author on the study, said in a university statement. The QR codes, called fiduciary tags, essentially work like badges in an office building. The team developed an automatic imaging system with a sensor at the hive entrance to register each time a tagged bee enters or exits, allowing the entomologists to track their individual foraging times. The sensor records the individual bee ID, date, time, temperature, and whether the bee is entering or exiting. Traditional entomology field work is usually less hands-on, but this approach is providing unprecedented insight into honey bee behavior. This technology is opening up opportunities for biologists to study systems in ways that werent previously possible, especially in relation to organic beekeeping, said Lpez-Uribe. Organic beekeeping includes, among other things, maintaining sufficient space from industrial regions to prevent bees from collecting pollen in polluted areas. However, since common bee foraging distances remain elusive, the U.S. Department of Agricultures recommendations for organic certification might be inaccurate in this regard.In field biology, we usually just look at things with our eyes, but the number of observations we can make as humans will never scale up to what a machine can do, she added. In total, the team tagged over 32,000 bees across six apiaries with QR codes smaller than human pinky nails that dont harm the bees or restrict their movement. We targeted young bees so we could track their age more accurately, especially when they start to fly and when they stop, said Robyn Underwood of Penn State, who also participated in the study. Younger individuals are easier to handle because they dont sting yet. So, what are bees up to?The researchers observed that most trips from the hive usually lasted between one and four minutespotentially potty breaks or a quick weather checkand some longer excursions were still less than 20 minutes. However, 34% of the tagged bees ventured out of the hive for over two hours. This longer absence could be due to longer foraging excursions. Some longer trips, for example, corresponded to time periods with less flowers, during which bees likely had to travel farther to collect their due. However, the scientists also admitted that the data could have been skewed by bees that simply never returned or entered the hive upside down, effectively hiding the QR code from the sensor.Additionally, we also found that bees are foraging for a lot longer over their lifetimes than initially thought, said Underwood. Entomologists previously suggested that honey bees lived approximately 28 days, she explained. However, were seeing bees foraging for six weeks, and they dont start foraging until they are already about two weeks old, so they live a lot longer than we thought. When they do start foraging, bees within the same hive share information about food sources with each other through the so-called waggle dance. Now, the team is working with researchers from Virginia Tech to align their foraging time data with this behavior to continue investigating how far bees travel from their hive. Maybe the next step will be gluing tiny AirTags to their backs.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Matt Novak Published September 4, 2024 Tech NewsApple A Bug in the iOS Camera Apps QR Code Reader Could Send iPhone Users to Malicious Websites By Tom McKay Published March 26, 2018 Tech NewsPrivacy and Security Hacker Builds a QR Code Generator That Lets Him Into Fancy Airport Lounges By Andrew Liszewski Published August 5, 2016 Tech NewsMicrosoft The New Windows Blue Screen of Death Has aQR Code? By Jamie Condliffe Published April 12, 2016 Tech News A QR Code on Heinz Ketchup Linked Straight to German Porn James O Malley - Gizmodo UK Published June 19, 2015 Tech News This Clever Design Could Replace Ugly QR Codes With Light By Chris Mills Published November 17, 2014

Steep Housing / Reiulf Ramstad ArkitekterSave this picture! Odd Erik RnningArchitects: Reiulf Ramstad ArkitekterAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:80 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Odd Erik RnningMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Bratte Boliger - Steep Housing is a project comprising six cabins in a popular climbing destination outside of ndalsnes, offering spectacular views over Romsdalen. Inspired by local architecture and building traditions, the project is designed to blend seamlessly with the steep terrain.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The cabins are designed to have minimal impact on the landscape and contain a compact layout with generous wardrobes, 2 bathrooms, 3 bedrooms, and a kitchen/living room over 80 m2.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Drawing from local building traditions, the houses are elevated on stilts, which both integrate the structures into the landscape and preserve their natural character. The design prioritizes quality and simplicity, embracing an aesthetic that aligns with the area's identity.Save this picture!The material palette reflects Nordic, sustainable traditions, featuring natural and low-carbon materials and environmental technical solutions.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officeMaterialWoodMaterials and TagsPublished on January 26, 2025Cite: "Steep Housing / Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter" 26 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025898/steep-housing-reiulf-ramstad-arkitekter&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