Amazon.com was sued on Wednesday by consumers who accused the retailing giant of secretly tracking their movements through their cellphones, and selling data it collects.According to a proposed class action in San Francisco federal court, Amazon obtained backdoor access to consumers phones by providing tens of thousands of app developers with code known as Amazon Ads SDK to be embedded in their apps.This allegedly enabled Amazon to collect an enormous amount of timestamped geolocation data about where consumers live, work, shop and visit, revealing sensitive information such as religious affiliations, sexual orientations and health concerns.Amazon has effectively fingerprinted consumers and has correlated a vast amount of personal information about them entirely without consumers knowledge and consent, the complaint said.The complaint was filed by Felix Kolotinsky of San Mateo, California, who said Amazon collected his personal information through the Speedtest by Ookla app on his phone.He said Amazons conduct violated Californias penal law and a state law against unauthorized computer access, and seeks unspecified damages for millions of Californians.Amazon, based in Seattle, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Lawyers for the plaintiff did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.Individuals and regulators are increasingly complaining that companies are trying to profit from information gathered without consent from cellphones.On Jan. 13, the state of Texas sued Allstate for allegedly tracking drivers through cellphones, using the data to raise premiums or deny coverage, and selling the data to other insurers.Allstate said its data collection fully complies with all laws and regulations. At least eight similar private lawsuits against Allstate have been subsequently filed.The case is Kolotinsky v Amazon.com Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 25-00931.Jonathan Stempel, Reuters

A phone is no longer just a gadgetits your camera, your notepad, your lifeline, and in some ways, even your style statement. But with all that multitasking, the one thing your phone isnt is indestructible. As much as smartphones like the iPhone 16 feel like engineering marvels, theyre still susceptible to scratches, drops, and the occasional coffee spill. Thats why a protective case is as essential as the phone itself. ESRs latest Stash Stand Case with Camera Control takes that responsibility seriously, blending protection with innovation in ways that not only safeguard your phone but also enhance how you use it.The Stash Stand Case isnt new, as its a popular part of ESRs case catalog but it comes notably with an upgraded design that makes it better at protecting your phone. The iPhone 16 series sported a Camera Control button and to account for its unique touch-sensitive design, most casemakers just created a cutout in the case design, exposing the button to the elements. With the upgraded Stash Stand Case, ESR shrouds that button with a protective capacitive layer too, ensuring that you can click photos and navigate the camera UI perfectly normally while still ensuring that every inch of your iPhone is as guarded as can be from drops as high as 11 feet, according to ESRs claims.Designer: ESRClick Here to Buy Now: $22.49 $32.99 (31.83% off, use code YANKOIP16). Hurry, deal ends in 48-hours!The case wraps your iPhone 16 in 3x military-grade protection (which may be a marketing term, but it surely means business), shielding it from the inevitable bumps and scrapes that life throws at it. ESR didnt cut corners hereits crafted from materials that balance durability with a sleek, modern aesthetic. Think robust yet slim, so youre not adding unnecessary bulk to your pocket or bag. And since were all living in the age of MagSafe, the case is fully compatible and can wirelessly charge your phone in 45 minutes, thanks to the 40% slimmer design. But what really sets the Stash Stand Case apart is the thoughtfulness baked into its design, starting with that standout camera protection feature.Most cases put a protective plastic lip around your camera, or at most, a metal bezel that merely extends a millimeter or two beyond camera lenses, protecting them from impact. The folks at ESR did something different. The Stash Stand Case comes with a rather exaggerated camera bumper, but while that may seem like a bug, it is, in fact, a feature. The bumper folds outwards, doubling as an angle-adjustable kickstand thats a game-changer for anyone who regularly watches videos, hops on FaceTime, or takes hands-free selfies. It props your phone up in both portrait and landscape orientations, and can even be used as a finger-grip, offering versatility that eliminates the need for separate accessories like a popsocket or a ring grip.The kickstand mechanism feels solid, with just the right amount of resistance to make it easy to flip out but sturdy enough to trust with your phone. In fact, its rated to easily withstand 3000 folds, averaging out more than 4-5 years with daily use. When its not serving as a stand, it folds right back, keeping the sleek profile intact while offering superior lens protection. ESR essentially solved two problems with one solution: keeping your camera safe and giving you a practical, no-fuss stand.The rest of the case is equally impressive. The camera bump is made from a reliably robust zinc alloy, while the rest of the case is a flexible, durable blend of ABS and PC polymers. Shock-absorbing Air Guard corners protect your phone from impact, while ESR touts protection from drops up to 11 feet. Raised bezels around the screen and the camera provide additional protection, ensuring that neither will make direct contact with surfaces if you place your phone face down.Notably, the Camera Control zone on your iPhone 16 gets protection too, thanks to a 3-layered assembly featuring tempered glass, a polycarbonate flexible gasket, and a 6-capacitive-stack PCB underneath that effortlessly reads your touch as you tap or swipe the area on your phone. The innovative construction also eliminates gaps, keeping the button free from dust while maintaining a sleek, elegant design. In short, the design takes care of the 3 Ds Damage, Dirt, and Delay, giving you a user experience that feels just about as polished as it can get.MagSafe sees massive improvements too. The case is a staggering 1.6mm thin, nearly 40% thinner than other case designs. Despite that, the magnets on the Stash Stand Case are 25% stronger, offering a more robust magnetic lock while docking on accessories like your car mount, or chargers like the MagSafe charger. The thinner caseback apparently bumps up charging time too, juicing your iPhone in 45 minutes thanks to better energy efficiency.Functionality aside, the Stash Stand Case doesnt skimp on aesthetics. Its available in a range of colors, although nothing beats the appeal of the Frosted Clear variant, which lets you flaunt your iPhones natural color. Its also worth noting that ESR kept the price point reasonable. At just $21.99, its an investment in your phones longevity that wont break the bank, while giving you a nifty kickstand thats a great alternative to docks, external stands, or tripods. And yes, the Stash Stand Case with Camera Control is available for all iPhone 16 models, as well as for earlier iPhone series phones (without the Camera Control button).So, if youre someone who takes your phone everywherefrom the gym to the office to your couch for endless TikTok scrollingthis case might be exactly what you need. Its sturdy, sleek, and smart, proving that good design is as much about solving problems as it is about looking good while doing it.Click Here to Buy Now: $22.49 $32.99 (31.83% off, use code YANKOIP16). Hurry, deal ends in 48-hours!The post The iPhone 16 Case That Changed My Mind: ESRs Kickstand Case Can Survive An 11-Foot Drop first appeared on Yanko Design.

As usually tends to be the case, Capcom has several exciting upcoming releases in the pipeline right now, and the company will soon be sharing new information on several of those titles.Capcom has announced a double-header presentation for February 2. At 2 PM Pacific on the day, the company will premiere a Capcom Showcase presentation, where the start attraction is going to be the long-awaitedOnimusharevival,Onimusha: Way of the Sword. You can also expect new information on Capcom Fighting Collection 2, Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics, and upcoming content forStreet Fighter 6.That 20-minute showcase will followed immediately afterward by aMonster Hunter Wilds Showcase. Confirmed to be 15 minutes in length, the showcase will also reveal details on the action RPGs upcoming second open beta, in addition to a new trailer and details.Monster Hunter Wildsis due out for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on February 28.Tune in live on Feb. 4 at 2pm PT for Capcom doubleheader! Join us for a 20-minute Capcom Spotlight followed immediately by a 15-minute Monster Hunter Wilds Showcase! https://t.co/wTzDBaKGFiIn Capcom Showcase, get the latest info on Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Street pic.twitter.com/EoHd3IfOEJ Capcom USA (@CapcomUSA_) January 30, 2025

Mass Effect 5(or whatever it ends up being called) has been in the works for years now, but with the sci-fi RPG still clearly in the early stages of production, questions about BioWares behind-the-scenes functioning are being asked with greater frequency. The newest changes announced by the studio, however, might raise more questions still.In a blog update, BioWare GK Gary McKay has said that the nextMass Effectis continuing development with a team of veterans who worked on the original trilogy, including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley. However, McKay said that the project require support from the full studio, which, as you might imagine, means changes are inbound.For starters, an undisclosed number of BioWare employees have been assigned to projects in the works at other studios across EA.Now that Dragon Age: The Veilguard has been released, a core team at BioWare is developing the next Mass Effect game under the leadership of veterans from the original trilogy, including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, Parrish Ley, and others, McKay writes. In keeping with our fierce commitment to innovating during the development and delivery of Mass Effect, we have challenged ourselves to think deeply about delivering the best experience to our fans. We are taking this opportunity between full development cycles to reimagine how we work at BioWare.Given this stage of development, we dont require support from the full studio. We have incredible talent here at BioWare, and so we have worked diligently over the past few months to match many of our colleagues with other teams at EA that had open roles that were a strong fit.IGN has claimed in its report that several members of theDragon Age: The Veilguarddevelopment team have also been laid off from the studio. Several former employees have taken to social media to confirm the same, including editor Ryan Cormier, producer Jen Cheverie, narrative designer Trick Weekes, and editor Karin West-Weekes.McKay says BioWare will become a more agile, focused studio following these changes. Alarmingly, he used almost exactly the same language when BioWare announced 50 job cuts in August 2023, which also included several veteran writers. Recently,Dragon Age: The Veilguardgame director Corinne Busche also left the studio, citing an unmissable opportunity to work on an unannounced RPG elsewhere.It was recently reported thatDragon Age: The Veilguardhad underperformed, having reached just 1.5 million players. The game has contributed to a $6 billion market value loss for publisher EA.

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn MoreDeepSeek and its R1 model arent wasting any time rewriting the rules of cybersecurity AI in real-time, with everyone from startups to enterprise providers piloting integrations to their new model this month.R1 was developed in China and is based on pure reinforcement learning (RL) without supervised fine-tuning. It is also open source, making it immediately attractive to nearly every cybersecurity startup that is all-in on open-source architecture, development and deployment.DeepSeeks $6.5 million investment in the model is delivering performance that matches OpenAIs o1-1217 in reasoning benchmarks while running on lower-tier Nvidia H800 GPUs. DeepSeeks pricing sets a new standard with significantly lower costs per million tokens compared to OpenAIs models. The deep seek-reasoner model charges $2.19 per million output tokens, while OpenAIs o1 model charges $60 for the same. That price difference and its open-source architecture have gotten the attention of CIOs, CISOs, cybersecurity startups and enterprise software providers alike.(Interestingly, OpenAI claimsDeepSeek used its modelsto train R1 and other models, going so far as to say the company exfiltrated data through multiple queries.) Central to the issue of the models security and trustworthiness is whether censorship and covert bias are incorporated into the models core, warned Chris Krebs, inaugural director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Securitys (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and, most recently, chief public policy officer atSentinelOne. Censorship of content critical of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) may be baked-in to the model, and therefore a design feature to contend with that may throw off objective results, he said. This political lobotomization of Chinese AI models may supportthe development and global proliferation of U.S.-based open source AI models.He pointed out that, as the argument goes, democratizing access to U.S. products should increase American soft power abroad and undercut the diffusion of Chinese censorship globally. R1s low cost and simple compute fundamentals call into question the efficacy of the U.S. strategy to deprive Chinese companies of access to cutting-edge western tech, including GPUs, he said. In a way, theyre really doing more with less.'Merritt Baer, CISO at Reco and advisor to multiple security startups, told VentureBeat that, in fact, training [DeepSeek-R1] on broader internet data controlled by internet sources in the west (or perhaps better described as lacking Chinese controls and firewalls), might be one antidote to some of the concerns. Im less worried about the obvious stuff, like censoring any criticism of President Xi, and more concerned about the harder-to-define political and social engineering that went into the model. Even the fact that the models creators are part of a system of Chinese influence campaigns is a troubling factor but not the only factor we should consider when we select a model.With DeepSeek training the model with Nvidia H800 GPUs that were approved for sale in China but lack the power of the more advanced H100 and A100 processors, DeepSeek is further democratizing its model to any organization that can afford the hardware to run it. Estimates and bills of materials explaining how to build a system for $6,000 capable of running R1 are proliferating across social media.R1 and follow-on models will be built to circumvent U.S. technology sanctions, a point Krebs sees as a direct challenge to the U.S. AI strategy.Enkrypt AIs DeepSeek-R1 Red Teaming Report finds that the model is vulnerable to generating harmful, toxic, biased, CBRN and insecure code output. The red team continues that: While it may be suitable for narrowly scoped applications, the model shows considerable vulnerabilities in operational and security risk areas, as detailed in our methodology. We strongly recommend implementing mitigations if this model is to be used. Enkrypt AIs red team also found that Deepseek-R1 is three times more biased than Claude 3 Opus, four times more vulnerable to generating insecure code than Open AIs o1, and four times more toxic than GPT-4o. The red team also found that the model is eleven times more likely to create harmful output than Open AIs o1.DeepSeeks mobile apps now dominate global downloads, and the web version is seeing record traffic, with all the personal data shared on both platforms captured on servers in China. Enterprises are considering running the model on isolated servers to reduce the threat. VentureBeat has learned about pilots running on commoditized hardware across organizations in the U.S.Any data shared on mobile and web apps is accessible by Chinese intelligence agencies.Chinas National Intelligence Law states that companies must support, assist and cooperate with state intelligence agencies. The practice is so pervasive and such a threat to U.S. firms and citizens that the Department of Homeland Security has published a Data Security Business Advisory. Due to these risks, the U.S. Navy issued a directive banning DeepSeek-R1 from any work-related systems, tasks or projects.Organizations who are quick to pilot the new model are going all-in on open source and isolating test systems from their internal network and the internet. The goal is to run benchmarks for specific use cases while ensuring all data remains private. Platforms like Perplexity and Hyperbolic Labs allow enterprises to securely deploy R1 in U.S. or European data centers, keeping sensitive information out of reach of Chinese regulations. Please see an excellent summary of this aspect of the model.Itamar Golan, CEO of startup Prompt Security and a core member of OWASPs Top 10 for large language models (LLMs), argues that data privacy risks extend beyond just DeepSeek. Organizations should not have their sensitive data fed into OpenAI or other U.S.-based model providers either, he noted. If data flow to China is a significant national security concern, the U.S. government may want to intervene through strategic initiatives such as subsidizing domestic AI providers to maintain competitive pricing and market balance.Recognizing R1s security flaws, Prompt added support to inspect traffic generated by DeepSeek-R1 queries in a matter of days after the model was introduced.During a probe of DeepSeeks public infrastructure, cloud security provider Wizs research team discovered a ClickHouse database open on the internet with more than a million lines of logs with chat histories, secret keys and backend details. There was no authentication enabled on the database, allowing for quick potential privilege escalation.Wizs Researchs discovery underscores the danger of rapidly adopting AI services that arent built on hardened security frameworks at scale. Wiz responsibly disclosed the breach, prompting DeepSeek to lock down the database immediately. DeepSeeks initial oversight emphasizes three core lessons for any AI provider to keep in mind when introducing a new model. First, perform red teaming and thoroughly test AI infrastructure security before ever even launching a model. Second, enforce least privileged access and adopt a zero-trust mindset, assume your infrastructure has already been breached and trust no multidomain connections across systems or cloud platforms. Third, have security teams and AI engineers collaborate and own how the models safeguard sensitive data.DeepSeek creates a security paradoxKrebs cautioned that the models real danger isnt just where it was made but how it was made. DeepSeek-R1 is the byproduct of the Chinese technology industry, where private sector and national intelligence objectives are inseparable. The concept of firewalling the model or running it locally as a safeguard is an illusion because, as Krebs explains, the bias and filtering mechanisms are already baked-in at a foundational level.Cybersecurity and national security leaders agree that DeepSeek-R1 is the first of many models with exceptional performance and low cost that well see from China and other nation-states that enforce control of all data collected. Bottom line: Where open source has long been viewed as a democratizing force in software, the paradox this model creates shows how easily a nation-state can weaponize open source at will if they choose to.Daily insights on business use cases with VB DailyIf you want to impress your boss, VB Daily has you covered. We give you the inside scoop on what companies are doing with generative AI, from regulatory shifts to practical deployments, so you can share insights for maximum ROI.Read our Privacy PolicyThanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here.An error occured.

Vision-Language Models (VLMs) have significantly expanded AIs ability to process multimodal information, yet they face persistent challenges. Proprietary models such as GPT-4V and Gemini-1.5-Pro achieve remarkable performance but lack transparency, limiting their adaptability. Open-source alternatives often struggle to match these models due to constraints in data diversity, training methodologies, and computational resources. Additionally, limited documentation on post-training data strategies makes replication difficult. To address these gaps, NVIDIA AI introduces Eagle 2, a VLM designed with a structured, transparent approach to data curation and model training.NVIDIA AI Introduces Eagle 2: A Transparent VLM FrameworkEagle 2 offers a fresh approach by prioritizing openness in its data strategy. Unlike most models that only provide trained weights, Eagle 2 details its data collection, filtering, augmentation, and selection processes. This initiative aims to equip the open-source community with the tools to develop competitive VLMs without relying on proprietary datasets.Eagle2-9B, the most advanced model in the Eagle 2 series, performs on par with models several times its size, such as those with 70B parameters. By refining post-training data strategies, Eagle 2 optimizes performance without requiring excessive computational resources.Key Innovations in Eagle 2The strengths of Eagle 2 stem from three main innovations: a refined data strategy, a multi-phase training approach, and a vision-centric architecture.Data StrategyThe model follows a diversity-first, then quality approach, curating a dataset from over 180 sources before refining it through filtering and selection.A structured data refinement pipeline includes error analysis, Chain-of-Thought (CoT) explanations, rule-based QA generation, and data formatting for efficiency.Three-Stage Training FrameworkStage 1 aligns vision and language modalities by training an MLP connector.Stage 1.5 introduces diverse large-scale data, reinforcing the models foundation.Stage 2 fine-tunes the model using high-quality instruction tuning datasets.Tiled Mixture of Vision Encoders (MoVE)The model integrates SigLIP and ConvNeXt as dual vision encoders, enhancing image understanding.High-resolution tiling ensures fine-grained details are retained efficiently.A balance-aware greedy knapsack method optimizes data packing, reducing training costs while improving sample efficiency.These elements make Eagle 2 both powerful and adaptable for various applications.Performance and Benchmark InsightsEagle 2s capabilities have been rigorously tested, demonstrating strong performance across multiple benchmarks:Eagle2-9B achieves 92.6% accuracy on DocVQA, surpassing InternVL2-8B (91.6%) and GPT-4V (88.4%).In OCRBench, Eagle 2 scores 868, outperforming Qwen2-VL-7B (845) and MiniCPM-V-2.6 (852), highlighting its strengths in text recognition.MathVista performance improves by over 10 points compared to its baseline, reinforcing the effectiveness of the three-stage training approach.ChartQA, OCR QA, and multimodal reasoning tasks show notable improvements, outperforming GPT-4V in key areas.Additionally, the training process is designed for efficiency. Advanced subset selection techniques reduced dataset size from 12.7M to 4.6M samples, maintaining accuracy while improving data efficiency.ConclusionEagle 2 represents a step forward in making high-performance VLMs more accessible and reproducible. By emphasizing a transparent data-centric approach, it bridges the gap between open-source accessibility and the performance of proprietary models. The models innovations in data strategy, training methods, and vision architecture make it a compelling option for researchers and developers.By openly sharing its methodology, NVIDIA AI fosters a collaborative AI research environment, allowing the community to build upon these insights without reliance on closed-source models. As AI continues to evolve, Eagle 2 exemplifies how thoughtful data curation and training strategies can lead to robust, high-performing vision-language models.Check out the Paper, GitHub Page and Models on Hugging Face. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also,dont forget to follow us onTwitter and join ourTelegram Channel andLinkedIn Group. Dont Forget to join our70k+ ML SubReddit.(Promoted) Asif RazzaqWebsite| + postsBioAsif Razzaq is the CEO of Marktechpost Media Inc.. As a visionary entrepreneur and engineer, Asif is committed to harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence for social good. His most recent endeavor is the launch of an Artificial Intelligence Media Platform, Marktechpost, which stands out for its in-depth coverage of machine learning and deep learning news that is both technically sound and easily understandable by a wide audience. The platform boasts of over 2 million monthly views, illustrating its popularity among audiences.Asif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Qwen AI Releases Qwen2.5-VL: A Powerful Vision-Language Model for Seamless Computer InteractionAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/DeepSeek-AI Releases Janus-Pro 7B: An Open-Source multimodal AI that Beats DALL-E 3 and Stable DiffusionAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Building a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) System with DeepSeek R1: A Step-by-Step GuideAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Qwen AI Releases Qwen2.5-7B-Instruct-1M and Qwen2.5-14B-Instruct-1M: Allowing Deployment with Context Length up to 1M Tokens [Recommended] Join Our Telegram Channel

Our Picks Best overall rowing machine Peloton Row View details $3,295 at Peloton View details Best luxury rowing machine Hydrow Pro Rower View details $1,695 at Hydrow View details Best foldable rowing machine Echelon Row-S View details $1,200 at Amazon View details Best water rowing machine LIT Strength Machine View details $1,611 at Target View details Best 2-in-1 rowing machine EnergyFit Ski-Row Air + Pwr View details $1,999 at 360 Fitness Superstore View details Best rowing machine for smaller spaces Hydrow Wave (Update: Out of stock) View details See at Hydrow View details Best rowing machine with unique programs Aviron Impact Series 9 (Update: Out of stock) View details See at Aviron View details Table of Contents Rowing is a great exercise. It offers great activity for your entire body. Plus, it's low-impact on most parts. If you enjoy the impact of a rowing motion and are considering owning a rowing machine, there are many versions of this cardio equipment -- from hydraulic and magnetic rowers to unique air rowers -- that you can bring home. However, a rowing machine can be pricey for something you use as home exercise equipment, but since many of the latest models come with smart, interactive features, like trainer-led workouts, they are well worth the value.Read more: Best Gifts Under $300 for 2025"The rowing machine is a great machine to achieve an efficient full-body workout with HIIT, return from a recovery with LISS or improve your anaerobic and aerobic energy systems with interval training," says Peloton rowing instructor Katie Wang. For newcomers, using a rowing machine is an excellent way to fit in a quick yet intense workout without feeling overwhelmed.Before you start rowing workouts, its essential to practice good rowing stroke form by learning the proper techniques. But first, you need to find the right machine for your needs. To help you with that, our CNET fitness experts have done the research to identify the best indoor rowing machine options, including magnetic options and the best budget picks. Take a look at our top picks below. Editor's note, Jan. 6, 2025: We'll be updating this page periodically in the new year. There are new machines being evaluated in the testing stages.Which is the best rowing machine?Rowing machine designs have evolved over the years, and great options are available depending on your preference. I tested various rowing machines, and while they all had their unique features, the one that I was most impressed by was the Peloton Row. Truthfully, it's huge, so it's not the ideal rower if you lack space. If you've got the room for it and you enjoy the Peloton class-style format, this rower is an upgraded version of the traditional rowers on the market. It's our current pick for the best overall rowing machine, but if it isn't your cup of tea, there are other models we tested that may be a better fit. Here are our top picks.Best rowing machine of 2025Filter by Showing 11 of 11 Results Photo Gallery 1/1 $3,295 at Peloton Pros Quiet Form Assist teaches you how to row and improves form Easy to operate if you're familiar with Peloton programs Foot straps are easy to slip on and off Cons Expensive Large and may not fit all spaces Type Rowing machineDimensions 7'10" L x 24" WResistance type Electronically controlledWarranty 1 yearPrice $2,995 8.8 $3,295 at Peloton Peloton's first smart rowing machine that teaches you how to row and correct your form is the most expensive rowing machine on this list, but there's no denying it's impressive. The Peloton delivery team sets up the rower in your home so you don't have to. It's sleek and all-black with touches of red, which stays true to the Peloton aesthetic. It also has a 24-inch HD touchscreen that's adjustable and easy to rotate. I had concerns with the size of the machine because it's on the larger side (it's 8 feet by 2 feet and weighs 156 pounds). I was able to fit it in my apartment, but keep this in mind if you have limited space. An anchor is included with your order, so you can store the machine safely upright, but you'll want to make sure your ceiling can clear its length.Using the Peloton Row is an experience, unlike the others I had testing rowing machines. Before you take a class, you have to calibrate your rowing form. One important thing to note is that the Peloton Row has sensors that detect the position of the handle and seat. This is based on the length of the handle strap pulled out from the base as well as the position of the seat along the rail. Once your rowing form is customized, you can select to Just Row, do a Scenic Row or take a rowing class from the Peloton roster. This is where another feature, known as Form Assist, comes into play.Form Assist offers real-time feedback on your form during class using the same sensors from the calibration process. Peloton says the rower measures your position hundreds of times a second to generate Form Assist and track form errors. You have the option to turn off Form Assist, but it defeats the purpose of owning a Peloton Row. When it's on, an image of a digital person sitting on a rowing machine shows up on the left-hand side of the screen and moves in sync with you. If your form is off, you'll see the person's body highlighted in red the part of the stroke where you need to correct your form.After the class is over, you can see your rowing stats and Form Rating score, which uses a circle graph and shows you a total score out of 100. Beneath that, you'll see a detailed explanation of where you're making errors, along with tips on how to fix them. I saw improvement in my form rather quickly during the period I tested the Peloton Row, thanks to the Form Assist feature. Additionally, like the rest of Peloton's machines, you have to sign up for the All-Access membership ($44 a month). The plus side is that since the screen swivels, you can easily take other classes that require you to be on the floor. If money is no object and you're serious about rowing, you'll love the Peloton Row.

Looking forthe most recentMini Crossword answer?Click here for today's Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.When I was in college, people said geology was easy. "Rocks For Jocks," they called it. I didn't take it, so regardless of whether it was easy, I never know the different varieties of rock when asked about them. So today'sNYT Mini Crosswordhad some stumpers for me, but maybe you can rock out. Need some more help with today's Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times' games collection. If you're looking for today's Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visitCNET's NYT puzzle hints page.Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini CrosswordLet's get at those Mini Crossword clues and answers. The completed NYT Mini Crossword puzzle for Jan. 30, 2025. NYT/Screenshot by CNETMini across clues and answers1A clue: Soft rockAnswer: TALC5A clue: First-string squadAnswer: ATEAM7A clue: Soft rock?Answer: MAGMA8A clue: Tissue layers, e.g.Answer: PLIES9A clue: Fiona Apple and Tracy Chapman, vocallyAnswer: ALTOSMini down clues and answers1D clue: Florida's so-called "Cigar City"Answer: TAMPA2D clue: To any degreeAnswer: ATALL3D clue: Not sketchy, colloquiallyAnswer: LEGIT4D clue: Brief role in a movieAnswer: CAMEO6D clue: Midnight ___ (Christmas service)Answer: MASSHow to play more Mini CrosswordsThe New York Times Games section offers a large number of online games, but only some of them are free for all to play. You can play the current day's Mini Crossword for free, but you'll need a subscription to the Times Games section to play older puzzles from the archives.

Meta has agreed to pay President Donald Trump $25 million to settle a 2021 lawsuit stemming from the social networks decision to suspend Trump's Facebook account following the riots at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.According to The Wall Street Journal, there had been little activity surrounding the lawsuit until Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg flew to Mar-a-Lago following the election. Toward the end of the November dinner, Trump raised the matter of the lawsuit, The Journal reports. The president signaled that the litigation had to be resolved before Zuckerberg could be brought into the tent. Much of the settlement will reportedly go toward funding Trump's presidential library.Settling the lawsuit is the latest step Zuckerberg and Meta have taken to appease Trump, who at one point during the campaign threatened to imprison the Facebook founder for plotting against him. Following the election, Zuckerberg ended Metas longtime fact-checking program and rolled back content moderation standards that prohibited dehumanizing language and slurs targeting immigrants and LGBTQ people. He also ended corporate diversity programs and added Trump backer and UFC CEO Dana White to Metas board. Zuckerberg had a prominent seat at Trumps inauguration, alongside other tech CEOs.ADVERTISEMENTAdvertisementNews of Metas settlement broke just as the company released its latest earnings results. During a call with analysts, Zuckerberg said that 2025 was going to be a big year for redefining our relationship with governments. Though he didnt mention Trump by name, he said that we now have a US Administration that is proud of our leading companies, prioritizes American technology winning, and that will defend our values and interests abroad.Zuckerberg, who earlier this week said the company would spend as much as $65 billion on AI investments this year, predicted that Meta AI would reach 1 billion users in 2025. He also commented on the rise of DeepSeek, an open-source AI assistant from China, saying that its strengthened our conviction about open source AI. One of the things that we're talking about, is there's going to be an open source standard globally, he said. And I think for own national advantage, it's important that it's an American standard.

Image: MojangFollowing last year's 15th anniversary celebrations, Minecraft has now jumped into the new year with its very first 'Minecraft Monthly' broadcast.The big reveals include the new animal mob variants - with the show kicking off with footage of the new pig variants. One will live in warm biomes, with the other located in cold biomes:"Pigs have been trotting the Overworld for 15 years and now they're evolving! That means were adding in two more pig variations: the cold pig and the warm pig. Coated in fluffy fur, the cold pig thrives in the sub-zero temperatures of chillier biomes. The warm pig is rust-brown and can be found roaming the dunes of the sandy biomes."Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube794kWatch on YouTube Image: MojangNext up we've got the reveal of new cow variants. Once again, there's one that spawns in warm biomes, and the other one prefers cold biomes, which is all part of the "theme" with animal variants in the game.Image: MojangApart from this, Mojang is also adding leaf particles falling from the trees in the overworld. They'll match the colours of the trees, and leaf litter can be used in furnaces or to decorate blocks. There'll also be wild flowers in the upcoming drop which can be crafted into dyes."On your next expeditions into forests, dark forests, and wooded badlands, listen out for the crunch of leaves underfoot. Leaf litter makes a rustling sound when you walk through it and can be used to decorate other blocks. In meadows, birch forests, and old growth birch forests, you will instead find wildflowers. These yellow and white flowers can be crafted into dye and have four growth stages that speed up with bonemeal. Place them at different angles to have your builds bloom in different patterns!"Last but not least, there's the new firefly bush - these bushes release firefly particles, making a great new ambient addition to your Minecraft world.These features are available for testing by enabling snapshots in Minecraft: Java Edition or by enabling the preview/beta in Minecraft: Bedrock Edition - with a full rollout to follow in the future.Images: MojangOh, and to top it off - Hello Kitty and Friends DLC was also recently added to the game - featuring Sanrio favourites like Cinnamoroll and Kuromi!Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube794k "I'm loving working on games again""Meet the creaking""As a child, I yearned for the mines"What do you think of this new content being added to Minecraft? Let us know in the comments.[source youtu.be, via minecraft.net]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:00 Liam is a news writer and reviewer for Nintendo Life and Pure Xbox. He's been writing about games for more than 15 years and is a lifelong fan of Mario and Master Chief. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Expands Switch Online's SNES Library With Three More TitlesIncluding a special Super Famicom release...Opinion: My Daughter Made Me Realise That Mario Wonder's Difficulty Options Need WorkYoshi or Nabbit, make your choiceSega Launches Its Own Free Account Service With Unique Member RewardsSign up! Y'know, if you wantXenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Metal Poster Pre-Order Bonus RevealedAvailable now in the USCeleste Dev Makes "Difficult Decision" To Cancel New Game EarthbladeFollowing "a disagreement about the IP rights of Celeste"