This is the best time of year to buy a new TV. All of last years awesome models are on sale so retailers can start stocking the new versions that debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show held every year in January. That translates into big deals on TVs that will still arrive before the big football game happening in February. Right now, Samsung has dropped the price of its most popular TVs by hundreds of dollars (and sometimes more than $1,000).85 Class Samsung Neo QLED 4K QNX1D $1,749 (was $3,999)SamsungSee ItIf youre going to get a new TV, it might as well be huge and impressive. This is a super-bright Neo QLED 4K display with just about every feature you could ask for. You get current-gen HDMI 2.1 ports, a 120Hz refresh rate, gaming mode for low latency, and native access to any streaming app you could want. This is a TV you can put on the wall and enjoy for a decade. It also comes in smaller (cheaper) sizes below:55 Class Samsung Neo QLED 4K QNX1D $849 (was $1,799)65 Class Samsung Neo QLED 4K QNX1D $1,149 (was $2,199)75 Class Samsung Neo QLED 4K QNX1D $1,699 (was $2,999)65 Class The Frame QLED 4K LS03D $1,299 (was $1,999)SamsungSee ItIf you dont want a massive black void in your room when youre not streaming content, then the Frame TV is a great option. In art mode, it displays famous works of art or your own personal images. The matte screen does a phenomenal job of avoiding glare, so it looks like a real painting is hanging in your room. You can even swap out the trim to match your space perfectly.43 Class The Frame QLED 4K LS03D $799 (was $999)50 Class The Frame QLED 4K LS03D $849 (was $1,299)55 Class The Frame QLED 4K LS03D $899 (was $1,499)75 Class The Frame QLED 4K LS03D $1,799 (was $2,999)85 Class The Frame QLED 4K LS03D $2,999 (was $4,299)The Freestyle Projector 2nd Gen with Gaming Hub $599 (was $799)SamsungSee ItIf you want more flexibility than a TV can provide, check out this stand-alone projector thats on sale for $200 off right now. It automatically adjusts to give you the best picture without distortion. It has built-in gaming tech so you can connect a controller directly to it and play streamed games on a huge screen. It can throw up to a 100-inch image onto the wall, so it provides a bigger picture than most TVs for less money.The post Samsung just dropped the prices on its most popular TVs before the big football game were not allowed to name appeared first on Popular Science.

A recently discovered, sizable asteroid may come within striking distance of Earth in less than eight years. But although the rock is potentially even larger than the one believed responsible for the historic Tunguska event in 1908, the odds are currently in humanitys favor.On December 27, 2024, the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile, detected a hunk of space rock approximately 828,800 kilometers (515,000 miles) from Earth. Astronomers confirmed the object as a near-Earth asteroid, and catalogued it as 2024 YR4. But additional calculations soon raised red flagsits estimated 130-328 feet diameter and potential orbital path meant that, for the first time ever, an asteroid met the requirements to trigger the two UN-endorsed global planetary defense groups, the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) and the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG).Once initiated, the organizations leverage every available research telescope around the world to train their lenses on the object and gather as much data as possible. 2024 YR4 is now speeding away from Earth, but astronomers gleaned enough information to estimate when it might return. Based on the available calculations, the asteroid will again near the planet on December 22nd, 2032. And when it does, theres an approximately 1.3 percent chance it will hit us.Asteroid 2024 YR4 has an almost 99 percent chance of safely passing Earth on 22 December 2032, the European Space Agency said in its announcement on January 29, while still cautioning that a possible impact cannot yet be entirely ruled out.Any percentage indicating an asteroid strike might cause some people to worry, but as it stands, the odds remain incredibly slim. Putting it another way might offer further assurance against space-induced catastrophe: While 2024 YR 4 currently checks all the boxes for Level 3 on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale, the asteroid warning systems definition makes it clear that such objects will most likely be reclassified down to 0 pending additional telescopic observations.Astronomers may only have a limited window to gather more information, however. The ESA noted on Wednesday that 2024 YR4s elongated path around the Sun currently has it moving away from Earth in nearly a straight line, making it hard to learn its orbit. Experts likely have a few months before the asteroid begins fading from view. Until then, international agencies will continue coordinating their telescopes to observe 2024 YR4. This includes employing the European Southern Observatorys Very Large Telescope in Chile. Astronomers also estimate the asteroid will become observable once again in 2028, allowing for further analysis.While 2024 YR4 appears unlikely to hit Earth, such events do happen every few thousand years. When they do, the damage is impressive. The Tunguska event, for example, is believed to have occurred after a roughly 130-feet-wide asteroid exploded over Siberia in 1908. Over 800-square-miles of forest was flattened by the resulting force, or over twice the area of New York City. If 2024 YR4 ends up topping out at astronomers maxiumum 328-feet-wide estimate, the fallout could be even worse.Available information doesnt narrow down a potential strike zone much, but that will also likely change as more data is collected. Regardless, based on what the experts already know, theres no real reason to start digging your asteroid bunker. And if those predictions are revised for the worse, theres already plenty of agencies readying plans to knock problematic space rocks out of Earths path.The post Agencies plan for near-Earth asteroids close encounter in 2032 appeared first on Popular Science.

NewsNeuroscienceScratching an itch is so good, and so badThe motion kicks off inflammation but may also combat harmful bacteria Scratching an itch feels so good, but it may make inflammation worse, a study of mice suggests.FotoDuets/GettyBy Laura Sanders1 hour agoScratching an itch can bring a contradictory wave of pleasure and misery. A mouse study on scratching, reported in the Jan. 31 Science, fleshes out this head-scratching paradox and could point out ways to better curb pernicious itch in people.First, the bad news: Scratching itchy ears led to a round of inflammation. Itch-provoking substances, such as the oil in poison ivy, activate mast cells, immune sentries that release itch signals and kick off inflammation. But so does scratching, the new study suggests. The act of scratching is actually triggering the inflammation by synergizing with mast cells to make them more effective, says study coauthor Daniel Kaplan, a dermatologist and immunologist at the University of Pittsburgh.

Nature, Published online: 30 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00234-9The large carnivores are spreading out of remote mountains and into areas settled by humans.

Nature, Published online: 30 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00258-1Fruit fly larvae can perceive the squishy texture of decaying flesh.

A woman with heart failure was kept alive long enough to receive a heart transplant, in part thanks to newly developed stem-cell-derived heart tissue grafts.

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If youre looking for a dynamic shooter, Nexus FPV: Battle Drone Simulator is here to quench your thirst for adrenaline-fueled aerial fights.In development by TruePlayers, this upcoming roguelike experience will let you enjoy the thrill of flying a high-speed drone and climb the career ladder.In Nexus, you are a force of nature. Weave through gunfire, master aerial combat, and rain destruction from above in this high-stakes FPV drone roguelike shooter. Pilot advanced combat drones through intense missions where split-second decisions matter. Death sends you back to base but your tech, skills, and power grow with every run.TruePlayersImprove your ride, become an ace, and discover the deadliest combos in the sky in this exciting adventure full of high stakes and dangerous freedom. Every mission has its own rewards and a boss to destroy, and with time and experience, you become stronger, opening new weapons and growing your base.TruePlayersTruePlayersThe game supports FPV and console controllers, a joystick, and a mouse/keyboard. The developer promises challenging enemies and bosses, a large selection of customizations and weapons, multiple maps and biomes, and a leaderboard.Nexus FPV is expected to be released this year. Meanwhile, wishlist it on Steam and join our80 Level Talent platformand ournew Discord server, follow us onInstagram,Twitter,LinkedIn,Telegram,TikTok, andThreads,where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.Source link The post Try Out Dynamic Aerial Fights in This Battle Drone Simulator appeared first on CG SHARES.

Owen ChouFor this project, created as part of a Think Tank Online course, Owen Chou handled all aspects of modeling, texturing, lighting, and set dressing, and the bread assets in the bakery were sourced from Quixel Megascans. Inspired by the German town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, this environment was crafted to replicate the scenery in Unreal Engine 5, capturing a warm, festive Christmas evening atmosphere.Have a closer look at the renders below:Owen ChouOwen ChouOwen ChouOwen ChouOwen ChouOwen also provided a detailed breakdown, walking through the entire process, from blockout and modular assets created in Maya and Unreal Engine 5 to custom textures made in Substance 3D Designer, 3D Sampler, and 3D Painter:Owen ChouOwen ChouOwen ChouOwen ChouOwen ChouOwen ChouOwen ChouOwen ChouVisit the projects page for more on shaders, vertex painting, and VFX, and join our80 Level Talent platformand ournew Discord server, follow us on Instagram,Twitter,LinkedIn,Telegram,TikTok, andThreads,where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.Source link The post Real-Life German Christmas Town Recreated In 3D With Substance 3D & UE5 appeared first on CG SHARES.

In 1989, the original Kickboxer martial arts movie helped establish Jean-Claude Van Damme as an action star. Now, for the first time ever, the Kickboxer franchise is making the leap to video games with Force Multiplier Studios, a team of developers with experience on Call of Duty, Borderlands, Halo, Tomb Raider, and Mortal Kombat.Screenwriter Dimitri Logothetis and producer Rob Hickman--two of the filmmakers behind the 2016 film Kickboxer: Vengeance and its sequel, Kickboxer: Retaliation--are working with Force Multiplier Studios to bring the Kickboxer video game to life. But for now, the game is at such an early stage of development that there's nothing to show off.While speaking with IGN, Force Multiplier Studios was very vague about whether Van Damme will lend his likeness to the game or participate in any way. Instead, the studio stated that the game "will combine the rich narrative of Kickboxer with kinetic martial arts action to deliver an intense, high-octane brawler, and feature iconic characters and locations from the franchise originally starring martial arts icon Jean-Claude Van Damme."Continue Reading at GameSpot