In perhaps yet another sign of the growing reach of Apple TV+ content, the sci-fi series Silo has ranked on the Nielsen U.S. streaming originals chart for the first time ever. The show ranked 9th with 417 million minutes viewed, for the week of December 30 through January 5.This is one in just a handful of appearances of an Apple TV+ title on this chart. Typically, Apple shows are not popular enough to make it onto the Top 10 list of streaming originals, according to Nielsens numbers anyway.Apple shows dont appear on the Nielsen very often. Previous titles to feature include Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, and Hijack.In the past, Apple has disputed the accuracy of Nielsens reporting suggesting it does not include all viewing demographics of streaming and does not reflect the worldwide distribution of the Apple TV+ service. Somewhat unsurprisingly, the chart is usually dominated by Netflix titles, which boasts 90 million US subscribers. For the week ending January 5, the chart was as follows:Squid Game (Netflix)Virgin Riviera (Netflix)Landman (Paramount+)Missing You (Netflix)Evil (Netflix)Special Ops: Lioness (Paramount+)Black Doves (Netflix)No Good Deed (Netflix)Silo (Apple TV+)Beast Games (Amazon Prime Video)As of January 5, Silo was in the middle of its season two run with 8 of the 10 episodes released. Well have to wait and see whether Silo rises higher in the chart when Nielsen reports for the period covering the season two finale. Perhaps a significant factor, the January 4-5 dates was when Apple was running its free weekend promotion for the Apple TV+ service, which meant anyone could tune in and watch Apple originals with no commitment. Nevertheless, its appearance on the chart is another indicator that Apple is slowly but surely expanding the reach and engagement of its programming. Apple has previously said that Silo is one of its most popular drama series. The show is renewed for a third and fourth season, which will conclude the story as laid out in the Hugh Howey book series on which it is based.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

When asked about Chinese AI firm DeepSeek on todays investor call, Apple CEO Tim Cook explained how the disruptive new model is a positive development for the iPhone maker.Analyst Ben Reitzes from Melius raised the question of how the arrival of DeepSeek is viewed by Apple. DeepSeek represents a drop in developmental cost of spinning up advanced AI models as well as the cost to run these models.Hey, Tim. I wanted to ask you, you knew this one was coming, but theres a perception that youre a big beneficiary of lower cost compute, and I was wondering of your worldly perspective here on the deep situation, and if you are going to, if anythings happened to change your views in terms of the tailwind to margin and your ability to execute, even due to the potential for cost to come down due to that development and probably whats going to happen that happened anyway, but I love your perspective on that.Cook responded by acknowledging the innovation that DeepSeek has shown in bringing down the cost of training and running their V3 model, which is behind the R1 reasoning model that competes with ChatGPT o3:In general, I think innovation that drives efficiency is a good thing, and, you know, thats what you see in that model.Our tight integration of silicon and software I think will continue to serve us very well. As you know, we do things on the device and we do things in the private cloud, which mimics from an architectural point of view, what happens on the device.And from a CapEx point of view, weve always taken a very prudent, deliberate approach to our expenditure and we continue to leverage a hybrid model, which I think continues to serve us well.That hybrid model, building out Apple Intelligence while integrating with OpenAIs ChatGPT, has certainly been praised this week. Apple is seen as not overly investing in AI now that development and operational costs should come down. Of course, that doesnt mean Apple can slow its AI efforts, but it certainly takes the pressure off for now. For much more on the DeepSeek development, read our 9to5Neural explainer on DeepSeek, how its disrupting the American AI landscape, and more.Top iPhone accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

When you're one of the most powerful men in the history of the world, not everything is fiscal agenda and government policy. Some issues just cut deeper, straight to the core of a person's soul and for many gamers, Musk's is irredeemable.A new investigation by the Washington Postconfirms what gamers knew in their heart all along: Musk is a flagrant cheater.The billionaire, who could end world hunger ten times over if he spent even part of his fortune, has frequently bragged about his gaming rsum. Months ago, Musk bragged to a gullibleJoe Rogan that he was among the top 20 Diablo IV players in the world.Later, after the mogul's Path of Exile 2 account began appearing in a top perma-death leaderboard, observant gamers started to notice Musk's account leveling at odd times, like during Trump's inauguration, where Musk was clearly in attendance without a device to game on. Others noticed that Musk made critical mistakes on PoE2 livestreams."He seemingly struggles to understand why he cannot pick up an item when his inventory [is] full," writes one redditor in a thorough beat-down detailing Musk's PoE2 blunders.Musk's fake accolades have earned the Tesla CEO scorn from an online demographic which should typically swing in his favor."He's committed the cardinal sin of being a fake gamer," pined an account named Dr. Decepticon Boba Fett on X-formerly-Twitter. "Musk is living proof that someone can be rich and successful while still being a loser," chided a user on reddit."Elon lost the trust of all gamers overnight," wrote programmer Dan Nelson. "Boosting your account and lying about it is the worst offense. Incredibly cringe, fragile ego on full display."Displaying an astonishing immunity to good PR, Musk finally caved in an interview with a top Diablo player NikoWrexin which he admitted to boosting multiple accounts an excuse steeped in xenophobia: "Its impossible to beat the players in Asia if you dont, as they do!"Sure, it's no Iran-Contra affair. But the issue does call into question the fragile psyche of an unelected man whose political power is rapidly increasing under our recently re-elected president.Musk can't even be trusted with a PoE2 account. That's not exactly a hard bar to clear, but it puts the mogul-in-chief in the same league as dorm room burnouts who pay to boost their Apex Legends ranks as if the other public freakouts weren't embarrassing enough.But unlike those bean-bag riders, this cringeworthy, rambling, child of privilege holds the cards. So far he has access to a staggering cache of USDS-held data, an office for his Trumped-up DOGE organization in the Eisenhower Executive building, and apparent carte-blanche to appoint his lackeys to key government roles and that's on top of his staggering wealth, with which he already enjoyed no shortage of institutional power.As Trump's cohort eyes power over congressional spending, focus shifts to those he surrounds himself with, as our lives and the lives of those around the world are no doubt in their hands. Unfortunately for us, this isn't a video game.More on video games: Trump's Tariffs Would Make Gaming PCs and Consoles Ludicrously ExpensiveShare This Article

The meteoric rise of Chinese startup DeepSeek has rattled Silicon Valley to its core.The company demonstrated that it's possible to create top-tier AI at a tiny fraction of the cost of what outfits like OpenAI have been spending. By employing some clever tricks, DeepSeek says it squeezed a groundbreaking amount of performance out of a limited number of already obsolete Nvidia chips.The news sent a jolt down Wall Street, leading to a massive tech selloff that wiped out over $1 trillion in market capitalization not to mention almost $100 billion in losses for tech billionaires.DeepSeek's seemingly competent use of "distillation," which is essentially training an AI on the output of another, has caught the attention of the AI industry, as the Wall Street Journal reports, sending a chill down the spines of tech leaders.The process effectively allows much smaller entities to rapidly train AI models at a tiny fraction of the cost, an awkward development given the ungodly sums that the likes of OpenAI have been pouring into their models."Its sort of like if you got a couple of hours to interview Einstein and you walk out being almost as knowledgeable as him in physics," data management company Databricks CEO Ali Ghodsi told the WSJ.Before the emergence of DeepSeek, the modus operandi of AI companies had been to maximize the capabilities of AI models by maximizing the computing power behind them, a mind-bogglingly expensive endeavor that culminated in Trump announcing a half-trillion dollar AI infrastructure deal earlier this month.But DeepSeek has demonstrated that smaller and more efficient rivals appear to be able to achieve similar if not better results.OpenAI has since attempted to defend itself, suggesting to the Financial Times that DeepSeek may have broken its terms of service through distillation. But as experts quickly pointed out, that's a glaringly hypocritical position to take for the Sam Altman-led company, considering its own success was built on indiscriminately stealing other people's work as well.Put simply, there's a chance that OpenAI may have completely lost its edge, leading to plenty of soul-searching among investors."Is it economically fruitful to be on the cutting edge if it costs eight times as much as the fast follower?" Hanabi Capital general partner Mike Volpi asked the WSJ.Meanwhile, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei attempted to underplay DeepSeek's significance. In a blog post, he argued that the startup's AI model "is not a unique breakthrough or something that fundamentally changes the economics" and that it's instead an "expected point on an ongoing cost reduction curve."Whether Anthropic and its competitors will be able to make good on that promise remains to be seen, especially considering researchers are already hard at work trying to replicate DeepSeek's success.And that could be even simpler than one might think, at least in part due to DeepSeek open-sourcing its AI models (unlike the misleadingly-named OpenAI)."The easiest thing to replicate is the distillation process," AI company Hugging Face senior research scientist Lewis Tunstall told the WSJ.An AI research team from the University of California also claimed this week that it had reproduced the core technologies of one of DeepSeek's flagship AIs for a mere $30.Instead of issuing a rallying cry to encourage US-based AI companies to keep up, the Trump administration is seemingly looking to place blame on DeepSeek, which bought its Nvidia chips right before the US made their export illegal."And theres substantial evidence that what DeepSeek did here is they distilled the knowledge out of OpenAI models, and I dont think OpenAI is very happy about this," president Donald Trump's "crypto czar" David Sacks toldFox News earlier this week.At least the president himself appears to have received the message."Instead of spending billions and billions, you'll spend less and you'll come up with hopefully the same solution," Trump said during a GOP event in Florida on Monday.In short, some much-needed competition is finally here, tearing the rug from under the likes of OpenAI. Justifying spending tens or hundreds of billions of dollars will likely become increasingly difficult, as investors are encouraged by the emergence of far more efficient and potentially less environmentally harmful alternatives.Share This Article

It looks like Elon Musk's X wants to get in the ring with Venmo and Zelle. The social media platform says it's partnering with Visa, one of the largest credit card processors in the US, to create X Money, a peer-to-peer payment platform.X's CEO, Linda Yaccarino, announced the digital payments tool on X's platform on Wednesday, highlighting a few features that are expected to debut later this year.Yaccarino said you'll be able to connect your debit cards for peer-to-peer payments, instantly transfer money to your bank account and access your X Wallet via Visa Direct. Visa reposted the announcement, confirming that X Money users will be able to fund and transfer money using their debit card with Visa Direct.When Musk acquired X (then known as Twitter) in 2022, he said he planned to turn it into an "everything app" to offer multiple services.Here's what the news could mean for you.Will you need an X account to use X Money?Chances are you'll need an X account to use X Money, similar to needing an Apple account to access Apple Pay or Apple Cash.The push for X account membership to access X Money could also be part of the effort to attract more users to the platform.The platform has lost millions of users since the tech billionaire bought the social media platform, and more recently, since Musk aligned with President Donald Trump. Former Twitter users have turned to other social media platforms like Meta's Threads and Bluesky, which has gained27 million userssince the November election.Read more: How to Delete Your X (Twitter) AccountWhat's the benefit of using X Money?We'll have to see what features are available when X Money is available. X Money could make it more convenient for creators on the platform to receive payments directly from the app.However, other details are still unclear, including how secure your banking data is or any fees for transferring money to your bank account. Some peer-to-peer apps also charge other fees, such as instant transfer and withdrawal fees.Will you be able to transfer crypto using X Money?Musk has been a proponent of Dogecoin, but there's been no mention of crypto being available on X Money at this time.Crypto transactions could be separate from X Money and Visa transactions, but there's still a chance, depending on X's plans.When will X Money be available?Even though Yaccarino announced that Visa is X Money's first digital wallet partner, we shouldn't expect an official launch for a while. It's still unclear whether this will roll out in phases or be available internationally. Neither Visa nor X immediately responded to a request for comment. More P2P payment news

Marvel Rivals is the popular new hero shooter featuring iconic Marvel characters, and they don't get any more iconic than Spider-Man. The web-slinging hero has a new skin available for the game, and it's one of the best yet. NetEase Games released the Spider-Man 2 skin for the hero on Thursday, the developer said in a blog post. Called the Advanced Suit 2.0, the outfit comes from Marvel's Spider-Man 2, the game that hit PS5 in 2023, and finally launched on Thursday for PC.The Spider-Man 2 Bundle is currently available in the Marvel Rivals in-game store and comes with the Once Bonded, Twice Shy emote, a nameplate and a spray for 1,400 units, or approximately $14. The skin itself can be purchased for just 1,200 credits, or approximately $12.Marvel Rivals is free to play, but just like in Fortnite, you can buy skins if you want to stand out from other players. While the Advanced Suit 2.0 outfit does cost some money, there are plenty of free skins available on Marvel Rivals. Some of those outfits require playing the game, inputting a code or just having a subscription to PlayStation Plus.These special Marvel Rivals skins are only available for a limited time. NetEase didn't provide a date for how long the Spider-Man 2 skin will be available, but once it's gone, don't expect to see it back in the shop anytime soon.Marvel Rivals is currently available for PS5, PC and Xbox Series consoles.

January 30, 20258 min readPolio Vaccines Saved America from the Disease. What Happens if We Lose Them?Polio, a disease that can cause lifelong paralysis, has been eliminated from the U.S. Experts fear a resurgence if lifesaving vaccines are revoked under the new administrationBy Tara Haelle edited by Lauren J. YoungA healthcare worker gives an oral vaccine to a child as part of the National Pulse Polio Immunization Campaign on March 3, 2024 in Srinagar, India. Umer Qadir/Eyepix Group/Alamy Live NewsEvery aspect of Grace Rossows life since she was around nine months old has been affected by polio. The vaccine-preventable gastrointestinal disease attacks the nervous system and can cause death or lifelong paralysis in severe cases. For Rossow, a 32-year-old surgery case coordinator in Springfield, Ill., the condition caused her to lose function in her entire left leg.Every time that I take a step, I have to think about it, she says. Her brain runs through every possibility: Is her leg going to slip out from under her? Is her knee going to buckle? Is she going to hurt herself? Its almost like a mental triage, Rossow adds.Rossow gets around using either her $30,000 leg brace or a $4,000 wheelchair. The medical gear is on top of 15 surgeries and other procedures that have cost more than $1 million. But Rossow considers her situation fortunate; her adoptive parents brought her from India to the U.S., where she received health care that few polio survivors around the world can access.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.There is no cure for polio. The only treatment available is supportive care. The most effective way to fight polio is the vaccine that prevents ita tool that almost immediately began reversing the course of the disease in the U.S. Until the vaccine, polio outbreaks paralyzed more than 15,000 people, mostly children, annually but decreased to less than 10 a year in the 1970s. Experts say that the virus can return on a large scale, however. It wouldnt take much for the disease to do so and begin spreading the same terror it once did in U.S. communities more than a half century ago.I shudder to think about this, says Patsy Stinchfield, a pediatric nurse practitioner and immediate past president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.Currently, she says, the U.S. has a highly immunized population, good disease surveillance and a strong public health response to isolate cases that emerge. There has also been high uptake of a highly effective vaccine that uses an inactivated (killed) virus; approximately 93 percent of U.S. children nationally are vaccinated against polio by age two. But if those layers of protection change, thats the recipe for a polio outbreak, Stinchfield says.Its pockets of the unimmunized that can bring diseases back. Patsy Stinchfield, former president of the National Foundation for Infectious DiseasesStinchfield is among the many public health experts who have concerns that the new Trump administration appointees might endorse policies and messaging that will weaken defenses against an outbreak. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., an environmental lawyer whom President Donald Trump has nominated to lead the nations Department of Health and Human Services, has falsely suggested that the polio vaccine cost more lives than it saved, as noted in the New York Times. In addition, one of his closest advisors, lawyer Aaron Siri, petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on behalf of the Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN) in 2022 to withdraw or suspend its approval of IPOL, the brand name for the standalone inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) available in the U.S. (Although combination polio vaccines exist and were not the subject of the petition, they also contain IPV.)Regardless of how the FDA ultimately responds, such petitionsincluding one from Siri, representing ICAN, to pause distribution of 13 other childhood vaccinesand related lawsuits can erode trust in vaccines, says Paul Offit, an infectious disease pediatrician and director of the Vaccine Education Center at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. Kennedy and his team did not respond to requests for comment. Siri and his team also did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.Trump has promised that people would not lose access to polio vaccines. But hes endorsed several other health-related appointees who have made past statements conveying doubt about different recommended vaccines. Trumps nominee for director of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionphysician and former congressional representative of Florida David Weldonhas promoted inaccurate information about vaccines, including the widely debunked claim that they cause autism. Weldon and his team did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.A resurgence in polio wouldnt just affect unvaccinated individuals. Risk for infection would spike for vulnerable groups, including babies too young to be vaccinated and the estimated 17 million immunocompromised adults who cannot be vaccinated or would remain susceptible despite vaccination.Pediatric vaccination rates took a hit during the COVID pandemic, when millions of missed routine doctors visits lowered national immunization rates. Many families are now getting caught up on vaccines, but data shows that antivaccine misinformation that increased during the pandemic continues to counteract those gains in vaccine uptake. In the 20112012 school year, 1.2 percent of American kindergarteners nationwide had a nonmedical exemption from vaccines required for school, but that number has been rising. In the 20232024 school year, 3.3 percent of kindergarteners had an exemptionnearly all of which were nonmedicalfrom one or more vaccines required for school. The rate is the highest in recent history.Any attempts to withdraw an FDA approval of a vaccine would need to prove it is not safe or not effective and would likely face manufacturers lawsuits. But if Kennedy becomes HHS secretary, he would have broad powers over the CDCs vaccine messaging and policy, including the ability to revoke the agencys vaccine recommendations.Iron lungs lined up in the Ranchos Los Amigos Respiratory Center, Los Angeles, CA, 1950.Bettmann/Getty ImagesWhy Polio Could Still Enter the U.S.A populations protection against polio outbreaks is largely influenced by herd immunitythe threshold at which a large enough proportion of people are immune to a disease from vaccination or infection. A herd immunity level of about 80 percent is necessary to sustain protection against polio in a community, according to the World Health Organization.Its pockets of the unimmunized that can bring diseases back, Stinchfield says. If you have a community of people geographically close to each other and they all choose not to vaccinate, that community immunity is going to drop quickly. And if a person who has polio or is shedding polio enters that community, the spread will be much more rapid.Since the development of the first polio vaccine in 1955, there have been two options for immunization: an inactivated, or killed virus, vaccine and an oral polio vaccine containing weakened live versions of all three types of the virus found in the wild. The oral vaccine, which was discontinued in the U.S. in 2000, is more effective at achieving herd immunity because people shed the virus in their feces and saliva, and those who dont receive the vaccine may come in contact with the weakened viruses and develop antibodies against polio. The problem with the oral vaccine is the occasional instability of the virus.As the virus from the vaccine is shed from person to person, it can mutate and regain the neurovirulence [ability to attack the nervous system] and transmissibility of the wild virus, says Offit. In other words, the weakened virus can revert to a contagious, paralytic form that can cause polio in unvaccinated people.One of the biggest causes of polio outbreaks today is from such a virusknown as vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2)which began spreading more widely after many countries started to use a newer version of the vaccine that did not protect against wild type 2 poliovirus. People were left unprotected from it, and existing undetected transmission of VDPV2 just intensified, Offit says, causing a resurgence of type 2 infections.VDPV2 infections cause paralysis in about 300 to 500 people globally each year. An updated oral vaccine has a more stable type 2 virus that rarely reverts to its paralytic form, but VDPV2 continues to be detected in wastewater in countries around the world, including European countries that havent seen polio cases in decades. Outbreaks in places that have already eliminated polio, such as the Gaza outbreak last summer, are caused by VDPV2.People think that polio is gone, but that virus is not gone. Paul Offit, director, Vaccine Education Center at Childrens Hospital of PhiladelphiaThe inactivated polio vaccine does not carry this risk but is less effective at community-level protection. Its best used to maintain control of polio in countries where its already eliminated, such as the U.S. But people who receive the inactivated vaccine are only protected against diseasedeveloping symptoms or paralysisnot against infection or transmission, explains James Cherry, a professor of pediatrics at the University of California, Los Angeles. That means the virus can cause an asymptomatic infection in someone whos had the inactivated vaccine. That person could then shed the virus in their feces for three to six weeks and in their saliva for up to two weeks.Enough of that circulation could potentially cause an outbreak if it reached vulnerable and unvaccinated individuals, Cherry says, who knows firsthand what that looks like. He remembers caring for polio patients as a young doctor in the late 1950sand even sometimes manually operating the iron lung (mechanical ventilator) that enabled patients to breathe when the virus had paralyzed their breathing muscles.It comes on suddenly, its highly, highly contagious, and its entirely preventable, says Linda Lindeke, a retired nursing professor at the University of Minnesota. She lost her best friend, Sandra, in first grade to polio in 1954, inspiring her to become a pediatric nurse practitioner. Children should not die the way Sandra did, Lindeke says.In addition to VDPV2, wild type 1 could potentially cause outbreaks in the U.S. It is currently circulating in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but Stinchfield cautions that viruses dont know geographic borders. Lindeke and other health professionals fear that growing public distrust of vaccines may cause polio vaccination rates to fall, opening the door to wild type 1 or vaccine-derived cases to seed outbreaks.How Polio Outbreaks Could ReturnNo one at the orphanage Rossow lived at knew how she contracted polioshe was the only child with symptomsbut thats the nefarious nature of polio. About 70 percent of people infected with the disease never show any symptoms. Others have flulike symptoms, and up to 5 percent develop meningitis, but only one in 200 to 2,000 develop permanent paralysis, depending on the virus type.A paralytic case is the tip of the iceberg, says Walter Orenstein, former associate director of the Emory Vaccine Center at Emory University. There could be hundreds or over 1,000 people already infected at the time you see a paralytic case. By the time a paralytic case occurs, widespread transmission is likely already occurring; large-scale vaccination efforts would be needed to stop it, he adds.Further, its impossible to track who is infected and spreading the disease. In 2022 public health officials were unable to trace the source of infection of a man who developed paralytic polio in a highly unvaccinated community in Rockland County in New York State. They were also unable to determine if anyone else might have been infected. Polio can linger in the environment for months. The polio type the Rockland County resident contracted was initially detected in the wastewater of Rockland and a neighboring county. Between March and October of that year, 89 wastewater samples from at least four additional New York State counties tested positive for poliovirus.Every time that I take a step, I have to think about it. Grace Rossow, polio survivorOffit suspects VDPV2 could already be circulating undetected in the wastewater of some major U.S. cities. A CDC spokesperson said wastewater testing for polio is not routinely done in the U.S., though it can be done in at-risk communities as needed.People think that polio is gone, but that virus is not gone, Offit says. It could be circulating in pockets of the U.S. right now, with cases being prevented only by high vaccination levels. But if those levels drop dramatically, we might not realize the dangers until its too late.If we stop vaccinating today, we probably wouldnt have outbreaks tomorrow because it would take some time for susceptible people to accumulate, Orenstein says. So some of the anti-vaxxers could say, See? We didnt need vaccines. But then as susceptible [people] accumulate and we get introductions of these pathogens, we will see outbreaks.Highly immunized communities are the defense, Orenstein adds. The offense is finishing the job of eradicating polio.

DrDisrespect studio Midnight Society announces closure four months after "significant" layoffsAs Google lifts streamer's monetisation ban.Image credit: Midnight Society News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on Jan. 31, 2025 Midnight Society, the studio co-founded by controversial streamer Guy "Dr Disrespect" Beahm, is shutting its doors, four months after making "significant" layoffs. The news comes as Google announces it's lifting Beahm's YouTube monetisation ban, which was put in place following his admission of "inappropriate" behaviour with a "minor" last year.Midnight Society was founded by Beahm and former Call of Duty community manager Robert Bowling in 2021, and the studio announced its first title - free-to-play vertical extraction shooter Deaddrop - the following year. Development on Deadrop has continued since then, but 2024 proved challenging for the studio amid Beahm's admission he exchanged "messages with an individual minor back in 2017" that "leaned too much in the direction of being inappropriate".Bowling and Midnight Society were quick to distance themselves from Beahm when the allegations around his behaviour first surfaced, but the studio was seemingly unable to weather the resulting storm. It announced "significant" layoffs in September, blaming "multiple unexpected challenges in recent months." And now Midnight Society is shutting down."Today, we are announcing Midnight Society will be closing its doors after three incredible years, with an amazing team of 55 developers contributing to our new IP Deadrop," the studio wrote in a statement shared on social media, adding it is "actively seeking other game studios that would be interested in offering employment opportunities to our talented team members.""We express our sincere gratitude to each and every one of our community members," the developer concluded, "and [are] deeply sorry we were unable to reach our ultimate goal."Midnight Society's closure coincides with the news Google has lifted its suspension preventing Beahm from monetising his YouTube channel. The channel was initially demonetised following Beahm's admission of "inappropriate" behaviour with a "minor" last June, and Google chose to uphold that suspension following an appeal in October - despite Beahm's attempts to backtrack on his earlier statement in September, when he began referring to the messages as "jokes". Now, however, Google has announced a reversal of its decision."DrDisrepsect was previously suspended from the YouTube Partner Program for violations of our Creator Responsibility policies," it wrote in a statement shared by Kotaku's Ethan Gach . "Creators who are suspended from this program can reapply for access, and after careful review of the channel's recent activity, we've reinstated it. If there are further violations, we'll take appropriate action." Google did not specify what had changed since last year's appeal."What a fucking weird world, huh?", Beahm said in a stream following YouTube's reversal (via Kotaku). "On the day that Midnight Society closes, we get monetisation. What a fucking trip."

It's been a long time coming - seven years, in fact - but Netflix's animated adaption of Devil Cry is almost upon us. The streaming service has announced the series premieres on 3rd April, and there's a trailer of sorts to accompany the news. Read more

While elaborate sleep setups like romantic canopy beds are back in style, the most streamlined silhouette for your bedroom will always and forever be one of the best platform beds. The elevated, minimal, often headboard-less look is still very in these days, buoyed by the popularity of Japandi-influenced bed frames like the Instagram-beloved Floyd. More and more brands are putting their spin on the genre these days, offering lots of ways to enhance your bedroom aesthetics plus plenty of storage underneath when closet space is sparse. Theyre also ready to pair with your mattress, no box spring required, meaning one less thing to buy.Our editors and contributors have tested several kinds of platform beds over the years, and have some thoughts on whats for keeps, and what squeaks enough to do without. Among our top contenders, there are plenty of gorgeous platforms in the mix, from ones made with solid wood to upholstered fabric finishes. Read on to hear more about our favorite platform beds over the years that will raise your bedrooms profilealong with details on return windows and warranty details should you want to give it the heave-ho after your own round of testing.Unless otherwise noted, prices reflect queen-size beds. However, most of them are available in additional sizes.Our Top Picks for the Best Platform Beds:Best Budget Choice: Buhr Contemporary Modern Wood Platform Bed, $350Best for Small Spaces: West Elm Simple Bed Frame, $359Best Mid-Century Style: Zinus Mid-Century Modern Wood Spindle Platform, $284Best Easy Assembly Option: Thuma The Bed, $1,250Best Under-Bed Clearance:Best Low-Lying Frame: The Floyd Platform Bed, $956Browse According to Category:Best Platform Beds, OverallBest Budget Choice: Buhr Contemporary Modern Wood Platform BedGeorge Oliver Buhr Contemporary Modern Wood Platform BedSpecsMaterial: Metal, manufactured wood, solid woodSizes available: Twin, full, queen, kingFinishes available: WalnutReturns and WarrantiesReturn window: 30 NightsWarranty: Five yearsFor those on the hunt for an affordable bed frame option that doesnt skimp on style, this model from Wayfair delivers. It's easy to assemble and unassuming enough that it wont stick out like a sore thumb in your home. Contributor and tester Yelena Moroz Alpert especially recommends it for anyone who needs a bed for a kids room or guest room. Its a solid choice for someone on a budget. It looks substantial enough and is not flimsy upon construction, she said. When I was sitting up and reading at night, the headboard did not hit against the wall or feel as if I was pushing it back. She also notes that despite its mixture of real wood and MDF, all the faux wood parts look real enough to pass muster upon inspection.Best for Small Spaces: West Elm Simple Bed FrameWest Elm Simple Bed FrameSpecsMaterials: Solid and engineered wood with woodslats for a sturdy foundationSizes available: Twin, full, queen, kingFinishes available: White, acornLeg Heights: 7" or 14.7"Returns and WarrantiesReturn window: 30 daysWarranty: Not availableWhat this straightforward, traditional bed frame lacks in surprises it makes up for with sturdiness and quality. The solid wood frame is available in white (pictured) or acorn and designed to be paired (if you like) with West Elm headboards. Our tester, contributor Katie Henwood, touted its storage capabilities in our best bed frames round up, saying, Anyone looking to create more space in their small apartment, this is the bed frame for you. Its not bulky like some bed frames that come with storage built in, and is simple enough to take with you wherever you go in the future. Choose from two leg heights, depending on how low to the ground you want your bed to feel.Best Easy-Assembly Bed: Thuma The BedThe Bed by ThumaSpecsMaterial: Handcrafted, repurposed wood bed frame, 100% polyester pebbled linen-weave PillowBoard, recycled plastic slatsSizes available: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California kingFinishes available: Walnut, natural, espresso, grayReturns and WarrantiesReturn window: 100 daysWarranty: LifetimeMade of upcycled and repurposed rubber wood, this eco-friendly option from Thuma has a reputation for its Japanese joinery. Pieces easily slide into place so shoppers dont have to puzzle over an assembly manual. Not only does it come in every size under the sun, you can even order it as a daybed that comes with cushioned, upholstered panels on one of the longer sides, as well. Editor and tester Zo Sessums reported the beds assembly as hassle-free, like building with giant Lincoln Logs, and loved how hefty the frame looks. The Japanese craftsman technique was true to the promise of having a quiet, easy-to-put-together setup, Zo said. The only thing she didnt love about the bed was the repurposed wood materials that make up the bed, which she felt had a lower-quality, MDF-looking appearance.Best MidCentury Style: Zinus MidCentury Modern Wood Spindle PlatformRachel FletcherZinus Mid-Century Modern Wood Spindle Platform BedSpecsMaterial: WoodSizes available: Twin, full, queen, kingFinishes available: OakReturns and WarrantiesReturn window: 30 daysWarranty: Five yearsWith a midcentury-modern design that nods to vintage silhouettes thanks to its wood spindle headboard, this frame from Zinus marries affordability with sturdiness according to commerce director Rachel Fletcher. Its got a high-quality, handsome design thats easy to put together and all for a super affordable cost. The style of the Linda is pretty agnosticits a little midcentury, a little Scandinavianso much so that I can imagine it fitting into a host of home decor aesthetics, from a cozy cabin to something more minimalist or beachy or boho, Rachel previously explained. With the Linda, the decor world is your oyster.Best Option With Under-Bed Clearance: The Sapling Studio Platform BedScandinavian Minimalist Birch Platform Bed FrameSpecsMaterials: Birch woodSizes available: Twin, twin XL, full, full XL, queen, kingFinishes available: BirchReturns and WarrantiesReturn window: Exchanges accepted within seven daysWarranty: n/aAfter more than a year of hunting high and low for the perfect modern platform bed for her small apartment, our associate commerce director Lori Keong finally chanced upon this Scandi-style option on Etsy from a small woodworking business based in Denver, Colorado. It had less than five reviews at the time, but ended up being a solid, zero-regrets bedding purchase. Everything ships out flat packed, with jigsaw puzzle-like pieces that fit together snugly so you never have to hassle with slats wiggling around and squeaking underneath you. Keong claims that noise has never been an issue for her, either, and that the bed feels as sturdy as the day she put it together (in about 15 minutes, which is a breeze). Another major perk is that the bed is raised nearly a foot off the ground, so shes been able to squeeze all kinds of storage containers and bags under there. The only downside is that because this is an Etsy purchase, you wont find traditional warranty options here.Best Low-Lying Frame: The Floyd Platform BedThe Floyd Platform BedSpecsMaterial: TSCA Title VI-certified birch veneer and birch plywood, powder-coated steel supports, nylon ratchet strapsSizes available: Twin, twin XL, full, full XL, queen, kingFinishes available: birch or walnut wood, white or black steel supportsReturns and WarrantiesReturn window: 30 daysWarranty: 10 yearsThere was a time after its release in 2015 when the Floyd bed felt almost ubiquitous. Everyone and their favorite influencer owned or wanted one of these beds. Though their popularity has waned a bit over the years, wed be remiss to not mention them on this list. Our tester, senior digital editor Zo Sessums, likes that the Floyd is very customizable, whether or not you want a matching headboard or built-in storage drawers tacked on or not. Assembly and hauling the pieces up the stairs of her fourth-floor walkup was a bigger issue, but once youve gotten a hang of the setup the process gets easier: All you need to do is secure the steel brackets to the frame and then tighten the panel to said brackets. Its a nice addition if you like to sit up to read in bed, she noted.More Stylish Bed Frames to Check OutThough we havent had a chance to conk out on top of any of these bed frames below, we wanted to give you some more stylish options to peruse, along with more affordable options under $1,000.Aurora Bed FrameA Sleek and Simple Option: Sometimes, simpler is better. This pine and steel frame is as solid as they come, and available in both walnut and natural, giving you options to pick from whatever best blends in with your bedroom style. It doesnt have a headboard, making it a little more low profile if youre working with a smaller space that you dont want to overwhelm.Mid-Century Side Storage Platform BedFor Built-In Storage: Style and storage come together in this low-profile platform bed with shelves built right in. It eliminates the need for a nightstand, making it an ideal choice for small spaces (were looking at you, New York apartment dwellers). The bed frame is made of sustainably sourced, kiln-dried wood and built in a Fair Trade Certified facility. It has solid spruce wood slats, works with queen- and king-size mattresses, and it is available in two colors: pebble gray and chestnut (pictured).Casper Upholstered Bed FrameFor Barebones Upholstery: Not only does Casper make some of the best mattresses (including all-foam and hybrid mattresses), but it also makes top-notch bed frames. The Upholstered Bed Frame is a classic, clean frame made with sustainably sourced wood. You can pair with an upholstered headboard, or leave it without.Castlery Madison BedFor Hotel-Worthy Aesthetics: The Madison Bed is highlighted by its biscuit-tufted headboard and fully-upholstered frame, which make it a cozy, soft addition good for any room in the house. It comes in both queen and king sizes and is built on sturdy rubber wood legs, which are finished with a classic walnut stain.DWR Queen Kiral BedFor Aesthetic Excellence: The Kiral bed is simplicity and sunken-in design at its finest. This bed is made with beautiful white ash wood with natural wood grain and color variations. You can also opt in to having a headboard, if you want.KD Frames Fold Platform BedFor Frequent Movers: If youre short on space or just between short-term sublets, there are some folding options out there that can do the trick. This is one of the more popular picks, as it gives off a Scandinavian/minimalist design vibe when in use and practically disappears (as much as a bed can) when its all folded up. While unfinished, the wood construction is high-quality and sturdy for accommodating all types of mattresses.How We Tested These Bed FramesHere at AD, we test our bed frames the old fashioned way: measuring how long it takes to set them up in our homes, how much they squeak and creak in the night, and if they have the right support necessary to prop up our massive, modern mattresses. We considered all the factors any other shopper might: ease and cost of shipping and handling, whether theres a returns and warranty process, along with how they felt to sleep on. Though several beds have passed in and out of our homes, only a select few made this list that we felt combined style chops, sturdiness, and easy assembly to the fullest effect. For more intel on what goes through our minds as we test, read our mega bed frames guide that breaks down the criteria for each option.