On Thursday, Microsoft announced that its rolling OpenAIs reasoning model o1 out to its Copilot users, and now OpenAI is releasing a new reasoning model, o3-mini, to people who use the free version of ChatGPT. This will mark the first time that the vast majority of people will have access to one of OpenAIs reasoning models, which were formerly restricted to its paid Pro and Plus bundles.Reasoning models use a chain of thought technique to generate responses, essentially working through a problem presented to the model step by step. Using this method, the model can find mistakes in its process and correct them before giving an answer. This typically results in more thorough and accurate responses, but it also causes the models to pause before answering, sometimes leading to lengthy wait times. OpenAI claims that o3-mini responds 24% faster than o1-mini.These types of models are most effective at solving complex problems, so if you have any PhD-level math problems youre cracking away at, you can try them out. Alternatively, if youve had issues with getting previous models to respond properly to your most advanced prompts, you may want to try out this new reasoning model on them. To try out o3-mini, simply select Reason when you start a new prompt on ChatGPT.Although reasoning models possess new capabilities, they come at a cost. OpenAIs o1-mini is 20 times more expensive to run than its equivalent non-reasoning model, GPT-4o mini. The company says its new model, o3-mini, costs 63% less than o1-mini per input token However, at $1.10 per million input tokens, it is still about seven times more expensive to run than GPT-4o mini.This new model is coming right after the DeepSeek release that shook the AI world less than two weeks ago. DeepSeeks new model performs just as well as top OpenAI models, but the Chinese company claims it cost roughly $6 million to train, as opposed to the estimated cost of over $100 million for training OpenAIs GPT-4. (Its worth noting that a lot of people are interrogating this claim.)Additionally, DeepSeeks reasoning model costs $0.55 per million input tokens, half the price of o3-mini, so OpenAI still has a way to go to bring down its costs. Its estimated that reasoning models also have much higher energy costs than other types, given the larger number of computations they require to produce an answer.This new wave of reasoning models present new safety challenges as well. OpenAI used a technique called deliberative alignment to train its o-series models, basically having them reference OpenAIs internal policies at each step of its reasoning to make sure they werent ignoring any rules.But the company has found that o3-mini, like the o1 model, is significantly better than non-reasoning models at jailbreaking and challenging safety evaluationsessentially, its much harder to control a reasoning model given its advanced capabilities. o3-mini is the first model to score as medium risk on model autonomy, a rating given because its better than previous models at specific coding tasksindicating greater potential for self-improvement and AI research acceleration, according to OpenAI. That said, the model is still bad at real-world research. If it were better at that, it would be rated as high risk, and OpenAI would restrict the models release.

See at ExpressVPN Best VPN for streaming ExpressVPN See at ExpressVPN See more details See at Peacock Watch the 2025 Six Nations in the US from $8 per month Peacock See at Peacock See more details See at ITV Carries 2025 Six Nations games for free in the UK ITV See at ITV See more details See at Virgin Media Carries live coverage of the 2025 Six Nations Virgin Media See at Virgin Media See more details See at Stan Sport Watch the Six Nations in Australia from AU$27 a month Stan Sport See at Stan Sport See more details See at DAZN Watch the Six Nations in Canada from CA$30 a month DAZN See at DAZN See more details See at Sky Broadcasting every 2025 Six Nations games live in New Zealand Sky Sport See at Sky See more details Table of Contents The 2025 Six Nations kicks off at the Stade de France with an intriguing opening fixture between pretournament favorites France and out-of-form Wales.The French have inspirational captain Antoine Dupont back among the ranks and will be aiming to build on their autumn international wins over New Zealand and Australia.The Welsh, meanwhile, can only improve, having lost all five matches during their 2024 Six Nations campaign. Currently on a dire 12-match losing streak, there's little expectation that Warren Gatland's side will end that run in Paris today.Below, we'll outline the bestlive TV streaming servicesto use to stream this Six Nations 2025 match, no matter where you are in the world. Scrum-half Antoine Dupont has returned as France captain after missing the 2024 Six Nations to concentrate on representing France in the Rugby Sevens event at last year's Paris Olympic Games. Giampiero Sposito/Getty ImagesFrance vs. Wales: When and where?France hosts Wales at the Stade de France in Paris onFriday, Jan. 31. Kickoff is set for9:15 p.m. CET local time in France, which makes it an 8:15 p.m. GMT start in the UK, a 3:15 p.m. ET or 12:15 p.m. PT kickoff in the US and Canada, and a 7:15 a.m. AEDT start on Saturday, Feb. 1 in Australia. How to watch France vs. Wales online from anywhere using a VPNIf you can't view this year's Six Nations locally, you may need a different way to watch this match; this is where a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic. It's also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins. With a VPN, you can virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like ourEditors' Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this. Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Australia, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you're streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions. Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other greatVPN dealstaking place right now. James Martin/CNET 2024 Latest Tests DNS leaks detected, 25% speed loss in 2024 testsNetwork 3,000 plus servers in 105 countriesJurisdiction British Virgin Islands ExpressVPN isour current best VPN pickfor people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It's normally $13 a month, but if you sign up for an annual subscription for $100 you'll get three months free and save 49%. That's the equivalent of $6.67 a month.Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. 61% off with 2yr plan (+4 free months) See at ExpressVPN Livestream France vs. Wales in the US Select Six Nations matches this season are being broadcast in the US on NBC; however this tournament opening match isn't one of them. The good news is that streaming servicePeacockis showing every match of the tournament live in the US. You'll need a Peacock Premium or Premium Plus account to catch games live. NBC's streaming service, Peacock, offers access to all the matches of the 2025 Six Nations. Peacock offers two Premium plans, and after the recent price increases, the ad-supported Premium plan costs $8 a month and the ad-free Premium Plus plan is $14 a month. See at Peacock Watch France vs. Wales for free in the UK Rugby fans in the UK are once again among the luckiest in the world, with all matches of the 2025 Six Nations set to be shown live on free-to-air networks BBC and ITV. This means viewers in the UK will be able to stream every game for free onITVX. and BBC iPlayer. This opening match of the tournament will be shown live on ITV1, with coverage starting at 7:30 p.m. GMT. ITV ITV's streaming online streaming service is free to viewers in the UK, with dedicated apps available for Apple and Android devices, as well as most smart TVs. See at ITV Watch France vs. Wales for free in Ireland Live coverage is split between free-to-air terrestrial broadcasters RTE and Virgin Media in Ireland. That means you'll be able to stream games for free on their streaming platformsVirgin Media Playerand RTE Player. This opening fixture will be shown on Virgin Media One, with coverage starting at 7:30 p.m. GMT. You can live stream 2025 Six Nations games for free usingVirgin Media Playeror via the network's TV Anywhere app, which is available for nearly all devices, including smartphones, tablets, computers and more. See at Virgin Media Stream France vs. Wales in Australia Rugby fans Down Under can watch Six Nations matches on streaming service Stan Sport, which has exclusive rights to show games live in Australia this season. Stan Sport will set you back AU$15 a month (on top of a standard Stan subscription which starts at AU$12 per month for the service's Basic tier.A subscription will also give you access to Uefa Champions League Europa League and Europa Conference League soccer action, as well as international rugby and Formula E. See at Stan Sport Stream France vs. Wales in Canada If you want to stream Six Nations games live in Canada, subscribe to DAZN Canada. The service has exclusive broadcast rights to the tournament this season. A DAZN subscription costs CA$35 a month or CA$250 a year. It will also give you access to Champions League, Europa League and EFL Championship soccer and WTA tennis.As well as dedicated apps for iOS and Android, there's a wide range of support for set-top boxes and smart TVs. See at DAZN Stream France vs. Wales in New Zealand Pay TV broadcaster Sky Sport has broadcast rights to show every 2025 Six Nations game live in New Zealand. Pay-TV broadcaster Sky Sport will be showing every 2025 Six Nations game in New Zealand. That also means you can also watch every game online using the network's Sky Go streaming service. See at Sky Quick tips for streaming the 2025 Six Nations using a VPNWith four variables at play -- your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN -- your experience and success when streaming Six Nations Rugby action live may vary.If you don't see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the "search for city or country" option.If you're having trouble getting the game after you've turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs -- like Roku -- don't have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you'll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you're using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network's sports app, you'll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you're using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommendBrave.

January 30, 20256 min readNewfound Asteroid May Hit Earth in 2032, Scientists SayThe possibility of the asteroid 2024 YR24 impacting our planet might not be ruled out until 2028, raising the prospect well need to prepare for the worstBy Jonathan O'Callaghan edited by Lee BillingsAn illustration of an asteroid approaching Earth. James Thew/Alamy Stock PhotoIn late December astronomers using the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Chile observed a new asteroid near our planet. Dubbed 2024 YR24, the objectsomewhere between 40 and 100 meters in sizewas spotted on December 27. The asteroids closest approach to Earth, it turned out, had been two days earlier, when YR24 was about 800,000 kilometers from our planet, roughly twice as far away as the moon. It was zooming right by Earth, says John Tonry, an astronomer at the University of Hawaii. Such objects are not uncommon; there are thousands of asteroids of this size or greater in our region of the solar system. But this one warranted further attention to make sure it wouldnt pose a risk to our planet in future.Rather than ruling out an impact, however, follow-up observations have done quite the opposite. On January 27 a NASA service called Sentry, which monitors potential asteroid impacts by pooling together observations from telescopes around the world, upgraded the risk of YR24 to our planet to an unprecedented degree. YR24, it seemed, had a 1.3 percent chance of hitting Earth on December 22, 2032. This assessment corresponds to a threat level of 3 on the Torino scale, a metric that ranks the danger an asteroid poses to Earth on an ascending scale from 1 to 10. Two days later the European Space Agency (ESA) announced that it had estimated a similar impact risk, and as this story went to press NASAs Sentry service had upped the impact risk to 1.6 percent.The chance of an impact is still low. There is a 99 percent probability that this is going to miss, and thats what we expect to happen, says Davide Farnocchia, a scientist at the Center for Near Earth Object Studies at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This is a higher impact risk to our planet, however, than that of any asteroid since Apophis, which, for a brief while in December 2004, was estimated to have a 2.7 percent chance of hitting our planet in 2029. Better observations of Apophis eventually refined its orbit so that astronomers could confidently say it would miss. They are expecting that to happen with YR24, toobut so far, the ongoing analysis has been trending in the other direction. The probability is increasing, says Juan Luis Cano, planetary defense coordinator at ESAs Near-Earth Object Coordination Center. And that might pose an interesting dilemma.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.If an asteroid the size of YR24 were to hit our planet, it would not end life on Earth, but it would be devastating. At that size, the impact would be equivalent to a 10-megaton bomb, Tonry saysmore than enough to cause widespread regional decimation. Everything within three or four kilometers would be incinerated, Tonry says. Everything out to maybe 10 kilometers is smashed. Its not a nuclear explosion, but its an extremely hot explosion. There would be a huge fireball that would start fires out to 15 kilometers, something like that. It would kill a lot of people if they havent moved out of the way.Observations suggest YR24 is a stony asteroid rather than a metal-rich one, says Melissa Brucker, a planetary scientist at the University of Arizona. That means it would likely explode from the pressure in the upper atmosphere instead of reaching Earths surface. This could make its impact similar to the famous Tunguska event in 1908, when a suspected asteroid or comet burst over Russia and flattened 2,150 square kilometers of remote Siberian forest. We think YR24 is about the same size as the Tunguska event [object], Brucker says. A more recent example of such an impact occurred in 2013, when a meteor estimated at 20 meters wide exploded over the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia, shattering windows and injuring hundreds of people.Near Earth Asteroid 2024 YR4, as seen by the European Southern Observatorys Very Large Telescope in January 2025, shortly after the object was discovered in December 2024. As of January 29, 2025, the asteroid has an almost 99% chance of safely passing Earth on December 22, 2032, but a possible impact cannot yet be entirely ruled out.ESO/O. Hainaut et al. (CC BY 4.0)While we cant say for sure where YR24 would strike our planet, we can geographically constrain where Earth would possibly take the hit based on the projected impact date of December 22, 2032, says Daniel Bamberger, an amateur astronomer in Germany, who has calculated the asteroids possible impact corridor. The area under threat is a swath extending from the Pacific Ocean through northern South America, the Atlantic Ocean, sub-Saharan Africa, the Arabian Sea and parts of South Asia. We knew we would one day find such an object with a reasonably high chance of impact, he says.Although apparently remote, the impact risk of YR24 remains worthy of notice, says Richard Binzel, a planetary scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who created the Torino scale in 1997. A roughly 1 percent chance seems vanishingly small, and late 2032 may seem far-off, but the odds can rapidly worsen, and attempts to deflect or mitigate an impactor would require years to plan and execute. As astronomers get further views of the asteroid and better track its orbit, its Torino ranking may drop to level 1 and ultimately 0. But if instead such orbital refinements reveal Y24 on an ever tightening trajectory toward our planet, its assessed hazard could ascend to level 8 on the scale, the highest level possible for an asteroid of this size. Level 8 means a certain collision, Binzel says.The risk of the asteroid hitting our planet could be promptly dismissed if astronomers find historical observations of YR24 from long-running surveys and gain knowledge of its trajectory over a long period of time. It would immediately be clear if there was an impact or no impact, Bamberger says. That would be the end of the story. Astronomers think such observations might have occurred during telescope surveys that were operational when the asteroid was calculated to have made a previous pass by Earth in 2016, but so far, archival searches have come up short. We have been doing this for two weeks now, and unfortunately we havent succeeded, Cano says.And time is of the essence. The asteroid is currently moving away from Earth, and by April, it will no longer be visible to telescopes. Outside this slim window of opportunity, the next chance to observe the asteroid to assess its threat wont arrive until YR24 next swoops near Earth in 2028the only such pass before the unnerving deadline of December 22, 2032. If the asteroid still poses an impact risk by then, there would be perilously little time to stand up a robust response. Prudence may thus demand devising a mitigation strategy in the interim on the off chanceeven if remotethat the asteroid could hit.When it comes whipping by in 2028, we could have a mission basically all ready to go when new observations come in, Tonry says. Alternatively, he adds, we could decide to leave it alone if forecasts show the asteroid wont strike Earth.Preparations for such a precautionary response could begin as soon as next week, when, by chance, meetings of the United Nations Space Mission Planning Advisory Group and the International Asteroid Warning Network will take place between space agencies. Were going to be looking very carefully at this object, Cano says. If the risk of impact cannot be ruled out before this April, the prospect of a deflection mission in 2028 might need to be seriously discussed. Eight years until the [potential] impact is a very challenging scenario, Cano says. It takes between three to five years to design and build a mission. It would be really constrained. Such a mission design could be similar to NASAs Double Asteroid Redirection Test, which successfully changed the orbit of an asteroid by slamming into it in September 2022.If deflection is not an option, the next one might be to explore evacuation measures on the ground in the predicted impact region, Farnocchia says. If the asteroids threat doesnt dissipate as expected, such dire discussions would be years away, assuming they happen at all. The overwhelmingly likely scenario is that more observations of YR24 will prove that it will miss our planet and pose no risk. And there are plenty of available telescopes that can make those observations. Cano says he has applied for time on NASAs James Webb Space Telescope to observe the asteroid, while Brucker says she could use the Keck Observatory in Hawaii to seek out YR24.Amid so much unsettling uncertainty, the rapid progression of astronomers responses to YR24 offers reasons for optimism. As powerless as we may sometimes feel against natural disastersespecially ones as extreme as the universe hurling a space rock at Earths facethe global imperative to track and study potentially threatening asteroids is paying off. Decades ago it was a tall order to simply detect an object like YR24 in the first place, not to mention precisely tracking its path and possibility for destruction. Today space scientists are remarkably close to completing their census of sizable near-Earth objects to determine just how dangerous any really are. All of the efforts that we have been doing in the last 20 years are fully devoted to finding asteroids and evaluating the chances that they will impact Earth, Cano says. Thats why we are here.

PlayStation takes aim at Bloodborne 60fps mod released in 2021Creator Lance McDonald says he has agreed to comply.Image credit: FromSoftware News by Tom Phillips Editor-in-Chief Published on Jan. 31, 2025 A high-profile mod that allows Bloodborne to run at 60fps has been hit by a legal takedown notification from PlayStation, its creator has said. Noted modder Lance McDonald revealed the legal request from Sony Interactive Entertainment today via a post on social media. The takedown specifically targets McDonald's famous Bloodborne patch that ups the game's frame-rate, released back in early 2021. It's unclear why PlayStation has finally decided to take action now, four years later.Digital Foundry dissects the Bloodborne 60fps hack and discusses it - and the game engine - in depth with Lance McDonald.Watch on YouTube"On 21st February 2021, I created and released a patch for Bloodborne which makes the game run at 60fps," McDonald wrote this afternoon."Today I received a DMCA takedown notification on behalf of Sony Interactive Entertainment asking that I remove links to the patch I posted on the internet, so I've now done so."Eurogamer has contacted PlayStation for comment. To see this content please enable targeting cookies.McDonald first announced plans to upgrade Bloodborne's frame-rate by, essentially, hacking the game back in 2020. Initially, however, McDonald held off as hoped Sony would update FromSoftware's beloved Soulslike itself. However, Sony has never issued a 60fps patch for Bloodborne, or shown any inclination of wanting to do so. Infamously, there's been no word of a PS5 version of the game, either."There's a real opportunity here for a genuinely crowd-pleasing piece of back-compat magic from Sony," Digital Foundry's John Linneman wrote in a deep-dive into how the Bloodborne 60fps patch worked with McDonald himself. "The question is whether the platform holder has any appetite at all to revisit the game."

Sniper Elite: Resistance - unambitious tech but well executed and lots of funPlayStation 5, PS5 Pro and Xbox Series consoles tested.Image credit: Rebellion Face-off by Oliver Mackenzie Contributor Published on Jan. 31, 2025 Rebellion has a strong track record of delivering great games with its in-house tech. The proprietary Asura engine delivers solid performance across a range of platforms, including the Nintendo Switch. But there's definitely a sense that the core engine technology is of a distinctly last-gen vintage, lacking certain key features we've come to associate with current-generation software. Sniper Elite: Resistance, is another cross-gen title - so it's probably best to temper technical expectations somewhat - but has the engine been pushed further than 2022's Sniper Elite 5 and how does performance and image quality fare across all four current-gen consoles?From a technical perspective, Sniper Elite: Resistance does some things well. Each level in Resistance takes place in a wide-open map, with plentiful enemy AI and a large number of routes to explore. That's the core of the Sniper Elite gameplay loop, and everything works just as you'd expect, with convincing enemy behaviour across the entire map and no real technical hiccups to speak of. Visually, I think Resistance does a great job of depicting environments at scale: many of the game's levels have lush, abundant foliage, along with draw distances that push impressive detail deep into the entire player view. The levels generally look good from just about any position or angle, with bombed-out buildings, bunkers, and churches often taking centrestage.Sniper Elite: Resistance - the Digital Foundry video review.Watch on YouTubeLighting in outdoor scenes also looks reasonable with strong direct lighting - even in nighttime scenes - and good-looking shadows. Interiors, though, are a bit more mixed. There are moments where the diffuse indirect lighting looks great but there are a greater number of moments with more questionable lighting quality. Rebellion relies heavily on screen-space ambient occlusion (SSAO) as a kind of indirect lighting hack to make environments look richer, but it's thick and applied indelicately, almost like an outline shader. There isn't a high quality GI solution to handle the complex lighting in many areas so lighting quality falls apart somewhat on close inspection. That's also sometimes true in outdoor areas that are blanketed in shade, where objects can appear to glow in some conditions.Beyond those details, Resistance fits well with a lot of last-gen software. The game assets - many of which are derived from photogrammetry - look reasonably good but not exceptional, with some slightly flat areas at times. Reflections are handled using a mix of screen-space reflections (SSR) and cubemaps - again, a very last-gen approach. That's not really too much of a slight though, because Rebellion is shipping this game on current and last-generation platforms simultaneously, so visual progression isn't necessarily something you'd expect.This also applies to the series' signature visual element, the x-ray kill cameras. These shots track the path of your bullet through an enemy, providing a visual reward for carefully-placed weapons fire. Sniper Elite 5 and Resistance provide very similar x-ray views, which look great. I do still slightly prefer the approach taken by Sniper Elite 4, which sometimes provided a more visceral visual result. Of course, if these shots aren't to your taste, they can be reduced in frequency or disabled entirely.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Resistance looks good enough for what it is: it's artistically sound, and on a basic technical level the stages and enemy encounters proceed smoothly. However, the state of the art moves ever onwards, and I'd love to see a true current-gen effort from Rebellion - or perhaps another of their boundary-pushing Switch ports, which are legitimately very impressive considering the hardware. In 2025 on PS5 Pro, Resistance looks decent but would have perhaps benefitted from a stronger current-gen focus. The other rendering issue with Resistance comes down to image quality where there's a lot of aliasing of various kinds, especially of the specular variety. The game is stricken with constant edge artifacts in almost every scenario, which are particularly clear when looking at distant geometry.Unfortunately, Resistance just doesn't make use of very effective antialiasing. TAA solutions are out of the picture here, let alone more advanced temporal upsamplers like FSR 2. It's possible that a light post-process technique could be in use here, but if present it is very light. The PC version doesn't have options for any anti-aliasing methods, nor selections for any particular kind of upscaling.Resolution wise, a dynamic 2160p resolution is used on PS5, PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X - it's just that Pro benefits from a higher general pixel count, with Pro and Series X spending more time at the 4K upper bounds. Otherwise, the games look very very similar without obvious divergence in other settings. Thankfully, the higher-end current gen platforms offer a steady 60fps update. Sudden changes in camera position can occasionally drop a frame or two, with the DRS system perhaps not keeping pace completely. Big explosions can also cause drops, especially when scoped in but outside of those very minor issues, it's a typically faultless 60fps. Performance on PS5, Pro and Xbox Series X is very, very similar. Essentially locked to 60fps with the tiniest of fluctuations - perhaps with rendering getting ahead of the dynamic resolution scaling system. | Image credit: Digital FoundryThere is however one minor problem I noted on PS5 Pro and PS5. Sometimes it can seem like camera travel isn't perfectly linear when panning the camera on a thumbstick, with subtle wobble visible. This usually isn't noticeable but occasionally it did register during my gameplay. The Xbox platforms were not affected in my experience. The situation on Series S is a little more interesting. Resolution takes a cut, decreasing from 4K on Series X to something around 1080p on Series S. That means more aggressive edge artifacts that alias over a larger area of the screen, but that's nothing out of the ordinary.What I did find unusual is that the game targets 30fps on Series S. To its credit, it's a flawless 30fps refresh in my experience without frame-rate stumbles, so it's not that bad for a Series S version. But a 60fps mode - at least as one option - would be typical on the S, especially in a cross-gen game. It's especially curious because Sniper Elite 5 originally targeted 60fps on Series S three years ago, delivering a slightly rocky 60fps update with frequent dips. But when I revisited the game on the S, I found that it too now has a 30fps lock in place. It seems that at some point in the last few years, Rebellion has changed their Series S approach to favour lower frame-rate experiences. That's not necessarily a bad trade-off, but I wouldn't mind seeing a proper 60fps option as well - preferably one that makes all the resolution and settings compromises needed to hit a decently consistent 60fps on Series S hardware. That should be possible, though it might not be especially pretty.There is a certain efficiency to Sniper Elite: Resistance's production that I admire. It arrives only two-and-a-half years after Sniper Elite 5, and packs a fully featured campaign with multiplayer offerings and a number of different modes. Relying on very similar engine technology certainly helps, as does taking usual Sniper Elite production shortcuts like using relatively static, simple cutscenes between levels. In a world where AAA titles often spend upwards of five years in development, perhaps this is an alternative, hopefully more sustainable game development model. Curiously, Xbox Series S has both a resolution cut to circa 1080p and only targets 30fps. This is pared back against Sniper Elite 5's launch but since we first tested it, that game has also had a 30fps cap added. | Image credit: Digital FoundryHowever, at the same time, there are certain characteristic faults that could have seen some attention in the time between the two titles. Various lighting and asset issues can be chalked up to the strains of cross-gen development, but the lack of anti-aliasing treatment is harder to excuse. Resistance is clear and sharp, but it shimmers like few other modern games. Gamers have become more and more sensitive to image quality issues like aliasing in recent years, and this feels like a bit of a blast from the past. Fortunately, performance is strong, logging a solid 60fps on the higher-end consoles, and a locked 30fps on Series S. That consistent update is a bit of a breath of fresh air, and comes without caveats or compromises.The game itself is also a good deal of Sniper Elite fun. In terms of the core mechanics, level design, and UI, this is very much a retread of Sniper Elite 5, though that's not necessarily a bad thing. The mix of planning, stealth, and long-range action is compelling enough, and I think series veterans will get a kick out of this entry. Like the graphics, though, I'm not seeing a clear progression past that last game. And there's still occasional clunkiness with basic camera and character movement that feels out of place for a new game in 2025. So for better or for worse, this is a hit of Sniper Elite content that looks and feels much the same as the last Sniper Elite entry. That's definitely going to appeal to a lot of players, but there's little new here to draw the eye.

People living in Los Angeles have always had to live alongside impending disaster. Go-bags for events like earthquakes and fires are not only for the ultra-prepared, but everyday households who know that the threat is real. Most people living in the city will have asked themselves what they would save in a fire, and the likelihood that they will have to grab those items in an evacuation one day looms in their imagination.But nobody could have been prepared for the fires that broke out in early January 2025. Eight months without rain along with the dry Santa Ana winds spurred wildfires at opposite ends of the city at the same time, in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena communities. These fires are the most destructive in Los Angeles history, leaving thousands of people displaced and without homes to return to. What should I save? quickly raced past the hypothetical and became a very real, very urgent necessity.AD spoke with just a small handful of the people who lost their homes about both what they managed to save and what they didnt. While some had just enough time to snag valuables and hard drives, others went straight for childhood belongings and hand-me-downs. All of them wish they could have saved more.A journal and stuffed animalsErin has lived in the Palisades for a long time, so shes very used to evacuation warnings. To her, as to many locals, it seemed like a typical brush fire. That is, until 11 a.m., when she received mandatory evacuation warnings followed by a message to pick her children up from school. My husband had about 15 minutes to load up the car and he called me to ask what I wanted, Erin recalls. The only thing she could think of was her one-line-a-day journal, which she had been keeping religiously since her first child was just a day old in 2012. While she had other journals she wanted, she wasnt sure of their location, and didnt want her husband to waste time looking for them. I also told him to grab Dog Dog, my youngest daughters woobie, as well as Bunny, which was my sons, she adds.Erins husband also managed to grab some photos, but little else. Every night as I try to go to sleep I think about all the things we missed, she says. My wedding dress, my first daughters favorite doll, a blanket my son cant sleep withoutthat blanket was actually the theme of his ninth birthday cake, he loved it so much. Images of them burning keep me up at night.A painting of Lauras son surfing by her friend.Photo: Laura BrauSix guitars, a painting, and diplomasGrowing up in the Palisades, real estate agent Laura was familiar with the threat of fire. However, while fires in the highlands were common, they rarely came off the hills. That day seemed different. Laura was at an open house when her husband called and insisted she leave work. After some back and forth, she relented. Everybody was looking at it like an alien in the sky, like, is this really happening? She remembered a fire in the Sepulveda Pass in 2020 that prompted an involuntary evacuation before she was allowed home after just four days, and began to pack enough for a similar length of time. As the fire developed, the situation seemed much more dire. Laura and her family started to take it more seriously, packing up passports, birth certificates, and photo albums.Lauras daughter packed her baby bear and a blanket made from a life of soccer jerseys. Her son, who doesnt live at home, asked for his diplomas and signed racing gloves. Her husband, a musician, grabbed six of his 26 guitars, but left his hard drive, losing the original recordings of his lifes work. On the way out of the door, Laura managed to take a painting her friend had done of her son surfing. While Laura regrets the things they missed, like her kids camp shirts, she says that shes luckier than most were. Above all, she misses her community, now scattered across LA: I feel like Im on a long business trip and I just want to go home, but I cant go home for a very long time.Consider supporting the GoFundMe campaign for the Brau familyA book and handwritten note from Martas late mom.Photo: Marta MaeA note from her late mother and vintage T-shirtsMarta and her fianc had turned their beachfront home in Malibu into a Tiki paradise reminiscent of Maui, where they got engaged in late 2023. From the silverware to the standing brass flamingo toilet paper holder to the tiki bar to the vintage furniture, every single thing was chosen to feel like vacation forever. Before they evacuated, Marta filmed a video walking through every room of her home whispering, I love you, I love you, I love you.The couple saw the fire break out from her balcony on PCH around 10:30 a.m. They were watching it closely and could see that it was getting worse, but when they got their evacuation order at 12 pm, they waited it out a little. We really didnt think the coast would burn, Marta recalls. The coast shouldnt burn. Later, the fire jumped, and they saw flames. They took just 15 minutes to pack; the first thing Marta grabbed was a book entitled What I Wish For You and a handwritten note, both given to her by her mom before she died. Its always been my most important possession and has always been the one thing I would save in a burning fire, hypothetically speaking, before fires were ever a real threat in my mind, she says.Marta also managed to grab three of her moms vintage tie-dyed T-shirts, some of her own favorite vintage T-shirts, and her fianc told her to take some high-value items just in case. We really didnt think this was going to happen, says Marta. If she had known, there are things she would have saved: her moms dress, which became her lucky dress, her moms ashes, heirlooms handed down from her father.A Rolex watch passed down to Kevin by his father.Photo: Kevin CooleyAn heirloom watchWhen the Eaton Fire broke out near Kevins home in Altadena, he was photographing the fire in the Palisades. As a wildfire photographer for over a decade, he had experience getting up close. After receiving a photo of Eaton Canyon from his wife, Kevin rushed home. My wife had already emptied our fire safe, and I put all my hard drives in the car, Kevin says. I didnt know what else to get. Like many people, he didnt believe the fire would actually make it to his home. There was two miles of dense housing that would have to burn before it got to us, and I thought it would never happen, he explains.Kevins father passed away last year, leaving him a gold Rolex that had belonged to his mothers father. His grandfather had lost his home in the 1961 Bel Air fire, and the watch linked him with Kevin. I suddenly felt like this watch had a connection to this person that I didnt quite know, but we both have this shared sense of loss, he says. My mom lost her childhood home in that fire. She always talked about the delineation of time in her life: before and after the fire. There are so many things that you dont have afterwards that you took for granted. I really feel like Im starting to understand what that means.Consider supporting the GoFundMe campaign for Kevin, Bridget, and CopiA framed photo of Meredith with her late father.Photo: Meredith HellmanA wedding ring, a blanket, and a photo of her late fatherMeredith spent most of January 7 glued to the TV watching the Palisades Fire unfold. When her power went out in Altadena, she thought it was just the power company being cautious, until texts about the Eaton Canyon fire started to come in from her tight-knit community. On the advice of their neighbors, Meredith and her husband packed go-bags with essential documents and clothes for their family, thinking they would only have to leave for a couple of days. On the way out the door with their suitcases, Meredith and her husband grabbed photos of their late fathers. It seemed silly at the time, but now Im so glad that we did, she says.After spending the night keeping an eye on the news and texting their neighbors, Meredith managed to fall asleep with her son in the early hours. My husband and his friend lasted until about 2 a.m. and then at 2:30 a.m. we were all awoken by a call from our neighbor telling us it was time to go because the embers were falling, she recalls. We all piled into the car and left, making sure to lock the door, because we really thought we'd be back home soon. She received official evacuation orders at 6:30 a.m. and a text from a neighbor that their entire block had burned down not long afterwards. From there its been hours, days and weeks of our new surreal reality, missing the life that we had and wondering what could have been in our perfect, little house on our perfect little street in Altadena.Thankfully, Meredith was already wearing her wedding ring when they evacuated, and she managed to grab her sons favorite blanket. Along with the photos of their fathers, these are the only sentimental items her family has. They represent a piece of my old life, before the fire, and bring me a little bit of happiness when everything feels too heavy, she says. Im mostly overwhelmed and sad for what has happened to my family and thousands of other families across Altadena, Malibu, and the Palisades, and the fear that we may not be able to rebuild what we once had. The one bright spot is seeing those communities come together to lift each other up as well as the unbelievable amount of support weve received from our friends and families during this devastating time.Consider supporting the GoFundMe campaign for the Diaz-Hellman familyKrystal managed to save two photo albums and a baby blanketPhoto: Krystal FiksdalSisters Erika, Alisa, Krystal, and their mom called the Palisades home for over four decades. They lost their multigenerational home in the fire.A Mickey Mouse photo album and a baby blanketKrystal has been her familys loyal archivist and curator for as long as she can remember. She has kept her childhood bedroom at her family home in the Palisades for more than 30 years, adapting it to suit her frequent adult trips home. Over time, she filled the room with treasures, collecting family heirlooms and documents as well as pieces from her own travels. Her dad is Norwegian and her mom is Finnish, so she had catalogued items from her familys unique heritage as well as Palisades memorabilia dating back to the 1980s. She was the keeper of this corner of the worlds history. I called it my museum, I even offered tours and yearbook or photo viewing sessions to a select few, she says. Just recently, Krystal gave her father a tour of the museum, taking him through the objects origins.Krystal and her family are all sentimental magpies, but when the fire came, they couldnt save much of their beloved collection. In the end, I left it all behind. A lifetime of over emphatically placing attachment on all of our history and every little item, she says. I was saving everything for my family and for my nieces and for my friends, but in the end, I walked out. Krystal managed to save her baby blanket, one Mickey Mouse photo album that she knew had old family photos and a small album of their family pets.Krystal is struggling to understand why her sentimental family didnt take more, and theyve been struggling with the guilt. In the end, she says that she felt that if she started to pick up objects, she would make it true. I put them down so I wouldnt breathe it into reality. Their family moved into their home in 1978, and it was the center of their universe. It would always be there, and then suddenly, it wasnt. Vanished off of the face of the earth before we could even process we had had to evacuate. Now, Krystal walks through their home in her imagination at night, remembering every single detail. Im scared that it will all disappear, just as it did two weeks ago in the fire, and I will lose it a second time.Poppys bear was the first thing Erika grabbed when she was headed to pick her up from school that morning, before the evacuation call even came.Photo: Erika FiksdalA necklace bought for Erika by her friend and her dogs tag.Photo: Erika FiksdalA baby blanket, a ring, and a necklaceLike her sister, something always drew Erika back to their moms house. In fact, she was living back there full-time, raising her seven-year-old daughter Poppy in her childhood bedroom. She had all of her treasures and all of the things she had collected and painted, says Erika. It was a beautiful, magical space. Thats one thing thats really hard to say goodbye to. She mourns the loss of Poppys drawings and memories, but also worries about the impact of the fire and the loss on her daughter. Shes going to grow up knowing that she doesnt have all of the things from when she was a baby. We dont have any of the family heirlooms. Its going to be painful for her, says Erika.Erika feels guilt at not being able to save more for her family in the fog of survival mode. She did manage to grab some things: photos, her daughters baby blanket and bear, a necklace with her beloved dogs tag attached to it, a ring she had had since childhood and had passed down to her daughter. Its like losing two homes in one home. All my childhood, everything my mom had saved, and everything I had started to give to Poppy that was mine, adds Erika. Like many people, she thought she would be back home soon. While Erika wishes she had saved more for her daughter, Poppy is optimistic. Shes excited to fill their lives with new memories, telling her mom, Ill make more art, Mom. Im the artist.Consider supporting the GoFundMe campaign for the Fiksdal family

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apparently isnt very happy about employees leaking things he says during internal company-wide meetings. The company issued a memo threatening to fire people for leaking internal comms and that memo was of course immediately leaked Zuckerberg shared a number of sensitive pieces of information during the latest all-hands meeting. This included commentary on the decision to end the companys DEI programs, on changing hate-speech rules to permit things like calling gay people mentally ill, and laying off employees the company considers to be low performers.Previously, Meta employees have been able to publicly submit questions theyd like to be answered, and everyone could then upvote their favorites. This year The Verge reports those votes were not shown, and comments were switched off during the meeting.Zuckerberg also said that he was going to be less open because everything he said was leaked.We try to be really open and then everything I say leaks. It sucks.Meta security chief Guy Rosen issued an internal memo afterwards stating that leakers would be fired.We take leaks seriously and will take action, Rosen said [going] on to say that Meta will take appropriate action, including termination if it identifies leakers.That memo was, of course, immediately leaked.Photo byDima PechurinonUnsplashAdd 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

Tomb Raider! Civ! Afterlove EP! More!January is very nearly behind us, so it's time to take a look at a selection of the wonderful Switch games that February will be bringing our way.The lovely Alex has put together the above video, which showcases eight of the very best titles you can look out for on the Switch eShop in the coming weeks. The list may be a little shorter this time, but there's still a decent enough range that we're sure something will take your fancy be that adventurin' in Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered, buildin' in Sid Meier's Civilization VII, or sobbin' in Afterlove EP. See? Something for everyone!Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Hopefully not for long, though.Square Enix has announced that Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition will be temporarily unavailable on the Switch eShop starting 1st February 2025.Worry not, though, because it doesn't sound like it'll be gone for very long. In a social media post from the official Dragon Quest account, its reasoning behind the temporary removal is quite simply so it can "make some minor updates to the store listing".Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Apple has agreed to pay $20 million to resolve a class-action lawsuit over battery swelling on the Apple Watch. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in 2019, the suit alleges that the problem affected the first four Apple Watch models.Battery swelling is pretty much what it sounds like: a buildup of heat and gas inside the lithium-ion battery, causing its walls to expand. The phenomenon can, in turn, damage or break other components in the device as it grows within the tightly-packed space.Apple continues to deny the issue, stating that it only paid in order to avoid future legal fees from a suit that stretched on for more than five years.Apple denies all of the allegations made in the lawsuit, denies that the covered watches experienced any issues related to battery swell, and denies that Apple did anything improper or unlawful, the court notes.Apple asserts numerous defenses to the claims in this case.The proposed settlement to resolve this case is not an admission of guilt or wrongdoing of any kind by Apple.The company had even stronger words in a statement sent to TechCrunch, stating, Apple Watch is designed to be safe and reliable. This settlement applies to purchasers of Original Apple Watch, Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3, which are no longer available for purchase. While we strongly disagree with the claims made against these early generation Apple Watch models, we agreed to settle to avoid further litigation.To qualify for payout, users need to have alerted Apple customer service to the issue between April 24, 2015 and February 6, 2024. Eligible parties must reside in the U.S. They will receive notification via postcard or email. Compensation is based on how many complaints the impacted party filed during the above window, with class payments ranging from $20 to $50.Watch owners must further submit payment information to the lawsuits official site before April 10, 2025 to receive payment.The settlement comes a week after Google-owned Fitbit was required to pay a $12.25 million penalty due to battery overheating on its Ionic smartwatch.Topics