ZDNET's key takeaways The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is priced at $150.The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus offers a clear head-to-toe view of your front door, a removable rechargeable battery pack, reliable motion detection alerts, and seamless integration with Alexa.Ring continues to keep most features behind its Ring Home subscription; though the video quality is better than HD at 1536p, the video clips have a slight fisheye look and prominent vignetting. more buying choices Choosing a video doorbell isn't an easy task -- the selection process depends on the user's needs and the features they require, and your choice is even affected by the place where the device will be installed. To that last point, I've always chosen a battery video doorbell to surveil my front door.Also: One of the best Ring cameras I've tested is 50% off for a limited timeMy old home's existing doorbell wiring wasn't working when my family moved in, so we opted for a battery doorbell because I didn't want something else to sort in what was already a fixer-upper. We still live in the same home, and I've tested several video doorbells since then. details View at Amazon I eventually landed on a favorite video doorbell, the Eufy Security E340, which means theRing Battery Doorbell Plushad big shoes to fill when I began testing.Setting up the Amazon-owned Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is quick and easy. The installation process is much simpler than other video doorbells, with a built-in flat bracket, which is accessible when you remove the front panel cover. This bracket makes the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus a single unit, so it can't be easily pulled off the wall next to your front door by wrongdoers, which is a big concern with any video doorbell. Maria Diaz/ZDNETThe box also includes a corner kit in case you need to install the doorbell at an angle, which can be screwed onto the wall, and then the Ring doorbell is mounted on it. The battery doorbells I've tested come with a base mounted to the wall, and that's where the actual video doorbell snaps onto. Devices use this setup because battery doorbells need recharging, and most have a built-in rechargeable battery. The Battery Doorbell Plus -- and, when available, the Pro version-- has a removable battery pack. This approach makes the device more secure and convenient to use, as you can have an extra battery on hand to swap out the depleted battery, which means you never lose surveillance.I already have other Ring devices at home, including a Ring Alarm kit, so I added the new Ring doorbell to the Ring app and then installed it on my front door, right above my current video doorbell.Also:I just tested the new EufyCam, and I'm never going back to grainy night visionThe Ring app is very easy to use. It shows video events and lets you stream video, review video and motion-event history, set motion zones, use smart responses, adjust motion sensitivity, and more. You can connect the app easily to a Ring Alarm system to switch modes between Disarmed, Home, and Away and then choose how your devices behave in each mode. My Ring Battery Doorbell Plus didn't miss an event, at least not one that my other video doorbell captured during the same time. I used the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus in conjunction with my Eufy Doorbell to compare the devices' performance.The video quality of captured footage by the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is superb for a video doorbell, which is great for a device that doesn't claim to offer 2K video resolution. The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus delivers a clean image with little to no grain that looks more vibrant than my 2K resolution Eufy Security Doorbell. Also: This smart air purifier with a 'floating' wireless charger is now a mainstay in my homeBecause the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus captures videos in 1536 pixels by 1536 pixels, its video resolution is larger than HD, which is 1080p. However, the square image and the large 150-degree field of view mean that the camera captures more complete images than other competitors. It offers a head-to-toe view of visitors and covers enough space to keep a package in view, all in full color and color night vision. Both doorbells have a fisheye effect, but while the Eufy has one camera for packages and one for people, I much prefer the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus' vibrant and full image. Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNETThe image shows some relatively prominent vignetting along the outer edges and fisheye distortion. The latter is a common trait in other video doorbell models, but the former has been largely eliminated as video doorbell technology improves. Video doorbells are security cameras that strive to have a large field of view to cover as much area as possible. This forced angling creates a fisheye effect that doesn't bother me, for the most part, as it's not bad enough to distort people's faces, but the vignetting makes the video look dated, in my opinion. Also: Should you buy an Echo Show 8? I tested the smart speaker and give it a resounding yesThe biggest problem, however, is that you have to pay a monthly fee for a Ring Home subscription to unlock many of the great features of the Ring Video Doorbell. The Ring Home Subscription unlocks advanced features, including Package Detection, which lets users know when a package has been delivered or picked up; Quick Replies, which lets you have visitors hear preselected messages when they press the doorbell button; and Person Alerts, which is only triggered when a human is detected. Here is a glimpse of the format of the Ring and Eufy Security apps. I prefer the latter's more compact design. Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNETHowever, a subscription is also required for more basic features that you would expect from a battery doorbell, such as saving and sharing your video clips, storing footage in the cloud for up to six months, and even seeing a photo preview of what triggered a motion alert on your phone's notification.If you decide to forgo a subscription, you'll only have access to real-time notifications of motion alerts, live-view, two-way talk, and customizable motion zones through the Ring app. Without the Ring Home Plan, you won't be able to view event history or video clips from past motion detection alerts. Unfortunately, there is no way to forgo a subscription for local storage, as Ring doorbells don't have an SD card expansion slot. Also: This Ring model is the only indoor security camera you'll ever needI haven't had any issues with a short battery life, as I haven't had to charge the doorbell since I began using it a couple of weeks ago. If anyone were to have issues with a shortened battery life, which is a common complaint with battery video doorbells, then I'd recommend adjusting the device's motion sensitivity settings in the Ring app. Maria Diaz/ZDNETThe Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is a great addition to the company's range of devices. Until the launch of the Plus video doorbell, Ring only offered the Ring Battery Doorbellwhich is a highly popular $100 video doorbell with a 1080p resolution and a built-in rechargeable battery.ZDNET's buying adviceWhile I'm not keen to buy a separate subscription to use devices that already cost me hundreds of dollars, there are scenarios where the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus makes perfect sense for many smart home enthusiasts.Some smart home users enjoy the Ring ecosystem and already have a Ring Home Plan, so adding a new product to their lineup of smart devices is a non-issue. These customers are the perfect Ring Battery Doorbell Plus buyers, especially those looking for a battery-powered video doorbell that offers crystal-clear, head-to-toe views and package detection. Also: The Arlo Pro 5S is close to being my perfect security cameraThe Ring Battery Doorbell Plus also links seamlessly with Alexa, other Ring devices, and Amazon products, making it a shoo-in for an Amazon Alexa-powered smart home. You can easily view and communicate with your Ring Video Doorbell Plus from an Echo Show smart display, or have the video doorbell's live stream pop up on your Fire TV when someone rings it.Featured reviews

The PS4 has hundreds of great games. Future via Getty ImagesWhen it comes to the library of older consoles, few can match the quality of PlayStation 4 games, with an epic back catalogue that encompasses almost everything a gamer will ever need. The greatest PS4 games are all-time classics, and more than a few PS4 games will easily rank in the top games ever made. Unlike previous generations, PS4 video games really diversified what was possible on Sonys consoles, bringing more genres and unique experiences than ever before. Finding the best PS4 games of all time is no easy feat, with thousands released over the console's life and even to this day. But, I have combed the back catalogue and put together this list of experiences you have to play on PS4.Top PS4 GamesThe top PS4 games come in many shapes and sizes, with this generation really expanding what was possible on consoles compared to less powerful machines. Youll see the console classics of adventure games, RPGs, shooters and sports games, but the PS4 also had solid strategy, MMO and even VR options.That breadth of genres did mean that some games needed extra hardware to run, with the exception of PSVR titles obviously requiring the extra headset to play, but outside of that, all PS4 games will run on original hardware or the final iteration of the device. For that reason, we wont include PSVR only games on this list, but the rest are decided by critical and fan reception, longevity and a little personal bias.15. Death Stranding This 2019 game from Kojima Productions is less of a game and more an experience. Its effectively a walking simulator where you deliver things around a massive open world, but the story is what makes this worth playing, building an incredible universe to explore. One for people who like the weirder things in life.14. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom PainKojima is back again, this time as part of Konami with this 2015 stealth game that redefined the genre. As the iconic Snake, you explore a giant open world being stealthy and sneaky on a quest for revenge. Its essentially a giant stealth sandbox, so great for anyone who thinks they could be a spy.MORE FOR YOU13. Ghost of TsushimaConsidered the last great PS4 exclusive, Sucker Punchs samurai adventure from 2020 is an action adventure game where you run around and stab a lot of people with a katana. With a giant and atmospheric open world and a choice of fighting styles, this is a deep game perfect for any samurai fans.12. Fallout 4Bethesdas post nuclear disaster shooter RPG gained a new lease of life after the TV series last year, but even when it launched in 2015 it was special. A post apocalyptic world that has more charm than many modern cities, this epic adventure is perfect for any adventurer who prefers guns to swords.11. Persona 5 Royal This 2019 edition of P-Studios epic JRPG is the best version you can get, giving the PS4 yet another all-time classic. The game is a traditional JRPG, with a story that follows high schoolers with special powers, and is surprisingly deep. This is a must-play for JRPG fans or a good start for genre newcomers.10. Horizon Zero Dawn In 2017, Guerrillas idea of putting robot dinosaurs in an open world surprised no one by being incredibly fun. It was probably more of a surprise no one did it before them. That resulted in this open world action RPG where you interact and take down these incredible creatures, making it great for dino fans.9. Fortnite Epics take on the battle royale genre in 2017 would define the massively popular genre, and is now more of a platform than a singular game, with a multitude of different experiences within it. This is perfect for every gamer, as its open development platform has something for everyone and continues to grow.8. Marvels Spider-Man Giving legendary developers Insomniac the Spider-Man licence turned out to be an inspired decision, with this 2018 web slinging action adventure proving so instantly. Swinging around the city as Spidey and beating up bad guys is incredibly satisfying, and to make it even better, the story is great too. A must-play for Spider-Man fans.7. Uncharted 4: A Thiefs End Naughty Dogs 2016 entry in the iconic franchise took a bit of a different turn, giving us an older Drake and a less outrageous story. But all the action adventure goodness of shooting, platforming and puzzles are still intact, making this a very fun and easy game to pick up and play for any gamer.6. Bloodborne A FromSoft souls-like that is perhaps the most unique, 2015s Bloodborne takes the brutal difficulty and impossible to master combat and takes it to a strange gothic Victorian style location that is as creepy as it is beautiful. Any souls-like fan should play this, as its combat is unlike any other and the enemies memorable.5. Grand Theft Auto V Rockstars GTA V is one of the best games ever and deserves a place here, despite launching in 2013, before the PS4. With an epic open world that allows you to cause chaos as you see fit, and a solid story and cast of characters, this is the ultimate criminal fantasy simulator for over-18s.4. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt A fantasy RPG from 2015 where developer CD Projekt Red cemented themselves as a top studio. This is about as traditional as fantasy RPGs get, but it does things perfectly, with a massive world to explore, great combat and memorable characters that make you want to be a real Witcher. Its perfect for RPG fans.3. God Of War The sequel launched on PS4, but youd really only want to play this 2018 reboot from Santa Monica Studio on the old hardware. However, this game took the shouty God and turned him into a father with depth who still likes to brutally kill things. Great for anyone who likes killing big monsters.2. Red Dead Redemption 2Rockstar is back with a cowboy open world RPG that still hasnt been bettered by a competitor, despite launching in 2018. Its an old-timey tale of betrayal and lawlessness, but the star of the show is the open world that feels alive and realistic. A must-play for any open world fans.1. The Last Of Us Part 2 The PS4s best game by a mile. This 2020 sequel from Naughty Dog features one of the best stories in a game ever, that is matched by its gameplay that moves from all out action to stealth and exploration at a perfect pace. Everyone should play this, its that good.Bottom LineThe PS4 will always be considered one of the best consoles ever, and the games on this list prove why. It has a ton of variety, and great options whatever you are looking for. It may be lacking in power these days, but there are still a lot of games you should play.Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)What Are Funny PS4 Games?Funny games are not easy to pull off, but there are a few solid examples, and perhaps the best is South Park: The Stick of Truth from Obsidian. It was written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, so you know the humor is on point. Its a turn-based RPG about farts, which is either enough to make you run out and play it, or turn you off forever.Another option is Goat Simulator from Coffee Stain Studios, which lets you cause havoc as a goat doing goat things. Its as funny as you make it, so youll need some creativity, but it can be laugh-out-loud funny at times.What Are Good Two Player PS4 Games?Two player co-op games are a bit of a rarity these days, but the PS4 does have some good options. It Takes Two from Hazelight is perhaps the best option, with this miniature adventure game requiring two players in order to be able to play at all. Its a cute, but at times harrowing, tale of a couple who are transformed into dolls to try and fix their relationship.Other, perhaps more traditional, options include the likes of Gearboxs shooter RPG Borderlands 3 which is way better with a pal to run around with, or ConcernedApes cosy farming game Stardew Valley which can become a real bonding experience as you build a farm with a pal.What Are Good Racing Games On PS4?The best racing game on PS4 is, without a doubt, Gran Turismo 7 from Polyphony. Its less of a game and more of a real world simulation, trying to mimic the actual act of racing as closely as possible. It has a massive range of tracks and cars, meaning youll struggle to get bored, and it looks incredible even on the older hardware.Other options include options such as the annual F1 games from Codemasters for motorsport fans or Need For Speed Rivals from Ghost Games for anyone who just wants to jump in a fast car and drive around a world with occasional races or chases.What Are Good Zombie Games On PS4?The Last of Us Part II is easily the best zombie game on PS4, but it might not be the traditional zombie experience you expect, as its enemies arent your typical zombies, and you dont actually kill that many of them. Instead, Naughty Dog went for a slower paced game with an incredible story to keep you gripped.More traditional options include Days Gone from Bend Studio which is an open world adventure with gigantic hordes of zombies to fight, or Dying Light 2 from Techland that features some of the scariest zombies youll ever see.What Are Good RPG Games On PS4?The PS4 has loads of great RPGs, from the likes of Red Dead Redemption 2 from Rockstar that makes you a cowboy through to traditional fantasy options such as The Witcher 3 from CD Projekt Red or Guerrillas Horizon Zero Dawn.When it comes to RPGs on the PS4, it really is a case of finding a setting that seems interesting to you and giving it a go, because there are literally hundreds of options, most of which will take hundreds of hours to complete, so youll never play them all.What Are Good Horror Games On PS4?The PS4 is home to my personal favorite horror game ever, Until Dawn from Supermassive Games. Essentially a playable horror movie with multiple endings and scenes you can miss, this tale of a group of young people going to a cabin in the woods is scary both from the jump scares and the tension in the story, which is hard to pull off.The game having multiple endings and the butterfly effect system that impacts what scenes you see based on your choices means it has a ton of replayability, and with a surprisingly star-studded cast youll want to see everything it has to offer.

The heightened drama around DeepSeek rests on a false premise: Large language models are the Holy ... [+] Grail. On the contrary, the AI investment frenzy has been overzealous.Getty ImagesThe story about DeepSeek has disrupted the prevailing AI narrative, impacted the markets and spurred a media storm: A large language model from China competes with the leading LLMs from the U.S. and it does so without requiring nearly the costly computational investment. Maybe the U.S. doesnt have the technological lead we thought. Maybe heaps of GPUs aren't necessary for AIs special sauce.But the heightened drama of this story rests on a false premise: LLMs are the Holy Grail. Heres why the stakes aren't nearly as high as they're made out to be and the AI investment frenzy has been overzealous.Amazement At Large Language Models Dont get me wrong LLMs represent unprecedented progress. Ive been in machine learning since 1992 the first six of those years working in natural language processing research and I never thought I'd see anything like LLMs during my lifetime. I am and will always remain slackjawed and gobsmacked.LLMs uncanny fluency with human language confirms the ambitious hope that has fueled much machine learning research: Given enough examples from which to learn, computers can develop capabilities so advanced, they defy human comprehension.Just as the brains functioning is beyond its own grasp, so are LLMs. We know how to program computers to perform an exhaustive, automatic learning process, but we can hardly unpack the result, the thing that's been learned (built) by the process: a massive neural network. It can only be observed, not dissected. We can assess it empirically by checking its behavior, but we cant understand much when we peer inside. It's not so much a thing we've architected as an impenetrable artifact that we can only test for effectiveness and safety, much the same as pharmaceutical products.MORE FOR YOUGreat Tech Brings Great Hype: AI Is Not A Panacea But theres one thing that I find even more amazing than LLMs: the hype they've generated. Their capabilities are so seemingly humanlike as to inspire a prevalent belief that technological progress will shortly arrive at artificial general intelligence, computers capable of almost everything humans can do.One cannot overstate the hypothetical ramifications of achieving AGI. Doing so would grant us technology that one could install the same way one onboards any new employee, releasing it into the enterprise to contribute autonomously. LLMs deliver a lot of value by generating computer code, summarizing data and performing other impressive tasks, but theyre a far distance from virtual humans.Yet the far-fetched belief that AGI is nigh prevails and fuels AI hype. OpenAI optimistically boasts AGI as its stated mission. Its CEO, Sam Altman, recently wrote, We are now confident we know how to build AGI as we have traditionally understood it. We believe that, in 2025, we may see the first AI agents 'join the workforce...AGI Is Nigh: A Baseless Claim Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.Karl SaganGiven the audacity of the claim that were heading toward AGI and the fact that such a claim could never be proven false the burden of proof falls to the claimant, who must collect evidence as wide in scope as the claim itself. Until then, the claim is subject to Hitchens's razor: What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence.What evidence would suffice? Even the impressive emergence of unforeseen capabilities such as LLMs ability to perform well on multiple-choice quizzes must not be misinterpreted as conclusive evidence that technology is moving toward human-level performance in general. Instead, given how vast the range of human capabilities is, we could only gauge progress in that direction by measuring performance over a meaningful subset of such capabilities. For example, if validating AGI would require testing on a million varied tasks, perhaps we could establish progress in that direction by successfully testing on, say, a representative collection of 10,000 varied tasks.Current benchmarks dont make a dent. By claiming that we are witnessing progress toward AGI after only testing on a very narrow collection of tasks, we are to date greatly underestimating the range of tasks it would take to qualify as human-level. This holds even for standardized tests that screen humans for elite careers and status since such tests were designed for humans, not machines. That an LLM can pass the Bar Exam is amazing, but the passing grade doesnt necessarily reflect more broadly on the machine's overall capabilities.Pressing back against AI hype resounds with many more than 787,000 have viewed my Big Think video saying generative AI is not going to run the world but an exhilaration that borders on fanaticism dominates. The recent market correction may represent a sober step in the right direction, but let's make a more complete, fully-informed adjustment: It's not only a question of our position in the LLM race it's a question of how much that race matters.

In brief: Microsoft introduced new Surface equipment for businesses this week. Slated for release in mid-February, the products include two Intel-powered Copilot+ models and a new, more affordable USB4 dock. While the new hub lacks its predecessor's connectivity options, it is substantially cheaper. A new USB 4 dock from Microsoft is now available for pre-order. At $200, it provides business users an enticing alternative to the company's $300 Thunderbolt 4 dock, but it includes significantly fewer ports. While the Thunderbolt 4 dock features six USB ports including three USB 4 outputs with Thunderbolt 4 support the new USB 4 dock only offers three ports, two of which are USB 4/Thunderbolt 4.Each high-speed output can transfer at up to 40Gb/s, enough for a 4K 60Hz display. The cheaper docking station also partially compensates for the lost ports by introducing a rear-facing HDMI 2.1, enabling users to add another 4K 120Hz screen.A rear-facing fourth USB-C port only serves as a power supply input, which draws less power than the Thunderbolt 4 version, falling from 165W with 96W passthrough to 100W with up to 65W passthrough. The docking station retains its larger sibling's gigabit Ethernet port but drops the 3.5mm audio jack and desk mount.The Surface USB 4 Dock for Business begins shipping on February 18 and is compatible with Surface models dating back to the Laptop 5.Its introduction follows the recent reveal of Microsoft's new business-focused Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11, also slated for a February 18 release. The company launched its Copilot+ AI PC initiative with last year's Arm-based Surface devices equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, and the new variants bring similar capabilities to users preferring to stick to good old x86 Windows. // Related StoriesThey feature Intel Core Ultra 200V chips with neural processing units delivering 48 TOPS of AI performance. Both models support up to 32GB of RAM. The Laptop 7 has 13.8-inch or 15-inch screen options, while the Pro 11 only offers a 13-inch LCD or OLED panel.These Intel-powered Surface models come with native Windows 11 support (standard build) but cost more than the Arm alternatives. Both models start at $1,499 compared to $1,099 for the Qualcomm variants.

What just happened? Amazon faces a class action lawsuit alleging it secretly collected and sold sensitive location data from millions of California residents through its Amazon Ads software development kit. The case highlights growing concerns over data privacy and the use of SDKs in mobile applications. The lawsuit filed in US District Court this week by Felix Kolotinsky of San Mateo, California, claims Amazon obtained "backdoor access" to consumers' devices by distributing the Amazon Ads SDK to thousands of mobile app developers, who then embedded it in their applications. The software allegedly allowed Amazon to harvest vast amounts of timestamped geolocation data without users' knowledge or consent. Kolotinsky claims Amazon accessed his personal data through the "Speedtest by Ookla" app.The complaint alleges the collected data reveals where consumers live, work, shop, and visit, potentially exposing sensitive information such as religious affiliations, sexual orientations, and medical conditions. The lawsuit also contends that Amazon used this data to create detailed profiles of consumers for advertising purposes. These actions violate California's penal code and state laws against unauthorized computer access.The case aligns with similar legal actions against other tech companies and data brokers regarding geolocation data usage and SDKs.Last month, Texas sued insurance provider Allstate for allegedly tracking drivers through cell phones via SDKs. The company used the data when setting insurance premiums and sold the information to other insurers. Another class action lawsuit in 2024 alleged that Twilio's SDK violated multiple statutes by secretly collecting sensitive data from consumers.It's also not the first time Amazon customers have complained about privacy violations. In 2020, it fired several employees for sharing sensitive customer data with third parties, including email addresses and phone numbers. // Related StoriesIn June 2023, the company agreed to pay $31 million in penalties to settle privacy violations related to its Alexa voice assistant and Ring doorbell cameras. The lawsuit accused the company of keeping children's voice recordings indefinitely and using them to improve its Alexa algorithm, which violates the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.Amazon has not responded to these latest allegations. The lawsuit, Kolotinsky v. Amazon.com Inc., seeks damages for millions of California residents and injunctive relief to halt the illegal data collection.

The first trailer for SupermanThe lawsuit comes from the estate of Joseph Shuster, one of the original creators of Superman, and seeks to prevent the release of the movie in certain key territories, including Canada, Ireland, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Mark Warren Peary, the estates executor, filed the lawsuit and claims that the studio doesnt have the right to distribute the movie in those territories. The suit seeks damages and injunctive relief for Defendants ongoing infringement as well as declaratory relief establishing the Shuster Estates ownership rights across relevant jurisdictions.Superman | Official Teaser TrailerWarner Bros. Discovery has responded to the lawsuit saying that they are ready to fight it in court and that they fundamentally disagree with the merits of the lawsuit.Recommended VideosThe lawsuit is based on copyright laws in those countries, which state that copyright reverts to the estate of the owner 25 years after their deaths. Since Shuster and his co-creator Jerry Siegel have both been dead longer than 25 years, the lawsuit alleges that the studio has to seek the estates permission to release the movie in those areas.Please enable Javascript to view this contentThe suit requests a jury trial, saying that defendants acts of direct infringement have been willful, intentional, and purposeful, in wholesale disregard of and indifference to the rights of Plaintiff.Warner Bros. has battled similar lawsuits from Peary in the past, but given the timing of this lawsuit, resolution will be key to ensure that the movie gets the global release it had planned.Editors Recommendations

Even as 2025 will see the end of Stranger Things, which propelled the shows creators the Duffer brothers to tremendous success, Netflix has already lined up several other projects that the Duffers are set to be involved with.The brothers will produce two new shows for the streamer,The BurroughsandSomething Very Bad Is Going to Happen. As part of the streamers Next on Netflix 2025 slate presentation, the brothers commented on both shows and suggested that The Burroughsdefinitely has some things in common withStranger Things.Recommended VideosOf the two projects,The Boroughsprobably shares the most DNA withStranger Thingsbecause its about a group of misfits who fight an otherworldly evil, Matt Duffer said. Only unlikeStranger Things, its set in a retirement community, so thats something different. This time our misfits are a little on the older side. They ride golf carts, not bikes.Please enable Javascript to view this contentThe series, which was created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, is set in a New Mexico retirement and follows a group of heroes who band together to stop an otherworldly threat from stealing the thing most precious to them: their time.It stars Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Bill Pullman, and a host of other screen icons who were obsessed with, Matt Duffer added. Weve seen the first three episodes, and were really pumped about it. Its fun, scary, and touching too, and we cant wait for you to see it.Then theresSomething Very Bad is Going to Happen, a series that follows a bride and groom in a chaotic, anxiety-filled week leading up to their wedding, Ross Duffer said. It dives into the horror and dread that often comes with making a lifelong commitment to someone something that anyone whos ever been in a relationship can definitely relate to. We dont want to say too much more about the story yet but the title is accurate. Bad things do happen.Both shows are set to make their debut on Netflix in 2026, according to the brothers. The fifth and final season of Stranger Things, meanwhile, will hit Netflix late in 2025.Editors Recommendations

Taiwan has banned government agencies from using DeepSeek.Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs said the technology "endangers national information security."The arrival of the Chinese AI lab's R1 model sent shock waves through markets last week.Taiwan has banned government agencies from using DeepSeek, citing security concerns.Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs said in a statement on Friday that public sector workers and critical infrastructure facilities should not use the Chinese company's technology, as "its operation involves cross-border transmission and information leakage" and "endangers national information security."Chinese AI lab DeepSeek made headlines in January after unveiling a new flagship AI model called R1, which it says matches the reasoning capabilities of US models such as OpenAI's o1 but for a fraction of the cost.Its arrival sent shock waves through markets, with AI stocks tumbling last week.But the company is already facing regulatory hurdles in some countries.Italy's Data Protection Authority (called Garante) announced on Thursday that it had blocked access to the DeepSeek app to protect Italian users' data.Garante said the decision came as it was unhappy with DeepSeek's response to a query about the app's use of personal data."Contrary to what was found by the Authority, the companies declared that they do not operate in Italy and that European legislation does not apply to them," Garante said in a statement, adding that it was launching an investigation.Ireland's Data Protection Commission reportedly said earlier this week that it had also written to DeepSeek for more information about how it processes Irish users' data.In the UK, Feryal Clark, the AI minister, issued a warning to British citizens thinking of using DeepSeek."Ultimately it is a personal choice for people, whether they decide to download it or not," Clark said in an interview with Bloomberg. "My advice will be to make sure if people are downloading it that they are alert to the potential risks and they know how their data will be used."DeepSeek, which began as an AI side project for Chinese entrepreneur Liang Wenfeng, was founded in 2023.

Amelia Samson is a 31-year-old content creator in Seattle.She briefly spoke with a good-looking firefighter during an emergency at her house.She wanted to find him, so she drew a stick figure of him and posted it online.This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Amelia Samson. It has been edited for length and clarity.In October 2022, I hosted a little party at my house to celebrate the 100th episode of thepodcastI co-hosted. Earlyin the evening, 10 of my friends and I were on the roof having drinks.My friend had brought a date that none of us knew. Although she seemed fine when she first showed up, someone asked her if she was OK minutes after she arrived. She was swaying and falling over. We were trying to figure out what was happening. All of a sudden, she flopped over and started vomiting, her eyes rolling back. Multiple people jumped to hold her up and turn her on her side so she didn't choke.We called 911. Shortly after, firefighters turned up at the house. I guess emergency services were really busy that night, so firefighters were all they had to send. These men were stunning. To guests who were showing up during the mayhem, it actually looked like we had ordered strippers.There was one firefighter that stood outLast to come out of the truck was a firefighter who looked like he was 6ft3, built, and had the standard firefighter mustache and the kindest eyes. Everyone at the party was whispering to each other about how handsome he was.He was the one who went up to check on the clearly unwell girl. He gently talked to her and asked her some questions. As the other firefighters prepared to leave, he asked me about our podcast. I saw his wedding finger and he didn't have a ring.Once they left, everyone talked about what had happened and the attractive man who came to the rescue.I drew a stick figure to find himIn the following days, my friends made jokes about the firefighter. Kicking myself for not talking to him more, I briefly flicked through fire department rosters. After a few minutes, I decided to let the internet do its thing: I drew a stick figure of him and posted a video of it on TikTok. Almost immediately, a friend of the guy's wife got in touch to say she knew exactly who it was but that he was married and a new dad.I made a quick, funny video response of being sad about the revelation but then moved on.A month later, I was tagged in a video that showed a mug with my drawing on it in front of the fire station. I thought it was the best thing ever. Apparently, one of the firefighters' wives had seen the drawing and put it on mugs to give to the fire department.I was glad they could laugh about it it was so lighthearted.Just a few weeks later, I was tagged in another video, but I didn't see the tag until a few months later, in February 2023. The firefighter's niece had posted a video of everyone in his family posing with T-shirts they had all received for Christmas with the stick figure drawing on them, with his relation to them underneath the drawing. His dad's T-shirt read "son," and his niece's T-shirt said "uncle."I got to experience the best of the internetI just loved this outcome. I'm assuming that his wife had filmed the video because she wasn't in it, and the voice laughing behind the camera was a woman. How great that she could laugh about it and not be offended that other people think her husband is hot.But every single time I see a fire truck, I try very hard not to make eye contact with the guys in the truck. I'd be mortified if one of them recognized me.When I shared this on social media, most people told me they loved this story it was so much fun. This was the very best of the internet. It connected people and made people laugh.

By Lucas Ropek Published February 1, 2025 | Comments (0) | Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images They have been called a death cult and a murder gang and, supposedly, their bizarre beliefs were influenced by ideas that sprang up on a popular online tech forum. Little is otherwise known about the Zizians other than that the body count allegedly connected to the group only continues to grow. So far, at least two murders have been tied to people allegedly connected to the group. Curtis Lind, an 82-year-old landlord was stabbed to death in Vallejo, California, on January 17th and, not long afterward, a Border Patrol agent, David Maland, was shot to death during a traffic stop in Vermont. The two suspects in those separate (but, according to police, potentially related) criminal casesMaximilian Snyder, 22, and Teresa Youngblut, 21are believed to share a marriage license, though it is unclear whether they are actually married. Snyder was recently arrested for the Vallejo murder; Youngblut has been taken into custody for the lethal incident in Vermont. On Friday, new reports suggested additional killings might also be tied to the group. Police are currently searching for 32-year-old Michelle J. Zajko, who is suspected of having purchased firearms that were later used in the shooting in Vermont, NBC has reported. It has been reported that Zajkos parents, Richard and Rita Zajko, were shot to death at their home in Pennsylvania in 2022. The Zajkos deaths remain unsolved, though it is considered a double homicide by police. To complicate things further, the figure known as Ziz (who has been described as the flagbearer of the group, and whose online writings are said to have inspired the groups formation) is currently in custody in Pennsylvania. Zizs legal name is Jack LaSota. LaSota, who has connections to some of the key players in the California case, has been charged by police with obstructing law enforcement and disorderly conduct, the Associated Press has reported.Even more weirdly, LaSota was previously thought to be dead. AP writes that, in the summer of 2022, the U.S. Coast Guard responded to reports that LaSota had fallen into the San Francisco Bay. Subsequently, an obituary for him was published and his mother also seemed to confirm he had died, AP writes. However, LaSota subsequently popped back up in Vallejo and was said to have been contacted by police at the site of yet another crime. It should be heavily caveated that all of these connections are only alleged and there is a whole hell of a lot that we do not know about who these people are or what is going. All we really know at this point is that at least six people are dead, and all of the deceased seem to share tiesif, so far, only tangential onesto this group.The tenets of the Zizian belief system are difficult to understand, although it has been described as a philosophy that applies scientific and technological concepts to human decision-making. They have also been characterized as supporting an extreme form of veganism, and are said to be an offshoot of the rationalist movement that was fostered on the LessWrong forum.Daily Newsletter