The Last of Us season two's Abby isn't as muscular as Part 2's because it "doesn't play as big of a role in this version"Arms dealer.Image credit: HBO News by Victoria Kennedy News Reporter Published on Feb. 3, 2025 Actor Kaityln Dever did not have to bulk up for her role as Abby in the upcoming second season of The Last of Us, despite her counterpart in Part 2 being known for her muscular physique. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, The Last of Us showrunner Neil Druckmann noted that Abby in the game was able to maneuver through the world like Joel "in the way she can physically manhandle certain things". This is different from Ellie, who has a smaller and lighter frame. However, this kind of "brute" like manoeuvrability isn't so essential for Abby when it comes to the show. "There's not as much violent action moment to moment," Druckmann explained. "It's more about the drama. I'm not saying there's no action here. It's just, again, different priorities and how you approach it," he continued, adding "[Dever] has the spirit of the game in her".To see this content please enable targeting cookies. The death of console exclusives i inevitable and I don't know how I feel about it. Watch on YouTubeThe Last of Us team "value performance over anything else", he added, and prioritised capturing "the essence" of a role, rather than just finding someone who looked like a carbon copy of the video game character."What I always loved about the idea was that you are going to continually be challenged as you were in season one," Druckmann furthered. "When you try to pick a hero, it's tough because we're human beings, we're not heroes. For every heroic act, there's someone who suffers on the other side who may see you reasonably as a villain. When you look at Kaitlyn, there's just something in her eyes where, even no matter what she's experiencing, you connect."It was important that we found somebody that we could connect to the way we connect to Bella [Ramsey, who plays Ellie]," Druckmann continued, adding the team would have "struggled to find someone as good as Kaitlyn" to play Abby.Meanwhile, fellow The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin believes the second season will provide an "amazing opportunity... to delve into someone who is perhaps physically more vulnerable than the Abby in the game, but whose spirit is stronger... And then the question is, 'Where does her formidable nature come from and how does it manifest?' That's something that will be explored now and later." Perhaps that is Tommy and Maria's child in Maria's arms? | Image credit: HBOElsewhere in the same conversation, The Last of Us' showrunners hinted at how the team will adapt Part 2's story for TV in terms of its narrative structure. "A big part of the theme of the second game is about perspective, how someone's hero could be someone else's villain and vice versa. It's weird to talk about a story where its structure could be a spoiler," Druckmann said. "I don't even know if it's worth mentioning where we landed because I think that's part of the fun for people familiar with the game to see how we approached that challenge in the show. I will just say that we gave it a lot of thought and tried different things. There are some deviations of where we place things."Mazin added: "We certainly are going to mess around with time the way it was in the source material, but as Neil said, we messed around in ways that we felt were appropriate for the show.... When I say 'messed around', I mean scientifically determined in a narrative way what we thought would be most impactful."This 'messing around' will also include the introduction of new characters, such as Catherine O'Hara's still to be officially named role. And there's another character mentioned who doesn't directly feature in the game who's set to show up during The Last of Us' season two."There is a pretty prominent character that is talked a lot about in the game, similar to what we did with Frank [Murray Bartlett] in season one, that is in this season," the showrunners teased. "There's a very, very cool casting that I hope we can talk about soon."I personally have a theory as to who this will be, which I will post in the comments section below with a spoiler tag. Image credit: HBOThe second season of The Last of Us is set to debut in April, and will comprise seven episodes, with one of those episodes being "quite big" in length."The story that we're telling is much bigger than the story of season one, there's just a lot more going on, it's a lot harder to produce but we want every episode to feel like its own blockbuster to be honest with you," Mazin said in June.The Last of Us Part 2's story will not be told in full during season two, with subsequent seasons expected to wrap up the narrative.

Leaked Fallout set photo teases a familiar New Vegas face of Jurassic proportionsRaptor-round your finger.Image credit: Amazon News by Victoria Kennedy News Reporter Published on Feb. 3, 2025 An image from the set of Fallout's second season has appeared online, giving us confirmation of one iconic face that will be making an appearance in the upcoming series.Please be aware of minor spoilers for Fallout below.How To Build Lucy, The Ghoul, and Maximus in Fallout 4. Watch on YouTubeA leaked set photo (below) has revealed Dinky the T-Rex will be popping up in Fallout's second season. For those unaware, Dinky the T-Rex is a roadside attraction found within Novac, a location in the Mojave Wasteland in Fallout: New Vegas.Here's what the Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide has to say about Novac and our dinosaur pal:"Novac is little more than a lonely desert highway motel with multiple buildings that have been fortified for the post-apocalyptic protection of its inhabitable. Watching over them is the landmark of the area: a giant fabricated Tyrannosaurus rex biting off the top of 'The World's 2nd Largest Thermometer'."The interior of 'Dinky' also serves as the city center (a converted gift shop from pre-war times, with a sniper's nest in Dinky's mouth). Dinky is the 'attraction' that drew in tourists. Some of the locals are friendly folk, though most aren't trusting of outsiders."New leaks from Fallout season 2 byu/FeuTarse inFalloutTo see this content please enable targeting cookies.We already knew the show was going to be heading into Fallout: New Vegas territory. After all, the first season ended with disgraced (at least, in the eyes of many) Vault-Tec executive Hank MacLean in his pinched Brotherhood of Steel Power Armour, fleeing towards a ruined New Vegas.Showrunners Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet went on to confirm the next season will head to New Vegas, adding its ruined state is to show the audience that "things have happened" to the location since the events of New Vegas the game.And Dinky won't be the only familiar name showing up when the show returns. Last year, the showrunners revealed New Vegas' enigmatic leader Mr House will be "involved in season two", although they held back from telling us any more.

If you still havent made good on your resolutions to get more sleep, weve got some news. A bunch of Presidents Day mattress sales have already started surfacing just in time to save your year (and your aching back). Historically, the holiday is one of the most auspicious times of the year to find a new bed for way less than its usual sticker price, with some of the discounts even rivaling Black Friday prices. And though it doesnt officially drop until later this month, early bird deals are trickling in already if you cant be bothered to wait.Below, we've pulled together a curated list of deals on mattresses weve tested firsthand from trusted brands like Casper and Helixones where we can vouch for the quality, firmness, plushness, as well as deluxe features like a customizable pillow or euro top or a design with an adjustable base. In a few cases where we havent had a chance to test drive them ourselves, weve also highlighted some more best-sellers from other popular brands like Serta. Come back and see us later, as well have more intel to add to this growing lineup of Presidents Day mattress sales.HelixAD contributor Gabriela Ulloa called the Helix Midnight Luxe the cradled hug weve all been craving in her review a few years ago, and right now you can find it for 20% offalong with everything else on the x site. The brand is even throwing in a a free bedroom bundle with each mattress purchase, including two Dream pillows, a mattress protector, and a free sheet set.Helix Midnight LuxeSizes available:Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King, Short Queen, RV KingWarranty:10- to 15-year limited warrantyFirmness:MediumBest for:Side sleepers, hot sleepersNectarNot one, but two AD stafferscontributor Katie Henwood and senior features editor Nick Mafihave sung the praises of their Nectar beds. This original is an oldie but a goodieits temperature regulated, boasts contouring pressure relief, and a responsive support layer to promote proper spinal alignment. Henwood calls this mattress a dream come true for all kinds of sleepers, which offers extra support without sacrificing comfort and feels like falling into a cloud every night. It was this kind of feedback that led us to name this memory foam mattress the best mattress-in-a-box during our first-ever Sleep Awards in 2022. Right now, the brand is offering up to 50% offin other words, you wont want to hit snooze on this mattress deal.Nectar Memory Foam MattressSizes available:Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King, Split KingWarranty:3-year limited warrantyFirmness:Medium-firmBest for:Side sleepers, stomach sleepers, back sleepers, hot sleepers, back painCasperCasper is a stalwart among our staffers favorite mattress brands. Weve tested five of their beds so far, and were thrilled to see some of our favorites included in their 20% off Presidents Day sale. Two standout hybrid mattress picks are marked down: the cooling Snow Max and the Dream Max, both of which we found to be suitable for sleepers who like a middle ground between plush and firm. For a budget-friendly pick you wont lose sleep over, we also recommend The One, Caspers entry-level foam mattress, now on sale for $600.The One by CasperSizes available:Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King, Split KingWarranty:10-year limited warrantyFirmness:Medium-firmBest for:Side sleepers, back sleepersSertaSerta is offering up to $625 off its wares for Presidents Day, including a deal on this iComfort memory foam mattress. Its firm-leaning makeup offers a first of its kind five-zone response design for optimal spine alignment and all-night comfort, plus includes an inch of graphite-infused memory foam up top for cooling pressure relief. This mattress is also compatible with an adjustable-base frame, making it especially suitable for senior sleepers.Serta iComfort MattressSizes available:Twin, twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King, Split KingWarranty:10-year limited warrantyFirmness:FirmBest for:Stomach sleepers, back sleepers, mobility challengedBeautyRestBeautyRest is offering up to $900 off their best mattresses for their Presidents Day sale, including their best-selling BeautyRest Black. This mattress pulls out all the stops, including individualized support and motion isolation, all-night heat transfer, and contouring foams for uninterrupted sleep. The BeautyRest also comes with 10 customizable options, offering everything from extra-firm to plush summit pillow top mattresses.Beautyrest BlackSizes available:Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California KingWarranty:10-year limited warrantyFirmness:CustomizableBest for:Stomach sleepers, back sleepersPurpleSleeping on one of Purples proprietary polymer latex mattresses might change the way you think about beds entirely, according to our global content strategy and operations director Diane Dragan. Even though I thought I was Team Firm Mattress for life, Purple may be my new fave, with its body adjustability combined with springs underneath, Dragan says. Right now, you can head to the retailer to snag up to $900 off select Purple mattresses and bed frame base sets purchases during their Presidents Day deals bonanza. Youll also find a few discounts on pillows, sheet sets, and more sleep essentials across the site.The Purple MattressSizes available:Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King, Split KingWarranty:10-year limited warrantyFirmness:Medium-firmBest for:Back sleepersSealySealy is offering up to $200 on select mattresses, including their biggest hit: the PosturePedic. Made in conjunction with orthopedic specialists, this mattress is hyper-focused on across-the-board support. Tencel makes for premium plush comfort alongside a cooling gel memory foam.Sealy Posturepedic Plus HybridSizes available:Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King, Split KingWarranty:10-year limited warrantyFirmness:MediumBest for:Back pain, hot sleepersTuft & NeedleTuft & Needle is celebrating Presidents Day with up to 20% off on select beds, as well as bedding and other sleep accessories. The brands Mint mattress is a particularly good option for side sleepers like former AD PRO features editor Anna Fixsen, who slept soundly on the adaptive memory foam bed. I found that I could find my comfy place quickly and fall asleep faster, she previously noted.Mint Mattress by Tuft & NeedleSizes available:Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California KingWarranty:10-year limited warrantyFirmness:MediumBest for:Side sleepers

Teslas (TSLA) January sales plunged 63% in France, the second biggest market in the European Union for electric vehicles (EVs).Maximize Your Portfolio with Data Driven Insights:Leverage the power of TipRanks' Smart Score, a data-driven tool to help you uncover top performing stocks and make informed investment decisions. Monitor your stock picks and compare them to top Wall Street Analysts' recommendations with Your Smart PortfolioDuring January, Tesla sold only 1,141 electric vehicles within France, the fewest since August 2022, according to French industry association La Plateforme Automobile. Tesla badly underperformed the overall automotive industry and total electric vehicle sales in the country during the month, which declined 6.2% and 0.5%, respectively.The sales decline comes as Tesla Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk has thrown his support behind the far-right Alternative for Germany political party. Musk has also been accused on social media of giving a Nazi salute during an event celebrating U.S. President Donald Trumps inauguration on Jan. 20.The French government has said that Elon Musk is openly attacking European regulations and values.Sales Down Across EuropeOverall, Teslas sales across Europe declined 13% in 2024, with Germany accounting for most of that decrease. Teslas total sales in Germany fell 41% last year, while overall electric vehicle sales declined 27% in Europes largest economy.Beyond politics, Tesla has struggled in Germany due to an aging model lineup, increasing competition, and the withdrawal of government subsidies in late 2023. Tesla, and other electric vehicle makers, are also grappling with the European Unions increasingly stringent emissions standards.Tesla recently reported its fourth-quarter 2024 financial results and missed Wall Streets targets across the board amid an ongoing decline in its vehicle sales worldwide. Despite its deteriorating financial position, TSLA stock has risen 123% over the past year.Is TSLA Stock a Buy?Tesla stock currently has a consensus Hold rating among 33 Wall Street analysts. That rating is based on 12 Buy, 12 Hold, and nine Sell recommendations made in the last three months. Theaverage TSLA price targetof $336.71 implies 10.85% downside risk from current levels.Read more analyst ratings on TSLA stock

Play Dead!The Sims 2 Legacy Collection forced me to make my pets unemployed after showbiz dog's return from work triggered crashSay no to bread-winning pets in The Sims 2 Legacy Collection.Image credit: EA/VG247 Article by Kelsey Raynor Guides Writer Published on Feb. 3, 2025 This is one of those articles where, for once, the headline says it all. Though, for some context: I was one of many fans who flocked to purchase The Sims 25th Anniversary Bundle this weekend, before quickly sinking over 25 hours into the game in just two days, only to find a good portion of that time was spent handling all manner of bugs and crashes that were disrupting the rather idyllic life of my nuclear family of Sims. These didnt bother me too much on the whole, until I ran into something that would, ultimately, ruin my familys life (in-game).One of these bugs, and arguably the most troublesome, involved my beloved pets. At this point in my Sims lives, I was well on my way with meeting their Lifetime Aspirations; one Sim wanted to be successful in the entertainment career which is easy enough, while their husband who didnt fancy getting a job for himself wanted to have five pets in top-level careers bringing home the bacon for him.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Now, if a Sim wants a promotion at work, they need to work on the skills relevant to that job: Logic, Charisma, Creativity etc. Makes sense. Similarly, if a pet wants a promotion at work (yes, they can get jobs), they need to be taught new commands that they can impress their feline and canine peers with. This is where everything begins to go wrong.Both of my Sims my stand-up comedian wifey having finally got a day off work get down to business teaching all of our pets the necessary commands for successful careers in pet showbiz. They dont sleep. The first pet to go to work, given that all the others skipped work due to being too busy learning these new commands (oops), is Maliketh. Hes a rottweiler who, as far as Im aware, is not bearing the Rune of Death that his Elden Ring namesake is renowned for, but what happened next had me reconsidering.Maliketh is promoted at work, and I rejoice. One pet down, just four more to go, except Maliketh had other ideas. As his carpool rolls onto our road and he hops out the passenger seat, my game crashes. I hadnt saved for hours. I boot things back up to see Maliketh and two of our cats Malenia and Rennala still present, but it turns out Ive lost two kittens (RIP Morgott and Godrick) and two babies (Boy 2 and Boy 3) in the process. Honestly, my cats didn't like Maliketh all that much. Maybe this was a sign. | Image credit: EA/VG247Oh well, I think. This is The Sims 2 after all. Crashes are inevitable when it comes to a game that is two decades old, right? I continue where I left off. I immediately get my Sims down to business trying to have children to fill the void of the two that have since been misplaced by Maliketh, and once thats done, theyre back to teaching our remaining pets new commands. Eventually, Maliketh goes to work again; this time, I save my game.Sure enough, the puppy is promoted and youd think hed be happy about it. Alas, no. He returns home once more and as soon as his paws hit the pavement, my game ceases to function. Now, this crash was funny the first time with the head-canon I had going on surrounding Maliketh, and even a second time, confirming that Maliketh was in-fact the issue, got a good giggle out of me. Though, where was I to go from there? How was my pet-loving, employment-hating husband ever going to fulfill his lifetime wishes if every time Maliketh went to work, got promoted, and came home, it was like a literal death-bearing demigod was upon us?Now, there is a rather finicky temporary fix for this for players who enable cheats. As your pet returns home from work, players can use the debug menu as their pet exits the carpool this has to be done as they leave the car but before they enter the lot and then reset the pet. For full details of the temporary fix while we eagerly anticipate a patch, take a look at this post in The Sims 2 help subreddit.If youre instead more interested in exactly why this issue is affecting players, as I was, this thread on EAs Forums offers an explanation. Simply put, whenever a pet is promoted and returns from work, the game is meant to unlock a random unlockable for them fur colours and collars and these unlockables are not part of The Sims 2 Legacy Collection. As a result, the game appears to combust whenever it tries to unlock a collar or fur colour that doesnt actually exist in the games files as a result of a pets promotion.Ill be honest, I simply couldnt be bothered doing the above steps every single time one of my pets got home from work. I like to play The Sims at double or triple speed a lot, just to see what chaos ensues when my Sims are left to their own devices; this just wouldnt be possible with employed pets. Id need to keep a meticulous eye on things, and well, half my fun in the Sims comes from not keeping as close an eye on things as I should. Though, that did also see multiple of my Sims die in the first few hours of playing. Such is life in Strangetown!So, this is where I restarted my game altogether almost twenty hours later after persevering with different, less disruptive bugs and crashes prior, hoping my in-game husband would have desires that dont involve pets rocketing to stardom.Maliketh, who now remains in The Sims 2s family bin, I hope we can one day provided EA deploys a fix for this at some point in future give you the showbiz career you deserve.

The rise of "eSlop".We all know that in the year of our lord 2025, the Switch eShop has its fair share of problems. It's slow, it's clunky and it's flooded with games that we'd really rather not have to wade through, but what's it like from the other side? How does the storefront hold up if you're the one trying to sell games on it?That was a question recently asked by IGN in a new feature that put Nintendo's storefront (and Sony's, Microsoft's and Valve's) under the microscope. Unsurprisingly, the devs are just as tired of it as we all are.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Rollback netcode, but at a hardware level?What if your controller could sense your next move? That's hardly science fictionafter all, rollback netcode is used in many leading fighting games to do just thatbut a patent has been spotted by Tom's Guide and Game Rant which hints that Nintendo could look to include it in Switch 2 at a hardware level.The patent was filed by the Japanese company in August 2024 and published on January 23rd of this year. It appears to be a system that tracks button presses and directional movements with the goal of predicting the next possible input sequence.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

DeepSeek, the Chinese AI company, is raising the ire of regulators around the world. DeepSeeks viral AI models and chatbot apps have been banned by a growing number of countries and government bodies, which have expressed concerns over DeepSeeks ethics, privacy, and security practices. Corporations have banned DeepSeek, too by the hundreds. The biggest worry reportedly is potential data leakage to the Chinese government. According to DeepSeeksprivacy policy, the company stores all user data in China, where local lawsmandateorganizations to share data with intelligence officials upon request.As the list of regions where DeepSeeks apps are no longer available grows, well continue updating this roundup. Also included: the public sector departments that have prohibited DeepSeek tech.ItalyItaly became one of the first countries to ban DeepSeek following an investigation by the countrys privacy watchdog into DeepSeeks handling of personal data. In late January, Italys Data Protection Authority (DPA) launched an investigation into DeepSeeks data collection practices and compliance with the GDPR, the EU law that governs how personal data is retained and processed in EU territories. The DPA gave DeepSeek 20 days to respond to questions about how and where the company stores user data and what it uses this data for.DeepSeek claimed its apps didnt call under the jurisdiction of EU law. Italys DPA disagreed and took steps to remove DeepSeeks apps from the Apple and Google app stores in Italy.TaiwanTaiwans Ministry of Digital Affairs said that DeepSeek endangers national information security and has banned government agencies from using the companys AI.In a statement, the Taiwan ministry said that public sector workers and critical infrastructure facilities run the risk of cross-border transmission and information leakage by using DeepSeeks technology. The Taiwanese governments ban applies to employees of government agencies as well as public schools and state-owned enterprises.DeepSeek AI service is a Chinese product, the Ministry of Digital Affairs statement reads. Its operation involves [several] information security concerns.U.S. CongressU.S. Congressional offices have reportedly been warned not to use DeepSeek tech.The Houses Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), which provides support services and business solutions to the House of Representatives, sent a notice to congressional offices indicating that DeepSeeks technology is under review, Axios reported.[T]hreat actors are already exploiting DeepSeek to deliver malicious software and infect devices, the notice said. To mitigate these risks, the House has taken security measures to restrict DeepSeeks functionality on all House-issued devices.According to Axios, the CAO has prohibited staffers from installing DeepSeek applications on any official smartphones, computers, or tablets.TexasTexas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an order banning software from DeepSeek and other Chinese companies from government-issued devices in the state.In a statement, Abbott said that Texas will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate our states critical infrastructure through data-harvesting AI and social media apps. Texas will continue to protect and defend our state from hostile foreign actors.U.S. NavyThe U.S. Navy has instructed its members not to use DeepSeek apps or technology, according to CNBC.In late January, the Navy sent an email prohibiting service members from using DeepSeek products in any capacity due to potential security and ethical concerns associated with the [techs] origin[s] and usage. A Navy spokesperson told CNBC the email was in reference to the Department of the Navys Chief Information Officers generative AI policy and based on an advisory from the Navys cyber workforce manager.In the email, the Navy said its imperative that members dont use DeepSeeks AI for any work-related tasks or personal use, and refrain from downloading, installing, or using [DeepSeek AI].PentagonThe Pentagon has blocked access to DeepSeek technologies, but not before some staff accessed them, Bloomberg reported.The Defense Information Systems Agency, which is responsible for the Pentagons IT networks, moved to ban DeepSeeks website in January, according to Bloomberg. The decision is said to have come after defense officials raised concerns that Pentagon workers were using DeepSeeks applications without authorization.Bloomberg notes that while the prohibition remains in place, Defense Department personnel can use DeepSeeks AI through Ask Sage, an authorized platform that doesnt directly connect to Chinese servers.NASANASA has also banned employees from using DeepSeek tech. Thats according to CNBC, which obtained a memo from the agencys chief AI officer informing personnel that DeepSeeks servers operate outside the U.S., raising national security concerns.DeepSeek and its products and services are not authorized for use with NASAs data and information or on government-issued devices and networks, the memo said, per CNBC. [Employees are not authorized to] access DeepSeek via NASA devices and agency-managed network connections.NASA has blocked use of DeepSeek apps on agency-managed devices and networks, CNBC reports.

On Friday, at 2:48 p.m., Francesco Cancellato received an ominous notification on his cell phone while he was at home near Milan.This is a message from WhatsApp, read the message in Italian, which was obtained by TechCrunch. In December, WhatsApp interrupted the activities of a spyware company which we believe attacked your device. Our investigations indicate that you may have received a harmful file via WhatsApp and that the spyware may have resulted in accessing your data, including messages saved on the device.We have made changes to prevent this specific attack from happening again. However, your devices operating system may remain compromised due to the spyware, continued the message.Cancellato is the first target to come forward following the disclosure of a hacking campaign carried out using spyware allegedly made by Paragon Solutions, as WhatsApp claimed on Friday.At the time, WhatsApp said that the spying campaign targeted around 90 people, including journalists like Cancellato and members of civil society all over the world, including in Europe.I feel violated, Cancellato told TechCrunch. He said that at the beginning he thought the message was a scam or a joke. You always think somehow that a journalist might be wiretapped or spied on, but you do it more out of your own paranoia and to exorcise the fact that you may be. When someone tells you its true, you tend not to believe it, you always tend to think its something else.Then he said he realized it was real. You ask yourself, why me? This is the thing, I mean, what did they want from me?Thats the first question, the second question is what did they take from me? Where did they go? What did they do to me? Once they got into my phone, where there is basically my whole life, my vacations, my friendships, my family, my bank passwords, there is everything my work stuff, said Cancellato. And then the third question is who did it?Cancellato is the director of Fanpage.it, an Italian news website that is known for investigations into corruption, organized crime, the Catholic Church, and the youth-wing of the far-right ruling party in Italy, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.For that multi-part investigation last year, Fanpage sent reporters undercover to infiltrate the Giovent Meloniana, a group that is part of Melonis Fratelli dItalia party, which has ruled Italy since 2022. The investigation showed videos of several party members making racist remarks against Jewish and Black people, chanting N-words and Nazi slogans, and singing about the fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini.Contact UsDo you have more information about Paragon, and this spyware campaign? From a non-work device, you can contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai securely on Signal at +1 917 257 1382, or via Telegram and Keybase @lorenzofb, or email. You also can contact TechCrunch via SecureDrop.Cancellato said he decided to come out publicly because, as a journalist, his job is to report the news. However, he said he didnt want to speculate who was behind it. At this point, there are a lot of unanswered questions. including whether his phone was indeed hacked or targeted unsuccessfully, what the hackers were after, and who ordered the attack.WhatsApp said that the hacking campaign was carried out by Paragon Solutions, an Israeli government spyware maker that reportedly sells a product to spy on encrypted apps, such as WhatsApp and Signal, called Graphite, as Forbes reported in 2021.A WhatsApp spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment asking if the company could confirm that Cancellato was a target.The Guardian quoted a person close to the company as saying Paragon Solutions sold its products to 35 democratic government clients. And Israeli news outlet Ynetnews reported on Monday that Italy is a Paragon customer.Also on Monday, The Guardian reported that Sweden-based Libyan activist Husam El Gomati was also notified by WhatsApp as being one of the targets of the hacking campaign. El Gomati has been vocal criticizing Italys relationship with Libya, particularly an agreement between the two countries to stop immigrants from crossing the Mediterranean.TechCrunch did not receive a response after contacting the Italian governments press office email address, as well as to Fabrizio Alfano, the head of Melonis press office, via email and WhatsApp.Paragon Solutions has cultivated a reputation for being a responsible surveillance tech vendor. On its official website, the company says it provides our customers with ethically based tools, teams, and insights to disrupt intractable threats.An unnamed Paragon Solutions source told The New Yorker last year that the companys deal with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement months earlier in September was the result of a vetting process where the company allegedly showed it could prevent its technology from being used by other countries against Americans, but not the U.S. governmentParagon Solutions was acquired in December 2024 by American private equity giant AE Industrial Partners.Paragon Solutions and AE Industrial did not respond to a request for comment.WhatsApps message to Cancellato suggested he could contact Citizen Lab, a digital rights group at the University of Toronto that has for a decade investigated and exposed spyware abuses all over the world, including Ethiopia, Mexico, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Spain.Cancellato, who said he and Fanpage have contacted the authorities, told TechCrunch that he did what the message asked me to do.It is actually quite strange for a journalist to be spied on in a Western democracy, said Cancellato, adding that the phone that was targeted was his company device, so its an attack on Fanpage; its not an attack on me.

Breakdown & ShowreelsAlien Romulus: Intense Zero G sequence by Weta FXBy Vincent Frei - 03/02/2025 In space, no one can hear you scream especially in zero gravity. Watch this exclusive clip by Hulu from Alien: Romulus, where the Xenomorphs strike in a visually stunning, weightless horror scene crafted by Weta FX!WANT TO KNOW MORE?Weta FX: Dedicated page about Alien: Romulus on Weta FX website.Dan Macarin & Ludovic Chailloleau: Heres my interview of Dan Macarin (VFX Supervisor) & Ludovic Chailloleau (Animation Supervisor) at Weta FX.Eric Barba: Heres my interview of Production VFX Supervisor Eric Barba. Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2025