The Monitor Rig consists of a VESA plate and other accessories that can have lights, cameras and ... [+] microphones attached.MONOBLOCCOn my office desk setup, I have a 27-inch display with a couple of webcams perched on the top and two LED lights for when I am joining a Zoom or Teams meeting. The lights take up quite a bit of desk space and the webcams look so precarious just balanced on top of the screen, ready to fall off the moment I adjust the monitors position.If that setup sounds familiar to you, then the new Monitor Rig from Monoblocc could be an answer. Monoblocc is a new brand that produces a modular system of brackets, clamps and arms that can transform a monitor into a home studio rig by enabling essential accessories to be attached.The Monitor Rig builds into an innovative mounting solution that will be ideal for gamers, content creators and livestreamers who need to set up and position webcams, microphones, lights and other essential equipment for video meetings and content creation.The base component of the Monitor Rig is a VESA plate that goes between the monitor and its boom ... [+] arm.MonopbloccFollowing a successful Kickstarter campaign, the Monitor Rig ecosystem is now available globally. The system brings together function, aesthetics and durability and is aimed at anyone who needs to organize their workspace and replace a cluttered setup with something neater and more streamlined that can hold all the essential kit for livestreaming.MORE FOR YOUUnlike some products that stick, tack or perch on a display, the Monoblocc Monitor Rig is inserted between a monitor and a boom arm to create a solid rig that can then have all types of attachments added. The Monitor Rig sandwiches securely between the monitors VESA holes and a boom arm, creating a sturdy rig for accessories like webcams, DSLRs, microphones and lights to be attached.The design offers an easy and flexible way of mounting accessories and can grow into a system that eliminates the need for separate lighting stands or tripods, freeing up valuable desk space while keeping all those accessories within easy reach. The design is easy to assemble and can be customized with optimal angles, heights and distances so the cameras, mics and lighting are positioned with precision.The Monoblocc system is incredibly adaptable and easily expands to accommodate extra accessories and ... [+] tools.MONOBLOCCWolfgang Ettlich is the CEO of Monoblocc and says: Our goal with the Monitor Rig is to create a workspace solution that adapts to each users unique needs while maintaining a clean, efficient setup that evolves with your needs. By freely consolidating essential accessories directly onto the monitor, were giving users more control over their space and enhancing productivity, whether theyre gaming, producing content or creating the ultimate workspace setup.The Monoblocc Monitor Rig is part of a growing ecosystem of accessories designed to expand with a users needs. Although the base unit is a single VESA plate, it can have a wide range of adaptable extension rods attached for attaching new tools or gadgets.The Monitor Rig is made from CNC-machined aluminum and the manufacturer claims its built to withstand daily use. The structure is lightweight and durable, offering plenty of stability but can be easily adapted, reconfigured or repositioned.Pricing & Availability: The Monoblocc Monitor Rig ecosystem is available now from the Monobloccwebsite. Prices start from $49 for a basic VESA plate with two double-rod sides. Single rods for attaching accessories start at just $25.

Ray tracing is typically seen as a trade-off between visuals and performance enhancing lighting realism at the cost of FPS. However, there's a second trade off that is talked about less: noise.I recently dedicated a video to discuss just this because there are games that don't use a high enough resolution for their effects, others with noticeable surface grain, heavy denoising that results in surface boiling, or games where ray tracing hurts texture quality to the extremes of causing noticeable responsiveness issues with lighting.All of these problems end up hurting what is supposed to be a technology that improves visual quality.What is Ray Reconstruction?Partly acknowledging this, Nvidia launched DLSS Ray Reconstruction back in 2023 to address many of these issues. As an AI-based denoiser for ray-traced games, it did offer some improvements in sharpening certain effects, but issues with noise and loss of detail remained in common scenarios.Nvidia has now updated Ray Reconstruction as part of its DLSS 4 technology suite. The DLSS 4 version replaces the old convolutional neural network (CNN) with a new transformer model.Essentially, this is a larger, higher-quality AI model with further tuning to improve denoising quality. Does this updated version address many of my complaints about ray tracing noise? Well, it's time to find out.The good news about DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction is that it's available on all Nvidia RTX GPUs, unlike Multi Frame Generation, which is exclusive to the GeForce 50 series. While the new transformer AI model is larger and more performance-taxing depending on the GPU architecture, it doesn't require any specific architectural component just Tensor cores so compatibility remains the same as DLSS 3-era Ray Reconstruction.As you'll see later, the performance hit isn't the same across every GPU generation, but at least it works all the way back to the GeForce 20 series.Like other DLSS 4 technologies, there are two ways to access DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction. Either it's integrated into the game itself, as seen in titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Hogwarts Legacy, or you can override a DLSS 3 Ray Reconstruction game to use the DLSS 4 version instead via Nvidia's driver override feature.Either way, a game must already support Ray Reconstruction, but this allows most Ray Reconstruction-enabled games to be instantly upgraded to the latest version. Outside of this, third-party tools like DLSS Swapper and DLSS Updater can upgrade DLSS 3 games to DLSS 4.For the image quality analysis in this article (watch the video), I'll be directly comparing DLSS 3 vs. DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction across several examples. To do this, I've taken DLSS 4 games and manually downgraded them to DLSS 3.7.20 Ray Reconstruction the most recent version prior to DLSS 4 while keeping everything else the same. This allows us to isolate the impact of Ray Reconstruction improvements.In some games, it's possible to switch between the transformer and CNN models for Ray Reconstruction without swapping the DLLs, but this usually affects both the ray reconstruction and upscaling components at the same time.I wanted to keep the Super Resolution model at the DLSS 4 level while changing only Ray Reconstruction, which is why I used a downgrade method for comparison. The examples in this video were captured at 4K using a GeForce RTX 5090.DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction Image QualityLet's start with the good stuff. DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction is a significant improvement in stability. In particular, many surfaces are less prone to boiling with the new version, eliminating one of the ugly side effects of weak denoising.In Star Wars Outlaws, for example, a game prone to boiling with DLSS 3 Ray Reconstruction the new DLSS 4 version shows huge improvements in surface stability. On the left, DLSS 3 causes a completely stationary surface to bubble when it shouldn't, whereas on the right, DLSS 4 is much cleaner. It's not 100% free of this artifact but is significantly reduced. In fact, in other areas of the image, stability improves to near-perfect levels.For a better representation of image quality comparisons, check out the HUB video below:In other examples, like Cyberpunk 2077, this improvement is most noticeable in motion. There's less bubbling as denoised ray-traced effects move, giving them greater stability and consistency from frame to frame. This is especially noticeable on some globally illuminated surfaces, where DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction brings a significant improvement.The new version is cleaner in motion and resolves a decent level of detail more quickly. In some cases, the difference in quality is night and day so much so that DLSS 3 can look like the game is running at a lower resolution. And keep in mind, this is denoising, not upscaling, which remains the same in both examples. Changes in exposure are also much less likely to cause brief boiling, indicating that the new transformer model handles lighting adjustments better.At times, this increase in stability combines with better denoising to produce higher-resolution reflections. In the Alan Wake II example, metal reflections show boiling with DLSS 3, but switching to DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction reduces it, making the reflection appear higher resolution since edges are more defined and consistent in motion.There's also the classic fan example that Nvidia used to demonstrate DLSS 4, and we can confirm that this is a real benefit in games. As the fan spins, revealing the roof behind each blade, DLSS 4 is much more stable, reducing both boiling and ghosting.Again, this is ghosting caused by denoising, not upscaling. Rippling water surfaces also benefit from DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction often a source of noise but the new version does a better job of smoothing these details without introducing additional issues.One of the major issues with the original Ray Reconstruction technology was its inability to resolve texture detail on surfaces that also required denoising. In these cases, Ray Reconstruction prioritized smoothing noise over preserving textures, leading to blurry, muddy surfaces. In many instances, DLSS 4 is a major improvement in this area.For example, in Cyberpunk 2077, when looking at some shiny tiles, DLSS 3 Ray Reconstruction removes much of the marbling and surface detail, whereas DLSS 4 retains texture detail. This applies to both stationary and moving scenes, and in both cases, DLSS 4 is a clear upgrade in texture quality. In fact, the motion example looks horrible and extremely blurry with DLSS 3, whereas with DLSS 4, it looks much more like a 4K image.This improvement extends to other games like Star Wars Outlaws, where the combination of reduced boiling and better texture preservation results in significantly higher-quality surfaces across the game world. In the Alan Wake II elevator door example, DLSS 3 completely hides the fact that the surface is brushed metal, but DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction restores this detail along with other benefits.Here's another example in Cyberpunk 2077, where the roof of the car retains clearer textures in motion with DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction compared to previous versions. Similar benefits can be seen on various surfaces throughout the game.It's impressive how much DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction improves surface stability, resolution, and detail and how bad prior versions of denoising can look in comparison. Denoising that blurs textures and causes boiling is not a real solution effective denoising should preserve detail as well, and we're getting much closer to that with DLSS 4.The Downsides of Ray ReconstructionDLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction isn't perfect though. Some areas haven't improved much over DLSS 3 Ray Reconstruction, and in certain cases, there are actually regressions, which isn't great. For example, in the three main games we tested all of which have native DLSS 4 integrations we noticed that DLSS 4 could occasionally introduce strange surface artifacts.In Star Wars Outlaws, stationary ray-traced effects sometimes display a grid pattern. We've zoomed in for clarity, but it's also visible at a normal viewing distance on a 32-inch 4K panel. A similar issue appears in Cyberpunk 2077, though less frequently, usually in globally illuminated areas.We also noticed some cases where DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction reduced texture quality, separate from the previous issue. About 80% of the time, texture quality is noticeably better, but in the remaining 20%, textures can become blurrier or more smoothed out. For example, in Alan Wake II, the scene below shows improved textures in one area but worse textures in a darker section.Fortunately, in most cases, this regression isn't enough to hurt overall image quality compared to DLSS 3, as the majority of the image sees improvements especially in terms of boiling and surface artifacts. However, some tweaks to the model are necessary to ensure texture quality is consistently preserved along with denoising.Ray Reconstruction also still suffers from a noticeable difference in clarity between stationary shots and motion where standing still always results in a higher-quality image than when moving.This is, of course, due to how denoising works: if there are no changes between frames, denoising can temporally accumulate and resolve a higher level of detail. But when there are changes, achieving similar detail levels becomes much harder. Still, we would have liked to see more improvements in this area.The reality is that when you stop moving, after a second or two, Ray Reconstruction appears to slowly "load in" higher-quality surfaces. It isn't actually loading anything it's just the temporal system benefiting more and more from the lack of motion during that time.But when actually gaming, this can be noticeable, especially because in some instances, as soon as you take a step or move the camera, the overall render quality decreases. Now, DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction in motion is certainly superior to DLSS 3, but in this area, it seems to work in basically the same way.Since there's still quite a bit of temporal accumulation happening, there haven't been major improvements to the responsiveness of the denoiser. It still takes a few frames to fully respond to lighting changes, which can create a floaty feeling when moving around and looking at reflections or illumination on surfaces.The quality of each step in the accumulation and resolution process is improved, but the number of temporal samples being used for denoising seems quite similar to previous iterations. This still causes issues in games that don't use a particularly high ray count for ray tracing. So this pet peeve we have with the responsiveness of ray-traced lighting persists even with DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction.Performance TestingAs for performance, DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction is more taxing than DLSS 3 Ray Reconstruction. We tested four different graphics cards using the latest version compared to DLSS 3, focusing solely on the impact of Ray Reconstruction, not upscaling. For each GPU, we adjusted the settings to something realistically playable while maintaining a similar output frame rate.GeForce RTX 5090Starting with the GeForce RTX 5090, we tested at 4K with DLSS Quality enabled, typically using the highest in-game settings. This results in around 60 FPS in Alan Wake II and Cyberpunk 2077, or a higher 90 FPS in Star Wars Outlaws.Using DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction caused a 4% hit in Alan Wake II, a 5% hit in Cyberpunk 2077, and a 7% hit in Outlaws. So, not an insignificant impact, but quite worthwhile given the image quality is generally much better.GeForce RTX 4070 SuperThe RTX 4070 Super is less powerful and uses the previous-generation Ada Lovelace architecture. To run these games at around 60 FPS, we had to drop to 1440p with DLSS Quality and slightly lower the presets as well.But despite these changes, the impact from DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction is quite similar to the RTX 5090: a 4% hit in Alan Wake II, a 6% hit in Cyberpunk 2077, and a 6% hit in Outlaws. Based on this, it's safe to say the Tensor cores in Blackwell and Ada are good enough to run the new transformer model at an acceptable performance cost.GeForce RTX 3090The RTX 3090 is roughly equivalent to an RTX 4070 Super in ray tracing performance, so we used the exact same settings for both GPUs. The main difference here is the architecture. What was interesting to note is that the 3090 suffers from a greater hit when using DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction: an 18% loss to FPS in both Alan Wake II and Cyberpunk 2077.Interestingly, there is no performance impact in Star Wars Outlaws, but this is because it seems like the game forces the use of the CNN model on generations prior to the 40 series. Unlike the other two games, there is no option to switch between models the game does it for you. In this instance, it chooses Transformer for the 40 and 50 series and CNN for the 30 and 20 series, hence no impact between DLSS 3 and 4 in Outlaws on the RTX 3090.The most likely explanation for the performance difference between Ampere and Ada Lovelace is the difference in Tensor core architecture, with Ada supporting a wider range of precisions that are potentially being utilized here.GeForce RTX 2080 TiAs for Turing with the RTX 2080 Ti, this GPU is really only suitable for low-quality ray tracing today. We had to dial back the settings to 1080p with DLSS Quality and the lowest quality settings. In Alan Wake II, we saw a 27% FPS reduction using DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction vs. DLSS 3, and a 32% reduction in Cyberpunk 2077.This makes it hard to recommend the use of the newer model on older 20 series GPUs, though it's unclear how much it matters given the overall ray tracing performance of these cards.What We LearnedOverall, we were quite impressed testing DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction certainly much more impressed than when testing Multi-Frame Generation. The new transformer model generally results in a significant increase in visual quality. There are major improvements to stability, surface boiling, texture preservation, and overall detail, which help deliver better ray-traced surfaces.Using this technology makes ray tracing feel like less of a downgrade in detail, minimizing the "visual cost" of achieving better lighting quality and accuracy. A lot of these surface and detail issues were clear problems with DLSS 3 Ray Reconstruction and other denoising methods used in today's ray-traced games. It's nice to get ray-traced lighting, but the noise can be pretty distracting in some games, giving the presentation a soupy, low-resolution look, especially in motion.DLSS 4 is a big step in the right direction toward improving how ray-traced games look, and in all the games we tested, we were much happier with the DLSS 4 output.While it is quite an impressive improvement that should be instantly noticeable in games, I wouldn't say it's "fixed" all of my ray tracing noise complaints. DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction still has some surface boiling in worst case scenarios, there's still a noticeable difference in detail between standing still and motion, and it still struggles to be responsive and high quality when ray counts are low. There's also a few regressions compared to DLSS 3, like the occasional weird artifact and some reductions to texture quality.But for the most part, it's worth using especially on RTX 50 and RTX 40 series GPUs, where the performance impact relative to DLSS 3 seems to be around 5%. It struggles more on Ampere-based RTX 30 GPUs but could still be worth using, while on RTX 20 series cards, you can basically forget about it due to both the performance cost and the lack of ray tracing performance in modern games. It's great to see Nvidia delivering this sort of update without locking it to a specific GPU generation, allowing as many people as possible to benefit.We do have a couple of recommendations for game developers based on this testing. First, if you're developing a ray-traced game, consider integrating DLSS 4 Ray Reconstruction. There are some other good denoising solutions in games, but often they're pretty lackluster and create a bad output. The quality from DLSS 4 is great, and there are far fewer downsides compared to DLSS 3 Ray Reconstruction.Second, we recommend allowing gamers to choose the model used for upscaling and ray reconstruction separately. In Cyberpunk 2077 and Alan Wake II, you can choose between the CNN and Transformer models, but this applies to both upscaling and denoising together. Separating those options would allow for more performance fine-tuning, especially on older GPUs like Ampere, where ray reconstruction can be taxing.Nvidia also needs to keep working on this technology because there's room for improvement with more training and tweaks. The weird artifacts need fixing, and a stronger focus on responsiveness would be nice to reduce that gap in quality between standing still and motion.Shopping Shortcuts:Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 on AmazonNvidia GeForce RTX 5090 on AmazonAMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX on AmazonNvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super on AmazonAMD Radeon RX 7800 XT on AmazonAMD Radeon RX 7900 XT on Amazon

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsA safer approachWhat happens next?The TikTok app has not returned to the Google Play Store or Apples App Store, ever since it went dark in the US with a ban looming over its head. That means fresh downloads are not possible on Android and Apple smartphones. Things have finally eased, at least for Android fans.The official TikTok website now lists the software package that lets users download the app directly, instead of an app repository such as the Google Play Store. Third-party websites have hosted the apps software bundle for a while, but that route usually comes with the risk of malware.Recommended VideosIf you are browsing TikToks web version on mobile, click on the hamburger menu in the top-left corner of the screen, and in the side panel that opens, scroll down and tap on the download option.Please enable Javascript to view this contentAt the moment, you can download the full version of the app, or the Lite version, which takes up less storage space. The biggest advantage of installing the TikTok app from the companys official web dashboard is that its safe and doesnt come with any safety caveats.If its your first time downloading an app from a web browser, you might have to grant a one-time trust permission to install the package from that source. Once you agree, the TikTok application will be installed on your Android phone without any issues.The only hassle is that if an app is not available via the Google Play Store, it becomes cumbersome to seed the latest updates. That means missing out on, or slowing down, new features and security patches to plug vulnerabilities.There is no clarity, however, when TikTok will return to Google or Apples app repositories. One reason could be the massive penalty. App stores and service providers could be fined up to $5,000 per person for violation.With a few thousand downloads, you are looking at fines worth millions of dollars. TikTok is in the safe zone. For now. Merely a day after a nationwide ban was enforced, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that delayed a blanket US ban for 75 days.It is unclear what happens once that deadline arrives. There are rumors of a US-based entity taking over TikToks local business, with names like Oracle, Microsoft, and even Elon Musk appearing in reports.A sale may not be as seamless as a simple transfer of ownership for local operations. In fact, the parent company, ByteDance, might possibly put the whole endeavor on cold ice, leaving the US market for good.But Beijing is increasingly likely to take a hard-line approach, letting TikToks U.S. operations die rather than approving a sale as it holds out for a grand deal with the Trump administration that includes larger concessions on trade and tech policy, according to one of the people and analysts, says a report from The Washington Post.On the audience side, the frenzy is real. While Android users have finally received some official respite, there is no such relief in sight for iPhone users. Apple doesnt allow app installation from any source other than its App Store, unless you live in the EU.That leaves iPhone users in the US without a path for downloading TikTok. The situation got so desperate that used iPhones with the TikTok app pre-installed popped up on online sales platforms for as high as fifty thousand dollars apiece.Editors Recommendations

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Inhale exhaust fumes instead Feds putting the kibosh on national EV charging program DOT orders states to halt plans to build federally funded EV stations. Aarian Marshall, wired.com Feb 8, 2025 7:01 am | 1 The state of US charging infrastructure might seem dire, depending on where you live. Credit: Getty Images The state of US charging infrastructure might seem dire, depending on where you live. Credit: Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreThe US Department of Transportation has ordered states to kill their implementation plans related to the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, according to a memo obtained by WIRED that was later made public. The decision appears to halt in its tracks a $5 billion program designed to fund state projects to install electric vehicle charging stations across the United States.Officials at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), which manages the program, ordered state transportation directors to decertify the plans that all 50 states have used to outline where and how they will build their charging stations, and with what companies theyll contract to do so. States have followed those plans to build more than 30 charging stations across the US, with hundreds more on the way.Surveys show prospective car buyers cite the countrys lagging electric vehicle charging infrastructure as a major reason they wont buy electric. The NEVI program, established by 2021s Infrastructure Law, was the governments answer to those concerns. It attempts to build chargers along thousands of miles of federal highway, with a focus on places that might not otherwise be able to financially support a charger.The memo says transportation officials in President Donald Trumps administration will write all new guidance for the program, which will then go through a public comment period. The timeline suggests work on the federally funded electric vehicle charger network may be paused for months.The order may be illegal. It could fly in the face of court orders demanding the Trump administration unfreeze a funding pause that prevents federal money from flowing to state agencies. It may also violate the Administrative Procedures Act, which requires agencies to follow legal procedures before taking action.There is no legal basis for funds that have been apportioned to states to build projects being decertified based on policy, says Andrew Rogers, a former deputy administrator and chief counsel of the Federal Highway Administration.The US DOT did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Its unclear how the DOTs order will affect charging stations that are under construction. In the letter, FHWA officials write that no new obligations may occur, suggesting states may not sign new contracts with businesses even if those states have been allocated federal funding. The letter also says reimbursement of existing obligations will be allowed as the program goes through a review process, suggesting states may be allowed to pay back businesses that have already provided services.Billions in federal funding have already been disbursed under the program. Money has gone to both red and blue states. Top funding recipients last year included Florida, New York, Texas, Georgia, and Ohio.Tesla CEO Elon Musk has spent the last few weeks at the head of the federal so-called Department of Government Efficiency directing audits and cuts to federal spending. But his electric automobile company has been a recipient of $31 million in awards from the NEVI program, according to a database maintained by transportation officials, accounting for 6 percent of the money awarded so far.The Trump administration has said that it plans to target electric vehicles and EV-related programs. An executive order signed by Trump on his first day in office purported to eliminate the EV mandate, though such a federal policy never existed.NEVI projects have taken longer to get off the ground than other charging station construction because the federal government was deliberate in allocating funding to companies with track records, that could prove they could build or operate charging stations, says Ryan McKinnon, a spokesperson for Charge Ahead Partnership, a group of businesses and organizations that work in electric vehicle charging. If NEVI funding isnt disbursed, the businesses that have spent time or money investing in this program will be hurt, he says.This story originally appeared on wired.com.Aarian Marshall, wired.com Wired.com is your essential daily guide to what's next, delivering the most original and complete take you'll find anywhere on innovation's impact on technology, science, business and culture. 1 Comments

Jalapeo poppers are a game-day staple.The air fryer allows jalapeo poppers to get perfectly crispy on the outside. LauriPatterson/Getty Images According toOlivia Roszkowski, chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education, the air fryer is great for making jalapeo poppers.She said the appliance allows the exterior breading or batter to stay crunchy and golden while the cheesy center becomes "molten" without getting too stringy.Homemade spring rolls are easy to prep ahead and make when cravings strike.Spring rolls stay light and crispy in the air fryer. Iridenta Florescu/Getty Images Chef Maricel Gentile, owner at Maricel's Kitchen, recommends making homemade vegetable or pork spring rolls as an impressive appetizer.She said these are easy to make and can be prepped and frozen ahead of time.According to Gentile, the air fryer makes the spring rolls light and crispy and prevents them from getting overbaked, soggy, or greasy.Air fried stuffed mushrooms are a tasty appetizer with a distinct flavor.The air fryer keeps stuffed mushrooms from becoming too soggy. ClarkandCompany/Getty Images When it comes to appetizers, mushrooms are often skipped over because they can lose water and become too soggy.However, both Christopher Lindsay a chef-instructor at the University of Nevada and Roszkowski love making stuffed mushrooms in the air fryer."Stuffed mushrooms are delicious when made in the air fryer because the mushrooms themselves do not lose too much volume, which often happens in a conventional or convection oven," Roszkowski told BI.Lindsay recommends thoroughly cleaning and drying the mushrooms and lightly spraying the bottom of the air-fryer basket to prevent sticking.Then, the chef places the stuffed mushrooms inside, being careful to avoid overcrowding, and cooks the dish at 390 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit until the cheesy stuffing is golden and bubbly.Spinach-artichoke dip comes together quickly in the air fryer.Spinach-artichoke dip turns golden and bubbly in the air fryer. Photo by Cathy Scola/Getty Images Roszkowski told BI it's a good idea to make a dish like spinach-artichoke dip in the air fryer. She said this method takes about one-third of the time it would in the oven and still turns out golden and gooey.To make the dip, Roszkowski suggests prepping it in an oven-safe ceramic dish. Then, cook the dip in the air fryer until golden and bubbling, and pair it with warm bread, pita chips, or sliced veggies.Impress guests with a Filipino dish like veggie- and shrimp-loaded ukoy.Ukoy, a type of fritter, is easy to make in the air fryer. sri widyowati/Getty Images Ukoy is a crispy, comforting, fried Filipino fritter made with unpeeled shrimp, shredded vegetables, and a simple batter of cornstarch, flour, and water.Gentile likes to make these fritters in the air fryer to skip the time it takes to deep-fry them. The chef said this dish could also be made without shrimp for a vegetarian alternative.Bacon-wrapped dates are perfect for elegant dinner parties.Bacon-wrapped dates are a delicious crowd-pleaser. bhofack2/Getty Images/iStockphoto Bacon-wrapped dates, a popular go-to appetizer for dinner parties and potlucks, are another great option for the air fryer. The appliance quickly crisps up the bacon while letting the cheese filling (if used) soften without burning."I've been perfecting bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with gorgonzola and a smoked almond in my convection oven for years, typically baking them for 25 to 30 minutes," Lindsay said.However, if you want to make the appetizer in a slightly shorter timeframe, the chef recommends preheating the air fryer for five minutes and baking the dates for 15 to 20 minutes.Nachos can reach ultimate crispiness in the air fryer.Nacho chips get crispy in the air fryer, and toppings can easily be served on the side. Fotografa de eLuVe/Getty Images Roszkowski is all for going big on game day with freshly made nachos served with guacamole, salsa, and sour cream on the side."The tortilla chips don't get soggy because of the hot, dry circulating air and the quicker cooking time," Roszkowski said. "This allows you to be generous with your toppings."The chef also recommends lining the air fryer tray with parchment paper for easy cleanup.Chorizo-and-pepper-stuffed puff pastry could really wow guests.Puff pastry turns golden brown in the air fryer. Isabel Pavia/Getty Images Store-bought puff pastry is arguably one of the most popular appetizer ingredients, especially for wrapped or rolled air-fryer dishes.Lindsay likes to stuff puff pastry with chorizo, corn, red bell peppers, jalapeos, cotija cheese, and seasonings. Then, he folds the pastry and air-fries the dish until golden.He serves the appetizer with fresh guacamole and salsa for a crowd-pleasing dish.Go for a sweet and savory combination of ham, Brie, and pears or apples.Ham-wrapped Brie is a great elevated appetizer. LauriPatterson/Getty Images If you want an elevated appetizer that requires little prep time, Lindsay recommends covering a slab of Brie with pears or Cosmic Crisp apples cut batonnet style (into straight strips) and fresh thyme.Then, the chef rolls the ingredients into ham slices cut off the bone, places the dish seam-side down in the air fryer, and heats it up.Consider upgrading pizza or pasta night with air fried garlic bread.The air fryer gives garlic bread a nice crunch. Chettarin/Getty Images Level up game night or family dinner with hot, fresh garlic bread."Garlic bread is the perfect appetizer to make in an air fryer because the generous blast of hot air simultaneously toasts the bread, melts the Parmesan cheese, and cooks the garlic without getting too brown and crusty," Roszkowski said.The chef suggests finishing the dish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley to really wow dinner guests.

A federal judge has temporarily blocked Elon Musk's DOGE from accessing Treasury Department material.The judge cited the risk of "irreparable harm" from the government's access policy.The order follows a lawsuit filed by 19 attorneys general seeking injunctive relief.A federal judge has temporarily blocked Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Treasury Department payment systems, citing the risk of "irreparable harm."After attorneys general from 19 states filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US District Judge Paul Engelmayer issued an order early Saturday halting access to Treasury payment material for political appointees, "special government employees," and government employees not assigned by the Treasury Department."That is both because of the risk that the new policy presents of the disclosure of sensitive and confidential information and the heightened risk that the systems in question will be more vulnerable than before to hacking," Engelmayer said.The judge also ordered such officials granted access to the systems since January 20 "to immediately destroy any and all copies of material downloaded from the Treasury Department's records and systems."The order is in place until Friday, February 14, when Engelmayer said the defendants, Trump and Bessent, should present arguments to Judge Jeannette Vargas.Attorneys general from 19 states filed a lawsuit seeking to end what they called the government's "new and dangerous expanded access policy" and prevent Musk's DOGE program which aims to slash government spending and regulations from handling files containing personal and financial data.New York Attorney General Letitia James, who filed the lawsuit, said in a video posted on X Friday that Musk's DOGE had "accessed the personal private information of tens of millions of Americans" over the past week."This unelected group, led by the world's richest man, is not authorized to have this information, and they explicitly sought this unauthorized access to illegally block payments that millions of Americans rely on, payments for healthcare, childcare and other essential programs," James said.DOGE did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported that a staffer at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) resigned after the paper inquired about some racist social media posts from an account linked to him.The swift resignation was, at least at first, a breath of fresh air. President Donald Trump and his allies have repeatedly refused to adhere to basic societal norms or moral codes and have faced little to no consequences. Elon Musk refused to apologize for a gesture that, at the very least, appeared identical to a Nazi salute. A senior State Department official once tweeted that competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work. It could seem like public shaming no longer worked as a guardrail against corrupt or irresponsible governance. So when Marko Elez the 25-year-old staffer who had gained access to the Treasury Departments central payment system felt enough pressure to quit, it looked like maybe there was still a line that Trump and his allies couldnt cross. That is, until the following day, when Elon Musk, who leads DOGE, asked his followers on X to answer this poll: Bring back @DOGE staffer who made inappropriate statements via a now deleted pseudonym? Vice President JD Vance then shared Musks tweet. I obviously disagree with some of Elezs posts, but I dont think stupid social media activity should ruin a kids life, Vance wrote. So I say bring him back. By Friday afternoon, Musk announced that Elez will get his job back.To put this all in perspective, heres a sampling of the kinds of things Elez said online: Just for the record, I was racist before it was cool. Normalize Indian hate. You could not pay me to marry outside of my ethnicity.The truth is everyone says something they will one day regret. And its reasonable to say that people shouldnt be punished for things they said or did as a kid especially if theyve demonstrated that theyve changed and matured. But Elez an adult in a position of significant power said all of these things within the past year. The idea that he shouldnt face any consequences for making such offensive remarks, or that he should have access to peoples data, is on its face absurd. But this story is not really about Elez. Its about what Republicans really mean when they say they believe in free speech. Musk styles himself as an outspoken supporter of the First Amendment, saying he initially invested in Twitter (which he renamed X) because he wanted it to be the platform for free speech around the globe. Vance, in a follow-up tweet, said that he didnt want his children to worry about whether a flippant comment or a wrong viewpoint will follow them around for the rest of their lives.In other words, our speech, however offensive, should not only be legal but socially permissible.But the Republican Party doesnt really believe in that absolutist ideal. In fact, the first few weeks of the Trump administration, and the Elez fiasco in particular, have exemplified the contradiction at the heart of the rights free speech rallying cry. What they actually want is the freedom to say the most offensive, racist things without getting any pushback, while also using the power of the state to suppress speech that they personally dont like.The GOPs conflicting messaging on free speechThe Republican Party is not, by any means, the party of free speech.Over the past several years, the GOP has been the main party willing to wield government might to actually suppress or punish speech that it deems unacceptable. This ranges from banning books to retaliating against private companies for taking political stances to unleashing law enforcement agencies to squash protests. (To be sure, Democrats have also used similar tactics.)The first three weeks of the Trump administration have also underscored how Republicans arent the free speech absolutists they claim to be. Just last week, for example, Trump issued an executive order that aims to deport foreign students who took part in pro-Palestinian protests last year. A fact sheet about the order says that it will target Hamas sympathizers and revoke student visas. To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you, Trump said in a statement. I will also quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism like never before.The Trump administration is taking tangible steps, in other words, to not just discourage some forms of speech but to actually deport people for attending a protest where people expressed opinions the administration finds offensive. So while someone who says normalize Indian hate can have a place in Trumps government without facing significant professional consequences because, apparently, kids say the darnedest things people who have views or ideas that Republicans dont like are not even welcome to enter the country.This is not merely a case of the typical hypocrisy we expect from politicians. It is a coherent worldview coming into form: The Trump administration has been making clear that while it has plenty of tolerance for not just radical ideas but outright racist words and gestures, it has no room whatsoever for dissent or disagreement. As Vance and Musk prepare to bring Elez back to his post at DOGE, they might argue that he simply made a mistake and, like it or not, the First Amendment protects all kinds of speech. And they would be right the First Amendment mostly does. But the Trump administration certainly does not, and the speech theyre personally choosing to protect should tell you everything about how they view the world.See More: