ByEstelle Nilsson-Julien Published on 07/02/2025 - 17:11 GMT+1 Ahead of Germanys federal elections, fake news and AI-generated propaganda is multiplying online. ADVERTISEMENTAs German federal elections draw closer, TikTok videos allegedly showing hundreds of thousands of people marching for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) have gone viral. German media outlet Correctiv revealed the videos had been manipulated as a Euroverify investigation can confirm. The videos posted by a range of AfD supporters' accounts consist of footage of crowds accompanied by captions claiming that they represent hundreds of thousands of people gathering for the far-right party.A simple TikTok search with keywords like pro-AfD and protest returns a string of videos of the sort. Euroverify ran the videos through a series of AI image detectors. Although many of the videos are not AI-generated, the footage is not from pro-AfD demonstrations but has been taken from other events, including protests against the German party. In some TikTok videos, AI audio detectors reveal that the soundtracks have been manipulated. In multiple videos like this one an AI-generated audio track of a crowd chanting "east, east, east" has replaced the original audio.Although this is not a chant typically used by AfD supporters, the eastern German states of Thuringia and Saxony are party strongholds. Footage in one video appears to date back to a January 2024 protest in Hamburg, when tens of thousands of people marched against the far right and not in favour of the AfD. The protests were triggered by public outrage over the revelation of a secret meeting between far-right groups in north-eastern Germany. AfD party members were among those who participated in talks which centred on how millions of immigrants including those with German citizenship could be systematically relocated to another country should these groups come to power. Wider mass protests across GermanyIn recent weeks, there have been no outdoor AfD gatherings attended by hundreds of thousands of people which once again underlines the fact that these TikTok videos are fake. Tens of thousands of people in Germany did take to the streets last weekend but to protest the leader of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Friedrich Merz and his parliamentary proposal on stricter migration rules. The proposal was supported by the AfD, which proved to be a red line for many Germans. As for AfD gatherings, in December, 3,500 supporters not hundreds of thousands gathered for a memorial rally following the Magdeburg Christmas market attack. The car-ramming attack, carried out by a Saudi-born doctor who had voiced support for far-right narratives online, killed six and injured more than 200 others. Last month, South Africa-born billionaire Elon Musk made a surprise appearance at an AfD campaign event in the eastern German city of Halle, which 4,500 people attended. Fake news and AI-generated propaganda are a growing concern ahead of Germany's elections.In recent weeks, authorities have also warned that a disinformation campaign originating from Moscow could be trying to influence their outcome. Go to accessibility shortcuts You might also like

Welcome back to Week in Review. This week were diving into Google quietly removing its pledge to not build AI weapons for surveillance; how Elon Musk and DOGE are facilitating the biggest breach of U.S. government data; researchers who were able to re-create a premium reasoning model for $50; and more! Lets get into it.Representatives of Elon Musk and DOGE were granted full access to the U.S. Treasury payments system, which is used to disperse trillions of dollars to Americans each year. Senatornational security risk. Its the latest reported effort by Musk to infiltrate the inner workings of the federal government.proposed a bill called the Elon Musk Act, which stands for Eliminate Looting of Our Nation by Mitigating Unethical State Kleptocracy.One of Metas earliest employees is suing the company for sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and retaliation. Kelly Stonelake, who spent 15 years at the company, alleges that Meta failed to take action after she reported sexual harassment and assault; retaliated against her after she flagged a video game product as racist and potentially harmful to minors; and was routinely passed over for promotions in favor of men on her team.Google removed a pledge to not build AI for weapons or surveillance from its website this week. In an update to its public AI principles page, the company erased a section titled applications we will not pursue. The company pointed TechCrunch to a blog post on responsible AI, which notes that Google should work together with governments and organizations to create AI that protects people, promotes global growth, and supports national security.This is TechCrunchs Week in Review, where we recap the weeks biggest news. Want this delivered as a newsletter to your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here.NewsImage Credits:DubTikTok meets Wall Street: Dub is a trading app focused on picking people over stocks. The app allows users to follow the strategies of traders, hedge funds, and even those mimicking high-profile politicians. Read moreThe war on : According to a New York Times report, the U.S. governments General Services Administration removed the spoon emoji from its videoconferencing work platform after workers embraced the emoji to protest the Trump administrations Fork in the Road resignation offer. Read moreChatGPT for deep research: OpenAI is announcing a new AI agent designed to help people conduct in-depth, complex research using ChatGPT. Instead of getting a quick answer or summary, the function pulls information from multiple sources. Read moreThe EU bans risky AI: Regulators in the EU can ban the use of AI systems they deem to pose unacceptable risk or harm. Companies could be on the hook for up to $36 million, or 7% of their annual revenue from the prior fiscal year, whichever is greater. Read moreMajor cuts at Workday: The enterprise HR platform laid off 1,750 employees this week, affecting roughly 8.5% of its total head count. Workday CEO Carl Eschenbach told employees that the company needs a new approach and plans to hire AI talent. Read moreA new AI productivity app: What if your apps for notes, schedule management, and to-dos were all in one place? Hero, an all-in-one productivity app with an AI assistant, aims to do just that and take on the competition. Read moreA $50 reasoning model: Researchers at Stanford and the University of Washington trained an AI reasoning model for under $50 in cloud compute credits. The model, known as s1, performs similarly to models like OpenAIs o1 and DeepSeeks R1 on math and coding tests. Read moreAn adult app for EU iOS users: A native pornography app for iOS is coming to the EU via the approved alternative app store AltStore PAL, thanks to the Digital Markets Act. Hot Tub offers iOS users a way to search and play videos from a variety of adult websites. Read moreCuts at Cruise: Cruise is laying off nearly 50% of its workforce, including top executives like CEO Marc Whitten, as it prepares to shut down operations. What remains of the autonomous vehicle company will move under General Motors. Read moreX is suing more advertisers: This comes after the alleged boycott on the platform. The amended complaint includes Nestl, Abbott Laboratories, Colgate, Lego, Pinterest, Tyson Foods, and Shell. Read moreAnalysisWere experiencing the biggest breach of U.S. government data: Elon Musks DOGE has taken control of large swathes of Americans private information held by the U.S. government despite questions about their security clearances, their cybersecurity practices, and the legality of Musks activities. As Zack Whittaker writes, whether DOGE staffers are bad actors misses part of the point. Acts of subterfuge, espionage, or ignorance could produce the same outcome: exposure or loss of the nations sensitive datasets. Read more

In BriefPosted:9:56 AM PST February 8, 2025Image Credits:Kimberly White / Getty ImagesAI pioneer Fei-Fei Li says AI policy must be based on science, not science fictionFei-Fei Li, the Stanford computer scientist and startup founder sometimes known as the Godmother of AI, has outlined three fundamental principles for the future of AI policymaking ahead of next weeks AI Action Summit in Paris.First, Li said policy must be based on science, not science fiction. In other words, policymakers should focus on the current reality of AI, not on grandiose futuristic scenarios, whether utopia or apocalypse.In particular, Li said that its critical for policymakers to understand that chatbots and co-pilot programs are not forms of intelligence with intentions, free will or consciousness, so they can avoid the distraction of far-fetched scenarios and focus instead on vital challenges.Second, she argued that policy should be pragmatic, rather than ideological, by which she means it should be written to minimise unintended consequences while incentivising innovation.Lastly, Li said these policy must empower the entire AI ecosystem including open-source communities and academia.Open access to AI models and computational tools is crucial for progress, she said. Limiting it will create barriers and slow innovation, particularly for academic institutions and researchers who have fewer resources than their private-sector counterparts.Topics

The Chapin Mausoleum was built as a memorial to Chester and Dorcas Chapin by their son, Chester W. Chapin Jr. Located in the Chicopee Street Cemetery in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the otherwise ordinary burial ground is adorned by this stately mausoleum, which was designed by none other than Louis Comfort Tiffany. Chester W. Chapin, the father of the mausoleum builder, was one of the Connecticut Valley s most important 19th century businessmen. After more humble beginnings operating a store, Chapin operated a business for coaches and steamboats, and later, he became president and director of the Western Railroad Corporation (1854 to 1867), and president of the Boston and Albany Railroad Company (1868 to 1878). He was elected as a Democrat to the US House of Representatives and served from 1875 to March 3, 1877. His son, Chester Williams Chapin (1842-1922), followed his fathers footsteps and serves as president of the New York & New Haven Steamship Company and one of the organizers of the Central New England Railroad. Chapin Jr. hired Louis Comfort Tiffany to design and decorate this mausoleum as a memorial to his parents, in the cemetery where hundreds of family members are buried in Chicopee. The mausoleum is constructed of Tiffany granite, from a granite quarry in Cohasset that Tiffany Studios purchased in 1914. The entrance to the mausoleum is through a Romanesque portico complete with round arches, stocky columns, and Favrile glass mosaics on the sides. Two marble benches flank a specially designed Tiffany bronze door. Inside, it is said that there are 12 catacombs of richly veined white marble under a Favrile glass mosaic ceiling.

Theres a new idea making the rounds about how to organize our LLM models and new technologies to better leverage their power. Its not very mainstream yet, because people are still getting used to the idea of AI in general, but it is popping up in some areas of academia and business.One of those places is the MIT Media Lab, where researchers continue the work of great individuals like Marvin Minsky, Seymour Papert and others. Its actually the 40th anniversary of the lab this year, and what were finding is that this research institution is offering some pretty good ideas for how to move forward in the AI era.One of those ideas is to decentralize AI platforms. Its something Ive been hearing about in the context of planning what the next generation of services and deployments will look like. What is decentralized AI, and why is it important?The Power of Decentralized AISome of the best advocates for decentralized AI are pointing out that within the current centralized and monolithic models, some big companies are dominating the use of data to feed systems.One of these analysts is my friend and colleague Ramesh Raskar. In making the case for decentralized AI, he points out that companies are centralizing data, compute, and even governance, in concerning ways, and that they often dont want to share data in constructive ways.MORE FOR YOUHe cites distrusting, disconnected and disinterested parties without a real incentive to work together.Against that idea, proponents of decentralized AI put forward the possibility of a mixture of experts design where the interplay between reinforcement learning and supervised fine-tuning creates a workflow for success. That, some suggest (including in this Venturebeat article) is where DeepSeek came in using the more brute-force aspect of RL to jump ahead on LLM efficiency, and bypassing SFT.But beyond DeepSeeks model coup, theres the idea that the companies on the vanguard of innovation are themselves vulnerable. This Grayscale article points out how, just after DeepSeeks announcement, the company fell victim to a hack that represents the kinds of things that decentralized AI could potentially solve.Four Pillars of Decentralized AIWhen you listen to Ramesh or somebody else talking about the principle of decentralized AI, they point to four overarching goals for these processes, as follows:Privacy how do you keep an individuals data safe and private?Incentives what are the incentives for the various parties to work together?Verification - how do you verify whether someone is a good actor or not?Dashboard there has to be some kind of interface for this type of collaboration.I also came across this interesting analogy for decentralized AI that has to do with the development of the Internet. Web one was that series of websites and pages that composes the global Internet. Web two was social media. Web three is the Blockchain, a truly decentralized system in which nodes and components interact with sovereignty.What else goes into decentralized design?Decentralization and The History of AI TheoryAnother way to think about this is to go back to the old days when people were first theorizing the concept of AI itself.For example, the idea of decentralized AI echoes some of the work of Marvin Minsky himself in his book, Society of mind. In it, he suggests that the best AI system should function like the human brain, which is essentially not one computer, but a series of interconnected computers working together.As for risks, those who are trying to prepare for decentralized systems point out that some of these constructions can be vulnerable to crashing, or hostile takeovers in a case of a 51% attack.On the other hand, they can expedite complex buy-in if the system is smart enough to vet the agents to make sure that theyre trustworthy.And that is, in large part, what it comes down to: trust. We might each have our own individual AI agents acting on our behalf or we might just have large networks of real life non-player characters, so to speak. We have to be able to have some framework for establishing trust, and the rest will fall into place.There are billions of agents. They all want to talk to each other, but they don't trust each other. They don't even know where they are. They don't even know what they do. Like if I meet you today.if I meet somebody else, I don't know their name, I don't know their expertise and how to figure out whether we should collaborate or not, right? Ramesh RaskarThink about the possibility of decentralized AI systems for everything that were designing now from recommendation engines to autonomous driving, to insurance and loan systems, or AI planners for smart cities. With artificial intelligence, were operating at a birds-eye view level, understanding the full picture and all of the details at once. Its a powerful thing, but it has to be harnessed and deployed correctly, which is why a lot of these experts have one more suggestion:Its that we need to first deploy our pioneer systems in low-stakes environments. Then we continue to work on them until we can trust them, and only then can they be put into mission-critical systems. So lets remember that as we move forward.

Your security has now at riskGetty ImagesWe live in dangerous times. As is being widely reported, Apple is being forced to add a backdoor to iCloud, which opens up access to all your iPhone, iPad content backed up to iCloud, whether its end-to-end encrypted or not. And according to reports, the iMaker is not even allowed to let you know this is being done or your security has changed. As EFF warns, the demand for "Apple to break encryption is an emergency for us all."You can read all about the implications of this proposed change here.Apples excellent Advanced Data Protection (APD) is central to this new furor. This applies end-to-end encryption to almost all the sensitive data on your iPhone, including your iCloud drive, photos, messaging and more. It removes previous loopholes, where Apple had access to the encryption keys to unlock your messages, by way of example.This high-risk mandate comes courtesy of the UK government, which has issued a so-called technical capability notice, demanding Apple add a backdoor to iCloud for UK intelligence and law enforcement to tap into fully encrypted content.MORE FOR YOUSpeculation as to what will happen next includes removing end-to-end iCloud encryption from UK accounts or an appeal and fightback. According to reports, though, Apple cant await the results of an appeal before making changes and the changes must apply to all iCloud users, not just those in the UK, negating the first option as well.What you can do is demonstrate the importance of fully encrypted content to protect your own data. APD comes with some health warnings, primarily that if you lose your backup key or control of your trusted devices you will also lose your data. By its very nature Apple cant unlock this for you thats kind of the point.Apples instructions set out how to add ADP to your account and the device-by-device requirement to ensure all will be able to access your iCloud data once ADP is enabled.Here are the requirements:An Apple Account with 2FA enabled.A passcode or password set on all your devices.An account recovery contact or recovery key, which you can set up durting the ADP enablement process.iOS/iPadOS 16.2 or newer, macOS 13.1 or newer, watchOS 9.2 or newerWith that done, heres how you enable ADP:"On iPhone or iPad:Open the Settings app.Tap your name, then tap iCloud.Scroll down, tap Advanced Data Protection, then tap Turn on Advanced Data Protection.Follow the onscreen instructions to review your recovery methods and enable Advanced Data Protection.On Mac:Choose Apple menu > System Settings.Click your name, then click iCloud.Click Advanced Data Protection, then click Turn On.Follow the onscreen instructions to review your recovery methods and enable Advanced Data Protection."It wont protect you if Apple does make changes, but we dont know much for sure yet; at the very least it makes the right statement that this is critical to millions of users.

Why it matters: When Obsidian's upcoming RPG, Avowed, launches on February 18, players who access the game through Game Pass or purchase a digital copy outside of Steam will be able to play it on Xbox Series consoles, Microsoft's Xbox app for PC, or Blizzard's Battle.net launcher. Whether future Microsoft-published games will support Battle.net cross-buy remains unclear, but this move suggests a potential expansion of Blizzard's platform within Microsoft's ecosystem. Microsoft's Game Pass subscription has garnered praise for offering relatively low-cost access to a consistent stream of new and popular titles. However, PC subscribers have long expressed frustration with the Xbox app used for installing games through Game Pass. Blizzard's games still rely on the company's well-regarded Battle.net launcher, and Obsidian's Avowed is the first non-Blizzard title that allows subscribers and buyers to choose between the Xbox app and Battle.net, possibly indicating a shift in policy.Following Microsoft's historic $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Blizzard's library was added to Game Pass, but its games remained tied to Battle.net instead of being transitioned to the Xbox app. While most Game Pass titles run through Microsoft's storefront, playing Diablo, Diablo 4, Overwatch 2, and StarCraft on PC Game Pass requires installing Battle.net.Also see: Most Anticipated PC Games of 2025 (Avowed is one of them)Although PC users often bemoan the need for additional launchers, Blizzard fans likely prefer Battle.net to the Xbox app. The latter has faced years of criticism due to bugs and a relatively light feature set. Although Battle.net mostly only hosts Blizzard titles, fans consider it more reliable by comparison.Non-Blizzard games like Call of Duty and Crash Bandicoot have been available through Battle.net for years, but Avowed's inclusion suggests that Microsoft may be willing to bring more of its first-party catalog to the platform. Moreover, Avowed is the first title to allow non-subscribers to seamlessly switch between playing on Xbox consoles, the Xbox app, or Battle.net. // Related StoriesTo enable cross-buy, users must link their Battle.net and Microsoft accounts by logging into Battle.net, clicking on their username in the top-right corner, navigating to Account Settings > Connections, and selecting Xbox Network to log into their Microsoft account.In addition to providing an alternative to the Xbox app, this integration also creates a potential pathway for Game Pass subscribers to play Avowed on the Steam Deck. Hopefully, Microsoft extends Battle.net cross-buy to other in-house titles like the upcoming Doom: The Dark Ages and South of Midnight, or recent releases like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.Avowed is an open-world action RPG set in the Pillars of Eternity universe, heavily focusing on nonlinear quests. The game launches on Xbox consoles, Game Pass, Battle.net, and Steam on February 18. Players who purchase the premium edition will gain early access starting February 13. The game requires 75GB of storage space, and Obsidian recommends an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT for smooth gameplay.

The iPhone SE 4 has been a highly-anticipated handset for a while now, and we expect it to drop sometime next week. We just got another good look at it, courtesy of case manufacturer Spigen. The company uploaded images of its case to its website, along with an iPhone inside the case. The website says its an iPhone SE (3rd gen), but one look at the images shows that isnt the case.Of course, we already had a solid idea of what the iPhone SE 4 would look like. The renders dont really come with any surprises; in many ways, the iPhone SE 4 looks like the iPhone 14, complete with the notch at the top. The case renders also show a single camera on the rear of the phone. One interesting change is the Alert Slider the button on the side of your iPhone that enables/disables vibration seems to have been replaced with an Action Button instead.Recommended VideosThe renders provide even more confirmation that the iPhone SE 4 will come with a 6.1-inch display. This handset promises to pack a lot more power into its small frame than its predecessors did, making it a budget phone with non-budget power.Apple isnt holding an event next week, but insider Mark Gurman has suggested it could release on February 12 or 13, and February 18 at the latest. Rather than an event, Gurman says interested fans should look for a press release and a video on Apples YouTube channel. It goes without saying that you can also find any news related to the iPhone SE 4s launch here at Digital Trends.Please enable Javascript to view this contentTheres still no official word yet on pricing, but those in the know say the iPhone SE 4 could be a bit more expensive than the current model, coming in closer to $499 than $429.Editors Recommendations

Table of ContentsTable of Contents10. Xena: Warrior Princess (1995-2001)9. Charmed (1998-2006)8. Outlander (2014-)7. Merlin (2008-2012)6. Bewitched (1964-1972)5. The Witcher (2019-)4. Stranger Things (2016-2025)3. Supernatural (2005-2020)2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)1. Game of Thrones (2011-2019)Great fantasy shows invite viewers to step away from the ordinary and enter new realms where anything is possible. These worlds are anything but mundane, delivering dazzling spectacles and character-driven stories that keep fans hooked for seasons on end. Whether its sprawling kingdoms full of political warfare or magical domains overrun by bizarre creatures, the genre has a variety of enthralling worlds to choose from.From cultural phenomenons like Game of Thronesto beloved cult classics like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the best fantasy shows shaped and defined the genre. This spectacular series offers excitement and escapism through the small screen, with the very best going on to be influential and award-winning classics that fans can revisit over and over again.Recommended VideosRenaissance Pictures / Universal TelevisionXena: Warrior Princess is a nostalgic cult classic from the 1990s that served as a spinoff of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys where the titular protagonist was introduced as a supporting character. Focusing on here as the star instead, the spinoff chronicles Xenas (Lucy Lawless) redemption arc as a former warlord wanting atonement by using her skills as a warrior for good. Alongside the storyteller-turned-fighter Gabrielle (Renee OConnor), the duo take on mythological creatures, warlords, and even gods on their journey across the ancient world.Xenas setting is inspired by Greek mythology, making each episode an interestingly-rich and imagined world brimming with fascinating characters. The show also doesnt take itself seriously, with high-stakes drama complemented by campy humor that showcases the writers wit. Xena was also a trailblazer in fantasy TV, as it served as a precursor to modern female-led action epics and tackled feminist themes through its main characters storylines.Stream Xena: Warrior Princess on Prime Video.The WBWith the Power of Three, Charmed cast a spell on countless fans and became one of the most popular fantasy shows of its era. The WB series follows the Halliwell sisters Prue (Shannen Doherty), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) as they explore their abilities and roles as the Charmed Ones, the most powerful witches ever prophesied. Living in their ancestral San Francisco manor, the trio struggle to balance their ordinary lives with their supernatural side. The group was also later joined by Paige (Rose McGowan).Charmed offered magical whimsy with some binge-worthy drama, keeping fans coming back for more. At its core, the show is beloved for its celebration of the friendship between three powerful women who choose to be good witches. Its impact as a pioneering series is still felt today, with new audiences discovering it on streaming platforms. Charmed has even inspired a less successful reboot on The CW, which premiered in 2018.Stream Charmed on Prime Video.StarzOutlander is a historical drama and fantasy series based on Diana Gabaldons eponymous novels. The show follows Claire Randall (Caitrona Balfe), a World War II nurse mysteriously transported back to 1743 Scotland through the standing stones of Craigh na Dun. While navigating a chaotic era where her freedom and identity are changed significantly, Claire unexpectedly falls in love with the dashing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). Shes then caught between the life she made in 1743 and the one she left with her husband in 1945.After a decades worth of storytelling, Outlander has captivated viewers with its unique time-traveling period story that tells an epic romance. On top of that, the series also places its protagonists in historical settings, involving them in political events, real-life rebellions, and more. It becomes impossible not to root for them as they experience the march of history and fight for their love across time and space. Fans of the series can look forward to a confirmed spinoff titled Outlander: Blood of My Blood, which will further explore the originals one-of-a-kind world.Stream Outlander on Starz.BBC OneIn a reimagining of the Arthurian legends, Merlin sees the titular wizard (played by Colin Morgan) first as a young man who discovers his magical powers. He must keep them a secret since King Uther Pendragon (Anthony Head) has outlawed the use of magic in his kingdom. When Merlin is tasked with protecting the kings son, Prince Arthur (Bradley James), he realizes that he must use his powers to protect him while also guiding him to become a better future ruler.The bond that forms between Arthur and Merlin becomes the cornerstone of the series, with the duo evolving as characters with each new threat they face. Merlin attracts audiences with its light-hearted adventures but keeps them investing in the increasingly serious stakes as Arthur faces his role and Merlin finds himself. While its CGI hasnt aged the best and betrays the shows low budget, its still worth revisiting for fans of the genre.Stream Merlin on Prime Video.ABCBewitched is a must-see classic sitcom that centers on a charming witch, Samantha Stephens (Elizabeth Montgomery), who marries mortal adman, Darrin Stephens (Dick York, later Dick Sargent), and vows to live as an ordinary suburban housewife. Of course, suppressing her magical powers proves easier said than done, as its much easier to get through daily life with them. Theres also the problem of her meddling spell-casting relatives, who mostly dislike her husband and resent her situation.The comedic series relies on funny domestic situations with a twist on magic. What made it such a standout, however, is that it uses this mischievous humor to subtly comment on modern domesticity and gender roles. Samanthas efforts to balance her built-in magic with her desire for a normal life mirror the struggles of women in the 1960s, cementing Bewitched as a groundbreaking and daring show that would inspire the fantasy sitcoms that followed.Stream Bewitched on The Roku Channel.NetflixBased on the eponymous book series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher is a gritty fantasy show that follows Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), who hunts monsters for a living. The series is set in a fictional medieval-inspired world where the titular witcher finds himself following the destined path that leads him to Princess Ciri (Freya Allan) and the sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra). The trio then works together as they fight bigger forces and participate in larger political conflicts that escalate into all-out wars.Fans of both the books and the game can appreciate The Witchers interpretation of its source material. It thrives thanks to its morally gray approach, lending the show a darker and grittier feel for fantasy enthusiasts who prefer those types of stories. While it remains to be seen how Cavills controversial recasting with Liam Hemsworth taking over the role of Geralt of Rivia will affect the series, its safe to say that for now, its considered among the best modern fantasy shows.Stream The Witcheron Netflix.NetflixNetflixs crowning achievement in the sci-fi and fantasy genres, Stranger Thingsis a megahit that needs no introduction. Set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, the series begins in 1983 with the mysterious disappearance of young Will Byers (Noah Schnapp). As his friendsMike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin), and Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo)search for him, they find Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), a mysterious girl with telekinetic abilities. Their journey soon leads to the discovery of a secret government experiment and a parallel dimension known as the Upside Down.Stranger Things soars thanks to the friendship between its characters and the satisfying way fans have grown up alongside the talented cast. It also seamlessly fuses 1980s nostalgia with a supernatural story that can be scary at times, without ever losing sight of the fun times between the group. The fifth and final season, slated for release in 2025, promises to provide an explosive ending to what the show has been building up to all of these years, and viewers can only hope that they stick the landing.Stream Stranger Things on Netflix.Warner Bros.Supernatural is a genre-defining series that ran for an unprecedented 15 seasons, becoming one of the most beloved and enduring TV shows of all time. Its centered on the brothers Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), who travel across America on what is essentially a monster-of-the-week road trip. The show evolves to incorporate more complicated storylines that touch on the brothers familial issues and bigger supernatural foes.Supernatural embraces its horror roots, drawing inspiration from urban legends, folklore, and pop culture to create enthralling stories every week. The brothers relationship is at the heart of the series, which made it so popular. The Winchester brothers are the iconic duo that served as the anchor for the show for all those years, keeping fans coming back for more each week. The show would eventually focus on their arcs, focusing on their struggles and inner battles, giving audiences even more reasons to stay tuned.Stream Supernatural on Netflix.Warner Bros.A pioneering work within the supernatural and fantasy genres, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an addictive blend of action, humor, and drama. It revolves around Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), a high school student who reluctantly accepts her role as the Chosen One destined to battle dark forces like vampires and demons. Relocating to Sunnydale, a California town situated over a Hellmouth, Buffy struggles to balance her supernatural duties with the everyday hardships of teenage life.Each season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer features a Big Bad or a major antagonist like the ancient vampire The Master. To take them down, Buffy is supported by the Scooby Gang, made up of her friends and mentor. With sharp storytelling and numerous innovative twists on classic tropes, the series became a celebrated classic that many fans continue to reference and revisit today. It has an active fandom that collects its hundreds of tie-in products, and the show also spawned the Buffyverse, which includes its popular spinoff titled Angel.Stream Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Hulu.HBOHBOs epic adaptation of George R.R. Martins A Song of Ice and Fire series, Game of Thrones is a monumental achievement in fantasy television and an undeniable cultural phenomenon. Set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, the series begins as noble families vie for control of the Iron Throne while a looming threat from beyond the Wallthe White Walkersthreatens to upend the known world. Over eight seasons, the show explores the various political factions, new romances and alliances, dramatic betrayals, and so much more.Despite its terrible final season, Game of Thrones still stands as the peak of fantasy TV, thanks to its cutting-edge visuals, ambitious and far-reaching arcs, and amazing cast. The series is a spectacle that delivered an unparalleled sense of scale to the small screen, all while relying on Shakespearean drama to keep fans glued to their screens every week. While it didnt end on a high note, Game of Thrones influence on the genre has cemented it alongside the greats, with numerous planned spin-offs being a testament to its legacy.Stream Game of Thrones on Max.Editors Recommendations7 best TV shows of the 2020s so far, ranked

I don't try to hide the fact that we have kids, so our house is filled with their toys and art.We prioritize accessibility and creativity over organized, matching decor even in our living room.Entertaining requires more prep work and I adjust the level of tidying I do to my guests.Some might say our house is cluttered and I might even agree with them on certain days. Once we had a contractor in our home jokingly ask if we were running a daycare. My kids were playing in the living room; we had the giant plastic roller coaster out, and I wasn't trying to hide the fact that we have kids. The effort of cleaning up a pile of Lincoln Logs that would only appear back on the floor again repeatedly wasn't worth it to me.We have incorporated children's books and toys into our living space ever since our eldest child was born, and now that they are 3 and 5, the chaos remains. Now it's just a mixture of Legos and play food instead of stacking cups and play mats. Our decorating aesthetic can easily be described as "I have kids." I don't regret living this way, after all, my kids always have something to do at their fingertips.We embrace fun and vibrancyI'm sometimes jealous of the families who own toys that perfectly match their furniture or who keep out only a small toy bin of color sorted toys, but I know that's not for us. We've chosen to embrace the fun and vibrancy that comes along with toys and stuffed animals. In our house, there is always an assortment of activities, books, and toys in the living room and crafts happening at the kitchen table.I've seen families have separate playrooms, but toys always wind up strewn about and mixed, and someone has to clean it up at the end of the day. We simply keep everything in our shared space so we have easy access to it and to each other.Our bounce house is currently set up in our dining room. My husband occasionally works from home, out of his basement office, and having the bounce house on the main level makes it accessible even if he's working. And no, since they're using it frequently, I don't routinely roll it up into the storage bag, unless we're doing toy rotation or having guests.When children help clean up, it will never be a perfectly clean visual. The families with pristinely organized toys? Let's be honest, an adult probably picked them up, and I'm not using all of my free time on the futile attempt to make my house look child-free. Having the bounce house on the first floor of our house, instead of in the basement, means my husband can work from home without interruption. Courtesy of Anne James I don't think upscale children's organization systems are worth the costSure, it looks beautifully curated when someone has matching baskets or play furniture that coordinates with their own decor. But I'm not buying expensive storage for our house. I wanted a cute storage tower for the small space next to our play kitchen, but at $80, I passed. Instead, we're using a fabric storage bin to store the play food and accessories. I'd rather make a couple trips to the kids play gym or go to a fun event instead of buying the more expensive storage tower.The kids help decorate our homeOur kids painted ceramics, sun catchers, ornaments, and more have found homes on our walls. We also encourage them to help us decorate for the holidays. For Memorial Day, my son was thrilled to stick patriotic pinwheels randomly throughout our lawn. For Christmas, we have small trees in each of the kids' rooms, and inevitably the ornaments wind up goofily (but lovingly) spread throughout the branches. And sometimes they "decorate" the floor by spilling flour when we're baking and play "ice skating."By embracing the chaos and disorganization, I'm encouraging their creativity and giving them space to explore the world around them.Entertaining involves more prep workWe still entertain, but it's definitely more thought out, and I adjust the level of cleaning we do to the event. I tidy more before parties or for friends who have spotless houses; I'll clean less for a play date (unless it involves extra baby proofing). We entertain about the same amount as before kids, but it's more prep work beforehand. I tend to put away things we keep out day-to-day, such as the splat mat (a waterproof, washable floor mat it's much easier than treating carpet stains) and panini maker (for almost daily quesadillas), but the plastic picnic table, toy box, play kitchen, and similar items remain as part of our decor. Our living room is filled with toys and activities for the kids, which keeps us all together as a family. Courtesy of Anne James We're embracing the stage we're atMy kids will only be little once; I'll have plenty of time once they're older to have a more curated decorating aesthetic and less clutter. Sometimes a friend might have to help wipe the paint off of our kitchen table before game night, but putting my feet in my children's shoes even for a moment, is exhilarating. Feeling the excitement of filling the fort with balloons or tossing every stuffed animal they own into our bounce house is priceless. I see creativity and joy the work of children.