Gaia-4b, an exoplanet about 244 light-years away, is twelve times more massive than Jupiter.Credit: ESA / Gaia / DPAC / M. Marcussen illustrationA Milky Way-surveying spacecraft found a planet 12 times more massive than Jupiter, along with a brown dwarf, each distantly orbiting stars smaller than the sun.Scientists have dubbed the exoplanet, a world well outside our solar system, Gaia-4b. The brown dwarf, not quite a planet or a star, is Gaia-5b. Respectively, they are 244 and 134 light-years away.The European Space Agency's Gaia spacecraft, which has recently retired because it's running out of fuel, is responsible for the discoveries. Both enormous celestial objects were made official after confirmation from other instruments. Though Gaia concluded science observations on Jan. 15, these results are an intriguing tease to a vast data release from the mission anticipated next year."This discovery is an exciting tip-of-the-iceberg for the exoplanet discoveries we can expect from Gaia in the future," said Matthew Standing, an ESA research fellow, in a statement.The number of confirmed exoplanets has tipped 5,800, according to NASA, with thousands of additional candidates under review. The growing tally is a tiny sampling of planets in space. With hundreds of billions of galaxies, the universe probably teems with many trillions of stars. Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories?Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!Gaia-4b is considered a super-Jupiter planet, a relatively cold gas giant, orbiting its star over 570 Earth-days. That star is estimated to be 64 percent the mass of the sun.The brown dwarf, sometimes referred to as a failed star because it lacks the scale to generate its own nuclear power, orbits its even smaller star about 34 percent the sun's mass in a slightly shorter Earth-year. Though it may not have been able to hack it as a star, this thing is no shrinking violet. It's about 21 times more massive than Jupiter. For the sake of comparison, Jupiter's mass is equal to about 318 Earths. The findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal.Related StoriesThe gravitational tugs of orbiting planets can cause host stars to wobble in an almost corkscrew-like pattern.Credit: ESA illustrationThe exoplanet is Gaia's first independent success using the "wobble" technique, aka astrometry, according to the space agency. Since the mission launched in 2013, the spacecraft has used a pair of optical telescopes to scan the sky. Because of its precision in tracking the motion of stars, scientists believe its data will potentially lead to thousands of new discoveries.The gravitational tugs of orbiting planets can cause host stars to wobble in an almost corkscrew-like pattern, and planet hunters are adept at interpreting these jitters in the data. But confirmation from other telescopes is key for these candidates because there are other possible reasons for the motion, such as the influence of another nearby star. The WIYN 3.5-meter Telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Tucson, Arizona, provided crucial follow-up observations."Massive planets around low-mass stars are known to be relatively rare," said Gumundur Stefnsson, lead author of the paper, in a statement, "but when they occur, they cause a larger wobble, and therefore a stronger astrometric signature that is easier to detect."Elisha SauersElisha Sauers writes about space for Mashable, taking deep dives into NASA's moon and Mars missions, chatting up astronauts and history-making discoverers, and jetting above the clouds. Through 17 years of reporting, she's covered a variety of topics, including health, business, and government, with a penchant for public records requests. She previously worked for The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Virginia, and The Capital in Annapolis, Maryland. Her work has earned numerous state awards, including the Virginia Press Association's top honor, Best in Show,and national recognition for narrative storytelling. For each year she has covered space, Sauers has won National Headliner Awards, including first place for her Sex in Space series. Send space tips and story ideas to [emailprotected] or text 443-684-2489. Follow her on X at @elishasauers.

Choices Were MadeAs Amazon continues to beef up the cast of its Master of the Universe movie, I still can't help but wonder who thought a live-action He-Man movie was a good ideaNot so sure they'll be able to capture that goofiness in live-action.Image credit: Mattel/ Netflix News by Oisin Kuhnke Contributor Published on Feb. 11, 2025 Masters of the Universe seems to be progressing along well enough, and now a couple of new cast members have been added to the fold.Every once in a while I get reminded that a live-action Master of the Universe movie is in the works, and today that comes courtesy of Deadline, who reports that two new cast members have joined the film as part of the titular group of characters. First up is Morena Baccarin, who you'll probably know best as Vanessa in the Deadpool films, as The Sorceress, a magic user that watches over Castle Grayskull. Joining her in joining the film is Jhannes Haukur Jhannesson (Vikings: Valhalla) as Malcolm/ Fisto, who, uh, has a big metal fist. Don't you just love characters that were clearly designed to look cool and to sell toys!To see this content please enable targeting cookies. They join a (mostly) strong cast, including Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man, Camila Mendes as Teela, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, Idris Elba as Duncan/Man-at-Arms, Sam C. Wilson as Trap Jaw, Hafthor Bjornsson as Goat Man, Kojo Attah as Tri-Klops, and (here is where they lose me completely), Jared Leto as Skeletor. I do actually think Galitzine is very well cast for the role, if you haven't seen him in Bottoms he's absolutely got the chops for a role as silly as He-Man, and Mendes' tenure on Riverdale certainly suggests she can camp it up. Even still, I really do wonder why a live-action He-Man/ Masters of the Universe project has to happen at all - I know the actual reason why, it's because it's a well-established IP, but it doesn't mean I have to be happy about it. To see this content please enable targeting cookies.A recent look at Galitzine and Mendes training for their respective roles as He-Man and Teela was shared, which you can check out above, and the former certainly looks like he's beefed up for it, so I suppose nobody will be let down in that regard.The film is being helmed by Bumblebee director and stop-motion studio Laika co-founder Travis Knight, and is currently set to release June 5, 2026.

Following its first big update of the new year dropping last week, Helldivers 2 just got another fresh patch. It's not as big, but it's still definitely worth combing through, as it fixes a couple of "unexpected slip-ups" with weapons from the Servants of Freedom warbond. Read more

Image: GungHo Online EntertainementWith the Lunar Remastered Collection just over two months away, RPG fans will be able to get their hands on two beloved turn-based adventures from the Sega Saturn and PlayStation era. Today, ahead of the game's release, publisher GungHo Online Entertainment has shared some details about the game regarding the North American release.In a fleshed-out FAQ section on the official website, GungHo reconfirms that the game will be launching both physically and digitally, exclusively on Amazon in North America. Store pages are even up. However, you won't be able to pre-order the game ahead of its release, and instead, you'll have to buy it on release day.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube796kWatch on YouTube "We won't be offering preorders for this release," GungHo confirms, "but please note that it's not a limited release. There will be plenty of copies available for everyone interested." It also doesn't state whether the physical release will be available in-store. We sure hope so!If you're reading this from Europe, Clear River Games will be handling the physical release. Store pages have yet to go up yet. But at least the physical version won't be a limited release, so if you can't grab it on release day, you won't be missing out.Images: GungHo Online EntertainementStill, seems like an unusual decision, especially for a pair of games that are as expensive as they are today via their PlayStation rereleases. Copies regularly go hundreds of dollars even more if you have the complete special edition.The FAQs confirm that the Remastered Collection is based on the two "Complete" versions from the PlayStation, and that you'll be able to turn off the blur effect at the top and bottom of your screen.Lastly, there won't be any difficulty options in the full release, meaning if you get stuck, then it's time to grind away!Lunar Remastered Collection launches 18th April 2025. Are you excited to get your hands on this release? Let us know in the comments. Physical release also confirmedPlease note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.[source gunghoonline.com, via x.com]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:00 Alana has been with Nintendo Life since 2022, and while RPGs are her first love, Nintendo is a close second. She enjoys nothing more than overthinking battle strategies, characters, and stories. She also wishes she was a Sega air pirate. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Reconfirms Release Windows For Major Upcoming Switch Games... and the Switch 2!Nintendo Talks About Future Switch Support Ahead Of Switch 2 Launch"We would like to continue releasing new titles"69 Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's 'Supercharge' eShop Sale (North America)Every game we scored 9/10 or higherNintendo Switch Hardware Sales Pass 150 Million, With PS2's Record Still A Way OffSomething's waiting in the wings

Image: NintendoNintendo has announced that it is offering partial refunds on select items from the Nintendo Museum store, 'Bonus Stage'.As reported by Sora News 24, Nintendo Museum Cookies, Pull-out Pikmin Cookies, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Polvorones are all subject to the refund offer, with Nintendo stating that an incorrect consumption tax rate was applied to all three.Essentially, Japan has a 10% tax rate on all consumer products bar essential items such as food, which are subject to an 8% tax rate. Items such as alcohol were deemed to be non-essential and therefore subject to the 10% rate, while restaurant food was also considered luxury enough to be given the full 10% rate too.It seems that the items in question here should have simply been given the 8% tax rate rather than the full 10% understandable given that the fancy packaging containing the food could be considered non-essential, in a way.As such, Nintendo is looking to offer customers a partial refund to cover the difference in price. Now, we're only looking at a maximum of 30 yen here, but if you're particularly frugal with your money and happened to have purchased one (or more) of these, then you might want to pursue the refund.Here's a look at the full info from Nintendo:- Nintendo Museum CookiesCorrect price: 1,620 yen (tax included)Incorrect Price: 1,650 yen (tax included)*Price difference of 30 yen- Pull-out Pikmin CookiesCorrect price: 1,080 yen (tax included)Incorrect Price: 1,100 yen (tax included)*Price difference of 20 yen- Animal Crossing: New Horizons - PolvoronesCorrect price: 1,458 yen (tax included)Incorrect Price: 1,485 yen (tax included)*Price difference of 27 yenIt's not known exactly how long this has been the case, but it's possible that the items may have been incorrectly priced since the grand opening of the Museum in October 2024.Needless to say, if you feel like you're due a refund from Nintendo (perhaps you bought these items in bulk as gifts), then you can fill in the request form via the official website. Photos featuring hardware prototypes have gone viralWorth a trip to Japan?Have you purchased any of the items listed above? Have you even visited the Nintendo Museum yet? Let us know with a comment down below.[source museum.nintendo.com, via soranews24.com]Share:06 Nintendo Lifes resident horror fanatic, when hes not knee-deep in Resident Evil and Silent Hill lore, Ollie likes to dive into a good horror book while nursing a lovely cup of tea. He also enjoys long walks and listens to everything from TOOL to Chuck Berry. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Reconfirms Release Windows For Major Upcoming Switch Games... and the Switch 2!Nintendo Talks About Future Switch Support Ahead Of Switch 2 Launch"We would like to continue releasing new titles"Don't Worry, Nintendo's Thinking About Affordability With Switch 2 PricingThough no official price will be revealed for now69 Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's 'Supercharge' eShop Sale (North America)Every game we scored 9/10 or higher

In a statement on Tuesday, Dario Amodei, the CEO of AI startup Anthropic, called the AI Action Summit in Paris this week a missed opportunity, and urged the AI industry and government to move faster and with greater clarity. We were pleased to attend the AI Action Summit in Paris, and we appreciate the French governments efforts to bring together AI companies, researchers, and policymakers from across the world, Amodei said. However, greater focus and urgency is needed on several topics given the pace at which the technology is progressing.Amodeis criticism of the AI Action Summit, the latest in a series of conferences that brought together AI companies and regulators to attempt to arrive at a consensus on AI governance, echoes that of several academics earlier this week. One told Transformer that the conferences commitments, which the U.S. and U.K. refused to sign, said effectively nothing except for platitudes.In comments at the conference, U.S. Vice President JD Vance adopted an entirely different stance and denounced what he characterized as massive and stiffling regulations on AI championed by Europe. Vance also took issue with content moderation, alluding to the sustainable and inclusive wording in the conferences commitments, which he rejected as authoritarian censorship.Amodei warned in his statement that AI is rapidly becoming more sophisticated, and that failing to regulate it could result in disastrous consequences. The capabilities of AI systems will be best thought of as akin to an entirely new state populated by highly intelligent people appearing on the global stage, Amodei said. Advanced AI presents significant global security dangers, ranging from misuse of AI systems by non-state actors We mustensure democratic societies leadin AI, and that authoritarian countries do not use it to establish global military dominance.Amodei urged governments to deploy their resources to measure how AI is being used, and to enact policy focused on ensuring that everyone shares in the economic [uplift] of very powerful AI. He also argued for more government transparency when it comes to AI safety and security, as well as plans to assess AI risks.Amodeis appraisal of the Paris AI Summits proceedings stands in contrast to OpenAIs, which said in a statement this weekend that it was confident that the conference would be another important milestone towards the responsible and beneficial development of AI for everyone.Anthropic has generally shown more of an openness to AI regulation in the past. Indeed, Amodei has made similar pronouncements before, cautioning that unfettered AI could have profoundly negative economic, societal, and security implications. Anthropic was one of the few AI companies to tacitly endorse Californias SB 1047, a comprehensive and hotly debated AI regulatory bill. OpenAI opposed the bill, which was vetoed by Governor Gary Newsom last fall.That isnt to suggest Anthropics motives are purely philanthropic. Like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in his recent essay, Amodei offers no concrete recommendations for ensuring the benefits of powerful AI, should it emerge in the near future, are widely and evenly distributed.Read our full coverageof the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris.

Mattoboard, the makers of web-based software designed to simplify the creative process for interior designers and architects, is getting into AI. On Tuesday, the startup announced its $2 million seed funding round, which will support the launch of a new feature called Design Stream, an AI-driven visual search and discovery tool.The companys software, a 3D Canva of sorts, allows users to mix and match over 1,000 virtual materials, create mood boards, and provides a centralized hub for experimenting with design ideas across multiple projects.Although the Architecture and Design services industry was estimated to be worth $201.97 billion in 2024, Mattoboard asserts that the current product curation method is outdated, with designers having to order and wait for physical samples to ship, delaying their creative process.Designers also order far more samples than they need, contributing to the 92 million tons of waste generated annually by the textile industry. With Mattoboard, users can show their clients digital concepts before ordering approved samples, making the process both faster and more efficient. Soon, the company will add a new AI tool called Design Stream, enabling designers to search for specific products more efficiently using natural language and visual inputs.With Design Stream, designers will be able to articulate their vision in their own words and receive recommendations tailored to their specific needs. Mattoboard plans to train its own custom AI models specific to the design industry, as it believes the large foundational models currently available are too generalized.Founded in 2020, the startup is led by Guy Adam Ailion (CEO), an architect and designer with over 20 years of experience, recognized for designing and building the award-winning IO House in London. Alion is joined by George Hart (CTO), who previously co-founded Hometapper.Architects and designers waste 40% of their time just searching for products and materials, Ailion told TechCrunch. I realized this segment of the A&D workflow was ripe for disruption and long overdue for digital transformation. There had to be a better way to find, manage, store, and curate the worlds interior materials and products.One notable feature in Mattoboard is its use of 3D twins for materials, which simulates real life by capturing how surfaces and textures interact with light, shadow, and reflections. When users move around an object on the board, adjusting the angles and watching how surfaces react, they can better understand the design aesthetics. Users can also upload images of their own products to add to their 3D mood boards.Image Credits:MattoboardDesigners often use a combination of rival platforms for their workflow, such as Canva for design, Pinterest for mood boarding, and Photoshop or 3D renderers for visualization. Mattoboard aims to consolidate all of these tools into a single platform while also incorporating a search function that allows users to discover and buy materials and products.Additionally, users dont need to be professionals to navigate the platform. During our tests, TechCrunch found it to be fairly user-friendly, making it accessible for beginners, hobbyists, and students.Image Credits:MattoboardSince its launch, around 200,000 designers have been utilizing the free platform. Mattoboard also has a paid Pro version for $30/month, which is being used by over 2,000 paying designers.The latest round was led by Acrobator Ventures, with participation from Home Depot Ventures and Masco. The new capital will also be used to expand its material database and partner with global suppliers with the aim of bringing every material in the world online, Ailion said.

Breakdown & ShowreelsBetter Man: Hair Grooming by Weta FXBy Vincent Frei - 11/02/2025 How do you create lifelike digital hair? VFX Supervisor Luke Millar at Weta FX breaks it down in this new making-of for Better Man! From intricate details to seamless realism, discover the techniques that bring these characters to life!WANT TO KNOW MORE?Weta FX: Dedicated page about Better Man on Weta FX website. Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2025

One of my favorite buildings on Boylston Street in Boston is the ten-story Colonial Theater Building, a landmark Classical Revival style structure of stone. Built in 1899, the Colonial Theater replaced the original Boston Public Library building (1855) which was demolished by 1898, and relocated to Copley Square. The Colonial Theater was designed by famed theater architect,Clarence Blackall and is said to be the oldest, intact theater in Boston. The theatre first opened its doors for a performance ofBen-Huron December 20, 1900 with a sold out show.Ben-Huroperated with a cast and crew of 350 people and featured eight live horses on stage in full gallop during the chariot race scene, with the play being so mechanically and technically extraordinary it was featured on the cover ofScientific American. While cheekily named the Colonial Theater, the interior theater spaces were anything but. The spaces originally contained murals and Baroque style finishes, many of which remain today. Beyond the 1,700-seat theater, the building contained between 250-300 professional offices. The building is owned by Emerson College, who underwent a massive restoration project of the building with Elkus Manfredi architects. Allowing the oldest Boston theater to shine again!

Identity and access management (IAM) tech supplier 1Password has signed a multi-year deal to become exclusive cyber security partner at Oracle Red Bull Racing, its first foray into the IT-forward world of Formula 1 motor racing.The tie-up will see Red Bull implement 1Passwords Extended Access Management (XAM) services to strengthen its security posture and safeguard its data across devices, applications, 24 races and its Milton Keynes headquarters.As is traditional, 1Password branding will also be incorporated into Red Bulls team assets amid a wider sponsor shake-up that has seen it part ways with crypto firm ByBit and a number of Mexico-based organisations linked to former driver Sergio Perez.Its logos will appear on the halo driver protection devices, steering wheels and chassis of 2025s soon-to-be-unveiled Honda-powered RB21 car, driven by World Drivers Champion Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and rookie partner Liam Lawson of New Zealand.The supplier will also work alongside Red Bulls Pepe Jeans Academy Programme, which supports F1 Academy, a programme set up to address F1s lack of female talent and inspire girls to become future drivers, engineers and leaders. It will be additionally supporting 18-year-old Brit Alisha Palmowski, who will be driving with the Campos squad this season.Everyone at Oracle Red Bull Racing is excited to welcome 1Password to the Red Bull family as our exclusive cyber security partner, said Red Bull team principal and CEO Christian Horner.As the start of the 2025 Formula 1 season approaches, it is critical that our entire organisation has secure, trusted access to critical information so we can continue to make confident, data-driven decisions trackside and back at the factory in Milton Keynes. Security should empower productivity and integrate effortlessly into the way people work David Faugno, 1Password1Password investing and partnering in the Red Bull Racing Pepe Jeans Academy Programme shows further proof of the spirit and depth of our collaboration. We look forward to pushing the limits and innovating with 1Password, including debuting a team-first steering wheel branding display that will feature when Max and Liam first hit the track, said Horner.David Faugno, co-CEO of 1Password, added: Partnering with a world champion like Oracle Red Bull Racing is an incredible opportunity. As a dominant force in Formula 1, their success relies on engineering excellence, innovation and seamless, secure access to critical information anywhere.At 1Password, we believe security should empower productivity and integrate effortlessly into the way people work. Thats why we protect every sign-in, every point of access, and every piece of critical information so the team can stay focused on what they do best: winning.The focus of the relationship 1Passwords XAM tool is designed to ensure trusted access across end user organisations to safeguard critical data.In Red Bulls case, beyond protecting its drivers and team staffers and their devices as they travel around the world, 1Password will centre on secured access to applications, helping gain visibility and a centralised view of the teams app estate including unsanctioned, bring-your-own tools with universal sign-on to allow authorised users to access managed and out-of-scope software. This will help the team safeguard its proprietary innovation to ensure that only trusted and authorised users can access relevant data from secure devices.On the software development side, 1Password will help Red Bull automate secrets management and detect unencrypted SSH keys while fully integrating into its existing software development workflows.More broadly, the partners say the deal will help improve efficiency and productivity across Red Bulls widely distributed global teams, providing them with secure access to tools and systems in a hybridised environment.The 2025 Formula 1 season begins in Melbourne, Australia, on the weekend of 14 to 16 March 2025, with pre-season testing taking place in Sakhir, Bahrain, at the end of February.Read more about IT in Formula 1Learn how the technical teams behind Formula One are using Salesforces tools to enhance fan activation and engagement at 24 races across the world, and how they are bringing AI into play with Agentforce capabilities.A multi-region campaign will teach pre-teen children cyber security basics with a little help from Formula 1 star Alex Albon.We speak to Formula One's lead cloud architect, Ryan Kirk, and AWS about a partnership that strives to deliver data for greater fan engagement.