Getty ImagesNewsGoogle: Cyber crime meshes with cyber warfare as states enlist gangsA report from the Google Threat Intelligence Group depicts China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as a bloc using cyber criminal gangs to attack the national security of western countriesByBrian McKenna,Enterprise Applications EditorPublished: 12 Feb 2025 0:01 Cyber crime has evolved to become a threat to the security of western states, according to a threat intelligence report from Google, published on the eve of the 2025 Munich Security Conference.This coming weekend marks the 61st edition of the Atlanticist conference, which was inaugurated in 1963 to facilitate collaboration between West Germany and the US, as well as other Nato countries.The Google Threat Intelligence Groups report, Cyber crime: A multifaceted national security threat, says western policymakers should be taking cyber criminality just as seriously as operations conducted by nation states.Ben Read, a senior manager at the group, said: The vast cyber criminal ecosystem has acted as an accelerant for state-sponsored hacking, providing malware, vulnerabilities, and in some cases full-spectrum operations to states. These capabilities can be cheaper and more deniable than those developed directly by a state. These threats have been looked at as distinct for too long, but the reality is that combating cyber crime will help defend against state-backed attacks.The report looks at how nation states hostile to the North Atlantic countries, such as Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, are increasingly co-opting cyber criminal groups to forward their geopolitical and economic ambitions. It also looks at the deep societal impact of cyber crime, from economic destabilisation to its toll on critical infrastructure, including healthcare.Healthcares share of posts on data leak sites has doubled over the past three years, according to the report. One example it gives is how, in March 2024, the Russian Anonymous Marketplace (RAMP) forum actor badbone, who has been associated with the INC ransomware gang, sought illicit access to Dutch and French medical, government and educational organisations, stating that they were willing to pay 2-5% more for hospitals, particularly those with emergency services.The report sheds light into how what it calls the Big Four Russia, China, Iran and North Korea have used cyber crime, including ransomware usage, to enable espionage.It states that Russia has mobilised its cyber criminals to spy and mount disruptive operations in support of the war with Ukraine. It says GRU-linked APT44 (aka Sandworm), a unit of Russian military intelligence, has employed malware available from cyber crime communities to conduct espionage and disruptive operations in Ukraine.Another example the report gives is UNC2589, a threat cluster whose activity has been publicly attributed to the Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU)s 161st Specialist Training Center (Unit 29155). This, says the report, has conducted full-spectrum cyber operations, including destructive attacks, against Ukraine.And Russian group CIGAR (aka RomCom), a group that has focused on cyber crime, has conducted espionage operations against the Ukrainian government since 2022, according to the report.The reports authors say CIGARs expansion from cyber crime into espionage activity likely supporting Russian state objectives began in October 2022, when it conducted a phishing campaign targeting Ukrainian military-related entities. CIGAR continued, says the report, to conduct intrusion activity targeting primarily Ukraine and Europe through 2023 and 2024, including campaigns leveraging zero-days in Microsoft Word, Firefox and Windows.The report says China augments its spying operations by using advanced persistent threat groups like APT41 to mix ransomware deployment with intelligence collection. Deliberately mixing ransomware activities with espionage intrusions supports the Chinese governments public efforts to confound attribution by conflating cyber espionage activity and ransomware operations.APT41 is said to work from China and is most likely a contractor for the Ministry of State Security. In addition to state-sponsored espionage campaigns against a wide array of industries, APT41 is said to have a long history of conducting financially motivated operations. The groups cyber crime activity has mostly focused on the video game sector, including ransomware deployment.The report also suggests that Irans economic difficulties could be behind ransomware and hack-and-leak operations by cyber criminals.The report highlights what it characterises as a North Korean regime policy of stealing cryptocurrency to fund missile development and nuclear programmes, as well as everyday operational costs.It contends that the effects of cyber crime extend beyond stolen money or data breaches. These erode public trust, destabilise essential services, and, in the most severe cases, cost lives, say the authors. They maintain that the growing convergence of cyber crime and state-sponsored hacking requires robust action on par with the threat posed by nation-state adversaries.The reports authors argue: The collaborative nature of cyber crime means that a disrupted group will be quickly replaced by others offering the same service. Achieving broader success will require collaboration between countries and public and private sectors on systemic solutions such as increasing education and resilience efforts.Sandra Joyce, vice-president of the Google Threat Intelligence Group, said: Cyber crime has unquestionably become a critical national security threat to countries around the world. The marketplace at the centre of the cyber crime ecosystem has made every actor easily replaceable and the whole problem resilient to disruption. Unfortunately, many of our actions have amounted to temporary inconveniences for these criminals, but we cant treat this like a nuisance and we will have to work harder to make meaningful impacts.The group advocates that governments elevate cyber crime as a national security priority and emulate private sector best security practices. Ransomware and other forms of cyber crime predominantly exploit insecure, often legacy technology architectures.Read more about cyber crime and cyber warfareWhat is cyber warfare?Microsofts Digital defense report 2024 notes that Russia outsourced some cyber espionage operations against Ukraine to otherwise independent cyber crime gangs.Microsoft, OpenAI warn nation-state hackers are abusing large language models.In The Current Issue:Digging into the CMAs provisional take on AWS and Microsofts hold on UK cloud marketInterview: Digital tech fuels AutoTraders drive into the futureDownload Current IssueRethinking AIs place in the software stack Data MattersThe journey to Agentic AI impact in 2025 Data MattersView All Blogs

ZDNETIn a recent test of ChatGPT's Deep Research feature, the AI was asked to identify 20 jobs that OpenAI's new o3 model was likely to replace. As ZDNET's Sabrina Ortiz reported, "Right in time with tax return season, leading the table was the role of 'tax preparer' with a probability of 98% replacement, whichChatGPTdeemed as 'near-certain automation.'"There is no doubt that retail tax preparation services are using some level of AI to reduce their workload, but while tax preparers may well be replaced by a machine, I'm not convinced that will lead to accurate or reliable tax returns -- certainly not yet.Also: From zero to millions? How regular people are cashing in on AIFor example, there may come a time when you'll be able to tell an AI to find all your receipts and transactions, divide them into categories, identify which categories your deductions are in, and then enter them into the appropriate tax forms and bookkeeping systems. But that series of linked activities does not appear to be available now.For those who already keep their records in a clear and organized manner, AI might help. But in my first year as a business owner, I kept all -- all -- my paperwork in a big duffle bag. When tax time came, I just dumped the duffle bag on the desk of my local tax preparer. Turning that disaster into a good tax return was a massive by-hand effort.My business made very little that first year, but the fee I had to pay that preparer to excavate my documents and prepare my taxes was breathtaking. After learning my lesson, I got more rigorous about organizing my records. My point is that young entrepreneur me is not the only person with sloppy documentation. Some jobs will always require a human for at least some of the work.Also: The best AI for coding in 2025 (and what not to use)Even with good organization and rigorous bookkeeping (which I've done religiously for a few decades now), the various tools that we need to work together are usually from different vendors. The AIs are just not up to that level of organization across a wide range of documents and activities.That said, there are areas where an AI can help. Here are five of them. 1. Use AI features available in tax prep software Tax programs like TurboTax and H&R Block tax software now offer varying degrees of AI assistance for your tax preparation. Don't expect your tax preparation software to do all the work for you, but it can help save time and provide some quick assistance. Intuit has several AI-related offerings that are part of its TurboTax product. TurboTax can import data from 350 financial institutions and can auto-fill tax form fields using a tool called IntuitAssist. The AI is also used to check forms for accuracy and find errors, recommend deductions, and answer tax questions. Also: This is the best money management app I've testedIntuit is also pitching a TurboTax Live Assisted program where an AI will match you with a tax expert who will work with you in a Zoom-like call to fill out your taxes. This is sort of a mix of artificial and real intelligence.H&R Block Tax Assist is a new generative AI tool that can provide tax information, help with tax preparation, and answer free-form tax-related questions to help you understand the tax issues you're dealing with as you complete your returns. H&R Block also says its Tax Assistant can answer questions about recent changes to tax code, but be careful because AI knowledge tends to lag a bit behind real-time regulation changes.Now, all of this might sound good, but keep in mind that generative AI has the tendency to make mistakes, make stuff up, and mislead. That's not exactly what you want when preparing taxes. Geoffrey A. Fowler of the Washington Post provides a cautionary tale. He tried both TurboTax and H&R Block's AI features and found them to be "awful." Also: Stop paying full price for PCs and Macs: 7 ways to save moneyTo be fair, I've paid real-world human accountants for tax prep help, and have found some of them to be awful, too. Taxes aren't fun, and you have to double-check everything, whether it's your own work, the work of an AI, or the work of someone who claims to be an expert. 2. Use AI features in expense tracking software Not all expense tracking services offer AI features, but Fyle, SparkReceipt, and QuickBooks do. I am a somewhat involuntary QuickBooks user. The price has gone up considerably over the years, but the switching costs are even higher. So I stick with QuickBooks. For imported expenses that don't have custom rules, QuickBooks attempts to assign categories using some AI capabilities. Don't count on this feature. Those assignments are almost always incorrect. QuickBooks also constantly pushes its related services, some of which have AI capabilities. But I haven't found anything on offer that seems worth the upsell, so I haven't tapped into those additional AI capabilities. Fyle's big claim to fame is what it calls Conversational AI for Expense Tracking. Basically, all you do is snap a picture of your receipts with your phone and text it to Fyle. Fyle processes it in and categorizes it all automatically, saving a lot of time. SparkReceipt also automates receipt scanning and categorization, along with invoices and bank statements. It will then enter your information, without the need for manual entry. The key feature here is the categorization of expenses, which can often take both time and effort to do by hand. 3. Use Copilot with Excel Microsoft's Copilothas powerful integration with Excel. No matter what data you're organizing for your tax filing or accounting process, some of it is likely to be run through Excel. Copilot will automate many of the Excel setup tasks that used to take a lot of time and sometimes hard-to-find Excel knowledge. Also: The Microsoft 365 Copilot launch was a total disasterRather than go into more details here, I recommend you watch this video from Singapore, where the instructor provides a detailed look at how Excel works with taxes. While tax policy in each country is different, the tasks the instructor performs are very similar throughout the world. 4. Chat with a chatbot for tax advice and guidance You can also use a chatbot like ChatGPT or Perplexity to get tax guidance and advice. Just keep in mind you want to ask questions about topics that have been written about in prior years, are stable with unchanging tax rules, and for which there is published official guidance. Here are some examples I tried. They all resulted in good and accurate answers (at least as best as this non-accountant could tell). Who needs to file a US federal tax return?What are the IRS standard deduction amounts?What are the tax brackets for past years?What is the difference between a tax deduction and a tax credit?What are common itemized deductions?What tax credits are available for education expenses?How are Social Security benefits taxed?How can I check the status of my federal tax refund?What triggers an IRS audit?How long should I keep my tax records?Make sure you preface any questions you ask with your filing jurisdiction. If you're in the US, say so. If you're in Singapore, tell the AI that. Otherwise, the AI will probably not know which jurisdiction's tax rules are appropriate for you. 5. Upload and scan documents for analysis, summarization, and explanation You can feed your favorite chatbot PDFs for it to analyze and explain. For example, I uploaded a copy of the instructions for IRS Form 2553, which is the form used to elect S corporation status. I asked ChatGPT, "Explain this." I then asked it, "What are the most important things I should know?" It scanned the document and provided me with a list of important informational nuggets. What not to do I asked ChatGPT to provide me with a list of 10 areas where you should not use AI to help with taxes. It's a good list, and I fully agree with all of its points. Providing legally binding tax advice: AI does not replace professional tax advisors, CPAs, or attorneys.Ensuring complete tax compliance: AI may not account for the latest IRS rule changes, state-specific laws, or unique tax situations.Filing your tax return on your behalf: AI cannot submit tax forms directly to the IRS or state tax agencies.Determining eligibility for complex tax deductions and credits: Some deductions and credits (like the Qualified Business Income Deduction) require professional assessment.Guaranteeing IRS audit protection: AI cannot ensure you won't be audited or provide direct representation if you are audited.Handling late tax election relief requests: The IRS may require a written explanation of "reasonable cause," which is best handled by a tax professional.Interpreting ambiguous tax laws and regulations: AI cannot provide definitive answers on gray areas of tax law or IRS rulings.Preparing multi-state or international tax returns: AI may not accurately handle tax liabilities across multiple jurisdictions.Detecting tax fraud or avoiding penalties: AI cannot verify whether deductions, credits, or income reporting comply fully with IRS standards.Giving investment or retirement tax strategy recommendations: AI cannot advise on tax-efficient investment decisions, Roth IRA conversions, or estate planning strategies.I'll add one more: Do not ever trust the AI to be right. Always double-check everything. Use the AI as a helper, but do not rely on it as a source of truth.What do you think? Have you tried AI-powered tax tools like TurboTax Assist, H&R Block Tax Assist, or QuickBooks? Did they help or make things more complicated? Do you trust AI to handle tax prep, or do you still prefer human expertise? Where do you think AI tax tools need the most improvement? Let us know in the comments below.You can follow my day-to-day project updates on social media. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly update newsletter, and follow me on Twitter/X at @DavidGewirtz, on Facebook at Facebook.com/DavidGewirtz, on Instagram at Instagram.com/DavidGewirtz, on Bluesky at @DavidGewirtz.com, and on YouTube at YouTube.com/DavidGewirtzTV.Artificial Intelligence

The Torras MiniMag Power Bank has the thinnest profile of any battery pack I've tested, and it charges surprisingly fast.

Time to changeNurPhoto via Getty ImagesRepublished on February 11 with Googles statement on its latest AI update and further analysis on the implications for Gmail and other email platforms.With Google confirming that Gmail is under attack, warning users to change behaviors to stay safe, the stakes have rarely been higher. Fortunately, Google is pushing hard to upgrade Gmail for its 2.5 billion users, raising the bar for attackers. And while that means the usual server-side spam and malware protection, it also promises innovations like shielded email addresses this year to help stop the threat at source.But theres a glaring issue here email itself. This is a horribly archaic technology that has not really changed in a decade. Genuinely, where is the innovation and disruption? Our inboxes are still broadly open to anyone, anywhere. Spam and phishing remain a ridiculous problem, despite Google blocking more than 99.9% of it. The reality is that malicious emails still get through, despite obvious telltale signs. Yes, new AI-fueled threats will make everything worse, but its bad enough as it is.Email needs a rethink a total revamp. Something more akin to secure messaging, with consent-based contacts and aggressive filtering, rather than a modern interpretation of Microsoft Mail and Lotus Notes. Check out the video below from nearly twenty-years ago, and ask yourself how much has fundamentally changed.When Elon Musk teased that he might consider launching X-Mail as a disruptive alternative to Gmail, this is what he had in mind. Its the reason we turn to Slack or Teams or smartphone messaging apps instead of email. Less spam, shorter, snappier interfaces, more direct comms better aligned with how we work and play today. Even the concept of CCing lots of disinterested people into your emails has had its time.MORE FOR YOUAnd on the security front, Gmail and other leading email platforms are woefully far behind messaging. As I suggested last year, "we need a radically different approach:"On-device AI to flag spam and malicious email that beat central screening to reach inboxes. Too many emails make it though despite the email address and presentational sender address not matching, even when the the latter is a clear impersonation. How is it possible in 2024 that my inbox contains emails from Apple Support or X verification, when the senders have random email addresses such as sayio[at]hosai.co.jp.A better opt-in, known sender solutionmimicking secure messaging. Even the differentiation of trusted and unknown senders is too basic. Google has made email sender advances here, but its far from a wholesale solution. There needs to be better deployment of AI or an easy-button for user to opt into a trusted discussion and advocate for a sender.Rather than upping the ante centrally, email security needs to do a better front-end (device-side) job. This is where safe browsing and malware defenses are now heading, making use of new device AI processing. Email needs a complete rethink to do the same."We are seeing fast-paced innovation across edge devices to use private, on-device AI to make real-time calls as to when a message might be dangerous or spammy. For email, this would kill the fake Microsoft, X, Apple, FedEx, UPS, Google emails we get daily, but also the smaller volume, more targeted approaches. And its within reach. But the front-end apps and UIs need a start from scratch rethink. A device can use a unified approach to privately screen messages or emails on any platform, learning as it goes.With that in mind, look no further than Googles own new protections on Google Messages to help keep you safe. These were announced last October, and bring AI-powered filters and advanced security that protects users from 2 billion suspicious messages a month. And critically, these messaging innovations use on-device machine learning models to classify these scams, so your conversations stay private and the content is never sent to Google unless you report spam.GrapheneOS, which specializes in hardening Android, has raised the wider potential of the Android System SafetyCore app launched by Google that makes all this work. The app doesn't provide client-side scanning used to report things to Google or anyone else. It provides on-device machine learning models usable by applications to classify content as being spam, scams, malware, etc. This allows apps to check content locally without sharing it with a service and mark it with warnings for users.While its unfortunate that its not open source and released as part of the Android Open Source Project and the models also arent open let alone open source, meaning it will fail the transparency test for serious security applications, this approach can be adopted across multiple email platforms, in tandem with a new UI and consent-based approach to keep our inboxes locked beyond certain geographies or domains.This privacy-enhancing local screening as differentiated from the client side screening that has come in for significant criticism in the past is a game-changer. The Hacker News reports that Google has stepped in to clarify that a newly introduced Android System SafetyCore app does not perform any client-side scanning of content."In a statement provided to The Hacker News, a Google spokesperson explained that "Android provides many on-device protections that safeguard users against threats like malware, messaging spam and abuse protections, and phone scam protections, while preserving user privacy and keeping users in control of their data. SafetyCore is a new Google system service for Android 9+ devices that provides the on-device infrastructure for securely and privately performing classification to help users detect unwanted content. Users are in control over SafetyCore and SafetyCore only classifies specific content when an app requests it through an optionally enabled feature."As GrapheneOS says, Google Messages uses this new app to classify messages as spam, malware, nudity, etc. Nudity detection is an optional feature which blurs media detected as having nudity and makes accessing it require going through a dialog. Apps have been able to ship local AI models to do classification forever. Most apps do it remotely by sharing content with their servers. Many apps have already have client or server side detection of spam, malware, scams, nudity, etc. Classifying things like this is not the same as trying to detect illegal content and reporting it to a service. That would greatly violate peoples privacy in multiple ways and false positives would still exist. Its not what this is and its not usable for it."We are approaching a pivot-point with email. If it cant change, it cant work. In a world with AI-polished text and imagery, and tone crafted to mimic those we know or love, an open platform cannot be safe. Someone needs to grasp this nettle and take a different approach. I suspect only Google or Apple could do so. Whether its a new Gmail/email app or a more universal System SafetyCore style app, you do need a new app. And once that change is made, its inevitable that others will do the same. Id like to think that well see some form of device side AI defense this year, at least for smartphones, which will shift make protection more immediate and private and will finally eradicate the raft of emails that continue to break through the current dams.Unfortunately, Gmail attacks have never been more sophisticated and there are no signs yet of the server-side approach changing. And on the device AI side, Apples iOS 18 Mail upgrade has seriously failed to hit the mark. Were far from there yet.Whenever the subject of a wholesale change to email is brought up, it tends to bring out those that defend the incremental upgrades and improvements that platforms have made, rather than stepping back and looking at the technology set more widely. It remains an oddity that email has changed so little whereas our other communications mechanisms have been changed completely. Its time for this same, necessarily disruptive approach to be taken with email.Google has made strong progress with better securing Gmail through filtering and server-side AI and sender verification. But all of that is incremental. What hasnt yet happened in this new world of fully managed, cloud-based email platforms is that step-back review. Whats undoubtedly true is that given the immediacy of the world we now inhabit, and the fast-paced threat landscape we now face, if we were in a garage inventing the concept of email for the first time, we would not come up with anything akin to what we have now incremental improvements included.And while arguments made against this include the formality and auditibility and open access of email, I cant help but think these are just reactionary responses from an industry that wants to continue changing one nudge at a time. But if they wont disrupt, someone else eventually will. Thats why there was such a strong and interested response to X-mail when it was touted. And whether or not that ever comes to fruition, something will. Lets expedite that rethink now, please.

Elon MuskGetty ImagesElon Musks surprise bid for the nonprofit controlling artificial intelligence behemoth OpenAI did exactly what he wanted it to. Announced as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and other business and world leaders convened in Paris for a global AI summit, the unsolicited $97.4 billion offer for the nonprofit refocused the worlds attention on Musk and his efforts to block OpenAIs transition to a for-profit company.An irked Altman quickly dismissed Musks offer and sources close to OpenAI say its hard to imagine it going anywhere. But even if thats the case, Musk has likely caused a headache for Altman, who is orchestrating the companys transition to a for-profit venture. Hes attempted to forcefully raise the nonprofit price which would make it harder for OpenAI to justify paying anything less.Musks bid is the first hard number that values the nonprofit that controls OpenAI; that entity has to be bought out and become a minority shareholder for OpenAI to successfully transition to a for-profit company. Previously, The Information had reported the nonprofit was worth around $40 billion, citing a 25% stake and the companys valuation at time. But with his $97.4 billion bid, Musk has backed Altman into a corner; now, as a board member, Altman faces pressure to sell the nonprofit for at least what Musk is asking. If he were to sell for anything less, itd be a bad look, making it seem like hes lowballing his own company to reduce share dilution.The important part here is that if [the board] doesn't take it, which they almost certainly won't, then they've made clear that they think the assets Musk is trying to buy are worth more than $97 billion, a person familiar with the company told Forbes. So if the for-profit tries to buy them later, the nonprofit will have to get more than that otherwise the board is likely in breach of their fiduciary duties.Nonprofit boards do have fiduciary duties, though their responsibilities are to the organizations mission, instead of its investors providing the board grounds to reject Musks bid out of hand, if they believe he would damage its mission. But accepting a lower price would also be detrimental to OpenAIs mission, that person said. Altman reportedly told OpenAI employees that the board which includes himself, former Salesforce CEO Bret Taylor, Quora CEO Adam DAngelo and Instacart CEO Fidji Simo plans to reject the offer.OpenAI and Musks lawyer didnt respond to requests for comment.OpenAI was founded by Altman, Musk and others in 2015 as a nonprofit. Then, six years ago, the nonprofit created a for-profit arm to help it raise money and act like a conventional startup. But the company still reported to the nonprofit board, which briefly ousted Altman in 2023 for being not consistently candid.In the last two months, Altman has been publicly working to shed OpenAIs nonprofit structure entirely. The plan, OpenAI said in December, would be to transform the existing for-profit arm into a public benefit corporation that runs the companys operations and business. The nonprofit, meanwhile, would hire its own leadership team to pursue charity projects, and have a significant stake in the new public benefit corporation, at a fair valuation determined by independent financial advisors.The company will reportedly be worth $260 billion after a $40 billion investment from Japanese tech conglomerate Softbank. Some have criticized Altmans role in selling the nonprofit arm as a conflict of interest, as Altman is negotiating on both sides of the deal.Musks bid will now invite more scrutiny. It could get the attention of state regulators like California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who has jurisdiction over OpenAI because it is headquartered in the state, spurring him to block a deal that values the non-profit at too low a price. Bontas office did not respond to a request for comment.Musks bid is the latest salvo in a long feud between him and Altman. Musk left OpenAI three years after its founding because of an internal power struggle. Since then, Musk, whose startup xAI competes with OpenAI, has sued the company twice, accusing it of abandoning its mission to build artificial intelligence to benefit humanity. (His latest suit was in August, after withdrawing a similar one in June.) OpenAI has replied by publishing emails allegedly from Musk saying he wanted a for-profit structure in 2017.Others have criticized Musks maneuvering as counter-programming while Altman was in Paris with Vice President J.D. Vance and other prominent leaders. "Another sad play for attention," one former OpenAI insider told Forbes.MORE FROM FORBES

The first landmark win in an AI copyright case is here. A Delaware court has ruled that a tech startup used copyright-protected material to build a competing AI-based legal product, which is against the law, handing over a remarkable win to Thomson Reuters.This is the first major victory for a plaintiff fighting against an AI company over what constitutes fair use of material owned by another entity. The parent company of the Reuters news agency has been tangled in a lengthy legal case against Ross Intelligence, an AI company that lifted material from Thomson Reuterss Westlaw platform.Recommended VideosThe plaintiff argued in court that Ross Intelligences usage of material pulled from its database to train an AI-powered legal research tool was not fair use, and that it infringed on copyright-protected material.Nadeem Sarwar / Digital TrendsIn their ruling, U.S. Circuit Judge Stephanos Bibas rejected Ross claims that its conduct was innocent infringement, granting a summary judgment in favor of Thomson Reuters. At the center of the case is the concept of fair use, which is broadly dependent on four factors: (1) The purpose and character of using copyright material, including whether it is commercial or nonprofit(2) The nature of the copyrighted work that was used(3) How much of the work was used and how substantial a part it was relative to the copyrighted works whole(4) How does the usage affect the copyrighted works value or potential market positionThe district courts decision was a 2-2 split between Ross Intelligence and Thomson Reuters, but Judge Bibas ruled that the fourth factor outweighs the rest. The latest court ruling could set the ball rolling for more decisive action in other cases where AI companies have been dragged to court for unfairly using copyright-protected content.Joe Maring / Digital TrendsOne of the biggest such cases involved The New York Times mounting a legal challenge against OpenAI and its backer Microsoft for using the news outlets content without proper authorization to train its AI products such as ChatGPT. Gettys lawsuits against Stability AI are another example where the scraping of content without due licensing or compensation was challenged.Amazon-backed Anthropic also found itself tangled in a copyright battle against the Universal Music Group. Recently, we have seen a new trend where two supposedly warring sides strike a licensing deal to quell the copyright disputes. OpenAI has struck licensing deals with Axios, Hearst, and CondeNast, among others. Perplexity, stung by its own long list of copyright lawsuits, has inked similar partnerships with Fortune and Times, to name a few.Meta, Google, and Microsoft have also signed similar deals with content partners. Even the Reuters news agency has entered into a licensing partnership with Meta. But striking licensing deals is merely a stop-gap solution.Experts are still divided and seek further clarity on what constitutes copyright law in the age of AI. For example, if an AI model is regurgitating a paraphrased version of someones copyright-protected material, what degree of similarity between the two would trigger a copyright infringement lawsuit? Well find out soon.Editors Recommendations

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsHome Improvement (1991-1999)A Different World (1987-1993)The Bernie Mac Show (2001-2006)Younger (2015-2021)A Man on the Inside (2024-present)Murderville (2022)A.P. Bio (2018-2021)Detrioters (2017-2018)Nobody Wants This (2024-present)Lopez vs. Lopez (2022-present)The Hughleys (1998-2002)Kevin Can F*** Himself (2023)Unstable (2023-2024)Act Your Age (2023)That 90s Show (2023-present)Grace & Frankie (2015-2022)How I Met Your Mother (2005-2013)Reba (2001-2007)The Upshaws (2021-present)Blue Mountain State (2010-2011)The Conners (2018-present)Martin (1992-1997)Girls5eva (2021-2024)Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-2021)The Jamie Foxx Show (1996-2001)My Wife and Kids (2001-2005)Loudermilk (2017-2020)The Wonder Years (2021-2023)Medical Police (2020)Tacoma FD (2019-present)Young Sheldon (2017-2024)Blockbuster (2022)Fuller House (2016-2020)iCarly (2007-2012)Seinfeld (1989-1998)The Good Place (2016-2020)Arrested Development (2003-2006, 2013-2019)Kims Convenience (2016-2021)Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015-2020)The Game (2006-2008)Girlfriends (2000-2008)Crashing (2016)Ugly Betty (2006-2010)Someone at Netflix really loves the sitcoms of the 1990s. This month, Netflix has added Home Improvement, the show that launched Tim Allens career into the stratosphere. That series was a ratings juggernaut for its time. The same cant be said for this months other selection, A Different World, which straddled the line between the 1980s and 1990s. But in its own way, A Different World was also a watershed moment for sitcoms in both decades.Either of these shows could keep you binge-watching for weeks, but theyre just the beginning of what Netflix offers to comedy fans. Netflix is also the streaming home of How I Met Your Mother, Seinfeld, Arrested Development, and The Conners, as well as a selection of original series. You can find all of these shows and more among the best sitcoms on Netflix right now.Recommended VideosWeve also rounded up all the best new shows to stream, the best shows on Netflix, the best shows on Hulu, the best shows on Amazon Prime, and the best shows on Disney+because we take our streaming seriously. Watching while traveling abroad? Use a Netflix VPN to access your countrys catalog from anywhere in the world.RelatedTouchstone TelevisionIn the 1990s, Tim Allen was the king of the family sitcom genre thanks to Home Improvement. He starred as a TV host named Tim, who was married to Jill (Patricia Richardson), and together they had three sons: Brad (Zachery Ty Bryan), Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), and Mark (Taran Noah Smith). Tim was mostly a good father and a family man, but he was occasionally clueless. Thats when his largely unseen neighbor, Wilson (Earl Hindman), would offer some words of advice.The creative team cleverly made Tims in-series show, Tool Time, a regular part of Home Improvement. Tim and his co-host, Al Borland (Richard Karn), shared the screen with Pamela Andersons Lisa before Anderson went off to star in Baywatch. But even her replacement, Heidi (Debbe Dunning), kept the Tool Time girl alive. This is still a fun show over 30 years later, but times have changed a lot since this series ruled the airwaves.Watch Home Improvementon Netflix.NBCA Different World started out as a spinoff of The Cosby Show, with Lisa Bonet reprising her role as Denise Huxtable while attending a historically Black college called Hillman College. However, the series was radically reinvented after the first season due to Bonets departure, and thats when A Different World found its voice.Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy) a spoiled southern belle and Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison) a nerdy guy who was once romantically interested in Denise came to the forefront as the new main characters. Through their experiences, A Different World touched on serious issues of class and race while maintaining a very un-Cosby-like sense of humor.Watch A Different Worldon Netflix.20th Century Studios TelevisionBernie McCullough (Bernie Mac) may talk directly to America while breaking the fourth wall in The Bernie Mac Show, but hes not Americas dad. Unlike the real Bernie Mac, this Bernie is happily childless with his wife, Wanda McCullough (Kellita Smith), until his sister enters rehab essentially for the length of the series and her children join the McCullough household.Jordan (Jeremy Suarez), Bryana Baby Girl Thomkins (Dee Dee Davis), and Vanessa Nessa Thomkins (Camille Winbush) are largely good kids, yet also a handful for Bernie to handle. He didnt want to be a dad, but Bernies got to learn on the job while experiencing some hilarious situations.Watch The Bernie Mac Showon Netflix.MTV Entertainment StudiosLiza Miller (Sutton Foster) just cant get a job in Younger, so she decides to become younger. Thanks to a makeover from her friend, Maggie Amato (Debi Mazar), 40-year-old Liza is able to convincingly pass herself off as a 26-year-old, and that opens the doors for her at Empirical Press. It also allows Liza the chance to capture the attention of her new boss, Charles Brooks (Peter Hermann).The downside of Lizas new life is that she cant share the truth about her age with her new potential lover, Josh (Nico Tortorella), or her new best friend and co-worker, Kelsey Peters (Hilary Duff). Thus, nearly every public moment of Lizas life is dedicated to preserving the lie that revitalized her career. And theres seemingly always someone around the corner who knows the truth and could expose her.Watch Youngeron Netflix.NetflixA Man on the Inside gives Ted Dansons character, Charles, a new lease on life. As far as anybody knows, Charles is just a retired widower who is moving into the Pacific View Retirement Community to live out his twilight years among people his own age. However, Charles is secretly there because private investigator Julie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada) hired him to infiltrate the community and find a stolen necklace.Charles loves the idea of playing a detective; he just isnt very good at it. One complication Charles failed to perceive is that he actually likes his new life at Pacific View and the people there, and he could lose those connections if and when the truth about his mission comes out.Watch A Man on the Insideon Netflix.NetflixMurderville is a surreal blend of scripted comedy, improv, and even a semi-game show touch that wraps up each episode. Will Arnett stars as Terry Seattle, a police homicide detective who is paired with a different celebrity guest Conan OBrien, Marshawn Lynch, Kumail Nanjiani, Annie Murphy, Sharon Stone, and Ken Jeong who step into the role of a rookie detective.Arnett and his co-stars are working from a script, but all of the celebrity guests are forced to improvise their way through each episode and solve the murder mystery. At the end of the show, the celebrity guest is given the chance to expose the real killer. But if they fail, it falls to Terrys estranged wife, Police Chief Rhonda Jenkins-Seattle (Haneefah Wood), to solve the crime.Watch Murdervilleon Netflix.Trae Patton / NBC / Universal TelevisionIf there wasnt already a show called Bad Teacher, it would have been the perfect title for A.P. Bio. Dr. Jack Griffin (Glenn Howerton) is anything but a good teacher. Jack is an Ivy League professor who has fallen hard and now hes landed a job teaching science at his hometown high school. Rather than settling in and accepting his fate, Jack recruits his new students to get his elaborate revenge on Miles Leonard (Tom Bennett), the man who cost him his dream job.Not even a cynic like Jack can remain completely dissociated from the students and teachers who are now a part of his life, but you can always rely on him to make the most selfish choice possible. The show gets a lot funnier as it goes along, and definitely gets weirder as well.Watch A.P. Bioon Netflix on November 15.Broadway VideoSam Duvet (Sam Richardson) and Tim Cramblin (Tim Robinson) are living the dream in Detroiters, a series that ran on Comedy Central for two seasons. Sam and Tim are lifelong friends who spend an inordinate amount of time together even outside of work. Tim even married Sams sister, Chrissy Cramblin (Shawntay Dalon), so theyre brothers-in-law as well.This duo has big dreams for their small-time TV commercial firm, and theyre willing to go to any lengths to prove themselves. Sam and Tim genuinely believe in themselves and what theyre doing; they just have a hard time convincing everyone else.Watch Detroiters on Netflix.NetflixThere are plenty of comedies built around the courtship of two people. In Nobody Wants This, the couple in question are an agnostic sex podcaster named Joanne (Kristen Bell), and a newly single rabbi, Noah Roklov (The O.C.s Adam Brody). Joanne and Noah come from vastly different backgrounds and belief systems, but they cant help feeling romantically drawn to each other.Their newfound relationship causes other conflicts in their lives, especially in Noahs personal and professional circles. His decision to date a non-Jewish woman may cost him a chance to advance his career, while Joanne comically struggles to find a place in Noahs life while maintaining her show.Watch Nobody Wants This on Netflix.Universal TelevisionStarring in sitcoms runs in the family for George Lopez and his daughter, Mayan Lopez. The strike-shortened second season of Lopez vs. Lopez has arrived on Netflix, and it gives their respective characters both of whom share their real names a further chance to bond after the years they spent apart from each other.In season 2, George continues to struggle with his sobriety, and he challenges the rest of the family to face their vices as well. Additionally, Georges ex-wife, Rosie Flores Lopez (Trisha Paytas), is moving on with a new man in her life, but shes not ready to share this info with either George or Mayan.Watch Lopez vs. Lopez on Netflix.20th TelevisionThink of The Hughleys as an updated version of The Jeffersons, minus the harder edges. Darryl Hughley (D. L. Hughley) is a successful small-business owner who has lifted his family from poverty to prosperity. And thats why hes moved his wife, Yvonne Williams-Hughley (Elise Neal), and two children Sydney (Ashley Monique Clark) and Michael Hughley (Dee Jay Daniels) from the city to the suburbs.However, theres a bit of culture shock for the Hughleys as one of the few Black families in the neighborhood. Fortunately, they make fast friends with Dave (Eric Allan Kramer) and Sally Rogers (Marietta DePrima) before engaging in typical sitcom stories. This family-friendly series ran for four seasons on two different networks.Watch The Hughleys on Netflix.AMCAMCs Kevin Can F*** Himself is a show that doesnt neatly fall into either drama or comedy. Regardless, it is a merciless parody of clueless white guy sitcoms, particularly the ones headlined by Kevin James. The title character of this series is Kevin McRoberts (Eric Petersen), and no one hates him more than his wife, Allison Devine McRoberts (Annie Murphy).Allison would love nothing more than getting rid of her slob of a husband, preferably by killing him and getting away with murder. Kevin is completely oblivious about his wifes true feelings for him and impeccably lucky when it comes to thwarting her schemes without even trying. Its a darkly-funny show, and sometimes thats just what we need to see.Watch Kevin Can F*** Himself on Netflix.NetflixIts not unheard of for real-life parents to co-star alongside their children in sitcoms. In fact, Unstable isnt the first time that Rob Lowe and his son, John Owen Lowe, have starred in the same series. But The Lowe Files was more of a paranormal speculative series, while Unstable fully embraces its comedic roots. The elder Lowe plays Ellis Dragon, the CEO of a biotech company named Dragon. Ellis wasnt exactly emotionally stable even while his wife was alive. But now that shes dead, hes coming unglued.Ellis son, Jackson Dragon (Owen Lowe), came to work alongside his father in an attempt to keep him from really going crazy. Heading into season 2, its not working. Ellis worst impulses keep coming into play, and it may only be a matter of time before the consequences of his actions catch up to him.Watch Unstable on Netflix.Bounce TVAct Your Age only had a single season on Bounce TV, but with 16 episodes, its twice as long as a standard canceled Netflix original show. It also has a chance to find a broader audience on Netflix than it ever had on TV. Comedy veterans Tisha Campbell, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Kym Whitley headline the series as a trio of Black women in their 50s who have moved in together.Keisha (Campbell), Angela (Brown), and Bernadette (Whitley) may not always be on the same page, and they never seem to shy away from roasting each other. But they are friends at heart, and thats what sustains this show.Watch Act Your Age on Netflix.NetflixIts almost hard to believe that its been 18 years since That 70s Show wrapped up its eight-season run on Fox. But that was more than enough time for the characters to have had kids of their own in Netflixs sequel series, That 90s Show. Most of the stars of the first series have made guest appearances, but Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty Forman (Agatha All Alongs Debra Jo Rupp) are the lone returning characters who are back as full-time stars.In the summer of 1995, Leia Forman (Callie Haverda) the daughter of Eric (Topher Grace) and Donna Forman (Laura Prepon) arrives at Point Place to spend the summer with her grandparents. And inevitably, Leia meets new friends, including Jay Kelso (Mace Coronel) the son of Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) and Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis). In season 2, things get a bit more complicated between Leia and her friends, but some things never change when it comes to young love.Watch That 90s Showon Netflix.NetflixGrace & Frankie may not be a classic sitcom, but it has a setup that definitely feels like it came from another era. Frances Frankie Bergstein (Lily Tomlin) and Grace Hanson (Jane Fonda) dont particularly like each other, but they tolerate each others presence because their respective husbands, Sol Bergstein (Sam Waterston) and Robert Hanson (Martin Sheen), are longtime partners in a law firm.When Sol and Robert decide to divorce their wives and marry each other, it leaves Grace and Frankie adrift in their wake and forced to live with each other. Now, the title characters have to slowly learn how to get along and co-exist, and they may even discover that deep down, they have more in common than they thought.Watch Grace & Frankie on Netflix.20th Century Studios TelevisionHow I Met Your Mother was absent from Netflix for a few years, but if you were in the middle of watching or re-watching the series, Netflix saved your place for you. The show centers on Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor), as related 25 years in the future by an older Ted (voiced by Bob Saget) to his children, Luke (David Henrie) and Penny (Lyndsy Fonseca). The kids dont appear too often, but the look on their faces is priceless when Ted briefly makes them believe their mother was a stripper.Most of the show is set in the present, with Ted spending time with his friends, Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris), Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel), Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan), and Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders). Ted is also kind of in love with Robin from the start, which gets tricky when she and Barney eventually become a couple. And then theres the mother but youll have to wait a long time to see her.Watch How I Met Your Mother on Netflix.20th Century Studios TelevisionIn the early 2000s, it seemed like almost anyone could get a sitcom on The WB. But Reba McEntires not just anyone. She was a country music superstar long before she landed her self-titled sitcom, Reba. Naturally, McEntire kept her first name while playing Reba Hart, a newly single mother after her husband, Brock (Christopher Rich), leaves her for a younger woman named Barbara Jean (Melissa Peterman). And much to Rebas annoyance, Barbara really wants to be friends with her.The series largely follows Reba and her children as they try to find their way through some occasionally choppy waters in their lives. This show also notably had a knack for landing big guest stars, including Dolly Parton.Watch Rebaon Netflix.NetflixNew episodes of The Upshaws have arrived, and the titular family is facing some serious financial problems. Things are so bad that Bennie Upshaw (Mike Epps) and his sister-in-law, Lucretia Turner (Wanda Sykes), are considering selling the family business, Bennies Garage.Meanwhile, Bennie and Regina (Kim Fields) also have to figure out how to be there for their kids, especially as Aaliyah (Khali Spraggins) and her boyfriend get more serious about their relationship. Even Lucretia may find what shes looking for by getting married. But well see if she goes through with itWatch The Upshaws on Netflix.Lionsgate TelevisionBefore Alan Ritchson was kicking butt and taking names on Prime Videos Reacherseries, he was one of the primary players in Blue Mountain State, a bawdy comedy in the vein of Animal House. Ritchson played Kevin Thad Castle, a linebacker on Blue Mountain States football team and occasional nemesis of the quarterback, Alex Moran (Darin Brooks).Everything youve ever suspected about college football players turns out to be true in this series, as theyre a bit more interested in partying than playing. And their off-the-field hijinks tend to land them in big trouble.Watch Blue Mountain Stateon Netflix.ABCThe Conners is a revival of the 80s sitcom Roseanne, which was almost canceled after Roseanne Barr couldnt refrain from making offensive posts on social media. However, Barrs former co-stars John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert, Lecy Goranson, and Michael Fishman, have carried the show to a successful run on their own.It also helps that The Conners feels as contemporary to the 2020s as Roseanne did to the 80s. Dan Conner (Goodman), his sister-in-law, and his adult children had to rebuild their lives without Roseanne and start a new chapter for themselves. And this show still has a lot of life left in it.Watch The Connerson Netflix.HBO Independent ProductionsBefore he started palling around on the big screen with Will Smith in Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Martin Lawrence headlined his own sitcom on Fox, which was called Martin. Lawrence played Martin Payne, a disc jockey at a radio station whose big mouth occasionally got him in trouble with his long-term girlfriend, Gina Waters (Tisha Campbell). Martin was often backed up by his friends, Cole Brown (Carl Anthony Payne II) and Tommy Strawn (Thomas Mikal Ford), while Gina turned to her friend, Pam James (Tichina Arnold).Lawrence also played several one-off or recurring characters in the series, including Sheneneh Jenkins, a female neighbor jealous of Ginas relationship with Martin. Sheneneh actually turned out to be one of the most popular characters on the show, which is why Lawrence kept bringing her back.Watch Martinon Netflix.Heidi Gutman / PeacockGirls5eva has already beaten the odds by surviving cancellation at Peacock and finding a new home and a third season on Netflix. Thats pretty rare in the streaming age. The series is about four middle-aged women: Dawn (Sara Bareilles), Summer (Busy Philipps), Gloria (Paula Pell), and Wickie (Rene Elise Goldsberry). When they were younger, these women once had a taste of stardom as the girl band Girls5eva. Since they went their separate ways, none of the group members were happy with how their lives turned out.Once Girls5eva is reunited, the group attempts to reclaim their place in the music scene and capture the success that eluded them the first time. But their old personality conflicts and insecurities resurface at bad times, and Girls5evas reunion may not be able to last forever.Watch Girls5evaon Netflix.Universal TelevisionDecades ago, it wasnt unusual for sitcoms to feature police officers as the main characters. But in the modern era, where almost every primetime drama revolves around law enforcement in some way, Brooklyn Nine-Ninewas a throwback series that fully embraced its mixture of comedy with police work. Saturday Night Live veteran Andy Samberg made his TV comeback in the leading role as Jake Peralta, a detective who is as brilliant as he is immature.Ironically, Andre Braughers Captain Raymond Holt wouldnt have been out of place on Law & Order, as he was one of the few serious characters on this show. And yet even Holts incredulous reactions to the misfits under his command made for some very funny moments.Watch Brooklyn Nine-Nineon Netflix.Warner Bros. TelevisionFollowing his stint on Foxs hit sketch comedy series, In Living Color, Jamie Foxx landed his own sitcom on The WB, a network that eventually merged with UPN to become The CW. The Jamie Foxx Showfeatured Foxx as Jamie King, a musician with big dreams who came to Los Angeles to make it in the music industry. But first, Jamie had to pay the bills by working for the Kings Tower Hotel.Although Kings Tower was owned by Jamies aunt, Helen (Ellia English), and his uncle, Junior King (Garrett Morris), Jamie didnt get a free ride while working there. But Jamie did fall for the front desk clerk, Francesca Fancy Monroe (Garcelle Beauvais), while also butting heads with his co-worker, Braxton P. Hartnabrig (Christopher B. Duncan).Watch The Jamie Foxx Showon Netflix.Touchstone TelevisionEight years after his legendary run on In Living Color, Damon Wayans co-created and starred in a more conventional comedy series called My Wife and Kids. Wayans played Michael Kyle Sr., a successful family man who thinks that he makes the rules in his household.His wife,Janet Marie Jay Kyle (Tisha Campbell-Martin), has other ideas. And so do their children, Michael Junior Kyle Jr. (George O. Gore II), Claire Kyle (Jennifer Nicole Freeman), and Kady Kyle (Parker McKenna Posey).As much as Michael loves his family, his ego wont let him accept the fact that he cant bend them to his will. But that never stops him from trying.Watch My Wife and Kidson Netflix.Primary Wave EntertainmentLoudermilk was never a hit during its three-season run on the Audience network and then Amazon Prime Video, but its experiencing a surge in popularity on Netflix. Ron Livingston headlines the series as Sam Loudermilk, a recovering addict who works as a substance abuse counselor despite the fact that his own personal life is still a mess.When Claire Wilkes (Anja Savcic) shows up in his life, Sam and his sponsor, Ben Burns (Will Sasso), try to help her go sober and give her a place to stay. Claire and Ben end up being the closest thing to a family that Sam has, which is especially true when Sams dad, Jack Loudermilk (Tom Butler), occasionally reenters his sons life and leaves havoc in his wake. Watch Loudermilkon Netflix.Erica Doss / ABCThis is not your parents Wonder Years. Although The Wonder Years reboot keeps the late 60s setting of the original series, the perspective is shifted to Dean Williams (Elisha EJ Williams), a young Black boy who is experiencing some of the most turbulent times in American history. Dean lives with his parents, Bill (Dul Hill) and Lillian Williams (Saycon Sengbloh), as well as his sister, Kim (Laura Kariuki). But that doesnt mean that the family is always on the same page.Don Cheadle narrates the show as an older Dean who shares his thoughts and reflects back on this time in his life. Somehow, the younger Dean is going to have to find his own way through the struggles he faces at home, at school, and beyond.Watch The Wonder Yearson Netflix.NetflixMedical Police is a completely absurd comedy that skewers everything from action thrillers to medical and police procedurals. Erinn Hayes and Rob Huebel reprise their respective roles as Dr. Lola Spratt and Dr. Owen Maestro in this spinoff from Adult Swims Childrens Hospital.When a global virus makes the CDC suspicious of its origins, Spratt and Maestro are recruited to join the organization on a global hunt for a cure while facing terrorists and running into a few old friends from the previous series. Its impossible to take this show seriously, and thats the point. This is a farce from start to finish.Watch Medical Policeon Netflix.truTVWhat do firefighters do if they arent fighting fires? Tacoma FD takes a humorous approach to that question since theres so much rain in Tacoma that fire is rarely a problem.Chief Terry McConky (Kevin Heffernan) and Captain Eddie Penisi (Steve Lemme) are in charge of this zany crew, which includesGranfield Granny Smith (Marcus Henderson), Andy Myawani (Eugene Cordero), Ike Crystal (Gabriel Hogan), and Lucy McConky (Hassie Harrison) as they get into mischief and misadventures in an otherwise mundane job.Watch Tacoma FDon Netflix.Warner Bros. TVYoung Sheldon was one of the top streaming hits for Max, and its quickly climbed the charts now that its on Netflix. This spinoff from The Big Bang Theory is a prequel that follows the worlds most annoying man, Sheldon Lee Cooper (Iain Armitage), when he was just a child.Even at this early age, Sheldon is the genius of the Cooper family, which includes his parents, Mary (Zoe Perry) and George Cooper Sr. (Lance Barber), as well as their other children, George Jr. (Montana Jordan) and Missy (Raegan Revord). Sheldon does his best to learn how to relate to his family and demonstrate his love, but most of these lessons must not have extended to Sheldons adult self on The Big Bang Theory. In some ways, this seems like an alternate timeline.Watch Young Sheldon on Netflix.NetflixNetflix played a big role in the downfall of Blockbuster Video, so its ironic that Netflix itself was behind Blockbuster, a short-lived sitcom about the very last Blockbuster store in existence. WandaVisions Randall Park leads the cast as Timmy Yoon, the man who keeps his Blockbuster store alive after the rest of the corporation has closed down.Timmys employees at the store include would-be director Carlos Herrera (Tyler Alvarez), as well as Hannah Hadman (Madeline Arthur), Connie Serrano (Olga Merediz), and Eliza Walker (Melissa Fumero). Timmy is also secretly in love with Eliza, who has separated from her husband. Whether Timmy can confess his feelings for Eliza is one of the central conflicts of the show.Watch Blockbusteron Netflix.NetflixFuller House was an updated revival of the classic ABC sitcom, Full House, which suggests that an eventual sequel series should be called Fullest House. Unlike some revivals, Fuller House got most of the original cast back in either starring or supporting roles.Candace Cameron Bure headlines the show as D.J. Tanner-Fuller, a widowed mother who desperately needs help raising her three sons. Thats why D.J.s sister, Stephanie Tanner (Jodie Sweetin), and her best friend, Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber), drop everything in their lives in order to move in with D.J.s family in the classic Tanner home. The late comedy legend, Bob Saget, recurred on the series, alongside his former Full House co-stars, including John Stamos, Dave Coulier, and Lori Loughlin.Watch Fuller House on Netflix.NickelodeonIt seems like such a long time since iCarly debuted on Nickelodeon, especially since the revival series was only recently canceled by Paramount+. Regardless, this was a sitcom that was created for younger audiences, and it still plays well for fans who may not be ready for some of the more adult-oriented shows.Miranda Cosgrove headlines the series as Carly Shay, a teenage girl who launches her own web show, iCarly, which she co-hosts with her best friend, Sam Puckett (Jennette McCurdy), and produces with Freddie Benson (Nathan Kress). At Freddies suggestion, the girls continued making the show because it was fun. But they didnt count on the ways that their new online popularity would complicate their lives.Watch iCarlyon Netflix.NBCSeinfeld, the series described as a show about nothing, was the defining comedy of the 1990s. And it got a lot of mileage out of nothing as Jerry Seinfeld (playing a version of himself) spent time hanging out with his friends, George Costanza (Jason Alexander), Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards).The show was chock-full of outlandish situations, incredibly bizarre one-off characters, and some of the most consistently witty and hilarious quips on TV. Its been 25 years since this show went off the air, and it remains an all-time classic.Watch Seinfeld on Netflix.Universal TVIts not necessarily a wonderful afterlife for Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) and Jason Mendoza (Manny Jacinto) in The Good Place. Despite being sent to their eternal paradise, Eleanor and Jason know that they dont deserve it and that they were probably meant to end up in the Bad Place. Thats why their guide, Michael (Ted Danson), pairs Eleanor up with her soulmate, Chidi Anagonye (William Jackson Harper), and assigns Tahani Al-Jamil (She-Hulk: Attorney at Laws Jameela Jamil) to Jason to help them become better people.But the Good Place isnt necessarily what it seems, and the quartet will eventually have reasons to question their afterlife, even during hilarious circumstances.Watch The Good Place on Netflix.20th Century StudiosThe Russo brothers were also among the primary directors on Arrested Development, Mitchell Hurwitzs cult comedy series that briefly ran on Fox nearly two decades ago. Netflix revived the series for two additional seasons in 2013, which helped solidify the streamers original programming. The show follows Michael Bluth (Airs Jason Bateman), the seemingly ordinary guy in a dysfunctional family. But he just cant stay out of their orbit.When Michaels father, George Bluth (Jeffrey Tambor), is sent to prison, Michael is roped into helping run the family company while dealing with his acerbic mother, Lucille Bluth (Jessica Walter), as well as his eccentric siblings: Gob (Will Arnett), Lindsay (Portia de Rossi), and Buster (Tony Hale). This job just might drive Michael out of his mind, if his family doesnt do it first.Watch Arrested Development on Netflix.CBC TelevisionBefore he was cast in the lead of Marvels Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Simu Liu had a starring role on Kims Convenience as Jung Kim, the estranged son of Yong-mi Kim (Jean Yoon) and Sang-il Kim (The Mandalorians Paul Sun-Hyung Lee). Most of the show focused on the Kims and their convenience store, as wll as their daughter, Janet Kim (Andrea Bang). But Jung carried his own storylines and subplots even when kept at a distance.Although Janet and Yong-mi maintain ties with Jung, getting the father and son to patch up their differences is no easy task. There are definitely some dramatic and heartfelt moments in this comedy, and thats what makes it a great show.Watch Kims Convenience on Netflix.NetflixNetflix rescued Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt from an inevitable cancellation by NBC by picking up the show before it ever premiered on network television. That turned out to be a great pickup because this is by far one of the most acclaimed sitcoms on Netflix. The show is about Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper), a woman who spent 15 years of her life trapped in a cult run by Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne (Confess, Fletchs Jon Hamm).But rather than let this define her life, Kimmy decides to completely reinvent herself by moving to New York City and moving in with an eccentric actor, Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess). She also befriends her landlord, Lillian Kaushtupper (Carol Kane), and finds a real job working for Jacqueline Voorhees (Jane Krakowski). There are four seasons of this series, but we dont recommend a binge. This is a show thats meant to be savored, so take your time.Watch Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix.CBS TVOnly the first three seasons of The Games nine-season run are on Netflix, but its still a sitcom thats worthy of your time. The show follows Melanie Barnett (Tia Mowry), a young medical school student who turns down a chance to study at a prestigious school to accompany her boyfriend, Derwin Davis (Pooch Hall), to San Diego after he is drafted to play pro football.Once Melanie arrives in San Diego, she befriends Kelly Pitts (Brittany Daniel), another significant other from Derwins team, as well as Tasha Mack (Wendy Raquel Robinson), the mother of the teams starting quarterback. Through Kelly and Tasha, Melanie learns how to navigate life in the spotlight alongside Derwin.Watch The Game on Netflix.CBSThe Game was actually spun off of Girlfriends, which was one of the most popular sitcoms on UPN/The CW. The show focuses on the friendship and bond between four women: Joan Carol Clayton (Tracee Ellis Ross), Maya Denise Wilkes (Golden Brooks), Lynn Ann Searcy (Persia White), and Antoinette Toni Marie Childs-Garrett (Jill Marie Jones).Each of these women is at very different places in their lives, and they dont always see eye-to-eye. But for the most part, they support each other and maintain the bonds between them with one exception that happens late in the series run.Watch Girlfriends on Netflix.Channel 4Before she made a name for herself with Fleabag and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Phoebe Waller-Bridge had a leading role on the short-lived British sitcom Crashing. The show is so named because Waller-Bridges character, Lulu, is the latest roommate to move into an abandoned hospital alongside one of her best friends, Anthony (Damien Molony), Anthonys fiance Kate (Louise Ford), Melody (Julie Dray), Sam (Jonathan Bailey), and Fred (Amit Shah).Lulus arrival almost instantly causes problems for Anthony and Kate, especially when Lulu and Anthony start feeling a romantic attraction toward each other. Meanwhile, the entire group dynamic is so dysfunctional that it may bring their living arrangements to an abrupt end.Watch Crashing on Netflix.ABC StudiosBarbies America Ferrera had her first breakout role as the star of Ugly Betty. The title character, Betty Suarez (Ferrera), is admittedly awkward and fashion-challenged. But Betty soon finds a life-altering career opportunity when she is hired to be a personal assistant at Mode, one of the top fashion magazines in the world.Betty doesnt waste much time making friends with her boss, Daniel Meade (Eric Mabius). And its a good thing too, because this workplace has a viper, Wilhelmina Slater (Vanessa Williams), who is dismissive of Betty and eager to displace Daniel so she can run Mode by herself. Regardless, its Bettys innate goodness that makes the show so enjoyable.Watch Ugly Betty on Netflix.Editors Recommendations

An accident left the writer Hanif Kureishi paralyzed and far from home. Struggling to regain control of his life, he sought to put his new reality into words.

This Paramount+ special presents the British guitar gods episode of the MTV series, featuring interviews done before the 1992 session and remastered sound.

Aging like a fine wine When software updates actually improveinstead of ruinour favorite devices Opinion: These tech products have gotten better over time. Scharon Harding Feb 11, 2025 6:24 pm | 13 The Hatch Restore 2 smart alarm clock. Credit: Scharon Harding The Hatch Restore 2 smart alarm clock. Credit: Scharon Harding Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreFor many, there's a feeling of dread associated with software updates to your favorite gadget. Updates to a beloved gadget can frequently result in outrage, from obligatory complaints around bugs to selective aversions to change from Luddites and tech enthusiasts.In addition to those frustrations, there are times when gadget makers use software updates to manipulate product functionality and seriously upend owners' abilities to use their property as expected. Weve all seen software updates render gadgets absolutely horrible: Printers have nearly become a four-letter word as the industry infamously issues updates that brick third-party ink and scanning capabilities. We've also seen companies update products that caused features tobe behind a paywall or removed entirely. This type of behavior has contributed to some users feeling wary of software updates in fear of them diminishing the value of already-purchased hardware.On the other hand, there are times when software updates enrich the capabilities of smart gadgets. These updates are the types of things that can help devices retain or improve their value, last longer, and become less likely to turn into e-waste.For example, I've been using the Hatch Restore 2 sunrise alarm clock since July. In that time, updates to its companion app have enabled me to extract significantly more value from the clock and explore its large library of sounds, lights, and customization options.The Hatch Sleep iOS app used to have tabs on the bottom for Rest, for setting how the clock looks and sounds when youre sleeping; Library, for accessing the clocks library of sounds and colors; and Rise, for setting how the clock looks and sounds when youre waking up. Today, the bottom of the app just has Library and Home tabs, with Home featuring all the settings for Rest and Rise, as well as for Cue (the clocks settings for reminding you its time to unwind for the night) and Unwind (sounds and settings that the clock uses during the time period leading up to sleep). A screenshot of the Home section of the Hatch Sleep app. Hatch's app has generally become cleaner after hiding things like its notification section. Hatch also updated the app to store multiple Unwind settings you can swap around. Overall, these changes have made customizing my settings less tedious, which means I've been more inclined to try them. Before the updates, I mostly used the app to set my alarm and change my Rest settings. I often exited the app prematurely after getting overwhelmed by all the different tabs I had to toggle through (toggling through tabs was also more time-consuming).Additionally, Hatch has updated the app since I started using it so that disabled alarms are placed under an expanding drawer. This has reduced the chances of me misreading the app and thinking I have an alarm set when it's not currently enabled while providing a clearer view of which alarms actually are enabled.The Library tab was also recently updated to group lights and sounds under Cue, Unwind, Sleep, and Wake, making it easier to find the type of setting I'm interested in. The app also started providing more helpful recommendations, such as "favorites for heavy sleepers." Better over timeSoftware updates have made it easier for me to enjoy the Restore 2 hardware. Honestly, I dont know if Id still use the clock without these app improvements. What was primarily a noise machine this summer has become a multi-purpose device with much more value.Now, you might argue that Hatch could've implemented these features from the beginning. That may have been more sensible, but as a tech enthusiast, I still find something inherently cool about watching a gadget improve in ways that affect how I use the hardware and align with what I thought my gadget needed. I agree that some tech gadgets are released prematurely and overly rely on updates to earn their initial prices. But it's also advantageous for devices to improve over time.The Steam Deck is another good example. Early adopters might have been disappointed to see missing features like overclocking controls, per-game power profiles, or Windows drivers. Valve has since added those features. Valve only had a few dozen Hardware department employees in the run up to the launch of the Steam Deck. Credit: Sam Machkovech Valve has also added more control over the Steam Deck since its release, including the power to adjust resolution and refresh rates for connected external displays. It's also upped performance via an October update that Valve claimed could improve the battery life of LCD models by up to 10 percent in light load situations."These are the kinds of updates that still allowed the Steam Deck to be playable for months, but the features were exciting additions once they arrived. When companies issue updates reliably and in ways that improve the user experience, people are less averse to updating their gadgets, which could also be critical for device functionality and security.Adding new features via software updates can make devices more valuable to owners. Updates that address accessibility needs go even further by opening up the gadgets to more people.Apple, for example, demonstrated the power that software updates can have on accessibility by adding a hearing aid feature to the AirPods Pro 2 in October, about two years after the earbuds came out. Similarly, Amazon updated some Fire TV models in December to support simultaneous audio broadcasting from internal speakers and hearing aids. It also expanded the number of hearing aids supported by some Fire TV models as well as its Fire TV Cube streaming device.For some, these updates had a dramatic impact on how they could use the devices, demonstrating a focus on user, rather than corporate, needs.Update upswingsWe all know that corporations sometimes leverage software updates to manipulate products in ways that prioritize internal or partner needs over those of users. Unfortunately, this seems like something we have to get used to, as an increasing number of devices join the Internet of Things and rely on software updates.Innovations also mean that some companies are among the first to try to make sustainable business models for their products. Sometimes our favorite gadgets are made by young companies or startups with unstable funding that are forced to adapt amid challenging economics or inadequate business strategy. Sometimes, the companies behind our favorite tech products are beholden to investors and pressure for growth. These can lead to projects being abandoned or to software updates that look to squeeze more money out of customers.As happy as I am to find my smart alarm clock increasingly easy to use, those same software updates could one day lock the features I've grown fond of behind a paywall (Hatch already has a subscription option available). Having my alarm clock lose functionality overnight without physical damage isnt the type of thing Id have to worry about with a dumb alarm clock, of course.But that's the gamble that tech fans take, which makes those privy to the problematic tactics used by smart device manufacturers stay clear from certain products.Still, when updates provide noticeable, meaningful changes to how people can use their devices, technology feels futuristic, groundbreaking, and exciting. With many companies using updates for their own gain, its nice to see some firms take the opportunity to give customers more.Scharon HardingSenior Technology ReporterScharon HardingSenior Technology Reporter Scharon is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica writing news, reviews, and analysis on consumer gadgets and services. She's been reporting on technology for over 10 years, with bylines at Toms Hardware, Channelnomics, and CRN UK. 13 Comments