There's much to love about the fall and winter, but not cold and flu season. Around this time of year, it feels like everyone is getting sick with different types of illnesses such as walking pneumonia, the flu, COVID-19 and RSV. While it's now easier than ever to find out if you have the flu or COVID-19 with an FDA-authorized test, what's not easy is coping with the symptoms that come along with any sickness. Fortunately, there are things you can do to make dealing with a sore throat, stuffy nose, cough and more a bit easier and less painful. To help, CNET's wellness editors put together our list of cold and flu season tips that we use to avoid getting sick. Detox tea Liudmila Chernetska/Getty Images Upgrade your inbox Get cnet insider From talking fridges to iPhones, our experts are here to help make the world a little less complicated. "Whenever I feel a cold starting to come on, I always make this detox tea drink. The recipe includes pure cranberry juice, a lemon and organic dandelion tea. I will take a gallon glass or a very large mason jar and fill it up with hot water. Then, I steep two dandelion tea bags for 10 to 15 minutes. Next, I add the juice of one lemon and a half cup of pure cranberry juice. This drink is very bitter, so I suggest adding honey.In addition to three healthy meals throughout the day, I try to finish as much of the tea drink as possible. It really helps to flush everything out and keep me hydrated. Plus, drinking it while it's hot soothes my throat. Pure cranberry juice and dandelion tea are high in antioxidants and lemons contain vitamin C." Caroline Igo, sleep editorSee dandelion tea at Target for $6See cranberry juice at Amazon for $8Zinc"During cold and flu season, I try to take zinc regularly since some studies show it may shorten a coldby a day or two. That argument is still up for debate, but I've found when I take it, I remain healthy during cold and flu season. I also focus on maintaining a diet that's high in antioxidants to support my immune system, so it can be a combination of things." Giselle Castro-Sloboda, wellness writerSee zinc supplements at Amazon for $18Turmeric annick vanderschelden photography/Getty Images"I love turmeric lattes and teas when I'm not feeling well. Known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, it is said that turmeric could benefit those dealing with allergies and infections. It is also connected to easing anxiety, which is something I especially feel when I'm sick. Regardless, hot drinks are known to relieve symptoms of the flu and common cold, and I definitely feel these benefits with my favorite turmeric drinks.While I have tried to make my own turmeric latte, I prefer the taste of the Golden SuperLatte from Clevr Blends, which includes probiotics, mushrooms and adaptogens. For a cheaper option, I also love Yogi Tea's Honey Chai Turmeric Vitality tea with a bit of added honey (and sometimes lemon). Note that both drinks contain black pepper, which may increase your body's ability to absorb curcumin, turmeric's beneficial compound." Anna Gragert, wellness editorSee turmeric tea at Amazon for $4See Golden SuperLatte at Clevr Blends for $28Elderberry"Even though more research is needed to fully comprehend the full effects of elderberry in treating or preventing a cold or the flu, this is a supplement that you can always find in my medicine cabinet. I take it daily and have found I get sick less than when I didn't take it. I've tried it in all its forms -- gummies, syrup, tablets and capsules. The gummies are for sure the tastiest, but they often come with a lot of added sugar, so I just stick to the capsules. This, paired with good sleep, exercise and washing your hands frequently, are my go-tos during cold and flu season." Nasha Addarich Martnez, managing editor See elderberry capsules at Amazon for $10Focusing on throat care with tea, honey and more"If I get a cold, I like brewing fresh ginger tea and adding honey to it. For sore and scratchy throats, I gargle with salt and warm water, but I also coat my throat with a concoction of warmed-up honey and lime juice (some people also use lemon). It's like a homemade medicinal syrup that tastes good and soothes the throat at the same time." Giselle Castro-Sloboda, wellness writerHot water, honey, apple cider vinegar and hot toddies bhofack2/Getty Images"If I get sick during winter, it's usually with a sore throat or strep. Certain cough drops sometimes seem to worsen my throat pain and soreness once the brief, temporary relief they provide fades away. Instead, I've turned to hot drinks with honey (preferably honey that's locally purchased). One concoction I'll consume during the day is simple: hot water, honey and a small amount ofapple cider vinegar. The other is a hot toddy in the evening, usually a couple of hours before bed.Variations of hot toddies have been used as cold and cough remedies forhundreds of years. The recipe typically involves hot water, whiskey, honey and lemon, often garnished with a cinnamon stick. Of course, adding whiskey is entirely optional, and you'll still feel the soothing benefits of this drink without it. In addition to frequently washing my hands, I spend time outside as often as possible during the winter. Getting fresh air and sunlight -- even during the colder months -- seems to helpboost my immune system(and my mood)." Aly Lopez, sleep writerOptimize your sleep"Sleep is an essential part of recovering from the flu. That said, it can be super difficult to sleep when you're sick, especially if you have a runny nose or persistent cough. To combat this, I often sleep propped up when I'm sick. It might sound a little wacky, but it helps make sure I can breathe and get enough sleep to allow my body to rest and recover as quickly as possible. There are specialized pillows for this, though I tend to just stack what I have to save some cash." Taylor Leamey, sleep writerVapoRub"For congestion and cough, I rely on Vicks VapoRub and rub some on my chest (note that you should not put it in or around your nostrils). It's a temporary fix that helps clear my sinuses quickly. And now that I'm dealing with a little one, I have found that steam baths help with a stuffy nose, followed by clearing it with a nasal aspirator." Giselle Castro-Sloboda, wellness writerSee VapoRub at Amazon for $6Steam"Whenever I get sick, it tends to cause congestion in my upper respiratory tract. To help clear out my sinuses and make blowing my nose easier, my go-to is a steamy shower since steam inhalation has been shown to alleviate cold symptoms. To avoid hot water scalding my skin, I will often let the showerhead run away from my body for a few minutes while I take deep breaths to inhale the steam." Anna Gragert, wellness editor

February 12, 20254 min readThe Surprising Importance of This Adorable Sea Turtle DanceSea turtles are capable of creating GPS-like magnetic maps to guide them back to foraging grounds, and they do a little dance when they recognize those spotsBy Jack Tamisiea edited by Andrea ThompsonLoggerhead turtle hatchling. foryouinf/Getty ImagesTo juvenile loggerhead sea turtles, a tasty squid might as well be a disco ball. When they sense foodor even think some might be nearbythese reptiles break into an excited dance. They tilt their head toward the surface, open their mouth and flap their front flippers in a swim stroke that resembles a doggy paddle. Sometimes they twirl in place like a top.Researchers recently used this distinctive behavior to test whether loggerheads could identify the specific magnetic field signatures of places where they had eaten in the past. The results, published on Wednesday in Nature, reveal that these rambunctious reptiles dance when they encounter magnetic conditions associated with food.According to the studys lead author Kayla Goforth, a marine biologist at Texas A&M University, the findings show that loggerhead sea turtles are capable of learning the magnetic signatures of particular locations. This helps them create a magnetic map akin to a GPS, she says.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Loggerheads and other sea turtles are renowned for their epic migrations, in which they travel thousands of miles but never lose track of where they have been or where they are going. Many sea turtles come back to specific foraging grounds year after year, and females often return to lay their own eggs at the same beaches where they hatched.Scientists have known for decades that sea turtles utilize Earths magnetic field to orient themselves in certain directions as if they have a built-in magnetic compass. But accurately navigating back to a specific location requires knowing not just the direction in which they are traveling but also the precise coordinates they are heading to. Some scientists have theorized that sea turtles are capable of learning specific magnetic coordinates of foraging grounds and nesting beaches.To put the idea that they can create a mental magnetic map of important locations to the test, Goforth and her colleagues collected several loggerhead hatchlings on an island off North Carolina. (The turtles were returned to the wild the following summer.) In the lab, the turtles were placed in buckets that were hooked up to a magnetic coil system; running an electric current through the system created a magnetic field in the bucket. The scientists calibrated these fields to replicate the magnetic conditions of various locales along the Eastern Seaboard, such as spots in the Gulf of Mexico or along the coast of Maine.Each juvenile loggerhead was exposed to two distinct magnetic fields. Over a two-month conditioning period, the turtles spent equal amounts of time in each fieldbut were only fed in one of them. Then, during experimental trials over several consecutive days, the team re-created the two magnetic fields but did not feed the turtles.A loggerhead sea turtle "dancing" in response to the magnetic signature of a spot it associates with food.Goforth et al., Nature (2025)The scientists discovered that, even with no food actually present, the sea turtles displayed their dancing behavior when they encountered the magnetic conditions that were associated with past feedings. This supports the notion that these animals can learn the magnetic coordinates of foraging locations. A similar ability has also been observed in salmon as they venture to and from oceanic feeding grounds. (As to why they dance, Goforth says they just get really excited in any situation when youre giving them food like that.)To determine if the loggerheads retained these coordinates over a longer time period, the researchers tested the turtles again after several months without reexposing them to the two magnetic fields. And the animals still danced when they encountered the magnetic conditions associated with food.According to Goforth, these turtles can probably remember magnetic coordinates for several years or even decades. In the wild, they retain feeding information from when they are hatchlings to adults, which is a 20-year time span, she says.Marine biologist Jeanette Wyneken, who studies sea turtles at Florida Atlantic University but was not involved in the new paper, says the ability to learn geomagnetic coordinates emphasizes how crucial food sources are for growing sea turtles. Its very important for young sea turtles to outgrow predator mouths as quickly as possible, she says. [The turtles] need to efficiently locate food to sustain their development and increase their chances of survival.Goforth and her colleagues also wanted to determine if the sea turtles magnetic mapping capabilities were linked to their internal magnetic compass. The researchers ran similar experiments but added radiofrequency waves, which disrupted the animals ability to orient themselves via magnetic fields. They discovered that the turtles could still recognize specific magnetic coordinates.The findings suggest that sea turtles possess two distinct senses for detecting magnetic fields. Past work has suggested that some songbirds and newts also possess dual magnetoreception systems. Because birds and amphibians are only distantly related to sea turtles, Goforth and her colleagues think that magnetic compasses and maps might be a common feature in the vertebrate travel toolbox.

Clear your name or pin the blame in 80 Days studio Inkle's 1920s boarding school mystery ExpelledOut in March.Image credit: Inkle News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on Feb. 12, 2025 Inkle - the studio behind Eurogamer favourites including Heaven's Vault, A Highland Story, and 80 Days - has unveiled its latest narrative-rich adventure: 1920s boarding school mystery Expelled!, which is coming to PC, Switch, and mobile on 12th March.If Expelled rings a distant bell, that might be because it was originally teased last June, under the name Miss Mulligatawney's School for Promising Girls. At the time, details were scant - its Steam description merely contained a flyer for the titular academy promising, "The best education the 1920s have to offer!" - but now all has been revealed.Expelled is being pushed as a follow-up to Inkle's well-received 2021 ocean liner whodunnit Overboard!, and is described as a "next-gen visual novel with a wicked twist". It sees players attempting to clear their name following the fenestration-based attempted murder of a boarding school prefect, all by mounting their own investigation - which might also involve a spot of blackmail and betrayal, depending what they're willing to do to avoid expulsion.Expelled! release date announcement trailer.Watch on YouTubeAll this sees players - in the role of scholarship student Verity Amersham, voiced by Baldur's Gate 3's Amelia Tyler - navigating the simulated story world of a 1920s boarding school (in which students and staff move around independently in real-time, remembering everything they see and responding appropriately) in order to eke out truths and exploit secrets. Players have just one day to solve the mystery and escape punishment through subterfuge and cunning - perhaps even choosing to frame someone else if it'll save their bacon.Inkle says one playthrough of Expelled should last no more than 45 minutes, but each run features new leads and opportunities making it "massively replayable". And it's not just a question of avoiding expulsion; players can also work toward other targets, such as rising to the position of head girl, or solving further mysteries - such as uncovering your best friend's dark secret. And all this is accompanied by a jazz soundtrack featuring music from the likes of George Gershwin, Paul Whiteman, Louis Armstrong, and Bessie Smith.Expelled!: An Overboard! Game launches for Steam, Switch, iOS, and Android on 12th March.

Fortnite has revealed the theme of its next season, which will launch in just over a week's time, on 21st February. Read more

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2 is set to begin on Friday, February 21. The new season will bring a lot of new content, including new items, big map changes and more. On top of this, Epic Games will release a new Battle Pass, and we already know a few skins that will come with it.On Wednesday afternoon, the Fortnite developer officially revealed the next season. This reveal confirms previous leaks, including its theme and two skins that will probably come with the new Battle Pass.The next Fortnite season will have a heist themeEpic just confirmed that the next Fortnite season will be about a heist. This was done once in the past, in Chapter 4 Season 4, and that season ended up being one of the best seasons of all time. Now, its time to repeat the theme, but it wont be identical. Epic Games will put a new twist on it, and well find out more information very soon. Save Up to $1,200 on the Samsung Galaxy S25! Pre-order now and save big with trade-in and Samsung credit. Limited time only! *Includes trade-in value + $300 Samsung credit. So far, we know the theme and that the season will be called Lawless. The image that the game developer posted also reveals two upcoming skins: a new Midas outfit and a Pickle skin, which was previously leaked. Furthermore, it appears that Epic has no plans to postpone the new season, as February 21 was confirmed as its release date.Welcome to Crime City, where the hustle never stops. Big Dills new single dropping soon | 2.21.25The new Fortnite season will bring another Midas skin. Image by VideoGamerSince we are less than 10 days away from the next Fortnite season, we expect Epic Games to release even more teasers and hints soon. Judging by previous seasons, we might even get a gameplay trailer ahead of the seasons release. Must-Listen: Publishing Manor Lords w/ Joe Robinson VideoGamer Podcast Listen Now Related TopicsFortnite Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

submitted by /u/MetaKnowing [link] [comments]

The Trump administration brought webpages back online, meeting a court-ordered deadline at 11:59PM on February 11th. Doctors for America (DFA), which represents physicians and medical students, filed suit last week against the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) for taking health data off government websites.A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order, setting a deadline for those agencies to make that information available again online. The order includes more than a dozen CDC and FDA webpages that were specifically mentioned in the lawsuit. That includes the social vulnerability index and environmental justice index, for example, which are tools that show whether particular populations might face disproportionate health risks.Doctors for America (DFA), which represents physicians and medical students, filed suitDFA alleges that the agencies violated the Administrative Procedure Act and the Paperwork Reduction Act by removing public access to the webpages without giving adequate notice in advance. The CDC, FDA, and HHS didnt immediately respond to requests for comment from The Verge. The agencies started taking webpages down after President Donald Trump signed an anti-trans executive order, Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government, on his first day in office. The CDCs main data portal went down briefly before going live again with a note saying, Data.CDC.gov is temporarily offline in order to comply with the executive order. The court order says webpages are supposed to be restored to versions as of January 30th. The Verge wasnt able to immediately verify whether the restored pages have the same content they had on January 30th.The plaintiffs claim that removing the data forced DFA members to scramble in search of alternative resources to guide how they treat patients; slowed their clinical practices or reduced the amount of information they can convey to patients in time-limited visits; and paused or slowed their vital research. They say a temporary restraining order is necessary to protect their practices and public health while the lawsuit determines whether the defendants actions were lawful or not.Beyond the webpages named in the lawsuit, the defendants are also supposed to work with DFA to identify any other resources that need to be restored, setting a February 14th deadline for those webpages to become available again.See More:

Flippin' 'eck.A new patent from Nintendo suggests that the Joy-Con controllers for the Switch 2 can be inserted into either side of the main console, effectively letting you flip it 180 degrees according to your preference.As spotted by VGC, the patent includes detailed images showcasing the idea, with the two Joy-Con controllers effectively making full use of the new magnetic connection system to allow you to attach them on either side of the console. With the original Switch, this simply wasn't possible unless you wanted the Joy-Con to be facing backwards, which... y'know, isn't ideal.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Apple on Wednesday announced that its Apple TV app, including its Apple TV+ streaming service and MLS Season Pass, is arriving on Android devices. While the company previously offered a version of its app for Google TV, the newly released app will support a broader range of Android-based devices, including phones, tablets, and even foldables. In addition, Google customers on both living room and mobile platforms will now be able to subscribe to Apple TV+ and MLS Season Pass through Google Play billing.Before, Google TV users would have to have an existing account on Apple TV+ before using the app. Now, users will be able to create an Apple account on their device and pay for the service as they do on Apple devices. The pricing will remain the same at $9.99 per month. The expansion of the TV app will allow Apples streaming service to reach a wider user base, particularly in non-U.S. markets where Android devices are more heavily utilized. Apples TV+ service brings with it a number of top shows, like Severance, Slow Horses, The Morning Show, Presumed Innocent, Shrinking, Hijack, Loot, Palm Royale, Masters of the Air, and Ted Lasso, among others. Apple Original films like Wolfs, The Instigators, The Family Plan, Killers of the Flower Moon, CODA, and more are also included.The Android version of the TV app will also offer access to commonly used features, like offline downloads, saved watchlists, and a continue watching feature that syncs your watch history across devices. The latter will work even if you use a mix of devices in your household, like an Android phone or tablet combined with an Apple TV streaming box, for instance.Android TV app users will also be able to see when new episodes or TV seasons drop. However, the app doesnt yet offer native notifications to alert users to updates and new arrivals. As users browse through the TV+ content, theyll be pointed to some of the most well-received and popular TV+ content, which they can add to their watchlist or stream instantly.Friday Night Baseballs live sports broadcast is also available to Android users. MLS Season Pass is available as an optional add-on ($12.99/mo or $79/season), with all 30 MLS clubs available starting the weekend of February 22. Users can follow their favorite teams for personalized recommendations, including those within a dedicated supporters section in the app. One key difference between the Android and Apple versions of the app is that Android users will not have access to the in-app Store, where users can rent and buy movies and shows. Optimized for Android, the new app uses Androids Material Design principles, including adaptive layouts that adjust to different screen sizes like phones, tablets, and foldables. The app arrives five years after the tech giant launched Apple TV+ worldwide, its first foray into original streaming content. Apples premium streaming service has garnered a reputation for having high-quality content, particularly in categories like drama and sci-fi. Its the first streamer to land an Academy Award for Best Picture with its 2022 win for CODA and more recently saw its original shows nominated for 2024 Emmys in all the major categories, pulling in 10 wins (including Creative Arts awards.)Apple TV for Android is rolling out to Google Play users starting Wednesday.

ChatGPT, OpenAIs text-generating AI chatbot, has taken the world by storm since its launch in November 2022. What started as a tool to supercharge productivity through writing essays and code with short text prompts has evolved into a behemoth with 300 million weekly active users. 2024 was a big year for OpenAI, from its partnership [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.