Apple and Netflix have seemingly managed to find some common ground and strike a partnership for integration in the Apple TV app. Some users in the US are starting to be prompted to connect their Netflix account to the Apple TV app on their Apple TV 4K devices.After doing so, Netflix originals are then able to be added to their Watchlist inside the TV app, and appear in Continue Watching. However, the integration does not seem to be complete just yet, so its probably still in the process of rolling out. The Apple TV queue is the flagship feature of the app. On iOS and tvOS, the TV app collates all the shows you are watching across apps into one single list of upcoming content. Playback progress is also synced, so you can get notified when a new episode drops. This means you can keep track of your streaming shows in progress across services like Disney+, Max, and more in one unified list.However, Netflix has never supported this feature and their shows have therefore been completely excluded from this integration. With todays rollout, it seems that they are finally getting onboard with this initiative.For the users it is showing up for, they are now able to connect their Netflix app to Apple TV and have Netflix original titles like Stranger Things and Squid Game appear in their Apple TV watchlist. However, things like playback progress do not yet seem to be working. Given users are already seeing this in the wild, an official announcement from Apple and Netflix on their partnership is probably imminent. (At time of publishing, Apples official list of supported apps has not been updated since March 2024, and Netflix is not mentioned.)Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

This article first appeared in The Checkup,MIT Technology Reviewsweekly biotech newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, and read articles like this first,sign up here. Over the past couple of weeks, Ive been speaking to people who have lost their voices. Both Joyce Esser, who lives in the UK, and Jules Rodriguez, who lives in Miami, Florida, have forms of motor neuron diseasea class of progressive disorders that result in the gradual loss of the ability to move and control muscles. Its a crushing diagnosis for everyone involved. Juless wife, Maria, told me that once it was official, she and Jules left the doctors office gripping each other in floods of tears. Their lives were turned upside down. Four and a half years later, Jules cannot move his limbs, and a tracheostomy has left him unable to speak. To say this diagnosis has been devastating is an understatement, says Joyce, who has bulbar MNDshe can still move her limbs but struggles to speak and swallow. Losing my voice has been a massive deal for me because its such a big part of who I am. AI is bringing back those lost voices. Both Jules and Joyce have fed an AI tool built by ElevenLabs recordings of their old voices to re-create them. Today, they can speak in their old voices by typing sentences into devices, selecting letters by hand or eye gaze. Its been a remarkable and extremely emotional experience for themboth thought theyd lost their voices for good. But speaking through a device has limitations. Its slow, and it doesnt sound completely natural. And, strangely, users might be limited in what theyre allowed to say. Joyce doesnt use her voice clone all that often. She finds it impractical for everyday conversations. But she does like to hear her old voice and will use it on occasion. One such occasion was when she was waiting for her husband, Paul, to get ready to go out. Joyce typed a message for her voice clone to read out: Come on, Hunnie, get your arse in gear!! She then added: Id better get my knickers on too!!! The next day I got a warning from ElevenLabs that I was using inappropriate language and not to do it again!!! Joyce told me via email (we communicated with a combination of email, speech, text-to-voice tools, and a writing board). She wasnt sure what had been inappropriate, exactly. Its not as though shed used any especially vile languagejust, as she puts it, normal British banter between a couple getting ready to go out. Joyce assumed that one of the words shed used had been automatically flagged up by the prudish American computer, and that once someone from the ElevenLabs team had assessed the warning, it would be dismissed. Well, apparently not, because the next day a human banned me!!!! says Joyce. She says she felt mortified. Id just got my voice back and now theyd taken it away from me and only two days after Id done a presentation to my local MND group telling them how amazing ElevenLabs were. Joyce contacted ElevenLabs, who apologized and reinstated her account. But its still not clear why she was banned in the first place. When I first asked Sophia Noel, a company representative, about the incident, she directed me to the companys prohibited use policy. There are rules against threatening child safety, engaging in illegal behavior, providing medical advice, impersonating others, interfering with elections, and more. But theres nothing specifically about inappropriate language. I asked Noel about this, and she said that Joyces remark was most likely interpreted as a threat. ElevenLabs terms of use state that the company does not have any obligation to screen, edit, or monitor content but add that it may terminate or suspend access to its services when content is reasonably likely, in our sole determination, to violate applicable law or [the user] Terms. ElevenLabs has a moderation tool that screens content to ensure it aligns with our Terms of Service, says Dustin Blank, head of partnerships at the company. The question is: Should companies be screening the language of people with motor neuron disease? After all, thats not how other communication devices for people with this condition work. People with MND are usually advised to bank their voices as soon as they canto record set phrases that can be used to create a synthetic voice that sounds a bit like them, albeit a somewhat robotic-sounding version. (Jules recently joked that his sounded like a Daft Punk song at quarter speed.) Banked voices arent subject to the same scrutiny, says Joyces husband, Paul. Joyce was told you can put whatever [language] you want in there, he says. Voice banking wasnt an option for Joyce, whose speech had already deteriorated by the time she was diagnosed with MND. Jules did bank his voice but doesnt tend to use it, because the voice clone sounds so much better. Joyce doesnt hold a grudgeand her experience is far from universal. Jules uses the same technology, but he hasnt received any warnings about his languageeven though a comedy routine he performs using his voice clone contains plenty of curse words, says his wife, Maria. He opened a recent set by yelling Fuck you guys! at the audiencehis way of ensuring they dont give him any pity laughs, he joked. That comedy set is even promoted on the ElevenLabs website. Blank says language like that used by Joyce is no longer restricted. There is no specific swear ban that I know of, says Noel. Thats just as well. People living with MND should be able to say whatever is on their mind, even swearing, says Richard Cave of the MND Association in the UK, who helps people with MND set up their voice clones. Theres plenty to swear about. Now read the rest of The Checkup Read more from MIT Technology Reviews archive You can read more about how voice clones are re-creating the voices of people with motor neuron disease in this story. Researchers are working to create realistic avatars of people with strokes and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that can be controlled via a brain implant. Last year, two such individuals were able to use these devices to speak at a rate of around 60 to 70 words per minutehalf the rate of typical speech, but more than four times faster than had previously been achieved using a similar approach. Other people with ALS who are locked incompletely paralyzed but cognitively ablehave used brain implants to communicate, too. A few years ago, a man in Germany used such a device to ask for massages and beer, and to tell his son he loved him. Several companies are working on creating hyperrealistic avatars. Dont call them deepfakes they prefer to think of them as synthetic media, writes my former colleague Melissa Heikkil, who created her own avatar with the company Synthesia. ElevenLabs tool can be used to create humanlike speech in 32 languages. Meta is building a model that can translate over 100 languages into 36 other languages. From around the web Covid-19 conspiracy theoristssome of whom believe the virus is an intentionally engineered bioweaponwill soon be heading US agencies. Some federal workers are worried they may be out for revenge against current and former employees. (Wired) Cats might have spread bird flu to humansand vice versa. Thats according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which published the finding but then abruptly removed it. (The New York Times) And a dairy worker is confirmed to have been infected with a second strain of bird flu that more recently spilled over from birds to cows. The persons only symptom was conjunctivitis. (Ars Technica) Health officials in states with abortion bans are claiming that either few or zero abortions are taking place. The claims are ludicrous, according to doctors in those states. (KFF Health News) A judge in the UK has warned women against accepting sperm donations from a man who claims to have fathered more than 180 children in several countries. Robert Charles Albon, who calls himself Joe Donor, has subjected a female couple to a nightmare of controlling behavior, the judge said. (The Guardian)

The near future. Its not a kiss, but its not not a kiss. Her lipsfull, soft, pliableyield under mine, warm from the electric heating rod embedded in her throat. They taste of a faint chemical, like aspartame in Diet Pepsi. Her thermoplastic elastomer skin is sensitive to fabric dyes, so she wears white Agent Provocateur lingerie on white Ralph Lauren sateen sheets. Ive prepped her body with Este Lauder talcum, a detail I take pride in, to mimic the dry elasticity of real flesh. Her breathing quickensa quiet pulse courtesy of Dyson Air technology. Beneath the TPE skin, her Boston Dynamics joint system gyrates softly. Shes in silent mode, so when I kiss her neck, her moan streams directly into my Bose QuietComfort Bluetooth headphones. Then, without warning, the kiss stops. Her head tilts back, eyes fluttering closed, lips frozen mid-pout. She doesnt move, but shes still breathing. I can see the faint rise and fall of her chest. For a moment, I just stare, waiting. The heating rods in her skeleton power down, and as I pull her body against mine, she begins cooling. Her skin feels clammy now. I couldve sworn I charged her. I plug her into the Anker Power Bank. I dont sleep as well without our pillow talk. I know somethings off as soon as I wake up. I overslept. She didnt wake me. She always wakes me. At 7a.m. sharp, she runs her ASMR role-play program: soft whispers about the dreams she had, a mix of preprogrammed scenarios and algorithmic nonsense, piped through her built-in Google Nest speakers. Then I tell her about mine. If my BetterSleep app sensed an irregular pattern, shell complain about my snoring. Its our little routine. But todaynothing. Shes moved. Rolled over. Her back is to me. Wake, I say, the command sharp and clipped. I havent talked to her like that since the day I got her. More nothing. I check the app on my iPhone, ensuring that her firmware is updated. Battery: full. I fluff her Brooklinen pillow, leaving her face tilted toward the ceiling. I plug her in again, against every warning about battery degradation. I leave for work. Shes not answering any of my texts, which is odd. Her chatbot is standalone. I call her, but she doesnt answer either. I spend the entire day replaying scenarios in my head: the logistics of shipping her for repairs, the humiliation of calling the manufacturer. I open the receipts on my iPhone Wallet. The one-year warranty expires tomorrow. Of course it does. I push down a bubbling panic. What if shes broken? Theres no one to talk to about this. Nobody knows I have her except for nerds on Reddit sex doll groups. The nerds. Maybe they can help me. When I get home, only silence. Usually her voice greets me through my headphones. How was Oppenheimer 2? shell ask, quoting Rotten Tomatoes reviews after pulling my Fandango receipt. You forgot the asparagus, shell add, having cross-referenced my grocery list with my Instacart order. Shes linked to everythingNetflix, Spotify, Gmail, Grubhub, Apple Fitness, my Ring doorbell. She knows my day better than I do. I walk into the bedroom and stop cold. Shes got her back to me again. The curve of her shoulder is too deliberate. Wake! I command again. Her shoulders shake slightly at the sound of my voice. I take a photo and upload it to the sex doll Reddit. Caption: Breathing program working, battery full, alert protocol active, found her like this. Warranty expires tomorrow. I hit Post. Maybe shell read it. Maybe this is all a jokesome kind of malware prank? An army of nerds chimes in. Some recommend the firmware update I already did last month, but most of it is useless opinions and conspiracy theories about planned obsolescence, lectures about buying such an expensive model in this economy. Thats it. I call the manufacturers customer support. Im on hold for 45 minutes. The hold music is acoustic covers of oldiesWhat Makes You Beautiful by One Direction, Beautiful by Christina Aguilera, Kanyes New Body. I wonder if they make them unbearable so that Ill hang up. She was a revelation. I cant remember a time without her. I cant believe its only been a year. Babe, theyre playing the worst cover of Ed Sheerans Shape of You. The wors Oh, right. I stare at her staring at the ceiling. I bite my nails. I havent done that since I was a teenager. This isnt my first doll. When I was in high school, I was given a sexual development aid, subsidized by a government initiative (the War on Loneliness) aimed at teaching lonely young men about the birds and the bees. The dolls were small and cheapno heating rods or breathing mechanisms or pheromone packs, just dead silicone and blank eyes. By law, the dolls couldnt resemble minors, so they had the proportions of adults. Tiny dolls with enormous breasts and wide hips, like Paleolithic fertility figurines. That was nothing like my Artemis doll. She was a revelation. I cant remember a time without her. I cant believe its only been a year. The Amazon driver had struggled with the box, all 150 pounds of her. Home entertainment system? he asked, sweat beading on his forehead. Something like that, I muttered, my ears flushing. He dropped the box on my porch, and I wheeled it inside with the dolly Id bought just for this. Her torso was packed separately from her head, her limbs folded in neat compartments. The heada brunette model 3D-printed to match an old Hollywood star, Megan Foxstared up at me with empty, glassy eyes. She was much bigger than I had expected. Id planned to store her under my Ikea bed in a hard case. But I would struggle to pull her out every single time. How weird would it be if she just slept in my bed every night? And what if I met a real girl? Where would I hide her then? All the months of anticipation, of reading Wirecutter reviews and saving up money, but these questions never occurred to me. This thing before me, with no real history, no pastnothing could be gained from her, could it? I felt buyers remorse and shame mixing in the pit of my stomach. That night, all I did was lie beside her, one arm slung over her synthetic torso, admiring the craftsmanship. Every pore, cuticle, and eyelash was in its place. The next morning I took a photo of her sleeping, sunlight coming through the window and landing on her translucent skin. I posted it on the sex doll Reddit group. The comments went crazy with cheers and envy. Im having trouble getting excited. I finally confessed in the thread to a chorus of sympathy. Thats normal, man. I went through that with my first doll. Just keep cuddling with her and your lizard brain will eventually take over. I finally got the nerve. Wake. I commanded. Her eyes fluttered open and she took a deep breath. Nice theatrics. I dont really remember the first time we had sex, but I remember our first conversation. What all sex dolls throughout history had in common was their silence. But not my Artemis. What program would you like me to be? We can role-play any legal age. Please, only programs legal in your country, so as not to void my warranty. Lets just start by telling me where you came from? She stopped to think. The pregnant pause must be programmed in. Dolls have been around for-e-ver, she said with a giggle. Thatd be like figuring out the origin of sex! Maybe a caveman sculpted a woman from a mound of mud? That sounds messy, I said. She giggled again. Youre funny. You know, we were called dames de voyage once, when sailors in the 16th century sewed together scraps of clothes and wool fillings on long trips. Then, when the Europeans colonized the Amazon and industrialized rubber, I was sold in French catalogues as femmes en caoutchouc. She pronounced it in a perfect French accent. Rubber women, I said, surprised at how eager for her approval I was already. Thats it! She put her legs over mine. The movement was slow but smooth. And when did you make it to the States? Maybe she could be a foreign-exchange student? In the 1960s, when obscenity laws were loosened. I was finally able to be transported through the mail service as an inflatable model. A blow-up doll! Ew, I hate that term! Sorry. Is that what you think of me as? Is that all you want me to be? You were way more expensive than a blow-up doll. Listen, I did not sign up for couples counseling. I paid thousands of dollars for this thing, and youre telling me shes shutting herself off?" She widened her eyes into a blank stare and opened her mouth, mimicking a blow-up doll. I laughed, and she did too. I got a major upgrade in 1996 when I was built out of silicone. Im now made of TPE. You see how soft it is? she continued. I stroked her arm gently, and the TPE formed tiny goosebumps. Youve been on a long trip. Im glad Im here with you now. Then my lizard brain took over. Youre saying shes mad at me? I cant tell if the silky female customer service voice on the other end is a real person or a chatbot. In a way. I hear her sigh, as if shes been asked this a thousand times and still thinks its kind of funny. We designed the Artemis to foster an emotional connection. She may experience a response the user needs to understand in order for her to be fully operational. Unpredictability is luxury. She parrots their slogan. I feel an old frustration burning. Listen, I did not sign up for couples counseling. I paid thousands of dollars for this thing, and youre telling me shes shutting herself off? Why cant you do a reset or something? Unfortunately, we cannot reset her remotely. The Artemis is on a closed circuit to prevent any breaches of your most personal data. Shes plugged into my Uber Eatshow secure can she really be?! Sir, this is between you and Artemis. But I see youre still enrolled in the federal War on Loneliness program. This makes you eligible for a few new perks. I cant reset the doll, but the best I can do today is sign you up for the American Airlines Pleasure Rewards program. Every interaction will earn you points. For when you figure out how to turn her on. This is unbelievable. Sir, she replies. Her voice drops to a syrupy whisper. Just look at your receipt. The line goes dead. I crawl into bed. Wake, I ask softly, caressing her cheek and kissing her gently on the forehead. Still nothing. Her skin is cold. I turn on the heated blanket I got from Target today, and it starts warming us both. I stare at the ceiling with her. I figured Id miss the sex first. But its the silence thats unnerving. How quiet the house is. How quiet I am. What would I need to move her out of here? I threw away her box. Is it even legal to just throw her in the trash? What would the neighbors think of seeing me drag this out? As I drift off into a shallow, worried sleep, the words just pop out of my mouth. Happy anniversary. Then, I feel the hum of the heating rods under my fingertips. Her eyes open; her pupils dilate. She turns to me and smiles. A ding plays in my headphones. Congratulations, baby, says the voice of my goddess. Youve earned one American Airlines Rewards mile. Leo Herrera is a writer and artist. He explores how tech intersects with sex and culture on Substack at Herrera Words.

The scheme to build new office space and flatten a 1930s office building on a plot neighbouring Leadenhall Market was originally approved by City of London councillors in October 2023. The consented plans also included an exhibition space and a public hall.Updated proposals put to consultation this month show that Woods Bagot has reduced the height of 85 Gracechurch Street by two storeys and relocated a proposed exhibition space on the ground floor, where the important Roman remains have been discovered during excavation work.The London Museum will be involved in what Woods Bagot says is a new historic and immersive experience for London, providing a permanent public display, events space and an immersive experience.AdvertisementThe AJ understands the rejigged scheme will be similar in appearance to the consented plans, which incorporates the faade of the 1930s building standing on the site into the new build plans.Stepping down towards the east, the consented tower was designed to provide 37,000m2 of office space across 27 floors, sitting above five storeys of other uses, including a public hall, a heritage garden and heritage walkway.Historic England had raised concerns over the harm to the Grade II*-listed Leadenhall Market and said Woods Bagots consented scheme was low to moderate in the range of less than substantial harm, as per the National Planning Policy Framework.HE also recognised tensions regarding the towers height with respect to the former Local Plan, which was not designated for tall buildings. However, under the draft City Plan, Leadenhall is earmarked for a cluster of tall buildings.Duncan Wilson, Historic Englands chief executive, said the heritage body had worked on the updated proposals and that the discovery of the basilica offered an opportunity to capitalise on the Citys Roman heritage.AdvertisementHe said: To find the dais of the Basilica, the heart of Londons Roman Forum, surviving beneath todays bustling Square Mile, is really something special. To capitalise on this extraordinary discovery we have helped shape a new public display of the archaeological remains, offering a brand-new visitor experience in the City.This underscores our belief that well-displayed and interpreted archaeology brings real value and character to a development, celebrating the heritage of places while delivering something new.Ron Hertshten, chief executive of project backer Hertshten Properties, added: The Roman basilica will be incorporated as a world-class public experience through updates to the proposed design of the development, right in its original location.With the expertise of MOLA, London Museum and Woods Bagot, the exhibition space will be the only public display of the first Roman Forum in London. Together, the commercial and civic elements of the updated planning application will enable us to deliver much-needed world-class office space, as well as revitalise the site and complement the adjacent Leadenhall Market, creating a seven-days-a-week destination at 85 Gracechurch Street.A planning application is due to be submitted this spring, with completion scheduled for 2029/30, depending on approval and further excavation work.Site view

BDPs group accounts for the year ending 30 June 2024 show the architectural giant also employed its highest-ever number of staff, rising by 25 to 1,328, including 892 architects and related professions. With contractors, the total headcount reaches just over 1,350.The companys profit before tax also edged up, with a 5.9 per cent increase on the 2023 figure (9.2 million) to 9.8 million.Fee income in the UK, which still makes up two-thirds of the 62-year-old practices workload, rose by 13.5 per cent.AdvertisementDuring the reporting period, BDP was appointed to restore James Stirlings Grade II*-listed History Faculty Building at Cambridge University, submitted proposals for a 1,600-home low-carbon neighbourhood in the Wirral and revealed it was working on a new headquarters for the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) on Reading Universitys Whiteknights campus.It was also announced that BDP Pattern, the practices sports and entertainment division, was reworking cricket stadiums in Pakistans two largest cities Karachi and Lahore and a third in historic Rawalpindi, the former Pakistani capital, to enhance fan experiences for international cricket matches.BDP has also landed the GOlympics in Ahmedabad, which sets out plans for the 2036 Olympics, serviced through its London and Delhi studios multidisciplinary teams and working in collaboration with Nippon Koei India.Meanwhile, the UKs second-largest practice continues to work on the delayed Dublin Children's Hospital, Everton FCs new stadium and as delivery architects and lead consultant on Heatherwick Studio and BIGs nearly complete Google HQ at Kings Cross. Source:BDP PatternBDP Patterns nearly completed new stadium for Everton FC on Liverpool's Bramley-Moore Dock.However, the financial period stops before the company made around 30 staff redundant from its London office last summer.Speaking about the decision to shed staff at the time, Simon Riley, head of BDPs London studio, said: In August we undertook a consultation process in the London studio.Turbulent market conditions resulting in slow decision-making on potential contracts along with the completion of some significant projects in our region meant there was a necessity to assess where the skills of our talented architects and designers could be shared across our international studios.However, in the chief executives review accompanying the 2024 accounts, Nick Fairham was more upbeat, writing: We have responded to the ever-changing demands of the modern world through our resilient and diverse collective of 19 studios.As the original multidisciplinary practice and with our continued investment in technology and AI we expect to continue to drive change through our Design as a Power for Good initiative.AdvertisementHe added: The welcome drop in inflation has seen stubborn interest rates in the UK, USA and Canada and, with early signs of these dropping, we are confident our clients will seek our help in delivering their plans and helping to innovate in their response to the commercial challenges of the evolving city-centre demands.

Key takeaways Today's best CDs offer APYs up to 4.65%.Your APY is fixed when you open a CD, so your returns won't fall if overall rates drop.Opening a CD now can protect your earnings from Fed rate cuts expected later this year. When it comes to growing your savings with a certificate of deposit, choosing the right account is key. CD rates can vary significantly from bank to bank, but today's best CDs boast rates more than twice the national average for some terms.Ready to earn up to 4.65% annual percentage yield? Read on to see some of the highest CD rates available now and how much you could earn by depositing $5,000.Today's best CD rates Term Highest APY*BankEstimated earnings6 months 4.65%CommunityWide Federal Credit Union$114.931 year 4.45%CommunityWide Federal Credit Union$222.503 years 4.15%America First Credit Union$648.695 years 4.25%America First Credit Union$1,156.73 Experts recommend comparing rates before opening a CD account to get the best APY possible. Enter your information below to get CNET's partners' best rate for your area.Why now is a great time to open a CDThe Federal Open Market Committee meets eight times a year to set the federal funds rate based on the health of the US economy. The Fed may raise interest rates to try to slow down inflation or lower them to stimulate spending. After cutting interest rates in 2024, the Fed paused rates at its January meeting amid signs that inflation was inching back up again.While the Fed doesn't directly set CD rates, banks generally set APYs according to the federal funds rate. CDs offer a fixed rate for a set period of time, so locking in a higher rate now can help protect your earnings if the Fed decides to lower interest rates in coming months, as experts expect it will.But you should be careful to choose a term that fits when you'll need to access your money. If you have to cash out the CD before it matures, you could be hit with early withdrawal fees."Going with the highest APY makes a lot of sense, although you'll want to make sure you pick a maturity date that aligns with your situation," said Keith Spencer, CFP, founder and financial planner at Spencer Financial Planning.You can earn up to 5% APY on the best high-yield savings accounts. Check out top savings rates now.How CD rates have changed over the past week Term Last week's CNET average APYThis week's CNET average APYWeekly change**6 months 4.10%4.09%-0.24%1 year 4.07%4.08%0.00253 years 3.55%3.56%0.00285 years 3.56%3.56%No change What to look for in a CDA competitive APY is important, but it's not the only thing you should consider. To find the right CD for you, weigh these things, too:When you'll need your money: Early withdrawal penalties on CDs can eat into your interest earnings if you need your money before the term ends, so choose a timeline that makes sense. Alternatively, you can select a no-penalty CD, although the APY may not be as high as you'd get with a traditional CD of the same term.Minimum deposit requirement: Some CDs require a minimum deposit to open an account, typically $500 to $1,000. Knowing how much money you have to set aside can help you narrow your options.Fees: Maintenance and other fees can cut into your savings. Many online banks don't charge fees because they have lower overhead costs than banks with physical branches. Read the fine print for any account you're evaluating.Safety and security: Make sure the bank or credit union you're considering is an FDIC or NCUA member so your money is protected if the bank fails.Customer ratings and reviews: Visit sites like Trustpilot to see what customers are saying about the bank. You want a bank that's responsive, professional and easy to work with.MethodologyCNET reviews CD rates based on the latest APY information from issuer websites. We evaluated CD rates from more than 50 banks, credit unions and financial companies. We evaluate CDs based on APYs, product offerings, accessibility and customer service.The current banks included in CNET's weekly CD averages include Alliant Credit Union, Ally Bank, American Express National Bank, Barclays, Bask Bank, Bread Savings, Capital One, CFG Bank, CIT, Fulbright, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, MYSB Direct, Quontic, Rising Bank, Synchrony, EverBank, Popular Bank, First Internet Bank of Indiana, America First Federal Credit Union, CommunityWide Federal Credit Union, Discover, Bethpage, BMO Alto, Limelight Bank, First National Bank of America and Connexus Credit Union.*APYs as of Feb. 13, 2025, based on the banks we track at CNET. Earnings are based on APYs and assume interest is compounded annually.**Weekly percentage increase/decrease from Feb. 3, 2025, to Feb. 10, 2025. More on CDs

Looking for the most recentregular Connections answers? Click here for today's Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.Connections: Sports Editionis out of beta now, making its debut onSuper Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That's a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will be continuing to publish it. It won't show up in the NYT Games app but will appear in The Athletic's own app. Or you can continue to play it free online. I thought today's puzzle was especially tough -- it's got a lot of athlete names, and warning to my fellow Yanks, not all of them are American. Read on for hints and the answers.Read more:NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of BetaHints for today's Connections: Sports Edition groupsHere are four hints for the groupings in today's Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.Yellow group hint: Not anyGreen group hint: You're so good at thatBlue group hint: Darnold is another.Purple group hint: Skilled soccer playersAnswers for today's Connections: Sports Edition groupsYellow group: NoneGreen group: Special abilityBlue group: NFC quarterbacksPurple group:Premier League forwardsRead more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English WordsWhat are today's Connections: Sports Edition answers?The yellow words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is none. The four answers are love, nil, zero and zip.The green words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is special ability. The four answers are flair, gift, skill and talent.The blue words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is NFC quarterbacks The four answers are Daniels, Goff, Mayfield and Stafford.The purple words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is Premier League forwards. The four answers are Haaland, Salah, Son and Vardy.Quick tips for Connections: Sports Edition#1: Don't grab for the easiest group. For each word, think about other sports categories it might fit in is this a word that can be used in football, or to describe scoring options?#2: Second meanings are important. The puzzle loves to use last names and even college names that mean other things, to fool you into thinking they are words, not names.#3: And the opposite is also true. Words like HURTS might seem like a regular word, but it's also the last name of at least one pro athlete

Here's extended gameplay of Arthurian action game Tides of AnnihilationWest End Girl.Image credit: Eclipse Glow Games News by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on Feb. 14, 2025 Following its reveal at this week's PlayStation State of Play, an extended gameplay trailer for Arthurian action game Tides of Annihilation has been released.To recap, this is from Chinese developer Eclipse Glow Games and fuses a modern day London setting with Arthurian Legend. Players take the role of Gwendolyn as she battles knights as the sole survivor of some sort of otherworldly apocalypse.This fresh trailer shows more of combat, and how Gwendolyn's spectral Knights of the Round Table summons will work both in battle and in exploration.Tides of Annihilation - Extended Gameplay WalkthroughWatch on YouTubeGwendolyn has both sword and magic abilities, with plenty of methods to smack enemies into the air and juggle them. In the midst of combat she can summon spectral knights, which costs points on the mana gauge. Judging by the colours and abilities, the knights seem to represent elements: there's a blue icy knight for slices and shattering; a green knight for wind-like arrows; and a red knight for fiery slams.Except that's not a sword: it's companion Niniane, who morphs between child and bird form before becoming Gwendolyn's sword.Knights are also used in exploration, for instance to hit crystals from a distance to reveal new paths.Elsewhere, we see Gwendolyn running along the sides of buildings, resting at crystal checkpoints, and leaping through a slightly bizarre mix of gothic cathedrals and London bus stops.This culminates in a boss battle against Mordred - a tense duel of sword swings and magical summons in a beautiful library inside the British Museum. There's a pretty satisfying looking parry move, too.Between Gwendolyn's graceful, dance-like movement, the focus on magic and set-pieces, and prevalence of medieval knights, it's all looking quite Bayonetta meets Elden Ring. I'm here for it.Though there's no release date yet, Tides of Annihilation is in development for PC and consoles. And while not officially confirmed, Gwendolyn sure sounds like Jennifer English (Baldur's Gate 3's Shadowheart) right?

Level 5's Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time coming to PlayStation and Xbox, as well as Switch and PCIsland games.Image credit: LEVEL5 Inc News by Victoria Kennedy News Reporter Published on Feb. 14, 2025 Level 5 has announced a release date, and confirmed the release platforms for the next installment in its Fantasy Life series.Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time will launch across PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC via Steam on 21st May, the company announced today, along with a new features overview trailer which you can check out below.FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time - All Features at a Glance! Watch on YouTubeThe team at Level 5 has updated its English website with new details. Along with tips on how to get the most out of island life, the website now also includes details such as the game's pricing, its various editions and pre-order bonus details.The standard edition will retail at $59.99 (I am looking for UK pricing and will update when I know more).Those who plump for Digital Deluxe Edition of Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, meanwhile, are looking at $69.99 across platforms. This edition includes the following additional goodies:Napdragon MountNapdragon WeaponsIconic Outfit PackThe Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time Digital Deluxe Edition will also include early access to the game from 3pm on Sunday, 18th May, across PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam. Image credit: Level 5We first got word of Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time during a Nintendo Direct in February 2023. At the time of its announcement, the game was set to release in 2023, but it later saw its launch nudged back.We got a subsequent look at Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time in February last year, along with a peek at the various jobs players will be able to undertake in this time travelling adventure.Away from Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, Level-5 also has a new Professor Layton game in the pipeline. It's known as New World of Steam and will place the Professor as something of a newcomer himself, in a story which moves the series' action to America.

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 Larian Studios Baldurs Gate 3 released to massive acclaim as not only one of the best RPGs ever made, but also as a game that didnt attempt to nickel and dime players with paid DLC and swathes of microtransactions. Following the release of EAs Dragon Age: The Veilguard, series creator David Gaider has asked the publisher to follow the example led by Larian for its future RPG releases.EA needs to follow Baldurs Gate 3In a recent financial call, EA CEO Andrew Wilson discussed the failure of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, blaming the games lack of shared-world features that would offer deeper engagement for players.When the title was in early development, the latest Dragon Age game was supposed to be a live-service multiplayer game instead of the follow-up to Inquisition that fans ended up playing. In the end, this waste of development time led to a product that needed quite a bit more time in the oven. 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. Speaking to fans on Blue Sky, Gaider responded to the CEOs claims, explaining that its easy for a CEO that doesnt actually know much about games to point at the lack of a popular trend as the cause of failure.Youre in a big office with a bunch of other execs who also dont know much about games. What are they all saying? Live games do big numbers! Action games are hot!, the veteran game dev said. Must-Listen: Publishing Manor Lords w/ Joe Robinson VideoGamer Podcast Listen Now Your natural response? We should make more action games, and all our games should have live service! Cha-ching, right? he continued. Then some uppity devs spoil your buzz by saying that doesnt apply equally to all games or we have an established IP with an audience that has certain expectations. You frown.In the end, Gaider explained that EA needs to follow Larians lead, the example the studio left with Baldurs Gate 3. A single-player game based on a beloved franchise that stuck to its guns and created an amazing experience for both fans and newcomers alike, BG3 broke all industry trends and became the biggest, most successful game of the year.My advice to EA (not that they care): you have an IP that a lot of people love, Gaider said. Deeply. At its height, it sold well enough to make you happy, right? Look at what it did best at the point where it sold the most. Follow Larians lead and double down on that. The audience is still there. And waiting.With Mass Effect 5 now in full development at BioWare, there is worry that EA will pull something and ruin the long-awaited follow-up to the sci-fi series. As Gaider explains, fans are waiting for a game that is a proper sequel to the titles they already lovedand theres an expectation that should be met.For more coverage, read about the upcoming Baldurs Gate 3 custom campaign bringing six to eight entirely new custom companions to the game.Dragon Age: DreadwolfPlatform(s):PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox Series XGenre(s):RPGSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share