The big picture: Nearly 6,000 exoplanets have now been confirmed in the vast expanse of the Milky Way galaxy. Some are believed to have the potential to harbor life, while others are so hostile that they make Venus seem mild by comparison. One such planet is the ultra-hot Jupiter known as WASP-121b, nicknamed Tylos a world so extreme it defies expectations. Located around 900 light-years away in the Puppis constellation, Tylos orbits its parent star at an absurdly close distance, completing a full "year" in just 30 hours. With one side perpetually scorched and the other locked in eternal darkness, you'd expect extreme weather but new observations suggest its climate is even stranger than we imagined.For the first time, astronomers have mapped the 3D structure of Tylos' layered atmosphere using the European Southern Observatory's spectroscopic instrument, ESPRESSO. This powerful tool combines light from the four largest Very Large Telescopes (VLTs) into a single, highly detailed signal.By analyzing this data, scientists tracked the signatures of different elements across the planet's atmospheric layers iron in the deep atmosphere, sodium in the mid-atmosphere, and hydrogen at the top. Remarkably, this is the first time researchers have been able to examine an exoplanet's atmosphere in such depth.Scientists found powerful jet streams whipping around horizontally, while deep vertical currents transport energy between layers, creating a turbulent atmospheric system unlike anything seen before. The findings, published in Nature, challenge our understanding of planetary weather."This planet's atmosphere behaves in ways that challenge our understanding of how weather works not just on Earth, but on all planets," said ESO researcher Julia Victoria Seidel. "It feels like something out of science fiction." // Related StoriesThe study reveals that a jet stream encircles Tylos' equator, hurling clouds of vaporized metal faster than the planet can rotate. Meanwhile, a separate flow pattern near the surface shuttles gas from the blistering dayside to the cooler nightside.And the strangeness doesn't stop there. Tylos' surface temperatures soar above 2,700C (4,900F), with skies thick with vaporized metals like iron and titanium, carried by the planet's ferocious winds. The discovery of titanium is particularly novel previous surveys failed to detect it, as it was buried deep in the atmospheric layers. This new finding is detailed in a second study.But perhaps the most mind-bending fact? Tylos experiences sapphire and ruby rain. A planet of liquid gemstones, blistering heat, and metal clouds life, needless to say, is out of the question.

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D processors have had their launch schedule up in the air for some time.Having first been unveiled at CES 2025, there have been many rumors circulating about the components. However, a new report suggests that the release of the upcoming CPUs is now more locked in. AMDs new chips should be available in just a few weeks, with reviews of their performance going live the day before release, according to VideoCardz.WeiboReferencing the Weibo source, Golden Pig Upgrade, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D processors are expected to launch on March 12, with embargos lifting on reviews on March 11. The publication followed up with its own sources, suggesting the dates are accurate. Still, AMD has yet to confirm these dates.Recommended VideosThe Ryzen 9950X3D is a 16-core flagship chip, which was especially structured for gaming. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 9900X3D is a 12-core CPU. Both components are Zen 5 generation 3D V-Cache processors.Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming They follow the Ryzen 9800X3D, an 8-core processor, which launched in November 2024 to rave reviews and high demand. Priced at $479, VideoCardz noted the component has only recently started becoming more readily available.TechRadar noted that the computing chips may have heavy competition with its predecessor, despite having elevated specifications. Having spoken with AMD, the publication detailed that the chip maker indicated the Ryzen 9950X3D would have a similar gaming experience to the Ryzen 9800X3D, albeit a little faster. The staff suggested those who already have the older chip may not need an upgrade unless they are using their PCs for other intensive tasks especially since the new model is expected to see a bit of a price hike.Prices for the Ryzen 9950X3D and 9900X3D have not been confirmed. However, speculations suggest they could sell for $699 and $599 respectively, after the online retailer Newegg listed the SKUS for the processors ahead of launch.Editors Recommendations

A gaming PC can do a lot when it comes to graphics, but your desktop computer is nothing without a solid monitor backing it up. When it comes to PC gaming, youll need a display that can keep up with the lightning-fast action present in most modern titles, and today, youre in luck! We came across the following offer while vetting through the best monitor deals, and its going to be hard to beat:For a limited time, when you purchase the Asus 27-inch VZ27EHF Gaming Monitor at Staples, youll only pay $100. The full MSRP on this model is $150.Delivering 1920 x 1080 resolution at up to 100Hz, the 27-inch Asus VZ27EHF is an exceptional choice for both single-player titles and massive multiplayer games. Thanks to its IPS panel, the VZ27EHF has 178-degree viewing angles, so you wont have to worry about sitting dead-center with the screen for the best picture. And thanks to Adaptive-Sync technology, youll experience very little choppiness and screen tearing.RelatedThe VZ27EHF boasts a 16:9 aspect ratio and supports up to 16.7 million colors. The monitor also includes TUV Rheinland Flicker-Free and Low Blue Light tech, so you wont have to worry about straining or damaging your eyes. Theres only one HDMI port to use, but this should be sufficient for most desktop PCs and other AV components. Were also big fans of the GamePlus hotkey that gives you access to extra in-game features like crosshairs, a timer, and more.Were not sure when this monitor is going back to full price, but it could be as soon as tomorrow. Thats why its a good idea to buy ASAP. Save $50 when you purchase the Asus 27-inch VZ27EHF Gaming Monitor, and be sure to check out our lists of the best gaming PC deals and best gaming laptop deals for even more discounts on top computer tech!Editors Recommendations

More powerful and pervasive large language models are creating a new cybersecurity challenge for companies.

The Longlegs director returns with a gruesome horror film, based on a Stephen King short story, about a wind-up toy that unleashes random acts of violence.

In writer-director Noah Pritzkers observant drama, a father unexpectedly shows up at his sons bachelor party in Mexico.

Like it never happened Twitchs new storage limits will purge huge swaths of Internet gaming history Amazon-owned platform says "costly" historical archives don't drive "engagement." Kyle Orland Feb 20, 2025 1:00 pm | 33 When these archived highlights are deleted, it'll be like some streamers weren't there at all... Credit: MikkelWilliam | Getty Images When these archived highlights are deleted, it'll be like some streamers weren't there at all... Credit: MikkelWilliam | Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn morePopular Amazon-owned game streaming platform Twitch announced Wednesday that it will be imposing a 100-hour limit on the archived video highlights users can preserve permanently on the site. And while Twitch says that only 0.5 percent of users will be affected by these new limits, gamers are warning that the move threatens to eradicate large swaths of recent gaming history from the Internet.Highlights, in Twitch's own words, are a way for Twitch streamers to "show off your best moments to new viewers who land on your channel page." Unlike VOD recordings of full Twitch broadcastswhich are deleted automatically after seven days (or 60 days for Twitch partners)these highlights provide a more permanent way to maintain an archive of important moments for many Twitch streamers.That seeming permanence is set to end on April 29, though, when Twitch says it will start to delete content from channels with more than 100 hours of highlights, starting with the least-viewed highlights. Twitch headquarters in San Francisco. Credit: Getty Images Twitch headquarters in San Francisco. Credit: Getty Images In announcing the change, Twitch cited the "costly" indefinite storage of these highlights, which it says are responsible for "less than 0.1% of hours watched" across the site. These highlights "haven't been very effective in driving discovery or engagement with viewers," Twitch wrote, and limiting them will "help us manage resources more efficiently... and continue to invest in new features and improvements to more effective viewer engagement tools like Clips and the mobile feed."An incalculable lossOn social media, though, many Twitch users are expressing outrage over what the loss of these clips will do to the shared history of their gaming communities. "Who the hell cares about discovery or engagement?" one streamer wrote. "People use highlights to archive, and you're destroying YEARS of speedrunning and other communities' history."The speedrunning community seems particularly likely to be negatively affected by Twitch's move. As VTuber VanityFox points out, "many speedrunners use highlights to document world records and important moments... the amount gaming history they are deleting to save money and shove short form content on your feed is incalculable."But the potential preservation impacts are not limited to speedrunners. "I get sad thinking of all of the StarCraft 2 history that will soon be lost because it only lived on Twitch and not YouTube," FearDragon64 wrote. "Twitch wants to delete every GDQ, Twitch plays Pokemon, every tournament or significant event series, most speedruns, most longplayers, most RPG recorded runs, and all of the history of what happened on Twitch, from Twitch," MechaLink added.It's "history evaporating before our eyes," as one social media user memorably wrote.Abandon shipif you canMany streamers already post versions of their archived streams and highlights to outside platforms like YouTube or the Internet Archive. That means GamesDoneQuick's hundreds of hours of archived Twitch highlights will still be accessible elsewhere, for instance.For those that have yet to do that kind of external backup, Twitch is offering two months for users to download their own highlights for posterity and potential reupload elsewhere. But Twitch says it won't be offering a bulk download tool for that purpose, sticking many users with hundreds or even thousands of hours of highlights with the daunting task of downloading and/or reuploading their clips one by one (or using dodgy third-party bulk download tools to do so)."It'd take a full time job to upload all of this elsewhere," streamer Ravsy wrote of his over 4,600 hours of archived highlights."I will lose more than [5,000 hours] of my broadcast history because of your decision," longtime streamer HannyS added. "I have no way to be able to preserve and archive that... amazing..."The limit is leading to something of a Sophie's Choice situation for some longtime streamers. "Come April I will have been streaming for 10 years on Twitch. Making me choose what to delete from so many memories is heartbreaking," streamer The OnlyRyann posted.What we could loseWhile attentive streamers will at least have an opportunity to back up their Twitch highlights, some have noted that inactive, retired, or even deceased streamers from the past may not have the chance to preserve their archived streams in time for the April 29 deadline. That could even include Twitch cofounder Justin Kan, who has stored hundreds of short video highlights dating back to the launch of the site 18 years ago, when it was still known as Justin.tv. Clips from Twitch cofounder Justin Kan will likely be swept up in the company's highlight purge. Credit: Twitch Clips from Twitch cofounder Justin Kan will likely be swept up in the company's highlight purge. Credit: Twitch Moving archived clips over to other platforms is also an incomplete solution for many streamers because the reuploaded video clips won't preserve the live chat history that Twitch stores alongside their highlights.Even ignoring the chat history issue, many streamers simply feel their Twitch archives should remain on Twitch. "YouTube is an entirely different world," streamer Kolo wrote. "I stopped uploading VODs to YouTube because it destroyed my mental health. Genuinely. I want to preserve the history & culture of my Twitch community history; it belongs on Twitch."Twitch notes that its money-saving move will only affect the "less than 0.5% of active streamers on Twitch [who] are over the 100-hour storage limit today." But some have questioned whether that statistic includes the millions of streamers who only tried streaming on Twitch once or twice. Almost by definition, this kind of mass deletion will have the largest impact on streamers with long histories and large followings.Many irate Twitch users have been gathering on the company's User Voice forums to protest the decision. "Proceeding with this 100-hour limit will actively push streamers away from the Twitch platform, opting instead for services that do not place arbitrary limits on the archiving of digital content," user solar_espeon wrote in one popular post there. "The best course of action is to simply not implement this 100-hour limit."The new highlight storage limits come just over a year after Twitch laid off 500 employees amid continuing struggles to achieve profitability.Kyle OrlandSenior Gaming EditorKyle OrlandSenior Gaming Editor Kyle Orland has been the Senior Gaming Editor at Ars Technica since 2012, writing primarily about the business, tech, and culture behind video games. He has journalism and computer science degrees from University of Maryland. He once wrote a whole book about Minesweeper. 33 Comments

Amazon Abandonment Amazon remembers it has an Android app store, kills it Fire tablets and Fire TV devices will still have access to apps, though. Ryan Whitwam Feb 20, 2025 12:35 pm | 10 Credit: Ryan Whitwam Credit: Ryan Whitwam Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreAfter 14 years of trying and failing to gain a smartphone foothold, Amazon has announced it will discontinue its app store. Anyone who has content in Amazon's store will be able to access it for now, but all bets are off beginning on August 20, 2025. As part of the pull-back, the company is also discontinuing the Amazon Coins digital currency.The Amazon Appstore made waves when it launched in 2011, offering an alternative to what at the time was known as the Android Market. Amazon even scored some early exclusives and gave away a plethora of premium content and Coins to anyone willing to do the legwork of installing the storefront on their Android phone.That level of attention didn't last, though, and the Appstore today has hardly evolved from its humble beginnings, lacking most of the content and features people have come to expect from a mobile app store. If you want to check out the store on your phone before it goes away, you'll have to sideload the client by downloading an APK from Amazon. This process isn't hard, but it proved to be a significant barrier to entry for getting people into the Amazon ecosystem.Amazon says it has stopped selling Coins effective today, but you can still spend any of the currency already attached to your account. However, you'd be spending it on content that may or may not be available on your phone later this year. A better idea might be to continue ignoring the Appstore like you probably have for yearsif you have any paid Coins remaining in your account when the shutdown date rolls around, Amazon will simply refund you. The selection in the Amazon Appstore is pretty much what you'd expect. Credit: Ryan Whitwam The selection in the Amazon Appstore is pretty much what you'd expect. Credit: Ryan Whitwam This is an interesting time for Amazon to throw in the towel. The Appstore's continued existence came up repeatedly in Google's 2023 antitrust case with Epic Games. While Google contended that Amazon's presence in the market supported its position that the Play Store was not an illegal monopoly, Epic produced an expert who testified that the Amazon Appstore was only present on 0.1 percent of Android phones. And that says nothing about how many people were actually using the store they'd installed.As a result of its loss in that case, Google may be forced to open Android up to third-party app stores by sharing the Google Play app catalog and distributing other stores. That will give a boost to platforms like Epic Games and Microsoft. Amazon could have benefitted as well, at least in theory. The company's decision to end phone support for the Appstore now illustrates how few people used it. Perhaps things would have been different if Microsoft hadn't abandoned the Windows Subsystem for Android in 2024, which used the Amazon Appstore for app distribution.The Fire conundrumThere's another wrinkle for Amazon, which may explain why it has allowed the store to languish so long in this state. While Amazon has given up on competing with Google directly, it can't completely abandon Android apps. The company doesn't make phones (aside from that extremely weird one in 2014), but it does offer a range of Fire tablets and Fire TV streaming boxes that run Android. It would prefer you didn't think of them like that, though.Amazon's Fire devices run a custom version of Android called Fire OS, but Amazon hates to admit that it's Android under the hood; you won't see the word "Android" on any of these product pages. Amazon says the Appstore will continue to exist on Fire devicesit really has no choice, as these devices lack Google services. So, your ultra-budget tablet or Fire TV Stick will still have access to streaming apps and simple games, but future Fire hardware could skip Android altogether.The existence of Android-based Fire hardware may explain why Amazon's language around the shutdown is so vague. Amazon says its apps "will not be guaranteed to operate on Android devices" after the shutdown date. Here, "Android devices" means your phoneit doesn't consider Fire tablets and Fire TV to be Android devices, even though they are. If Amazon didn't need to keep the store alive for Fire devices, there would be less uncertainty there.So app access won't be upended for Fire users, who undoubtedly account for the overwhelming bulk of Appstore usage. Thus, Amazon knows there won't be a raft of unhappy customers complaining about losing their apps. Developers who spent time releasing phone-optimized content on the Amazon store might be irked, though. All that work will be for naught once the phone client shuts down. However, there won't be much in the way of lost revenue with so few people using Amazon's store.Ryan WhitwamSenior Technology ReporterRyan WhitwamSenior Technology Reporter Ryan Whitwam is a senior technology reporter at Ars Technica, covering the ways Google, AI, and mobile technology continue to change the world. Over his 20-year career, he's written for Android Police, ExtremeTech, Wirecutter, NY Times, and more. He has reviewed more phones than most people will ever own. You can follow him on Bluesky, where you will see photos of his dozens of mechanical keyboards. 10 Comments

Cuttlefish have a variety of camouflage techniquesUniversity of BristolCuttlefish use dazzling camouflage to disguise themselves while stalking their prey. New video footage reveals even more about their dramatic mimicry techniques, including how they transform to look like a non-threatening object such as a leaf or coral.These are masters, the hypnotists of the underwater world, says Matteo Santon at the University of Bristol, UK.Cuttlefish can change their colour and texture in less than a second thanks to millions of pigment sacs in

NASAs James Webb Space Telescope has captured a tightly bound pair of actively forming stars, known as Herbig-Haro 46/47NASA, ESA, CSAWith some regularity, I get asked the difference between astronomy and astrophysics. I suppose Im a good person to ask: Of my three degrees, two of them are in astronomy and astrophysics. But what this merger means is that even we astronomers and astrophysicists have given up telling the difference between the two. How does astronomy fit into physics? Well, my position is that astronomy is now essentially an area of physics, but I know some people