Why it matters: Innersloth is pushing the big red button, not because they've found the imposter but because they have an awesome announcement to make. Among Us is breaking into the three-dimensional world, though this time you won't need VR headsets. The developer has announced a new title called Among Us 3D where you'll be able to play from a first-person perspective, instead of the usual top-down view of the original title.This new view is reminiscent of the Among Us VR game that launched in 2022, except this new 3D version does not involve a VR headset. You'll control your bean directly with a keyboard and mouse as you complete tasks and try to sniff out any imposters aboard the ship.However, that's not all that's changing in the Among Us universe. Along with the new 3D perspective, Innersloth has a ton of fresh content and updates planned. They're keeping details under wraps, but we do know that players can expect new tasks, cosmetics, limited-time in-game events, and even an all-new game mode coming to Among Us 3D at launch.A new in-game currency called Stardust is also being introduced, which will allow you to buy cosmetics. The studio has specified that the currency will not be used to purchase actual game modes or features.That said, Among Us 3D will sadly not be compatible with the classic 2D version. The two games will remain completely separate with no crossplay.Among Us VR, however, will be compatible. It is also being rebranded as Among Us 3D to highlight the cross-platform support with the new PC release. Innersloth says that this will allow Steam PC users to join lobbies with VR players on Meta Quest, Steam VR, PlayStation VR 2, and PICO.If you're eager to play as those beans in three dimensions, a limited demo of Among Us 3D will be available for PC during the Steam Next Fest from February 24 to March 3. Just note the demo is for ages 16+ and will be missing some launch content. // Related Stories

The iPhone 16e is now available for pre-order ahead of its release on February 28. As we approach this date, we are learning more about the device and how it compares to other models in the iPhone 16 series. So far, the news seems promising for anyone interested in an iPhone 16 series phone at a more affordable price.First, a fresh Geekbench test has confirmed the new phone offers 8GB of RAM. This is the same number found in the regular iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Apple Intelligence requires at least 8GB to work, so this makes sense.Recommended VideosAdditionally, a recent regulatory filing in China, reported by MySmartPrice, indicates that the iPhone 16e will support fast charging of up to 29W. This specification appears consistent with the other models in the iPhone 16 lineup. Further testing will be needed to confirm this information.Please enable Javascript to view this contentThe Geekbench test highlighted one area where the iPhone 16e falls short compared to the other models in the iPhone 16 series: its GPU performance. Apple uses a binned version of the A18 chip in the iPhone 16e, which has one fewer GPU core than the standard iPhone 16 models. Specifically, the iPhone 16e features a 4-core GPU, while the other iPhone 16 models are equipped with a 5-core GPU.This difference is unlikely to impact everyday tasks on the new phone, such as checking email, browsing the web, or watching videos. However, users might notice a difference in graphics-intensive applications, particularly gaming.As I mentioned on Thursday, the iPhone 16e shares more similarities with the iPhone 14 than the iPhone SE 3; it released both phones in the new iPhone lineup. For instance, it features a 6.1-inch OLED display and Face ID with a notch, among other characteristics more aligned with the iPhone 14.More information about the iPhone 16e will undoubtedly emerge in the coming days, leading up to its official launch date. The phone starts at $599 and is available in black or white.Editors Recommendations

Love crossword puzzles but dont have all day to sit and solve a full-sized puzzle in your daily newspaper? Thats what The Mini is for!A bite-sized version of the New York Times well-known crossword puzzle, The Mini is a quick and easy way to test your crossword skills daily in a lot less time (the average puzzle takes most players just over a minute to solve). While The Mini is smaller and simpler than a normal crossword, it isnt always easy. Tripping up on one clue can be the difference between a personal best completion time and an embarrassing solve attempt.Recommended VideosJust like ourWordle hints and Connections hints, were here to help with The Mini today if youre stuck and need a little help.Please enable Javascript to view this contentBelow are the answers for the NYT Mini crossword today.New York TimesAcrossElevator alternative STEPSEvil corporation on Apple TV+s Severance LUMONRing-shaped coral reef ATOLLAura of confidence MOJO___ Lanka SRIDownSeverely criticizes SLAMSOne-on-one academic coach TUTORA head of our time? EMOJIPreppy shirt POLOShow with a recently aired 50th anniversary special SNLEditors Recommendations

Disgusting distraction Doctors find worms squirming through teens neck: A cautionary tale There are two charming categories of hookworms to keep in mind. Beth Mole Feb 21, 2025 9:04 am | 14 Magnified 100X, this whole mount photomicrograph revealed some of the ultrastructural morphology exhibited by a hookworm filariform larva. Image courtesy CDC/Dr. Mae Melvin, 1974. Credit: CDC Magnified 100X, this whole mount photomicrograph revealed some of the ultrastructural morphology exhibited by a hookworm filariform larva. Image courtesy CDC/Dr. Mae Melvin, 1974. Credit: CDC Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreRegardless of the state of the worldwhether you're staring down a Constitutional crisis or enjoying happier times, at ease on a beachit's wise to remember that there will always be tiny worms with gaping mouths ringed by razor-sharp teeth ready to pierce your body, burrow into your skin, and tunnel through your flesh like an ambitious gopher in springtime.I'm referring, of course, to hookworms, the blood-feeding parasites aptly named for the hook-like heads they use to latch onto their victims. In the US, they're most often found in international travelers. But, it's not out of the question that these petrifying parasites can strike on American soil, particularly in warm, moist areas. In a new clinical report in the New England Journal of Medicine, doctors in Los Angeles report just such a case, and a particularly unusual one at that.We still got emBut, before we get to the gruesome details, there are some things you should know about hookworms. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes, there are two delightful categories of these helminths. First, there are the ones that make it to your intestines after digging into your flesh and invading your organs. Once in your guts (your small intestine, to be specific), the worms live their best lives, maturing to adults, finding mates, and reproducing, all while sucking the life-blood out of you from the inside. They release their eggs into your poop to start this charming cycle anew in anyone whose skin is exposed to sewage-contaminated soil. Head of an adult of Ancylostoma caninum showing three pairs of teeth. Credit: CDC Head of an adult of Ancylostoma caninum showing three pairs of teeth. Credit: CDC These intestinal interlopers include Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale, which are the leading hookworms worldwide, including in the US. There's also A. ceylanicum, which is emerging in many parts of the world but appears absent from North America and Europe (at least for now).In the early 20th century, the American South was crawling with intestinal hookworms. Some initial surveys in the 1930s suggested nearly 54 percent of the population was infected, with prevalence in some areas as high as 76 percent. Through concerted deworming efforts and improved hygiene, the worms were largely flushed out over the subsequent decades. But as one medical editorial put it in 2017: We still got 'em. That year, a study detected genetic traces of N. americanus in the stool of more than a third of people tested in an impoverished community in Lowndes County, Alabama. In Lowndes, approximately 50 percent of households have failing or no sewage systems.Creeping eruptionWhile that's something you can enjoy thinking about before bed tonight, let's not forget that there's a second category of hookworms: the ones that bore into your body but generally don't make it into your intestines. This may seem like the better scenario than the intestinal group. But, that's only the case if you're ok with hookworm larvae wandering aimlessly through the layers of your skin, leaving an intensely itchy, serpentine rash, marked by redness and little pus-filled blisters in their wake. The rash is called cutaneous larva migrans (CLM), or "creeping eruption."This second type of invasion is borne from worm-infested animals. The pack of parasites that cause CLM in people include hookworms that infect dogs and cats (Ancylostoma caninum, A. braziliense, and Uncinaria stenocephala), and in rarer cases cattle (Bunostomum phlebotomum).In animals, these hookworms live out a life cycle much like the intestinal cycle described earlier, with the parasites making themselves at home in the animals' small intestines. But, in humans, the worms find a dead-end. Most never make it out of the skin, roaming randomly until their death, which, without treatment, can take about five to six weeks. In their desperate meandering, some larvaewhich measure 500 to 600 micrometers (0.05 to 0.06 centimeters) longwill travel several centimeters each day. Others can make it into deeper tissue, but become stuck. On occasion, A. caninumwhich normally infect dogshave been known to make it to the intestines and partially develop. But they never complete their life cycle.Outbreaks and odditiesThese "extraintestinal" hookworms (as they're called in humans) pop up in the US from time to time. For instance, in July of 2006, health officials in Miami-Dade, Florida, discovered an outbreak of CLM at a summer camp, where 18 campers and four staff were ultimately found to be infected. The likely source, investigators concluded: a playground sandbox that some feral cats used as a litter box.In most cases, the rash from a wandering worm is in a foot, ankle, thigh, or rearbasically from a person walking or sitting in fecal-contaminated soil with exposed skin. But, in the New England Journal of Medicine report published in this week's issue, California doctors came across something unusual.A 19-year-old male came to a dermatology clinic with two winding, but non-itchy rashes on his neck, which had been there for three weeks. One was on the back of his neck while the other was on the right side. He had no recent international travel. A biopsy found non-specific inflammation. Another test was negative for fungal pathogens. The best clue to the causebesides the look of the rashwas that the teen told doctors he worked as a beach lifeguard and liked to lie in the sand. CLM on the back and side of the neck of a 19-year-old male. Credit: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMicm2414639 Despite the lack of itchiness and the higher location of the rash, the doctors concluded it was likely CLM from a hookworm, which he got from lying on a poopy beach. The standard treatment for CLM is ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug that still doesn't work against COVID-19 (despite what the new US health secretary has falsely claimed), but has proven useful against hookworms. After a two-day course of ivermectin, the teen's rash cleared up.While the case has a happy ending, it's a good reminder that one should never forget the horrifying hookworms.Beth MoleSenior Health ReporterBeth MoleSenior Health Reporter Beth is Ars Technicas Senior Health Reporter. Beth has a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and attended the Science Communication program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She specializes in covering infectious diseases, public health, and microbes. 14 Comments

DNA can store digital data, such as visual and audio filesScience Picture Co / AlamyArtificial intelligence can read data stored in DNA strands within 10 minutes rather than the days required for previous methods, bringing DNA storage closer to practical use in computing.DNA can store vast amounts of data in an extremely compact form and remain intact for thousands of years, says Daniella Bar-Lev at the University of California, San Diego. Additionally, DNA is naturally replicable, offering a unique advantage for long-term data preservation. AdvertisementBut retrieving the information encoded within DNA is a monumental challenge because the strands are mixed and jumbled together when stored. During the data-encoding process, individual strands are sometimes replicated imperfectly, and some fragments may be lost entirely. As a result, reading data stored in DNA can resemble reconstructing a book from a box filled with shredded, typo-ridden pages.Traditional methods struggle with this chaos, requiring days of processing, says Bar-Lev. The new approach streamlines this with AI trained to spot patterns in the noise, she says.Bar-Lev and her colleagues developed an AI-powered method called DNAformer that can quickly and accurately decode jumbled DNA sequences. The system includes a deep learning AI model trained to reconstruct DNA sequences, a separate computer algorithm that identifies and corrects errors and a third decoding algorithm that converts everything back into digital data while fixing any remaining mistakes. The latest science news delivered to your inbox, every day.Sign up to newsletterIn experiments, DNAformer could read 100 megabytes of DNA-stored data nearly 90 times faster than the next fastest method which was developed with traditional, rules-based computing algorithms while achieving better or comparable accuracy. The decoded data included a coloured image of test tubes, a 24-second audio clip of astronaut Neil Armstrongs famous moon landing speech and written text about why DNA is a promising data storage medium.The team plans to develop versions of DNAformer tailored to newer techniques for encoding data into DNA, says Omer Sabary at Technion Israel Institute of Technology.Crucially, because our approach does not rely on specific [DNA] synthesis or sequencing methods, it can be adapted to future, as-yet-undeveloped technologies that may be more commercially viable, he says.Journal referenceNature Machine Intelligence DOI: 10.1038/s42256-025-01003-zTopics:

This is today's edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. The foundations of Americas prosperity are being dismantled Ever since World War II, the US has been the global leader in science and technologyand benefited immensely from it. Research fuels American innovation and the economy in turn. Scientists around the world want to study in the US and collaborate with American scientists to produce more of that research. These international collaborations play a critical role in American soft power and diplomacy. The products Americans can buy, the drugs they have access to, the diseases theyre at risk of catchingare all directly related to the strength of American research and its connections to the worlds scientists. That scientific leadership is now being dismantled, according to more than 10 federal workers who spoke to MIT Technology Review, as the Trump administration slashes personnel, programs, and agencies. And it could lead to long-lasting, perhaps irreparable damage to everything from the quality of health care to the publics access to next-generation technologies. Read the full story. Karen Hao 8,000 pregnant women may die in just 90 days because of US aid cuts A barrage of actions by the new Trump administration is hitting reproductive care hard for people around the world. On January 20, his first day in office, Trump ordered a 90-day pause in United States foreign development assistance for such programs to be assessed. By January 24, a stop work memo issued by the State Department brought US-funded aid programs around the world to a halt. Recent estimates suggest that more than 8,000 women will die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth over the next 90 days if the funding is not reinstated. Read our story to get up to date on whats happened. Jessica Hamzelou This story is from The Checkup, our weekly newsletter all about whats going on in health and biotech. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Thursday. Doctors and patients are calling for more telehealth. Where is it? Doctors in the US are generally allowed to practice medicine only where they have a license. Its a situation that has led to a nonsensical norm: A woman with a rare cancer boarding an airplane, at the risk of her chemotherapy-weakened immune system, to see a specialist thousands of miles away, for example, or a baby with a rare disease whos repeatedly shuttled between Arizona and Massachusetts. The use of telehealth has grown since the pandemic, but there are still significant challenges to it being an option for more people. Read our story to learn what they are, and how they might be overcome. Isabel Ruehl This story is from the next edition of our print magazine, which is all about relationships. Subscribe now to read it and get a copy of the magazine when it lands on February 26! The must-reads Ive combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 The USs AI Safety Institute is being gutted As part of mass firings at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. (Wired $)+ NIH grants are still frozen, despite lawsuits challenging Trumps actions. (Nature)2 OpenAI says ChatGPT has over 400 million usersThat must make it one of the most popular tech products ever launched. (CNBC)+ AI is making Silicon Valley startups leaner. (NYT $)+ AI took two days to crack a superbug problem scientists have been working on for years. (BBC)3 Ukraine claims it rigged Russian drone pilot goggles with explosivesMuch like Mossads exploding pagers operation. (FT $)+ Russia is secretly sabotaging Europes undersea cables. (BBC)4 Trumps FTC chief has launched an inquiry into Big Tech censorshipSo much for all that cosying up at the inauguration. (Bloomberg $)+ Meanwhile, Elon Musk says hes going to fix Community Notes on X so it agrees with him. (Gizmodo)5 Figure unveiled new AI software for household robotsAnd, best of all, you can instruct it with your voice. (TechCrunch)+ Why everyones excited about household robots again. (MIT Technology Review)6 We still dont know which animal sparked covid-19But suspicions are starting to alight on racoon dogs. (Nature)+ Meet the scientist at the center of the covid lab leak controversy. (MIT Technology Review)7 How should we feel about chatbots of dead people?Theyre a lot less scary if you think of them as a means for remembrance, rather than companions. (Aeon)+ Technology that lets us speak to our dead relatives has arrived. Are we ready? (MIT Technology Review)8 In-office work is at the highest level since the pandemicLots of workers are heading back in now, whether they like it or not. (WP $)9 How to fight back against scam textsDo not click that link! (Vox)10 Amazon has acquired the James Bond franchiseThe names Bezos. Jeffrey Bezos. (The Guardian)Quote of the day What a lie. And from someone who complains about lack of honesty from the mainstream media. Danish astronaut Andreas Andy Mogensen criticizes Elon Musks claim that former president Joe Biden intentionally abandoned two American astronauts aboard the International Space Station, the Guardian reports. The big story Bright LEDs could spell the end of dark skies ADAM SCHMID/GETTY IMAGES August 2022 Scientists have known for years that light pollution is growing and can harm both humans and wildlife. In people, increased exposure to light at night disrupts sleep cycles and has been linked to cancer and cardiovascular disease, while wildlife suffers from interruption to their reproductive patterns, and increased danger. Astronomers, policymakers, and lighting professionals are all working to find ways to reduce light pollution. Many of them advocate installing light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, in outdoor fixtures such as city streetlights, mainly for their ability to direct light to a targeted area. But the high initial investment and durability of modern LEDs mean cities need to get the transition right the first time or potentially face decades of consequences. Read the full story. Shel Evergreen We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet 'em at me.) + I thoroughly enjoyed this food critics mic-dropping finalcolumn. + The simplest cocktails are often thebest.+ Check outPikaswaps: fun filters, boosted with generative AI.+ Sometimes I really missScottish Twitter.

2025's best-sellersCircana has published its first monthly sales report of 2025, revealing which games sold the best in the US during January and thus also for 2025 so far.The top slot is currently held by Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, with Madden NFL 25, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, EA Sports FC 25, and Minecraft rounding out the top five.Scroll through the gallery here to see the rest of the top 20 best-selling games of January 2025 and 2025 so far. We will update this post each month as Circana releases its newest reports.There are some key caveats to be aware of. This list includes physical and digital sales data, but not from every publisher. For example, Nintendo does not share digital sales data. Also of note is that the list is ranked on dollar sales, not unit sales. The list also does not include revenue from sales of any add-ons for games, nor does it account for popularity on a service like Game Pass.The reporting period covers January 5, 2025 through February 1, 2025.Looking ahead, Rockstar Games is releasing GTA 6 later this year, and it's expected to be a sales juggernaut. Whereas Call of Duty usually ends the year as the No. 1 best-selling game, that could be interrupted in 2025 due to GTA 6. 20. It Takes Two Buy on Amazon 19. UFC 5 Buy on Amazon 18. The Crew Motorfest Buy on Amazon 17. Mario Kart 8**Digital sales not included Buy on Amazon 16. Final Fantasy 7 Remake & Rebirth Twin Pack Buy on Amazon 15. Elden Ring Buy on Amazon 14. Super Mario Party Jamboree**Digital sales not included. Buy on Amazon 13. Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Buy on Amazon 12. Astro Bot Buy on Amazon 11. Helldivers 2 Buy on Amazon 10. Sonic x Shadows Generations Buy on Amazon 9. Hogwarts Legacy Buy on Amazon 8. Donkey Kong Country Returns**Digital sales not included. Buy on Amazon 7. EA Sports College Football 25 Buy on Amazon 6. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Buy on Amazon 5. Minecraft^^^^ Digital sales on Nintendo platforms not included. Buy on Amazon 4. EA Sports FC 25 Buy on Amazon 3. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Buy on Amazon 2. Madden NFL 25 Buy on Amazon 1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Buy on Amazon

It's not exactly a secret that Fallout 76's launch was a mess in 2018. Yet, almost seven years later, the online RPG has become a major success for Bethesda and Microsoft--and the source of pride for a former project lead on the game who witnessed first-hand the low lows.Speaking with PC Gamer, Jeff Gardiner discussed the rollercoaster ride of making and maintaining Fallout 76. "Working on a live-service game comes with a lot of stress, because it just doesn't go away," said Gardiner, who was at Bethesda for 15 years before founding Something Wicked Games. In fact, Gardiner faced negative feedback while out and about in his daily life at one point. "I got yelled at in an Apple Store, I'll never forget," he said. Gardiner left Bethesda in 2021, seeing the release of the Wastelanders expansion before exiting the developer. While Fallout 76 became even more popular thanks to the Amazon TV series, Gardiner still saw quite the turnaround for the online RPG. "When you put a game out that's that maligned, especially on a team that has had such success, the morale is doubly bad internally," Gardiner said. "So it was my job to make the people who are making the game like the game."Continue Reading at GameSpot

Someone could, and perhaps someday will, write a book on all the lessons RPG developers can learn from Baldur's Gate 3, Larian Studios' undisputed magnum opus. Character writing, a baffling amount of meaningful choices to be made, and unique, impactful build-crafting systems are all among some of the best elements of the 2023 Game of the Year winner, but it's the translation of tabletop-RPG storytelling that truly makes Baldur's Gate 3 work so well.

Fortnites release of Chapter 6 Season 2 has let the dogs out, and Fletcher Kane acts as the don of Crime City. An animalistic wolf with dapper clothing has his own base of operations that players can disrupt to get their hands on the Barons Double Down Pistol and the Unstoppable Medallion, providing them with a tool-kit that just might give them a victory royale.