Throughout our lives, we get nearly all the vitamins and minerals we need from abalanced diet. However, that can change as we age because we're at an increased risk for low vitamin consumption, partly because our bodies can no longer effectively absorb certain nutrients. So if you're dealing with deficiencies, are on specific medications or have particular health conditions, your doctor may advise you to take certain supplements to make sure your body has all the nutrients it needs.These are the top six vitamins and minerals that doctors recommend you focus on for healthy aging. Just be sure to talk to your doctor first before adjusting your diet or trying new supplements.1. Magnesium Upgrade your inbox Get cnet insider From talking fridges to iPhones, our experts are here to help make the world a little less complicated. Magnesium is a mineral that provides several key functions in the body. It keeps your muscles strong, regulates blood sugar levels and contributes to heart health. Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, a board-certified internist in integrative medicine, told us that "magnesium is critical for well over 300 reactions in the body."He said an unprocessed diet has about 600 mg of magnesium daily, but the average American diet has less than 250 mg of magnesium after processing. For reference, the daily recommended amount of magnesium is 400 to 420 mg per day for adult men and 310 to 320 mg for women, but more is needed for those who are pregnant or breastfeeding.Teitelbaum warned that the effects of low magnesium may include an increased risk of metabolic syndrome. This can lead to heart attacks, strokes and dementia. You may also feel exhausted or experience widespread muscle pain if you're not getting enough magnesium.You can find magnesium in a wide range of ingredients. Dr. Peter Brukner, a specialist sports and exercise physician, said you can find magnesium in nuts, seeds, whole grains and leafy green vegetables like spinach. In extra yummy news, you can also get magnesium from dark chocolate."Some older adults or those who take specific medicines (such as diuretics or drugs for acid reflux) may not receive enough magnesium from their diet and might need a supplement," he said. "However, too much magnesium can cause stomach issues, so be careful."2. B vitamins Laurie Ambrose/Getty ImagesYou also need a range of B Vitamins, including B12 and folate (also called folic acid), to maintain your health as you age. Vitamin B-12 works with folate to help your body make new cells, including blood cells and nerve cells. While you don't usually require more B12 as you age, your body cannot absorb it as well when you get older. Brukner said this is because "stomachs make less acid, and this acid is necessary to take the vitamin from food into the body."Teitelbaum said B vitamins are critical for energy production, and suboptimal levels can affect your health. He warns that B vitamin deficiency has been associated with "a marked increase of dementia(especially folic acid) and increased risk of heart attack and stroke (especially in those with elevated homocysteine levels)." Symptoms of B12 deficiency include weakness or poor balance, loss of appetite and numbness and tingling in the hands and feet.B12 is found in animal proteins like meat, fish and eggs. Brukner said that if you don't eat these foods, you may want to turn to foods like cereals and nutritional yeast with added B12. "Older people, especially those having certain stomach issues or taking medicine that lowers stomach acid, might need to take a B12 vitamin supplement," he explained.Amelia Ti, a registered dietitian and diabetes educator in New York City, who is also part of CNET's medical review board, adds that people taking medicine that blocks B12 absorption, like omeprazole or metformin, may also need a vitamin B12 supplement.3. CalciumThe National Institute on Aging says that calcium is especially important for older people at risk for bone loss. The Institute recommends 1,000 mg each day for men between the ages of 51 and 70, and 1,200 mg per day for men 71 and older. Women aged 51 and up are recommended to take 1,200 mg each day."Calcium is well-known for making bones strong, but it is also crucial for muscles to work right," Brukner said. "As people become older, their bodies take in less calcium from food, which can cause bones to become weaker." You can get calcium naturally from sources like milk, yogurt and cheese. The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health notes that calcium is also available in kale, salmon, tofu, almonds and spinach.As for supplements, Brukner said, "If you are at risk for bone troubles or don't get enough calcium in your food, taking supplements might be useful. But too much calcium can cause other issues like kidney stones, so talk with your doctor first."4. Vitamin D Malorny/Getty ImagesVitamin D is often called the sunshine vitamin because you typically absorb it through the skin just by being outside. However, during winter months, if you live in a cloudy climate or avoid natural sunlight as you age, you may not get enough. Your body needs vitamin D to properly absorb calcium, making it an important nutrient for bone health.Brukner says that in addition to sunshine, you can get vitamin D from fatty fish like salmon and mackerel, fortified milk and cereals. Your doctor may also recommend a supplement if you're experiencing bone loss or at risk of osteoporosis.In addition to bone health, Teitelbaum said vitamin D can help you fight off disease. He said, "Suboptimal vitamin D is associated with increased autoimmunity, higher risk of severe infectious diseases (Dr. Fauci noted that he took vitamin D during the COVID pandemic) and increased cancer risk."5. Omega-3sOmega-3 fatty acids are essential to many of your body's functions. They play a role in both heart and brain health. However, as Cleveland Clinic points out, your body isn't able to produce enough omega-3s on its own. This means you need to get more from the foods you eat or supplements you take."Omega-3 fatty acids are very good for heart health and can help lessen swelling, which is important for older people," Brukner explained. "They are also beneficial for brain well-being and might help guard against memory loss and diseases such as Alzheimer's." Ti adds that omega-3s help lessen swelling by reducing inflammation.Fatty fish like salmon are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Brukner said you can also turn to flaxseeds, chia seeds and walnuts but added a warning: "These give a different type of omega-3 that the body does not use so easily." Fish oil and algae oil can also serve as supplements.6. ZincA 2015 paper, published in Pathobiology of Aging and Age-related Diseases, calls zinc an "essential micronutrient for human health in general, and particularly for the elderly." The authors say zinc plays "an important role in the aging process" and that zinc deficiency may be connected to several age-related chronic illnesses, which include hardening of the arteries, degenerative diseases of the nervous system, age-related changes to the immune system and cancer."When we get older, our immune system becomes weaker, and if we don't have enough zinc, this can make it even worse," Brukner explained.You can find zinc in shellfish, red meat, poultry, beans, nuts and seeds. Brukner said oysters are particularly zinc-rich. He added, "Some older people might find zinc supplements helpful, especially if they often get sick or do not eat enough foods high in zinc. But taking too much zinc can cause problems with other minerals in the body, so it's important to follow advised amounts."The bottom lineEating well can help boost your bones, immune system and more as you age. Along with exercise and other good habits, getting the right minerals and vitamins may improve your health. Try to get enough magnesium, B vitamins, calcium, vitamin D, omega-3s and zinc in your diet each day. Talk to your doctor before you take any supplements to find out how they may interact with your existing medications and health conditions.

OpinionFebruary 21, 20255 min readWhy Is the Trump Administration Villainizing Mental Health Meds for Kids?A federal commission to examine U.S. chronic disease could undercut real treatment for kids with depression, ADHD and other mental health challengesBy Megha Satyanarayana edited by Dan Vergano Annadokaz/Getty ImagesOur teenagers are in trouble.Headlines have been ringing loud alarms around adolescent mental health, and the data are sobering. In 2023, 40 percent of high school students surveyed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they persistently felt hopeless or sad in the past year. Nine percent had attempted suicide.Some of it is because of COVID. Some of it is related to social media. Then there is bullying, the pressure to succeed academically, the pressure to fit in. Being a teenager in the U.S. is hard.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.So its perhaps heartening to see President Donald Trump address mental health in a recent executive order (EO) targeting chronic health issues in children, one released as soon as Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., was confirmed as the director of the Department of Health and Human Services.But nestled in this directive, which creates an RFK, Jr.chaired commission to Make America Healthy Again, are words that speak to the doubt that he and Trump have tried to sow around established science. This includes suggestions that the research funded by the National Institutes of Health and other agencies isnt gold standard and assertions that doctors are overprescribing medicines for conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and depression and that medical treatments might be part of the pediatric chronic disease problem. Perhaps most troubling is the language the administration uses to describe prescription medications for mood and behavior disordersthey are a threat.That language stigmatizes families who choose prescription medication to treat their struggling children. It undermines the expertise of medical professionals. And it opens the door for unproven, improperly studied treatments to gain legitimacy.The next era of snake oil dawns. Wont anyone think of the children?According to the CDC, in 2021 and 2022, more than half of U.S. teens talked to a health care provider about their mental health. About 14 percent of teens reported taking medication to manage their emotional state or for concentration and behavior. Yet 20 percent said they have unmet mental health needs.The Affordable Care Act, and before it, the federal parity law, introduced a lot of Americans, including perhaps these teens parents, to parity in mental health coveragein theory, insurance plans cant deny mental health coverage, charge ridiculous rates for coverage that included mental health or put limits on the amount of mental health coverage a plan allows.But even if you have insurance, depending on where you live, finding mental health care for children can be incredibly difficult. Many providers, whether therapists or psychiatrists, dont take insurance, or dont take certain plans. This includes Medicaid but also large commercial plans. Many primary care doctors, including pediatricians, have limits on what aspects of mental health care they are comfortable managing, including medication. In rural parts of the U.S., there are hundreds of counties that do not have a single child psychiatrist.Then there is the public education system, bound to provide a suitable education for all children, thrust in the role of mental health adviser. For many children in the U.S., appropriate services first become available when a teacher, an aide, a counselor or another professional says, Hey, I think this kid needs help, or when a kid demonstrates concerning behavior. This is admirable and necessaryone estimate says about 70 percent of mental health services that kids get happen at school.But now some states are suing the federal government to render Section 504 educational accommodations for those children, and others with disabilities, unconstitutional because it was modified by the Biden administration to recognize youth who are LGBTQ.This is the cruelty and the inconsistency of this executive order. Children who are LGBTQ have some of the largest rates of depression and anxiety in this country. Some 41 percent considered suicide in 20222023. And now we have a government trying to erase their very being from health care data, or at least to tell people who visit certain federal health care websites that the administration doesnt believe the science and evidence around gender. (Those stats from the CDC come from reports that were temporarily pulled down at the beginning of the Trump administration as part of a push to remove references to gender and sexuality that do not align with the male-female binary that drives conservative ideology.)So what might come of the Trump administrations decision to examine our childrens mental health? Federal funding for conversion therapy to cure LGBTQ teen depression? RFK, Jr., steering taxpayer dollars to the addiction-treating labor camps that he calls wellness farms? Pushing clinical trials for hydroxychloroquine to treat mood disorders (remember this from COVID?) or promoting something like juicing as a treatment for depression? This is speculation, of course, but the broader question of whether Kennedy will, with the administrations blessing, use tax dollars to promote untested, ineffective or harmful treatments remains.Kennedy is a litigator who is now running our nations most comprehensive health care agency. He is not a doctor, not a health care specialist, but a litigatorand one who kept saying during his confirmation hearings that he wanted to see the data that support the health care he has been desperately trying to undermine for the past decade. He is a litigator who once called people on certain antidepression drugs addicts and who has (falsely) claimed that it is harder to quit selective serotonin reuptake inhibitorsdrugs like Prozacthan heroin.And now he wants a chance at your childrens mental health care.Meanwhile the second Trump administration guts health care agencies when it could be doing what the first Trump administration did during COVID and facilitating telemedicine so that more children can access therapy and psychiatry. The administration pulls data and questions, just for the sake of it, the validity of what data we have. The EO says the administration will work with insurers to increase access, but what does that mean? Our medical schools are not graduating enough child psychiatrists. And its not clear if Trump will again go after foreign medical graduates, many of whom fill rural medicine shortages, including psychiatry.Antidepressants do not work for everyone, and some are associated with suicidal thinking in children. Stimulants do not help all children with ADHD. But this is the case for nearly every class of medication in this countrywhat works for some will not work for others. In the meantime, only 14 percent of adolescents are getting medication, and one in five is telling us they need more help. How is this overprescribing?Going after antidepressants and claimingpreposterouslythat they are harder to wean off of than heroin isnt how we care for children. This commission need not waste any time trying to reinvent the wheel. If its members want to solve mental health disorders as a chronic health condition in children, they need to make evidence-based treatment easier to get, increase incentives for insurance and workforce development and stop stigmatizing the families and children who needand benefit fromthis form of health care.IF YOU NEED HELPIf you or someone you know is struggling or having thoughts of suicide, help is available. Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or use the online Lifeline Chat.This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views expressed by the author or authors are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

PlayStation games on PC is "almost like printing money", says former exec Shuhei YoshidaIt's crucial for expansion to China.Image credit: PlayStation News by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on Feb. 21, 2025 Former PlayStation exec Shuhei Yoshida has admitted porting PlayStation-exclusive games to PC is "almost like printing money", and provides an opportunity to invest in further games.In an interview with Sacred Symbols+ (via Push Square), Yoshida revealed he wanted to bring first-party games to PC sooner, but this wasn't Sony's business model at the time."Releasing on PC does many things: it reaches a new audience who do not own consoles especially in regions where consoles are not as popular," he said. "The idea is that those people may become fans of a particular franchise, and when a new game in that series comes out, they may be convinced to purchase a PlayStation."Marvel's Spider-Man 2 - Announce Trailer | PC GamesWatch on YouTubeBeyond those benefits, it also allows Sony to reinvest money into other projects."It also adds additional income, because porting to PC is way cheaper than creating an original title," he said. "So, it's almost like printing money. And that helps us to invest in new titles now that the cost of games has increased."What's more, releasing games on PC allows PlayStation to spread to new regions where that platform is more popular - China, in particular."China is a huge PC game market," said Yoshida. "And China is a growing but very small console market. In order to reach the audience in countries like China then it's crucial to release on PC. So, I believe PC versions really reach a new audience."Beginning with Horizon Zero Dawn in 2020, Sony has gradually been porting its PlayStation exclusive games to PC.Most recently, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 released on PC, while The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is set to follow in April.And while these releases have seen diminishing returns in terms of player numbers on Steam at least, the release of Helldivers 2 was a huge success for Sony - it was PlayStation's fastest selling game owing to huge success on PC. That success was hampered, though, by Sony's insistence on requiring PSN to play.In the same interview, Yoshida also discussed Sony's live service plans, revealing he played Naughty Dog's ill-fated The Last of Us Online, which he described as "great".

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 Everyones favourite Baldurs Gate 3 githyanki Laezel is always gruff to some degree, but players who pay close attention will notice that the characters voice gets deeper and more warrior-like as she evolves across the games hundred-hour story.In an interview with GINX TV, Laezel actress Devora Wilde explains that this acting quirk was a constant source of paranoia. Until the game released, Wilde wasnt sure if fans would vibe with the choice or if they would hate it.Laezels voice caused Baldurs Gate 3 to feel paranoidIn the interview, Wilde explains that she slid in teenager-y outbursts into her dialogue throughout Act 1 and parts of Act 2 to make sure that players knew the character was still a maturing githyanki. However, as she grows alongside the rest of the cast, her voice ended up dropping lower and lower, becoming even more warrior-like. 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. [As Laezel] finds out things about certain people [] that are a shock, lets put it that way, she changes very much as a character, and I think this voice modulation really works with that, the Baldurs Gate 3 actor explained.Wilde revealed that she wasnt sure is the snarly and a bit more gravelly version of the character we see in the games final act was right. Must-Listen: Publishing Manor Lords w/ Joe Robinson VideoGamer Podcast Listen Now There came a point where I was like, Um, guys do you think that my Laezel at the beginning is very different to my Laezel in Acts 2 and 3? And I was a bit paranoid about that, she explained.Now that the game is out and the actor has played through the game and experienced her characters journey, she believes that the change in tone really works with her character development. Additionally, it wasnt even an entirely conscious choice, it happened very organically, which is kind of the best way.A number of Baldurs Gate 3 players have already called out this quirk with Laezels character after the titles year-long release, as well as during its early access period. Its yet another amazing ad-lib that players can appreciate, just like when actor Neil Newbon ad-libbed Astarions best moment.For more Devora Wilde content, read about how the actress originally auditioned for Astarion. For different BG3 coverage, check out the mod that adds six-to-eight entirely original, voiced companions to the game.Baldurs Gate 3Platform(s):macOS, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox Series XGenre(s):Adventure, RPG, Strategy10VideoGamerSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

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 hereSince its successful launch, Marvel Rivals has engaged millions of players with its fast-paced action and iconic roster. However, like many free-to-play games, cheaters have posed a continuing barrier to fair play.From the games closed beta in 2024, when roughly 200 accounts were banned for utilizing unapproved third-party software, until its public release on December 6, NetEase has prioritized combatting cheating. With Season 1s Eternal Night Falls update, devs quickly incorporated strong anti-cheat measures, such as real-time detection tools and asset hash verification, to prevent mods and hacks.Furthermore, high-profile initiatives, such as handing 100-year bans to players who use keyboard and mouse adapters on consoles, highlighted their zero-tolerance posture, gaining acclaim from many users in the community. The latest crackdown targets third-party plugins such as Blitz, which provide unfair benefits, as the devs focus on maintaining a level playing field. 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. Marvel Rivals announce ban on using Blitz third-party plugin in latest Season 1.5 updateIn a blog post, NetEase Games announced that theyve noticed a growing use of a third-party plugin called Blitz by competitive Marvel Rivals players. According to their statement, This program injects itself into the game process, giving users confidential information like damage and healing statistics. It allows players to selectively ban heroes, predict opponents ultimate abilities, and more, severely undermining the fairness of our game.Blitz overlay lets the player see the stats of his team and the enemy team at all times. Image by VideoGamer.They further wrote, As such, we deem this program as cheating software and will no longer allow its use during gameplay. But fear not! Players who have previously used this software will not face any penalties, as long as they refrain from using it in future games. To uphold justice in our gaming universe and protect the integrity of your account, we strongly urge you to refrain from using any third-party plugins. Together, we can forge a vibrant and heroic gaming environment. Must-Listen: Publishing Manor Lords w/ Joe Robinson VideoGamer Podcast Listen Now To those unaware, Blitz is a desktop software that can be downloaded from its official website and supports popular shooters such as Fortnite, Apex Legends, Valorant, and much more. When used in Marvel Rivals, Blitz can provide the user an edge over their enemy team via an overlay that compares in-game damage, heal, kills, deaths, and assists in real time. It can also predict the time when your team can push the enemies and use ults to wipe them off the map.While the overlay plugin is still available on the Blitz website to download, its highly advisable not to use it further unless you want to be another player who is handed a ruthless 100-year ban in Marvel Rivals.Marvel RivalsPlatform(s):macOS, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series XGenre(s):Fighting, ShooterRelated TopicsMarvel Rivals Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

Behind the Scenes: Realistic Minecraft Steve By Alina Khan on February 21, 2025 Behind the Scenes Explore how Chase McGill brings Minecrafts blocky hero to life with unsettling hyper-realism, transforming Steve into a grotesquely detailed 3D masterpiece.INTRODUCTIONHello, my name is Chase McGill, and I am a 3D generalist based in New Jersey and Los Angeles. I love using Blender to create realistic characterssometimes serious and sometimes goofy. My serious work tends to lean toward the darker side, usually featuring scary medieval knights.INSPIRATIONThe Minecraft movie trailer had recently come out, and amid all the attention it received, the most shared opinion was that live-action was not an appropriate medium to portray the beloved game. I enjoy creating hyper-realistic, grotesque characters, so I thought it would be funny to stay faithful to the game's proportions while going all out on the realism to create the most unsettling and realistic portrayal of Steve.PROCESSSculptingI ripped the Minecraft player model straight from the game and imported it into ZBrush to ensure the most accurate proportions. I then dynameshed and sculpted directly on top of each body part. I especially enjoyed sculpting the handshis square, bunched-up fists make him look so angry.TexturesAfter retopology, UVs, and baking, I created the albedo texture in Substance Painter. This involved layering numerous noise textures and adding as much variation as possible. Real human skin contains an incredible amount of detail, so its essential to ensure that no two pixels are the same.I used low-opacity dirt brushes to paint the nose, lips, cheeks, and ears red, the forehead yellow, the eyelids blue, and the chin green. Subtly hue-shifting these areas with a rough brush is crucial for achieving a convincing look. If you're curious, search for color zones of the face to get a better idea.I also made the subsurface map in Substance, which is more layered noise. The most important part of this map is to darken the nose, eyelids, and ears. Subsurface scattering will look too strong in these areas without this compensation.The roughness and specular maps were just a combination of a cavity map bake from ZBrush and more layered noise textures.I imported everything into Blender and started on the materials. The clothes were just an albedo map and the displacement from ZBrush on a principled shader with a little bit of subsurface scattering. Fabric tends to have a bit of translucency since its essentially hair, just tightly packed together into a solid form.HairLastly, I threw some hair on his head and face the old-school way using particle systems. The hair material is just a principled hair node with a curve info node driving the color and roughness to add variation.RENDER: Realistic Minecraft Steve Thank you for reading! If you have any questions or feedback, please dont hesitate to share your thoughts.About the Artist Chase McGill is a 3D artist based in New Jersey and Los Angeles. He is currently the lead artist at MotherDAO Labs. Links

Defending a bad ratio Meta claims torrenting pirated books isnt illegal without proof of seeding Metas copyright defense may hinge on court ignorance of torrenting terminology. Ashley Belanger Feb 20, 2025 3:02 pm | 100 A peer who downloads more data than they upload on torrenting networks is known as a "leech" sucking up data without contributing to the swarm. Credit: phototrip | iStock / Getty Images Plus A peer who downloads more data than they upload on torrenting networks is known as a "leech" sucking up data without contributing to the swarm. Credit: phototrip | iStock / Getty Images Plus Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreJust because Meta admitted to torrenting a dataset of pirated books for AI training purposes, that doesn't necessarily mean that Meta seeded the file after downloading it, the social media company claimed in a court filing this week.Evidence instead shows that Meta "took precautions not to 'seed' any downloaded files," Meta's filing said. Seeding refers to sharing a torrented file after the download completes, and because there's allegedly no proof of such "seeding," Meta insisted that authors cannot prove Meta shared the pirated books with anyone during the torrenting process.Whether or not Meta actually seeded the pirated books could make a difference in a copyright lawsuit from book authors including Richard Kadrey, Sarah Silverman, and Ta-Nehisi Coates. Authors had previously alleged that Meta unlawfully copied and distributed their works through AI outputsan increasingly common complaint that so far has barely been litigated. But Meta's admission to torrenting appears to add a more straightforward claim of unlawful distribution of copyrighted works through illegal torrenting, which has long been considered established case-law.Authors have alleged that "Meta deliberately engaged in one of the largest data piracy campaigns in history to acquire text data for its LLM training datasets, torrenting and sharing dozens of terabytes of pirated data that altogether contain many millions of copyrighted works." Separate from their copyright infringement claims opposing Meta's AI training on pirated copies of their books, authors alleged that Meta torrenting the dataset was "independently illegal" under California's Computer Data Access and Fraud Act (CDAFA), which allegedly "prevents the unauthorized taking of data, including copyrighted works."Meta, however, is hoping to convince the court that torrenting is not in and of itself illegal, but is, rather, a "widely-used protocol to download large files." According to Meta, the decision to download the pirated books dataset from pirate libraries like LibGen and Z-Library was simply a move to access "data from a 'well-known online repository' that was publicly available via torrents."To defend its torrenting, Meta has basically scrubbed the word "pirate" from the characterization of its activity. The company alleges that authors can't claim that Meta gained unauthorized access to their data under CDAFA. Instead, all they can claim is that "Meta allegedly accessed and downloaded datasets that Plaintiffs did not create, containing the text of published books that anyone can read in a public library, from public websites Plaintiffs do not operate or own."While Meta may claim there's no evidence of seeding, there is some testimony that might be compelling to the court. Previously, a Meta executive in charge of project management, Michael Clark, had testified that Meta allegedly modified torrenting settings "so that the smallest amount of seeding possible could occur," which seems to support authors' claims that some seeding occurred. And an internal message from Meta researcher Frank Zhang appeared to show that Meta allegedly tried to conceal the seeding by not using Facebook servers while downloading the dataset to "avoid" the "risk" of anyone "tracing back the seeder/downloader" from Facebook servers. Once this information came to light, authors asked the court for a chance to depose Meta executives again, alleging that new facts "contradict prior deposition testimony."Torrenting terminology may confuse courtHow successful Meta's torrenting defense will be is still up in the air, but authors pointed out that even if Meta somehow managed to avoid seeding any of the torrented books, the social media giant still participated in an "online piracy ring." Further, in a footnote, the authors told the court that "IP pirates like Meta also upload or share files with others during (leeching) and after (seeding) downloading." Additionally, TorrentFreak noted that Meta "taking precautions is not the same as preventing" seeding.Authors will likely push to persuade the court that merely by torrenting the file, Meta made "pirated works available to other users worldwide" while making it clear that even Meta can't claim to have prevented all seeding. A lawyer representing the authors declined to comment on whether ongoing discovery may surface more evidence to help prove the seeding claims. Lack of evidence could be a problem since TorrentFreak suggested the torrenting terminology may be foreign to the court, potentially muddying what authors feel otherwise is a straightforward claim that Meta allegedly knew it was violating laws by torrenting the pirated books.Meta has been silent so far on claims about sharing data while "leeching" (downloading) but told the court it plans to fight the seeding claims at summary judgment.At this time, Meta has moved to dismiss the authors' CDAFA claim as being preempted by copyright law, but unsurprisingly, the authors told the court that they strongly disagree."Had Meta bought Plaintiffs works in a bookstore or borrowed them from a library and then trained its LLMs on them without a license, it would have committed copyright infringement, but no CDAFA violation," the authors alleged. "Metas decision to bypass lawful acquisition methods and become a knowing participant in an illegal peer-to-peer piracy network provides the 'extra element' and is 'qualitatively different' to establish an independent CDAFA violation."Authors further linked the CDAFA claim to their copyright infringement claim opposing Meta's AI training. They alleged that by torrenting their works "from pirated databases in lieu of executing lawful licensing arrangements, Meta not only deprived Plaintiffs of that licensing revenue, but it also deprived Plaintiffs of additional revenue they could have generated from 'other users worldwide' because Meta simultaneously made the copyrighted works available to download by any interested Internet user in the process of acquiring Plaintiffs data" to train AI.Meta did not immediately respond to Ars' request for comment.Ashley BelangerSenior Policy ReporterAshley BelangerSenior Policy Reporter Ashley is a senior policy reporter for Ars Technica, dedicated to tracking social impacts of emerging policies and new technologies. She is a Chicago-based journalist with 20 years of experience. 100 Comments

Meta approved a plan that could allow executives to earn a bonus of up to 200% of their base pay.The move came the same month as Meta's efforts to reduce its workforce by about 4,000 employees.Meta also trimmed the value of annual equity refreshers some staff receive by about 10%, sources told BI.Meta approved a plan that could give company executives a bonus of up to 200% of their base salary, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing submitted on Thursday.The company said in the filing that the bonus plan would provide "variable cash incentives" designed to "motivate its executive officers to focus on company priorities and to reward them for company results and achievements."The plan would allow for an increase in the bonus package from 75% to 200% of base pay, the company said.The bonus boost wouldn't apply to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. This isn't an uncommon practice since chief executive compensation can be structured differently, focusing more on stock options.Meta also recently trimmed the value of annual equity refreshers some staffers receive by about 10%, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke with BI but asked not to be identified as they weren't authorized to speak with the media.The reduction in the total amount of restricted stock units means some employees would receive about 10% less in the stock refreshers each quarter this year that vest over a four-year period.That means, for example, if an employee previously received $220,000 in stock refreshers to vest over four years, they would now get about $200,000 worth of RSUs over the same period. Equity refreshers often form a significant part of workers' remuneration alongside salary and bonuses.A Meta spokesperson didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.In the SEC filing, the company wrote that its compensation, nominating, and governance committee approved the change after analyzing market data for executive compensation. They determined the target total cash compensation for their executives "was at or below the 15th percentile of the target total cash compensation of executives holding similar positions."The new target puts the compensation in the 50th percentile, according to the filing.The approval came amid another round of job cuts at Meta this month. The company said it aimed to eliminate about 5% of its workforce, which would amount to nearly 4,000 employees.Zuckerberg said the cuts were meant to target "low performers" as the company looked to streamline its operations in "an intense year" and invest heavily in artificial intelligence.In an internal memo announcing the cuts last month, Zuckerberg said Meta would backfill these roles this year. Meta is now ramping up hiring for machine-learning engineers and expediting recruiting in February and March.Are you a Meta employee? Got insight to share? Contact the reporter Jyoti Mann via email at jmann@businessinsider.com or via Signal at jyotimann.11. Reach out from a nonwork device.

Writer's Bayle-ockGeorge R.R. Martin says there's been "some talk" about an Elden Ring movie, but he might have to slam out a few more chapters if he's to play a big part in itIt's ok, George, I'm sure you can just end the thing on a cliffhanger and get on with writing the Radahn RomCom.Image credit: FromSoftware News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on Feb. 21, 2025 George R.R. Martin, creator of Game of Thrones and acclaimed writer of books you'd shrivel up and die halfway through if you attempted to get through one during a single bath, says there's been some chatter about possibly doing an Elden Ring movie. How much involvement the writer'd have if that were to happen remains to be seen, though.Martin, who worked on the lore of FromSoft's 2022 masterpiece about rolling around the big lad or lass until either it squishes you or you squish it with your big sword, was asked by IGN if he'd be open to returning for a potential sequel to that game, and delivered a pretty nifty verbal side-step. Like, the kind of side-step a Tarnished would be proud of.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. "I can't say too much about it," he said, "but there is some talk about making a movie out of Elden Ring." Is there, now, Mr Martin? We'd not heard. The author continued that if indeed such an adapdation does become a thing, he doesn't know the extent of the involvement he'd have in it, due to one complicating factor. "I'm a few years behind with my latest book, so that also limits the amount of things that I can do," he said.He just like me fr. Sure, people actually care about Martin's writing, as he grinds out The Winds of Winter, so that his A Song of Ice and Fire series will finally have six bits of the seven he previously outlined, and one with a title that fufils the chilly vibes mentioned in the moniker given to the collection. The sentiment's the same though. We just can't finish. Stop giggling.I feel bad for the guy, to be honest. Even if its first network test initially left a bunch of folks kinda regretting breaking off their engagements to get smashed by large individuals, Elden Ring Nightreign's probably gonna distract Martin for a few months later this year. Well, assuming he doesn't find it weird to interact with things he had a hand in creating.

The Final Step-timsIt's modding on steroids Skyblivion project lead talks progress towards a 2025 release, those official Oblivion remake rumours, and if Fallout: London offers any lessonsThe massive Skyrim mod that'll offer a revamped take on The Elder Scrolls 4 being "nearly in a releasable state is a miracle", says its lead dev.Image credit: The Skyblivion team. Article by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on Feb. 21, 2025 We should finally get to play Skyblivion this year. The massive modding project thats remaking The Elder Scrolls IV in Skyrims engine has been in the works since 2012, and now it's seemingly on the home stretch.It's not had a full release date penned in yet, but we'll be getting to see a bit more of it via a showcase from the Skyblivion team at a fan-run Bethesda community event called Community Creations Con - or C3 - this weekend. So, ahead of that, VG247 caught up with the massive mod's project lead, Kyle 'Rebelzize' Rebel, to ask a few questions about how things are going for the project as it builds to that 2025 release.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. "I am feeling good about our progress, everyone is pulling their weight and focussing on the last pillars we need to overcome [to make a release possible]," the modder tells me, "Of course, with this being a volunteer project we can't guarantee this level of commitment throughout the year, but for now we are on the right track."Naturally, as rumours about an official Elder Scrolls 4 remake or remaster - something that was mentioned in an internal Microsoft document leaked during the company's legal battle with the FTC in 2023 - have continued to crop up and circulate, Rebel and the Skyblivion team have receieved plenty of messages from fans wondering what such a thing potentially being real could mean for the modding project."I think whether the rumours are true or not doesn't affect us much," the project lead says, "If they are true I hope it will give people even more of a reason to try out our iteration of it. If it's not true then this will be the best way to re-experience the game [with] a new coat of paint."At the end of the day, we are not trying to sell a game and make a profit. I dedicated 10+ years to bring this game to the fans and I feel this is a typical case of 't's about the journey, not the destination'. The fact Skyblivion is nearly in a releasable state is a miracle, as we all went into this blindly and in some cases failed our way to the finish line. There are at least four major events that could have easily wrecked the project and caused it to be abandoned, but we're still here. The destination might be a welcome sight if you're trekking to frigid Bruma, but the adventure's getting there. | Image credit: The Skyblivion team."I am just excited to be able to see everyones hard work pay off and as a bonus see others finally playing this. I often think about how I would have been able to release this mod years ago [if I'd had] all the knowledge we have now, but unfortunately that's not the way life works. You achieve your goals through hard work, failure and the rare breakthrough, which we ended up doing."In terms of whether Skyblivion can learn anything that might help with its own release from massive Fallout 4 mod Fallout: London, which came out last year following delays - some of which its developers could do nothing to prevent - and was plagued by some pretty serious bugs prior to patches arriving, Rebel says the answer is "yes and no"."FOLON is a very impressive mod, but it's apples and oranges in lots of ways," he explains, "Distribution of the mod has always been a big discussion internally and FOLON's release definitely made us think of alternative ways to let people access the game when the time comes."Finally, since I'd recently seen Bethesda Game Studios acknowledge Skyblivion's upcoming C3 stream in a tweet from its official account, I asked the modder if Skyblivion's team has had any communication from the studio, since Fallout: London's leads were pretty open last year about not getting as much as they'd have ideally liked. Skyblivion's team have spent years dilligently painting their masterpiece, and soon they'll unveil it to the world. | Image credit: The Skyblivion team."We have had plenty of contact with Bethesda over the years," Rebel says, "I'd like to think we are on very good terms with them. Generally speaking, Bethesda has been one of the most supporting communities when it comes to modding, so it only makes sense to support behemoths such as our project that in a lot of ways encapsulate everything Bethesda's games stand for."We are a multicultural group of fans from all over the world that came together to make something unreasonably complicated and far fetched. It's modding on steroids."As mentioned earlier, that unreasonably complicated and far fetched thing is currently set to open its Oblivion gates to players before this year's out, so here's hoping Rebel and the Skyblivion folks are able to navigate the tricky roads ahead on their modding adventure through Cyrodiil.