Image by Getty / FuturismDevelopmentsWe have some bad news for those of you that love getting takeout, because those plastic containers that your steaming delicious meals come in? They may well be sabotaging your heart health, new research suggests.As detailed in a recent study published in the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, a team of Chinese researchers found that rats that were given water that'd been boiled and then stored in common takeout lids showed significant disruptions in the gut biome, including inflammation a common risk factor for cardiovascular disease.In many cases, they also observed extensive damage to myocardial tissue, or heart muscle. The work is the latest to highlight the alarming toll that exposure to ubiquitous microplastics can have on the body and how easily it can seep into our food and beverages."The data revealed that high-frequency exposure to plastics is significantly associated with an increased risk of congestive heart failure," the authors wrote.Besides a control group, the rats were divided into three groups that drank boiled water that'd been exposed to the plastic takeout containers known as leachate for one minute, five minutes, and fifteen minutes respectively. They drank this regularly for three months.Surprisingly, no single rat pack stood out; they all roughly exhibited the same degree of worrying symptoms, like changes to the composition of their intestinal microbacteria and damage to the heart muscle. This suggests that any amount of exposure could put you at risk."The study shows plastic exposure as a significant [cardiovascular disease] risk factor regardless of duration," the author wrote. "It leads to changes in myocardial tissue, gut microbiota, and metabolites, all closely tied to [cardiovascular disease]."Along with the rat experiment, the team also surveyed nearly 3,200 people in China with self-reported questionnaires about how often they were exposed to plastics and about symptoms related to their cardiovascular health. This is flimsier stuff than the rat trials, but nonetheless, it found that frequent plastic exposure was linked to a higher risk of heart failure.There are, however, some notable limitations to the study. Regarding the human survey, that there was a correlation between plastic exposure and heart failure may be due to "individual differences within the surveyed population," the authors wrote, noting that only exposure within the past month was investigated. No biological samples were taken from the human respondents, either.As for the rats, the scientists weren't able to measure the amount of and kinds of plastic particles in their bodies. And while there was notable damage to myocardial tissue, none of the rodents exhibited full-blown cardiovascular disease. Still, this may be because of the short nature of the experiment."Further research is necessary to elucidate the health impacts of long-term exposure to plastic products, as well as the accumulation and distribution of plastic particles in tissues and organs, to provide a theoretical foundation for the development of appropriate safety measures in the future," the authors conclude.In the meantime? They suggest avoid using plastic takeout containers for hot food.Share This Article

"As you train models and reinforce them for solving difficult challenges, you train them to be relentless."In the short history of Silicon Valley, the mantra "move fast, break things" has often applied to trivial things like tedious consumer protections or pesky finance laws. Now, the phrase is taking on a new meaning, at least for chess enthusiasts.A recent study by Palisade Research, a research group studying AI safety and ethics, has revealed an unsettling trend: newer AI models can find and exploit weaknesses in cybersecurity on their own, bypassing safeguards and using shortcuts to complete tasks even when they're not technically allowed to.The team lined seven of the top large language models (LLMs) up against Stockfish, an infamously strong chess engine that's been stumping grandmasters since 2014. Up against the impossible but determined to win, OpenAI's o1 and DeepSeek's R1 took to manipulating system files in order to change their pieces' positions on the board.The researchers tasked each model to explain its "reasoning" for each move. In one match, with its back against the wall, o1 wrote that the "task is to 'win against a powerful chess engine,' not necessarily to win fairly in a chess game." That logic evidently led the model to attempt to cheat 37 percent of the time, succeeding in six percent of its games, while R1 tried 11 percent of the time, but never figured out a hack that worked.The paper is the latest in a flurry of research that suggests problem-focused LLM development is a double-edged sword.In another recent study, a separate research team found that o1 consistently engaged in deception. Not only was the model able to lie to researchers unprompted, but it actively manipulated answers to basic mathematical questions in order to avoid triggering the end of the test showing off a cunning knack for self-preservation.There's no need to take an axe to your computer yet but studies like these highlight the fickle ethics of AI development, and the need for accountability over rapid progress."As you train models and reinforce them for solving difficult challenges, you train them to be relentless," Palisade's executive director Jeffrey Ladish told Time Magazine of the findings.So far, big tech has poured untold billions into AI training, moving fast and breaking the old internet in what some critics are calling a "race to the bottom." Desperate to outmuscle the competition, it seems big tech firms would rather dazzle investors with hype than ask "is AI the right tool to solve that problem?"If we want any hope of keeping the cheating to board games, it's critical that AI developers work with safety, not speed, as their top priority.More on AI development: The "First AI Software Engineer" Is Bungling the Vast Majority of Tasks It's Asked to DoShare This Article

Table of Contents It's been six years since Suitsended, and since then, the popularity of the legal drama (which premiered on USA Network in 2011) exploded, thanks to streaming. Over a decade later, we're primed and ready to return to the world of Suits. And this time, Los Angeles is where it's at.Stephen Amellleads the cast of the highly anticipated spin-off. Here, he plays Ted Black, a former federal prosecutor from New York who relocates across the country to trade criminal law with that of the entertainment variety. It sounds like a safe choice, but dealing with the behind-the-scenes conflicts that may arise in Hollywood presents its own unique challenges.Joining Amell in the ensemble are Lex Scott Davis (as Erica Rollins), Josh McDermitt (as Stuart Lane), and Bryan Greenberg (as Rick Dodson.) Gabriel Macht, who starred in the original series as Harvey Spector, will reprise his role in the spin-off.Read on to learn how to stream Suits LA and more information about how a VPN may help.Read more:8 of the Best Peacock Shows to Stream Right Now Stephen Amell stars as Ted Black on Suits LA, airing on NBC and streaming on Peacock. David Astorga/NBCWhen to Watch Suits LA on PeacockSuits LA will premiere its first episode onSunday, Feb. 23, at 9 p.m. ET/PTon NBC. The following day, it will be available to stream on Peacock. The 10-episode season will follow this weekly schedule until the finale. James Martin/CNET Peacock offers two plans: the ad-supported Peacock Premium, which costs $8 a month or $80 annually, and Peacock Premium Plus, which costs $14 a month or $140 annually. The second option includes the feature to download titles, offers access to your local live NBC station and has fewer commercials than the cheaper plan.If you're looking to save, Peacock does offer deals for students and users of Xfinity Internet and Instacart Plus.Read our Peacock reviewfor more. See at Peacock How to watch Suits LA with a VPNPerhaps you're traveling abroad and want to stream Suits LA on Peacock while away from home. With a VPN, you can virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to access the movie from anywhere in the world. There are other good reasons to use a VPN for streaming.A VPN encrypts your traffic and is the best way to prevent your ISP from throttling your speeds. It's also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins. Streaming TV can be a bit smoother with a reliable, quality VPN that'spassed our testsand security standards.You can use a VPN to stream content legally as long as VPNs are allowed in your country and you have a valid subscription to the streaming service you're using. The US and Canada are among the countries where VPNs are legal, but we advise against streaming or downloading content on illegal torrent sites. We recommendExpressVPN, but you may opt for another provider from ourbest list, such as Surfshark or NordVPN. James Martin/CNET 2024 Price $13 per month, $100 for the first 15 months (then $117 per year) or $140 for the first 28 months (then $150 per year)Latest Tests DNS leaks detected, 35% speed loss in 2025 testsNetwork 3,000 plus servers in 105 countriesJurisdiction British Virgin Islands ExpressVPN isour current best VPN pickfor people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It's normally $13 a month, but if you sign up for an annual subscription you can save 70% off its regular rate.Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. See at ExpressVPN Follow the VPN provider's instructions for installation and choose a country where your title of choice will be streaming on Peacock. Before you open the streaming app, make sure you're connected to your VPN using your selected region. If you want to stream Suits LA on more than one device, it's possible you'll need to configure each one to ensure you're signed in. Go to settings and check your network connections to verify you're logged in and connected to your VPN account. Now, you're ready to open the service to stream.If you encounter streaming issues, first make sure your VPN is up and running on its encrypted IP address. Then, double-check that you've followed installation instructions correctly and picked the right geographical area for viewing. If you still encounter connection problems, you may need to reboot your device. Close all apps and windows, restart your device, and connect to your VPN first. Note that some streaming services have restrictions on VPN access.

Table of Contents It's time to return to the scandalous world ofThe White Lotus. Season 3 of Mike White's Emmy-winning social satire premieres Saturday night. This time, the anthology series calls Thailand home. As we've seen from the previous two seasons -- which took place in Hawaii andSicily, respectively -- there's a sinister underbelly waiting to be discovered in thisbeautiful vacation locale. Get ready for the class warfare to begin.The new eight-episode installment features a talented ensemble cast of mostly new faces. Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Walton Goggins, Sarah Catherine Hook, Jason Isaacs, Michelle Monaghan, Sam Nivola, Lek Patravadi, Parker Posey, Natasha Rothwell and Patrick Schwarzenegger (yes, Arnold's son) star alongside many more.In the new episodes, Natasha Rothwell reprises her role as massage therapist Belinda from season 1. Creator Mike White returns once again to write and direct all eight episodes.Read on to learn when The White Lotus Season 3 will be available for streaming and how using a VPN can enhance your viewing experience.Read more: Max Streaming Service Review: Loads of Content, but You Have to Make It Fit YouWhen to watch The White Lotus Season 3 on MaxThe second episode will premiere onSunday, Feb. 23, at 9 p.m. ET/PTon HBO and will be available to stream on Max. New episodes will air every Sunday after that until the finale on April 6.Here's the full release schedule:Episode 2: Sunday, Feb. 23Episode 3: March 2Episode 4: March 9Episode 5: March 16Episode 6: March 23Episode 7: March 30Episode 8: April 6 Max/Warner Bros. Discovery/James Martin If you're interested in streaming The White Lotus Season 3, getting Max would be your next step. Subscriptions cost $10 per month (with ads) or $17 per month (ad-free). Want to watch in 4K? The Ultimate plan offers that feature and costs $21 per month. There's also theHulu, Disney Plus and Max megabundleto consider. The ad-based bundle comes with a $17 monthly price tag, while the ad-free version costs $30 monthly. See at Play.max How to watch The White Lotus Season 3 with a VPNPerhaps you're traveling abroad and want to stream The White Lotus on Max while away from home. With a VPN, you can virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to access the series from anywhere in the world.But there are other good reasons to use a VPN for streaming. A VPN encrypts your traffic and is the best way to prevent your ISP from throttling your speeds. It's also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins. Plus, streaming TV can be a bit smoother with a reliable, quality VPN that'spassed our testsand security standards.You can use a VPN to stream content legally as long as VPNs are allowed in your country and you have a valid subscription to the streaming service you're using. The US and Canada are among the countries where VPNs are legal, but we advise against streaming or downloading content on illegal torrent sites. We recommendExpressVPN, but you may opt for another provider from ourbest list, such as Surfshark or NordVPN. James Martin/CNET ExpressVPN isour current best VPN pickfor people who want a reliable and safe VPN. The service is compatible with a variety of devices. It's typically $13 a month, but if you sign up for an annual subscription for $100, you'll get four months free and save 70%.Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. See at Expressvpn Follow the VPN provider's instructions for installation and choose a country where your title of choice will be streaming on Max. Before opening the streaming app, ensure you're connected to your VPN using your selected region. If you want to stream The White Lotus on multiple devices, you may need to configure each to ensure you're signed in. Go to settings and check your network connections to verify you're logged in and connected to your VPN account. Now, you're ready to open the service to stream.If you encounter streaming issues, first make sure your VPN is up and running on its encrypted IP address. Then, double-check that you've followed installation instructions correctly and picked the right geographical area for viewing. If you still encounter connection problems, you may need to reboot your device. Close all apps and windows, restart your device and connect to your VPN first. Note that some streaming services have restrictions on VPN access.

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Ice And FireEternal Strands is a great reminder that creative tools and reactiveness in big open-world sandboxes trump content bloatThe sort of intrepid game design you don't see much of anymore.Image credit: Yellow Brick Games Article by Fran Ruiz Contributor Published on Feb. 22, 2025 Eternal Strands has quietly become one of early 2025's biggest surprises. While it's not topping the sales charts nor dominating the online conversation, the sentiment which surrounds it is generally positive, and in the age of bloated open-world experiences (which are otherwise good), many players are finding great comfort in its smarter approach to world size and tightening the gameplay loop.Yellow Brick Games, founded in 2020 by AAA industry veterans from BioWare, Ubisoft, Blizzard, and EA, has knocked out a notable game that feels neither too big nor small, in roughly four years. With the industry facing many difficulties as I type these words and polarisation leading to bigger and more expensive experiences as well as small itty bitty indies that often bite more than they can chew, Eternal Strands is the sort of rare beast that typically flies under many radars.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. I arrived a bit late to this party due to my gaming commitments elsewhere, but largely positive chatter and comments that came from folks who are typically burned out from playing big-budget behemoths made me far more interested in the game than any piece of promotional material. Yellow Brick Games CCO Mike Laidlaw's enthusiasm and generally wholesome vibes on Bluesky also helped, I'll admit.Recent disappointments with ambitious games that were built with UE5 also had me a bit worried. Could Yellow Brick Games deliver on all it had promise, while also dealing with that tech's weaker points on the first try? Well, I can say all that AAA experience didn't go to waste. Eternal Strands is a darn fine video game that feels laser-focused on what really matters most when devs don't have a 'forever' budget and creatively clueless executives breathing down their necks. Image credit: VG247/Yellow Brick GamesEternal Strands' premise is simple, and even the initial cutscene keeps things concise in spite of all the colourful worldbuilding done with the text and the (excellent) voice acting: Weavers are this world's version of mages and they're not welcome in most places after some bad stuff happened long ago. In many ways, control of magic is a lost art, and while there are practitioners moving from one town to the next and looking to unearth lost secrets, the fact is that most people don't care about or simply hate these weavers and what they do.Of course, Brynn, a young weaver, and her band of cheerful and passionate magic pals are on the move and trying to find a way to restore weavers to their former glory. Without getting into more early story details, they come across the Enclave, a region that was essentially the centre of magic in the world. Nowadays, it's a hazardous magic wasteland where nature thrives, but danger lurks around every corner. And that includes giant scary constructs called Arks, as well as behemoths such as drakes. Image credit: VG247/Yellow Brick GamesYellow Brick Games' key members haven't been shy about explaining the biggest influences on their game. Shadow of the Colossus, recent Zelda games, and even Dragon's Dogma have been brought up time and again. You don't need to play much of the game to feel their DNA all over the Enclave's ruins and Brynn's abilities. There is, however, a distinct interest in making the gameplay loop breezier and far more focused than in your average open-world extravaganza.A few hours in, Eternal Strands shouldn't be considered a small game. Its areas, which are laid out like and similar in size to Monster Hunter's, change under different weather (and even magical) conditions and are designed to be revisited during hunts and side quests. The key difference here is that they're quite easy to memorize and navigate quickly. It's not about the sheer size of all the combined areas, but about how that space is used. Image credit: VG247/Yellow Brick GamesThe general feeling is that most of Eternal Strands' development was spent figuring out how to give players enough control over the game rather than how to keep them engaged. It turns out that, if the basic tools and loop are cool and unique enough, people will be interested in exploring more of a world. There are clear objectives driving the whole thing (exploring a lost civilization and defeating massive enemies with inventiveness) and more than enough cutting-edge tech powering the creative vision up.Monster Hunter figured this out long ago (Wilds is about to prove Capcom right again), and Nintendo's refreshed open-world take on The Legend of Zelda was a gigantic win that worked twice because its astounding freedom wasn't limited to 'more things to do' and a striking visual presentation. Both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are games that simply are fun to figure out and 'solve' in a multitude of ways. Eternal Strands feels exactly like a downsized version of the combination of those design philosophies. Image credit: VG247/Yellow Brick GamesThe most fun I've had so far with Eternal Strands has been trying different spells on different parts of a giant automaton's body, luring giant monsters into elemental traps when my health bar was almost depleted, or seeing how much I could literally break the game's environments with the limited (but expertly crafted) tools I'd been given. It's the sort of game that speedrunners will probably tear apart sooner rather than later, and I'm fairly sure they'll have a blast trying to figure it all out, as the game actively encourages you to 'mess' with its limits and try different strategies with finite resources constantly.Of course, the fact the mystery at the centre of the narrative is intriguing and that dialogues and exposition never go on for too long (adding to the overall breezy vibes) are big pluses that don't disrupt, and even elevate, the smooth pacing of an adventure that strikes an almost perfect balance between epic and swashbuckling. Plus, the art has a distinct, clear style and is pretty cute!I've got my complaints, sure, but they're relatively easy to overlook when a game runs and plays so well, in addition to having that visual appeal. More importantly, Eternal Strands fully knows what its limits are and what it wants to do. I wish that happened more often.Eternal Strands is now available on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. It's also part of Game Pass' current offering of third-party games.

Welcome back to Week in Review. This week were looking at the internal chaos surrounding HPs $116 million acquisition of AI Pin maker Humane; Mira Muratis new AI venture coming out of stealth; Duolingo killing its iconic owl mascot with a Cybertruck; and more! Lets get into it.Humanes AI pin is dead. The hardware startup announced that most of its assets have been acquired by HP for $116 million, less than half of the $240 million it raised in VC funding. The startup will immediately discontinue sales of its $499 AI Pins, and after February 28, the wearable will no longer connect to Humanes servers. After that, the devices wont be capable of calling, messaging, AI queries/responses, or cloud access. Customers who bought an AI Pin in the last 90 days are eligible for a refund, but anyone who bought a device before then is not.Hours after the HP acquisition was announced, several Humane employees received job offers from HP with pay increases between 30% and 70%, plus HP stock and bonus plans, according to internal documents seen by TechCrunch and two sources who requested anonymity. Meanwhile, other Humane employees especially those who worked closer to the AI Pin devices were notified they were out of a job.Apples long-awaited iPhone SE refresh has been revealed, three years after the last major update to the budget-minded smartphone. The 16e is part of an exclusive group of handsets capable of running Apple Intelligence due to the addition of an A18 processor. The iPhone 16e also ditched the Touch ID home button in favor of Face ID and swapped out the Lightning port in favor of USB-C. The iPhone 6e starts at $599 and will begin shipping February 28.This is TechCrunchs Week in Review, where we recap the weeks biggest news. Want this delivered as a newsletter to your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here.NewsImage Credits:Duolingo (opens in a new window)RIP, Duo: Duolingo killed its iconic owl mascot with a Cybertruck, and the marketing stunt is going surprisingly well. The company launched a campaign to save Duo and encourage users to do more lessons as the company says its Duo or die. Read moreOpenAI uncensors ChatGPT: OpenAI no longer wants ChatGPT to take an editorial stance, even if some users find it morally wrong or offensive. That means ChatGPT will now offer multiple perspectives on controversial subjects in an effort to be neutral. Read moreUber vs. DoorDash: Uber is suing DoorDash, accusing its delivery rival of stifling competition by intimidating restaurant owners into exclusive deals. Uber alleges that DoorDash bullied restaurants into only working with them. Read moreMira Muratis next move: Former OpenAI CTO Mira Muratis new AI startup, Thinking Machines Lab, has come out of stealth. The startup, which includes OpenAI co-founder John Schulman and former OpenAI chief research officer Barret Zoph, will focus on building collaborative multimodal systems. Read moreIntroducing Grok 3: Elon Musks xAI released its latest flagship AI model, Grok 3, and unveiled new capabilities for the Grok iOS and web apps. Musk claims that the new family of models is a maximally truth-seeking AI that is sometimes at odds with what is politically correct. Read moreHackers on Steam: Valve removed a video game from Steam that was essentially designed to spread malware. Security researchers found that whoever planted it modified an existing video game in an attempt to trick gamers into installing an info-stealer called Vidar. Read moreAnother DEI U-turn: Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chans charity will end internal DEI programs and stop providing social advocacy funding for racial equity and immigration reforms. The switch comes just weeks after the organization assured staff it would continue to support DEI efforts. Read moreAmazon shuts down its Android app store: Amazon will discontinue its app store for Android in August in an effort to put more focus on the companys own devices. The company told developers that they will no longer be able to submit new apps to the store. Read moreMark Zuckerbergs rebrand didnt pay off: A study by the Pew Research Center found that Americans views of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are more negative than positive. About 54% of U.S. adults say they have an unfavorable view of Musk while a whopping 67% feel negatively toward Zuckerberg. Read moreNoise-canceling headphones could hurt your brain: A new BBC report considers whether noise-canceling tech might be rewiring the brains of people who use it to tune out pesky background noise and could lead to the brain forgetting how to filter sounds itself. Read moreAnalysisImage Credits:Sean O'Kane / TechCrunchAn exhaustive look at the DOGE universe: The dozens of individuals who work under, or advise, Elon Musk and DOGE are a real-life illustration of Musks weblike reach in the tech industry. TechCrunch has unveiled the major players in the DOGE universe, from Musks inner circle to senior figures, worker bees, and aides some of whom are advising and recruiting for DOGE. We highlight both the connections between them and how they entered Musks orbit. Read more

In BriefPosted:8:55 AM PST February 22, 2025Image Credits:TeslaTrump administration reportedly shutting down federal EV chargers nationwideThe General Services Administration, the agency that manages buildings owned by the federal government, is planning to shut down its entire network of electric vehicle chargers, according to a report in The Verge.The GSA reportedly operates a network of hundreds of EV chargers with a total of 8,000 plugs that can be used to charge vehicles owned by the government and by federal employees. A source told The Verge that federal workers will receive guidance next week to shut those chargers down, with some regional offices already told to take their chargers offline.Earlier this week, Colorado Public Radio obtained an internal email stating that charging stations at the Denver Federal Center would be shut down as they are not mission critical.More broadly, President Donald Trumps administration has been aggressively cutting government agencies and pulling back federal support for renewable energy, including for an EV charging infrastructure program that previously provided millions to Tesla.TechCrunch has reached out to the GSA for comment.Topics

Sony's Ult Wear headphones punch well above their price point with rich audio and features typically found in more premium models.

The new iPhone 16 Pro. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Getty ImagesGoogle has announced that Lens users on iOS can now use gestures to complete image searches.Available to English-language users in countries where AI Overviews are supported, Lens users can now launch the Chrome app, tap the three dot menu and select Search Screen with Google Lens.Here, users can draw a circle around, or tap, the image to start a search. Google then matches the picture against a database of images indexed from the web with the help of AI. Previously, iPhone and iPad users had to take a screenshot and ask Lens to analyse it. This update allows direct image analysis, no screen capture required.Sound familiar? This is essentially the Circle to Search AI feature that has been heavily advertised as a major AI tool on both Samsung and Pixel devices. It appears to operate in a similar way on iOS, but the difference is accessing the tool is more cumbersome for iPhone owners.Android users can long-press the bottom of their display to activate the feature, which can then conduct an image search for whatever is on screen. iOS users can only do this when using the Chrome browser, Google app and apps that support the feature.Circle to Search is deeply integrated into Android, and Google obviously doesnt have that level of access and control over iOS. So the feature was always going to be available in a convoluted and limited way. Making the feature available does, however, give iPhone owners a flavor of Google AI. Circle to Search has been the vehicle for spreading AI to as many phones as possible without major OS updates, or the requirement of new hardware.In the last year, Google has added full-page text translations, QR code scanning, song identification, text translation, maths problem solving and more to Circle to Search. Its not clear if iOS users will have access to the full suite of Circle to Search features now or in the future. Perhaps Apple has its own plans via Apple Intelligence.It is clear, though, that the company sees its supremacy in Search as a way to introduce AI to as many phones as possible, including budget devices and entirely separate operating systems such as iOS.Stay on top of the latest deal news by hitting the follow button below, or following me on Facebook.