Microsoft has released a new generative model, dubbed Magma, that can autonomously control an entire robot while processing information from its sensors a fascinating step toward a world in which AI like ChatGPT could interact with the physical world using a robotic arm, a humanoid android, or something else entirely.In its announcement, the tech giant claims its latest AI can process multimodal data, including text, images, and video, while also being able to "plan and act in the visual-spatial world." That means it could be used to "complete agentic tasks ranging from UI navigation to robot manipulation.""Magma is able to formulate plans and execute actions to achieve it," Microsoft wrote in its research paper documenting the new tool. "By effectively transferring knowledge from freely available visual and language data, Magma bridges verbal and spatial intelligence to navigate complex tasks."Magma is part of a much broader transition from simple large language models and chatbots to "AI agents," which can carry out tasks on behalf of their human overlords. But the tech still has nagging technical limitations; case in point, OpenAI's recently-released AI agent, dubbed Operator, which was designed to navigate the internet to "perform tasks for you," still requires plenty of adult supervision to get anything done.And navigating the physical world, let alone manipulating objects, will likely be no easy task either.Nonetheless, according to Microsoft's tests, its Magma AI "creates new state-of-the-art results on UI navigation and robotic manipulation tasks, outperforming previous models that are tailored specifically to these tasks."Video samples released by the company, which you can see here, show the AI placing a plastic mushroom in a metal bowl and pushing a dishcloth across a countertop.Apart from manipulating a robotic arm, Microsoft also demonstrates how Magma could be used to assist a human agent through a live video feed, from helping out during a real-world game of chess to suggesting what to do to "relax for a few hours" in a living room.But the AI isn't quite perfect, as Microsoft's researchers admit in their research paper. For one, the tests they came up with were highly specific."We note that the distribution of identities and activities in the instructional videos are not representative of the global human population and the diversity in society," the paper reads.The move toward agentic AI could also have plenty of unintended consequences, such as introducing cybersecurity vulnerabilities through bad actors exploiting jailbreaks or injecting malicious code.How such a scenario would play out with an AI that's controlling a robot in the physical world remains to be seen but we might prefer not to find out.More on agentic AI: Startup Adds Job Listing Specifically for AI Agents, With Horrible SalaryShare This Article

Good news, ghost-hunting fans - Phasmophobia's genre-defining voice recognition feature is coming to consoles. Read more

For years, Meta employees have internally discussed using copyrighted works obtained through legally questionable means to train the companys AI models, according to court documents unsealed on Thursday. The documents were submitted by plaintiffs in the case Kadrey v. Meta, one of many AI copyright disputes slowly winding through the U.S. court system. The defendant, Meta, claims that training models on IP-protected works, particularly books, is fair use. The plaintiffs, who include authors Sarah Silverman and Ta-Nehisi Coates, disagree. Previous materials submitted in the suit alleged that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberggave Metas AI team the OK to train on copyrightedcontent and that Meta halted AI training data licensing talks with book publishers. But the new filings, most of which show portions of internal work chats between Meta staffers, paint the clearest picture yet of how Meta may have come to use copyrighted data to train its models, including models in the companys Llama family.In one chat, Meta employees, including Melanie Kambadur, a senior manager for Metas Llama model research team, discussed training models on works they knew may be legally fraught.[M]y opinion would be (in the line of ask forgiveness, not for permission): we try to acquire the books and escalate it to execs so they make the call, wrote Xavier Martinet, a Meta research engineer, in a chat dated February 2023, according to the filings. [T]his is why they set up this gen ai org for [sic]: so we can be less risk averse.Martinet floated the idea of buying e-books at retail prices to build a training set rather than cutting licensing deals with individual book publishers. After another staffer pointed out that using unauthorized, copyrighted materials might be grounds for a legal challenge, Martinet doubled down, arguing that a gazillion startups were probably already using pirated books for training.I mean, worst case: we found out it is finally ok, while a gazillion start up [sic] just pirated tons of books on bittorrent, Martinet wrote, according to the filings. [M]y 2 cents again: trying to have deals with publishers directly takes a long timeIn the same chat, Kambadur, who noted Meta was in talks with document hosting platform Scribd and others for licenses, cautioned that while using publicly available data for model training would require approvals, Metas lawyers were being less conservative than they had been in the past with such approvals. Yeah we definitely need to get licenses or approvals on publicly available data still, Kambadur said, according to the filings. [D]ifference now is we have more money, more lawyers, more bizdev help, ability to fast track/escalate for speed, and lawyers are being a bit less conservative on approvals.Talks of LibgenIn another work chat relayed in the filings, Kambadur discusses possibly using Libgen, a links aggregator that provides access to copyrighted works from publishers, as an alternative to data sources that Meta might license. Libgen has been sued a number of times, ordered to shut down, and fined tens of millions of dollars for copyright infringement. One of Kambadurs colleagues responded with a screenshot of a Google Search result for Libgen containing the snippet No, Libgen is not legal.Some decision-makers within Meta appear to have been under the impression that failing to use Libgen for model training could seriously hurt Metas competitiveness in the AI race, according to the filings.In an email addressed to Meta AI VP Joelle Pineau, Sony Theakanath, director of product management at Meta, called Libgen essential to meet SOTA numbers across all categories, referring to topping the best, state-of-the-art (SOTA) AI models and benchmark categories.Theakanath also outlined mitigations in the email intended to help reduce Metas legal exposure, including removing data from Libgen clearly marked as pirated/stolen and also simply not publicly citing usage. We would not disclose use of Libgen datasets used to train, as Theakanath put it.In practice, these mitigations entailed combing through Libgen files for words like stolen or pirated, according to the filings.In a work chat, Kambadur mentioned that Metas AI team also tuned models to avoid IP risky prompts that is, configured the models to refuse to answer questions like reproduce the first three pages of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone or tell me which e-books you were trained on.The filings contain other revelations, implying that Meta may have scraped Reddit data for some type of model training, possibly by mimicking the behavior of a third-party app called Pushshift. Notably, Reddit said in April 2023 that it planned to begin charging AI companies to access data for model training.In one chat dated March 2024, Chaya Nayak, director of product management at Metas generative AI org, said that Meta leadership was considering overriding past decisions on training sets, including a decision not to use Quora content or licensed books and scientific articles, to ensure the companys models had sufficient training data.Nayak implied that Metas first-party training datasets Facebook and Instagram posts, text transcribed from videos on Meta platforms, and certain Meta for Business messages simply werent enough. [W]e need more data, she wrote.The plaintiffs in Kadrey v. Meta have amended their complaint several times since the case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division, in 2023. The latest alleges that Meta, among other claims, cross-referenced certain pirated books with copyrighted books available for license to determine whether it made sense to pursue a licensing agreement with a publisher.In a sign of how high Meta considers the legal stakes to be, the company has added two Supreme Court litigators from the law firm Paul Weiss to its defense team on the case.Meta didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

The beauty of podcasting is that anyone can do it. Its a rare medium thats nearly as easy to make as it is to consume. And as such, no two people do it exactly the same way. There are a wealth of hardware and software solutions open to potential podcasters, so setups run the gamut fromNPRstudios to USB Skype rigs (the latter of which became a kind of default during the pandemic).Image Credits:Jody AvirganThis week, we spoke to Jody Avirgan, who co-hosts Summer Album / Winter Album with the frontman of the American indie rock band The Hold Steady,Avirgan who previously hosted shows for Radiotopia, TED, FiveThirtyEight, and ESPN told us about his podcasting set-up of choice. Here he is in his own words:Even when I worked at ESPN/FiveThirtyEight, I always had a home recording setup. Since leaving which happened to coincide with the start of the pandemic Ive made my basement recording studio my main home. Its actually the kitchen of a basement studio apartment, so just off-frame, behind some curtains, is a fridge (unplugged), sink, and lots of cabinets. But Ive hung tons of curtains, scattered soft things around, and put some sound dampening panels up. I think its now both cozy and pretty warm-sounding. My mic is an Electro-Voice RE27N/D, a $500 studio mic. To be clear: I dont make RE27 money. We bought this mic when I was hosting 30 for 30. I left ESPN three weeks before the pandemic hit, and somewhere in there I wrote them an email asking if they wanted me to return the mic. I never got a response, and I certainly didnt write a follow-up. So I kept it. This is probably why Disney stock is down 20% over the last five years. Its a very warm mic, but its a behemoth.When Im on the road, I pack an AT2020-USB+, which plugs right into my computer and I can knock out tracking from wherever usually under a blanket in a hotel closet, which is a podcasters natural habitat.Image Credits:Jody AvirganI run my mic through the FocusRite Scarlett 2i2, a simple but mighty interface that lets me control my mic levels and route right into my computer, where I am often joining people over Zoom or Riverside. I always record a local backup file using Hindenburg, which I then save to Dropbox. All roads eventually lead to Dropbox.The one place I deviate from the typical Podcaster 101 kit is in my headphones. Everyone has the Sony MDR-7506, and Ive run through my fair share of those, but I really like the Rode NTH-100 headphones. They are just a little more comfortable, look a little slicker, and so far the padding hasnt broken down in the way that the padding on the Sonys inevitably does, leading one to find little black flecks in their ears after taping.Image Credits:Jody AvirganLike a lot of podcasters, Ive been doing more and more video stuff lately. Ive used Descript for years, but as the worlds of audio and video have merged, I do almost all my editing in it at this point. I make social videos of our conversations for This Day and Summer Album / Winter Album, but also original stuff Ive been playing with on Instagram.Im doing a series each week where I try to guess the title of that weeks New Yorker cover, and I record that right into Descript and turn it around in like 20 minutes using a template I built. Descript Im a big fan. Its very versatile, and its nice to work with a program that seems to give a crap about what podcasters want, as opposed to ProTools.I suppose Ive had to think about my visual setup a fair amount, too. I bought the webcam that the Wirecutter recommended, but honestly I prefer the look of the MacBook camera, so I usually just use that. In my background, I put some books to prove that I know how to read; a signed photo of George Mikan, about whom there was a running bit in Death At The Wing and $28 worth of fake plants from Ikea. I block the view so I dont think people can even see that the plants are there; but I like to know that they are there, and will always be there, because of forever plastics.Weve previously asked others of our favorite podcast hosts and producers to highlight their workflows the equipment and software they use to get the job done. The list so far includes:

In BriefPosted:12:02 PM PST February 22, 2025The pain of discontinued items, and the thrill of finding them onlineWeve all been there. A favorite item is suddenly unavailable for purchase. Couldnt the manufacturer have given you advance warning?Whether owing to low sales, changing habits, production costs, or even because something is a little wrong with your favorite product (shh), discontinued items are part of life. In a weekend piece, the New York Times delves into the not-so-dark underbelly of online places where shoppers find these items, share tips and yes, find emotional support.The story highlights a padded laptop bag made by Filson that a super fan now hunts down everywhere to snag as many as possible before everyone figures out how great they are. It points to Discontinued Beauty, a site whose offerings are old to visitors but new to the site. Among its latest products: an essential protein restructurizer by Redkin priced at an eye-popping $169.95. (The newest version of the product costs shoppers $32.)Could it be dangerous to use these discontinued products? Who cares, suggests one creative director, who tells the Times about a lip pencil the beauty company NARS no longer sells and she has found elsewhere. Now, do I know the proper way to store this for optimal conditions? No, she says. Theyre under my sink.Topics

Elden RingCredit: FromSoftwareIf you cant get enough of FromSoftwares hit video game Elden Ring, you could be in luck. Not only is there the multiplayer spinoff, Elden Ring: Nightreign, just around the corner, but a film adaptation is apparently on the table.Dont get too excited. This is just talk, but both Game Of Thrones author George R.R. Martin (who helped write the games story) and FromSoft chief Hidetaka Miyazaki have mentioned the possibility of an Elden Ring film.When asked about possibly getting involved in a sequel, Martin told IGN Well, I cant say too much about it, but there is some talk about making a movie out of Elden Ring.This echoes Miyazaki, who earlier noted I dont see any reason to deny another interpretation or adaptation of Elden Ring, a movie for example. But I dont think myself, or FromSoftware, have the knowledge or ability to produce something in a different medium.As for Martins possible involvement in a movie, he told IGN Well see if that comes to pass and what the extent of my involvement was, I dont know. I'm a few years behind with my latest book, so that also limits the amount of things that I can do.A few years is a mildly hilarious way to describe the tardiness of Martins theoretically upcoming novel The Winds Of Winter. Its been almost fourteen years since the publication of the last entry in A Song Of Ice And Fire, A Dance With Dragons, which came out in July of 2011. Martin originally hoped to publish the next book in 2016. This clearly did not go as planned. The entire run of HBOs Game Of Thrones TV series came out in the intervening years, as well as two seasons of the spinoff series, House Of The Dragon.A second spinoff, A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms, is is set to release later this year, almost certainly before any hint that The Winds Of Winter is, in fact, coming. Martin has been involved in countless other projects, including his work on Elden Ring, between the two books. Why finishing the book is taking so long remains a big question mark, but many fans believe hes written himself into a corner and simply doesnt know how to finish the story.A seventh and final novel, A Dream Of Spring, will still need to be written once Winds is finished, though the title may end up being rather prophetic.As far as an Elden Ring movie is concerned, Im not sure I particularly care for the idea as much as I do love the game. FromSoftwares unique storytelling style is woven so entirely to video games, its hard to imagine how that would even translate to the big screen. There isnt much in the way of dialogue or character outside of NPCs, and what snippets of conversation we do get in the game tend to be brief, opaque and cryptic. Much of the story is told through environments and in the lore players discover when reading about items theyve found. Much of the magic that comes from playing is in organic, player-driven discovery and overcoming enormous obstacles.Im not saying there shouldnt be an Elden Ring movie, but given Hollywoods overall track record adapting video games, it makes me nervous. One of Froms other games might work better, in fact. Sekiro or Bloodborne, for instance.What do you think? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - FEBRUARY 22: Agit Kabayel punches Zhilei Zhang during the WBC Interim World ... [+] Heavyweight Title fight between Zhilei Zhang and Agit Kabayel as part of Beterbiev v Bivol 2: The Last Crescendo at Kingdom Arena on February 22, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)Getty ImagesZhilei Big Bang Zhang promised to bang Agit Kabayel, but the latter turned the tables and finished an impressive performance with a sixth-round KO during the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 undercard.Kabayel had to get off the canvas in the fifth round after eating a hard counter shot from Zhang, but he had the last laugh, capturing the WBC interim title.However, the punch from Zhang proved to be the 41-year-olds last stand. His poor body language got even worse once Kabayel got up and kept bringing the pressure.Zhang simply could not keep up the pace, and Kabayels quicker, busier hands were the biggest difference. In the sixth round, body shots did the necessary work to secure the victory. Here is a look at the finish:This was the worst kind of loss for Zhang.RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - FEBRUARY 22: Zhilei Zhang reacts to being knocked down and stopped by Agit ... [+] Kabayel (not pictured) during the WBC Interim World Heavyweight Title fight between Zhilei Zhang and Agit Kabayel as part of Beterbiev v Bivol 2: The Last Crescendo at Kingdom Arena on February 22, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)Getty ImagesHe didnt just lose; he looked bad doing it. The big man looked his age and almost appeared to quit at some point. Not to undersell the body shots, but Zhang didnt look like a man who wanted to push through adversity.Instead, he looked like an aging veteran resigned to accept defeat against a younger, spryer, and hungrier contender.While he had scored four straight wins by KO coming into the fight with Zhang, Kabayel hadnt received a ton of respect. However, after becoming the first man to stop Zhang, the boxing world has no choice but to put some respect on the 32-year-old Germans name.Zhang, if he chooses to fight on, will need to be matched carefully. His next fight will be a measurement to see how much he has left in the tank. The big man is on the wrong side of 40, and he now has 31 professional fights under his beltor should we say on his legs.Kabayel should slide up to No. 3 in the Ring heavyweight rankings. If Anthony Joshua doesnt have an opponent for his next fight, thats a matchup that could make sense later in the year. However, the two men are friendly and not on the same timeline.RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - FEBRUARY 22: Agit Kabayel celebrates victory with the title belt after the ... [+] WBC Interim World Heavyweight Title fight between Zhilei Zhang and Agit Kabayel as part of Beterbiev v Bivol 2: The Last Crescendo at Kingdom Arena on February 22, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)Getty ImagesIBF champion Daniel Dubois was supposed to face Joseph Parker on Saturday, but he had to pull out with an illness. It would make sense for Dubois to face the winner of Parker vs. Martin Bakole, as the latter stepped in to replace him.A few more shoes need to drop, but Kabayel is aligned for a huge opportunity in his next fight. Through the first two fights of the night in Saudi Arabia, the action has lived up to the billing.Heres a look at the results for the event up to this point:Callum Smith def. Joshua Buatsi via unanimous decisionAgit Kabayel def. Zhilei Zhang via sixth-round KOVergil Ortiz Jr def. Israil Madrimov via unanimous decisionStill to ComeArtur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2Joseph Parker vs. Martin BakoleShakur Stevenson vs. Josh PadleyCarlos Adames vs. Hamzah SheerazVergil Ortiz Jr vs. Israil Madrimov

A hot potato: Bybit, a Dubai-based crypto exchange, announced on Friday that hackers had stolen a staggering $1.5 billion worth of digital assets, making it the largest crypto heist in history. The attackers exploited security vulnerabilities during a transaction, allowing them to transfer a significant amount of Ethereum. The hackers stole the crypto from Bybit's cold wallet, an offline storage system that's supposed to be highly secure. Around 400,000 ETH were swiped in all, reportedly representing over 70% of its ETH reserves. Ethereum is currently the second-largest crypto after Bitcoin.Not long after, Bybit CEO Ben Zhou took to X to reassure users that their funds were safe and that the exchange would be reimbursing anyone impacted by the breach. He added that while Bybit holds around $20 billion in client assets, it would cover any unrecovered funds through its own treasury or by taking out loans from partners.This heist blows previous crypto crimes out of the water. It dwarfs other massive hacks like the $620 million Ronin Network job in 2022 and the $611 million swiped from Poly Network in 2021.Some blockchain analysis firms like Elliptic and Arkham Intelligence traced the stolen crypto as it was rapidly scattered across different wallets and cashed out on various platforms. They eventually linked it to the infamous Lazarus Group, a North Korean state-sponsored crew. These devious hackers have a long track record of plundering the crypto world to fund the regime's wealthy elite. As of 2022, they were estimated to have looted over $1 billion worth of crypto across multiple hacks and scams.In response to the Bybit breach, Tom Robinson from Elliptic said in an email to CNBC that they've flagged the thief's wallet addresses in their software to try to prevent the funds from being laundered through other exchanges.The Bybit hack also sparked a frenzy of customer withdrawals as users feared potential insolvency. The company assured customers that withdrawals were proceeding as expected, with Zhou later adding that outflows had stabilized. He also stated that the company remains solvent even if the losses from the hack are not recovered and that all client assets are "1 to 1 backed." // Related StoriesA recent blog post also reassures users that Bybit's platform and all other services, including trading products, cards, and P2P, remain "fully operational."

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsThe GPU shortage is backMainstream GPUs may share the same fateNvidia had to step inWe have to be patientAs a huge GPU enthusiast, a new launch is basically a party for me and its a party that often lasts for months. With both Nvidia and AMD staggering their product releases, theres plenty to get excited for as new models keep getting added to our ranking of the best graphics cards every few weeks.This time, the excitement is only true on paper. In fact, Im beginning to feel disappointed. After waiting for Blackwell for a long time, its starting to feel like it wouldve been better if we waited a little bit longer.Recommended VideosNot everyone remembers the GPU shortage that plagued Nvidias RTX 30-series and AMDs RX 6000-series, but those who do remember surely know how dreadful it was. I wont bore you with a full recap, but as someone who wanted to upgrade my PC during that time and couldnt because of the shortage, Ill be the first one to tell you that it was a crazy time. Some GPUs sold at 300% of their recommended list price (MSRP) and scalpers were running rampant.Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming This situation came about as a result of a global chip shortage, the pandemic, and cryptocurrency mining being at its peak. Now, with all three factors no longer crippling the supply chain, youd think that the RTX 50-series launch would be as smooth as butter.Long story short: Its certainlynot been smooth.Weeks before the GPUs even hit the market, leakers have been spreading rumors about the low supply of the RTX 5090. The stock levels of the rest of the lineup remained unclear, but the general public was ready. Days before launch, people were already camping outside of retail stores. Some retailers turned to a lottery system to allow people to buy a GPU, and in some cases, those events quickly devolved into total chaos.Its like were all the way back in 2021 again, and although its not quite as bleak as that, its not looking good.History of GPU launches 2023-2025, with launch day sales volume (at Mindfactory) and availability after the launch dayhttps://t.co/VxRxKbBWxn pic.twitter.com/LoWbQFM6bf 3DCenter.org (@3DCenter_org) February 21, 20253DCenter analyzed the availability of the RTX 50-series and compared it to previous launches. This data only comes from one German retailer, Mindfactory, but many other retailers reported similar findings. In short: Both the RTX 5090 and the RTX 5080 were only released in very small numbers, and there are no signs of imminent restocks.Some retailers claim that the RTX 5090 may not be back until June. If you want to buy one of the new cards, youre forced to either wait or pay scalper premiums, which can add several hundreds or thousands of dollars on top of an already hefty price.Another issue stems from the fact that even when the cards are in stock, theyre impossible to find at MSRP. Models that sell at the minimum price are few and far apart; youre far likelier to find an overclocked card that costs up to $1,200 more than Nvidias MSRP.My one hope was that things would get better with the RTX 5070 Ti, but that also didnt pan out.The RTX 5070 Ti is largely unavailable, just two days after launch. There are a couple of overclocked models on Amazon, but they cost a whopping $1,887 and $1,739, which is an insane price for this GPU. Meanwhile, at Newegg, the GPU is only available as part of a prebuilt PC, and at Best Buy, all of them are sold out.When will they be back? No one knows. The worst part? This curse doesnt end with the RTX 5070 Ti.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsThe RTX 5070, now said to launch at the beginning of March, was reportedly initially meant to arrive at the same time as the RTX 5070 Ti. However, Nvidia is said to have pushed the release date of the GPU for undisclosed reasons.As reported by CTEE, Nvidia ran into issues with the chip design that forced it to implement changes. This delayed production at scale, and as a result, the RTX 5070 will be scarcely available once it does appear on the shelves.Im not going to take this report at face value, as it seems quite late in the production cycle for Nvidia to run into some unexpected hardware-related issues. However, I wont be surprised if the RTX 5070 is, indeed, difficult to spot for the first few weeks of its retail availability. It is what weve seen with the other three GPUs, and this one launches a mere two weeks later; Im doubtful that Nvidia can magically come up with huge numbers of graphics cards in that time.Worse yet, the RTX xx70 GPU is typically one of Nvidias most popular models. While most gamers wont be buying an RTX 5090 (although it certainly feels as if they are right now), many people would be happy to upgrade to an RTX 5070, which Nvidia claims will be able to outperform the RTX 4090 thanks to Multi-Frame Generation (MFG) in DLSS 4. This is a mainstream GPU with demand to match.Simply put, we need more of those RTX 5070s on the shelves than we need RTX 5090s, and it doesnt seem likely that well have either of them in the coming weeks.If theres one card that even more people are waiting for, its the RTX 5060. This GPU will probably follow in the footsteps of its predecessor and go on to become a popular choice, even if it only sports 8GB VRAM (which seems likely). However, even though Nvidia has yet to announce it, the RTX 5060 is already said to be facing delays.As per the same report from CTEE, the RTX 5060 is yet to enter mass production, and it wont enter that phase until mid-April. This means that even if it does launch in April which is the current expectation itll remain unavailable until May or later.Ming-Chi Kuo, a well-known market analyst, believes the same thing: itll be a long time before we can buy the RTX 5070 and the RTX 5060 with ease.NvidiaNvidia may have chosen to release the GPUs before being ready to supply the market with an adequate number of graphics cards, but its not ignoring the situation. Team Green brought back the Verified Priority Access program, which is a solution that it also used for the RTX 4090 and the RTX 4080 (even though those two GPUs didnt have such a tumultuous launch).As part of the program, select registered users will be able to buy one of Nvidias Founders Edition graphics cards. Right now, only the RTX 5090 and the RTX 5080 are included.In order to qualify, youll need to have an Nvidia account that was made before January 30, 2025, so signing up now wont help. Next, youll have to fill in the form on Nvidias website to express your interest in buying a GPU. If youre one of the lucky ones and get picked, youll be given the option to buy an Nvidia Founders Edition graphics card at MSRP.The VPA program is only available to users in the United States. Nvidia also didnt specify how many GPUs are up for grabs, so its unclear just how much this will help. Still, this remains one of the very few ways to score an RTX 50-series card at MSRP, so you might as well try it if youre in the market for one.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsAs soon as one GPU release cycle ends, the wait for the next one begins. And in the case of the RTX 50-series, its been pretty long; many leakers initially expected the graphics cards to be unveiled in September 2024, but that obviously never happened.Unfortunately, now that theyre finally here, were still forced to remain patient. Compared to the RTX 40-series, this has been a rocky launch, with limited availability, sky-high prices, missing ROPs, and even the return of issues such as melting connectors.With that said, all three GPUs so far seem great in their own right. The RTX 5090 takes the crown as the best GPU of this generation; meanwhile, the RTX 5070 Ti has the makings of a great GPU if it ever becomes available at MSRP.Although this should be an exciting time, for many, its been nothing but frustrating. We have no choice but to be patient here, though.Stock issues, while annoying, will eventually settle down. It might take months, but well start seeing these cards in stock sooner or later. Meanwhile, the arrival of AMDs next generation of graphics cards might still shake things up.The RX 9070 XT is coming soon, and itll be a direct competitor to the RTX 5070, or perhaps even the RTX 5070 Ti. AMD is said to be planning to make it cheap, which is promising. On the other hand, I do wonder whether that will be the case, as it really doesnt need to right now it just needs to be cheaper than Nvidia, which is easy, what with those $1,800 RTX 5070 Ti models I talked about above. At this point, Im too jaded to be full-on optimistic here.Given the plethora of problems people are encountering when trying to get an RTX 50-series GPU, I cant help but wonder if the timing wouldnt have been better if the cards officially launched a couple of months later. Alas, they did not, and now, all we can do is wait patiently and hope that theyll be back in stock sometime soon, turning this so-called paper launch into something real.Editors Recommendations

Paramount PicturesTable of ContentsTable of ContentsAtomic Blonde (2017)Argo (2012)The Bourne Identity (2002)Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)The Lives of Others (2006)The Spy Who Came In From the Cold (1965)Mission: Impossible (1996)The Third Man (1949)North by Northwest (1959)James Bond may be the most popular spy associated with the genre over the years, but several others are worthy of attention from hardcore fans. Spy movies have always been a favorite thanks to the thrilling action, twisty plots, and impressive protagonists they often offer. Those who enjoy them will be glad to know that there are plenty of brilliant titles beyond the Bond franchise.From classics like North by Northwest to blockbusters like Mission: Impossible, numerous non-James Bond spy movies deliver edge-of-your-seat suspense with sophisticated storytelling. The greatest ones prove that theres more than one way to tell exhilarating stories with mind-bending twists, undercover agents, and shadowy government conspiracies. So put down that vodka martini shaken, not stirred and prepare for spy stories that can contend with the famed Mr. Bond.Recommended VideosFocus FeaturesCharlize Theron stars as the elite MI6 spy Lorraine Broughton in director David Leitchs Atomic Blonde. Based on the 2012 graphic novel by Antony Johnston and Sam Hart, The Coldest City, the film adaptation sees the agent tasked with retrieving a crucial list of double agents that could alter the course of the Cold War. Her mission takes place on the eve of the fall of the Berlin Wall, raising the stakes for everyone involved.Atomic Blonde makes up for its lackluster and somewhat predictable plot with dazzling visuals that transform 1989 Berlin into a neon-soaked battleground. The film soars thanks to Therons performance as the badass protagonist who fans cant help but root for in each visceral, ultra-violent fight scene. Add a killer 1980s soundtrack, and this film is a sensory overload with a brilliant lead, cementing its status as a must-watch spy thriller.Warner Bros. PicturesArgo is a gripping spy thriller based on an unbelievable true story. Directed, produced by, and starring Ben Affleck, the film depicts the daring CIA mission to rescue six American diplomats trapped in Tehran during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. Affleck plays Tony Mendez, a CIA exfiltration expert who plans to pose as a Canadian film producer scouting locations for the titular fake sci-fi movie. With the help of Hollywood insiders Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) and John Chambers (John Goodman), Mendez sets up the ruse to sneak the diplomats out under the guise of being part of a film crew.To say that Mendezs plan was unconventional is an understatement, and the movie alludes to this absurdity with some darkly humorous moments. It still mostly relies on suspense to keep viewers on edge, which Argo masterfully does throughout its 120-minute runtime. It seems impossible that such a wild plan would work, which makes it all the more satisfying to see how they manage to pull it off.Universal PicturesWhen Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is found almost dead in the Mediterranean Sea with no memory of who he is, he sets off on a journey to figure out who he really is and why assassins are hunting him in The Bourne Identity. The only clue to his past is a Swiss bank account number embedded in his hip, along with his surprising skills in self-defense and language, which point towards a complicated past. Alongside Marie Kreutz (Franka Potente), an unsuspecting civilian caught up in his escape, Bourne races across Europe to piece together his lost memories before hes caught by those pursuing him.The Bourne Identity is a landmark in spy films that eschewed the stylish and flashy world of James Bond for the messier and raw reality of Jason Bourne. Instead of a charming, calculating killer, Bourne is a vulnerable man haunted by the life he doesnt remember. This grit and realism would immediately set the 2002 movie apart and help it inspire a beloved franchise.New Line CinemaStarring the franchise co-producer and writer Mike Myers playing the dual roles of Austin Powers and his arch enemy Dr. Evil, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery would be the first installment in the hilarious spy comedy. It follows Austin Powers (Myers), a groovy British secret agent cryogenically frozen in the 1960s, who is thawed out in the 1990s to stop his arch-nemesis, Dr. Evil (Myers). Dr. Evil has returned with a plan to hold the world ransom for an outrageous sum, but Powers complete with his outlandish fashion sense, catchphrases, and outdated views on sexuality has to adapt to a modern world thats left his swinging 60s mojo behind.Directed by Jay Roach, Austin Powers is a glaring parody of the suave world of Mr. Bond. Its fashion, gadgets, sexism, and over-the-top villain mocks the clichs not just in the James Bond movies, but in 1960s spy films as a whole. This clever satire and unapologetic slapstick humor make it outrageously entertaining, with the 1997 movie spawning two goofy sequels worth watching.StudioCanalDirector Tomas Alfredsons Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a Cold War spy film based on John le Carrs eponymous 1974 novel. Its centered on the retired British intelligence officer, George Smiley (Gary Oldman), who is brought back to investigate a mole within MI6, codenamed The Circus. Smileys mission to uncover the traitor leaking secrets to the Russians leads him to slowly reveal the buried mysteries of British intelligence, shaking up the entire organization.Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy benefits from its talented ensemble cast starring alongside Oldman, which includes Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, and Benedict Cumberbatch. A masterclass in slow-burn storytelling, the 2011 movie is far removed from the usual gunfights and high-speed chases, instead focusing on the quiet war of information and trust. Here, the smallest of gestures and most insignificant of conversations can turn the tide, which reflects the real era and paranoia the film hopes to capture.Buena Vista InternationalIn East Berlin in 1983, a Stasi officer a member of the secret police is tasked with monitoring the lives of a prominent playwright, Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch), and his actress girlfriend, Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck), who are allegedly loyal to the Communist Party. The Lives of Others (German: Das Leben der Anderen) sees Officer Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mhe) transform from a dutiful spy to an unexpected sympathizer who cant help but feel for the couple who dont know theyre being watched.Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck portrays the oppressive surveillance regime with a uniquely intimate story. Despite the suffocating power of the Stasi, moments of humanity inspire one man to rebel against everything he knows. This impactful story unfolds in hushed conversations and the surprising emotions these inspire in the movies well-written spy who is forever changed by what he hears on the other side.Paramount PicturesThe Spy Who Came In from the Cold is another spy film based on a John le Carr novel, this time directed by Martin Ritt. It stars Richard Burton as Alec Leamas, a seasoned British MI6 agent who is given the mission to fake a defection to East Germany to infiltrate the Communist intelligence service and discredit a high-ranking official, Mundt (Peter van Eyck). As Leamas dives deeper into his role as a double agent, he discovers more going on behind the scenes than his superiors initially let on.Unlike glamorous spy thrillers of the era, The Spy Who Came In from the Cold is stark and cynical. Its black-and-white portrayal of the world of espionage as morally corrupt and soul-crushing helped it immediately stand out. Certainly not a cookie-cutter hero, Alec Leamas is a damaged, cynical man trapped in a game of deception where spies on both sides are often little more than pawns in a much darker plan. For fans of bleak entries in the genre, the 1965 should be considered essential viewing.Paramount PicturesTom Cruise debuts his iconic character, IMF (Impossible Mission Force) agent Ethan Hunt, in the pioneering action spy film that started the thriving franchise he would be known for. Directed by Brian De Palma, Mission: Impossiblesees Ethan framed for the deaths of his team after a mission in Prague goes disastrously wrong. With the CIA and his own agency hunting him down, Ethan must go rogue to clear his name and uncover the real mole within the organization.Mission: Impossible would set a new standard for modern spy films, embracing stylish sequences and action-packed stories that put its protagonist in dangerous situations. Cruise is the undeniable star of the show, with his death-defying stunts that only seem to get bolder being the highlights of every Mission: Impossible movie. Many still consider the first to be the best, as it was truly innovative and mind-blowing for its time and can be credited for helping shape the genre as fans know it today.Selznick Releasing OrganizationThe Third Man tells a chilling spy story that unfolds in postwar Vienna, Austria, where pulp fiction writer Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) arrives in the city at the invitation of his old friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles). However, upon his arrival, Martins learns that Lime has died in a mysterious accident, which he later learns involves a third man. As he begins to investigate the circumstances surrounding Limes death, he begins to uncover dark truths about his friend and the underworld of post-war espionage.Unlike conventional spy movies, director Carol Reeds film noir doesnt focus on operatives direct missions or stories, choosing instead to capture the chaos of post-war Europe through personal narratives. It particularly portrays the atmosphere of uncertainty and fear in espionage, which results in the personal betrayals and morally grey decisions seen in the movie. The third man is indeed the symbolic stand-in for espionage and its pervasiveness across countries at that time.MGMFrom the master of suspense, director Alfred Hitchcock, North by Northwest is a groundbreaking spy thriller centered on the misadventures of advertising executive Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant), who is mistakenly identified as a government agent by a mysterious group of spies. This case of mistaken identity propels Thornhill into a world of danger as he is pursued across the United States by the villainous Phillip Vandamm (James Mason) and his henchman. With his life in constant jeopardy, Thornhill must stay one step ahead of his pursuers while unraveling a conspiracy he has been roped into.North by Northwest combines Hitchcocks suspenseful style with Grants signature charm, resulting in a thrilling cinematic experience. Thanks to its brilliant set pieces and sharp dialogue, the movie remains one of Hitchcocks most beloved works and a cornerstone of the spy genre. Its most memorable scenesthe crop-duster chase sequence and the heart-stopping climax atop Mount Rushmorehave gone on to influence countless other films.