In a TikTok video with over 3 million views, a woman in a fluffy, maximalist coat sits in the back seat of a luxury SUV, parked in the middle of a New York City street. Atop the 6-second video, a line of text reads, our bodyguards got us matcha. The camera zooms in on two intimidating men in full suits with red ties, each carrying an iced matcha latte as they walk back to the car.In a similar video, a young woman films a sleek Chevrolet Suburban as it pulls up in front of her house. A man in a suit opens the door for her before shes whisked away, surrounded in the car by other stoic, professionally dressed men. They wheel her carry-on-sized luggage as she enters the airport, safely escorting her to her flight as she brags in the on-video text: pov you ordered security to take you to the airport.These posts were timed strategically with the launch of a new app called Protector, which debuted last week in Los Angeles and New York City, allowing ordinary people to order a Secret Service-like security detail. But the videos werent organic.We posted 14 pieces of content for [Protector] which resulted in 15 million views and over 30,000 downloads, the women from the matcha video, Fuzz and Fuzz, wrote in a TikTok, disclosing that they were hired to make these videos.The other creator, Camille Hovsepian, was not organically promoting the app, either, a Protector spokesperson told TechCrunch. The creators boyfriend, serial entrepreneur and growth hacker Nikita Bier, is an advisor to Protector.In Biers playbook, which earned his own apps acquisitions by Discord and Facebook, rage bait is part of the fun.Once you make 8 figures, you shouldnt waste the rest of your life trying to get incrementally higherlike doing a b2b saas startup, Bier wrote in a recent post on X. Instead, you should be thinking of ways to piss off millions of people on the internet each day by launching controversial app concepts, for pure love of the game. @camilleeian your own personal bodyguard lol #fyp #bodyguard #airportlife #travel #privatesecurity #protectorapp @Protector original sound kardashianshulu Though Biers growth strategy is artificial, it has proven successful in generating buzz. He recently advised an AI-powered health app to change its name from Most Days to Death Clock, then told the app to add a survey that predicts exactly how and when users will die. Sure enough, the app shot to No. 6 on the health charts in the iOS app store and got a shout out on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.Me telling you to rename your app: $24,000/mo, Bier wrote on X. Your app in a joke on Colbert: Priceless.But for Protector, which Bier describes as Uber with guns, the idea is more tenuous than adding a gimmicky AI feature to a health app. Protectors guards are active duty or recently retired law enforcement, who each has government-issued permits to carry firearms and work as guards. Hiring a security detail on Protector will cost users at least $1,000 for a minimum of five hours, plus a $129 annual membership fee.According to estimates from Appfigures, an app intelligence firm, Protector has been downloaded by U.S.-based iOS users about 97,000 times in the first week after its February 17 launch. About a third of those downloads came on launch day, as it climbed to No. 3 on the App Stores Travel charts. This initial curiosity around the app has slowed down though; as of February 27, it sits at No. 70 on the Travel chart.Though people are downloading the app perhaps out of sheer curiosity these installs dont guarantee that people will actually pay to use it.Protectors target customer is unclear, since its difficult to imagine what kind of person would be on board with paying over $1,000 for such an ostentatious, unnecessary service. Perhaps as another tactic to boost engagement, Protector has made appeals to a highly specific audience: business executives who are concerned about their safety after the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson (who would likely have access to corporate security anyway).If a Protector was present [when Thompson was killed], crisis could have been averted, the company claims in a video on X. The security guard in the video then runs through three possible scenarios where he claims he could have deterred the assailant from committing murder.With such a minimal potential customer base, its not clear how Protector will be able to sustain itself. But for now, the app has backing from angel investors including Balaji Srinivasan. The former a16z general partner is known for losing a public bet that the Bitcoin price would reach $1 million, and he has a special interest in backing startup societies and network states like Prospra, Honduras. Last year, he furthered this goal by renting an island near Singapore to host a 90-day Network School, which he described as a technocapitalist college town for everyone who doesnt feel part of the establishment and believes that Bitcoin succeeds the Federal Reserve.While Uber with guns is less extreme than adopting islands to be part of a larger, Bitcoin-based revolution, apps like Protector could have a more direct effect on average people.Protector isnt the first company to pursue this concept. BlackWolf, an app that also offers armed rideshare drivers, operates in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas; Appfigures estimates that BlackWolf has been downloaded about 256,000 times since launch in 2023.Like Protector, BlackWolf has leaned on extravagant social media marketing and fear mongering, capitalizing on news of driverless Waymo cars being vandalized. BlackWolf founder Kerry KingBrown urges viewers to use his service instead of taking a Waymo, as though other, more reasonable alternatives like Uber and Lyft do not exist.These tactics recall Citizen, the community-sourced crime reporting app that offers a $20 per month service where users can connect with a security agent in an emergency.If these new apps can learn anything from Citizen, its that the incentives of public safety and startup growth dont mix. This was especially clear in an egregious incident when Citizen founder and CEO Andrew Frame promoted the apps livestream feature by broadcasting a seven-hour manhunt for a suspected arsonist, offering $30,000 for information leading to the mans arrest. But after blasting notifications to all Los Angeles users to join the pursuit, it turned out that they had the wrong guy the Los Angeles police arrested an innocent suspect.Though Citizen is still operating and Frame remains CEO its mistakes loom large as Protector prepares its next announcement. Protector isnt just working on Uber for guns. It plans to launch an app called Patrol, where users can crowdfund security guards to surveil their neighborhoods. The more money users donate, the higher the level of security they can unlock, including robots and drones to monitor the area.Its a controversial business move in a time when Americans trust in law enforcement has wavered in the wake of high-profile police killings.Were not mall cops, a security guard said in a promotional video for Patrol. Were real cops.

Hi guys, has anyone ever thought of making decals using a depth buffer? I had the idea to invert the transparency and make the decals visible only near the surface. In this case, if the decal is on the edge of the model, then the part that goes beyond the limits will be invisible. What do you think? 1 post - 1 participant Read full topic

In 1871, wealthy engineer and philanthropist, Henry Farnam (1803-1883), purchased a house lot on the desirable Hillhouse Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut, where he would live out his final days in retirement. Mr. Farnam made his fortune beginning in 1839, when he was instrumental in building the railroad connecting New Haven to New York. In 1850, he moved toIllinoiswhere he partnered withJoseph E. Sheffieldto build theChicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, becoming that railroads president in 1854. In 1868, Farnam moved back toNew Havenwhen he hired Russell Sturgis, Jr., to design and oversee construction on his home there. Henry Farnam also worked with Sturgis on Farnam Hall at Yale, where he is the benefactor and namesake of the building. Henry Farnam died in 1883, and in his will, he stipulated that he would gift his property to Yale College under the condition that his son, Henry W. Farnam, could live there until his death.Henry Walcott Farnamwas an economist, and served as president of theAmerican Economic Association. In 1933, the property ownership was officially transferred to Yale University, who in 1936, renovated the property, changing its appearance from Victorian Gothic to Colonial Revival. Architects, Richard A. Kimball and Ellery Husted furnished the designs for the stately residence. Since that time, the Farnam House has served as the residence of the Yale President.

Published March 1, 2025 10:00am EST close 'CyberGuy': This years most devastating data breaches Kurt Knutsson: Data breaches in 2024 exposed info of millions, stressing the need for better cybersecurity. If there is one sector that has outdone healthcare in data breaches and ransomware attacks, it is finance.Security incidents affecting financial institutions are becoming increasingly common, whether they involve banks, fintech companies or investment research firms.The latest case involves Zacks, an American investment research company. A cybercriminal claimed to have stolen 15 million customer and client records, but a separate investigation later confirmed the actual number to be 12 million.STAY PROTECTED & INFORMED! GET SECURITY ALERTS & EXPERT TECH TIPS SIGN UP FOR KURTS THE CYBERGUY REPORT NOW Illustration of a hacker at work. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)What you need to knowThe Zacks Investment breach first came to light in late January 2025 when a hacker known as "Jurak" claimed on BreachForums that they had gained access to Zacks' systems as early as June 2024.According to the hacker, they obtained domain administrator privileges for Zacks' active directory, a critical network security component, allowing them to steal source code for Zacks.com and 16 other websites, including internal tools, along with user account data. The stolen information was then put up for sale on hacker forums, with samples offered for a small cryptocurrency payment to prove authenticity, as reported byBleepingComputer.Further investigation confirmed the breach occurred in June 2024, exposing 12 million unique email addresses and other personal data. The fact that the attacker managed to gain domain admin access suggests a highly sophisticated attack, potentially exploiting vulnerabilities in Zacks' network security.This is not the first time Zacks has suffered a breach. Previous incidents include a 2022 attack that compromised an older Zacks Elite product database from 1999 to 2005, as noted on Zacks' own breach disclosure page. Threat actor's post on BreachForums. (BleepingComputer)What data got compromisedThe Zacks Investment data breach, confirmed by Have I Been Pwned (HIBP), exposed a range of sensitive user information, putting those affected at risk. The leaked data includes email addresses, IP addresses, names, phone numbers, physical addresses, usernames, and unsalted SHA-256 hashed passwords.This kind of information can be misused for phishing, identity theft, credential stuffing, harassment, SIM swapping and even physical threats. Alarmingly, 93% of the leaked email addresses had already been exposed in previous breaches, making reused passwords an even bigger problem. The use of unsalted SHA-256 hashes widely considered outdated only adds to the risk, making it easier for attackers to crack passwords and compromise accounts.Despite the severity of the breach, Zacks Investment Research has yet to release an official statement as of February 2025. The lack of transparency is troubling, especially considering the scale of the breach and Zacks' history with security incidents.WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)? A person scrolling on a phone. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)7 ways you can protect yourself after a data breach like this1. Beware of phishing attempts and use strong antivirus software:After a data breach, scammers often use the stolen data to craft convincing phishing messages. These can come via email, text or phone calls, pretending to be from trusted companies. Be extra cautious about unsolicited messages with links asking for personal or financial details, even if they reference recent orders or transactions. The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE2. Invest in identity theft protection:Given the exposure of personal data, such as names, addresses and order details, investing in identity theft protection services can provide an extra layer of security. These services monitor your financial accounts and credit report for any signs of fraudulent activity, alerting you to potential identity theft early on. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals.See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft.3. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on accounts:Enablingtwo-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your online accounts. Even if hackers get hold of your login credentials, they wont be able to access your accounts without the second verification step, such as a code sent to your phone or email. This simple step can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive personal information.4. Update your passwords: Change passwords for any accounts that may have been affected by the breach, and use unique, strong passwords for each account. Consider using apassword manager. Get more details about mybest expert-reviewed Password Managers of 2025 here.5. Remove your personal data from public databases: If your personal data was exposed in this breach, its crucial to act quickly to reduce your risk of identity theft and scams. While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice.They arent cheap and neither is your privacy.These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. Its what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet.By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.Kurts key takeawaysThe Zacks Investment breach highlights just how real the threat of cyberattacks is for financial institutions. With millions of users affected and personal data exposed, the risks of scams and identity theft are higher than ever. The fact that Zacks hasnt said much about the breach only adds to the uncertainty for those impacted. As these types of attacks become more common, its more important than ever to stay on top of your online security use unique passwords, keep an eye on your accounts, and stay alert for any signs of suspicious activity.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPShould there be stricter regulations for how companies disclose breaches and protect customer data? Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/ContactFor more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading toCyberguy.com/NewsletterAsk Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to cover.Follow Kurt on his social channels:Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurts free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

In general, it's a good idea to protect your feet. The #droppingthingsonmyfoot trend does the ... [+] opposite. (Photo: Getty)gettyGetting a lot of views on TikTok may seem like quite a feat. But do you really want to risk your feet to do so? Probably, not. But apparently the answer is yes for those who joined the #droppingthingsonmyfoot trend on the social media platform. This trend is basically what it sounds like: people dropping various household objects on their feet and then rating the pain they experience from one to 10. Such objects have ranged from lighter things like hairbrushes and toilet rolls to heavier items like chairs, game consoles, toasters, air fryers and computer monitors.Umm, do we have to explain why this is a bad idea? Presumably you have no more than two feet, unless you happen to be a centipede. That doesnt leave you too many feet to spare. And feet are kind of important for walking, running and standing. Moreover, your feet arent made of iron or Nutella. They have various parts that are rather susceptible to damage.What #droppingthingsonmyfoot Can Do To Your FootYour foot is full of things that can get damaged when a heavy object is dropped on it. ... [+] (Illustration: Getty)gettyFirst, theres the skin and soft tissue of your foot. Trauma to this soft tissue can result in varying degrees of inflammation and disruption. Sharper parts of the object can cause some type of cut or puncture wound through your skin. Lacerations in turn can become infected.Your feet also have blood vessels and nerves coursing through them. Damage to your blood vessels can result in bruising or other even worse types of internal bleeding. Damage to your nerves can lead to numbness or chronic pain.Another thing toe-tally at risk are your toenails. You could end up with a subungual hematoma, which is bleeding under your toenail. The toenail itself can break or be torn. Enough force applied in the right (or perhaps wrong) direction could even completely separate the toenail from the nail bed, which is called a toenail avulsion.Then there are the various ligaments connecting the bones of your foot with each other and tendons connecting the muscles with the bones. These can become inflamed, damaged and torn from trauma too. This, in turn, can leave you with pain and affect the functioning of your foot.Finally, there are the bones. The bones can get fractured in many different ways. You are probably not going to hear people say the following too often: And things got much better after I fractured my foot. A foot fracture of any kind require medical attention in order to gauge its severity and nature. If the fracture is displaced, meaning the two sides of the fracture have slipped out of place, it may not heal properly. Plus, foot fractures can lead to arthritis, bone infections and compartment syndrome, which is when pressure builds up in the surrounding muscles to a point where blood flow is decreased.By the way, the Mayo Clinic specifically warns on its website, Dropping something heavy on the foot is a common cause of fractures. It also lists the following sports and safety tips to help prevent foot fractures:Wearing proper shoes,Replacing athletic shoes when needed,Starting fitness programs slowlyHaving a balanced fitness programBuilding bone strength through getting enough calcium and vitamin DUsing night lights so that you dont injure yourself in the dark and getting rid of clutter in your home so that you dont trip and fall.The list doesnt include dont drop heavy objects on your foot because presumably people should know that already. But then again that may be too much of an assumption.What To Do If You Drop Something On Your FootIf you do happen to drop an object on your foot, either accidentally or deliberately, make sure that you carefully inspect your foot as soon as possible. That means taking off your shoe and sock and checking for any sign of injury such as any tenderness, swelling, bruising, deformity, laceration or bones sticking through the skin. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not get better with time, contact a medical professional. Dont wait if your foot has lost its shape in any way. Also, just because you can walk doesnt mean that you dont have a foot fracture.#droppingthingsonmyfoot Videos May Not Be Showing The Whole StoryWhenever you see something on social media, it can be difficult to tell how real it is. How do you know the objects being dropped on feet are real and not props? How do you know that others arent wearing some type of protection on their feet? How do you know that the videos havent been edited heavily?Then theres the aftermath. Watching a video on social media can be like watching only the first few minutes of the movie Sixth Sense. You are only getting part of the picture and dont know what really happened after the feats of feet occurred. The videos may not show the person being hobbled for days or visiting doctors, physical therapists, emergency rooms or hospital.Therefore, beware of blindly imitating anything you see on social media. Think about the consequences first. After all, you dont know whats real and what may leave you feeling like a heel.Finally, any glory that you may get from showing your feet getting crushed will likely be fleeting. Chances are few remember all those who posted videos of them putting Tide Pods in their mouths or snorting condoms. Searching TikTok for #droppingthingsonmyfoot now returns the following message: No results found along with This phrase may be associated with behavior or content that violates our guidelines. Promoting a safe and positive experience is TikToks top priority. For more information, we invite you to review our Community Guidelines. Apparently, TikTok figured that bad things were afoot with this trend.

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili cuts a cake symbolizing Georgian-US friendship during ... [+] his tour at the USS Stout anchored in the Black Sea port of Batumi on July 16, 2009. The Adjara region is an example of novel peacebuilding with Russia. IRAKLI GEDENIDZE/AFP via Getty ImagesAFP via Getty ImagesThe unfortunate breakdown in prospects for minerals deal between Ukraine and the United States may open avenues for considering other pathways for environmental peacebuilding in the current conflict with Russia. A key stumbling point in trying to chart a peace agreement has been an inability of both sides to consider hybrid solutions which recognize the resource interdependencies that could benefit either side. Rather than having a stylized view of world order with ossified notions of hard borders and protectionist control, we need to consider creative options on how territories can share aspects of access and governance. Such a pragmatic view would not undermine American or Western principles and lead to a more durable peace agreement that does not compromise our values.Current Western policy has framed Russias invasion of Ukraine as an assault on world order. While the term has no international definition and is widely contested, at its core world order connotes a view where economically or militarily dominant nation-states police the planet. Putin and NATO are both captivated by a Cold War geopolitics of order that is no longer relevant to complex changes in environmental and social systems on our planet. We need to move from such a narrow view of World Order to a more naturalized vision of what I call Earthly Order. I define this term (in the context of my eponymous book from Oxford University Press) as governance that considers the constraints of planetary level natural processes when defining social, economic, and political systems. Thus, border delineation and enforcement of any flows of financial and human capital and ecological processes become intertwined in decision-making. Such an approach opens the way for developing what are called superordinate goals in psychological research which can be a highly effective mechanism for conflict resolution.Hybridity of BordersThe late Sen. John McCain noted in 2014, Ukraine was the jewel of the Soviet crown because of its rich arable land, vast mineral wealth and massive manufacturing infrastructure. The fact that the bitter battle for Mariupoul has occurred at a steel plant is emblematic of the resource nationalism of this conflict. Instead of making this a hard fight between whether Ukraines border should be delineated along the old Ukrainian SFSR, or based on ethnic majoritarianism, we need to consider the underlying resource factors behind this invasion. Ukraines geography has given it highly arable land because of the river systems that bring alluvial deposits to its plains. The region was the bread basket for the Soviet Union and has continued to be a major supplier of grain since independence.While hard borders can play a vital role in times of crisis, economic exchange that is linked to comparative advantage and market efficiencies provide a more natural means of crafting governance arrangements. Without relinquishing sovereignty Ukraine could develop an autonomous governance arrangement with the eastern territories. The flow of oil, gas, and even water (in the case of the North Crimean canal) across political borders has been another point of contention that has exacerbated the current conflict. If assurance mechanisms between nation-states could be developed around natural resource flows, the potential for conflict escalating to war would be severely reduced. On the western side of the Black Sea, Ukraine and Moldova have maintained a hybrid border arrangement where a sliver of Moldovan territory is sandwiched between Ukrainian lands (which I visited in 2018). The separatist region of Tranisteria is nearby with Russian troops present as well, and a frozen conflict situation has emerged.The autonomous region of Adjara within Georgia has largely avoided war because a hybrid governance mechanism was established between the Georgian territory and the breakaway territory. The Russians maintained a military base within this territory as well until 2007. The capital of the region, Batumi, is a resource hub for oil from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, and its oil refinery handles Caspian oil from Azerbaijan. By naturalizing a notion of order in this vital Black Sea location and considering the vitality of resource infrastructure and market efficiency, a pragmatic series of concessions were made that satisfied all sides. Over a decade the breakaway region felt secure enough in its relationship with Georgia and vice versa that the constitutional court of Georgia is now in Adjara.For those who think that such a path towards pragmatic peace would erode sovereignty, we only need to consider variations of national order that countries have accepted in the past. Iraqi Kurdistan provides one example of how a hybrid governance mechanism has been workable within the existing United Nations system. Until trust can be built to have more defined mechanisms for ascertaining preferences for self-governance, such hybridity is a way of both saving human lives and natural systems on which we all depend.Environmental Concerns as a Motivator for PeaceThe ecological damage and human cost of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is horrendous. Both sides have disregarded ecological concerns with Russians attacking the ruins of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor and the Ukrainians destroying the Nord Stream pipeline. The more it is protracted the greater the risk of nuclear meltdowns at power plants or weapons usage (either through oceanic/terrestrial tests or in the war theater). Much as we must support Ukraines principled defense, we must also recognize a fundamental ground reality: An impaired planet due to stifled science or nuclear fallout will make any victory less sustainable for all of humanity.The logic of such an approach is predicated not just in social and political science but in the natural science understanding of complex adaptive systems. For example, the development of cities has been well-studied and their growth follows many of the same power laws of scaling that we find in fundamental physics. A means of developing such a naturalized view of world order is to consider such resource complementarities through more nimble multilateral economic governance mechanisms such as the G20.In the case of the Ukraine war, there are existing institutions of cooperation such as the Organization for Black Sea Economic Cooperation, which recognizes ecological connectivity and also has an environmental mandate. Henry Kissingers sharp comments at Davos this past year suggested land concessions for peace would be met with less opprobrium if seen from the lens of Earthly Order.In his magnum opus on World Order, Kissinger identified power and legitimacy as the two key elements of a sustainable order. Add to this a recognition of natural systems of connectivity that transcend borders and we begin to chart a more durable geography of peace. However, the path to gaining such a naturalized vision of peace requires us to revisit some of the lessons of unconventional diplomacy from the Cold War era.

WTF?! A Reddit user claims to have discovered an entire 12nm TSMC wafer discarded in a dumpster near one of the chipmaker's fabs in China. While it was just a test wafer, the find sparked jokes about cutting it into working GPUs and served as a reminder of the complexities of chip manufacturing. The Reddit user who shared the pictures, AVX512-VNNI, claims to have found the wafer near TSMC's Fab 16 factory in Nanjing, China. While not cutting-edge, that fab still produces reasonably advanced 12nm node chips, meaning we're talking about highly valuable silicon here.But surely a company like TSMC wouldn't just dump their IP this way for the world to copy? Indeed, they didn't, and there's a reasonable explanation for the "blunder." The same Redditor pointed out later under the post that this appears to be what's known as a "test wafer" used to calibrate the lithography machines that pattern the circuitry onto production wafers.Phew. That's certainly not as disastrous as tossing out wafers containing actual customer chip designs, like Nvidia's RTX 50 series GPUs. Those would be far too valuable to misplace. Or perhaps the explanation is even simpler: the Redditor is an employee at one of the foundries and is just joking.Don't miss our explainer: What is Chip Binning?Anyway, for some quick context, semiconductor wafers are the blank slates that get transformed into finished chips through repeated lithographic patterning, deposition, and etching steps. After processing, they get chopped up into individual chip dies, a process known as dicing. These individual dies are then packaged into CPUs, GPUs, and other semiconductor products.However, not all chips perform equally, even if they come from the same wafer. This is where chip binning comes in. After dicing, each die is tested and sorted based on factors like speed, power efficiency, and defect count. Only the best-performing chips make it into the highest bins, destined for flagship products, while more flawed dies are assigned to lower bins for mid-range or entry-level parts. // Related StoriesSo in that sense, this wafer incident could be seen as a rather extreme case of "binning" as in straight into the trash can. Now, while it's already established that the wafer was likely a test unit, this hasn't stopped Redditors from pondering whether it would be possible to salvage the wafer and extract any individual dies.One commenter suggested using a pizza cutter to dice up the wafer, while another proposed skipping the slicing altogether and wiring up the entire wafer. Interestingly, that's actually a legitimate technique called wafer-scale computing, so they may be onto something.The incident also sparked some good-natured roasting of Nvidia over the RTX 50 series, with one commenter quipping "Hey look, someone found the missing ROPs" in reference to some of those GPUs shipping with missing render output units.

In brief: Monster Hunter, a franchise that once struggled to spread beyond its core Japanese audience on the PSP, is now Capcom's most successful IP. Latest release Monster Hunter Wilds has broken records on Steam and for the company as a whole within 24 hours of launch. Its peak player count almost quadruples the franchise's previous mainline entry. Monster Hunter Wilds peaked at around 1.3 million concurrent players on Steam approximately 12 hours after its release, becoming the first Capcom title to exceed one million, according to SteamDB. The game immediately left the company's previous releases in the dust, like Capcom Arcade Stadium with 488,791 players and Monster Hunter: World with 334,684.In Steam's all-time peak player count ranking, Monster Hunter Wilds has already beaten hits like Dota 2, Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, and Marvel Rivals. Most notably, Capcom's multiplayer survival action game already has over 40 mods, totaling over 10,000 downloads.Its success on Steam is only the tip of the iceberg. These numbers don't include the majority of users playing the game on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles. Hilariously, Palworld developer Pocketpair gave employees the day off after many called in sick on the day Monster Hunter Wilds launched.The game's success on Steam appears unaffected by its severe performance issues on PC. Steep system requirements that encouraged players to use frame generation to reach 60 frames per second were an early sign of trouble, but problems have since escalated.Digital Foundry reports that Monster Hunter Wilds immediately urges players to engage frame generation upon starting. Additionally, the game suffers from mysterious stuttering issues and slow texture compression. Capcom's implementation of DirectStorage might be the cause, but some users suspect Denuvo's infamous anti-tampering software.Customers building a new gaming rig should also note that AMD started bundling Monster Hunter Wilds with several of its Ryzen CPUs, Radeon graphics cards, and a few pre-built systems. The promotion applies to high-end RX 7000 series GPUs and discounted Ryzen 9000 processors that, unfortunately, don't include 3D V-Cache. Team Red is likely using Capcom's success to clear inventory as it launches the Radeon RX 9000 series cards. // Related Stories

Everyone knows the woes of slow internet connection speeds, but the Google Taara chip could provide Internet to previously unreachable areas and at speeds of up to 20Gbps per second. This project has been in development for years, but the team behind it just announced the next-generation Taara chip.Taara is a silicon photonic chip, which is a technical way of saying it transmits data through the air using beams of light. The original version of Taara worked, but it had limitations namely, the complicated series of mirrors and hardware needed to adjust the direction of the beam. The new version utilizes advanced software to steer the beam.Recommended VideosWhats more, the original project Taara Lightbridge was the size of a traffic light. Those look small hanging above the road, but theyre significantly bulkier up close. The second generation shrinks the required size to that of a fingernail.This map shows how undersea cables build the backbone of the internet. Submarine Cable Map / NABy using light as its medium, Taara is able to find near-infinite bandwidth in the middle of the spectrum. A quick science lesson: the electromagnetic spectrum is broken down into different frequencies. Visible light is one of these. Taara uses the part of the spectrum that lies between infrared and visible light. By using a narrow beam of light (invisible to the eye), Taara transmits data as fast as 20Gbps for up to 20km at once. The chip can be installed and set up in a matter of hours, compared to the months or years it takes to install fiber infrastructure.Taara will be available in 2026, but while installation may be fast, adoption is slow. Its likely to be years before this technology is readily available for the average consumer, but this breakthrough is a step in the right direction and is essential for bringing internet connectivity to areas where traditional infrastructure cant go.Editors Recommendations

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsFargo (1996)Raging Bull (1980)Rocky (1976)Gladiator (2000)West Side Story (1961)With another Oscars right around the corner, its important to consider how the Academy has succeeded and failed in preserving film history. The Oscars are an imperfect ceremony. Sometimes, they get it right; if not in Best Picture, then at least in some other category.Weve pulled together a list of five Oscar-winning films that are all available to stream for free. Not all of these movies won Best Picture, but they all won something, and theyre well worth checking out if you want to see five instances when the Oscars definitely nailed it.Recommended VideosNeed more recommendations? Then check out the best new movies to stream this week, as well as the best shows on Netflix, best shows on Hulu, best shows on Amazon Prime Video, and best shows on Disney+.RelatedFargo Official Trailer #1 - Steve Buscemi Movie (1996) HDThe Coen Brothers have made a number of all-time classic movies, but Fargomay be their most quintessential film. Set in Fargo, North Dakota, the film follows a heavily pregnant sheriff with a perky attitude as she investigates a murder on the outskirts of her small town.Anchored by a remarkable Frances McDormand, who won her first Oscar for the film,Fargois hilarious and meditative almost simultaneously. Its meditations on the nature of evil and the strangeness of humanity feel as relevant as ever, but its also hugely effective as a crime caper if you dont want to get that deep.You can watchFargoon Tubi.Raging Bull Official Trailer #1 - Robert De Niro Movie (1980) HDAlthough it came short of winning Best Picture,Raging Bull pulled out a win for Robert De Niro in Best Actor as well as Best Film Editing. Raging Bull chronicles boxer Jake La Motta as he rises to become the heavyweight champion of the world, only to self-sabotage and destroy his career and his life.De Niro is marvelous as a man who cant get out of his own way. Scorseses direction in the boxing sequences is particularly staggering, but throughout the movie, he captures what it means to be the kind of man who repels everyone around them.You can watchRaging Bullon Tubi.ROCKY (1976) | Official Trailer | MGMThe ultimate underdog story as a movie and in real life, Rockywas the somewhat surprising best picture winner in 1976. Rocky, the story of a working-class boxer who gets a once-in-a-lifetime shot to take on the world champion, launched an entire franchise and made a star out of Sylvester Stallone.Although it was made for a low budget, one ofRockys main charms is how rough and ragged it feels throughout. This is a movie that feels as working-class as its main character and one that still inspires almost 50 years later.You can watchRockyon Pluto TV.GLADIATOR | Official Trailer | Paramount MoviesSword-and-sandal epics used to be big with the Academy, and GladiatorGladiatortells the story of a Roman general betrayed by the emperors son in a bid for power. Ridley Scotts epic is the kind of sweep and grandeur that even the best blockbusters made today usually lack.Anchored by Russell Crowes brilliant central performance and featuring some wonderfully elaborate set pieces, Gladiatoris equal parts silly and serious, and thats part of what makes it so great.You can watchGladiatoron Pluto TV.West Side Story - Official Trailer [HD]The classic musical has been made into not one but two all-time classic films. Adapting Romeo & Julietto 1960s New York,West Side Story follows a romance between a gang member and a Puerto Rican woman who his gang hates.The films technicolor musical sequences are its most enduring legacy, though, and the reason that it has remained a fixture of all musical-loving households for decades since it was first released. West Side Storyis a classic for a reason.You can watchWest Side Storyon Tubi.Editors Recommendations