See at Paramount Plus Watch the Champions League in the US from $8 a month Paramount Plus See at Paramount Plus See more details See at ExpressVPN Best VPN for streaming ExpressVPN See at ExpressVPN See more details See at TNT Sports Watch Champions League games live in the UK for 31 a month TNT Sports See at TNT Sports See more details See at DAZN Watch Champions League in Canada from CA$30 a month DAZN See at DAZN See more details See at Stan Sport Watch the Champions League in Australia from AU$27 a month Stan Sport See at Stan Sport See more details It's a clash of the Bundesliga giants on Wednesday, as Bayern Munich host Bayer Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena in the first leg of this all-German last-16 matchup in the UEFA Champions League.While Leverkusen were unstoppable on their way to their first Bundesliga title last term, it looks to be business as usual this time out, with Vincent Kompany's Bayern currently 8 points clear at the top of the German top flight with 10 games to go.Today's hosts have nevertheless been unconvincing in this tournament, and struggled to get past Celtic in their playoff last round. Leverkusen, meanwhile, finished in the top eight of the league phase to clinch automatic qualification for the last 16.Bayern Munich take on Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday, March 5, at the Allianz Arena. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. CET local time in Germany. That makes it an8 p.m. GMTstart in the UK, a3 p.m. ET or 12 p.m. PTkickoff in the US and Canada, and a7 a.m. AEDTstart in Australia on Thursday morning.Below, we'll outline the bestlive TV streaming servicesto use to watch the match as it happens, wherever you are in the world. Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany will be hoping his team can replicate their domestic form after an underwhelming showing in this tournament so far this season. Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto/Getty ImagesLivestream Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen in the USAmerican soccer fans can stream every fixture of this season's tournament via Paramount Plus, which has exclusive live English-language broadcast rights in the US for the UEFA Champions League. Sarah Tew/CNET Paramount Plus has two main subscription plans in the US: Essential for $8 a month and Premium for $13 a month. Both offer coverage of the Champions League.The cheaper Essential option has ads for on-demand streaming and lacks live CBS feeds, as well as the ability to download shows to watch offline later. Newcomers to the service can take advantage of a 30-day free trial, while students may qualify for a 25% discount. Read our Paramount Plus review. See at Paramount Plus How to watch every UEFA Champions League 2024/25 game online from anywhere using a VPNIf you find yourself unable to view UCL matches locally, you may need a different way to watch the games -- that's where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it's also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors' Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you're streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions. 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 for $100 you'll get three months free and save 49%. That's the equivalent of $6.67 a month.Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. See at ExpressVPN Livestream Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen in the UKTNT Sports broadcasts the majority of Champions League games in the UK, with this match set to be shown live on TNT Sports 2 and TNT Sports 2 HD channels. TNT Sports TNT Sports is offering the lions' share of Champions League matches exclusively live this season to viewers in the UK. You can access TNT Sports in a number of ways, including via Sky Q as a TV package, or direct streaming from its range of mobile and smart TV apps. It costs 31 either way and comes in a package that includes Discovery Plus' library of documentary content. See at TNT Sports Livestream Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen in CanadaIf you want to stream UCL games live in Canada, you'll need to subscribe to DAZN Canada. The service has exclusive broadcast rights to the Champions League this season. DAZN A DAZN subscription currently costs CA$30 a month or CA$200 a year and will also give you access to Europa League and EFL Championship soccer, Six Nations rugby and WTA tennis.As well as dedicated apps for iOS and Android, there's a wide range of support for set-top boxes and smart TVs. See at DAZN Livestream Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen in AustraliaFootball fans Down Under can watch UCL matches on streaming service Stan Sport, which has exclusive rights to show the Champions League live in Australia this season. Stan Stan Sport will set you back AU$15 a month (on top of a Stan subscription, which starts at AU$12). It's also worth noting that the streaming service is currently offering a seven-day free trial.A subscription will also give you access to Europa League and Europa Conference League action, as well as international rugby and Formula E. See at Stan Sport Quick tips for streaming UEFA Champions League matches using a VPNWith four variables at play -- your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN -- your experience and success when streaming Champions League games may vary.If you don't see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the "search for city or country" option.If you're having trouble getting the game after you've turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try to fix quickly. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs -- like Roku -- don't have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you'll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you're using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network's sports app, you'll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.Remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you're using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommendBrave.

March 5, 20253 min readTrump Pushes His Fossil Fuel-Focused Energy Agenda in State of the Union SpeechIn his State of the Union Speech, President Trump pushed fossil fuel extraction, a plan for developing critical minerals and an Alaska natural gas pipelineBy Garrett Downs & E&E News U.S. President Donald Trump during a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Win McNamee/Getty Images/BloombergCLIMATEWIRE | President Donald Trump lampooned Democratic efforts to fight climate change early and often during his joint address to Congress on Tuesday while vowing to rapidly ramp up fossil fuel and mineral production in the United States.Trump delivered a speech celebrating the first few weeks of his second term, including declaring an energy emergency. Democrats those who didn't boycott the address responded with derision to how the president has run the country since Jan. 20."I terminated the ridiculous Green New Scam, I withdrew from the unfair Paris climate accord, which was costing us trillions of dollars," Trump said. "We ended all of Bidens environmental restrictions that were making our country far less safe and totally unaffordable."On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Even though Congress never enacted the Green New Deal, the president and Republicans use it as shorthand for Democratic actions against climate change. The GOP is in the process of rolling back broad swaths of former President Joe Biden's environmental legacy.Trump slammed the Biden administration for moving to limit oil and gas leasing, even though production remained high. He also appeared to blame the former president for the closure of coal-fired power plants.We have more liquid gold under our feet than any nation on Earth by far, and now I fully authorized the most talented team ever assembled to go and get it. Its called: Drill, baby, drill, Trump said.Beyond well-worn rhetoric, the president said he would announce "historic action to dramatically expand production of critical minerals and rare earths here in the USA." He did not provide details.Trump, when talking about Ukraine, said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had written him a letter keeping a minerals deal between the two countries alive.The president took credit for ending what he called the Biden administrations insane electric vehicle mandate, saving our autoworkers and companies from economic destruction.The former president didn't enact an EV mandate as Republicans claim, but he did push rules that would promote the transportation sector's electrification.Trump touted a gigantic natural gas pipeline project in Alaska. The president was referring to a pending cross-state pipeline and liquefied natural gas export project that has been in the works for years, and he's been pushing Asian countries to invest."Japan, South Korea and other nations want to be our partner with investments of trillions of dollars each," Trump said.Trump spoke about retaking the Panama Canal. And even though he said Greenland had the right of self determination, he reiterated his intention to take it over."I think we're going to get it one way or the other," said the president. "We're going to get it."Democratic protestsDemocrats hold protest signs U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2025.Win McNamee/POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesPresidential speeches to joint sessions of Congress have become increasingly acrimonious and partisan. Republicans cheers were met with Democratic silence.Several Democrats like Senate Energy and Natural Resources ranking member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Senate Environment and Public Works ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) skipped the speech.Some invited guests were affected by Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Trump praised Musk's cost-cutting moves during his remarks. Democrats have called many of the billionaire's actions illegal.Democrats also held up signs of protest. Some read False and Musk steals." Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) held a sign behind Trumps back as he walked into the chamber that read, This is not normal. Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) grabbed it and tossed it in the air.Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who invited a guest tied to the natural gas industry, had Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) removed for repeatedly interrupting the president.These people sitting right here, will not clap, will not stand and certainly will not cheer for these astronomical achievements, Trump said. Its very sad, and it just shouldnt be this way.During the official Democratic response, Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin accused Republicans and the president of wanting to cut government to benefit billionaires."America wants change," she said. "But there is a responsible way to make change and a reckless way."Slotkin said Trump's tariffs would hurt consumers, including through higher energy prices. "Change doesn't need to be chaotic," she said.Trump offered a strong defense of his tariffs so far and said he would soon enact more. He said they may cause "a little disturbance" that in the end would pay off."I was saved by God to make America great again," the president said, referring to the assassination attempt against him last year.This story also appears in Climatewire.Reprinted from E&E News with permission from POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2025. E&E News provides essential news for energy and environment professionals.

The Last of Us season two cast additions reveal how show is expanding upon the gameCat's out of the bag.Image credit: HBO News by Victoria Kennedy News Reporter Published on March 5, 2025 Six supporting cast members have been announced for the second season of HBO's The Last of Us adaptation, giving us an idea how the show will expand upon Part 2's story.As reported by Variety, Joe Pantoliano, Alanna Ubach, Ben Ahlers, Hettienne Park, Robert John Burke, and Noah Lamanna will all be joining Bella Ramsey's Ellie and Pedro Pascal's Joel when the second season airs next month.Pantoliano - whose previous credits include Bad Boys for Life and The Matrix - will play Eugene, while Burke (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) stars as Jackson resident Seth, and Lamanna (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds) is playing Kat. These three characters have all featured in Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part 2.The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered's Roguelike No Return Mode Explained.Watch on YouTubeThe remaining three actors will all portray characters who've been written specifically for the show. Ubach (Euphoria) has been cast as Hanrahan, Ahlers (The Gilded Age) is playing Burton, and Park (Hannibal) stars as Elise Park.Please note, there will be some story spoilers for The Last of Us Part 2 - and therefore potentially the show - below. Image credit: HBOWhile it remains unclear how the three new characters will fit into The Last of Us Part 2's narrative, the inclusion of Eugene and Kat gives us an idea as to how the series is expanding upon the game's story.For those unfamiliar, Kat (or Cat, as she's known in the game) was Ellie's ex, but never actually appeared in person during The Last of Us Part 2 - although she was originally supposed to feature during the Jackson dance sequence. Instead, she was only mentioned in passing, with Dina telling Ellie she didn't think Cat was right for her, among other things. This is clearly going to change in the TV series, and a previous trailer appeared to show Ellie getting her tattoo (which came from Cat in the game). I wonder if we will also see Kat appear in the dance sequence, as well. A photo of Cat in The Last of Us Part 2. | Image credit: Naughty DogNext up, we have Eugene, who again is mentioned in The Last of Us Part 2 but doesn't appear in person, barring collectables. Eugene was a patrolman who lived in Jackson before dying of a stroke aged 73. He formed a close relationship with Dina (played in the show by Isabel Merced), and more of his story can be uncovered by finding a letter in-game - which reveals he had a wife and daughter, but left them to join the Fireflies, where he served with Joel's brother Tommy."The Fireflies will be fine without you. Your daughter won't," the letter from Eugene's wife Claire reads. "She keeps asking me when you're coming home. I can't lie to her anymore. I miss you. But I don't know how much more of this I can take. Come home. Please. We love you."According to Variety, Eugene's season two appearance will be similar to season one's standalone Bill and Frank episode (and because of which I still can't look at strawberries the same way). Eugene's Firefly pendant in The Last of Us Part 2. | Image credit: Naughty DogIn a recent interview about the process of adapting Part 2 for the series, it was revealed the idea to bring Eugene's story into the mix came from showrunner Craig Mazin, but Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann was all for it."I get excited when I see these opportunities," he told Variety. "I'm like, 'Oh, I dont know Eugene that well!' The story we told [in the game] was somewhat superficial. The way this character comes in really gets to the heart of Joel and Ellie and their relationship."Given Druckmann's words here, and how Bill and Frank's relationship was expanded upon for season one of The Last of Us, I can only assume Eugene's family relationship and his move to become a Firefly will become a key element of the show's story. Oh, and Eugene is also very tech savvy and had a cannabis lab, so pretty sure that will come up. A photo of Eugene with his family in The Last of Us Part 2. | Image credit: Naughty DogThe second season of The Last of Us is set to kick off in the US on 13th April, and will comprise seven episodes, with one of those episodes being "quite big" in length.It remains unclear where the second season of The Last of Us will wrap up, but Mazin has already confirmed it will not cover the entirety of Part 2's narrative. It will, however, feature a lot more infected than the first season.

FragPunk console launch delayed as NetEase's shooter hits PC this weekCompensation will be offered.Image credit: NetEase News by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on March 5, 2025 After the success of Marvel Rivals, NetEase is publishing another shooter due for release this week: FragPunk. At least, it's releasing on PC, as its console launch has been delayed without a new release date.The online shooter was first revealed at last year's Xbox Games Showcase in June, showing off its unique card mechanic that alters gameplay and the environments with wacky effects.FragPunk releases on PC tomorrow, 6th March, but a message from the official social media account states the Xbox and PlayStation releases need more time due to "unexpected technical challenges".FragPunk Global Launch 30s CG Teaser - Coming March 6Watch on YouTube"Since the announcement of the game, your excitement has been truly inspiring, and we know how much you've been looking forward to launching into battle on both Xbox and PlayStation," the announcement reads."However, we want to be fully transparent with you: during the console compliance testing process, we encountered unexpected technical challenges in optimisation and adaptation."Rather than rushing the console release and providing a potentially poor user experience, we have made the difficult decision to delay the launch of the console versions to ensure that players receive a comparable experience to those on PC."It's unknown when the console versions will now be released.However, the developer will compensate players on Xbox and PlayStation by providing all rewards up front, including in-game currencies, cosmetics, experience, and more once the game is out.Any console pre-orders will be cancelled, but those players will receive in-game currency worth $10 when these versions eventually launch."This delay was not an easy decision, but we are committed to delivering the best possible experience for our players, and this additional time will allow us to fully optimise and polish the console versions for launch," the statement continues.To see this content please enable targeting cookies.The PC release of FragPunk will include 150+ Shard Cards, 13 playable heroes (called Lancers), and seven maps to battle on.FragPunk promises an alternative to Valorant - like Riot's shooter it's a five-versus-five free-to-play shooter with teams taking turns to attack and defend.I went hands-on with FragPunk at last year's Gamescom and was impressed by both the speed of gameplay and its intriguing card system that should help it stand out from other games of the genre.

He has grown from a SoundCloud rapper into an eclectic country music starso where does Post Malone live? Los Angeles or even Texas would be reasonable guesses, but the answer is much more interesting.The versatile singer currently resides in whats been dubbed an apocalypse-proof mansion situated on seven acres of picturesque land near Salt Lake City, Utah. (In a YouTube video promoting the suburb of Cottonwood Heights, where Posts residence is located, he called the city the most amazing place ever.) Post was born in Syracuse, New York, and grew up between there and Dallas. In his late teens, he and his longtime friend Jason Probst, a professional game streamer, moved to LA, where they lived with a few other artist friends for some time. As his career took off with the release of his debut album, Stoney, in 2016, however, Post began to seek a bit more peace and quiet. I kind of just wanted to get away to where I can have my own oasis, he said on Zane Lowes podcast in 2022. Below, were sharing a glimpse into some of the places Post has found zen.San Fernando Valley homeIn the early 2010s, Post and a few friends recorded music together as a group called BLCKVRD, living together in a San Fernando Valley rental home. The home represented a formative time for the singer, as that was where he was living when he recorded the song White Iverson and uploaded the track onto SoundCloud, which undeniably put him on the map.In 2018, after Post and his friends had already moved out, the house was burglarized by three men who were allegedly looking for the singer. According to TMZ, one burglar even shouted, Wheres Post Malone? The new resident of the house, who did not have any links to the singer, was reportedly attacked, and the burglars took off with $20,000 worth of possessions.Utah bunkerAt the time of the burglary, Post was likely already residing in the $3.1 million Utah property that he purchased earlier that year under the LLC Wow Cool House. In an interview on the H3 Podcast the previous summer, he had shared that he was looking to build a bunker for the end of the world. Im just buying a place out in the sticks, he said. Im building it underground. Its going to be fun until the world ends. But whenever the world ends, its going to be functional. Then, in an interview with Rolling Stone that was published that fall, he clarified that hed already purchased a home in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. Im gonna put in, like, 30 bunk beds, he told the publication.The main house, which was initially built in 1986, measures 13,000 square feet and boasts five bedrooms and seven bathrooms spread across the sleek stone, glass, and wood structure. Amenities include a living room with a bar, a wine cellar, a home gym, and an office and conference room. Out back, theres a pool, jacuzzi, and tennis court. All of the floor-to-ceiling glass windowswhich look out onto canyon and mountain viewsare reportedly bulletproof, and there is a state-of-the-art security system.Beverly Hills rentalPosts Utah home is now his primary residence, but around the time he purchased it, he also rented a Marc Whippledesigned Beverly Hills mansion. That home hit the market for $26 million in 2019, with reports at the time noting that Post had been its most recent inhabitant. It is not known how much the singer paid in rent. The modern mansion measured 11,200 square feet, with six bedrooms and seven full and two half bathrooms. Perched high up in the hills overlooking the city, the dwelling featured dark painted wood ceilings, beams, and doorways that stood in stark contrast to the white tile flooring. Amenities like a movie theater, a gym, a wine cellar, and a wraparound infinity pool made the spot the perfect place for Post to party like a rockstar, while a sunken firepit, outdoor kitchen, and secret Zen garden likely helped to counteract the more rambunctious aspects of his lifestyle.

Paris Fashion Week is underway, which means industry insiders have begun descending upon the City of Light for yet another season of runway collections. Last night, however, the French capitals most-talked-about style was at the historic Louvre, which just celebrated its first-ever sartorially-oriented exhibit, Louvre Couture, with its first annual Grand Dner du Louvre.The lavish affair, which raised more than 1 million euros for the museums many endeavors, could be described as Frances trs chic answer to the Met Gala. As is often the case, they found a way to imbue their version with the kind of glamour only the French can manage. A whos who of both Hollywood notables (including Gemma Chan, Dev Patel, and Michelle Yeoh) and fashion luminaries (like Naomi Campbell, Liya Kebede, and Tyra Banks) kicked off the night at a step-and-repeat set in front of the Louvres iconic outdoor pyramid structureset beautifully aglow in golden light. The group was met inside with an elegant cocktail hour, dinner prepared by Michelin-starred French chef Anne-Sophie Pic, and a VIP tour of the Louvre Couture collection.Defining Louvre CoutureLouvre Couture explores the link between furnishings, like this elaborately detailed blue-and-white console, and pieces from luxury fashion houses, like the Chanel jacket beside it.Photo: Nicolas MathusThe exhibition itself is plenty buzz-worthy without all the star-studded support. Set in a sprawling space of 9,000 square meters, the garments from 45 fashion houses on display all thoughtfully correspond with the Louvres existing treasure trove, with pieces dating back to the Byzantine era and Middle Ages all the way through the 19th century. Some highlights? For one, an opulently embellished Chanel jacket from the brands spring-summer 2019 haute couture range. The piece is placed near its source material: an 18th-century console adorned with an intricate china blue animal and floral motif and metallic scrolls that caught designer Karl Lagerfelds eye when conceptualizing the collectionhis last for the brand before his passing in February 2019.Then theres a sumptuous red velvet Dior couture gown circa autumn-winter 20042005. Made under the tenure of John Galliano, the regal piece was heavily influenced by the French film SissiThe Young Empress, in which late French German actress Romy Schneider portrays the Austrian royal. Set in the upper echelons of 19th-century European court life, the movie is rich with visually arresting interiors: plushly upholstered furniture, gilded moldings, enamel-detailed objects. All this inspired Galliano to make looks right at home surrounded by the Louvres display of Second Empire decor from Napoleon IIIs apartments.

"What a mess".Since taking office in January, the Trump administration has implemented a range of tariffs on goods being imported into the country. The introductions, which came into effect yesterday, include a 25% tariff on products from Mexico and a 20% tariff on goods from China (an additional 10% on what was initially implemented on 4th February), both of which have the potential to result in a price hike for consoles and accessories and, according to Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, could bring about the death of select physical game sales.Despite many companies, including Nintendo, Apple and Microsoft, starting to shift their production out of China in the last decade, the country remains a central hub for global hardware production. The same can be said for Mexico and disc production. The U.S. tariffs, therefore, threaten to increase production costs for developers and publishers, something Piscatella believes may lead to select companies dropping physical releases completely.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

AI models are being cranked out at a dizzying pace, by everyone from Big Tech companies like Google to startups like OpenAI and Anthropic. Keeping track of the latest ones can be overwhelming.Adding to the confusion is that AI models are often promoted based on industry benchmarks. But these technical metrics often reveal little about how real people and companies actually use them.To cut through the noise, TechCrunch has compiled an overview of the most advanced AI models released since 2024, with details on how to use them and what theyre best for. Well keep this list updated with the latest launches, too.There are literally over a million AI models out there: Hugging Face, for example, hosts over 1.4 million. So this list might miss some models that perform better, in one way or another.AI models released in 2025Coheres Aya VisionCohere released a multimodal model called Aya Vision that it claims is best in class at doing things like captioning images and answering questions about photos. It also excels in languages other than English, unlike other models, Cohere claims. It is available for free on WhatsApp.OpenAIs GPT 4.5 OrionOpenAI calls Orion their largest model to date, touting its strong world knowledge and emotional intelligence. However, it underperforms on certain benchmarks compared to newer reasoning models. Orion is available to subscribers of OpenAIs $200 a month plan.Claude Sonnet 3.7Anthropic says this is the industrys first hybrid reasoning model, because it can both fire off quick answers and really think things through when needed. It also gives users control over how long the model can think for, per Anthropic. Sonnet 3.7 is available to all Claude users, but heavier users will need a $20 a month Pro plan. xAIs Grok 3Grok 3 is the latest flagship model from Elon Musk-founded startup xAI. Its claimed to outperform other leading models on math, science, and coding. The model requires X Premium (which is $50 a month.) After one study found Grok 2 leaned left, Musk pledged to shift Grok more politically neutral but its not yet clear if thats been achieved.OpenAI o3-miniThis is OpenAIs latest reasoning model and is optimized for STEM-related tasks like coding, math, and science. Its not OpenAIs most powerful model but because its smaller, the company says its significantly lower cost. It is available for free but requires a subscription for heavy users.OpenAI Deep ResearchOpenAIs Deep Research is designed for doing in-depth research on a topic with clear citations. This service is only available with ChatGPTs $200 per month Pro subscription. OpenAI recommends it for everything from science to shopping research, but beware that hallucinations remain a problem for AI.Mistral Le ChatMistral has launched app versions of Le Chat, a multimodal AI personal assistant. Mistral claims Le Chat responds faster than any other chatbot. It also has a paid version with up-to-date journalism from the AFP. Tests from Le Monde found Le Chats performance impressive, although it made more errors than ChatGPT.OpenAI OperatorOpenAIs Operator is meant to be a personal intern that can do things independently, like help you buy groceries. It requires a $200 a month ChatGPT Pro subscription. AI agents hold a lot of promise, but theyre still experimental: a Washington Post reviewer says Operator decided on its own to order a dozen eggs for $31, paid with the reviewers credit card.Google Gemini 2.0 Pro ExperimentalGoogle Geminis much-awaited flagship model says it excels at coding and understanding general knowledge. It also has a super-long context window of 2 million tokens, helping users who need to quickly process massive chunks of text. The service requires (at minimum) a Google One AI Premium subscription of $19.99 a month.AI models released in 2024DeepSeek R1This Chinese AI model took Silicon Valley by storm. DeepSeeks R1 performs well on coding and math, while its open source nature means anyone can run it locally. Plus, its free. However, R1 integrates Chinese government censorship and faces rising bans for potentially sending user data back to China.Gemini Deep ResearchDeep Research summarizes Googles search results in a simple and well-cited document. The service is helpful for students and anyone else who needs a quick research summary. However, its quality isnt nearly as good as an actual peer-reviewed paper. Deep Research requires a $19.99 Google One AI Premium subscription.This is the newest and most advanced version of Metas open source Llama AI models. Meta has touted this version as its cheapest and most efficient yet, especially for math, general knowledge, and instruction following. It is free and open source.OpenAI SoraSora is a model that creates realistic videos based on text. While it can generate entire scenes rather than just clips, OpenAI admits that it often generates unrealistic physics. Its currently only available on paid versions of ChatGPT, starting with Plus, which is $20 a month.Alibaba Qwen QwQ-32B-PreviewThis model is one of the few to rival OpenAIs o1 on certain industry benchmarks, excelling in math and coding. Ironically for a reasoning model, it has room for improvement in common sense reasoning, Alibaba says. It also incorporates Chinese government censorship, TechCrunch testing shows. Its free and open source.Anthropics Computer UseClaudes Computer Use is meant to take control of your computer to complete tasks like coding or booking a plane ticket, making it a predecessor of OpenAIs Operator. Computer use, however, remains in beta. Pricing is via API: $0.80 per million tokens of input and $4 per million tokens of output.x.AIs Grok 2Elon Musks AI company, x.AI, has launched an enhanced version of its flagship Grok 2 chatbot it claims is three times faster. Free users are limited to 10 questions every two hours on Grok, while subscribers to Xs Premium and Premium+ plans enjoy higher usage limits. x.AI also launched an image generator, Aurora, that produces highly photorealistic images, including some graphic or violent content.OpenAI o1OpenAIs o1 family is meant to produce better answers by thinking through responses through a hidden reasoning feature. The model excels at coding, math, and safety, OpenAI claims, but has issues deceiving humans, too. Using o1 requires subscribing to ChatGPT Plus, which is $20 a month.Anthropics Claude Sonnet 3.5Claude Sonnet 3.5 is a model Anthropic claims as being best in class. Its become known for its coding capabilities and is considered a tech insiders chatbot of choice.OpenAI GPT 4o-miniOpenAI has touted GPT 4o-mini as its most affordable and fastest model yet thanks to its small size. Its meant to enable a broad range of tasks like powering customer service chatbots. The model is available on ChatGPTs free tier. Its better suited for high-volume simple tasks compared to more complex ones.Cohere Command R+Coheres Command R+ model excels at complex Retrieval-Augmented Generation (or RAG) applications for enterprises. That means it can find and cite specific pieces of information really well. (The inventor of RAG actually works at Cohere.) Still, RAG doesnt fully solve AIs hallucination problem.

Volkswagens ultra-cheap EV called the ID EVERY1 a small four-door hatchback revealed Wednesday will be the first to roll out with software and architecture from Rivian, according to a source familiar with the new model. The EV is expected to go into production in 2027 with a starting price of 20,000 euros ($21,500). A second EV called the ID.2all, which will be priced in the 25,000 euro price category, will be available in 2026. Both vehicles are part of the automakers new of category electric urban front-wheel drive cars that are being developing under the so-called Brand Group Core that makes up the volume brands in the VW Group. And both vehicles are for the European market.The EVERY1 will be the first to ship with Rivians vehicle architecture and software as part of a $5.8 billion joint venture struck last year between the German automaker and U.S. EV maker. The ID.2all is based on the E3 1.1 architecture and software developed by VWs software unit Cariad.VW didnt name Rivian in its reveal Wednesday, although there were numerous nods to next-generation software. Kai Grnitz, member of the Volkswagen Brand Board of Management responsible for Technical Development, noted it would be the first model in the entire VW Group to use a fundamentally new, particularly powerful software architecture. This means the future entry-level Volkswagen can be equipped with new functions throughout its entire life cycle, he said. Even after purchase of a new car, the small Volkswagen can still be individually adapted to customer needs.Sources who didnt want to be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed to TechCrunch that Rivians software will be in the ID EVERY1 EV. TechCrunch has reached out to Rivian and VW and will update the article if the companies respond.The new joint venture provides Rivian with a needed influx of cash and the opportunity to diversify its business. Meanwhile, VW Group gains a next-generation electrical architecture and software for EVs that will help it better compete. Both companies have said that the joint venture, called Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies, will reduce development costs and help scale new technologies more quickly.The joint venture is a 50-50 partnership with co-CEOs. Rivians head of software, Wassym Bensaid, and Volkswagen Groups chief technical engineer, Carsten Helbing, will lead the joint venture. The team will be based initially in Palo Alto, California. Three other sites are in development in North America and Europe, the companies have previously said. image credits: VWThe ID. EVERY1 represents the last piece of the puzzle on our way to the widest model selection in the volume segment, Thomas Schfer, CEO of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand and Head of the Brand Group Core, said in a statement. We will then offer every customer the right car with the right drive systemincluding affordable all-electric entry-level mobility. Our goal is to be the worlds technologically leading high-volume manufacturer by 2030. And as a brand for everyonejust as you would expect from Volkswagen.The Volkswagen ID EVERY1 is just a concept for now and with only a few details attached to the unveiling. The concept vehicle reaches a top speed of 130 km/h (80 miles per hour) and is powered by a newly developed electric drive motor with 70 kW, according to Volkswagen. The German automaker said the range on the EVERY1 will be at least 250 kilometers (150 miles). The vehicle is small but larger than VWs former UP! vehicle. The company said it will have enough space for four people and a luggage compartment volume of 305 liters.

Hello everyone,Im working on a character with a glass helmet in Unreal Engine, and I want to recreate an effect similar to Rippley vs Sludge in Fortnite. The goal is to see only the characters head through the helmet, without seeing the environment behind it.I have tried several methods: Using transparent materials, but this makes the helmet fully transparent, which is not the desired effect. Opacity masks, but they dont prevent the environment from being visible through the helmet.It seems like Fortnite uses a fake transparency shader, possibly by combining a Render Target with a SceneCaptureComponent2D to display only the head inside the helmet.Does anyone have a precise idea of how to recreate this effect? I would appreciate any help regarding materials, Blueprints, or any other method that could achieve this effect!Thanks in advance for your help!