Breakdown & ShowreelsEmilia Prez: VFX Breakdown by MPCBy Vincent Frei - 11/03/2025 From blue screens in Paris to the vibrant streets of Mexico, Emilia Prez showcases the expertise of MPC in invisible VFX. With over 350 shots seamlessly integrating digital environments, their work proves that the best effects are the ones you dont see!WANT TO KNOW MORE?MPC: Dedicated page about Emilia Prez on MPC website.Cedric Fayolle: Heres my of Production VFX Supervisor Cedric Fayolle and the MPC team. Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2025

Lincoteks Medical Division has secured a patent for a 3D printed screw designed to enhance bone ingrowth and offer greater customization for orthopedic procedures.The patent (US 12,171, 464 B2) describes a screw with an integrated lattice structure that allows its mechanical properties to be adjusted based on surgical requirements and patient needs. Unlike traditional bone screws, which are typically machined from titanium with a smooth surface and a solid construction, this design introduces a more adaptable approach.By using 3D printing, the screw can be customized to better match a patients anatomy, offering greater flexibility in how implants are designed and applied in surgeries. It can be tailored for procedures involving the spine, sacroiliac joint, and treatments for avascular necrosis, as well as other reconstruction applications.Lincoteks R&D team is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of medical technology to develop solutions for our OEM customers that enhance patient outcomes. This novel design offers unparalleled customization, promoting faster healing and better integration with the patients boneultimately setting a new standard in orthopedic Care, said Francesco Buccioti, Head of Global Business and Business Development at the Medical Division of Lincotek.Lincoteks patented 3D printed orthopedic screw. Image via Lincotek.Porous 3D printed screw for bone ingrowthOne of the key features of the screw is its ability to be tailored for different procedures, including spinal surgeries, sacroiliac joint stabilization, and treatments for avascular necrosis.Surgeons can modify the central shaft by adjusting thread profiles, changing shaft diameters to fit anatomical requirements, and even incorporating internal channels for drug delivery or electrical stimulation. This flexibility allows for implants that are better suited to the specific demands of each patient and surgical procedure.The patent also covers porous structures designed to encourage bone ingrowth, helping the implant integrate more effectively over time. According to Lincotek, this approach could improve both short-term stability and long-term fixation, reducing the risks associated with implant failure.Additionally, this novel design supports both patient-specific implants and mass production, eliminating the need for complex assembly and minimizing potential clinical risks linked to disassembly.Mukesh Kumar, Technology and R&D Director at Lincoteks Medical Division, pointed out that a successful implant depends on finding the right balance between load sharing with the host bone, structural stability, and bone integration.He explained that conventional screws rely on eliminating micro-motion to aid recovery, whereas this 3D printed screw is designed to support the formation of new bone tissue, which could make a significant difference in reconstruction procedures as well as hip and spine surgeries.3D printing medical implantsLincoteks patent news reflects the growing use of AM in medical applications, where personalized implants are becoming increasingly important for improving patient outcomes.One notable example came last year when metal AM company AddUp partnered with medical device startup Anatomic Implants to file an FDA 510(k) application for what it described as the worlds first 3D printed toe joint replacement.The Anatomic Great Toe Joint. Image via AddUp.Designed to closely replicate human anatomy, the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint replacement was developed using titanium 3D printing to address a gap in the $500 million 1st MTP joint reconstruction market. Anatomic Implants turned to AddUps FormUp 350 powder bed fusion (PBF) system to navigate the regulatory process, leveraging its ability to create complex lattice structures that support osseointegration.Elsewhere, Wedo Bio-Medical Technology received market approval in China for its 3D printed spinal implant, named WedoCage developed using Bright Laser Technologies (BLT) 3D printing systems. The implant secured a Class III Medical Device Registration Certificate from the National Medical Products Administration, following Wedos earlier approval for its laser powder based fusion (LPBF)-matched Thoracolumbar Artificial Vertebrae in May 2023.Clinical trials, conducted across more than 10 research hospitals since 2019, showed a 97.10% fusion rate at six months, outperforming traditional PEEK Fusion Devices. For this implant, BLT worked closely with Wedos R&D team to optimize printing parameters, aiming to advance osseointegration and long-term implant stability.What3D printing trendsshould you watch out for in 2025?How is thefuture of 3D printingshaping up?To stay up to date with the latest 3D printing news, dont forget to subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter or follow us on Twitter, or like our page on Facebook.While youre here, why not subscribe to our Youtube channel? Featuring discussion, debriefs, video shorts, and webinar replays.Featured image shows Lincoteks patented 3D printed orthopedic screw. Image via Lincotek.Ada ShaikhnagWith a background in journalism, Ada has a keen interest in frontier technology and its application in the wider world. Ada reports on aspects of 3D printing ranging from aerospace and automotive to medical and dental.

Seriema House | Luisa LageLocated in the rural landscape of Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Seriema House by TETRO is a retreat designed to engage with its surroundings through contrast and transition. Positioned between an open mountain vista and a dense forest, the residence creates a dynamic interplay between exposure and shelter. The design orchestrates a deliberate shift from the urban to the organic, offering a space for reflection, retreat, and sensory engagement with the natural environment.Seriema House Technical InformationArchitects1-14: TETRO ArchitectureLocation: Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, BrazilTotal Built Area: 350 m| 3,760 Sq. Ft.Completion Year: 2024Photographs: Luisa LageA winding wall divides the house into two worldsone open, bright, and dynamic, the other introspective, shaded, and immersed in the forest. This architectural gesture defines the spatial experience, balancing contrast and harmony. TETRO ArchitectsSeriema House PhotographsExterior | Luisa LageOrganic Walls | Luisa LageFire Pit | Luisa LagePool | Luisa LageOrganic Shapes | Luisa LageInterior / Exterior Relation | Luisa LageInterior | Luisa LageBedroom | Luisa LageBathroom | Luisa LageSpatial Composition: The Duality of Open and Enclosed SpacesAt the projects core is a sinuous stone wall that serves as a spatial divider and a conceptual element. This gesture delineates two distinct realms: the extroverted, dynamic space for gathering and the introspective, sheltered space for solitude. The house is not an isolated object but an intermediary between contrasting conditions, embracing expansive views and protective enclosure.The public-facing side, oriented towards the mountains, is flooded with natural light and remains open to movement and sound. This area functions as the social heart of the house, where interactions unfold against the backdrop of the horizon. In contrast, the private side, embedded within the density of the forest, cultivates stillness. Deep shadows, filtered light, and tactile materiality create an ambiance conducive to contemplation and rest.Circulation through the house becomes an architectural sequence, a deliberate choreography that guides inhabitants between moments of openness and intimacy. The projects spatial logic is rooted in fluidity rather than rigidity, allowing the user to engage with the house as a continuous experience rather than a static object.Seriema House Tactile ExpressionMaterial selection in Seriema House is not merely an aesthetic decision but a means of embedding the architecture within its environment. Black stone, used for the undulating wall, anchors the house within the earth, lending it a monolithic presence. This contrasts with the white stone flooring, which introduces a sense of lightness and continuity. The dialogue between these materials heightens the perceptual experience of the space, emphasizing weight and levity, darkness and illumination.Beyond visual impact, the houses materiality is designed to age with the landscape. The rough-hewn texture of the stone reflects the sites natural formations, reinforcing the buildings connection to its surroundings. Meanwhile, the selective use of wood and glass introduces elements of warmth and transparency, further balancing the architectural composition.The houses relationship with natural light is also a defining characteristic. Openings are not arbitrary but precisely positioned to enhance the interplay between shadow and illumination. The shaded forest zone benefits from dappled light, creating an interior atmosphere that shifts throughout the day. In contrast, the sunlit areas facing the mountains capture a broad spectrum of changing conditions, reinforcing the fluid nature of the architectural experience.Broader Context: Architecture as an Extension of the EnvironmentBeyond its immediate spatial and material logic, Seriema House engages with broader architectural themes. It exemplifies a context-sensitive approach, resisting the urge to impose itself onto the landscape and adapting to its conditions. The residence does not dominate its site but negotiates with it, allowing the natural setting to remain the defining presence.This attitude aligns with regional architectural traditions that prioritize integration with nature over formal autonomy. While the house possesses a contemporary formal language, its principlesusing local materials, passive climate strategies, and spatial fluidityresonate with vernacular precedents. The design leverages natural cross-ventilation and thermal mass to minimize reliance on mechanical systems, underscoring a commitment to sustainability beyond superficial gestures.Ultimately, Seriema House challenges conventional residential paradigms by privileging experience over spectacle. It is not a house that seeks to be viewed but demands to be inhabited, touched, and traversed. In this sense, it aligns with a lineage of architecture that prioritizes the phenomenologicalwhere space is not a fixed entity but an evolving dialogue between built form, nature, and human perception.Seriema House PlansFloor Plan | TETRO ArchitectureIsometric View | TETRO ArchitectureElevation | TETRO ArchitectureSeriema House Image GalleryAbout TETROTETRO Arquitetura, established in 2001 and based in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, is led by architects Carlos Maia, Dbora Mendes, and Igor Macedo. The firm emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach, integrating architecture and engineering to create unique, context-sensitive designs harmonizing with nature. Credits and Additional NotesLead Architects: Carlos Maia, Dbora Mendes, Igor MacedoStructural Engineering: Clculo ConcretoHydraulic & Electrical Engineering: CA EngenhariaLighting Design: IluminarContributors: Bruno Bontempo, Bianca Carvalho, Bruna Maciel, Carolina Amaral, Saulo Saraiva, Sabrina FreitasConstruction Company: TechnoWindows & Glass: CinexCladding, Ceramics & Metals: Bel LarStonework: Art PedrasWoodwork & Kitchen Cabinetry: LderMarble Work: Mrmores LTDAAir Conditioning: Grupo OrlandoFurniture: So RomoCurtains: Ana Luisa Decoraes

The Muscarelle Museum of Art at William & Mary displays 8,000 works within a handsome brick volume defined by splashes of polychromatic color in the windows. The museum opened in 1983 in Williamsburg, Virginia. It was designed by Carlton Abbott, the youngest member of the original Sarasota School of Architecture. The art museum reopened this month after a two-year renovation and expansion project by Pelli Clarke & Partners. The campus now has a new, 42,000-square-foot addition. Its existing, 17,500-square foot museum building by Abbott was optimized for improved art storage and staff work areas. VHB was the landscape architect.Pelli Clarke & Partners honored both the 1983 structure by Abbott, and William & Marys signature Georgian and Colonial Revivalstyle architecture in its design. (Tom Harris)The new wing by Pelli Clarke & Partners, named the Martha Wren Briggs Center for the Visual Arts, shares an entrance with the Abbott building. The multistory entry offers a light-filled space for guests to enjoy, making for ease of access.Brick was arranged on the exterior in pleats that extend the full-length of the building facade. (Tom Harris)The expansion triples the museums exhibition space with the addition of nine new galleries. It also helps improve the visitor experience thanks to new amenities including the new lobby, but also a new a study center, cafe, museum store, and additional classroom spaces. Pelli Clarke & Partners honored both the 1983 structure by Abbott, and William & Marys signature Georgian and Colonial Revivalstyle architecture in its design. The addition rises three stories, creating what the architects call a butterfly-like interpretation of the original structure.The expansion has nine new classrooms. (Tom Harris)Meaningful architecture does not replicate the past but embraces it, weaving history into a vision for the future, William Butler, a partner at Pelli Clarke & Partners, said in a statement. The Muscarelle Museum at William & Mary stands as a reflection of its time and place, yet aspires to tell the timeless story of humanity through art. The gallery spaces are seamlessly integrated. (Tom Harris)(Tom Harris)The exhibition areas feature vertical lance windows, making for controllable and adjustable natural light and dynamic viewing experiences. Outside, VHB Landscape Architects conceived a new front courtyard in between the new wing and original Abbott building.An aerial view shows the museum in context with the other university buildings. (Tom Harris)The interiors are mostly white, so as to accommodate artworks of all types. David Brashear, Muscarelle Museum of Art director, called the project by Pelli Clarke & Partners an architectural triumph, as well as welcoming, expansive and celebratory.

These sound-absorbers play with biophilia in decorative and innovative ways, from incorporating pressed flowers (and their smells) to sculpting organic forms and turning citrus into acoustic pulp. (Courtesy Frsch)BLOOMFrsch(Courtesy BAUX)Acoustic Pulp Bio ColourBAUX (Courtesy Slalom)BloomSlalom(Courtesy Unika Vaev)Artisan Acoustic WallcoveringUnika Vaev (Courtesy Turf)Stone TexturesTurf(Courtesy 3form Elements)Hush Stack3form Elements

Aligned in a row on the north side of Federal Street in Salem, the Essex County Court complex is a tour de force of the evolving architectural tastes of three centuries. At the eastern edge of the complex, the Old Granite Courthouse stands as the oldest of the group. The two-story temple-form building is of rectangular plan with gabled roof oriented towards the street. The facade features a recessed porch with paired columns surmounted by Greek Corinthian capitals which are set between broad, squared Doric corner pilasters. The granite building was designed by architect, Richard Bond (1797-1861) of Boston, and the structure is often referred to as one of the finest Greek Revival-style Civic buildings in New England. The courthouse remained in use until the J Michael Ruane Judicial Center at the end of the block was completed in 2012. The Old Granite Courthouse and adjacent Old Superior Courthouse were both vacated and have been essentially mothballed ever-since under the ownership of the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance as surplus. The fate of the two buildings remains undetermined.

Published March 11, 2025 10:00am EDT close 'CyberGuy': Cyberscams cost Americans billions a year Tech expert Kurt Knutsson joins "Fox & Friends" to warn of new cyberscams and give his tips on how to avoid them. SpyLoan apps are everywhere andyet people keep falling for them. They promise easy loans with flexible repayment, but what they actually do is steal your personal data, including contacts, sensitive images and files. The moment you take a loan, they start blackmailing you using your own data against you.Some of these apps do not even bother giving loans. They just grab your data and start the harassment. One such app has been making the rounds on the Play Store, racking up more than 100,000 downloads and putting thousands of Android users at risk of blackmail and extortion. A man scrolling on his smartphone (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)How SpyLend malware spreads and leads to scams and extortionSpyLend spread by posing as a credible financial management tool, "Finance Simplified," on the Google Play Store, as reported byBleepingComputer. It attracted financially vulnerable individuals by offering fast loans with minimal documentation.The app surged from 50,000 to 100,000 downloads in a single week despite red flags in user reviews about harassment and blackmail.Once downloaded, the app requested excessive permissions far beyond what a typical financial app would need, including access to contacts, SMS messages, call logs, photos and location data. This allowed the malware to silently collect personal information from users' devices.The stolen data fueled a vicious cycle of scams and extortion. SpyLoan apps like SpyLend lure users with attractive loan terms, only to exploit their data for predatory lending practices. If users fail to meet repayment demands, the operators weaponize their information by harassing them, blackmailing them with threats of leaking private photos or contacting their friends and family, and creating a climate of fear and coercion.In some cases, the extortion escalated to public shaming or even deepfake creation using stolen images, amplifying the psychological and financial toll on victims.We reached out about this incident, and a Google spokesperson told us, "The app has been removed from Google Play. Android users are automatically protected against known versions of this malware byGoogle Play Protect, which is on by default on Android devices with Google Play Services. Google Play Protect can warn users or block apps known to exhibit malicious behavior, even when those apps come from sources outside of Play."However, it is important to note that Google Play Protect may not be enough. Historically, it isn't 100% foolproof at removing all emerging malware from Android devices. Malicious app on Google Play (BleepingComputer) (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Sensitive data stolen by the appSpyLend is a serious threat because it steals a huge amount of personal information. It digs into contact lists and call histories, reads text messages, including banking alerts, and grabs photos and videos from storage.It also collects device details like the model and OS version, tracks location in real time every three seconds, records past locations and IP addresses, and it even saves the last 20 copied texts from the clipboard. On top of that, it gathers financial data like loan histories and banking SMS messages.This stolen data is not just used for blackmail, as it is often sold to cybercriminals. By preying on people already struggling financially, SpyLend puts nearly every part of their digital lives at risk. A Samsung phone (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)6 ways you can stay safe from SpyLoan apps1) Avoid suspicious loan apps: Stick to apps from well-known banks, credit unions or lenders registered with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or other regulatory bodies.2) Install strong antivirus software: Use strong antivirus protection on all your devices to detect and prevent malicious apps. This can also protect against phishing emails and ransomware scams. The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious apps is to have 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.3) Download apps from reliable sources: Its important to download apps only from trusted sources like the Google Play Store. You might say I am contradicting myself, but Play Store is still safer than other options out there. They have strict checks to prevent malware and other harmful software. However, even with the security measures provided by Google Play, downloading apps from the store does not guarantee 100% protection against malware or harmful software. Avoid downloading apps from unknown websites or unofficial stores, as they can pose a higher risk to your personal data and device. Never trust download links that you get through SMS.4) Review app permissions carefully: If an app asks for unnecessary permissions, like access to your contacts, call logs or storage, do not install it. A legitimate loan app should only require essential permissions related to financial transactions.5) Check reviews and red flags: Before installing any financial app, read user reviews carefully. If multiple people report harassment, blackmail or excessive permissions, avoid the app entirely.6) Report and uninstall suspicious apps: If you encounter a SpyLoan app, immediatelyuninstall it and revoke its permissions. Report it to the Google Play Store, cybersecurity authorities and financial regulators to help prevent further victims.If youve shared sensitive information, consider changing passwords and securing your accounts. Consider using apassword manager to generate and store complex passwords. Get more details about mybest expert-reviewed Password Managers of 2025 here.Kurts key takeawayThe promise of quick and easy money can be tempting, especially during tough times, making it easy to fall for these scams. However, there are safer and more reliable ways to take loans. As a general rule, it is best to avoid borrowing money through online apps unless they are from well-known financial institutions. Google also needs to take responsibility for allowing SpyLoan apps on the Play Store, even when user reviews clearly indicate they are malicious.Do you think Google is doing enough to crack down on predatory loan apps? Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/Contact.For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading toCyberguy.com/Newsletter.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.

Shuo - stock.adobe.comNewsPure aims at AI beyond the enterprise with FlashBlade//ExaFlashBlade//Exa targets use cases between the enterprise and hyperscalers with a disaggregated architecture and its DFM flash modules to be available separately for the first timeByAntony Adshead,Storage EditorPublished: 11 Mar 2025 13:00 Pure Storage has announced FlashBlade//Exa, which aims at artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads that demand extremely high throughput to graphics processing units (GPUs). That will serve customers between large enterprise users of AI and the hyperscalers.At the same time, FlashBlade//Exa has also introduced a new architecture to a Pure product line, one in which metadata and bulk storage are disaggregated with different hardware and protocols in use.All of which is in line with Pures orientation towards architectures used by the hyperscalers, and comes hot on the heels of last weeks revelation that Meta is the mystery hyperscaler that decided to buy Pures Direct Flash Modules (DFMs) for its own systems (see below).According to Patrick Smith, field chief technology officer at Pure Storage, Exa addresses challenges in storage for AI that include GPU utilisation, inconsistent performance generally, all specifically with metadata, scalability and management complexity.Exa aims at a performance level somewhat higher than current FlashBlade products, targeting AI factories and GPU-as-a-service providers such as Coreweave, Tenstorrent, DataCrunch and Foundry, as well as research labs, HPC users and sovereign cloud projects. All of which, Pure said, have performance needs in the 1TBps (terabytes per second) to 50TBps throughput range, with 100PB (petabytes) to multiple exabytes of capacity and support for thousands to tens of thousands of GPUs.FlashBlade is Pures fast file and object family, although Exa appears to be file access-only for now.Its next level in comparison to the FlashBlade S500, said Smith, citing FlashBlade//Exa performance figures of greater than 10TBps read performance in a single namespace, 3.4TBps throughput per rack, and an increase of 20 times in the number of files handled under single namespace.The novel architecture for Pure that lays the ground for the new product, is disaggregation between the metadata and bulk storage data nodes. Metadata is stored on FlashBlade nodes ie with controller hardware and connects to customers compute cluster via NFS v4.1 parallel file access and TCP. Meanwhile, data nodes connect via Network File System (NFS) v3 (not parallelised) and Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA).For the first time, Pure will offer this with Pure-recommended network interface cards (NICs) in customer-specified commodity non-volatile memory express (NVMe) storage servers, but later this year, Pure DFMs will be available for use with FlashBlade//Exa.As mentioned, this is the first time Pure has released a product without its own DFM capacity, but according to Smith, a decision was forced by acceleration in the AI [artificial intelligence] landscape, increased demand and especially increased scale.And so, coming out with a platform that allows customers to meet those scale demands in terms of performance and capacity is something we felt we shouldnt wait on, he added.This disaggregation of metadata storage and bulk storage, as well as the independent supply of its flash modules, is in keeping with recent developments that saw it unveil Meta as a hyperscaler customer for Pures DFMs.Around the turn of the year, Pure announced Kioxia and Micron as quad-level cell (QLC) flash chip providers for DFM modules for supply to a hyperscaler customer. That customer has now been revealed as Meta, which has gone public with a blog post detailing a shift from hard disk drives to QLC flash.That is for workloads that suit QLCs performance profile of highly sequential data and infrequent/low-intensity writes due to its low write endurance, and because QLC is not yet price competitive enough for a broader deployment.General availability of FlashBlade//Exa will be in summer 2025. Also planned for later this year are S3 object storage access via RDMA, Nvidia certification and Pure Storage Fusion integration.Read more about storage and AIStorage technology explained AI and data storage: In this guide, we examine the data storage needs of artificial intelligence, the demands it places on data storage, the suitability of cloud and object storage for AI, and key AI storage products.Storage technology explained vector databases at the core of AI: We look at the use of vector data in AI and how vector databases work, plus vector embedding, the challenges for storage of vector data and the key suppliers of vector database products.In The Current Issue:Digital twins map the world and guide strategic decisionsLiverpool reinvents customer service through digital platformDownload Current IssueSLM series - OurCrowd: Are domain-specific LLMs just as good (or better)? CW Developer NetworkSUSE Edge for Telco 3.2 dials into disaggregated network architectures Open Source InsiderView All Blogs

The AAWireless Two delivers the best mobile experience from a wireless Android Auto adapter, and it's available again on Amazon for a limited time.

Kerry Wan/ZDNETDid you know that whenever you turn on yoursmart TV, you invite an unseen guest to watch it with you? These days, most popular TV models utilize automatic content recognition (ACR), a form of ad surveillance technology that gathers information about everything you watch and transmits it to a centralized database. Manufacturers then use your data to identify your viewing preferences, enabling them to deliver highly targeted ads.Also: I changed these 6 TV settings to drastically speed up its performance (and why they work)What's the incentive behind this invasive technology? According to market research firm eMarketer, in 2022, advertisers spent an estimated $18.6 billion on smart TV ads, and those numbers are only going up.To understand how ACR works, imagine a constant, real-time Shazam-like service running in the background while your TV is on. It identifies content displayed on your screen, including programs from cable TV boxes, streaming services, or gaming consoles. ACR does this by capturing continuous screenshots and cross-referencing them with a vast database of media content and advertisements.According to The Markup, ACR can capture and identify up to 7,200 images per hour, or approximately two images every second. This extensive tracking offers money-making insights for marketers and content distributors because it can reveal connections between viewers' personal information and their preferred content. By "personal information," I mean email addresses, IP addresses -- and even your physical street address. Also:The fastest VPNs of 2025: Great speeds and secure connections anywhereBy understanding what viewers watch and engage with, marketers can make decisions on content recommendations to create bespoke advertising placements. They can also track advertisements that lead to purchases.But the most disturbing part is the potential for exploitation. In the wrong hands, sensitive information gathered through ACR could be exploited or misused, which may result in security risks or, at worst, identity theft.Because ACR operates clandestinely in the background, many of us aren't even aware of its active presence each time we're enjoying our favorite shows. Opting out of using ACR is complex and sometimes challenging. Navigating through your TV settings might take several dozen clicks to protect your privacy better.If you, like me, perceive this feature to be intrusive or unsettling, there's a way to dismiss this data collection feature on your smart TV. It might take some patience, but below is a How-To list for five major brands demonstrating how to turn off ACR.How to turn off ACR on a smart TV For Samsung TVs Press theHomebutton on your remote control.Navigate to the left to access the sidebar menu.In the sidebar menu, choose thePrivacy Choicesoption.Select theTerms & Conditions, Privacy Policyoption.Ensure that the checkbox forViewing Information Servicesis unchecked. This will turn off ACR and any associated ad targeting.Select theOKoption at the bottom of the screen to confirm your changes. Show more Also:Move over, Roku? TiVo is joining the smart TV party in the US For an LG TV Press theHomebutton on your remote control to access the home screen.Press theSettingsbutton on your remote.In the settings side menu, select theSettingsoption.Navigate to and select theGeneraloption.In the General menu, chooseSystem.SelectAdditional Settings.In Additional Settings, locate and toggle off theLive Plusoption.LG further allows you to limit ad tracking, which can be found in Additional Settings.In the Additional Settings menu, selectAdvertisement.Toggle on theLimit AD Trackingoption.You can also turn off home promotions and content recommendations:In the Additional Settings menu, selectHome Settings.Uncheck theHome Promotionoption.Uncheck theContent Recommendationoption. Show more For a Sony TV Press theHomebutton on your remote control to access the main menu.Navigate to and selectSettings.ChooseInitial Setup.Scroll down and selectSamba Interactive TV.SelectDisableto turn off Samba TV, which is Sony's ACR technology.Sony also allows for enhanced privacy by disabling ad personalization:Go toSettings.SelectAbout.ChooseAds.Turn offAds Personalization.As an extra step, you can entirely disable the Samba Services Manager, which is embedded in the firmware of certain Sony Bravia TVs as a third-party interactive app.Go toSettings.SelectApps.SelectSamba Services Manager.ChooseClear Cache.SelectForce Stop.Finally, selectDisable.If your Sony TV uses Android TV, you should also turn off data collection for Chromecast:Open the Google Home app on your smartphone.Tap the Menu icon.Select your TV from the list of devices.Tap the three dots in the upper right corner.ChooseSettings.Turn offSend Chromecast device usage data and crash reports. Show more For a Hisense TV Press theHomebutton on your remote control to access the main menu.Navigate to and selectSettings.ChooseSystem.SelectPrivacy.Look for an option calledSmart TV Experience,Viewing Information Services, or something similar.Toggle this option off to disable ACR.To disable personalized ads and opt out of content recommendations:In the Privacy menu, look for an option likeAd TrackingorInterest-Based Ads.Turn this option off.Look for options related to content recommendations or personalized content.Disable these features if you don't want the TV to suggest content based on your viewing habits. Show more For a TCL TV (and other Roku-powered TVs) Press theHomebutton on your TCL TV remote control.Navigate to and selectSettingsin the main menu.Scroll down and select thePrivacyoption.Look forSmart TV Experienceand select it.Uncheck or toggle off the option labeledUse Info from TV Inputs.For extra privacy, TCL TVs offer a few more options, all of which can be found in the Privacy menu:SelectAdvertising.ChooseLimit ad tracking.Again, select Advertising.UncheckPersonalized ads.Now, still in the Privacy menu, select Microphone.AdjustChannel Microphone AccessandChannel Permissionsas desired. Show more Remember that while these steps will significantly reduce data collection, they may also limit some smart features of your TV. Also, it's a good idea to periodically check these settings to ensure they remain as you've set them. Especially after software updates, your revised settings may sometimes revert to their default state.Also: Roku TV is expanding to another major brand - and its OLED model looks promisingThe driving force behind targeted advertisements on smart TVs is ACR technology, and its inclusion speaks volumes about manufacturers' focus on monetizing user data rather than prioritizing consumer interests.For most of us, ACR offers few tangible benefits, while the real-time sharing of our viewing habits and preferences exposes us to potential privacy risks. By disabling ACR, you can help keep your data to yourself, and enjoy viewing with some peace of mind.Featured