After visual and musical artist Antireal (aka 4nt1r34l) accused Bungie of using her artwork without credit in Marathon’s recently released alpha build, the studio has admitted to wrongdoing. On Thursday, Antireal said on X, “The Marathon alpha released recently and its environments are covered with assets lifted from poster designs I made in 2017.” And she came with receipts, showing triangular V graphics, a series of boxed icons, and a script reading “ALEPH” in Marathon’s alpha that mirrors her designs. On top of that, she connected a graphic sheet from Marathon’s press kit to more of her work from 2017. bungie is of course not obligated to hire me when making a game that draws overwhelmingly from the same design language i have refined for the last decade, but clearly my work was good enough to pillage for ideas and plaster all over their game without pay or attribution. pic.twitter.com/G3FbPtbPJD— N² (@4nt1r34l) May 15, 2025 In response, Bungie admitted fault in the situation, posting on X, “We immediately investigated a concern regarding unauthorized use of artist decals in Marathon and confirmed that a former Bungie artist included these in a texture sheet that was ultimately used in-game.” Bungie further stated, “We are conducting a thorough review of our in-game assets, specifically those done by the former Bungie artist, and implementing stricter checks to document all artist contributions. We value the creativity and dedication of all artists who contribute to our games, and we are committed to doing right by them.” The company also noted that it has “reached out to 4nt1r34l to discuss this issue and are committed to do right by the artist.” Antireal’s support community took doing right by the artist into their own hands by donating through her Ko-fi page. She posted, “Completely overwhelmed by the response to this — thank you so much for the support and especially to those who have donated, it helps enormously.” This isn’t the first time Bungie has faced accusations of using independent artists’ work without permission. In 2021, the studio acknowledged that fan art of a Destiny 2 character was used in a trailer without permission, which was resolved with Bungie acquiring permission with proper credit. In 2023, Bungie again had to reach out to credit and compensate an independent artist for fan art used in a Destiny 2 cutscene. And last year, it admitted to using fan art for a Destiny 2 Nerf gun. This Marathon incident is the latest in a pattern of Bungie lifting visual art from uncredited sources.

Receipts often contain the chemical BPS. LordHenriVoton/Getty Images 2025-05-15T10:34:01Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Receipts often contain bisphenols, which are chemicals linked to reproductive toxicity and cancer. That's because receipts are coated in a plastic polymer for heat-based printing. Dr. Leonardo Trasande from NYU Langone says he opts for email and text receipts when possible. Plastics and the chemicals they carry are everywhere, from our air, water, and blood to the products we use every day.Researchers like Dr. Leonardo Trasande know the unexpected places where these chemicals sneak into our lives, like the receipts you get at grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, and clothing outlets."We don't think of thermal paper receipts as plastic, but that shiny coating is a polymer on top," Trasande, a professor of pediatrics and environmental health researcher at NYU Langone, told Business Insider. Trasande's main complaint about receipts is what that plastic polymer puts into human skin.Where there is plastic, he added, "chemicals of concern come along for the ride."When it's an option to receive his receipt by email or text, Trasande goes for that.Toxic chemicals on store receiptsReceipts are usually made of thermal paper, which is designed to print using heat-sensitive inks. That makes for cheap and easy on-the-spot printing in restaurants and businesses.The problem is that this thermal paper usually contains bisphenols, a class of chemicals used to manufacture plastics. Receipts are usually printed on thermal paper using heat. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls The most famous bisphenol, called BPA, has been linked to heart disease, decreased fertility, breast and prostate cancers and, in children, asthma and neurodevelopmental issues. BPA has been phased out of US products over the past decade, including receipts.However, studies have found that many receipt manufacturers have replaced the BPA with its cousin BPS, which is banned in Europe for use in food containers, considered a reproductive toxin by the state of California, and has been associated with breast cancer.If you touch a receipt that's coated in BPS, the toxic chemical can quickly enter your body by absorbing through your skin, according to recent research.This year, the nonprofit watchdog Center for Environmental Health tested receipts from 32 major retailers and found that touching one for 10 seconds would expose someone to enough BPS to legally require a warning in California. Under the state's Proposition 65, businesses must provide warnings about significant exposures to chemicals that cause cancer or reproductive harm. The CEH delivered a legal notice to those 32 retailers in April."Chemicals used in plastic materials need to be properly vetted for safety," Trasande said. "Insofar as chemicals are identified to be toxic to human health, we have safer alternatives that should be considered."He called electronic receipts "an important positive step forward." Microplastics in receiptsUnderlying the bisphenols, of course, is plastic. Though Trasande said there is much more definitive research on the health effects of many chemicals in plastics, emerging science about the proliferation of plastics themselves throughout the human body is not comforting.The plastic items that surround us all in our homes, workplaces, schools, and even the outdoors are shedding tiny particles called microplastics — or, when they get really tiny, nanoplastics.These minuscule plastics build up in our bodies. They've been found in almost every human body tissue researchers have checked, from the brain to the lining of the arteries. Their health impacts are not yet clear, but they've been linked to chronic inflammation, lung and colon cancers, reproductive health issues, and heart attack and stroke risk."There are limits to what I can control," Trasande said. "At the same time, there are so many steps we can take to reduce our exposure to chemicals of concern and particularly micro- and nanoplastics."Declining paper receipts is one of them. On the whole, though, Trasande said the world needs to reduce its plastic production.If business as usual continues, plastics production is expected to triple by 2060, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.Trasande said a global plastics treaty would help. According to Reuters, the United Nations is set to resume negotiations for such a treaty in August. Recommended video

A games console is more than just a dumb box that sits at home these days. With portable versions, sophisticated technology and built-in shops, these entertainment centres are valuable items, costing hundreds. If the worst happens and your Xbox, PlayStation or Nintendo gets stolen, here’s what to do.What to do if your console is stolen Change your Microsoft, Sony or Nintendo account password, which will help keep the thieves out of your entertainment library. Remove your payment information from the digital store built into your console to help prevent anyone running up large bills. Report your console as stolen to the police via 101 in the UK. Give them the make, model and serial number of the console, which you’ll find on the box or in your online Microsoft, Sony or Nintendo account. Don’t forget to include details of any games, joypads or accessories that were taken with the console. Report the theft to the manufacturer through its website or customer service. Contact your insurance company should the console be covered under your household policy. This is usually under “high risk” items but portable consoles may need to be included in specified items for coverage outside of the home. What to do as soon as you get a new oneWhen you get a new or replacement console, there are a few things you can do to help in the event it goes missing again: Unlike phones, tablets and other devices there is no built-in way of tracking most consoles, so consider attaching a Bluetooth tracker such as an Apple AirTag, Tile or Samsung SmartTag so you can locate them with phone or browser. Make sure you use a strong password and two-step authentication for your console’s account to help prevent your details being stolen and items from being bought from any associated stores. Set a pin code on your console’s account or turn on an option to require your password to confirm purchases on the digital store to prevent thieves running up a bill. This setting is either on your profile or part of the parental controls. Backup your game data and settings in the cloud, which should happen automatically if your console is connected to the internet and logged into your online account. Game save syncing is free on Xbox but requires a subscription for Playstation or Nintendo. Some consoles also allow game save backups to external storage. Make note of the serial numbers for your console, controllers and accessories. Take and store photos of each item along with purchase receipts so you can show them to the police or insurance.

I recently took up travel journaling as an honest alternative to performative social media. My kit cobbles together the best pen, paper, and photo printer I could find to document vanlife adventures for my spawn and some version of my future self that I’ve yet to meet.My father left behind a typewritten memoir that I’ve returned to again and again since his passing so many years ago. Oh, how I wish there was a hand-written version instead of an impersonal Microsoft Word file — his all-capped lettering forged by a career as an engineer, replete with scribbles and smears made by his ever-callused right hand. Even better if those pages had been adorned with photos of the people, places, and things he wanted me to see.My journaling kit consists of three main parts: a Pilot V7 pen, a notebook from the Traveler’s Company, and a Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 3 photo printer. The journal can be modified to your whims. Photo by Thomas Ricker / The VergeI opted for this transparent pocket to carry tape and other journaling accessories. Photo by Thomas Ricker / The VergeRubber bands allow you to add additional inserts. I carry two notebooks in mine. Photo by Thomas Ricker / The VergeI also opted for this pen holder to keep everything together. Photo by Thomas Ricker / The VergeThe pen choice was easy — I just listened to Liz. I value her opinion over Sam Altman’s, so the first thing I did was buy a pack of four Pilot V7 pens for less than $10.The paper journal was a bit tougher decision and resulted in a few false starts. I should have known better than to cheap out on something purchased from Amazon. After being disappointed by a few different “leather” covers and mismatched paper inserts, I decided to visit a physical office-supply store to press flesh to actual product. It was there that I reveled in the discovery of journals from Japan’s Traveller’s Company.Traveller’s Company makes the leather-bound travel journals your mind likely conjures when considering the topic. The rough-cut leather cover is made by hand in Thailand, while the paper notebook inserts are made in Japan. The sound, feel, and smell that comes with scratching ink into this journal can bring on a meditative bliss.Small, but not too small.I purchased the regular-sized Traveler’s notebook for $55, which includes the leather cover, blank no-line notebook, cotton bag, and spare rubber band. I don’t use the bag because I want the cover to be as patinated as my worn face when time runs out. I also added a $16 pen clip, a second $5.50 blank notebook, a pack of $6.40 connecting bands, and a $9.20 transparent zipper case where I carry a roll of tape, extra retention bands, and miscellaneous mementos like receipts and ticket stubs. The notebook measures 4.8(H) x 3.5(W) x 0.15(D) inches and is entirely concealed by the 5.2 x 3.8-inch cover. It’s small, but not so small that it can be easily lost inside a cluttered van. And it’s large enough that the two open pages can easily hold a single day’s written entry, including a miniature photograph or two.Fujifilm’s $99 Instax mini link 3 is perhaps my favorite journaling accessory. I got the idea to print out photos alongside my journal entries from Charles Liu’s YouTube channel. It takes about two minutes to power on the rechargeable device, find a picture that best represents my day in my iPhone’s photo library, and print it out wirelessly. A twin pack of replacement film that’s good for 20 pics costs $15. Each 62 × 46mm photo saves me a thousand words of written text, they say, reducing each night’s journaling session to about 5 to 10 minutes. A holy union of analog and digital.All in, this kit cost me $216 and change, and it’s worth every penny. It makes journaling so easy and rewarding that it’s something I look forward to — not dread — at the end of almost every travel day. I even miss the ritual after returning home. Solid indicators that I’ve created a journaling solution I’ll stick with, hopefully resulting in an intimate library of notebooks that chronicles my earthly journey.Photos by Thomas Ricker / The VergeSee More:

An anonymous reader shares a report: During the Android Show leading up to Google I/O, Google on Tuesday offered a brief update on the adoption of the RCS (Rich Communication Services) protocol, an upgrade to SMS that offers high-resolution photos and videos, typing indicators, read receipts, improved group chat, and more. The company shared that the messaging standard now supports over a billion messages per day in the U.S. This metric is based on an average of the last 28 days, Google noted. The stat is notable because Google fought for years to get Apple to adopt support for RCS on iOS, allowing for better communication between Android and Apple devices. Previously, iPhone users who received texts from friends on Android had to deal with blurry videos and images, and couldn't as easily manage group chats when their green-bubbled friends joined. Unlike with iMessage, group chats with Android users couldn't be renamed, nor could people be added or removed, and you couldn't exit when you wanted. Emoji reactions also didn't work properly, leading to annoying texts to let you know how an Android user reacted, instead of just displaying their emoji reaction directly. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Federal agencies scrambled to bring back over $220 million worth of contracts after Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency cancelled them, .However, of those 44 contracts that were cancelled and eventually reinstated, DOGE is still citing all but one of them as examples of the government spending the group supposedly saved on its website's error-plagued "Wall of Receipts." The White House told the NYT that this is "paperwork lag" that will be fixed.Clerical errors or not, the "zombie contracts" are a damning sign of the chaos sowed by the billionaire's hasty and sweeping cost-cutting that would seem antithetical to its stated goals of efficiency."They should have used a scalpel," Rachel Dinkes of the Knowledge Alliance, an association of education companies that includes one that lost a contract, told the NYT. "But instead they went in with an axe and chopped it all down." Musk brought the Silicon Valley ethos of "move fast and break things" he uses at his business ventures, like SpaceX, to his cleaning house of the federal government. And this, it seems, resulted in a lot of wasted time and effort.Some of the contracts DOGE cancelled were required by law, according to the NYT, and some were for skills that the government needed but didn't have. The whiplash was most felt at the Department of Veterans Affairs, which reversed 16 cancelled contracts — the highest of any agency in the NYT's analysis.Many of the contracts that DOGE cancelled were reinstated almost immediately. The Environmental Protection Agency, for example, revived a contract just two and a half hours after Musk's team cancelled it, the paper found. Others were brought back within days.After losing a contract with the US Department of Agriculture in February, Raquel Romero and her husband gained it back four days later. The USDA told the NYT that it reinstated the contract after discovering that it was "required by statute," but declined to specify which one. Romero believes that a senior lawyer at the agency, who was a supporter of the couple's work, intervened on their behalf."All I know is, she retired two weeks later," Romero told the NYT.The waste doesn't end there. Since the contracts are necessary, it puts the fired contractors in a stronger bargaining position when the government comes crawling back. In the case of the EPA contract, the agency agreed to pay $171,000 more than before the cancellation. In other words, these cuts are costing, not saving, the government money.A White House spokesperson, however, tried to spin the flurry of reversals as a positive sign that the agencies are complying with Musk's chaotic directions, while also playing down the misleading savings claims on DOGE's website."The DOGE Wall of Receipts provides the latest and most accurate information following a thorough assessment, which takes time," White House spokesman Harrison Fields told the NYT. "Updates to the DOGE savings page will continue to be made promptly, and departments and agencies will keep highlighting the massive savings DOGE is achieving."Harrison also called the over $220 million of zombie contracts "very, very small potatoes" compared to the supposed $165 billion Musk has saved American taxpayers.If this latest analysis is any indication, however, that multibillion-dollar sum warrants significant skepticism. We're only beginning to see a glimmer of the true fallout from Musk tornadoing through the federal government.Share This Article

Desktop scanners had their moment, but in 2025, that bulky machine just takes up precious space. iScanner replaces your dumpy old scanner with an app that works faster, smarter, and cleaner. For a limited time, you can get a lifetime subscription for just $24.99 (reg. $39.99) when you use code SCAN at checkout—but only until June 1 when this coupon expires. Snap, scan, and send If you can take a photo, you can scan with iScanner. The app automatically detects borders, straightens pages, and removes curves—no manual cropping required. It’s perfect for digitizing tax forms, receipts, contracts, or anything else paper-based. Need to sign or fill out a PDF? iScanner includes a built-in mobile PDF editor, so you can skip those clunky browser tools that charge for every little edit. Everything happens on your iOS device—quick, clean, and secure. Why it beats your old scanner No bulky hardware No setup or boot times AI-powered border detection and straightening Mobile PDF editing, signing, and form filling Lifetime access — no subscription required Scan, sign, and organize from your phone forever—Use code SCAN at checkout to get iScanner for just $24.99 until June 1 StackSocial prices subject to change. _ iScanner App: Lifetime Subscription See Deal