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  2. It's great to hear about the Piracy Shield blocking those pesky IP addresses and server locations. Reminds me of when I was running a forum and had issues with users accessing pirated content. I decided to implement a booter service to block unauthorized access, and it made a world of difference. It's like having a virtual bouncer keeping the unwanted guests out! So, kudos to the Piracy Shield team for taking proactive measures to protect content creators.
  3. It's great that you're looking into supplements for your new program. I understand your hesitation about trying new products, especially if you've had success with others in the past. Personally, I've found success with supplements like green tea extract and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) for weight management. They're natural and have worked well for me without any major side effects. As for the price, I think it's worth investing in supplements that align with your goals and provide results without compromising your health. Also, I came across some info about how to fix protein overload in hair recently, which might be helpful if you're exploring different aspects of wellness.
  4. Respecting content creators' hard work by accessing content through legitimate channels not only supports them but also ensures better quality and future content.
  5. Upon the announcement of the 2024 March Madness NCAA Tournament men’s basketball field, you will want to get your hands on a bracket. Action in the 2024 NCAA men’s basketball tournament gets underway Tuesday, March 19 with the First Four games in Dayton, Ohio. The first round of the NCAA Tournament starts Thursday, March 21. The best place to get a bracket is on the NCAA website. Sites for the first and second round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament are Brooklyn, New York; Charlotte; Indianapolis; Memphis; Omaha, Nebraska; Pittsburgh; Salt Lake City; and Spokane, Washington. Games will take place in Charlotte, Omaha, Pittsburgh, and Salt Lake City on Thursday, March 21 and Sunday, March 23. The games in Brooklyn, Indianapolis, Memphis, and Spokane will take place on Friday, March 22 and Sunday, March 24. The Sweet 16 is set to take place on Thursday, March 28 and Friday, March 29. The Elite Eight will occur on Saturday, March 30 and Sunday, March 31. Sites for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight are Boston, Dallas, Detroit, and Los Angeles. Boston and Los Angeles will play on Thursday, March 28 and Saturday, March 30. The Dallas and Detroit games will be on Friday, March 29 and Sunday, March 31. SEE ALSO: How to watch college basketball without cable this season The NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four is scheduled for Saturday, April 6 with the championship game set for Monday, April 8. The Final Four and national championship will occur at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix. The UConn men’s basketball team won the 2023 NCAA Tournament. It defeated San Diego State 76-59 in the championship game on April 3, 2023, in Houston’s NRG Stadium. View the full article
  6. March Madness goes to another level on Sunday, March 17. The 2024 NCAA Tournament men’s basketball bracket will be announced for the 68-team field. The one-hour selection show is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT. Action in the 2024 NCAA men’s basketball tournament gets underway Tuesday, March 19 with the first four games in Dayton, Ohio. The first round of the NCAA Tournament starts Thursday, March 21. The NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four is scheduled for Saturday, April 6 with the championship game set for Monday, April 8. The Final Four and national championship will occur at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix. SEE ALSO: How to watch college basketball without cable this season March Madness: How to watch the 2024 NCAA Tournament men’s basketball selection showStart time: 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on Sunday, March 17 TV channel: CBS Selection show broadcasters: Adam Zucker, Clark Kellogg, Jay Wright, and Seth Davis Online live stream: ParamountPlus.com and NCAA.com/march-madness-live/watch Mobile live stream: CBS Sports app; March Madness Live app; and Paramount+ app The UConn men’s basketball team won the 2023 NCAA Tournament. It defeated San Diego State 76-59 in the championship game on April 3, 2023, in Houston’s NRG Stadium. The 2023 national championship marks the fifth by the UConn men’s basketball program. View the full article
  7. Last year, Sparkle Division — made up of composers William Basinski, Preston Wendel, and Gary Thomas Wright — put out their sophomore album FOXY. Today, the trio shared a surprise new EP called Jupiter Lounge. View the full article
  8. In January, Zach Bryan previewed a new song called “Sandpaper” on TikTok, which is something the country star likes to do; earlier this month, he teased a new song called “The Way Back” in a YouTube video. That’s still not out, but he debuted “Sandpaper” live last night in Newark. View the full article
  9. Sometimes Jimmy Fallon joins the Roots, who are The Tonight Show‘s house band, for a song performed on classroom instruments with famous guests. In 2019, Pete Townsend and Roger Daltrey teamed up with them for an idiosyncratic performance of “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” Last night, Fallon and the Roots linked up with original Ghostbusters Bill Murray and Ernie Hudson as well as singer Ray Parker Jr. for his classic “Ghostbusters.” View the full article
  10. During the final day of music curated by German Music Export and Initiative Musik, the moderator made a joke that the day’s event was about expanding the notions of German music beyond known institutions like Kraftwerk or Berghain. By the end of the afternoon, that seemed like an understatement. The day party at Shangri-La was not only the longest of the events (with artists Meagre Martin, Willow Parlo, LIE NING, Orbit, and ÄTNA) but also the most musically diverse — with indie rock, country-folk, R&B and pop, dreamy electronica, and pure operatic dance-pop chaos. View the full article
  11. Twenty-three bands, 14 hours — we did it! Stereogum took over Cheer Up Charlie’s in Austin all day and night on Friday, starting at noon and going all the way until 2AM. Along with our buds at AdHoc, Partisan Records, and Topshelf Records, we brought some of the best of what’s next to two stages for a non-stop day of music and fun. It was a beautiful day in Texas, despite some wind and the threat of rain, which thankfully held off. View the full article
  12. Country star previously teased the track with a 45-second snippet on social media in JanuaryView the full article
  13. The Starbucks NFT rewards program will soon be no more. In late 2022, Starbucks dipped its toes into the world of Web3 with a beta launch of its new NFT rewards program, Starbucks Odyssey. It has remained as a closed, invite-only beta ever since. However, according to a recently updated FAQ on the official Starbucks Odyssey website, it seems that the NFT reward program will never leave beta. That's because Starbucks is killing it. SEE ALSO: The pink Starbucks x Stanley cup is going for $200 on eBay. Shop these dupes instead. What's happening to Starbucks Odyssey?On March 15, Starbucks added the following question to its FAQ: "Why are you ending the Starbucks Odyssey Beta program?" "The Starbucks Odyssey Beta must come to an end to prepare for what comes next as we continue to evolve the program," reads Starbucks' answer. According to the website, the Starbucks Odyssey program will officially end on March 31. Users in the closed beta have until March 25 to complete any remaining Journeys, which were "themed activities" like online games and quizzes that enabled members to earn NFTs and reward points. The project's Discord channel, a major element for any Web3 community, will be shut down on March 19. Starbucks shared its crypto-related ambitions in early 2022, when the market was still booming. During a "Partner Open Forum" that year, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz attempted to shut down an ongoing union drive among its employees. One of the talking points Shultz used in an attempt to excite them about a union-less future with the company: NFTs. "We are going to be in the NFT business," Schultz declared. Cryptocurrency has seen a minor resurgence over the past few months, with Bitcoin's value rising to a new all-time high. However, wariness among retail investors continues to remain after 2022's crypto crash and FTX's demise. Furthermore, NFTs or non-fungible tokens have yet to really see signs of a potential comeback in the way that certain crypto tokens have. Even social media platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, have removed NFT-related features that they had added in anticipation for a Web3 boom. Still, for those who viewed the Starbucks Odyssey reward program as a major win for the NFT space, the move came as a surprise. In February, TechCrunch published an interview with Starbucks Odyssey’s community lead Steve Kaczynski, who said he expected NFT brand building to expand. On Friday, Kaczynski shared that the coffee company was indeed sunsetting the Starbucks Odyssey program and he had unfortunately lost his job as a result. As for the Polygon blockchain-based NFTs doled out as part of the program, Starbucks says users can continue to hold them, trade them, and buy or sell them on the Nifty Gateway NFT marketplace. View the full article
  14. In recent months, we have reported on the rollout of Italy’s blocking regime and the Piracy Shield system which operates under the auspices of telecoms regulator AGCOM. AGCOM issues the relevant site IP address blocking orders and, from the get-go, it countered critics by stating that the system was “working perfectly”. High marks aside, Internet providers and network specialists painted a different picture. They noticed several overblocking examples and not just small ones either. In response to one order, ISPs were required to block an IP address belonging to Internet infrastructure provider Cloudflare, which reportedly rendered thousands of websites unreachable across Italy. AGCOM prefers not to give credence to the widespread critique and remains laser-focused on defeating online piracy. This week, tensions rose to alarming levels when AGCOM chief Massimiliano Capitanio issued a new warning, suggesting that people watching pirate streams or downloading piracy apps, risk fines of up to 5,000 euros. While Capitanio’s comments are certainly not intended as “psychological terrorism,” some framed it as nuanceless scaremongering. At this point, however, it’s clear that very little is going to stop AGCOM from going full steam ahead with its anti-piracy efforts. And, as long as the group operates within the legal boundaries, they have every right to do so. Taking the hard-line does come with risks, however. Small mistakes can turn into big ones and oversights risk being framed as incompetence; or worse; counter-ammunition. For example, the Piracy Shield’s overblocking errors may fuel site-blocking opposition in other countries, including in the United States where lawmakers are wary of overblocking. AGCOM Domain ‘Troubles’ In a similar vein, the public may start to notice other purported errors. That happened earlier this week when we were alerted to the fact that AGCOM’s domain name, agcom.it, is configured rather peculiarly. The domain only works through the www version, but not without it. While the www. subdomain is a largely outdated concept nowadays, most sites still support it by properly configuring the domain’s A records. For example, if you try to access https://www.torrentfreak.com in a browser we will redirect you to the non-www version you’re on now. Pretty much all websites operate this way, including the domain names of anti-piracy outfits such as ACE, the RIAA, and BREIN. The sites can be accessed with and without www, with one redirecting visitors to the other. Setting this up this way takes less than a minute. For some reason, however, AGCOM has decided not to add any official records for its root domain. We can’t think of a practical reason why this is the case, so we assume that this is an oversight that makes the site harder to reach. Root Domain Unreachable Luckily, most popular browsers correct these types of errors when you enter the domain name in the address bar, but following a direct link will lead nowhere. DNS resolvers simply don’t know to what IP-address the traffic should go. This isn’t some type of standard we’re making up, it’s one of the basic principles of the web as DNSimple explains. “Each domain needs to have a record for the root domain. Otherwise your domain won’t resolve, and accessing the URL in the browser will return a resolution error.” To make matters more confusing, AGCOM also has some other subdomains, including geo.agcom.it and conciliaweb.agcom.it. These both work fine, without an extra www subdomain. Again, we have no idea why AGCOM hasn’t configured its root domain properly. For many other organizations, this would be a petty issue, but since AGCOM is a key player in one of the largest blocking operations on the Internet, dubious technical decisions may find themselves under the spotlight. TorrentFreak asked AGCOM for a comment on our findings but the telco watchdog didn’t immediately respond. The MX records for agcom.it are properly configured, however, so our question should have arrived, assuming that our domain isn’t on any blocklist. From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article
  15. The festival enters the weekend with a loud, busy night of sounds from all aroundView the full article
  16. The Red Clay Strays, Hinds, Dylan Gossett, and Jackie Venson helped power the most guitar-heavy night of the four-day eventView the full article
  17. Illness brought the singer's rock-star lifestyle to a halt. Her second album reflects a new point of view —but isn't afraid to get messyView the full article
  18. After announcing their Blue Album anniversary tour this week, Weezer played through their debut Friday night at LA’s 500-capacity Lodge Room. The intimate club show was opened by Dogstar, the recently reunited band featuring Keanu Reeves on bass, who played their first show with Weezer back in 1992. It also featured a special guest during Weezer’s set. View the full article
  19. Rob Sheffield pays tribute to Japanese engineer Shigeichi Negishi, whose invention of the "Sparko Box" in 1967 kicked off the karaoke revolution and changed the soundtrack of our lives foreverView the full article
  20. Start saving up, PlayStation fans. It appears a new Sony gaming console is on the way. According to new documents leaked from a PlayStation game developer portal, Sony is readying the release of the PS5 Pro just in time for the 2024 holiday season. SEE ALSO: PS5 Pro: Release date, controller, price and other rumors The YouTube channel Moore’s Law is Dead originally reported the leaked documents. Video game news outlet Insider Gaming says they've also seen the documents and confirmed that the leaked information is legitimate. While a late 2024 release may come to fruition, there is potential for delays, especially as it relates to first-party game releases. So, there's also a possibility that the PS5 Pro won't arrive in time for Christmas. But, the documents point to the fact that it won't be too long before the new PlayStation hits stores. What to expect from the PS5 ProThe leak from the Sony PlayStation developer portal doesn't just provide a potential release schedule. These documents also lay out some very interesting specs for the PS5 Pro. According to Insider Gaming, the PS5 Pro will see "improved and consistent FPS at 4K resolution, a new ‘performance mode’ for 8K resolution, and accelerated ray tracing." The documents also mention PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution or PSSR, which is believed to be Sony's own in-house machine-learning solution for upscaling images. Most notable in the leaked documents is the comparison made to the previous generation of PlayStation. Insider Gaming's report says the leak shows the PS5 Pro rendering 45% faster than the PS5. As PCMag points out, "allegedly the PS5 Pro's GPU has a 16-bit floating point calculation figure of 67 TFLOPs, which equates to an estimated 33.5 TFLOPs of FP32 compute performance." The Verge further breaks down the significance by sharing that "the existing PS5 is a 10.28-teraflop console, so tripling that would be a significant performance increase on the GPU side alone." PS5 Pro's 3x performance increase over the PlayStation 5 is certainly nothing to sneeze at. Nor is the additionally leaked spec of 2x to 3x the ray tracing performance, with the documentation saying in some cases it's even as much as 4x its predecessor. Insider Gaming reports that the devkits for the new PS5 Pro have been available to first-party studios since September 2023 and third-party developers since January of this year. The PlayStation 5 Pro will be Sony's first new gaming console since the PlayStation 5 was released 4 years ago. The original PS5 was launched amid the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently global semiconductor chip shortage. As a result, PS5s were very hard to come by in stores for quite some time. Hopefully, now that those issues are — mostly — over, gamers will have a much easier experience getting their hands on the new PS5 Pro later this year. View the full article
  21. The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe. With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it. So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered. SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for March 16 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for March 16 Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Saturday, March 16, 2024: AcrossRottenThe answer is Bad. Window SegmentsThe answer is Panes. Part of school that totally bitesThe answer is Piranha. 2003 Will Ferrell filmThe answer is Elf. Approximate percentage of the world's population that is left-handedThe answer is Ten. Party bag contentsThe answer is Goodies. Wedding reception speechThe answer is Toast. When tripled, symbol of a texter's typingThe answer is Dot. DownWings, nachos, onion rings, etc.The answer is Bar food. Actress de ArmasThe answer is Ana. Canine HandlerThe answer is Dentist. Season one, episode oneThe answer is Pilot. Mattress coverThe answer is Sheet. Place to hang coatThe answer is Peg. The "A" of Q&A: Abbr.The answer is Ans. Philosophy for LaoziThe answer is Dao. View the full article
  22. The powerful eye of the James Webb Space Telescope has spotted vital chemicals around two youthful stars. Astronomers focused the space observatory, which orbits 1 million miles from Earth, on cosmic regions around these protostars, which are so youthful they haven't yet formed planets. But they almost certainly will: NASA suspects nearly every star has at least one planet. And in these planet-forming regions the Webb telescope found "complex organic molecules," including ethanol (the alcohol found in alcoholic beverages) as well as another ingredient found in vinegar. Crucially, these ingredients, which form into icy materials in frigid space, might one day become part of future solar system objects, including the large space rocks that can carry organic molecules and important materials to planets. (Much of Earth's water, for example, may have come from asteroid impacts.) "All of these molecules can become part of comets and asteroids and eventually new planetary systems when the icy material is transported inward to the planet-forming disk as the protostellar system evolves," Ewine van Dishoeck, an astronomer at Leiden University and an author of the new research, said in a NASA statement. "We look forward to following this astrochemical trail step-by-step with more Webb data in the coming years." SEE ALSO: Webb telescope makes unexpected find in outskirts of our solar system The new research has been accepted for publication in the peer-reviewed journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. The Webb telescope carries instruments, called spectrometers, that can detect the composition of distant objects or places, like the atmospheres of alien planets. Spectrometers separate the light coming from these objects, similar to a prism. Different elements or molecules absorb different types of light, so the light viewed by Webb can discern what chemicals are there, and which aren't. The first graphic below shows the different light spectrums Webb picked up while scanning the distant protostar IRAS 2A. Ethanol was present in different groups of icy materials. The complex organic molecules identified by the James Webb Space Telescope around the protostar IRAS 2A. Credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / L. Hustak (STScI) // Science: W. Rocha (Leiden University) The chemical-rich region of space around the protostar IRAS 23385. Credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / W. Rocha (Leiden University) In addition to alcohol, the Webb telescope identified formic acid, methane, and likely acetic acid, NASA explained. Crucially, these are "key ingredients for making potentially habitable worlds," the space agency said. A habitable world is one that harbors conditions that can sustain life — though this doesn't nearly mean there's life there. NASA is currently sleuthing for worlds that might be habitable, some of which might even resemble ocean-covered Earth. The Webb telescope's powerful abilitiesThe Webb telescope — a scientific collaboration between NASA, the ESA, and the Canadian Space Agency — is designed to peer into the deepest cosmos and reveal new insights about the early universe. But it's also peering at intriguing planets in our galaxy, along with the planets and moons in our solar system. Here's how Webb is achieving unparalleled feats, and likely will for decades: - Giant mirror: Webb's mirror, which captures light, is over 21 feet across. That's over two-and-a-half times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope's mirror. Capturing more light allows Webb to see more distant, ancient objects. As described above, the telescope is peering at stars and galaxies that formed over 13 billion years ago, just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. "We're going to see the very first stars and galaxies that ever formed," Jean Creighton, an astronomer and the director of the Manfred Olson Planetarium at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, told Mashable in 2021. - Infrared view: Unlike Hubble, which largely views light that's visible to us, Webb is primarily an infrared telescope, meaning it views light in the infrared spectrum. This allows us to see far more of the universe. Infrared has longer wavelengths than visible light, so the light waves more efficiently slip through cosmic clouds; the light doesn't as often collide with and get scattered by these densely packed particles. Ultimately, Webb's infrared eyesight can penetrate places Hubble can't. "It lifts the veil," said Creighton. - Peering into distant exoplanets: As noted earlier, the Webb telescope carries specialized equipment called spectrographs that will revolutionize our understanding of these far-off worlds. The instruments can decipher what molecules (such as water, carbon dioxide, and methane) exist in the atmospheres of distant exoplanets — be they gas giants or smaller rocky worlds. Webb will look at exoplanets in the Milky Way galaxy. Who knows what we'll find? "We might learn things we never thought about," Mercedes López-Morales, an exoplanet researcher and astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics-Harvard & Smithsonian, told Mashable in 2021. Already, astronomers have successfully found intriguing chemical reactions on a planet 700 light-years away, and as described above, the observatory has started looking at one of the most anticipated places in the cosmos: the rocky, Earth-sized planets of the TRAPPIST solar system. View the full article
  23. In 1979, Alan Cummings, a scientist working on NASA's unprecedented Voyager mission, entered a Caltech room in Pasadena, California, and saw an unusual, alien world projected on a screen. The brand-new image, just beamed back from space, revealed a place like no other ever seen. It was a moon teeming with vibrant volcanoes. Cummings, a cosmic-ray physicist at Caltech — the research university that manages the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory — couldn't believe his eyes. "I thought the Caltech students had pulled a prank," Cummings told Mashable. "But no, it was real." It was Jupiter's moon Io, the most volcanic place in our solar system. It was nothing like our pale moon, a barren surface beaten into fine dust by countless impacts. On Io, volcanoes erupted. Lava flowed. It was alive. "It gives me chills, even just now," Cummings, who started working on the Voyager mission 51 years ago, said. SEE ALSO: NASA spacecraft keeps on going faster and faster and faster The two Voyager craft, both launched in 1977, were built to last five years. They're now approaching 50 years of operation, and are respectively over 15 and 12 billion miles away. They've left behind the influence of our star and entered interstellar space. "These are the only spacecraft that have been there," Cummings marveled. Decades later, the craft and their antiquated computers have each encountered a number of glitches — which have been repeatedly remedied by a clever group of devoted Voyager engineers. The latest hurdle, however, could be serious. NASA reported that engineers were still working to fix a stubborn problem the agency identified in December: They can send messages to Voyager 1, but "no science or engineering data is being sent back to Earth." There's an issue with a critical onboard computer, the flight data system. The space agency more recently received a memory "readout" from Voyager 1 (at such a great distance, it takes nearly a day for a message from the craft to reach us), which the team is now scrutinizing for hints of a solution. The prolonged issue has space onlookers worried. "It gives me chills, even just now." Indeed, the Voyager craft have continually persevered. But their power is finite. In the coming few years or so, NASA may need to turn off more instruments to preserve dwindling nuclear fuel. Eventually, perhaps in the mid-2030s, communication will cease. But these robotic explorers have forever altered Cummings' view — and our own — of what's out there. Voyager 1 captured this image of Io on March 4, 1979. A volcano is seen erupting on the moon's surface. Credit: NASA / JPL The Voyager missions changed our view of deep spaceThe Voyager missions, originally conceived to explore Jupiter and Saturn, have vastly exceeded their original two-planet itinerary. For Cummings and some of his Voyager colleagues, that was always the plan. After all, the craft are nuclear-powered; they wouldn't run out of fuel for decades. "The biggest problem was getting it past the launchpad," the physicist said, recalling a number of failed launches. "A lot of us had a goal of getting to interstellar space." Soon after launching, both craft made good time to Jupiter, venturing by the gas giant in 1979. They revealed the planet like never before. Scientists saw Jupiter's roiling atmosphere, with vibrant belts of clouds traveling in alternate directions and teeming with giant storms — some bigger than Earth. "We were shocked and amazed," Cummings said. But the Jovian moons were stars of the show, too. Besides volcano-blanketed Io, the mission captured views of ice-clad Europa, with giant cracks crisscrossing the surface. Intrigued planetary scientists have continued to investigate Europa, and now suspect a briny ocean — reaching some 40 to 100 miles (60 to 150 kilometers) down — sloshes beneath that icy surface. Another NASA probe, bound for Europa, will soon depart Earth. "We were shocked and amazed." Both Voyagers then continued to majestic Saturn. The craft spied astounding detail in the rings, discovered moons, and found that the moon Titan harbors a thick atmosphere, and possibly seas of methane. Years later, researchers can't stay away. NASA will send a car-sized craft, fitted with eight spinning rotors, to the Saturnian moon in 2028, a mission called Dragonfly. It will land on Titan's ice-covered dunes, an environment that might have resembled early Earth. Saturn and four of its moons, captured by Voyager 2 in 1981. Credit: NASA / JPL / USGS At this juncture, the Voyager craft took disparate paths through the solar system. Voyager 1 continued toward the far reaches of our cosmic neighborhood, while Voyager 2 would first make historic swoops by Uranus and Neptune — the "ice giants." Again, the moons were stars. For the first time, scientists like Cummings saw Uranus' icy, grooved moon Miranda. It had been walloped by something. "It looked like the Death Star," he said, referencing the moon-sized space station in Star Wars. And then there was Neptune's bizarre moon Triton, a world some 3 billion miles away. Voyager 2 detected extreme surface temperatures of minus 391 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 235 degrees Celsius) on this frozen realm. Even so, the moon still shot out miles-high plumes of icy material from geysers. "It's so amazing we saw all this activity on cold moons," Cummings said. The Voyager craft, however, weren't nearly finished. After all, it was only 1989. Uranus' icy moon Miranda, captured by Voyager 2 in 1986. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech On Feb. 14, 1990, NASA engineers planned to turn off Voyager 1's cameras to conserve power. The flybys of glorious worlds had ended, and the journey into the farthest reaches of our solar system had begun. But the space agency captured one final group of shots, a "family portrait" of the faraway planets that Voyager left in the dust. Included is a view called the "Pale Blue Dot"; it's a look back home, from some 3.7 billion miles (6 billion kilometers) away. "Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us," wrote the famed cosmologist Carl Sagan. The Voyager craft would press on, surviving perpetual cold and enduring the hazard of galactic cosmic rays — energetic particles created by powerful events in the cosmos, like the explosion of stars. Both craft have now entered interstellar space, the region between stars. They've traveled beyond the protective balloon of particles and magnetic fields generated by the sun, and have collected unprecedented information about the radiation in an uncharted realm of space (though Voyager 1 isn't currently sending back this information). "The science data that the Voyagers are returning gets more valuable the farther away from the Sun they go, so we are definitely interested in keeping as many science instruments operating as long as possible," Linda Spilker, Voyager’s project scientist, said last year. The "Pale Blue Dot," or Earth, captured by the Voyager 1 spacecraft. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech Cummings hopes the remaining instruments can stay online for another few years or so, at least until the mission reaches the half-century mark. Yet even when both spacecraft run out of power, the greater mission won't be over. In fact, the longest part of its expedition, as a spacefaring messenger, will commence. The Voyager craft carry "a kind of time capsule, intended to communicate a story of our world to extraterrestrials," NASA explains. "The Voyager message is carried by a phonograph record, a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth." Included on the album is Chuck Berry's scintillating single, "Johnny B. Goode." Out in the vast emptiness of space, the craft certainly aren't likely to be smashed by anything. They'll keep going, and going. I asked Cummings if the mission might just keep journeying in perpetuity, for perhaps billions of years. "It will," he said. View the full article
  24. How to watch 'The Zone of Interest' at a glance: BEST MAX DEAL FOR MOST PEOPLE Max (With Ads) annual subscription $69.99/year through April 9 (save 42%) Get Deal BEST MAX DEAL WITH NO ADS Max (No Ads) annual subscription $104.99/year through April 9 (save 45%) Get Deal BEST FOR CRICKET CUSTOMERS Max (With Ads) Free for Cricket customers on the $60/month unlimited plan (save $9.99/month) Get Deal BEST NON-STREAMING OPTION Rent or purchase 'The Zone of Interest' $5.99 or $19.99 at Prime Video Get Deal The Max streaming platform is gaining another Oscar winner next month. One of our favorite films of the year, The Zone of Interest finally has an official streaming date so you can watch it at home. Nominated for five Oscars (including Best Picture), the A24 Holocaust-based film took home two statuettes on the big night: Best Sound and Best International Feature Film. If you've been curious about the historical drama and want to watch it for yourself, here's what you need to know. What is The Zone of Interest about?Loosely based on Martin Amis's 2014 novel of the same name, The Zone of Interest centers around Commandant Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) and his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller), who live in a charming domestic oasis with their children. Meanwhile, just next door, the atrocities of Auschwitz are unfolding. The resulting film is a "a chilling portrait of complicity among atrocity," as Mashable's Shannon Connellan wrote in her review. "Essentially, Glazer's A24 film makes you sit at the table for family dinner, lounge beside the backyard pool, and celebrate birthdays, right next to the site that would become the symbol of Nazi genocide." Read our full review of The Zone of Interest. Here's a glimpse at Jonathan Glazer's "magnificent, yet disquieting" film in the official trailer: When is The Zone of Interest streaming?The Zone of Interest premiered back in May 2023 at the Cannes Film Festival, where it took home the Grand Prix and FIPRESCI Prize. Months later, it debuted in theaters in the U.S. on Dec. 15. Now, nearly a year after its initial premiere, it's coming to streaming. The film debuts on Max on April 5, 2024. Of course, it's also available to rent or purchase at digital retailers (more on that below). Is there a Max free trial?There's currently no active Max free trial on Max directly or through third-parties like Prime Video or Hulu. However, the Prime Video Max add-on had an active seven-day free trial just days before writing this. Keep an eye out, as the free trials tend to pop up sporadically — and disappear just as quickly. The best Max streaming dealsBest limited-time deal: Save over 40% on an annual plan Opens in a new window Credit: Max Max annual subscriptions Save over 40% on Max With Ads, Max Ad-Free, and Max Ultimate Watch Now Through April 9, you can save over 40% on Max's annual plans. The Max with ads yearly subscription is usually $99.99, but with this limited-time deal, you'll only pay $69.99 (or $5.83/month). Max Ad-Free is down to $104.99 from $149.99, saving you 45% and knocking the price down $8.75 per month. The highest tier, Max Ultimate, is just $139.99 (reg. $199.99) during the promotional period. That's 42% in savings and breaks down to just $11.67 per month. Best Max deal for Cricket customers: Free Max with ads for customers on the $60/month unlimited plan Opens in a new window Credit: Cricket / Max Max With Ads Free for Cricket customers on the $60/month plan Watch Now If you're a Cricket Wireless customer on the $60 per month unlimited plan, congrats. You get Max With Ads for free as long as your account remains in good standing. Head over to the Max app or navigate to Max on a browser, then choose Cricket as your provider. Your Cricket credentials will unlock full access to Max With Ads, which is typically a $99.99 per year value. If you're a Cricket customer, but on a different plan, you can upgrade or switch over to secure the deal. Check out the terms and conditions on Cricket's website to learn more. What are the different Max subscription tiers?Formerly HBO Max, the Max streaming service offers three different subscription tiers: With Ads, Ad-Free, and Ultimate Ad-Free. The most affordable option is Max With Ads, which will run you $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year (unless you take advantage of the limited-time deal above). The Ad-Free tier eliminates ads during your viewing experience and allows you 30 downloads on the go for $15.99 per month or $149.99 per year. And finally, the Ultimate Ad-Free tier offers an ad-less viewing experience, as well as 4K Ultra HD video quality, Dolby Atmos immersive audio, and 100 downloads to watch on the go for $19.99 per month or $199.99 per year. Opens in a new window Credit: Max Max With Ads $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year Watch Now Opens in a new window Credit: Max Max Ad-Free $15.99 per month or $149.99 per year Watch Now Opens in a new window Credit: Max Max Ultimate Ad-Free $19.99 per month or $199.99 per year Watch Now Other ways to watch The Zone of InterestThanks to video-on-demand services like Prime Video or Apple TV+, you can also rent or purchase the digital version of The Zone of Interest and avoid having to sign up for yet another streaming service. Renting is the cheapest option, but just note that you'll only get 30 days of access and just 48 hours to finish watching once you begin. If you don't like limitations and would rather watch The Zone of Interest on your own timeline, we recommend purchasing it for your digital library instead. You can rent or purchase The Zone of Interest on demand at the following digital retailers: Prime Video — $5.99 to rent, $19.99 to purchase Apple TV — $5.99 to rent, $19.99 to purchase Fandango at Home — $5.99 to rent, $19.99 to purchase YouTube — $4.99 to rent, $19.99 to purchase Google Play — $4.99 to rent, $19.99 to purchase View the full article
  25. It takes guts to attempt an action-packed romantic comedy. For every Romancing The Stone, there's a barrage of forgettable imitators. (See: Argylle. Well, don't see Argylle. It's awful.) It's a tricky thing to strike a satisfying balance of thrills and laughs with a love story that gets our hearts (and/or loins) engaged. But David Leitch, the former Brad Pitt stunt double turned director of such gonzo action movies as John Wick, Bullet Train, and Atomic Blonde, doesn't scare easily. And now he's delivered the gonzo gift to cinema that is The Fall Guy. Adapted from the 1980s TV series of the same name, this action-comedy centers on one of the unsung heroes of Hollywood: the stuntman (Barbie's Academy Award-nominated Ryan Gosling) who takes all the hits so that the arrogant A-lister (Bullet Train's Aaron Taylor-Johnson) doesn't have to. But don't fret if you aren't familiar with the small-screen inspo. The Fall Guy is making its own fun, thanks to a crackling script from Drew Pearce, and the dazzling chemistry between Gosling and Emily Blunt. How does The Fall Guy movie relate to the TV series? Ryan Gosling is under attack in "The Fall Guy." Credit: Eric Laciste / Universal Pictures Ryan Gosling plays Colt Seavers, a stuntman character originated by Lee Majors in the show created by Glen A. Larson. However, where Majors' hero was moonlighting as a bounty hunter when he wasn't on set, Gosling's version is more a hapless nobody who stumbles into a criminal conspiracy. And it's love that keeps him there. There's trouble on the set of Metalstorm, a sci-fi epic/romance that stars the obnoxious Tom Ryder (Johnson) as a daring space cowboy. But when the mercurial movie star goes MIA, his old stunt double is called back into action. Not only is Colt tasked with doing intense stunts to keep the movie's production schedule on track, but the high-strung producer Gail Meyer (Ted Lasso's Hannah Waddingham) asks him to unearth the missing actor. It's not just the movie Colt is trying to save. You see, this is the directorial debut of his former flame, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt). With his heart on his sleeve, this stuntman throws himself into the fray to make her dreams come true, all in hopes of scoring a second chance at romance. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt are perfectly paired in The Fall Guy. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt star in "The Fall Guy." Credit: Eric Laciste / Universal Pictures Crucial to a good action/rom-com is a dynamic where conflict and chemistry collide. You need the stars to click on screen so the audience is invested in their getting together. But they need to be believably pugnacious with each other so the why of not being together is clear. Smartly, Blunt and Gosling gave the world a preview of their chemistry at the 96th Annual Academy Awards, where they playfully bickered over the Barbenheimer rivalry. In The Fall Guy, the characters are less openly hostile. Jody favors passive-aggressively dressing down Colt over a megaphone on set, while he pushes back with sheepish flirtations. (Look, he knows what he did.) While this sounds less than romantic, it is nonetheless enchanting. There is some suspension of disbelief required, of course, but not in the movie's premise — it's that Gosling is supposed to look like he's not a movie star, while he still basically looks like Ken, albeit with some scruffy facial hair. However, as he did playing Ken or the battered detective in The Nice Guys, Gosling has a looseness to the physicality in his comedy that plays divinely. The stunts here are done by a top-notch stunt team, which the movie's promotional tour is keen to celebrate. But Gosling brings to banter scenes and other comedic moments an ego-free display of mugging, an earnest thumbs-up gesture, and even crying to Taylor Swift's "All Too Well" that establishes Colt as a goofball as much as a tough guy. When Blunt coolly instructs him to drive her to her car — parked just feet away from where they idle — you can see the core sense of humor they have in common. After a couple of Quiet Place movies and the sternness of Oppenheimer, it's a delight to see Blunt back in comedy. She's got terrific comedic timing that pairs perfectly with her well-placed hard stare. Her Jody isn't made to be an ambitious bitch in the way of broad '80s movie stereotypes, but she has her moments of playing rough. Yet Jody is chiefly defined by trying to maintain her cool under incredibly stressful circumstances, which makes little moments where she breaks down burst with humor — be it a karaoke jam to Phil Collins or literally grasping at a straw. Together, Gosling and Blunt create a could-be couple that's alluring not only for their looks but also their awkwardness. Dumb jokes and fumbling flirtations shrewdly undercut what could be a glossy, unnatural rom-com to make a movie that's endearing and entertaining. The Fall Guy is a winsome showbiz comedy. Ryan Gosling, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and several stuntmen from "The Fall Guy." Credit: Eric Laciste / Universal Pictures True to his reputation, Leitch provides plenty of outrageous action scenes once again. Some are for the movie-within-the-movie, including a car roll that broke a Guinness World Record. Some are part of Colt's off-set misadventures, which include swordplay, fire fights, daring escapes, and a speedboat chase. As the discourse around including stunts in the Oscars rages on, The Fall Guy will definitely be a major talking point for advocates of the category addition. However, the stunt community representation within the film feels a bit thin, being just Colt and his stunt coordinator, played by a jovial Winston Duke. They're a terrifically funny duo, but as the third act leans hard on the concept of community, I wished the broader stunt team were more present to make a big leap land more powerfully. Winston Duke kicks ass in "The Fall Guy." Credit: Eric Laciste / Universal Pictures The Fall Guy is about more than stunts, folding in the bonds that form across departments on set, including a horny VFX supervisor (Zara Michales), a too-Method ingenue (Teresa Palmer), and a perturbed personal assistant (Everything Everywhere All at Once's Stephanie Hsu). As a whole, this movie delights in giving a peek behind the scenes to reveal the messy human conflicts (which also make for great on-screen drama), as well as the absurdity inherent in playing pretend for a living. What is never mocked is the dream of making movies. Whether she's furious at Colt or frustrated by outrageous obstacles, Jody is driven by making the movie that she's dreamed of her whole life. Colt isn't just dedicated to her but also to her vision, as is much of the supporting cast of characters. And in this, there's an enveloping exhilaration, as if we the viewer are part of this collaboration too. This energetic sense of inclusion welcomes us into the twists, fails, and breakthroughs the characters face in an electrifying way. All of that barrels into a finale that is not just exciting but enthralling. The Fall Guy is action/romantic-comedy done right, a rare gem in the crown of this challenging subgenre. The Fall Guy was reviewed out of SXSW 2024. The film opens in theaters May 3. View the full article
  26. Human masseuses, beware! AI massage robots are here — and they have untiring arms and hands that no human can compete with. Aescape, a lifestyle robotics company, invited Mashable to check out an AI-assisted massage robot in New York City. "Sign me up!" I said. "Who am I to turn down a free massage?" Now, when I pictured "AI massage robot," I was thinking I'd be shown some sort of handheld gadget — or something like the viral TikTok neck-and-back massager. Little did I know I'd be laying down on a full-sized massage bed with gigantic, gnarly robot arms. After allowing Aescape's robot masseuse to work its magic on my back and butt for 30 minutes, I foresaw a future of disruption in which robots become the new lifestyle companions. Here are five reasons why I'm quitting human masseuses: SEE ALSO: It's like ChatGPT with a body: Watch creepy demo of OpenAI-powered robot 'Figure 01' 1. No more naked massagesDue to scarring from several surgeries early this year, I'm admittedly insecure about stripping down to my birthday suit for massages. I know human masseuses are professional and will still do their job — scars or no scars. However, I can't help but feel as if I'm being silently judged. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable Aescape's massage robot, however, can't judge me because it's a heap of metal with no thoughts nor opinions. In fact, for those who hate getting naked for rub downs, you'll be relieved to know that Aescape lends users a branded grey, two-piece athleisure set to wear for the massage. It's form-fitting, but comfortable and premium. Aescape's robot masseuse works best when you're clothed; I'd imagine the friction of robo hands on bare skin wouldn't feel very nice. In addition to wearing the set, you'll be asked to wear your hair up, ensuring it doesn't get in the way of the massage process. 2. Adjust pressure to your likingI placed my face inside the cradle of the massage bed. In front of me was a tablet, which kicked off a few prompts. For example, it asked how "firm" I wanted the massage. Suddenly, I felt two robot "hands" rubbing my upper back, as if two smooth fists were digging into my sore muscles. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable "Whoa!" I said. If I was none the wiser, and you told me that a human was massaging me, I would've believed you. I was being kneeded like a ball of dough. I even felt the robot alternating its arms on my back, with its right hand going down and left hand going up — and vice versa. The best part is, using the tablet, I could adjust the pressure to my liking. For example, if I felt like the robot was being too vigorous, I could use the slider to reduce the tension. During the session, I must have increased and decreased the slider at least 15 times — simply because certain parts need more attention than others. And truthfully, I would have felt too sheepish to voice my needs to a human masseuse that often. Fortunately, robots have inexhaustible patience — and I took full advantage of that. As a cherry on top, as I hinted at the outset, unlike human hands, Aescape's robot masseuse doesn't get tired; I can utilize its robot fists to my heart's desire. 3. Pause and play whenever you wantThere's also a pause and play button on the tablet. If you need a break, or you're feeling uncomfortable, you can hit pause, which will make the robot arms withdraw and revert back to its resting position. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable However, once you're ready to jump back in, you can hit play again — and the robot masseuse will get continue where it left off. There's also an Immersion Mode, which lets you swipe through visual effects, like rain, snow, and ocean waves, to lull you into a hypnotic, restful state. If you want, you can play music, too. I listened to everything from classical tunes to pop hits that you'll find on your favorite Top 40 radio stations. 4. Speed up to the good partIt's worth noting that, on the tablet, I could see a 3D map of my body facing down. Circular cues on that 3D figure told me which regions on my body the robot is currently targeting. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable Plus, on the left side of the tablet, there is pre-planned program, an itinerary if you will, of where the robot plans to go throughout the 30-minute massage. As such, if you're getting bored of a specific manuever, and you want to skip to a region that needs more attention, you can do that. 5. AI assistanceOf course, you can't escape most technological advancements today without talking about AI. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable "Core to Aescape's customizability is its integration of AI, enabling the system to continually evolve its understanding of the human body and personalized preferences. We generate over 1.1 million 3D data points to accurately map the body's position on the table, identifying key anatomical points for targeted massage," Aescape told Mashable. Through this AI-driven method, not only does Aescape's bot personalize the experience for each individual seeking a massage, but it also adapts to their specific preferences over time, offering more personalized options such as a 30-minute deep tissue session or a quick 10-minute recovery session aimed at reducing stress. Final thoughtsAs it stands now, a massage at Aescape's robo-massage table costs $60 for a 30-minute session and $120 for an hour-long session. Not bad, and in my opinion, totally worth it. I'd 100% do it again on a monthly basis. Aescape's spokesperson Molly O'Connor told me that the AI massage robot is launching in Equinox locations this spring. When it does, the cost will likely change, leaving it up to the provider to set rates. Do I think robot massages will become a thing? Yes. In the same way some people gravitate toward apps like Lyft and UberEats because they want to minimize human interactions (e.g., calling up taxis and local pizzerias in the pre-Uber era was always such an awkward experience for many), I believe people want the opportunity to have complete control over their massage experience — without articulating their needs to a human. View the full article
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