There’s a difference, of course, between “putting some music on” and “listening to music.” The first is just a nice way of disturbing the silence while you get on with some task or other, while the second is a way of transporting you into a world of emotion and expression. And so it follows that while the first doesn’t require an exceptional level of quality to be effective, the second benefits no end from sounding as close to the artist’s original intentions as is possible. For digital music, that’s lossless audio.You may have heard more about lossless audio recently, thanks…
Author: Admin
What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write 1966 – Valkyrie Protocol? The story behind 1966 – Valkyrie Protocol grew out of my fascination with the idea that the Second World War didn’t really end in 1945 – it just moved into the shadows. In this book, I wanted to explore a secret, unofficial continuation of that conflict: a Nazi enclave hidden under the Antarctic ice, New Swabia, with Haunebu craft and underground complexes that survive into the Cold War and force the United States to fight a war that can never appear in history books. At…
Millions of chickens have been culled due to the threat of bird fluEmily Elconin/Bloomberg via Getty Images The US experienced its first known bird flu deaths this year, igniting concerns that the virus could set off a pandemic in people. Nevertheless, it still reined in the outbreak enough to warrant ending its emergency response – but public health experts warn the battle is far from over. “It is still a pandemic in [non-human] animals,” says Meghan Davis at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. “And the virus is no less deadly now than it was before.” The pathogen behind the vast…
NBC Bowen Yang said a heartfelt goodbye to “Saturday Night Live” this week — and added a few laughs on his way out. Yang, who announced he’s leaving the NBC sketch comedy staple after seven years as a cast member, marked the occasion by playing a Delta airport lounge attendant serving up eggnog in the episode’s final sketch. In a wink to Yang’s exit, his character Ed announced that he’s retiring: “This is my last shift.” He waxed nostalgic about his time there: “I’m gonna miss everything about this place:…
I first encountered John Irvin’s 1985 film Turtle Diary more than a decade ago, drawn by its Harold Pinter screenplay and all-star cast, including Oscar winners Glenda Jackson and Ben Kingsley. I came away convinced I had found an overlooked gem, but in the years that followed, this sweet film remained obscure, never even getting a DVD release. Upon revisiting it for the fortieth anniversary, and wondering if it was worth rediscovering, I realised the film is now the same age as most of its characters, all of whom, in one way or another, are conspicuously alone, being either divorced, widowed, or just single. Not only…
At least nine rock or metal bands removed their music from Spotify in 2025, with many of them moving off the platform in the past six months.The reasons behind these moves include everything from concerns over artist compensation to Spotify co-founder, chairman and CEO Daniel Ek’s other company (Prima Materia) securing a few hundred million dollars in investments to advance A.I. drone weaponry for military use. The streaming platform has also been scrutinized for running recruitment ads for I.C.E., the U.S. government agency facing multiple lawsuits for unlawful arrests and deportations, inhumane detention conditions as well as use of excessive force against…
On practically any given day, if someone without any knowledge of who Zoë Kravitz is (can you imagine?) saw a photo of her outfit, they’d probably mistake her for an It girl in the ‘90s. That’s how spot-on Kravitz’s ‘90s aesthetic is. And on one of her strolls through the streets of Rome with boyfriend Harry Styles this week, Kravitz was spotted in yet another perfect ’90s outfit that included a perfect ’90s heel trend: block-heel loafers. Specifically, they were black leather block-heel loafers with tassels.As you’ll see in the photo below, exactly 30 years ago, Paltrow was one of…
Featured Podcasts Big Technology Podcast: OpenAI’s Potential, Google’s Speedy Model, Copilot Hits Turbulence The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators. Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast. Hard Fork: Why Roomba Died + Tech Predictions for 2026 + A Hard Forkin’ Xmas Song The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech. Subscribe to Hard Fork. Access: Betting on reality with Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour A show about the tech…
Book Riot Editorial is made up of passionate readers, writers, and book lovers dedicated to delivering insightful book recommendations, literary analysis, and the latest in book culture. With expertise spanning multiple genres and a deep understanding of the publishing industry, we offer thoughtful commentary, book deals, and news that matters to readers. Whether it’s uncovering hidden gems, analyzing literary trends, or championing diverse voices, Book Riot’s editorial team is here to keep you informed and inspired. View All posts by Community Great news! Book Riot All Access now includes the New Release Index! We’re all about bringing you the best…
The gap between rich and poor has reached historic highs. According to the World Inequality Report 2026, released in recent weeks, the richest 10% of the global population now receive 53% of all income and own a staggering 75% of all wealth. View Original Source Here
Fox After a 10-season detour on TBS, “American Dad!” is returning to Fox in February, reuniting with “Family Guy” as part of the Animation Domination lineup. This has many fans wondering if the two Seth MacFarlane-created shows will celebrate with a crossover episode in the near future, akin to what “Family Guy” did with “The Simpsons” back in 2014. After all, “Family Guy” and “American Dad!” have referenced each other on multiple occasions over the years, with Roger making cameo appearances in several episodes of “Family Guy”, including the show’s…
HBO Max’s TV and movie release schedule for December 22 to December 28, 2025, includes Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires, Guy’s Grocery Games Season 40, Happy And You Know It, and Junk or Jackpot?, Season 1. On December 22, Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires (2025) drops on HBO Max. The action-adventure film focuses on an Aztec boy who escapes to Tenochtitlan after his father is killed by Spanish conquistadors. Soon, he undergoes training in the temple of the bat God and decides to seek revenge for his father’s death using a new weapon. Further, Guy’s Grocery Games Season 40 will…
James Cameron is willing to spend 16-plus years and hundreds of millions dollars making the Avatar films, but he won’t ever fill out some paperwork to become a U.S. citizen. Guess it’s, “Hasta la vista, baby,” right? The revelation came as Cameron spoke to BuzzFeed Canada during this week’s Avatar: Fire and Ash premiere at Los Angeles’ El Capitan Theatre. Despite “[living] there for 47 years in L.A.,” Cameron, a native of Ontario, said he has no interest in becoming a citizen of the US. “I did think about it for a while because I thought there was a lot…
It’s no longer difficult to find Wi-Fi when you leave the house. Hotels, restaurants, bars, transport hubs, sports stadiums, stores, city parks, and many other places offer internet connectivity nowadays, and access is often free if you’re willing to give up an email address.That makes staying connected much easier, whether you’re working away from the office, or trying to keep up with your favorite TV show on vacation. But the increasing ubiquity and convenience of public Wi-Fi doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to make more of it—and to keep yourself better protected when you get online.These networks are not the…
Set against the unforgiving landscape of late–19th-century upstate New York, Pearl Bound is a novel where history presses as heavily as fate and love is inseparable from survival. In this conversation, author Natalie Bergman discusses how the Gilded Age’s stark inequalities shaped her story, why the supernatural functions as a form of inheritance rather than escape, and how family bonds can both sustain and suffocate. Drawing on her background in screenwriting and her own lived experience, Bergman explores the cost of autonomy, the legacy of trauma, and what it means for women to claim power in a world determined to…
If you have teenagers — or were once a teenager yourself — you’ve probably experienced this: Your kid’s jeans fit perfectly in September, but by December they’re showing ankle. The adolescent growth spurt can feel astonishingly fast, with some teens growing 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 centimeters) in a single year. But is this really the fastest period of human growth?Surprisingly, no: The teenage growth spurt is only the second fastest that humans can grow.”We’ve been tracking children’s growth from birth all the way through to adulthood, and the fastest period of growth is clearly the first couple…
CBS The Silver family believes their worst nightmare has come true when Ben’s murder conviction is vacated and his killer, Ronan Flaherty, walks free. But as Friday’s “Boston Blue” comes to a close — and fans are left waiting until Feb. 27, 2026 for the next episode — the hour ends with a devastating reversal that leaves one Silver facing consequences no badge can shield them from. Ben and Mae’s son Jonah — a rookie cop still finding his footing — goes rogue and confronts Flaherty on his own. By…
When a website make a list of the most underrated movies of the year, you know what comes next right? It is inevitable. So as we get ready to turn the calendar from 2025 to 2026, let’s begin to wind down our look back at the year in cinema with a list of most disappointing and overrated movies of the year.If there’s a silver lining here, it’s this: There weren’t that many films I would describe as hugely disappointing or massively overrated this year. Unlike our list of underrated movies, which was ten entries long and could have easily expanded to 12 or 15 titles, our overrated list runs just…
Timothée Chalamet took a break from talking table tennis to hop on a “4 Raws” remix with mysterious U.K. rapper EsDeeKid. The move is an extended part of a dull internet conspiracy that maintained Chalamet—who used to rap under the alias Lil Timmy Tim and was once knighted by Lil B—was actually EsDeeKid. You can listen to the Oscar nominee shout out his new film Marty Supreme and rap about drinking lean in the track and accompanying music video below.Read our review of EsDeeKid’s Rebel. View Original Source Here
Alexa Chung exhausts me sometimes because she is always wearing something that I didn’t know I needed and my credit card just can’t handle it. Most recently it was a custom floral opera coat with repurposed vintage mink fur. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I saw it and now I don’t know how I can live without one of my own. (Image credit: Getty Images)The jacket was created by Bulgarian designer Viktor Gichev, who works at One of a Kind vintage archive in London’s Portobello Market, while also building a brand out of his bedroom.…
Ashley Gold / Axios: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signs the RAISE Act into law; the AI safety bill’s text was modified earlier to more closely resemble California’s SB 53 — Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed the RAISE Act into law Friday, making New York the latest state to have broad safety rules for the most advanced AI models. View Original Source Here
What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Kingdom of Time? There are actually two stories behind the story. The tales of two thrones, if you will, that altered my brain chemistry and reignited my love for reading and writing—Game of Thrones and Throne of Glass. It was after my fourth reread of the latter that I decided I wanted to give it a go myself. If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Kingdom of Time, what would they be? This is a fun one! The leading ladies in Kingdom of Time…
Starcloud wants to build a data centre satellite that is 4 kilometres by 4 kilometresStarcloud Could AI’s insatiable thirst for colossal data centres be fixed by launching them into space? Tech companies are eyeing low Earth orbit as a potential solution, but researchers say it’s unlikely in the near future due to a mountain of difficult and unsolved engineering issues. The huge demand for, and investment in, generative AI products like ChatGPT has created an unprecedented need for computing power, which requires both vast amounts of space and gigawatts of power, equivalent to that used by millions of homes. As…
Brooke Palmer/HBO The minds behind “IT: Welcome to Derry” didn’t show viewers Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise until Episode 5 – and they didn’t allow his scene partners to get too familiar with him before that, either. In order to capture some authentic shock from the actors, the showrunners made sure Matilda Lawler, Amanda Christine, and Clara Stack — who play Marge, Ronnie, and Lilly, respectively, in HBO’s horror series — didn’t lay eyes on Skarsgård in his demonic circus garb until it came time to shoot Pennywise’s grand entrance. “They kept him top secret…
1. One Battle After AnotherWe’ll be honest: in the run-up to the release of Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, we had no real idea of what to expect. We kinda knew that it had been inspired by a Thomas Pynchon novel; it had Leonardo DiCaprio wearing granny shades and doing a lot of shouting; and that it was his first contemporary-set film since Punch-Drunk Love. When we finally got to see it, we all agreed that this was 2025’s pure kino moment, our jaws constantly on the floor upon witnessing the work of a filmmaker with almost Jedi-like mastery of the…
They say age is just a number, and two superstars making high-profile TV appearances this month on programs that traditionally cater to young audiences prove the point. When Cher appears as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on Saturday, she’ll make a little history. At 79, she’ll be the second-oldest musical guest in the show’s 50-year-plus history. Ragtime pianist Eubie Blake was 92 when he was the musical guest (alongside Gregory Hines) on the March 19, 1979, show. Blake had a late-in-life resurgence in popularity thanks to the 1978-79 Broadway musical Eubie!, which showcased his ebullient songs, such as “I’m…
Rachel Reid didn’t intend for anyone to write a dissertation about her horny little gay hockey series.Then again, the Nova Scotia author behind the Game Changers series could never have anticipated the level of fanfare that’s accompanied the television adaptation of her books: Heated Rivalry.The show, commissioned by Canada’s Crave and distributed by HBO Max in the US, debuted in late November and quickly became a massive hit. It’s the number one Crave original series of all time, and it also climbed to number 1 on HBO Max. A second season has already been greenlit.If you’re not watching it yet,…
Good Spirits by B.K. Borison Every year in December, Christmas books—especially Christmas romances—take over the Goodreads Most Read list. This year, the most popular holiday title is Good Spirits, but you can find a dozen more Christmas reads on the top 50. This one follows Nolan, aka the Ghost of Christmas Past, as he takes on a new assignment, haunting Harriet. But people-pleasing Harriet is no Scrooge, so why is she being haunted? As Christmas Eve approaches, the two begin to fall for each other. It was read by 16,000 Goodreads users this week and has a 4.0 average rating.…
At the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st, write the authors of a new article from Polity, neoliberalism was “consolidated as the only legitimate form of doing politics.” But in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, and with the entrenchment of far-right governments across the world, neoliberalism’s dominance was threatened by the rise of populism. And while some analyses of populism present the phenomenon as a continuation of neoliberalism, Asaf Yakir and Doron Navot argue that it in fact represents a rupture with the neoliberal order. View Original Source Here
Bertrand Calmeau/CBS Filled with Christmas spirit? More like possessed by Flower. In Thursday’s two-part Season 5 fall finale of “Ghosts,” Sam is in for a big surprise when Thor’s Christmas gift for Flower includes Flower taking over Sam’s body to satisfy her munchies. (I mean, Pringles are pretty tasty.) But it’s all bad timing for Sam, who’s due to appear on live TV to promote her book. The whole charade turns into the perfect showcase for Rose McIver who spends a good portion of the episodes frolicking about as the perpetually…