Author: Eternity Lab

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While the AI bubble burst seems to be closer since OpenAI’s Sora shut down on April 16, demand for components hasn’t slowed down. Countless companies snapped up crucial computer components such as RAM, which inflated prices for countless gadgets — not even the Raspberry Pi was safe from the fallout. But now Samsung might unintentionally pour salt in the wound with a potential production halt of one of its more budget-friendly RAM chips.

Samsung plans to stop producing LPDDR4 memory modules by the end of 2026, according to South Korean outlet TheElec (via Notebookcheck). The company has stopped accepting orders for new LPDDR4 modules, as well as its more energy-efficient LPDDR4X. Samsung has been making these memory chips for close to a decade now, and it is reportedly pulling the plug to ramp up production of the more powerful LPDDR5 and LPDDR5X memory modules. LPDDR4 production lines will be retrofitted to churn out these new bits of RAM.

While Samsung hasn’t explained the underpinning logic of their decisions, several theories have emerged. One train of thought is that Samsung ended LPDDR4 RAM production because LPDDR5 is more profitable, while others believe that the recent ratification of the LPDDR6 RAM chip influenced this decision. Regardless of the actual reasons, this development is yet another indication that the AI-fueled RAM demand isn’t going to stop hurting consumers anytime soon.

Faster phones, but at what cost?

Companies such as Qualcomm and MediaTek place these memory modules into their lower-end products to keep costs down, but since that will no longer be an option, they will have fewer savings to pass on to customers.

Since LPDDR5 RAM is more expensive than LPDDR4, we can expect a jump in some phone’s prices. Let’s say you buy a Xiaomi Redmi A7 Pro because it’s a solid budget phone. The next year you recommend this smartphone to a friend, they tell you that it’s actually more expensive than you claimed. In this LPDDR4 scarcity scenario, that could be more than just inflation; Xiaomi could have started building the phone with LPDDR5X RAM modules because there were no more LPDDR4X chips. And since the components were more expensive to obtain, the company had to increase the phones’ price.

But this hypothetical scenario is not all bad. Phones will run faster with LPDDR5 RAM, but that’s a cold comfort for everyone who wants to buy a budget or mid-range phone. These are the customers who are willing to sacrifice processing power to save a few hundred bucks — it’s literally why the budget phone market exists in the first place. Samsung’s emphasis on the LPDDR5 will make phones that were once affordable that much harder to buy.

Other companies have their eyes on the LPDDR4 market

History has taught us that if a company refuses to make a product customers want, another will step up to the plate and fill that void. And while few companies manufacture RAM, Samsung hasn’t exactly cornered the budget LPDDR market: SK Hynix’s share is estimated around 26%, with Micron being a big third player.

And now, according to ETNews, Chinese companies Gigadevice and Changxin Memory Technology (CXMT) are joining forces to start selling their own LPDDR4 RAM chips, as well as DDR3 and DDR4 RAM. If this agreement goes according to plan, CXMT and Gigadevice might become relevant suppliers of LPDDR4 and LPDDR4X RAM, which would be a huge blow to Samsung but a major win for fans of budget smartphones.

Samsung has yet to confirm or deny the reports of its plans for LPDDR4 production, but this isn’t the first time the company would stop making a particular breed of RAM. In 2025, Samsung announced it would cease manufacturing DDR4 by the end of the year, only to backpedal in order to comply with special “non-cancelable, non-returnable” contracts. If another NCNR contract rears its head and forces Samsung into uncanceling LPDDR4 production, it could keep budget phones slow but affordable … for now, anyway.

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Science fiction has made it abundantly clear, whether it’s in a super-cool DeLorean or a phone booth operated by two total dudes, time isn’t always on your side. Traveling through it can lead to paradoxes, see people erased from existence, or, at the absolute worst, be caught in a time loop that they can’t get out of. Sometimes those loops that have seen heroes live the same days over and over again have led to some of the most compelling and downright clever time travel stories ever put on film, and we’ve put together five of the best for you to watch, watch, and then watch some more.

From heroes stranded until they figure out how to save the day, or others who might as well be stuck on a treadmill through time before they step off with an invaluable life lesson, time loops have led to some great stories. With that in mind, here is a batch of movies that highlight just how brilliant, or horrifically bad, things can get when you’re forced to live the same day, or even an entire life, an infinite number of times.

Take your pick of which ones are worth adding to your watchlist and try not to think about whether we’ve been here all before. Now, where was I? Ah, yes…Science fiction has made it abundantly clear…

5. The Terminator

Orion Pictures

The time loop Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) unknowingly finds herself in isn’t especially pushed to the forefront of “The Terminator” like some other entries on this list. Instead, the focus is mostly on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s unstoppable killing machine in this hardwired horror movie as she tries to outrun the dark future, which is quite literally hunting her down. It’s only at the end of James Cameron’s blockbuster breakout hit that the movie’s brain-breaking twist is applied, and in doing so, it led fans fighting to wrap their head around the turn of events ever since. 

After Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) falls in love with the mother of the human resistance, a night of passion cements the time loop that would inevitably bring everything to fruition. Unbeknownst to Reese, the lone soldier sent back in time is, in fact, the father of the man who sent him there, turning him into the father of the future resistance.

More importantly, the remains of the crushed Terminator are thoroughly examined by Cyberdyne Systems, which would use this future tech to eventually create Skynet, the system that would eventually build Terminators and lead to Judgment Day. It’s a simple loop through time that’s enough to cause a headache, but without it, there never would have been possibly two of the greatest sci-fi action movies ever made. Now, if only there was another loop in history that would undo all the sequels that followed, everything would be peachy.

4. Source Code

Summit Entertainment

Train journeys are never fun, but Jake Gyllenhaal finds himself in a nightmare one that he can only escape by being blown to bits. Coming from a veteran of cyclical storylines, Duncan Jones (“Moon”) takes control of this quasi-“Quantum Leap”- like story that forces Gyllenhaal to relive a horrific terrorist attack to locate the one responsible. Joining him for the ride is the consistently charming Michelle Monaghan, who gets partly caught up in his mission to save the day, even though it keeps ending in a massive explosion.

While a lot of these films have a vast landscape to tread over and over again, Jones’ sleeper sci-fi movie keeps things simple by letting Gyllenhaal go no further than a train station. In doing so, he keeps the tension confined to the doomed train he’s on, with no single repeat run of his mission feeling boring. It also helps that Gyllenhaal’s natural charm and determination through the story keep you invested, even when you learn that his time might be up before those he’s trying to save. Brilliantly cut together and a legit whodunit that keeps you guessing, “Source Code” feels like the kind of forgotten thriller that’s hard to find these days, and makes you glad that some filmmakers still make them.

3. 12 Monkeys

Universal

No time travel movie feels as rough around the edges and as outlandish as “12 Monkeys,” and that’s not a bad thing. Bruce Willis is thrown down a time tunnel by director Terry Gilliam to find the source of a man-made virus that wiped out most of humanity, leading him to a mental patient played by Brad Pitt (who was surprisingly disappointed with his performance). The problem with this particular time-jumping jaunt is that the method of transportation isn’t as precise or streamlined as in other well-known movies, adding to the unpredictability and the difficulty of Willis’s mission to save the future by heading to the past.

Much like “The Terminator,” though, the only bit of stability is the surprising time-loop that presents itself in the film’s final act, and it’s one that’s far more upsetting than even the one involving future wars with killer robots. Throughout the film, Willis’ James Cole has recurring dreams of a young boy witnessing a man being shot outside an airport. It’s then revealed that this dream is actually of his childhood, and that the man he sees being shot is his older self dying, keeping him stuck in an endless, horrible loop between life and death.

It’s a gut-punch of a twist, but one that, following a frantic and constantly table-turning mission, ends on a straightforward but unapologetically bleak finale. Cole’s journey is one of order and chaos endlessly intertwined and is perhaps one of the most tragic as a result.

2. Edge of Tomorrow

Warner Bros.

If only Tom Cruise had the power to go back in time and settle on a title for what is one of his most underappreciated sci-fi action movies, “Edge of Tomorrow” (aka “Live, Die, Repeat”), might’ve had a lot more success. Even so, that doesn’t take away from the film being an exceptional time-loop movie, with Cruise inhabiting a very different action role than what you’ve been used to in the years prior.

Based on the manga “All You Need Is Kill,” Cruise plays public affairs officer Major William Cage, who finds himself on the front lines of a war with an unbeatable alien species. A close encounter with the enemy gives Cage the ability to relive the same day of the fateful battle to figure out how humanity can turn the tide — he just has to keep dying to come to this conclusion. Watching Cruise gradually become a hero, rather than being one outright, adds a great element to what is otherwise an action-packed sci-fi war movie.

Seeing him fumble into often-fatal circumstances with exceptionally funny timing for once is great, but the real highlight is Emily Blunt as “Full Metal B***h” Sergeant Rita Vrataski. She’s a hard-edged, massive sword-carrying hero who is stuck in a time loop of her own, but trains Cage to meet her on the battlefield and hopefully put the aliens on the back foot. It’s yet another reminder that if you want a sci-fi movie to last, adding Emily Blunt to the cast is never a bad idea.

1. Groundhog Day

Columbia Pictures

We can go around and around when it comes to time loop movies, but in the end, the best one involves Bill Murray taking issue with a groundhog. Directed by Harold Ramis, “Groundhog Day” is a movie that doesn’t get caught up in scientific mumbo-jumbo. All you know is that Phil Connors (Murray) is a grouchy news reporter who finds himself stuck in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, on the titular day. Over, and over, and over again.

Landing somewhere in the calendar between “A Christmas Carol” and “It’s A Wonderful Life,” “Groundhog Day” plays like what if Ebenezer Scrooge were stuck in the town of Bedford Falls, where the locals are good-hearted people and an outsider who struggles to acclimate himself to being a decent human being. The journey he takes to get there is a long one, one that sees Phil almost undergo a spiritual awakening as he comes to terms with the time-restricted prison he’s confined in.

The laughs come from the reluctant hero getting the lay of the land and the routine that comes with it, which in turn, transforms him into a godlike figure, who is willing to get shot, stabbed, and electrocuted like there’s no tomorrow. It’s only as he slowly comes to learn more about his love interest (Minnie Driver) and to take every day as a blessing that Murray’s bitter hero becomes the iconic one worth rooting for all this time, which makes “Groundhog Day” the classic worth going back to.

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Many smart TV models support popular streaming apps, and some come with the Google TV platform preloaded instead of a custom operating system. But some people may prefer using set-top boxes or streaming sticks connected to their TV to access their favorite streaming services. The Google TV Streamer and the various Google Chromecast models that preceded it are among the available streaming options. These devices are essentially tiny computers and, as such, can malfunction. When troubleshooting fails, the Chromecast models can be reset to factory settings if other fixes don’t work. Rather than going into the device’s settings, you can press a little button on the back of your Chromecast to start the factory reset process.

Older models may have the button placed on the side, but either way, the button is useful when you can’t access the operating system to initiate a factory reset. The physical button is also a quicker way to factory reset the Chromecast once you’ve determined that a device reboot won’t fix the underlying issue. The factory reset should be your last resort after trying other fixes, though. In addition to turning the device on and off, you can delete and reinstall apps and update the firmware to try to fix the underlying problem.

A factory reset is also necessary before selling or giving the Chromecast to another user. This step ensures that you delete your personal data from the Chromecast, including Google account sign-in and streaming apps. Google released several Chromecast products (discontinued in 2024) over the years, including the Google TV Streamer, Chromecast with Google TV, Chromecast Ultra, third-generation Chromecast, second-generation Chromecast, first-generation Chromecast, and the Chromecast Audio device. All of them can be restored to factory settings in two ways: from the Settings menu or using the hardware button.

How to factory reset your Chromecast

The software factory reset option is similar across models. You have to navigate to the Settings menu, using either the device’s remote or the Google Home app on iPhone or Android devices. This process involves switching on the TV and Google streaming device, finding the Settings menu, and then looking for the Factory Reset option (sometimes under the About menu).

If this process is unavailable, you should look for the hardware button to perform a factory reset. Regardless of the Chromecast model, the device will need to be connected to the TV and turned on. The process of using the physical button to factory reset a Chromecast device is similar across models. It involves pressing and holding the button for a few seconds and observing a specific light color change that will indicate the reset process has started. The streaming device will restart after the procedure.

For the Google TV Streamer, you should press and hold the button on the back for 10 to 12 seconds and wait for the LED light to change from blinking yellow to solid white. The Chromecast with Google TV will follow a similar pattern. You’ll press and hold the button on the back, waiting for the light to change from blinking yellow to solid white. Chromecast Ultra and second-generation and third-generation Chromecast models have a button on the side. The light will change from blinking orange to solid white. The first-generation model’s physical button has to be held for 25 seconds until the solid LED light starts flashing red. Finally, the Chromecast Audio’s light will change from blinking orange to white when the side button is held.

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Critic reviews for “Mortal Kombat II” are rolling in, and they’re all saying the same thing: It’s an entertaining action flick with great martial arts-inspired combat, but with a poor script that drags the experience down. Simon Abrams put it best in his review on the Roger Ebert website, saying, “It makes good on its grisly promise whenever its meat-puppet protagonists stop talking and start pummeling each other.” At the time of writing, “Mortal Kombat II” sits at a perfectly neutral score of 50 on Metacritic.

“Mortal Kombat II” is a sequel to the 2021 “Mortal Kombat” movie, which was received very similarly by audiences. It, too, was taken as a middling attempt at a video game adaptation, landing on a 55% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The first reactions to “Mortal Kombat II” show that this sequel has promise, but it still might not be the second-round comeback that the series needed.

The new film stars Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, a renowned character from the original game franchise who is nearly as legendary as the likes of Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Raiden. Karl Urban previously starred in a beloved comic book cult classic, but are his action chops enough to make up for a movie’s shortcomings? You can see for yourself if the new “Mortal Kombat” is a fatality for the film franchise when “Mortal Kombat II” starts showing in theaters on May 8.

How Mortal Kombat II builds on the first film

Critics are practically unanimous in their opinion that “Mortal Kombat II” is far from perfect. However, some critics are praising the film for improving upon the first installment in meaningful ways. In his Spanish-language review for Cocalecas, Ruben Peralta Riguad said, “Mortal Kombat II is more complete than its predecessor and more confident in what it wants to be, but it still fails to strike a balance between spectacle and narrative.”

Sebastian Zavala Kahn voiced a similar opinion in his review for Me gusta el cine, saying, “While not a masterpiece, it takes into account the criticisms of the first instalment and develops into a narrative that is at times emotional, at others aggressively fun, and, overall, more coherent than expected.” Despite the criticisms leveled against the movie’s writing, everyone agrees that the action is beyond reproach. If you were a fan of 2021’s “Mortal Kombat,” you will find even more to love in “Mortal Kombat II.” With this theatrical release coming in the wake of a new Resident Evil movie trailer, 2026 is promising to be a strong year for video game films.

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The security of one’s personal data is increasingly important in a world where sophisticated hackers use all sorts of tactics to steal login information and money from unsuspecting users. While you can use theft protection features, the theft of a phone could result in a temporary loss of precious data, assuming a backup is available. Add ransomware attacks, which can lock personal data on a PC until a ransom is paid, and the use of advanced AI in phishing scams, and you’ll quickly realize why it’s more important than ever to back up all your data, not just your handset. But backing up your PC to an external hard drive or SSD regularly might not be enough to safeguard your information in case of hacks, device damage, or device theft or loss. For added peace of mind, you should employ the 3-2-1-1-0 rule for backing up your information, which is an upgraded version of the 3-2-1 recommendation.

These methods are designed to make sure that an organization or individual backs up their data in more than one place, including an offline, remote location and ensuring that the backups are in good condition. In other words, these methods add a few redundancies to prevent unexpected scenarios that go beyond a hacker tampering with one’s computer, a lost phone, or a natural disaster that might destroy a computer or storage.

The 3-2-1-1-0 rule explained

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To understand the 3-2-1-1-0 rule, it’s important to first look at the 3-2-1 backup strategy. The numbers refer to specific actions a user should take when considering backing up their data. “3,” the first number in the sequence, is the number of data copies you should consider. This includes the data on the PC you’re actively using. In addition to that copy, you should have two more copies.

The second number in the original sequence is “2,” and refers to backing up the data to two types of media. You can use any good cloud service and an SSD. Or you can back up data to an HDD and an SSD, in case you’re worried about the latter’s life expectancy. You can use more than two types of media for backups if you have access to them. The “1” in the original 3-2-1 rule advises users to keep one copy of the data offsite. If you have a cloud backup, that counts. Alternatively, you can place an external drive in a different location than your home.

The second “1” and the “0” in the 3-2-1-1-0 rule also take care of more sophisticated ransomware attacks and vulnerabilities of the public cloud. Hackers may go after backup devices connected to the PC as part of a ransomware attack. The second “1” in the 3-2-1-1-0 sequence says that users should keep at least one backup offline, so it can’t be accessed by attackers. The “0” is a crucial addition to the rule, and, in retrospect, it is something that should have been part of the original recommendation. It stands for zero errors. You should ensure that the backups are in good condition and can be used to restore data immediately if needed.

How to implement the 3-2-1-1-0 rule

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Backing up your data with the 3-2-1-1-0 rule may sound complicated and expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. You should consider three data repositories, including the PC you’re using. The second one can be a cloud backup from a trusted service that offers strong security and enough storage space to accommodate your needs. The third can be an external drive that you connect to the computer. You can make additional copies if you have any old drives that you want to repurpose.

Combining cloud storage with an SSD or HDD also satisfies the “2” rule: You’re using two different media types to reduce the risk of both backup copies being similarly compromised. The first “1” is also satisfied if you keep one copy of the backup in the cloud. If you want only physical copies, you can consider a second location for one of them, like your parents’ house or a safe deposit box. However, this may not be convenient, as you will want to perform frequent data backups.

For the second “1” in the 3-2-1-1-0 rule, you should consider backing up data to one of your drives after disconnecting the computer from the internet. That way, you’ll be able to move data to the drive without worrying about attacks. Make sure to run a malware check and verify that no third party can control your device before backing up data. Finally, the “0” in the sequence may turn out to be the most work-intensive one. You’ll need to routinely check the data in the cloud and local drive backups and ensure they are accessible. You may want to perform mock restores from time to time to see if the backups work as intended.

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After a long beta cycle, the first stable iteration of Samsung’s One UI 8.5 is finally here on older Samsung phones, bringing many popular features present on the Galaxy S26 to previous-generation Samsung devices. The update started rolling out in Korea on May 6, 2026, but it should drop in other regions throughout May. One UI 8.5 introduces many new Galaxy AI features, improves upon old ones, and also allows for Quick Share between Android and Apple devices.

For now, the update brings these features to the Galaxy S25, the S25 Plus, the S25 Ultra, and the Galaxy S25 FE. Sources confirm that other Samsung phones will also be receiving the same features as part of One UI 8.5 later on. These phones include those from the S24 lineup, as well as the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip phones — specifically the Z Fold 6, Z Fold 7, Z Flip 6, and Z Flip 7.

1. Call screening

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The Galaxy S26 series debuted with tons of new features. Some of the biggest changes had to do with Galaxy AI and how much it improved on the AI features from previous generations, alongside plenty of fully new AI features. One such feature that many Samsung users will appreciate is call screening, and with One UI 8.5, you can use it on your Galaxy S25 and older Samsung phones.

Call screening, as the name suggests, screens incoming calls to let you know exactly who is calling before you pick up. Whenever you get a call from a suspicious number — either something the AI flags as suspicious or all unknown numbers in general, depending on what you select — your Samsung phone can take the call for you.

It asks the caller who they are and what they need you for, and determines if they’re legitimate. You can then decide whether to pick up the call. Furthermore, even if you don’t respond, you can review a summary or a transcript of the call after it’s done and decide what to do afterwards. This feature improves greatly on the Bixby text call feature, and now the AI can choose replies itself. You can even set it to take incoming calls from unknown callers automatically, where you’d have to manually select the option in previous renditions.

2. Upgraded Photo Assist

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For many users, the S26’s AI photo-editing tools were among the highlights of the new phone lineup. The Galaxy S25 already came with Photo Assist, but this was much more limited than what we now have with One UI 8.5

With the original Photo Assist, you could circle or select any object in a picture to remove it from the photo entirely, resize it, or move it around. You could also import objects from other pictures in your gallery to add them to a photo and turn your sketches into real-world objects. Additionally, if there were faces present in any picture, you could use Portrait Studio, which used generative AI to create stylized portraits.

With the new and improved Photo Assist in One UI 8.5, you have more control over what you want to do. It has all the features that its previous iteration had, but now also lets you type in prompts. With the previous version, you could try drawing a tree and hope that Galaxy AI would get the colors right to match your vision, but with the newer Galaxy AI features, you can add in text prompts to create the exact result that you had in mind.

3. Improved Audio Eraser

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Background noise is annoying. Whether you’re trying to watch a YouTube video or recording a video of yourself in a busy park, having unnecessary sounds in the background can be quite frustrating to deal with. Samsung came up with a solution for this: Audio Eraser.

This feature — which debuted on the S25 series –  allowed users to use AI to isolate and remove any background noise for improved clarity on the audio of video recordings. This, however, only worked for videos in the gallery, where S25 owners could use the video editor to remove background noise after recording something.

Audio Eraser has been enhanced in One UI 8.5 as well as on the Galaxy S26 phones and now functions system-wide and in real-time. This means that, with One UI 8.5 now coming to older phones, users can block background noise through many built-in programs, as well as streaming platforms and social media apps. In practice, this can block loud background noise when you’re watching a YouTube video, scrolling through Instagram Reels, or when you’re using the sound recorder. The audio removal for recorded videos now also works while you’re recording the footage, which means you don’t have to remove it in post-processing.

4. Quick Share with Apple devices via AirDrop

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The ability to share pictures and videos wirelessly has existed on smartphones for quite some time. While this process used to be much slower when it was done over older iterations of Bluetooth, both Android’s Quick Share and Apple’s AirDrop can transfer small files almost instantly using a combination of Bluetooth and a Wi-Fi connection.

The feature solved many problems — you don’t have to consume data or use a cable just to transfer some pictures, for example — but for whatever reason, Quick Share and AirDrop weren’t compatible with each other for the longest time, which meant you couldn’t send files from your Android phone to an Apple device or vice versa. That changed late last year, with certain Android phones adding support for AirDrop. The Galaxy S26 phones released earlier this year also had this feature, with Quick Share supporting cross-platform file transfers between Android and Apple devices.

We already saw this feature added to older Samsung phones in the One UI 8.5 beta, though that version had some glaring problems. With One UI 8.5’s official stable release, these should be fixed. Like in the beta version, the feature will be added to the Galaxy S25, S24, S23, and even as far back as the S22 series. If you’re using any of these phones with One UI 8.5, you can use Quick Share to send or receive files from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

5. Now Nudge

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Among the many Galaxy AI features for Galaxy S26 phones, Now Nudge and other proactive AI suggestions are among the most helpful in daily life. With most AI features on older Samsung phones, you had to prompt the AI before it did anything. With the new Galaxy AI features in One UI 8.5, that’s no longer the case, and your phone can now offer suggestions unprompted.

Now Nudge analyzes the context and offers suggestions on things to do based on the notifications and messages you receive or by looking at what you’re trying to do. For example, if you receive a notification about an upcoming meeting, Now Nudge can “nudge” you to add it to your calendar or reschedule it if you already have an appointment at that time. Similarly, if you receive a text message asking you to send pictures from a certain date, Now Nudge can find those pictures for you, making it easier to send them.

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“Little Foot” isn’t just a beloved character from “The Land Before Time,” it’s also the name given to the fossil of a human ancestor found in a South African cave in 1994. Although critical features, like the fossil’s face, could provide insights into our shared evolutionary history, for decades, those insights remained elusive. Innovative digital reconstruction tech has changed that. Now, some researchers are questioning whether the fossil may represent a previously undiscovered species.

In a study published in Comptes Rendus Palevol, researchers have shared the results of the five-year digital reconstruction process. Their findings don’t just offer a unique glimpse into what a pre-human ancestor like Little Foot would have looked like, they may also provide evidence of the existence of a previously unknown human ancestor. Although one sample isn’t enough to confirm that Little Foot is the fossil of a “new” species, this research broadens our understanding of where we come from while also shedding light on just how little we know about our ancestors.

Reconstructing a 3.7 million-year-old fossil’s face answers some questions and raises others

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Little Foot has always been an important specimen due to the fact that it’s long been the closest thing we have to a complete Australopithecus skeleton. Australopithecus was an early hominin genus that lived in Africa over 2 million years ago. Although Little Foot’s skeleton is more complete than other Australopithecus fossils, generating a clear image of what its face looked like has proved difficult, as the skull sustained major damage after being buried for an estimated 3.67 million years.

A research team has now used digital technology to rearrange the specimen’s skull bones, creating a picture of its overall face shape. As a pre-human ancestor, naturally, Little Foot’s mug displays some key differences from that of today’s humans. For instance, the orbital region around the eye sockets is significantly larger than our own. However, this detail has raised an interesting question for researchers.

Most of Little Foot’s skeleton was discovered in the Sterkfontein Caves of South Africa. When the research team compared its digital reconstructions of its face to other Australopithecus fossils, they found it bore a surprising resemblance to those found in eastern African fossils. Per a CNN report, some also argue that these disparities may mean Little Foot is actually an example of a previously unidentified human ancestor.

Scientists plan to continue reconstructing Little Foot’s skull

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Dr. Jesse Martin recently co-authored a study arguing there’s reason to believe Little Foot might be the fossil of a species other than Australopithecus. Martin suggests that methods used to determine the age of the Little Foot fossil haven’t offered a definitive answer to the question of how old it is. If researchers have the age of the fossil wrong, this could throw into question whether its species has been properly identified.

The full reconstruction of Little Foot’s skull isn’t complete. The current digital reconstruction focused primarily on the face. The team behind the research plans to continue, hoping to reconstruct other portions of the skull (particularly the cranium). What they learn might provide more information about overall evolution of the human brain. This future research may also offer more insight regarding the species the fossil belongs to, and whether that species represents a new discovery. Having a clearer sense of what we evolved from could even help us better understand what we might evolve into.

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Just like a time-traveler once said to a bunch of clueless ’50s high-schoolers, “I guess you guys aren’t ready for that yet. But your kids are gonna love it.” In the case of some sci-fi stories that braved the big screen, that’s certainly true.

Sci-fi movie history is littered with misfits that, upon initial release, didn’t check enough of the general audience’s boxes. As a result, they were lost to the box-office bin of financial failure. It would only be a few years later that they’d gain a second life from diehard fans or become acknowledged as the sci-fi greats they’d always been. 

But just which of the best sci-fi films were unlucky enough to find themselves on this list? What was it that saw some now-adored movies make their debut as immense misfires because of poor advertising or mega competition at the box office? Why was it that in some cases, movies were greeted by audiences that simply couldn’t wrap their heads around a film that was years ahead of the curve? To kick things off, there’s a cult classic that thankfully just waited a while to see what happened, and eventually went on to become a sci-fi body horror masterpiece for the ages.

The Thing

Universal Pictures

It might’ve gone on to become one of John Carpenter’s most beloved works, but “The Thing” had a tough time becoming a success when it debuted in theaters. The impressive remake of “The Thing from Another World” had all the ingredients to be a hit, including some incredible body horror sequences and a consistently brilliant lead in Kurt Russell. Unfortunately, even the movie’s adaptable alien couldn’t compete with a creature from another world that was dominating Hollywood in 1982, and doing so in a far more welcoming fashion. It turns out that rather than watch Russell give a blood test that would turn into the stuff of nightmares, audiences were more interested in making a family-friendly call to “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.”

Steven Spielberg’s movie about a boy and his best friend from beyond the stars was unstoppable, changing sci-fi forever and adding yet another immense hit to the director’s growing filmography. Unfortunately, it proved that audiences wanted aliens to come in peace and take us on flying bike rides, not rip our arms off with an open chest cavity with teeth.

As a result, while having a two-week head start in theaters, “E.T.” grossed $619 million at the box office (although it was banned in some countries). “The Thing,” however, crawled away with a disappointing $20.9 million. The positive, of course, is that time was kinder than initial audiences, with “The Thing” becoming a beloved sci-fi horror and widely regarded as one of the greatest remakes ever made.

Strange Days

20th Century Studios

The biggest gamble with sci-fi movies is that sometimes they’re simply just way ahead of their time. Such is the case for “Strange Days,” which on paper should’ve been a hit when it arrived in 1995, written by James Cameron and helmed by “Point Break” and “The Hurt Locker” director, Kathryn Bigelow.

Starring Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett, the movie takes us into a future where people have become addicted to SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device), which records memories and allows the wearer to relive them with startling accuracy, as if it were real life. A murder mystery begins to unfold, though, when Fiennes’ former cop gets hold of a SQUID that stores evidence of a murder that sees him and Bassett on the run.

Watch “Strange Days” now, and it’s hard not to see fragments of “Minority Report” and “The Matrix” woven into Cameron’s tale, which didn’t receive as warm a welcome as either of those films. Instead, the movie grossed an abysmal $8 million at the box office, which couldn’t cover the $42 million budget. Audiences weren’t willing to get hooked into this dark future, where police corruption was on the rise and society was dependent on technology. Nowadays, even finding a physical copy of “Strange Days” is rare, but worth it for a film that has rightfully earned cult status.

The Iron Giant

Warner Bros.

Before Vin Diesel lent his voice to a talking tree with only a three-word vocabulary, he breathed life into the highly advanced nuts and bolts of a killer robot who just wanted to live in “The Iron Giant.” Helmed by Brad Bird, the director of “The Incredibles” and “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol,” the film was loosely adapted from author Ted Hughes’ book, “The Iron Man” (no affiliation to Tony Stark), and followed a young boy in 1957 named Hogarth Hughes (Eli Marienthal) who befriends the titular hero. The premise was inspired by Bird’s sister, who was tragically shot and killed by her husband. Bird wanted to tell the story about “what if a gun had a soul? Would it still want to be a gun?”

With Jennifer Aniston and Harry Connick Jr. joining the proceedings and “Happy Gilmore’s” Christopher McDonald in top form as the paranoid federal agent with his sights set on Hogarth’s big pal, the film had enough talent and heart to earn immense praise from critics. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.

Given that Warner Bros. had already been stung by the animated box-office bomb “Quest for Camelot” the previous year, the studio wasn’t willing to put in the effort to promote the film, regardless of how much of a hit it could’ve been. The result was disappointing worldwide earnings of $31.3 million against a $50 million budget. Thankfully, over the years, the film has become a cult classic that younger generations have belatedly discovered, giving them a heartwarming introduction to a different kind of Superman.

Dredd

Lionsgate

Karl Urban has petitioned for roles he wanted like Henry McCoy in “Star Trek,” and just recently elevated a floundering franchise as Johnny Cage in “Mortal Kombat II,” but one part he’s hungry to go back to is Judge Joseph Dredd in Pete Travis’ “Dredd.” The problem is that when he made his debut as Mega City One’s toughest lawman, not a lot of people showed up for the fanfare. Against a $45 million budget, the reboot of the hard-as-nails comic book character earned only $41.5 million, which feels criminal in itself.

Critics and fans’ initial reactions were overwhelmingly positive, praising Urban for staying under the iconic helmet in contrast to Sylvester Stallone’s 1995 attempt, in which Sly’s face was often placed front and center. The movie was also riding on a sterling script from “Civil War” and future “Elden Ring” director, Alex Garland, who, according to some, practically ghost-directed the film as well.

In Urban’s eyes, though, “Dredd” died a death in theaters thanks to the studio’s poor effort in getting the word out that a new judge was in town. “Dredd represented a failure in marketing,” he told Yahoo. “I saw the tracking of that film weeks before it came out, and the fundamental problem was no one knew it was being released. Once it came out on DVD and it sold 750,000 copies in the first week in North America alone, it was very clear that the audience had discovered it.”

Blade Runner 2049

Warner Bros.

“Blade Runner 2049” faced an uphill battle from the get-go. After 35 years, the original, a misunderstood masterpiece in its own right (and which had given fans multiple endings to boot), had a tumultuous legacy that director Denis Villeneuve would help shape. Unfortunately, the original’s cult status seemed to carry over to its successor, with “Blade Runner 2049” falling short of expectations.

The film might’ve broken past its $185 million budget, but it ended up at around $276 million, leading to failure for a multitude of reasons. For one, the movie was going up against killer clowns returning to screens with “IT,” which was breaking records of its own in the horror genre. Additionally, there was yet another poor marketing strategy for a film sequel that, while coveted by cinephiles, wasn’t on the radar of regular moviegoers.

Even with the big names of Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, marketing kept story details to a minimum, hiding as much as they could, which ostracized viewers who didn’t even know what happened in the original. Warner Bros.’ domestic distribution president, Jeff Goldstein, said in a statement to Reuters, “The audience for it was narrower than we anticipated. We did well in the major and high-profile markets. Alcon and Denis made an amazing movie.” There’s no question about that, because just like our first outing with a Blade Runner, “2049” is a masterpiece in its own right and deserves the same amount of love, even if the world was just a little late to give it.

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The PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller is designed to maximize immersion with its haptic feedback and adaptive triggers that simulate things like falling rain and the distinct feel of firing different weapons. Sony has added new features over the years, such as the ability to pair it to multiple devices and adaptive charging, which is one of the reasons you should always update your PS5 controller when prompted by your console.

Some on Reddit have even said that the DualSense has changed the way they play, with one calling it “a literal game changer” that convinced them to get a PlayStation 5 over an Xbox Series X. Not all of the PS5 controller’s features are immediately apparent, though. The sleek device is hiding some cool things in the settings and beyond that can improve your gaming experience, further enhancing immersion and accessibility. That includes 3D audio options and Create button customizations you probably didn’t know existed.

Set up 3D Audio for headphones

For games that support it, 3D Audio does a great job of simulating surround sound. It makes it feel like you’ve been dropped into a new world when you’re swinging across Manhattan in “Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales” or exploring the whimsical, reference-filled world of “Astro Bot.” What you may not realize is that you don’t need any fancy equipment to use it.

3D Audio isn’t just for TV speakers or high-end gaming headsets. In fact, any pair of headphones that you can plug into the DualSense’s audio jack can use 3D Audio. All you need to do is go to Settings, Audio, then 3D Audio (Headphones). From there, select Create Personalized 3D Audio Profile and follow the instructions to customize the sound to your liking. It’s worth noting that not all games support 3D Audio, and users have reported that having it enabled for games not specifically designed for the feature can muffle the sound. Still, it’s great that you can access the feature for compatible games without needing to buy new headphones.

Connect to other devices

Teamjackson/Getty Images

While it was made for the PlayStation 5, that’s not the only device your DualSense can connect to. You can use your PS5 controller to play games on other platforms, including PC, Mac, mobile, and Steam Deck via Bluetooth or USB connection, which is perfect for anyone who doesn’t want to buy or get used to another controller. Most games don’t support DualSense-specific features like haptics and adaptive triggers, but they’ll work if you’re playing ports of games like “Horizon Forbidden West” or “Death Stranding Director’s Cut” that were designed to take full advantage of the controller’s capabilities.

Following a July 2025 update, you can simultaneously pair a DualSense with up to four devices. That means you don’t have to unpair and re-pair your controller every single time you want to use it on a different platform, which is perfect for those who swap between console, PC, and mobile gaming but prefer the feeling of a PS5 controller.

Check accessibility features in the PlayStation Store

Noelle Corbett / BGR

PlayStation 5 and its controller have various settings and customization options that make gaming more accessible to players with disabilities, like button remapping, a screen reader, and haptic feedback meant to help users navigate menus. However, while accessibility features within games have become more common, not all of them have equally robust options. That’s why it’s great that the DualSense makes it easy to check what kinds of options a game has before you purchase it. 

Developers have the option to include Accessibility Tags, and all you have to do to see a detailed breakdown of a supported game’s accessibility features is open its PlayStation Store page and press the Triangle button. That will bring up a page that goes over specific video, audio, control, and gameplay options. It’ll also tell you if a game supports chat transcription, which converts voice chat speech from other players to text and reads aloud your typed responses. It’s a shame not all games have Accessibility Tags, but it’s a useful tool that makes finding important information as simple as pressing the Triangle button.

Customize Create button shortcuts

Noelle Corbett / BGR

Button customization is important for accessibility, but being able to remap controls to fit your needs and preferences isn’t just for gamers with disabilities. There’s also one button on the DualSense you may not have realized you can customize: the Create button. There are three different ways to press the Create button. By default, a quick press will bring up the Create menu, a double tap will save the last 30 seconds of gameplay as a recording, and holding it for three seconds takes a screenshot.

To change what these different inputs do, go to Settings, Captures and Broadcasts, then Shortcuts for Create Button. There are two additional options outside the default. Easy Screenshots swaps the screenshot and Create menu inputs, while Easy Video Clips lets you start or end recording video clips with a double-tap. You can even change how much recent gameplay gets saved, with options ranging from 15 seconds to one hour. If you’re the type who loves to dive into Photo Mode or share gameplay clips with friends, it’s worth checking out these Create button options to make it work better for you.

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“It looks like you’re writing an email. Would you like help?” If you used Microsoft Office during the 90s, these words (or similar) echo in your memory. The Office Assistant, better known as Clippy, was one of Microsoft’s early attempts at creating a digital assistant. However, Clippy was doomed from the start because it was the product of misunderstood data.

While Microsoft Office 97 featured several avatars, Clippy was the default, so it attracted the most attention (and vitriol). Clippy was intended to offer advice on different tasks and help improve productivity — think Navi from “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.” The concept behind Clippy was inspired by a Stanford University study that demonstrated humans generally react to computers the same way they do to other people; the parts of the brain that light up when engaging with other people and when hitting keyboards and moving mice were the same. Microsoft’s tragic mistake was to take the next “logical” conclusion and anthropomorphize the program. Clippy proved an immediate annoyance.

It frequently pestered users and asked them if they needed help with even the most basic of tasks (again, like Navi), but users didn’t hate the programmers; they hated the program because Microsoft literally gave the source of their annoyance a face. And customers reacted. On the bright side, Microsoft listened to its user base. While Clippy shipped with the next iteration of Microsoft Office, it was turned off by default, forcing users to search Clippy out. Microsoft finally gave Clippy and its cohorts their walking papers with Office 2007.

Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it

gguy/Shutterstock

While Microsoft eventually realized that few people liked Clippy, the company never abandoned its dream to shove digital assistants into its many programs. On the bright side, Microsoft isn’t anthropomorphizing its products anymore, but on the not-so-bright side, the company isn’t giving users enough time to forget its past mistakes before making new ones.

In 2009, Microsoft started research into a new virtual assistant. This project would eventually culminate in the Bing-powered digital helper Cortana. Yes, the real-world virtual assistant was named after the “Halo” character, but the Cortana was far more knowledgeable and adaptable than Clippy. It was also built into multiple operating systems, so users couldn’t escape it short of using Linux or macOS. While reception was tepid compared to Clippy, interest eventually dropped off. Microsoft stopped implementing it and emphasizing its functionality until Cortana was completely shelved in 2023.

Before the embers of Cortana’s metaphorical funeral pyre had even cooled, Microsoft announced its next digital assistant iteration: Copilot. Unlike Cortana and Clippy, this assistant is powered by AI. Like Clippy, though, Copilot is designed for the Microsoft Office environment. This new AI assistant can summarize data and draft documents. If you think that last part sounds like Clippy, you aren’t alone; the studio FireCube released its own unofficial Clippy app, which integrates with Copilot.

Clippy lives on in our hearts, nightmares, and tributes

While Clippy is gone in an official capacity — hopefully for good, depending on who you ask — the mascot finds its way back every now and then, and not just because of FireCube’s unofficial app. Clippy can be seen in “Family Guy” and “The Simpsons,” but few organizations reference/mock Clippy quite as readily as Microsoft. In 2007, the company hosted the TechEd conference and opened with a skit starring then-President of Microsoft Bob Muglia and Christopher Lloyd (aka Doc Brown from “Back to the Future”).

Time travel shenanigans ensued, and they were eventually threatened by a big holographic Clippy. Clippy also returned in 2011’s “Ribbon Hero 2: Clippy’s Second Chance,” a free video game that teaches users about the ins and outs of Office 2007. For the most part, Microsoft’s Clippy references are short and don’t overstay their welcome — unlike the character. Some have been semi-permanent, though.

For instance, particularly nostalgic “Halo Infinite” players can purchase a Clippy weapon charm from the in-game shop, and a Clippy-themed nameplate was an unlockable reward in the game’s Season 2 battle pass. And in 2021, Microsoft’s X (when it was still Twitter) account made a post that stated that if over 20,000 people liked it, Clippy would return as the new paperclip emoji in Microsoft 365. And that’s exactly what happened. It’s hard to tell if people liked the post ironically, thinking it would never reach 20,000 upvotes, or if opinions have softened on Microsoft’s failed mascot.

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