The online leak of a full version of Avatar: Aang, The Last Airbender—a highly anticipated animated film in a multimedia fantasy franchise—has divided passionate fans while upsetting those who spent years working on the film.

The leaks began on X late on Saturday night, about six months before Aang was scheduled to premiere on Paramount+. User @ImStillDissin posted two short clips from the film. “Nickelodeon accidentally emailed me the entire Avatar aang movie,” he claimed. He also threatened to stream the entire movie if Paramount didn’t release an official trailer, and he posted a still from the movie’s end credits, revealing previously undisclosed voice-over cast and roles. The media from @ImStillDissin’s posts were later hit with copyright strikes and removed.

But within 48 hours, links to download the full movie appeared on 4chan and X, where some users also directly streamed the film. Across the web, fans said they had successfully pirated and watched what appeared to be a nearly finished and “beautiful” animated film.

While some argued that Paramount deserved to be punished because of certain creative and marketing decisions around the movie, others noted what a blow the leak was to the animators and production crew. A number of those team members took to social media to convey their sadness and frustration.

“We worked on the aang movie for years with the expectation that’d [sic] we’d get to celebrate all of our hard work in theaters. Just to see people unceremoniously leak the film and pass our shots around on twitter like candy,” animator Julia Schoel wrote Tuesday on X.

The user behind @ImStillDissin, who would not reveal his real name due to fear of legal repercussions, tells WIRED that he obtained the movie almost by chance and did not expect his posts to set off such a crisis in the entertainment world. “When I posted those clips I was purely trolling,” he says. “I was expecting a day of clout farming at best, not for the whole thing to blow up like this.”

(While WIRED has done its due diligence in verifying that the person speaking to us was behind the @ImStillDissin X account, we acknowledge that the hacking community is known to troll.)

According to @ImStillDissin, a screen-grabbed version of Avatar: Aang, The Last Airbender was circulating among people he knew from his days in the hacking community, one of whom shared it with him. “Broadly speaking, the supply chain for movies and TV is rife with insecure companies and vendors and lax checks,” he claims. He notes that two different SpongeBob SquarePants movies leaked months before their release dates in 2024. “Someone on 4chan who wasn’t happy at me drip-feeding stuff posted a copy of a draft script [of the new Avatar film] from like two years back,” says @ImStillDissin.

Neither Nickelodeon nor its parent company Paramount have confirmed a hack had taken place, nor have they issued a statement on the matter. They also did not respond to requests for comment.

Originally announced in 2021, Avatar: Aang, The Last Airbender marked the first production for Avatar Studios, a division of Nickelodeon’s animation department.

Some people felt justified in pirating and sharing the movie due to the recasting of voice actors. Last year, during a Reddit AMA, casting director Jenny Jue wrote that the voice cast from the Avatar TV show that aired on Nickelodeon in the 2000s was not returning due to efforts to “match actors’ ethnic/racial background to the characters they’re portraying.”

from the with-friends-like-this… dept

Back in January of last year, the Wall Street Journal published a story about a leather-bound birthday book that Ghislaine Maxwell had assembled for Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003. The book included letters from various associates, and one of them bore Donald Trump’s name. According to the article, it featured a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman with typewritten text inside. The page was signed with a recognizable squiggly “Donald” signature positioned to mimic pubic hair and closed with the ridiculously creepy line: “Happy Birthday—and may every day be another wonderful secret.”

Trump denied writing the letter and called it “a fake thing” before suing the Journal, Rupert Murdoch, News Corp, and the two reporters for a mere $10 billion. Each count asked for at least $10 billion, because apparently that’s the going rate for Donald Trump’s hurt feelings these days.

On Monday, federal judge Darrin Gayles dismissed the lawsuit, finding that Trump hadn’t come anywhere close to adequately alleging “actual malice,” the standard required for a public figure to win a defamation claim. For those who follow this stuff, that’s about as unsurprising as it gets.

The actual malice standard, established in New York Times v. Sullivan decision, requires a public figure to show that the defendant either knew the story was false or published it with reckless disregard for the truth (which courts have interpreted to require that the publisher actually harbored serious doubts about whether the statement was true). It does not mean, as many people assume, the colloquial meaning of “malice”: that they just don’t like the person. Trump’s complaint was heavy on boilerplate language about malice and light on, well, anything resembling actual facts supporting it. Judge Gayles was blunt about the gap:

The Complaint comes nowhere close to this standard. Quite the opposite.

The “quite the opposite” is the fun part. Trump’s own complaint described the reporters reaching out to him, as well as the FBI and the Justice Department, before publication. Trump gave them a denial, which they printed; the DOJ didn’t respond and the FBI declined to comment. Trump’s argument was essentially that since he told the Journal the letter was fake before publication, running the story anyway proved they had serious doubts about its truth and therefore acted with actual malice.

You hear this a lot from SLAPP defamation filers, pretending that a mere denial by them means that anyone printing what they’re accused of is actual malice. But that’s not how any of this works. Just because you deny something, doesn’t automatically mean the journalists have to believe it’s false. Their evidence can (and often does) reveal that the subjects of their reporting are lying in their denials. A denial is not proof of falsity. It’s just proof that you’re denying something. The court wasn’t buying any of it:

To establish actual malice, “a plaintiff must show the defendant deliberately avoided investigating the veracity of the statement in order to evade learning the truth.”…

As the judge noted, printing Trump’s denial alongside their own journalistic findings demonstrated responsible reporting — the opposite of actual malice, which would require evidence that the reporters had serious doubts about the letter’s authenticity and deliberately avoided investigating further. Then printing the denial alongside the evidence, again, was the opposite of actual malice:

The Article also informed readers that President Trump decried the Letter as a fake and denied writing it. By “allowing readers to decide for themselves what to conclude from the [Article], any allegation of actual malice [is] less plausible.” Turner, 879 F.3d at 1274. See also Michel, 816 F.3d at 703 (holding that “reporting perspectives contrary to the publisher’s own should be interpreted as helping to rebut, not establish, the presence of actual malice.”)

The judge also, somewhat gently, reminded Trump’s lawyers that actual malice is an actual legal standard, not just ‘they don’t like me.’

President Trump’s allegation that Defendants acted with ill-will is insufficient to plead actual malice. Aside from being conclusory and without factual support, “ill-will, improper motive or personal animosity plays no role in determining whether a defendant acted with actual malice.”

Meanwhile, as this lawsuit wound through the courts, the very letter Trump claimed didn’t exist surfaced publicly. The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the Epstein estate and obtained the birthday book. They released it publicly, and wouldn’t you know it, there’s a page that matches the Journal’s description of the letter exactly:

The judge couldn’t consider the produced letter at this stage of the litigation because Trump disputes its authenticity, which is his right procedurally. And the judge has to treat the claims in the complaint as true. But the rest of us sure can look at it. And judge for ourselves.

The court gave Trump until April 27 to file an amended complaint, and a spokesman for his legal team promised he would “refile this powerhouse lawsuit.” I suppose if you squint hard enough at a complaint a federal judge said “comes nowhere close” to meeting basic legal standards, “powerhouse” is one word you could use for it — just probably not in the way they mean.

The Journal’s defense team also sought attorneys’ fees under Florida’s anti-SLAPP statute. The judge denied the fee request for now, since Trump gets a chance to amend. But that request can be renewed, which means if the amended complaint fares no better, Trump could end up paying for the privilege of having sued the Journal over a story that appears to be true.

This is also a reminder of why we need stronger anti-SLAPP laws in every state, as well as a federal anti-SLAPP law.

This case isn’t over yet, but the judge clearly sees it as just as weak as we said it was when it was filed last year. As always, Trump files these vexatious lawsuits knowing none of them have a real shot — the goal is to burn time and money for media organizations, and scare some of them into softening their coverage or thinking twice before calling out his behavior.

The guy who presents himself as a champion of free speech remains the most anti-free speech president we’ve had in any of our lifetimes, consistently abusing the judicial system as a way to punish those who make him look bad.

Filed Under: actual malice, darrin gayles, defamation, donald trump, jeffrey epstein, rupert murdoch, slapp

Companies: news corp., wsj

Amazon has also announced a telecoms partnership with Apple to power satellite services on its products.

Amazon is acquiring satellite telecommunications provider Globalstar, as the company eyes Starlink’s top rank in satellite services.

The $11.6bn deal buys Amazon Globalstar’s existing satellite operations, infrastructure and licences. According to data compiled by Reuters, Globalstar has 32 planned active low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

Amazon plans to integrate Globalstar’s assets into its own space internet service Leo, which aims to have more than 3,200 satellites in space.

Currently, the company has more than 200 satellites in space already, and is planning several launches over the course of the year. SpaceX’s Starlink, for comparison, has around 15,000 authorised satellites with around 10,000 active in orbit.

With the Globalstar integration, Amazon will be able to add direct-to-device (D2D) services to its LEO satellite network and extend cellular coverage. The company said it plans to deploy its own D2D satellites systems by 2028.

Globalstar stockholders can choose to receive, per share, $90 in cash or around 0.3 shares of Amazon stock with a value cap.

Alongside the acquisition, Apple has agreed to use Leo to power satellite services for iPhones and Apple Watches. Apple, which bought a 20pc stake in Globalstar in 2024, had been using the company’s satellites to power its products. Apple has spent years building its satellite features, but struggled to catch up with competitors.

Currently, Amazon said it will continue to support Apple using Globalstar’s existing and planned LEO constellations. The company plans to collaborate with Apple on future projects using Leo.

“By combining Globalstar’s proven expertise and strong foundation with Amazon’s customer obsession and innovation, customers can expect faster, more reliable service in more places – keeping them connected to the people and things that matter most,” said Panos Panay, the senior vice president of devices and services at Amazon.

Earlier this year, Jeff Bezos’s other venture Blue Origin announced TeraWave, a satellite internet service with a planned constellation of around 5,400 satellites. Blue Origin claims that TeraWave will deliver connection speeds of up to 6Tbps anywhere on Earth.

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A live recording from Freddie King arrives for Record Store Day 2026 as Elemental Music presents Feeling Alright: The Complete 1975 Nancy Jazz Pulsation Concerts on a three LP set. Recorded at the Nancy Jazz Pulsations, the release captures King’s full 1975 performance in France, offering a complete and carefully assembled document of the blues guitarist at a pivotal moment in his later career.

While much of this material has appeared on two individual CDs issued in Europe back in 1989, this is the first time the entire show is being released on both CD and vinyl.

I never really gave it much thought before, but the mid-1970s arguably marked a peak for Freddie King who was finally achieving wider success.  At the time of this concert he was signed to Robert Stigwood’s RSO Records label and had a new single-disc album out called Larger Than Life which was receiving favorable reviews.  

So it makes a lot of sense for Elemental Music to highlight this era with a complete concert recording. Official press materials offer more insights into this new RSD set: “3-LP set featuring the blues legend Freddie King live before more than 50,000 fans in October 1975, the final full year of his life. Joining King are organist Alvin Hemphill, guitarist Ed Lively, pianist Lewis Stephens, bassist Benny Turner and drummer Calep Emphrey. The deluxe package features appreciations from his daughter, Wanda King, as well as ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, plus liner notes by author Cary Baker. The set documents an essential blues artist whose ferocious guitar tone, commanding singing, and genre-bridging vision helped reshape modern blues and rock.”

According to an online listing for the CD edition: “The audio was transferred directly from the original stereo tape reels at INA and mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab, ensuring stunning sound quality that brings every note to life. This limited edition includes rare, previously unpublished photographs from the festival and new liner notes.”

And indeed, on this high energy set you get to hear Mr. King soar.  Some fave tracks so far include King’s own “Have You Ever Loved A Woman?” and “The Things I Used To Do” (both released on his RSO album of that time) and the T-Bone Walker classic “Stormy Monday Blues.”  And his cover of Dave Mason’s Traffic classic “Feelin’ Alright” is a joy.  

The sound quality on this recording is really quite good and I’m pleased about the album pressing quality which is dead quiet and well centered. 

While I don’t know the exact RSD pricing for Feeling Alright: The Complete 1975 Nancy Jazz Pulsation Concerts it is fair to guess that it will be in the $60-70 range given its 3LP length.

Alternately, if you don’t score a copy or are on a tighter budget, you can pre-order the 2CD version for $24.98 at Amazon. All in all if you are a Freddie King fan and don’t have many live recordings by him from this era, Feeling Alright would be an key choice for Record Store Day.

Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc.  You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.

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Subtlety is overrated, and MSI just proved that. The Taiwanese laptop maker has rolled out a sweeping refresh, unveiling more than a dozen new gaming laptops spread across its Cyborg, Crosshair, Raider, Stealth, and Titan lineups. 

The models cover 15-inch, 16-inch, and 18-inch form factors, ensuring there’s something for every gamer or professional user, making it hard for buyers to run out of excuses for not upgrading this year. 

So, what’s actually new inside these machines?

It is Intel’s newly announced Arrow Lake-HX Plus chips, specifically the Core Ultra 9 290HZ Plus, that acts as a catalyst for MSI’s new lineup. Other manufacturers, such as Acer, Asus, and Dell, have already launched laptops powered by these chips. MSI is late, but it’s here fully loaded. 

Eight of the new MSI laptops, including the Raider 16 Max HX, Raider 18 Max HX, Stealth 18 HX, and Titan 18 HX, run on the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus chipset. Further, they feature a wide variety of powerful GPUs, ranging from the RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5080 to the RTX 5090. 

Out of all, the Crosshair 16 Max HX is the first laptop to ship with Nvidia’s yet-to-launch 12GB RTX 5070 laptop GPU. Meanwhile, the Raider 16 Max HX, which was present at the CES 2026, delivers a combined system power of 300W, out of which 175W comes from the GPU alone. 

Should budget gamers even care?

Yes, absolutely, MSI has also refreshed the Crosshair 16 HX with relatively older Intel 14th-gen processors and RTX 5050/5060/5070 GPUs. The entry-level Cyborg 15 series returns with quite accessible specs. 

Although MSI hasn’t revealed pricing yet, the lineup spans multiple segments, likely from mid-range to premium laptops. To me, the lineup looks like it was launched under some sort of pressure (from competition), as even I’m having trouble keeping a count of the models and their specifications. 

Nuclear startup X-energy began its investor roadshow Wednesday as it works toward its IPO, setting its target price between $16 and $19 per share, according to documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. If it lists at the high end, the startup could net about $814 million.

X-energy and its peers have been riding a renewed wave of interest in fission power as demand for electricity has surged on the back of AI data centers and society-wide electrification. 

Amazon is one of X-energy’s biggest backers. The tech giant led a $500 million Series C-1 round and has pledged to buy as much as 5 gigawatts of nuclear power from the company by 2039.

The IPO is sure to come as a relief to X-energy’s investors, which have put about $1.8 billion into the company, according to PitchBook. The startup had previously attempted to go public via reverse merger with a special purpose acquisition company, but the two parties canceled the deal in 2023 as the SPAC craze petered out.

X-energy’s reactor is what’s known as a high-temperature, gas-cooled reactor. Inside, uranium encased in spheres of ceramic and carbon is cooled by helium gas. The gas then transfers heat to a steam turbine loop to generate electricity. The fuel design, known as TRISO, is expected to be safer than previous fuel arrangements, though it’s not widely used today.

The startup said in its SEC filing that it’s already embroiled in a patent dispute with another company that recently went bankrupt. Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) went bankrupt in 2024, and its assets were purchased in bankruptcy to form Standard Nuclear. X-energy alleges that USNC infringed on its fuel fabrication patents and that the matter hasn’t been resolved to its satisfaction during the course of the bankruptcy proceedings.

Outside of China, development of new nuclear reactors has all but stalled, stymied by delays and cost overruns. A new breed of startups hopes that by shrinking reactors, they’ll be able to overcome some of the challenges that have beset traditional designs.

None of the small modular reactor startups have built a power plant yet, though several are racing to meet a deadline of July 4 set by the Trump administration.

While many might miss the arbitrary deadline, they’re still likely to achieve criticality, the moment when fission reactions become self-sustaining.

But the road from criticality to profitable power plants is likely to be long. Mass manufacturing can help bring costs down, but it usually takes around a decade for the process to start paying dividends. What’s more, the number of reactors these companies are planning to build might be more than other companies have attempted, but it might not be high enough to reap the true benefits of mass manufacturing.

X-energy expects that by the time its reactor production techniques are mature — what experts call “Nth-of-a-kind” — it will be able to bring costs down by 30% relative to the first-of-a-kind. Investors should pay close attention to how much that first reactor costs. It could make or break the company’s prospects.

Have you looked at how much your streaming subscriptions are costing you each month and wondered whether there is a smarter way to keep everything you actually watch without paying full price for all of it?

The answer here is Amazon’s Apple TV and Peacock Premium Plus bundle, now available through Prime Video for $19.99 per month against a combined standard cost of $29.98, a saving of over 33%.