Finch Capital has previously supported Ireland’s NomuPay, AccountsIQ and Webio.
UK payments company Apexx Global has bagged strategic investment of up to $10m from Dutch VC group Finch Capital.
Apexx, co-founded by Irishman Peter Keenan, specialises in merchant-centric payment orchestration. Its platform enables enterprise merchants to access the entire global payments ecosystem through a single API, it said.
By allowing transactions to route across the ecosystem, the company targets increased acceptance rates, lower processing costs and improved conversion rates.
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Investment from Finch comes after the 2016-founded Apexx bagged some big name customers, including Jet2, Iglu.com and Norse Atlantic, towards the end of last year. According to the company, these additions take it to the brink of break-even revenue.
Finch’s investment will be used to power Apexx’s next phase of growth, it said, supporting product innovation and international expansion as the demand for smarter payment orchestration continues to rise.
As part of the investment, Finch Capital managing partner Radboud Vlaar will be joining Apexx Global’s board as chairperson.
“Apexx Global has built a truly differentiated payment orchestration platform with a clear focus on merchant outcomes,” Vlaar said.
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“Payments is a global, complex and rapidly evolving space, and Apexx’s ability to intelligently optimise acceptance and cost at scale positions them exceptionally well.”
Finch Capital deals with more than €500m in assets under management and has backed more than 50 portfolio companies across Europe and the US.
“Finch Capital brings exactly the combination of payments expertise, international perspective and growth experience we were looking for,” said Keenan, the Apexx’s CEO.
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“This investment is a strong validation of our strategy and technology, and Radboud’s appointment as chairman further strengthens our leadership as we scale globally.
“Our focus remains clear – delivering measurable value for merchants by simplifying payments and driving better outcomes.”
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In the rarefied upper tier of high-end audio where prices are unapologetic and expectations are brutal, Esoteric sits comfortably alongside Nagra, Luxman, and TAD. This is not aspirational hi-fi; it’s reference-grade gear for listeners who already know the difference. Esoteric has built its reputation on an almost obsessive approach to engineering, and its CD players and transports remain the benchmark by which competitors are judged, often reluctantly. The evolution of its two best-selling components into the new XE Series is less about reinvention and more about refinement at the highest level.
Drawing directly from the company’s Grandioso flagship philosophy, the $13,000 N-05XE Network DAC Preamplifier and $13,500 S-05XE Class A Stereo Power Amplifier reinforce a familiar truth in this price bracket: Esoteric rarely misses, and when it updates a “core” product, it does so with intent.
Esoteric N-05XE Network DAC Preamplifier: One Box, No Compromises
The N-05XE is Esoteric doing what it does best: taking an already serious component and reworking every circuit that matters without breaking what made it successful in the first place. Positioned as the most compact “do-it-all” solution in the company’s lineup, the N-05XE combines a network streamer, reference-grade DAC, fully balanced dual-mono preamplifier, and a genuinely capable headphone amplifier in a single chassis—without diluting the design brief. This is also the only Esoteric product that integrates all of these functions into one platform, and the new XE revision refines every stage while preserving its core architecture.
At the heart of the N-05XE is Esoteric’s next-generation Master Sound Discrete DAC G2, derived directly from technologies developed for the Grandioso N1. Rather than relying on an off-the-shelf DAC chip, Esoteric uses a fully discrete, FPGA-based multilevel ΔΣ architecture with a 64-bit/512Fs modulator. Separate FPGA algorithms are optimized independently for PCM and DSD playback, while a newly developed low-noise register network and high-precision MELF resistors improve linearity, imaging precision, and noise performance.
The DAC section is fully dual-mono, with left and right channels completely isolated across analog stages and power supplies, and it is clocked by Esoteric’s proprietary high-precision “Master Sound Discrete Clock for Digital Player.”
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Network duties are handled by the new Esoteric Network Engine G4, which supports optical network connections via an SFP port in addition to standard Ethernet. A large, dedicated linear power supply is used exclusively for the network engine, contributing to a smoother, more organic presentation that Esoteric openly likens to analog playback.
The platform supports native DSD up to 22.5 MHz, PCM file playback, and server functionality via two USB drive connections. File support is broad and practical, covering DSF, DSDIFF, FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF, MQA, MP3, and AAC. Streaming support includes TIDAL Connect, Qobuz Connect, Roon, Spotify Connect, and QQ Music, with control handled through Esoteric’s Sound Stream app or third-party OpenHome-compatible applications.
The preamplifier stage is a fully dual-mono, dual-balanced design using eight independent circuits—left and right, hot and cold—derived directly from Esoteric’s Grandioso preamps. A dedicated power supply for the attenuator ensures stable, low-noise volume control, while Esoteric’s HCLD high-current buffer amplifier guarantees consistent performance whether the signal is routed to balanced outputs, single-ended outputs, or the headphone amplifier. ES-Link Analog connectivity is included, allowing current-signal transmission to compatible Esoteric amplifiers for maximum signal integrity.
Headphone listening is treated seriously here, not as an afterthought. The N-05XE features a completely redesigned dual-mono, parallel single-ended headphone amplifier capable of delivering 1,200 mW + 1,200 mW into a 32 ohm load. Outputs include both a 4-pin XLR and a 6.3 mm single-ended jack, with support for headphones ranging from 16 to 600 ohms—comfortably covering everything from efficient dynamics to demanding high-impedance planar and dynamic designs.
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Connectivity is extensive and logically laid out. Digital inputs include XLR, two RCA coaxial, two optical, USB Type-B, and a front-panel USB-C port that allows direct connection of smartphones and digital audio players. An ES-Link (XLR) digital input is provided for direct connection to Esoteric SACD transports. Analog inputs include balanced XLR/ES-Link Analog and single-ended RCA, while outputs are available via XLR/ES-Link Analog, ES-Link Analog pre-out, and RCA. A 10 MHz BNC clock input enables integration with Esoteric’s G-05 external master clock. Bluetooth is also onboard, supporting LDAC, LHDC, and aptX HD for high-quality wireless playback when convenience wins out.
From a mechanical standpoint, the N-05XE uses a high-rigidity aluminum chassis with careful attention paid to vibration control. A semi-floating top panel enhances spatial openness, while Esoteric’s patented pinpoint isolation feet are designed to improve focus, imaging, and soundstage stability. Fit and finish are exactly what you expect at this level, and the unit is proudly manufactured in Tokyo.
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Measured performance is equally serious. The N-05XE offers a frequency response of 5 Hz to 30 kHz (-3 dB), a signal-to-noise ratio of 109 dB (A-weighted), and total harmonic distortion of 0.001 percent at 1 kHz. Power consumption is rated at 30 W, dropping to 0.3 W in standby.
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Physical dimensions are 445 x 131 x 377 mm (width x height x depth), which translates to approximately 17.5 x 5.2 x 14.8 inches, including protrusions. Total weight is 13.6 kg, or about 30 pounds.
Esoteric S-05XE Class A Stereo Power Amplifier
The S-05XE is Esoteric’s latest refinement of its Class A stereo power amplifier platform, built around the same straightforward, low-compromise design philosophy used in the company’s Grandioso amplifiers. Rather than chasing higher output ratings, the focus here is on linearity, channel separation, and stable power delivery in a fully dual-mono layout. The result is a Class A amplifier intended to deliver consistent performance, low noise, and controlled dynamics in real-world systems.
The amplifier operates in pure Class A and is rated at 30 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 60 watts per channel into 4 ohms, with a bridged (BTL) mode providing 120 watts into 8 ohms. Output stages use high-power bipolar transistors arranged in a three-parallel push-pull configuration, and Esoteric applies minimal negative feedback to preserve transient behavior and avoid over-correction. The design is intended to balance resolution and drive without relying on excessive circuit complexity.
Power supply design is central to the S-05XE. A large 1,000 VA toroidal-core transformer feeds a dual-mono power-supply smoothing circuit, with left and right channels electrically isolated. Energy storage is handled by “Grandioso-grade” custom capacitors, using four 10,000 µF capacitors per channel. This approach supports stable voltage delivery and consistent channel performance under load.
Signal input is handled by a newly developed fully symmetrical balanced input buffer amplifier designed to reduce noise and maintain signal integrity. The S-05XE provides balanced XLR and single-ended RCA inputs, along with Esoteric’s ES-Link Analog current-signal input for direct connection to compatible Esoteric source components. A triple drive mode switch allows the amplifier to operate in stereo, bridged, or bi-amp configurations, and a DC trigger enables coordinated power control when used with matching Esoteric components such as the N-05XE.
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The mechanical structure is designed to support thermal management and vibration control. The chassis incorporates Esoteric’s patented isolation feet, a semi-floating top panel, and a wave-shaped heat sink to reduce resonance while dissipating heat generated by Class A operation. The top panel design draws from the dual honeycomb grille used on Grandioso amplifiers. As with Esoteric’s other reference components, the S-05XE is manufactured in Tokyo.
Measured performance includes a frequency response of 5 Hz to 100 kHz (+0 dB/-3 dB into 8 ohms), a signal-to-noise ratio of 104 dB (IHF-A, XLR), and total harmonic distortion of 0.007 percent at 1 kHz into 8 ohms at 30 watts. Gain is specified at 28.5 dB in stereo operation and 34.5 dB in BTL mode. Power consumption is rated at 215 watts, dropping to 195 watts with no signal. Loudspeaker compatibility is specified at 4 to 16 ohms in stereo mode and 8 to 16 ohms in BTL mode.
Physically, the S-05XE measures 445 × 191 × 443 mm (17.5 × 7.5 × 17.4 inches, width × height × depth including protrusions) and weighs 25.6 kg, or approximately 56.4 pounds.
The Bottom Line
The Esoteric N-05XE and S-05XE are aimed squarely at listeners who want a reference-grade two-channel system without turning their rack into a small industrial park. The N-05XE stands out because it consolidates network streaming, a fully discrete flagship-derived DAC, a true dual-mono balanced preamp, and a serious headphone amplifier into one chassis, something Esoteric doesn’t do anywhere else in its lineup. The S-05XE complements it with a true Class A, fully dual-mono power amplifier that prioritizes control, balance, and long-term stability over headline wattage.
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At $13,000 for the N-05XE and $13,500 for the S-05XE ($26,500 total), this pairing is not inexpensive, but context matters. When you factor in the level of integration, connectivity, build quality, and the likelihood that neither component will feel obsolete anytime soon, the value proposition starts to make sense, especially when compared to multi-box alternatives from brands operating in the same tier. This system is for experienced listeners who want fewer compromises, fewer boxes, and long-term confidence, and who understand that in this corner of high-end audio, “affordable” is relative—but not meaningless.
Hoang Pham has spent his career trying to ensure that some of the world’s most critical systems don’t fail, including commercial aircraft engines, nuclear facilities, and massive data centers that underpin AI and cloud computing.
A professor of industrial and systems engineering at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., and a longtime volunteer for IEEE, Pham, an IEEE Life Fellow, is internationally recognized for advancing the mathematical foundations of reliability engineering. His work earned himthe IEEE Reliability Society’s Engineer of the Year Award in 2009. He was recognized for helping to shape how engineers model risk in complex, data-rich systems.
Hoang Pham
Employer
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Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J.
Job title
Professor of industrial and systems engineering
Member grade
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Life Fellow
Alma maters
Northeastern Illinois University, in Chicago; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and SUNY Buffalo.
The discipline that defines his career was forged long before equations, peer-reviewed journals, or keynote speeches. It began on an overcrowded fishing boat in 1979 when he was fleeing Vietnam after the war, when survival as one of the country’s “boat people” depended on endurance, luck, and the fragile reliability of a vessel never meant to carry so many lives. Like thousands of others, he fled from his war-torn country after the fall of Saigon, which was controlled by communist North Vietnamese forces.
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To mark the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon in 1975, Pham and his son Hoang Jr.—a Rutgers computer science graduate turned filmmaker—produced Unstoppable Hope, a documentary about Vietnam’s boat people. The film tells the stories of a dozen refugees who, like Pham, survived perilous escapes and went on to build successful lives in the United States.
Pham was born in Bình Thuận, Vietnam. His parents had only a little formal education, having grown up in the 1930s, when schooling was rare. To support their eight children, his parents ran a factory making bricks by hand. Despite their limited means, his parents held an unshakable belief that education was the surest path to a better life.
From an early age, Pham gravitated toward mathematics. Computers were scarce, but numbers and logic came naturally to him. He imagined becoming a teacher or professor and gradually began thinking about how mathematics could be applied to practical problems—how abstract reasoning might improve daily life.
His intellectual curiosity unfolded amid frequent danger. He grew up during the Vietnam War, when dodging gunfire in his province was routine. The 1968 Tet Offensive exposed the full scale of the conflict, making it clear that violence was not an interruption to life but a condition of it.
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Pham recalls that after the Communist takeover of South Vietnam in 1975, conditions worsened dramatically. Families without ties to the new government, especially those who operated small businesses, found it increasingly dangerous to work, study, or apply for jobs, he says. People began vanishing. Many attempted to escape by boat, knowing the risks: imprisonment if caught or potentially death at sea.
A successful escape
In June 1979, at the height of Vietnam’s typhoon season, Pham’s mother made an agonizing decision. She placed Pham, then 18 years old, onto a small, overcrowded fishing vessel in the hope that he might reach freedom.
The boat, which was designed to carry about 100 people, departed with 275.
Pham’s 12-day journey was harrowing. He was confined to the lower deck, which was packed so tightly that movement was nearly impossible. Seasickness overwhelmed many passengers, and he remembers losing consciousness shortly after departure. Food was scarce, and safe drinking water was nearly nonexistent. Violent storms battered the vessel, and pirates loomed.
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“Every moment felt like a struggle against nature, fate, and internal despair,” Pham says.
The boat eventually washed ashore on a remote island off the Malaysian coast. Arriving at a refugee camp offered little relief; food and clean water were scarce, disease spread rapidly, and nearly everyone—including Pham—contracted malaria. Death came almost nightly.
After two weeks, Malaysian authorities transferred the refugees to a transit camp, where the United Nations provided basic rations. Still, the asylum seekers’ futures remained uncertain. It is estimated by the U.N. Refugee Agency that between 1975 and the early 1990s, roughly 800,000 Vietnamese people attempted to escape by boat. As many as 250,000 did not survive the harrowing journey, the agency estimates.
Starting over with nothing
In January 1980, at age 19, Pham learned that someone in the United States had agreed to sponsor him for entry, he says. He soon boarded an airplane for the first time and landed in Seattle.
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His troubles weren’t over, however. He arrived in a city blanketed by snow, wearing thin clothing and carrying only a spare shirt. The frosty weather was not his greatest concern, though. During his first two months, he spent most of his time in a hospital, recovering from malaria and other diseases. And he spoke no English.
Still, Pham—who had been a first-year college student in Vietnam—refused to abandon his goal of becoming a teacher, he says. He enrolled at Lincoln High School in order to gain English proficiency and position himself to enter an American college. One teacher allowed him to test into a calculus class despite his limited English—which he passed.
“That moment told me I could survive here,” Pham says.
Pham’s research direction crystallized in 1988 while searching for a dissertation topic. He was reading the January 1988 issue ofIEEE Spectrum and had a flash of inspiration after seeing a classified ad posted by the U.S. Defense Department’s Naval Underwater System Center (now known as the Naval Undersea Warfare Center). The ad asked, “Can your theories solve the unsolvable?” It focused on the reliability of undersea communication and combat decision-making systems.
The ad revealed to him that institutions were actively applying mathematics and statistics to solve engineering problems. Pham says he still keeps a copy of that Spectrum issue in his office.
After completing his Ph.D., he joined Boeing as a senior specialist engineer at its Renton, Wash., facility, working on engine reliability for the 777 aircraft, which was under development.
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He worked there for 18 months, then accepted a senior engineering specialist position at the Idaho National Laboratory, in Idaho Falls, where he worked on nuclear systems.
His desire to become an instructor never left him, however. In 1993 he joined Rutgers as an assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering.
Today his research focuses on reliability in modern, data-intensive systems, including AI infrastructure and global data centers.
“The problem now isn’t getting data,” he says. “It’s knowing which data to trust.”
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Charting his IEEE journey
Pham joined IEEE in 1985 as a student member and credits the organization with shaping much of his professional life. IEEE provided a platform for scholarship, collaboration, and visibility at critical moments in his career, he says.
“If my journey holds one lesson,” he says, “it is this: Struggle builds resilience, and resilience makes the extraordinary possible. Even in darkness, perseverance lights the way.”
Back in the 1970s, there were cars that identified their drivers as very special people. These were the cars that delivered either super-high performance, exotic show-car styling, the highest levels of opulent, over-the-top luxury appointments, or an intentional combination of these traits. If you were behind the wheel of one of these cars, you definitely drew the crowd’s attention. The drivers of these cars were well aware of the appeal their vehicles held.
The specific cars in this article are from several European countries. Two are from Italy, two are from Great Britain, and one is from Germany. One of them can claim to be the original exotic car, one takes the crown as the ultimate luxury car of its day, and one is a thoroughbred sports car that had both a successful racing career and what appeared to be a starring role in a trend-setting TV show. One of these cars used advanced technology to deliver the performance of Italian exotics while remaining a daily driver without compromise, as long as you avoided terminal oversteer. And one combined luxury and high performance into a unique blend that to this day is still associated with the public’s favorite fictional secret agent. Enjoy our diverse selection of “Living the Dream” cars.
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1974-79 Lamborghini Countach
Let’s start with one of the most outrageously styled and high-performance exotic cars of the 1970s and beyond — the Lamborghini Countach, which turned 50 years old in 2021. Although it debuted at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show, Lamborghini did not put it into production until 1974. The very first Countach, the LP 400 chassis 0001, was made from 1974 to 1978 in a quantity of 152 cars. It was followed by the Countach LP 400 S, which featured the now-familiar fender flares, huge rear wing, large front spoiler, and telephone-dial-styled wheels. Produced from 1978 through 1982, 235 examples of the LP 400 S were made. These two models, made in the 1970s, were followed by three more powerful versions of the Countach, which endured until the car was discontinued in 1990.
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Powering the LP 400 was a 3.9-liter V12 engine with 375 horsepower, mounted behind the driver and driving the rear wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox. Motor Trend performance testing of a Countach LP 400 generated a 0-60 mph time of 5.2 seconds and a top speed of 162 mph. Fun fact — the Countach was the first Lamborghini to have its body produced in-house. Before this, Lamborghini used outside coachbuilders.
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1971-79 Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible
Heritage Images/Getty Images
The Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible was made from 1971 until 1996, outlasting its coupe counterpart by 14 years. This iconic symbol of financial success was owned by luminaries such as Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Elton John, Tom Jones, and Dean Martin, with Frank Sinatra also owning one. Named for the roads running along the Côte d’Azur in France, the Corniche Convertible was a luxurious, comfortable yacht that cruised on land. In the words of the Robb Report, the Corniche was, “…the automotive equivalent of lighting a Cuban cigar with a hundred-dollar bill.”
The Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible was derived from the 1965 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, which featured a contemporary monocoque body. Coachbuilt by hand at London’s Mulliner Park Ward, the Corniche Convertible measured 17 feet long, weighed nearly 5,000 pounds, and took months to build. The Corniche Convertible’s 6.75-liter V8 engine’s output was described as “adequate,” as Rolls-Royce liked to say. Its three-speed automatic transmission sent its power directly to the rear wheels. Rolls-Royce performance estimates for this vehicle included a 0-62 mph acceleration in 11 seconds and a top speed of approximately 124 mph.
Needless to say, luxurious accommodations abound in the Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible. From the gorgeous wood dash and door trim to the sumptuous Connolly leather seats to the heavy carpeting underfoot, you are treated to a truly upscale experience. The standard equipment list also included air conditioning and power windows. These were items that were definitely not included on all luxury cars back in the 1970s.
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1968-73 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona
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The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona was Ferrari’s top dog and most powerful road car to date, with 352 horsepower from its front-mounted 4.4-liter V12 engine and a top speed of 174 mph. Produced from 1968-73, it was called by Road and Track at the time, “…the best sports car in the world…” Unofficially named for Ferrari’s 1-2-3 sweep of the 1967 Daytona 24-hour race, most Daytonas (1,284 of 1,406) were coupes or Berlinettas in Ferrari lingo, while the rest were Spyder versions, identified as the 365 GTS/4. If you were behind the wheel of one of these, you stood out, both in terms of style and street cred.
Another interesting historical footnote about the 365 GTB/4 Daytona is that it won the second running of the unsanctioned Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, driven by famous racer Dan Gurney and auto journalist Brock Yates. This was an “outlaw” cross-country race that went from New York City to Los Angeles, which Gurney and Yates completed in an incredible 35 hours and 54 minutes. Another bit of notoriety was achieved by what appeared to be a 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spyder that was featured in a starring role in the 1980s TV series “Miami Vice,” but it wasn’t a Ferrari at all.
The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona was also successful as a racing car. Its outstanding durability made it an excellent endurance racer. At the 1972 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Ferrari Daytona claimed the top five spots in its class.
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1976-79 Porsche 911 Turbo
The Porsche 911 Turbo Carrera, also known as type 930, was first shown to the public as a concept at the 1973 Frankfurt International Automobile Show. While it was released by Porsche for the 1975 model year, none of these first-year cars, which were both under-braked and under-tired, came to the U.S. We got the 1976 model, which ran through 1977 and was then replaced with the slightly renamed 911 Turbo, which had a larger, 3.3-liter engine (up from 3.0 liters) and an air-to-air intercooler to cool the intake air after its trip through the turbocharger. The 911 Turbo 3.3 was available in the U.S. through the 1979 model year, but thanks to emissions regulations, wouldn’t return until 1986.
The Porsche 911 Turbo, in either version available through the 1970s, was a performance legend but could be difficult to handle at its limits, which earned it a nickname, “The Widowmaker.”Car and Driver tested its 1976 911 Turbo Carrera, with 234 horsepower, achieving 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds, a quarter-mile time of 13.5 seconds at 105 mph, and an observed top speed of 156 mph. Roadholding came in at .93g. This was very impressive for 1976.
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The Porsche 911 Turbo will take its place as the first production sports car to be fitted with a turbocharger. It delivered performance comparable to the Lamborghinis and Ferraris of the day, while retaining the 911 hallmark of everyday practicality. Driving a 911 Turbo puts you in a special category.
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1969-72 Aston Martin DBS
The Aston Martin DBS followed the Aston Martin DB6. The DB6’s predecessor, the DB5, had already become well known as James Bond’s ride in the early Bond films and also appeared in later ones. The DBS also starred in a Bond film, 1969’s “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” starring George Lazenby. Aston Martin celebrated the film’s 50th Anniversary by making a limited edition of 50 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggeras. Fun fact — after the DBS appeared in its single film role, a full 18 years would go by before Bond would next drive an Aston Martin in a 007 film.
The DBS was originally powered by the same 4.0-liter inline-six-cylinder engine used in the DB6, as the planned V8 engine was not yet ready. The DBS was heavier than the DB6, as it was designed as a GT capable of comfortably seating four. The DBS V8 featured a 5.3-liter V8 engine with Bosch fuel injection and four overhead cams producing 320 horsepower, good for a 0-60 mph run in 6.0 seconds and a top speed of 160 mph. This made the DBS V8 the fastest four-seat production car in the world. You could think of the Aston DBS V8 as a cross between the Rolls-Royce Corniche and the Ferrari Daytona — furnished in Connolly leather, with well-built seats and plush carpeting inside, but also possessing the performance to humble anything else on the road in its day. Driving one made you feel special.
Apple is set to mark its fiftieth anniversary in April 2026, and the iPhone maker’s CEO promised employees that a celebration would take place.
Apple CEO Tim Cook gets reflective as he approaches retirement. Image source: Apple
On Thursday, during a meeting where he promised to lobby lawmakers on immigration policy, Tim Cook took the opportunity to reflect on the nearly five decades of Apple. The company has come a long way, and its CEO revealed there have been discussions about what to do to mark the occasion. “I’ve been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment,” said Cook. “When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart sing. It really does. I promise some celebration.” Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Echo chambers are generally bad. Any group making important decisions should have a certain level of diversity of thought to avoid groupthink. But I would argue that there are some stances that are so fundamental that it’s good when everyone is on the same page about them. Vaccines, for instance. It would be just the best if everyone in the agencies that manage American health, all the way up to the top, believed in the power and benefit of vaccines. Sadly, that isn’t the case.
RFK Jr. has fired many people for not agreeing with his stance that vaccines make people autistic, kill them, are bad because too many undesirables poison the gene pool, or whatever other crap he’s spewing these days. He fired Susan Monarez after only weeks on the job, reportedly for not agreeing to rubber stamp changes to vaccine schedules he wanted to make. He fired literally everyone on the CDC’s ACIP panel, the group that advises the CDC on those very same changes to vaccine schedules. There’s probably been more, as well.
We’ll have to see if NIH boss Jay Bhattacharya just started the countdown to his own termination, now that he has publicly broken with Kennedy on vaccines. In a Senate Committee hearing, Bhattacharya was grilled by Bernie Sanders.
NIH director Jay Bhattacharya, 58, faced the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on Tuesday. There, ranking member Bernie Sanders asked him point-blank, “Do vaccines cause autism? Tell that to the American people: Yes or no?”
After trying to hedge and say he did not believe the measles vaccine causes autism, he finally admitted, “I have not seen a study that suggests any single vaccine causes autism.”
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Asked specifically about what his approach would be to the current measles outbreak in America, Bhattacharya was even more forceful.
Unlike his boss, Bhattacharya was vocally pro-vaccine during Tuesday’s hearing. Discussing the measles outbreak in the United States, he said, “I am absolutely convinced that the measles epidemic that we are seeing currently is best solved by parents vaccinating their children for measles.”
Reluctantly stated or not, those are sane comments that are completely at odds with Kennedy. Now, so there is no misunderstanding, Bhattacharya is still terrible. He made his name railing against COVID-19 policies and vaccine schedules. He’s also engaged in some politically targeted attacks on elite universities when it comes to grant money and the like.
But on this, he’s right. And that potentially puts his job at risk. RFK Jr. doesn’t like dissenting opinions. He tends to avoid them through firings. On the other hand, I don’t know if he can afford more chaos at HHS and its child agencies.
But when it comes to placing bets, betting against RFK Jr.’s ego is rarely a winner.
Those who have not upgraded to watchOS 26 can now install watchOS 11, which fixes an issue that prevented calls to emergency services in Australia.
watchOS 11.6.2 is now available for download.
Following the debut of the iOS 26.3 release candidate and minor updates for older operating systems, a new watchOS update has been made available for select Apple Watch models. watchOS 11.6.2 resolves a cellular network issue that occurs “when establishing a connection to emergency services in Australia,” according to Apple. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Crime 101 writer-director Bart Layton has revealed the biggest challenge he faced on his new film
The Chris Hemsworth-led movie is based on a short story of the same name
It’s the first non-true crime project that Layton has worked on
Crime 101‘s writer-director has opened up about the biggest creative challenge he faced with approaching his new movie.
Speaking exclusively to TechRadar, Bart Layton said turning Don Winslow’s short story of the same name into a two-hour feature film was daunting in and of itself. However, he also admitted that, compared to previous movies he’s worked on, having the creative freedom to take Crime 101‘s film adaptation in a different direction to its source material was just as intimidating.
Until now, Layton’s body of work had consisted of crime genre fare – that being, big- and small-screen offerings centered on stories involving criminal activity. However, from the British filmmaker’s 2012 BAFTA award-winning The Imposter to 2018’s under-appreciated American Animals, such productions were all based on real-life crimes, such as the latter’s take on the 2004 Transylvania University book heist.
Mark Ruffalo’s Lou Lubesnick (right) leads the investigation to find Hemsworth’s Mike Davis (Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios/Sony Pictures)
With one of 2026’s most anticipated new movies being based on a work of fiction rather than fact, Layton had to get to grips with not only embellishing upon Winslow’s novella, but also doing right by a tale that’s highly regarded among fans of the beloved US author. On top of all of that, the Amazon and Sony flick needed to deliver in the character arc stakes as well as being visually and narratively compelling. No pressure, then, Mister Barton!
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“The short story was a really great foundation to expand from,” Layton told me. “Having never worked on fiction, what was most challenging to me is that I could do anything [I wanted]. Like, you can kill a character off or have them survive at the end.
“You don’t have the parameters of a true crime story, which is very helpful. There’s a limit to where those tales can go but, for something like this, you have to learn to let your imagination run wild.
“You’ve got to take this short story and turn it into a movie with three big characters,” Layton continued. “They’re all on a collision course, but you’ve got to give them all a really meaningful, satisfying arc, and you want to care about them deeply [as a viewer]. You can have all of the action in the world, but if you’re not invested in the characters, you’re kind of like ‘okay, cool, that was fun, I guess’.
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“With this, I think it’s a more of an emotional roller coaster [than what I’ve done before], so I think I just kept an eye on that and constantly reminded myself that’s really important that this is a character-driven story rather than just a plot-driven one.
“And Don was incredibly generous,” he added. “He allowed me to do whatever I wanted and it was a relief that he loved the film as much as he did.”
Crime 101 will launch in theaters worldwide on Friday, February 13, with a Prime Video release expected to be announced later this year.
Microsoft’s January 2026 Patch Tuesday update – already notorious for causing serious issues – is now being blamed for slowing down Nvidia graphics cards. While Nvidia has acknowledged the problem, Microsoft has yet to respond to the latest reports. Read Entire Article Source link
Blink is refreshing its home security lineup with the Blink Outdoor 2K+, a new camera that ups image quality while sticking to the brand’s familiar low-maintenance formula.
The headline upgrade is right there in the name: 2K resolution, giving the Outdoor 2K+ a noticeable bump in clarity. This is an upgrade oveór Blink’s older 1080p models.
The camera records at 2560 x 1440, delivering sharper detail that makes it easier to spot faces, read package labels, or identify cars pulling into your driveway. There’s also 4x digital zoom. This lets you punch in without losing too much detail, useful when you want a closer look without scrolling through clips frame by frame.
Low-light performance has been improved as well. The Outdoor 2K+ can capture colour video in dim conditions using ambient light. It only switches to infrared black and white when it really needs to. That means you’re more likely to catch key details like clothing colours or vehicle paint at night. This is much better than relying on grainy monochrome footage.
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Smarts are handled through Blink’s optional subscription plan. With it enabled, the Outdoor 2K+ supports person and vehicle detection, using edge processing to better distinguish between meaningful movement and everyday noise like pets or swaying trees. It’s a practical upgrade for cutting down on false alerts. However, it does mean paying extra if you want the full experience.
Despite the jump in resolution, Blink hasn’t abandoned its battery-first approach. The Outdoor 2K+ uses custom Blink silicon to keep power consumption in check. It is still rated for up to two years of battery life under typical use. It’s also IP65 weather-resistant, making it suitable for year-round outdoor use. Its compact design means it can just as easily be used indoors.
The Blink Outdoor 2K+ is available now in black or white for £89.99, bundled with a Sync Module Core. Local storage is supported via the Sync Module 2 with a USB drive (sold separately). Meanwhile, cloud storage and extended recording features require a Blink Subscription Plan.
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For existing Blink users, it’s a straightforward upgrade — sharper video, better night footage, and smarter alerts. This upgrade does not lose the simplicity that made Blink popular in the first place.
