A review of published meta-analyses examining protein supplementation found no evidence supporting intake beyond 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight daily, according to an analysis by cardiologist Eric Topol. The review examined multiple randomized controlled trials encompassing thousands of participants. The most widely cited Morton study, which included 1,863 participants across 49 trials, showed no statistically significant benefit at higher protein levels, with a p-value of 0.079.
Recent research from Washington University identified the essential amino acid leucine as activating mTOR in macrophages, promoting atherosclerosis progression. The mechanism was demonstrated in both mouse models and human studies measuring circulating monocyte changes following acute high-protein challenges increasing dietary protein from 22% to 50% of energy intake. Current USDA data indicates 55% of American men and 35% of women already exceed the 0.8 g/kg/day recommendation from the National Academy of Medicine. The protein supplement industry, exemplified by David bars containing 28 grams of protein in 150 calories using a modified plant fat called EPG, projects $180 million in 2025 sales.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
In an age of constant communication, receiving phone calls or messages from unknown numbers has become increasingly common. Whether it’s a missed call from an unfamiliar number, a potential scam or a wrong number, performing a reverse phone number lookup can help you identify the caller. You could start your search with free tools like Google or Whitepages, but if you’re struggling to find the person behind the number, paid services such as Spokeo or BeenVerified might give you more detail. In this guide, I’ll show you how each option works, along with a few tricks to improve your chances of getting accurate results.
Though it sounds like a word jumble, what is commonly referred to as “reverse phone number lookup” is really just a service that allows you to search for information about a phone number. By entering the number into a lookup tool, you can find out details like the name of the caller, their location and sometimes even social media profiles or associated email addresses. This can be particularly useful when dealing with unwanted calls, checking the legitimacy of a business or reconnecting with someone you’ve lost contact with.
For many people, a quick and free method is sufficient to uncover basic information about a phone number. Here’s how you can do it:
The simplest (and often most effective) method is using Google. By typing the phone number into the search bar, you may uncover listings, social media profiles, business registrations or forum posts associated with that number. It’s a quick way to gather information without needing a dedicated service.
Tip: Put the phone number in quotation marks to search for the exact number.
Example search: “+44 123 456 7890” or “123-456-7890”
Several free online directories provide phone number lookup services. These usually gather data from publicly available sources such as government registries and social media platforms. Examples include:
Whitepages: Offers limited access to data for free and can show basic information like location or carrier.
TrueCaller: Known for its extensive community-based database, TrueCaller helps identify unknown numbers based on user reports.
To use these tools, you simply enter the phone number into the search bar. Some sites offer additional premium features, but the basic lookup is free.
Social media platforms can also be an invaluable resource for tracking down information about a phone number. Searching the number on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram might lead to a user profile associated with it. Many people include their contact details in their social media bios, which can help you identify your caller.
While free services are helpful, they might not always provide comprehensive details, especially for mobile numbers or those associated with private listings. For more detailed information, subscription-based services are available, offering more extensive data and enhanced accuracy. The services below are priced at less than $25/month; however, depending on the service and the features it offers, you may expect to pay more or less. Here are a few popular options:
Spokeo offers reverse phone lookup services that can help you uncover detailed information about the caller. It searches social networks, public records and other online databases to provide name, address and even criminal background (if applicable).
How it works: Enter the phone number, and Spokeo will pull up available records. A subscription is required (from $14.95/month) for full access to reports.
Intelius is another service that provides reverse phone lookup services, and it can identify landlines, mobile numbers and even VoIP numbers. You’ll get a detailed report with the person’s name, address and potentially even their email address.
Subscription cost: Pricing starts at around $1.99 per lookup, though packages for multiple searches are available.
BeenVerified is a popular background-check service that provides phone number directories that you can search through, along with other public records searches. It can uncover information such as a person’s criminal background, social media profiles and more.
How it works: Enter the phone number, and BeenVerified will provide a detailed report. Subscription required (from $23.98/month) for full access.
Using a reverse phone number lookup service is generally straightforward. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
Choose a service: Decide whether you want to use a free or paid service, depending on how detailed you want the information to be.
Enter the phone number: Type the phone number into the search bar, ensuring the correct country code is included (if needed).
Review the results: Depending on the service, you may see information like the name, location, phone carrier or social media profiles associated with the number.
Access additional information (optional): If you’re using a paid service, you might be able to access detailed reports, including criminal records, address history and more.
While reverse phone lookup services can be incredibly helpful, they also have some limitations:
Not all numbers are listed: Reverse phone lookup tools search public databases, which are collections of phone number records that are legally available for anyone to access. These usually include landline or mobile numbers that have been shared. Some numbers, especially those on private networks like a university campus, a large factory or a company’s internal phone system, are kept out of these databases. These private network numbers might only work inside that network and may not be reachable from the outside anyway, so a lookup will often come up empty.
Accuracy issues: The data provided by free services can sometimes be incomplete or inaccurate.
Privacy concerns: Some reverse phone lookup services ask for your own details, like your name, email address, or even payment information, before showing results. They might also log the fact that you searched for a specific number. So if you’re trying to see who called you, remember that you’re also sharing information about yourself. Always check the service’s privacy policy first and make sure you’re okay with how your data will be used.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/how-to-perform-a-reverse-phone-number-lookup-130004364.html?src=rss
After years of waiting, there’s only three days left until Hollow Knight: Silksong is out in this world. We only got the September 4 release date a few weeks ago and now we have the final piece of the puzzle: price.
Team Cherry, the indie studio behind the Hollow Knight series, has announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Hollow Knight: Silksong will cost $20. That’s a $5 increase from 2017’s original mega hit Hollow Knight game. Which, after almost a decade, isn’t very surprising.
We also have the exact release times for Hollow Knight: Silksong on September 4. The game will be available to purchase at 7AM PT/10AM ET. After being delayed past its original 2023 release date, it doesn’t feel too far away now.
If you’re dying with anticipation for the sequel to finally arrive, may we recommend rewatching the above trailer? It gives away just enough of the game to satiate us until Thursday.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/hollow-knight-silksong-costs-5-more-than-the-original-120005386.html?src=rss
PC Gamer reports:
The Diablo team is the next in line to unionize at Blizzard. Over 450 developers across multiple disciplines have voted to form a union under the Communications Workers of America (CWA), and they’re now the fourth major Blizzard team to do so… A wave of unions have formed at Blizzard in the last year, including the World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Story and Franchise Development teams. Elsewhere at Microsoft, Bethesda, ZeniMax Online Studios and ZeniMax QA testers have also unionized…
The CWA says over 3,500 Microsoft workers have now organized to fight for fair compensation, job security, and improved working conditions.
CWA is America’s largest communications and media labor union, and in a statement, local 9510 president Jason Justice called the successful vote “part of a much larger story about turning the tide in an industry that has long overlooked its labor. Entertainment workers across film, television, music, and now video games are standing together to have a seat at the table. The strength of our movement comes from that solidarity.”
And CWA local 6215 president Ron Swaggerty said “Each new organizing effort adds momentum to the nationwide movement for video game worker power.”
“What began as a trickle has turned into an avalanche,” writes the gaming news site Aftermath, calling the latest vote “a direct result of the union neutrality deal Microsoft struck with CWA in 2022 when it was facing regulatory scrutiny over its $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard.”
We’ve come a long way since small units at Raven and Blizzard Albany fended off Activision Blizzard’s pre-acquisition attempts at union busting in 2022 and 2023, and not a moment too soon: Microsoft’s penchant for mass layoffs has cut some teams to the bone and left others warily counting down the days until their heads land on the chopping block. This new union, workers hope, will act as a bulwark…
[B]ased on preliminary conversations with prospective members, they can already hazard a few guesses as to what they’ll be arm-wrestling management over at the bargaining table: pay equity, AI, crediting, and remote work.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
“Typically when something is available to “buy,” ownership of that good or access to that service is offered in exchange for money,” writes Ars Technica.
“That’s not really the case, though, when it comes to digital content.”
Often, streaming services like Amazon Prime Video offer customers the options to “rent” digital content for a few days or to “buy” it. Some might think that picking “buy” means that they can view the content indefinitely. But these purchases are really just long-term licenses to watch the content for as long as the streaming service has the right to distribute it — which could be for years, months, or days after the transaction. A lawsuit recently filed against Prime Video challenges this practice and accuses the streaming service of misleading customers by labeling long-term rentals as purchases. The conclusion of the case could have implications for how streaming services frame digital content…
[The plaintiff’s] complaint stands a better chance due to a California law that took effect in January banning the selling of a “digital good to a purchaser with the terms ‘buy,’ ‘purchase,’ or any other term which a reasonable person would understand to confer an unrestricted ownership interest in the digital good, or alongside an option for a time-limited rental.” There are some instances where the law allows digital content providers to use words like “buy.” One example is if, at the time of transaction, the seller receives acknowledgement from the customer that the customer is receiving a license to access the digital content; that they received a complete list of the license’s conditions; and that they know that access to the digital content may be “unilaterally revoked….”
The case is likely to hinge on whether or not fine print and lengthy terms of use are appropriate and sufficient communication. [The plaintiff]’s complaint acknowledges that Prime Video shows relevant fine print below its “buy” buttons but says that the notice is “far below the ‘buy movie’ button, buried at the very bottom” of the page and is not visible until “the very last stage of the transaction,” after a user has already clicked “buy.”
Amazon is sure to argue that “If plaintiff didn’t want to read her contract, including the small print, that’s on her,” says consumer attorney Danny Karon. But he tells Ars Technica “I like plaintiff’s chances. A normal consumer, after whom the California statute at issue is fashioned, would consider ‘buy’ or ‘purchase’ to involve a permanent transaction, not a mere rental… If the facts are as plaintiff alleges, Amazon’s behavior would likely constitute a breach of contract or statutory fraud.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
“I have no musical talent at all,” says Oliver McCann. “I can’t sing, I can’t play instruments, and I have no musical background at all!”
But the Associated Press describes 37-year-old McCann as a British “AI music creator” — and last month McCann signed with an independent record label “after one of his tracks racked up 3 million streams, in what’s billed as the first time a music label has inked a contract with an AI music creator.”
McCann is an example of how ChatGPT-style AI song generation tools like Suno and Udio have spawned a wave of synthetic music, a movement most notably highlighted by a fictitious group, Velvet Sundown, that went viral even though all its songs, lyrics and album art were created by AI. Experts say generative AI is set to transform the music world. However, there are scant details, so far, on how it’s impacting the $29.6 billion global recorded music market, which includes about $20 billion from streaming.
The most reliable figures come from music streaming service Deezer, which estimates that 18% of songs uploaded to its platform every day are purely AI generated, though they only account for a tiny amount of total streams, hinting that few people are actually listening. Other, bigger streaming platforms like Spotify haven’t released any figures on AI music… “It’s a total boom. It’s a tsunami,” said Josh Antonuccio, director of Ohio University’s School of Media Arts and Studies. The amount of AI generated music “is just going to only exponentially increase” as young people grow up with AI and become more comfortable with it, he said. [Antonuccio says later the cost of making a hit record “just keeps winnowing down from a major studio to a laptop to a bedroom. And now it’s like a text prompt — several text prompts.” Though there’s a lack of legal clarity over copyright issues.]
Generative AI, with its ability to spit out seemingly unique content, has divided the music world, with musicians and industry groups complaining that recorded works are being exploited to train AI models that power song generation tools… Three major record companies, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Records, filed lawsuits last year against Suno and Udio for copyright infringement. In June, the two sides also reportedly entered negotiations that could go beyond settling the lawsuits and set rules for how artists are paid when AI is used to remix their songs.
GEMA, a German royalty collection society, has sued Suno, accusing it of generating music similar to songs like “Mambo No. 5” by Lou Bega and “Forever Young” by Alphaville. More than 1,000 musicians, including Kate Bush, Annie Lennox and Damon Albarn, released a silent album to protest proposed changes to U.K. laws on AI they fear would erode their creative control.
Meanwhile, other artists, such as will.i.am, Timbaland and Imogen Heap, have embraced the technology. Some users say the debate is just a rehash of old arguments about once-new technology that eventually became widely used, such as AutoTune, drum machines and synthesizers.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
MacBook, iPhones, and other Apple products are particularly susceptible to attacks, because the WhatsApp flaws can be used to expoit additional vulnerabilities
This warning follows a recent revelation that hackers may be actively exploiting a compromised
