“Mean Girls” arrived at No. 1 at the North American box office this weekend, earning $28.7 million in its first three days and $33.2 million for the four-day stretch into the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, according to studio estimates.
The film, a musical remake of the 2004 Tina Fey comedy of the same name, was a clear hit among females and 18- to 34-year-old moviegoers who represented the bulk of its opening weekend viewers, the Associated Press reported.
But the studio’s decision to deemphasize that the film was a musical in certain marketing materials may have confused some attendees, according to exit polls the company shared with Variety.
While 75% of respondents said they knew it was a musical before buying a ticket, “16% left the theater ‘disappointed’ by the genre,” Variety reported. The remaining 9% were neutral about it.
The decision to downplay the musical aspects of the film mirrored similar tactics from studios like Warner Bros. Entertainment, which kept musical details to a minimum in its marketing push for the December release of “Wonka.”
For “Mean Girls,” the goal was to emphasize the film’s comedic aspects rather than its songs to draw in a broader audience, according to Marc Weinstock, Paramount’s president of worldwide marketing and distribution.
Weinstock told Variety that “people tend to treat musicals differently” and that “it could be considered a musical but it appeals to a larger audience.”
The company didn’t avoid musical elements in its marketing entirely. The opening of its first trailer, released in theaters ahead of “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” screenings, began with singing, for example.
The company also added a musical note to the “A” on the film’s title.
“There are hints to it without being overbearing,” Weinstock said.
It’s almost Valentine’s Day and love is in the air. We’ve gathered the best skin care gifts to help you celebrate the most heartfelt day of the year. Whether you’re going on a date night, gifting your friends or treating yourself, read on to find out how to make the occasion extra special.
Fall In Love With These Date Night Gift Ideas
We recommend prepping for the most romantic night of the year with the Monoi Age Corrective Exfoliating Cleanser. The exotic scent of monoi will help set the mood, and the combination of physical and chemical exfoliants will refine the skin’s texture to reveal a fresh, youthful-looking complexion. In fact, 93% of users saw refined skin in just two weeks!*
Next, spoil your sweetheart with the best-selling Apricot Body Oil, a gift that’s sure to heat up your date night. This aromatic oil can be used for body massage, as well as all-over moisturization, to deliver a big dose of hydration. A few drops will leave the skin feeling irresistibly soft and smooth.
Our heavenly Mangosteen Body Lotion is a treat any day, but extra blissful on Valentine’s Day. Formulated with a unique Lactic Acid Complex, this lightweight formula absorbs quickly and gently resurfaces to reveal bright, radiant skin.
The Arctic Berry Radiance Peptide Radiance Cream is the gift that keeps on giving. An all-powerful daily moisturizer, this cream helps reveal radiant, smooth, even and luminous skin long after the special day. One customer, Stephanie Q., left a review on our website saying: “You will absolutely notice a difference after using this product. It’s called a ‘radiance cream’ and says it will ‘reveal your radiance naturally and discover smooth, even and luminous skin’ … and that is exactly how I would describe my skin the morning after using this product. It’s magical.”
Product Picks
Multi-action exfoliating cleanser
Soothing cream for all skin types
Best Friends Forever: Gift Your Friends With Great Skin
Showing love to your friends is always a fun way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, and why not spread joy with a thoughtful gift that will help them love themselves and their skin?
One great way to do that is with a product or two that will have them glowing. Our Strawberry Rhubarb Hyaluronic Serum will do that and more. Made with our Botanical Hyaluronic Acid Complex to deeply hydrate for visibly smoother and softer skin, this lightweight gel-cream works on all skin types, giving an extra boost to dry and dehydrated skin.
And while we’re on the topic of glowing skin, let’s shine a light on the Camellia Glow Solid Face Oil. After three weeks of use, 87% of users experienced a healthier-looking skin glow.** This replenishing face oil melts into the skin, leaving the complexion rejuvenated and softened. Camellia oil is highly moisturizing and, when combined with marula oil and hemp seed oil, can revitalize skin that looks dull or fatigued. Give the gift of soft, radiant skin. That’s what friends are for.
If a luminous and silky-looking complexion is on your BFF’s list, we recommend gifting the Turmeric Energizing Treatment. Formulated with turmeric, citrine gemstones and zeolite, this powder-to-mousse formula works as an exfoliant, a warming powder and a mask that awakens the skin and draws out impurities.
Finally, if you want to give a gift that includes a bit of everything and lets your friends discover their Eminence Organics favorites, the Must Have Minis Starter Set is packaged perfectly for gifting. It features miniature versions of five of our best-selling products packed into a convenient zippered faux suede pouch that’s perfect for travel. This starter set includes a mini cleanser, exfoliant, moisturizer, facial concentrate and eye serum. It’s a complete skin care routine that’s suitable for all skin types.
Product Picks
Replenishing and hydrating serum
With luxurious botanical oils
Treat Yourself This Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day doesn’t always have to be about spoiling somebody else. Why not pamper yourself and feel beautiful in your own skin? If you’re spending the night in, do it with a routine that will send you off to sleep feeling great.
The Birch Water Purifying Essence is a nice place to start. After cleansing your skin, dispense a couple of drops in your hands or on a cotton pad and pat the lightweight essence onto your face. As well as restoring moisture levels, birch water purifies the skin while botanical collagen improves the look of elasticity and protects the skin’s barrier function. This first step in your self care routine helps the skin better absorb and retain the benefits of subsequent products.
For the next step in your night of pampering, treat your skin with a blend of results-oriented actives and ingredients that impart intense moisture and protection. Our Rosehip Triple C+E Firming Oil is a deeply hydrating facial oil that fights the signs of aging, smooths the look of wrinkles and infuses the skin with Vitamins C and E. Plus, it’s perfect for all skin types.
Next, bring comfort and serenity to dry, dull-looking skin with a rich slow-absorbing mask. A luxurious step in your routine, the Kombucha Microbiome Leave-On Masque contains ginger and pre, pro and postbiotics† to visibly renew the appearance of the skin while supporting your moisture barrier. Ideal for all skin types, this mask helps the skin appear vibrant, hydrated and healthy.
To finish off your routine and drift into a luxurious night’s sleep, slather your body with the with the ultra-rich Monoi Age Corrective Night Body Cream and wake up to softer, smoother and more youthful-looking skin.
Do you need help choosing gifts for your loved ones or yourself? Visit your nearest Eminence Organics Spa Partner for all of your Valentine’s Day shopping needs!
*In vivo results after 14 days
**Associated with a significant decrease in transepidermal water loss after 21 days of twice daily application
Fewer people are donating blood, and experts say younger generations are at the heart of the problem.
Dr. Eric Gehrie, the executive medical director of the American Red Cross, told NBC News that the organization has seen a 40% drop in people donating blood over the last 20 years.
Over the 2023 holiday season, Gehrie said the Red Cross was 7,000 units short of meeting demand from hospitals.
The most recent National Blood Collection and Utilization Survey, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services, found that blood donations by teens and young adults have steadily declined over the last decade. From 2019 to 2021, the survey says blood donations from people 16 to 18 dropped by a whopping 60%.
“If that trend continues, we’re going to be in a very difficult situation,” Dr. Claudia Cohn, chief medical officer for the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies, told NBC.
In April 2023, the Red Cross launched a t-shirt campaign with Snoopy standing in front of the large Red Cross logo, hoping that the campaign would attract more young people to give blood, The New York Times reported at the time. The campaign quickly went viral on TikTok. One video about the campaign gained more than four million views in just a few days.
Gehrie told NBC the campaign was overwhelmingly successful with more than 70,000 people under 35 donating in the months after its launch. Still, he estimated that the organization will need an additional 8,000 donations every week this month to meet hospital demands.
Gehrie speculated that minimum height and weight requirements on who can donate blood imposed by the FDA in 2015 might be part of the reason fewer young people are donating blood, according to NBC. Anyone who donates blood must weigh at least 110 pounds, and there are additional height and weight requirements for those under 18.
“We had a lot of high school donors that were deferred,” Gehrie told the outlet. “We don’t want those young donors to get the impression that because they were deferred for that reason, that they can never donate again.”
US studio Ome Dezin has renovated a large mid-century home in Brentwood, California, using a tonal colour palette and maximising the lush hillside views.
The six-bedroom 12221 Benmore residence was designed and constructed in 1960 by notable local architects A Quincy Jones and Frederick Emmon.
Natural materials and neutral colours were chosen throughout the home to highlight the lush views
When Jesse Rudolph and Joelle Kutner of Ome Dezin came to the project, it had undergone a 1990s remodel that had stripped away its character and style.
The team made it their mission to revive the home’s original charm and connection to the outdoors, bringing in natural tones and materials.
White oak and travertine are recurring materials, as seen in the bar area
“We have always been fans of A Quincy Jones and familiar with his work, which is what prompted us to see the home initially,” the duo told Dezeen.
“This one did not disappoint — it had the typical Quincy atrium-like living space centered across from the exterior which includes a 40-foot (12-metre) waterfall.”
The main living spaces all flow together and have expansive views onto the garden
Many of the existing fixtures were retained, including the fixed windows and doors, wherever possible.
To keep the focus on the views from the large windows, the interior was designed with “a more muted, streamlined aesthetic”.
Custom pieces designed for the home include a dining table and chairs created in collaboration with Ben Willett
“We wanted to ensure the intention of Quincy was intact, so we aimed for a bit of brutalism and connection with nature,” said Rudolph and Kutner. “We opted for a limited material and color palette in favour of natural tones.”
The new white oak staircase designed for the three-storey atrium features rectangular forms and has an architectural presence, echoing the shape and style of the building.
Large windows are found in almost every room, so the decor is kept minimal and sparse so as not to draw focus
It sits at the nexus of the living room, dining area, kitchen and bar, which all flow together and enjoy expansive views out the back of the house.
A den adjacent to these open spaces is furnished with a variety of midcentury pieces, in keeping with the building’s history.
Dramatically patterned Cipollino stone in the bathroom echoes the grey tones of the rocks outside
Two types of stone were used throughout the home: travertine, which appears in the kitchen, bar area and powder room, and richly patterned Cipollino in the primary bathroom chosen to pick out the colours of the mountains visible through the windows.
In the lower-floor bedrooms and around the fireplace, flagstones and cobblestones were laid to create a grounding quality and to connect the spaces to the rocky landscape outside and pavers around the swimming pool.
Custom pieces designed for the project include the dining table created with furniture designer Ben Willett, which allows all of the chairs to be tucked away neatly underneath.
Two 10-foot-high (three-metre) doors were custom-built for the living space and feature Jean Prouvé-influenced circular window cutouts that allow light to shine through.
The garden features a swimming pool and a 40-foot (12-metre) waterfall
“We paid special attention to the lighting in the home, mostly sourcing vintage lights to add charm and character,” the design team said.
“With such a large home, and lots of windows and tall ceilings, warm mood lighting really made the spaces feel intimate and magical, particularly in the evenings.”
The home was designed and constructed in 1960 by A Quincy Jones and Frederick Emmon
Rudolph and Kutner founded Ome Dezin as a design and development studio focused on residential restoration in and around Los Angeles.
California has no shortage of mid-century properties in need of revamping. Other recently completed examples include Studio Schicketanz’s renovation of modernist architect Henry Hill’s former seaside home, and Woods + Dangaran’s overhaul of a residence that once belonged to singer Bing Crosby’s manager.
New and expecting moms in Flint, Michigan can now get hundreds of dollars during their pregnancy and hundreds more every month of their baby’s first year.
The new guaranteed income program called Rx Kids offers “no-strings-attached love,” according to its website. Enrollment opened last week with a celebratory tweet from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, calling it “Michigan’s nation-leading effort to eliminate infant poverty.”
“It will give every child born in Flint a fair shot at a bright future,” Whitmer said on X.
The program provides expectant moms with $1,500 during pregnancy and another $500 each month throughout a baby’s first year, according to the Rx Kids website. The website says the program is the “first-ever citywide cash prescription program for pregnant moms and babies.”
Baltimore has also experimented with a guaranteed income for mothers. In its program, the city offers $1,000 to young mothers every month to spend however they want. Some recipients told Business Insider the deal was so good they initially thought it was a scam.
Flint’s Rx Kids expects to serve 1,200 infants each year and has enough funding to run for at least three years, though it is “aiming to deliver cash to Flint families for as long as possible,” the program’s FAQ page says.
“Raising kids is expensive and society should come alongside to support families,” the website says. “For most people, a child’s birth is a joyous event. For too many families, though, income plunges, and poverty spikes right before a child is born and remains high throughout the first year. These first months of life are critical for a baby’s development; it’s also when their families are struggling the most.”
Inspired by the now-defunct Child Tax Credit — a pandemic-era relief effort championed by the Biden administration — the program’s cofounder H. Luke Shaefer said Rx Kids is “one way to help families in an effective, efficient way,” MLive reported.
Universal basic income programs and their like-minded cousins — guaranteed basic income programs like Rx Kids that target certain groups of people instead of entire populations — have been largely successful (even in Republican-led states that offer staunch opposition) at addressing poverty and homelessness.
“They’re trying to become like the Gap, everything to everybody,” Wilson said. “I think the definition of a brand is that you’re not everything to everybody.”
“You’ve got to be clear that you don’t want certain customers coming in,” he added.
Current and former employees of color at the athletic-wear company are speaking out against Wilson’s remarks, as well as what they say is a culture of racial insensitivity at Lululemon.
“The company has failed all Black employees and employees of color,” Michael Collins, a former Lululemon store manager, told Business Insider. “Nothing has changed since.”
Plagued by diversity issues
Some current and former employees said they’re not too surprised Wilson criticized Lululemon’s diversity efforts given his track record of making controversial statements.
He has also blamed women’s bodies after Lululemon received complaints that its yoga pants were too sheer, and said he believes children in Third World countries should be able to work in factories for wages, calling it “single easiest way to spread wealth around the world.”
After Wilson’s most recent comments about diversity, the company disavowed his viewpoints.
“Chip Wilson does not speak for Lululemon, and his comments do not reflect our company views or beliefs,” a spokesperson told the Business of Fashion in a statement.
“Chip has not been involved with the company since his resignation from the board in 2015 and we are a very different company today,” they added.
But even after Wilson’s departure, Lululemon employees have spoken out against the company’s culture, which they described as exemplifying “privileged white wellness,” as previously reported by Business Insider in 2021.
In November, Business of Fashion reported that Lululemon failed to live up to its mission of diversity and inclusion, and that Black employees were passed over for promotions, reprimanded, and fired.
Lululemon did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Employees are calling for change
Collins, the former store manager, said the company’s response to Wilson’s remarks was a “low blow” to people who work for Lululemon.
“It’s a slap in the face to everyone of color, because that’s a performative answer,” Collins said. “If you’re going to be proactive and change, you have to have a clean slate. You have to rehire and clean up the mess, which has been going on for so long.”
Miya Dotson, a former manager in Lululemon’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Action team, said the company’s “non-acknowledgment of the harm they’ve caused members of the Black community and other marginalized groups is outrageous.”
One current employee, who asked to remain anonymous because of the company’s strict media policy, told Business Insider he believes Lululemon is making an effort to improve its diversity and inclusion, citing the diverse makeup of the store he works at and the sensitivity training employees must go through.
The employee, who identifies as Black and gay, said Wilson’s statement “totally goes against what I am as a person and what I believe in,” and said the company should distance itself from Wilson altogether. He pointed out that Wilson’s criticism actually implies that Lululemon is trying to move toward increased diversity.
Dotson said Lululemon needs to change its leadership and address its issues head-on.
“The longer they try to put off the public image, the more they’re going to rot from the inside in terms of the fear and the values they’re disintegrating,” Dotson said.
Nets can be a fun way to link two storeys in the home. Featured below are examples from a New York apartment, a skinny house in Rotterdam and a small family residence in rural Vietnam, among others.
Timber-lined living spaces create a soothing atmosphere inside this house in the Austrian Alps, designed by local architecture studio Dunkelschwarz.
To encourage relaxation, a void above the dining area was covered with netting that can be used for lounging, while an adjacent walkway leads directly to a large balcony.
Chilean architecture studio Stanaćev Granados put two large cargo nets at the centre of this seaside house in Chorrillos overlooking the Pacific.
As well as providing an easily visible children’s play space above the open-plan living area, the net allows for a subtle transition between the darker wood cladding of the ground floor and the white-painted timber of the upper level.
To make the vast living space of this apartment in New York’s West Village feel less chasmic, No Architecture constructed two “treehouses” from a series of timber beams.
Black netting strung between the beams creates an elevated chill-out space, accessed by a spiral staircase whose balustrade is made of the same mesh material.
In this house in Vietnam designed by H&P Architects, a net floor contributes to the humble aesthetic created by its compact, open-plan layout and rough-and-ready materials like exposed brick and corrugated metal.
The net allows air to move freely through the home, helps to instil a sense of spaciousness and creates additional usable floor space.
Canadian studio Robitaille Curtis procured the expertise of famous circus company Cirque du Soleil to rig a trapeze-style net atop the high atrium inside this Montreal home.
The aim was to emphasise the drama of the space, with a tall bookcase accessed by a 5.5-metre ladder and vertical wooden slats also helping to direct the gaze upwards.
Dutch architects Gwendolyn Huisman and Marijn Boterman wanted to avoid “harsh boundaries” between living spaces in this skinny house in Rotterdam that they designed for themselves to live in.
To that end, they strung a modestly sized net next to a large window overlooking the garden, to act as a kind of static hammock next to the first-floor living room and above the dining room.
This family house in a forest near Helsinki features a number of child-friendly elements including a climbing wall, gymnastic apparatus and, of course, a net floor.
Local studio Ortraum Architects placed the net in a cut-out next to the first-floor landing, allowing light to filter down into the basement stairwell.
Austin Maynard Architects installed a netted platform with a view out of a large window and into the bathroom as part of its renovation of this formerly dilapidated stable in Melbourne.
The black mesh contrasts with the white corrugated metal of the window awning, the grey tiles of the bathroom and the orange carpet on the adjacent floor.
The large net in this Ho Chi Minh City house, designed by Vietnamese architecture office A21studio, is visible from almost everywhere in the four-storey building.
In addition to serving as a children’s play area, it helps create an impression of the ground floor as an outdoor courtyard – particularly as a tree bursts through the textile.
When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more
Alienware’s AW3225QF monitor represents a significant step forward for display technology, immediately securing a place as one of the best gaming monitors you can buy. The AW3225QF offers a 32-inch 4K OLED display with a 240Hz refresh rate. Though there are other 4K monitors out there, this is one of the first to use a QD-OLED panel, and it’s one of the few displays you can buy that combines a 4K resolution with such a high refresh rate.
OLED screens are celebrated for their ability to create deep black levels, high contrast, and stunning color accuracy without sacrificing responsiveness, but until recently, 4K QD-OLED panels were only available in large TV sizes that were inappropriate for monitors.
With the AW3225QF, Alienware has produced a monitor that can finally match and even outshine many of the best OLED TVs when paired with a PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. It sets a new bar for what premium gaming monitors should offer.
Alienware’s AW3225QF is the first 4K QD-OLED monitor and one of the few 4K displays you can get with a 240Hz refresh rate. It’s expensive but delivers stunning performance while setting a new benchmark for gaming displays.
The display features a cool design with a subtle curve
The rear of the AW3225QF has two customizable lights and a solid cable management system.
Kevin Webb / Business Insider
The AW3225QF’s 32-inch screen has a gentle 1700R curve that’s hardly noticeable when viewing from directly in front, but it does help with seeing the edges of the display if you’re sitting less than two feet away. A thin bezel surrounds the screen and includes the Alienware branding beneath the display.
The monitor’s stand has forked feet and allows the screen’s height to be adjusted up and down by a range of about 4.3 inches. The stand allows left-right swivel and tilting as well, but you can’t rotate the monitor into landscape mode. For cable management, the stand has a slot to guide wires straight toward the back of the monitor and through the base.
A small joystick under the monitor will call up the menu, which includes settings, input control, and viewing presets. The power button is located on the right side of the monitor and denotes the power status with an LED light.
You can customize the color of the power button and two more lights located on the back of the monitor. The rear lights have an Alienware logo and the number 32, denoting the monitor’s size. The monitor’s menu offers 20 color choices in total.
The AW3225QF delivers top-notch image performance
The AW3225QF does a great job making colors pop in games like Street Fighter 6.
Kevin Webb / Business Insider
Simply put, Alienware’s AW3225QF sets a new standard for picture performance in a gaming monitor. Its QD-OLED panel maxes out at 4K resolution with a refresh rate of 240Hz. It’s one of the first wave of QD-OLED monitors to support 4K, and it’s one of the few monitors out there that can deliver 4K with a 240Hz refresh rate. Many gamers have turned to larger OLED TVs thanks to the display type’s fantastic contrast and response times, so it’s great to see purpose-built monitors of this type to fill that demand.
The QD-OLED panel also uses Quantum Dot color technology, which helps improve the OLED screen’s brightness and allows for a deeper range of color versus a standard OLED display. Our pick for the best TV, the Samsung S90C, uses the same tech.
When it comes to picture quality, the AW3225QF is one of the best-looking displays I’ve seen, offering stunning contrast and vibrant colors, especially with HDR (high dynamic range) enabled. Atmospheric games like Resident Evil 2 demonstrate the OLED panel’s impressive pixel-level contrast in dark environments, while adventure games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage are a great showcase for the screen’s rich quantum dot colors that brighten up landscapes.
One of traditional OLED technology’s potential drawbacks is relatively low brightness, but the AW3225QF QD-OLED panel stands out with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits. To be clear, the monitor can only achieve that number in very small highlights when viewing HDR content, but it still bests most typical OLEDs. The solid brightness performance also works well with the monitor’s anti-glare coating, which helps reduce glare from sunlight. However, the screen’s brightness still can’t match what you’d get on a Mini LED monitor, like the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8.
And while the AW3225QF looks fantastic with most games, some HDR titles on PC can look washed out if not calibrated correctly. Windows has its own HDR calibration and auto HDR features, but those can clash with in-game HDR brightness and color settings. Generally, PS5 and Xbox do a much better job implementing HDR mapping without extra calibration, and the monitor has a special console mode for even better tone mapping.
The AW3225QF also supports Dolby Vision, an advanced HDR format that’s mostly used for film and TV but has been adopted by a few dozen games as well. The Xbox Series X fully supports Dolby Vision gaming, while the PlayStation 5 does not. Accessing Dolby Vision content can be difficult on PC, and the Nintendo Switch doesn’t support HDR at all.
The monitor will note when a Dolby Vision-enabled game is being played, but in my experience with games like Halo Infinite and Ori and the Will of the Wisps, the feature doesn’t make a huge difference when compared to standard HDR10. The difference is more pronounced when streaming Dolby Vision movies from apps like Disney Plus.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of about 100 Dolby Vision compatible games on Xbox Series X.
Kevin Webb / Business Insider
The AW3225QF’s variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low latency mode (ALLM) features, including G-Sync support, work as expected. Both Xbox and PlayStation consoles can enable these features seamlessly, and the OLED display showed no signs of screen tears or ghosting with VRR enabled.
The high 240Hz refresh rate makes the AW3225QF feel extra responsive and cuts down on input delay, a bonus when playing competitive games like Street Fighter or CounterStrike. Xbox and PlayStation are limited to a 120Hz refresh rate via HDMI due to their own hardware, but games like Spider-Man 2 and Call of Duty Modern Warfare III have specific graphics modes to take advantage of VRR and high refresh rates on consoles.
A picture-in-picture mode is also available, allowing you to split the screen between two different video inputs. This can be useful if you’re multitasking between two computers or want to share the screen between a console and your PC.
The monitor includes a pixel refresher to help avoid burn-in, which can occur when OLED panels display the same image for long periods of time. The menu has a panel health indicator to help notify you when you should turn the monitor off and run the refresher. We didn’t notice any image retention issues after about a month of regular use. The AW3225QF also includes features for calibration, like an on-screen refresh rate display and crosshair.
Plenty of video and USB ports but no built-in speaker
Various downward-facing ports are located on the back of the monitor.
Dell
The AW3225QF doesn’t support built-in audio playback; there’s no headphone jack or digital audio output to connect to a speaker and no integrated speakers. That means you’ll need to find a separate audio solution while you game, whether you choose a headset, soundbar, or desktop speakers. However, one of the HDMI ports includes eARC to return HDMI audio to a receiver
The monitor has a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports that make it an excellent companion for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, and it has a DisplayPort 1.4 input for PC gamers. Both connection types support up to 3840 x 2160 (4K) resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate.
The AW3225QF also has four downstream USB ports to connect additional devices when you pair the display with a PC. Two USB type-A ports are located near the HDMI and DisplayPort inputs in the rear of the monitor. Another USB type-A port and a USB type-C port can be found underneath the monitor.
The downward-facing USB ports aren’t ideal for cable management, but they’re handy for connecting controllers, charging phones, and connecting other desktop devices. Each port supports USB 3.2 Gen 1 with a 5 Gbps transfer speed.
What are your alternatives?
Competing OLED monitors are limited to 1440p resolution, but more 4K models are coming later this year.
Kevin Webb / Business Insider
There aren’t many true alternatives to the AW3225QF out right now unless you’re willing to downgrade from 4K resolution or opt for a non-OLED panel. Alongside the AW3225QF, Alienware just released the AW2725DF, a 27-inch 1440p QD-OLED monitor with an even higher refresh rate of 360Hz. Samsung announced a trio of new QD-OLED monitors arriving later in 2024, including two models with similar specs to Alienware’s offerings and an ultrawide display.
When it comes to current QD-OLED options, there are models like the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 and Alienware AW3423DW, which use an ultrawide 21:9 aspect ratio and max out at 3440 x 1440p resolution, which is great for PC gamers but less ideal for players on PS5 or Xbox.
There’s no question that the AW3225QF is one of the top high-end gaming monitors you can buy if you want cutting-edge performance, but that performance comes at a premium price tag of $1,199. It boasts all of the latest features you could want from a gaming display, like 4K resolution, HDR support with Dolby Vision, an impressive 240Hz refresh rate, G-Sync support, and HDMI 2.1 compatibility for consoles.
The AW3225QF is the first OLED monitor on the market to offer all of these capabilities in one display and will likely be one of the few choices for some time. If you can afford it and you don’t mind missing out on smart TV features or built-in audio, this monitor sets a new benchmark for gaming displays.
At Eminence Organic Skin Care, we’ve always known that nourishing your skin starts with the seed. Eminence Organics has prided itself on practicing green initiatives that reduce the company’s carbon footprint since its inception in 1958, long before the word “organic” became commonplace. You may be familiar with our commitment to using natural, organic ingredients, but we’ve also always used regenerative farming to cultivate a richer, healthier earth. Regenerative agriculture is a promising approach that focuses on enhancing and sustaining the farm’s entire ecosystem, particularly soil health. Join us in exploring why we are at the forefront of this eco-friendly movement.
What Is Regenerative Farming?
While regenerative farming has only recently gained widespread attention, it has deep historical roots. This method incorporates techniques such as rotating crops, applying natural compost, and supporting a varied ecosystem. It’s a way of farming that cares for the Earth just as much as it cares for the crops it produces.
While regenerative farming nourishes the earth and promotes healthy crop growth, it also addresses a broader environmental challenge: The critical task of reducing its carbon footprint. The agricultural sector, including forestry and other land use, accounts for nearly 25% of all human-made greenhouse gas emissions, with CO2 being the primary contributor to climate change. However, agriculture is also positioned to help resolve this crisis by creating a sustainable, carbon pollution-free future. This might seem contradictory, but as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change explains, utilizing agriculture’s mitigation potential is essential for emission reduction. A promising approach is regenerative agriculture, which focuses on improving and sustaining the farm’s entire ecosystem, particularly soil health.
Regenerative farming, though recently gaining widespread attention, has deep historical roots. Traditionally, farmers instinctively used methods that honored and preserved the earth’s natural balance. This approach lost prominence with the Industrial Revolution, which modernized agriculture but at the cost of environmental health. Now there’s been a resurgence in regenerative farming, highlighting its increasing relevance and necessity in contemporary agriculture. Let’s examine the key differences between regenerative farming, known for its use of natural fertilizers and soil-enriching compost, and the methods used in conventional farming.
Regenerative Farming Vs. Conventional Farming
In the world of farming, traditional, regenerative techniques are making a major resurgence. So, what’s the difference?
Regenerative farming:
Incorporates natural and organic fertilizers
Includes compost, which fortifies soil
Implements gentle tilling when necessary
Maintains weed cover
Uses crop rotation
Champions biodiversity
Conventional Farming:
Relies on synthetic pesticides and fertilizers
Rarely includes compost
Requires/ Uses frequent tilling
Removes weeds
Uses monoculture or polyculture
Focuses on high-crop yield
Our Regenerative Farming Mission
From the beginning, the Eminence Certified Organic Farm, nestled between the Danube and Tisza rivers, has been committed to regenerative farming. Our farmers practice crop rotation and natural composting and encourage biodiversity, which revitalizes the land. These techniques ensure the ingredients used in our products are grown in a way that is both environmentally sustainable and supportive of the local ecosystem.
Regenerative Farming Techniques We Love
Composting
An all-natural way to fertilize! We let our organic waste break down into nutritious compost that can be added back to the soil.
Winter Weed Cover
Weeds aren’t all bad. Winter weed cover provides nutrients for spring crops and helps soil retain water.
Crop Rotation
A different field is given time to rest each season, allowing the soil time to replenish much-needed nutrients.
Fallow Fields
Each season, a different field is given time to rest, allowing the soil time to replenish much-needed nutrients.
Companion Planting
We place plants near their friends! Consider planting bug-repelling calendula near bug attractants like tomatoes to provide natural protection.
Enhanced Soil Quality
With minimal tilling and enriching nutrients, regenerative farming enhances soil quality, leading to healthier, nutrient-rich crops at the Eminence Certified Organic Farm.
Improved Water Conservation
Efficient water use is a hallmark of regenerative farming. Techniques reduce water usage, enhance soil water retention and minimize harmful runoff.
Diversity in Ecosystems
Crop rotation and pesticide avoidance foster a variety of plant life and support local wildlife, promoting balanced ecosystems and cleaner air.
Addressing Climate Change
Our dedication to nature goes hand in hand with our commitment to planet Earth. Regenerative farming plays a crucial role in capturing carbon emissions and fostering the growth of robust crops, significantly contributing to climate change mitigation.
Community Engagement
Eminence’s farm is part of a global network of sustainable farms, contributing to new economic opportunities and ecological restoration.
We’re committed to finding organic, Earth-friendly solutions in every aspect of our business. You can learn more about our green initiatives here. What things do you like to do to help the planet? Let us know in the comments below or chat with us on social media.
Hamas’ brutality has drawn Israel into what looks like a no-win situation, a war in which it is trying to destroy the militant group but can’t keep up the same pressure without backlash over the devastation it brings.
After three months of hard fighting in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military is facing a major dilemma as it moves into a new phase of its bloody war against Hamas: balancing its aim of crushing the militant group and its response to growing calls to reduce combat intensity to avoid endangering innocent Palestinians in the crowded enclave.
To achieve its aims, which might not even be possible, Israel will need to fight with the same intensity in Gaza’s south as it did in the north if it is to have any hope of degrading Hamas’ capabilities, but this aspect of the conflict is exactly what has caused so many problems, a retired general told Business Insider.
“They’re damned if they do, and they’re damned if they don’t, because if they don’t, they’re not going to achieve the objectives that they set out to,” said Maj. Gen. Charlie Herbert, a former officer in the British army. It’s not an ideal situation.
The ongoing war, which was triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre in southern Israel, has featured a devastating Israeli aerial bombing campaign followed by a ground invasion of Gaza. Operations began in the northern half of the coastal enclave but have since transitioned to the south, which has seen the bulk of recent fighting. Now, Israeli officials are signaling the movement toward a third phase that they say will be more targeted and surgical.
This picture taken during a media tour organized by the Israeli military on Jan. 8, 2024, shows troops operating in the area of al-Bureij in the central Gaza Strip.
Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images
In a document released last week, Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant outlined his vision for the transition. Northern Gaza, he wrote, will see a “new combat approach” that includes raids, unspecified aerial and ground activities, special operations, and destruction of Hamas’ vast tunnel network that permit its hit-and-run tactics.
Gallant said efforts in the south will focus on decapitating Hamas’ leadership, who remain at large in Gaza and beyond, and returning the more than 100 hostages who are still held captive by the militants.
“This is a cross-stage effort. It will continue for as long as is deemed necessary,” he wrote, adding that the fight will continue until Israel achieves its goals: returning all the hostages, eliminating Hamas’ military and governing capabilities, and demilitarizing Gaza.
War analysts say that for Israel to achieve its goals, it will need to continue operating with the same intensity that it has over the past three months. But it is exactly that intensity that has led to a soaring death toll in Gaza, international condemnation, widespread calls for a ceasefire, and even pressure from the US, a key ally, to lower the temperature of the conflict.
“Israeli forces have degraded several Hamas units and rendered others combat ineffective, particularly in the northern Gaza strip, since the beginning of the clearing operations,” analysts at the Institute for the Study of War think tank wrote in an early January assessment after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced they would pull some troops from the northern part of the enclave.
An israeli combat aircraft seen heading north on Jan. 9, 2024 in Kfar Yehoshua, Israel.
Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images
“But Hamas’ military forces are neither defeated nor destroyed at this time. Decreased Israeli pressure would, in fact, allow Hamas to rebuild its military capabilities and infrastructure,” ISW analysts said, adding that any “reconstitution is inconsistent with the stated Israeli war aims, which are to destroy Hamas militarily and politically.”
Israel says it has killed or captured up to 9,000 of the estimated 30,000 Hamas militants, and some experts warn that the death and destruction of Israel’s campaign could create more terrorists by radicalizing survivors. Gaza’s health ministry pegs the death toll at over 22,000 — it doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants, but a majority are believed to be women and children.
More than 180 IDF soldiers have been killed in the ongoing hostilities, adding to the more than 370 who were murdered on Oct. 7 alongside some 700 civilians.
An Israeli military spokesperson said on Monday that Hamas no longer functions as an “organized military framework” in the north and confirmed that the IDF is operating differently there. The main focus is now central and southern Gaza, especially areas around the city of Khan Younis, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said at a briefing, adding that fighting will continue into the new year.
The IDF did not respond to Business Insider’s request for comment on the challenges as it enters a new phase.
A smoke plume erupts over Khan Yunis from Rafah in the southern Gaza strip during Israeli bombardment on Jan. 8, 2024.
Photo by AFP via Getty Images
Herbert, the former officer in the British army who completed several tours in Afghanistan and served as the senior NATO advisor to the country’s interior ministry, said that the IDF’s overwhelming force and firepower are essential to accomplishing it goals, but also are what precisely has triggered the growing pressure to scale down the campaign.
While it is entirely possible that Israel can defeat Hamas’ military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, it is less likely that the IDF can actually eliminate Hamas as a political organization or quash what it stands for, Herbert said.
A more effective approach, he argued, would have involved diplomatic and economic efforts rather than solely the military element. And even if Israel does manage to completely eradicate Hamas, an unlikely outcome, this still opens the door to an alternative group filling the void in the future.
Questions remain over how Israel is planning for a post-war Gaza. Some fear that the IDF is doomed to reoccupy the enclave, something it hasn’t done in nearly two decades and could set the stage for violent resistance.
Others have voiced concerns that the country may repeat US mistakes following its 2003 invasion of Iraq: failing to create a solid post-conflict plan, which led to an array of consequences like the expansion of Iranian power in the region and a prolonged insurgency.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R) meets with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (L) in Tel Aviv, Israel on Jan. 9, 2024.
Photo by Elad Malka (IMoD)/Anadolu via Getty Images
In Gallant’s document outlining the future of the war, there is a fourth phase dubbed the “day after.” It’s broken down into visions for security and civil life: Hamas won’t pose a threat to Israel, Gaza will be fully governed by Palestinian civilians without ties to militant groups, and the IDF will have operational freedom of action there.
Among the other details, Gallant also wants a multinational task force charged with “rehabilitation” and “restoration” active in the enclave.
Gallant’s plan was reportedly met with disapproval by some of Israel’s more right-wing lawmakers, some of whom have received international condemnation for plans of their own. But it did touch upon some — though not all — of what the Biden administration hopes to see in the region when the war is over.
Speaking to reporters on Monday amid his latest trip to meet with Middle Eastern leaders, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there’s “broad agreement” on a few objectives for the future of the region. These include that Israel can live without fear of terror attacks, unity between the West Bank and Gaza under local governance, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
“No one thinks that anything will happen overnight,” Blinken said. “But we agreed to work together and to coordinate our efforts to help Gaza stabilize and recover, to chart a political path forward for the Palestinians, and to work toward long-term peace, security, and stability in the region as a whole.”
