Oil and gas companies regularly use flaring (that is, burning unwanted methane) to limit the amount of natural gas escaping into the atmosphere, but the practice might not be as kind to the planet as previously thought. Scientists at the University of Michigan, Stanford and elsewhere have discovered that flaring is much less effective than the industry assumes, and puts out five times more methane (a strong greenhouse gas) than predicted.

Companies and governments act on the belief flares are always lit and burn off 98 percent of methane. However, aerial surveys of three US basins (where 80 percent of American flaring takes place) have revealed that the flares aren't lit up to 5 percent of the time, and operate inefficiently when they're active. In practice, the flaring efficiency is just 91 percent. That may not sound like a big dip, but it signifies that there's a large volume of unaccounted-for methane contributing to climate change.

There is an upside to the findings. Flaring's problems are "quite addressable" with better management, lead researcher Genevieve Plant said, and a solution would offer an equivalent emissions reduction to removing 3 million cars. To put it another way, this could be one of the easiest ways to keep methane in check and limit global warming. The challenge is to have companies and governments work in harmony — that's not guaranteed, even if the fix is relatively straightforward.

It's been nearly a year and a half, but you'll soon get to find out what happens next in Mythic Quest. Apple has revealed that season three of its game developer comedy series will debut on TV+ November 11th. There aren't more details about the plot, but the new episodes follow the impact of a studio shakeup. And of course, you can expect up-to-the-minute technology jokes. Let's just say there's a creative reinterpretation of "NFT."

The series was created by and stars Welcome to Wrexham subject Rob McElhenney as Ian, with Charlotte Nicdao as Poppy. The show has drawn attention not just for making game development an enjoyable topic for a TV series, but its connection to the industry — Ubisoft is involved in the production alongside Lionsgate and 3 Arts Entertainment.

As it is, Apple has a number of high-profile season releases due this fall. The second season of spy production Slow Horses arrives December 2nd, while the immigrant anthology Little America (the work of husband-and-wife team Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon) continues December 9th. Apple now has a string of well-known shows in the pipeline, even if Ted Lasso remains its biggest attraction.

Teenage Engineering is best known these days for its electronic music-making gear, but now it has an option for creating physical copies of those tunes. The Swedish brand has released a PO-80 Record Factory that, as the name implies, lets you cut vinyl records at home in addition to playing them back. The extra-cute orange and white design is part of the draw, but the real appeal is the simplicity — you just need to plug an audio device into the 3.5mm jack and start recording.

You're limited to monophonic sound, and you won't be cutting more than a single with a B-side. The included five-inch blank records (complete with sleeves) allow for about four minutes of audio per side at 33RPM, and three minutes at 45RPM. There's an adapter for playing seven-inch records, and all power comes over USB.

If the concept looks a bit familiar, it should. Japanese designer Yuri Suzuki initially explored the idea with a record-cutting machine he built in tandem with the magazine publisher Gakken. Suzuki is a friend of Teenage Engineering, and teamed up with the company to develop a new version with the "Pocket Operator mentality" and a revised design.

The Record Factory is available for $149. While that's not trivial, it's not a lot to spend if you want to produce tangible copies of your lo-fi music. Just be prepared to look elsewhere if you intend to release whole albums.

Add more brands to the list of those hopping aboard the "+" service bandwagon. To begin, MGM is relaunching its movie-oriented Epix streaming service and TV channel as MGM+ on January 15th, 2023. It will continue Epix's blend of originals and "curated" movies from various studios. You'll also find it in the familiar places, including through Prime Video (Amazon owns MGM, after all), other digital services and conventional TV providers.

Simultaneously, Starz has just rebranded its international streaming service Starzplay as Lionsgate+ for 35 of the 63 countries where it operates. North Americans will still see the usual Starz name, while Lionsgate Play (in parts of Asia) and Starzplay Arabia will also remain unchanged. As with MGM+, the actual service will remain intact. This is more about capitalizing on the "valuable" nature of the Lionsgate name and trying to stand out (by tacking on the same "+" as everyone else), according to Starz chief Jeffrey Hirsch.

TechCrunchnotes Lionsgate plans to separate Starz from its studio business, and hoped for the spinoff to complete the move this summer. That clearly didn't happen, but the rebrand is a step in that direction.

In either case, the strategy is familiar. As with CBS All Access' revival as Paramount+, it's a bid to make the most of a well-known brand while nodding to a streaming-first reality. Whether or not this helps is another story. Their streaming businesses are relatively small (Starz has 35.8 million subscribers, for example) compared to heavyweights like Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Netflix. They're not in trouble, but name changes by themselves aren't likely to boost demand.

You won't have to wait long to earn bonuses for playing and buying PlayStation games. Sony now says its PlayStation Stars loyalty program debuts in the Americas on October 5th, while Australians and Europeans will have access October 13th. Stars is already active in Asia, including Japan. The program is free, although you will receive some benefits if you're a PlayStation Plus member.

You currently have to access Stars through the PlayStation App on mobile devices if you want the "full" experience. You can sign up on the web, however, and Sony expects to reach PlayStation consoles in the future.

As previously explained, you earn rewards in PlayStation Stars by completing activities and campaigns ranging from the very basic (playing any game once a month) to the challenging (being one of the first to score a game's platinum trophy in your region). You'll earn loyalty points you can put toward your PlayStation Network wallet, digital collectibles (no, not NFTs) and certain products. You can also receive collectibles directly.

You can improve the number of rewards you get by advancing through trophy- and purchase-based status levels. However, you'll have to top that up 13 months after the end of the calendar year when you reached them. If you reach level 2 this October, you'll have until January 31st, 2024 to do something extending that status.

The strategy and its motivations aren't new. As with Microsoft Points and Nintendo Gold Points, this gives you an incentive to keep coming back to your console — and spending money. Given that it's free, though, it might be worth a try even if you only occasionally fire up your PS5.

Twitter is still having trouble curbing the spread of CSAM (child sexual abuse material). Insider has learned (subscription required) that Twitter inadvertently ran ads on profiles either selling or soliciting CSAM. In an email to marketers, the social network said it had suspended all ads on profiles, updated its detection systems, banned accounts that broke its rules and launched an investigation. Reutersnotes Coca-Cola, Disney and NBCUniversal were some of the brands whose ads appeared next to the offending content.

Existing technology had already blocked over 91 percent of accounts like these, Twitter said. In its most recent transparency report, the company said it took action against 31 percent more CSAM-related accounts in the second half of 2021.

A Twitter spokesperson confirmed the incident and investigation in a statement. On top of existing work to catch CSAM, the company said it was ensuring it had the "right models, processes and products" to protect both advertisers and users.

The news is ill-timed for Twitter. It comes just weeks after The Verge reported that Twitter ditched efforts to build an OnlyFans clone over concerns it couldn't effectively catch CSAM and other forms of sexual abuse. It's also emerging as the social media continues to fight with Elon Musk over the fate of his potentially cancelled $44 billion acquisition. Musk has focused most of his objections on alleged misreporting of fake account data.

There's been an immediate financial impact as well. Reuters added that big names like Dyson and Mazda had either frozen their marketing campaigns or pulled ads from some areas on Twitter. More might be coming — Coca-Cola and Disney both said they considered the activity unacceptable, while NBCUniversal told Twitter to remove ads that ran against CSAM.

You no longer need to join a queue to try OpenAI's well-known image generator. The company has dropped the waiting list for the DALL-E beta, making the technology available to everyone. If you want to create art, you just have to sign up (if you can get past the authentication glitch that exists as we write this) and start describing the pieces you'd like to produce.

The wider release comes after OpenAI both expanded DALL-E's features (such as "Outpainting" to expand beyond original image borders) and, importantly, some crucial safeguards. The firm claims it has "more robust" abilities to filter out policy-violating content, including some depictions of sexuality and violence. A developer framework currently in testing should also bring the AI picture maker to third-party apps.

This public debut comes without answers to some key questions. It's not clear if AI-generated art is fair use or stolen, for instance — Getty Images and similar services have banned the material out of concern it might violate copyright. While this expansion will be welcome, it might test some legal limits.

Google may soon give you a feel for a city district before you've ever set foot in it. The company is introducing a "neighborhood vibe' feature for Maps on Android and iOS that will help you learn what's new and worth seeing in a particular area through info and imagery. You may discover a historic quarter full of landmarks and museums, or the hottest restaurants in the chic part of town.

The technology relies on a blend of AI with community contributions to Google Maps' landscape, such as photos and reviews. If all goes well, the feature will evolve in sync with the neighborhood itself.

The vibe check will roll out to Maps users worldwide in the "coming months." No, this won't make you as knowledgeable as a resident. However, it might help you plan a vacation or move — instead of searching blindly for things to do, you'll have a decent sense of what's popular with locals.

Amazon isn't done updating its Eero router lineup this year, if not quite in the way you'd expect. The brand's new Echo Dot speakers now double as Eero WiFi extenders. Plug one in and you'll get as much as 1,000 square feet of additional coverage. That speaker on your nightstand could improve the internet connection in your office, in other words.

The base Echo Dot is available for pre-order today at $50, while the Echo Dot with Clock and colorful Echo Dot Kids will sell for $60.

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You'll soon have an alternative if the Monster Hunter games are feeling a bit stale. EA and Dynasty Warriors creator Omega Force have introducedWild Hearts, a feudal Japan-inspired twist on the beast slaying formula. You (and your friends, in co-op) take on giant creatures using not just the usual bows and swords, but gadgets you build on the spot. You can craft giant mines that explode when a monster draws near, or harpoons that hold these enemies in place.

Omega Force isn't a stranger to the concept. It developed the monster-slaying Toukiden franchise in the 2010s. In that sense, the team is mainly refining an experience it has been developing for years.

Wild Hearts will arrive on February 17th, 2023 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC (via Epic Games Store, Origin and Steam). You'll learn more about the gameplay in an "extended" debut on October 5th. It's too soon to say if the game will be derivative or a fresh take, but it could serve as a welcome fix for Monster Hunter fans who've exhausted the most recent titles and are looking for more.