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  • ‘The Gilded Age’ Star Ben Ahlers and Wesley Taylor Wrap Workplace Satire Short ‘Movin’ On Up’ (EXCLUSIVE)

    ‘The Gilded Age’ Star Ben Ahlers and Wesley Taylor Wrap Workplace Satire Short ‘Movin’ On Up’ (EXCLUSIVE)

    “The Gilded Age” star Ben Ahlers and Wesley Taylor have wrapped production on ‘Movin’ On Up,’ a workplace satire short film directed by Jacob Wahba .

    Taylor (“Only Murders In The Building,” “Smash,” “Spongebob Squarepants: The Musical”) stars as a directionless white-collar worker who is catapulted up the corporate ladder. He lands in an “MGM Musical Meets Silicon Valley world” where employees dance through the halls and the company’s actual purpose is a mystery.

    The cast also features Ainsley Seiger (“Law and Order: Organized Crime”), David Mattar Merten (“Enemy of the People”) and Denise Lute (“The Path,” “Up Here”).

    The aesthetics of the satiric short were “inspired by the intricacy of 1950s MGM musicals—films like ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ and the work of Vincente Minnelli and Busby Berkeley,” Jacob Wahba said Tuesday. The short film is Wahba’s film directorial debut, following work across editorial campaigns, New York City theatrical productions and 20th Century television series.

    “It captures a uniquely 2020s feeling that we all have inside of us – that feeling of ‘I’m not sure what I’m doing, but if I don’t do it fast I might die.’ It’s unsettling in real life, but hilarious on screen,” writer Patrick Daly said.

    Max Johnson, Chloé Ryan and Wahba are producers, with executive producers Frankie Seratch and David Treatman, co-producers Maria Noto and Daly, and associate producers Katherine McGuire and Joseph Hayes. 

    Pierre Marais (“As Apple Pie,” “Ghost Light), recently a leading man in Broadway’s “Sunset Boulevard,” served as editor. Veteran studio gaffer Jason Velez (“The Meyerowitz Stories,” “When They See Us”) is director of photography, while costumes are by Kala La Fortune Reed (“Only Murders in the Building,” “Musica”), production design by Lucas Degirolamo (“Run Amok,” “The Mill”) and choreography by Matthew Steffens (“Once Upon a Mattress,” “Into the Woods”). Joseph Hayes (“The Alto Knights,” “The Bear,” “Masquerade”) served as casting director. Composers are Natalia Karaseva and Christian McGhee and Zachary Schur is music supervisor.

    Ahlers is repped by Gersh and Artists First. Taylor is with Innovative and Anonymous. Seiger is repped by Gersh and Authentic. Merten is with Innovative and CLA Partners and Lute is repped by the Bloc Agency.

     

  • ‘Jumanji: Open World’ Trailer Takes Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart Out of the Console

    ‘Jumanji: Open World’ Trailer Takes Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart Out of the Console

    Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan are leaving the jungle behind in the first trailer for Jumanji: Open World.

    Sony Pictures is set to release director Jake Kasdan‘s film in theaters on Dec. 25. Nick Jonas, Alex Wolff, Morgan Turner, Ser’Darius Blain, Madison Iseman, Rhys Darby and Danny DeVito round out the cast for the final installment in the trilogy.

    Jumanji: Open World centers on the game’s heroes breaking free of its console and wreaking havoc on our world. The trailer shows Johnson, Black, Hart and Gillan in the real world as stilted versions of the video game avatars they play.

    Wolff’s character explains, “We have a problem. They’re video game characters, but they’re stuck in demo mode.”

    This movie follows 2017’s Jumanji: The Next Level, which rebooted the franchise after Robin Williams starred in a 1995 feature version adapting Chris Van Allsburg’s 1981 children’s book. Kasdan, who directed the 2017 film and its 2019 sequel, returns to helm Open World from a script he co-wrote with Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg. Kasdan, Johnson, Matt Tolmach, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia serve as producers.

    Welcome to the Jungle focused on a group of teenage friends getting trapped inside a video game as a collection of adult avatars. It hit theaters in December 2017 and surpassed $950 million at the global box office. The 2019 sequel, subtitled The Next Level, topped $801 million globally.

    Johnson, Hart and Black took the stage at CinemaCon earlier this year, where they unveiled the new movie’s first footage and revealed the title. Black told the crowd, “I’ve never had more fun working on a movie. This is my favorite so far.”

  • Ethereum Wallet Count Crosses 200 Million: What It Signals for Adoption

    Ethereum Wallet Count Crosses 200 Million: What It Signals for Adoption

    The number of wallets holding Ethereum ($ETH) has surpassed 200 million, according to data reported by Cointelegraph. This milestone reflects a steady increase in user engagement with the Ethereum network, driven by decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and growing institutional interest.

    Network Growth in Context

    Ethereum’s wallet count has more than doubled since early 2021, when it first crossed 100 million wallets. The latest figure of 200 million includes both active and dormant addresses that hold a non-zero balance of $ETH. While not every wallet represents a unique individual — some users control multiple addresses — the metric is widely used as a proxy for overall network adoption.

    The growth comes despite periods of market volatility and shifting regulatory landscapes. Ethereum’s transition to proof-of-stake in September 2022, known as the Merge, improved energy efficiency and laid the groundwork for future scalability upgrades, which may have encouraged new users to enter the ecosystem.

    Implications for the Broader Crypto Market

    A wallet count of 200 million suggests that Ethereum’s user base is expanding beyond early adopters into a more mainstream audience. This is significant because Ethereum serves as the foundation for a large portion of the decentralized application (dApp) ecosystem, including lending protocols, decentralized exchanges, and $NFT marketplaces.

    Analysts note that wallet growth often correlates with increased transaction volume and network activity. However, it does not directly indicate price appreciation, as market sentiment and macroeconomic factors also play substantial roles. The milestone reinforces Ethereum’s position as the leading smart contract platform by user adoption, though competitors like Solana and Avalanche continue to attract users with lower fees and faster transaction times.

    What This Means for Everyday Users

    For retail investors and crypto enthusiasts, a larger wallet base can imply greater network security and liquidity. More participants generally lead to a more decentralized and resilient network. It also suggests that tools and services built on Ethereum — such as wallets, exchanges, and dApps — are becoming more accessible to non-technical users.

    However, users should remain aware of risks, including network congestion during peak usage and fluctuating gas fees. Layer-2 scaling solutions like Arbitrum and Optimism aim to mitigate these issues by processing transactions off the main chain while maintaining security.

    Conclusion

    The crossing of 200 million Ethereum wallets is a notable indicator of the network’s maturation and continued relevance in the cryptocurrency space. While the metric alone does not predict market direction, it underscores a growing base of users who are engaging with Ethereum’s ecosystem. As scalability improvements roll out and regulatory clarity evolves, the trend may accelerate, further cementing Ethereum’s role in the digital economy.

    FAQs

    Q1: Does 200 million wallets mean 200 million people use Ethereum?
    No. Many users control multiple wallets, so the number of unique individuals is likely lower. The figure represents addresses with a non-zero $ETH balance, not necessarily active users.

    Q2: How does this compare to Bitcoin’s wallet count?
    Bitcoin’s wallet count is estimated at around 50–60 million addresses with a non-zero balance. Ethereum’s higher count reflects its broader utility for smart contracts and dApps.

    Q3: Is this milestone bullish for $ETH price?
    Not directly. Wallet growth indicates adoption, but price is influenced by many factors including market sentiment, regulation, and macroeconomic conditions. It is a positive signal for network health, not a price guarantee.

  • Markets Don’t Buy the US Ceasefire Against Iran Will Last

    Markets Don’t Buy the US Ceasefire Against Iran Will Last

    In brief

    • The United States announced a ceasefire with Iran yesterday, but markets aren’t optimistic it will last.
    • The odds that the ceasefire lasts a continuous 14 days dumped by 10% on Polymarket today.
    • The U.S. and Iran had held fire for a third day by Monday, but President Trump warned military action could resume if diplomacy fails.

    The United States seems to have announced a ceasefire yesterday on its offensive actions against Iran. But prediction markets are not too optimistic about how long that peace will last.

    A Polymarket contract requiring a continuous 14-day period without a U.S. airstrike or surface-to-surface missile strike directly hitting Iranian territory dumped from over 60% to around 53% today.

    A ceasefire is a sustained halt in fighting, not simply an announcement that commanders are taking a breather.

    That creates a pretty big gap. Traders are pricing in around 50-50 odds that the U.S. won’t be able to contain its will to shoot for two whole weeks.

    The skepticism is not paranoia. The U.S. and Iran had held fire for a third day by Monday after 13 consecutive nights of U.S. strikes, but President Donald Trump told Axios he was ready to return to “very strong military action” if talks fail.

    Iran, meanwhile, denied that direct negotiations were taking place, saying mediators were carrying messages.

    Myriad, a prediction market developed by Decrypt’s parent company Dastan, separately tracks whether the next formal senior-level round of U.S.-Iran peace talks begins by July 31. Its rules exclude technical meetings, phone calls, and messages exchanged through mediators unless they form part of a formally convened senior-level round.

    Most of the money is put into such conversations being delayed until next month.

    We’ve seen this movie before. An April ceasefire sent Bitcoin and oil markets sharply higher, but analysts called it “fragile breathing room.”

    Days later, prediction markets still doubted that Strait of Hormuz shipping would normalize because ships were still turning back.

    The July 31 Polymarket contract can remain open into mid-August because the required 14-day no-strike period only needs to begin by July 31.

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  • Noah Kahan Slams White House for Using Song in Social Media Post: ‘Would Never Approve’

    Noah Kahan Slams White House for Using Song in Social Media Post: ‘Would Never Approve’

    Noah Kahan is the latest among musicians firing back against the White House for using their music on social media, responding to an Instagram post that utilized his song “American Cars.”

    The White House post from Monday featured images of President Donald Trump while visiting General Motors’ flagship test site in Michigan. After many fans tagged Kahan in the comments, he responded on Tuesday afternoon with a message of disapproval: “Would never approve of my music being used in support of you or this administration.”

    “American Cars” was used in White House posts on both Instagram and TikTok. It appears the sound was disabled on Instagram, but is still included on the TikTok post. Noah Levine, who co-wrote “American Cars” with Kahan, also left an Instagram comment that was much more pointed, writing, “You fat fuck this song isn’t for you.”

    Representatives for Kahan and the White House did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.

    Kahan joins a growing list of artists who have spoken out against the White House for using their music on social media. This past weekend, Katy Perry blasted the administration for using her 2010 hit “Firework” in a TikTok post that included footage of military strikes. “I am deeply appalled and angry to see ‘Firework’ used on the @WhiteHouse TikTok account as a backing track for video footage of military strikes,” she wrote on X. “I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it.”

    In June, Ariana Grande shared similar sentiments after the White House used a version of her 2024 song “Bye” in a TikTok post that depicted ICE agents arresting and handcuffing people. Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, Celine Dion, Neil Young and the Rolling Stones have also criticized Trump for using their songs.

  • Vitalik Introduces Diamond iO: A Breakthrough in Crypto Encryption Timescales

    Vitalik Introduces Diamond iO: A Breakthrough in Crypto Encryption Timescales

    Vitalik Buterin has pitched the Diamond indistinguishability obfuscation (iO), a novel cryptographic framework that promises to deliver blockchain privacy and trustless infrastructure in both crypto and Web3.

    Vitalik proposes new blockchain privacy technology

    In his latest blog, the Ethereum co-founder describes Diamond iO as a tool that would enable user interaction with encrypted software, but in such a manner that the program’s underlying logic, code, and keys remain secret. Diamond iO would run on Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) inside a modified Attribute-Based Encryption (ABE) scheme.

    Unlike historical assumptions about iO, Buterin’s proposal could theoretically reduce the time it takes to run hidden program logic from a “universal-level” to a “planet-level” timescale. This would lay the groundwork for several privacy-preserving applications, including:

    1. On-chain voting where the program tallies votes and displays results without the need for a centralized tallying body.
    2. Private key use where applications can deploy private keys without risking their exposure.
    3. Trustless cryptographic infrastructure where developers can build secure software licensing protocols and decentralized, trustless Web3 services.
    4. Privacy-first blockchain and AI systems where artificial intelligence (AI) and smart contracts can process sensitive data with zero leakages.

    Current limitations and competition

    While Diamond iO is a viable proposition, it still requires extensive research and peer review before deployment. It also demands heavy computational input and tight circuit depth limits and will therefore require additional optimization studies.

    Nonetheless, the idea speaks to the ever-growing need for privacy preservation on-chain and beyond, for both individuals and corporate entities.

  • ‘Jumanji: Open World’ Trailer: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and Jack Black Return for Third and Final Movie

    ‘Jumanji: Open World’ Trailer: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and Jack Black Return for Third and Final Movie

    Sony has unveiled the trailer for the third entry in the “Jumanji” franchise, titled “Jumanji: Open World.” The teaser offers fans their first glimpse of the returning ensemble cast, including Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan.

    The third film follows the global success of 2017’s “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and 2019’s “Jumanji: The Next Level,” which together grossed more than $1.7 billion worldwide. The rebooted franchise reimagines the iconic 1995 original starring the late Robin Williams and a 13-year-old Kirsten Dunst. The reboots transitioned the story from the classic Jumanji board game to a video game, following a group of teenagers whose in-game avatars are played by Johnson, Hart, Black and Gillan.

    The core quartet is back in action, signaling a continuation of the franchise’s mix of action, comedy and body-swap hijinks that defined the previous films. Returning cast members also include Danny DeVito, Nick Jonas, Awkwafina, Marin Hinkle, Bebe Neuwirth, Lamorne Morris and Rhys Darby, with newcomers Dan Hildebrand and Jack Jewkes joining the ensemble.

    Jake Kasdan, who helmed the first two reboot films, returns to direct from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg. Producers include Matt Tolmach, Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia and Kasdan.

    The film was originally scheduled for a Dec. 11 release but has been pushed back to Christmas. The new Christmas release positions “Jumanji 3” to arrive in theaters just after the Dec. 18 debuts of “Dune: Part Three” and “Avengers: Doomsday,” a blockbuster showdown that fans have dubbed “Dunesday.”

    Watch the trailer below.

  • Altcoin Season Index Holds Steady at 52 as Market Waits for Clear Direction

    Altcoin Season Index Holds Steady at 52 as Market Waits for Clear Direction

    The Altcoin Season Index, a widely followed gauge of cryptocurrency market sentiment, remained at 52 on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day. The reading, calculated by CoinMarketCap, indicates a market that is neither firmly in Bitcoin season nor altcoin season, leaving traders in a neutral zone.

    How the Index Works

    The index compares the 90-day price performance of the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins and wrapped tokens, against Bitcoin. When 75% or more of those coins outperform Bitcoin, the market is considered to be in altcoin season. Conversely, when fewer than 75% outperform, it signals Bitcoin season. The scale runs from 1 to 100, with higher readings pointing toward altcoin dominance.

    A reading of 52 means that roughly half of the top 100 coins have outperformed Bitcoin over the past three months, while the other half have lagged behind. This balance reflects a market that has not yet committed to a clear trend.

    What the Neutral Reading Means

    For investors, a neutral index reading often suggests a period of consolidation or indecision. Historically, sustained altcoin seasons have been associated with periods of high risk appetite and speculative interest, while Bitcoin seasons tend to occur during times of uncertainty or when Bitcoin itself is the primary focus of capital inflows.

    The current reading of 52, unchanged from the prior day, implies that the market is waiting for a catalyst. This could come from regulatory developments, macroeconomic data, or a significant price move in either Bitcoin or a major altcoin.

    Broader Market Context

    Bitcoin’s price has been relatively stable in recent weeks, trading in a narrow range. Altcoins have shown mixed performance, with some projects gaining on specific news while others have followed Bitcoin’s lead. The index’s lack of movement suggests that no single narrative has taken hold across the broader market.

    Traders and analysts often watch the Altcoin Season Index as a supplementary tool for assessing market sentiment. However, it is not a predictive indicator. A neutral reading does not guarantee that a shift is imminent, but it does highlight the current equilibrium between Bitcoin and altcoins.

    Conclusion

    The Altcoin Season Index at 52, unchanged from yesterday, reflects a cryptocurrency market in a holding pattern. With no clear leader emerging between Bitcoin and altcoins, the coming days may bring either a breakout or further consolidation. Investors should continue monitoring the index alongside other market data for a more complete picture.

    FAQs

    Q1: What is the Altcoin Season Index?
    The Altcoin Season Index is a metric from CoinMarketCap that measures whether the top 100 cryptocurrencies (excluding stablecoins and wrapped tokens) are outperforming Bitcoin over a 90-day period. A reading above 75 indicates altcoin season, while lower readings suggest Bitcoin season.

    Q2: Why did the index stay at 52?
    The index remained unchanged because the relative performance of the top 100 coins against Bitcoin did not shift significantly from the previous day. This indicates a balanced market with no strong trend in either direction.

    Q3: Is a reading of 52 bullish or bearish?
    A reading of 52 is neutral. It does not signal a strong bullish or bearish bias for either Bitcoin or altcoins. It suggests that the market is in a period of indecision, and traders should look for other signals to determine direction.

  • Never Lose Your Most Important Items Again: Take 28% Off the Life360 Tile Pro

    Never Lose Your Most Important Items Again: Take 28% Off the Life360 Tile Pro

    Has your luggage ever been lost at an airport? Sometimes it’s stuck at your home airport or at the layover, and sometimes you can’t be entirely sure. With a Bluetooth tracker like the Life360 Tile Pro, you can eliminate that uncertainty and know exactly where your things are. The two-pack is on sale at Amazon, marked down to $42.99 from its original $59.99 price tag. That’s $17 in savings!


    Life360 Tile Pro

    Life360 Tile Pro

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    $42.99
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    Get Deal

    As of July 28, the Life360 Tile Pro two-pack is on sale for 28% off. According to CamelCamelCamel, this is the lowest price it’s been at since last year, so now is the best time to get it!

    Not only do these trackers work with luggage, but you can place them virtually anywhere. They can be put in your backpack and purse. If you’re moving cross country and shipping your car, you can place it inside and track that too! The tracker even has a carabiner hole that lets you loop it around objects like your car keys. This gives it an advantage over Apple AirTags, which usually need a separate peripheral to do that.

    The tracker also has other functions, like discretely triggering an SOS alert to notify loved ones in case you’re in an unsafe situation. With the Tile app, you can ring the tracker to find in case you misplaced it. You can even use the Tile to reverse search for your misplaced phone! Just use the Tile itself to make your phone ring, even if it’s on silent mode.

    Our expert Iyaz Akhtar awarded it a “Good” rating. In our in-depth review, he said, “The Tile Pro is an affordable Bluetooth tracker that can help you locate lost items at home or on the go, whether you use Android or iOS.”

    Recommended by Our Editors

    If you’re looking for alternatives, check out the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag 2 the Apple AirTag (2nd Generation).

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    *Deals are selected by our commerce team

    Be sure to check out our other Amazon deals and bluetooth tracker coverage.

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  • Did This Guy Find a Surface Laptop Ultra Prototype on the Side of the Road? Maybe. Here Are Some Benchmarks

    Did This Guy Find a Surface Laptop Ultra Prototype on the Side of the Road? Maybe. Here Are Some Benchmarks

    A TechPowerUp forum user who claims to have “found” an engineering sample of an unreleased Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra equipped with an Nvidia N1X chip has posted an informal review, giving us another look at Nvidia’s new RTX Spark platform. Though we’ll need to see more, initial impressions are middling at best.

    Nvidia showed off RTX Spark series of laptops at Computex, where Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang talked about reinventing the PC around a system designed for AI agents. The proof would always be in the pudding with such grand plans, and now we have details on how such a laptop might perform. It’s mostly pretty good, but maybe not great.

    The forum user, Fouquin, says they found the device “sitting along the side of the road just North of Redmond, Washington,” though he later called his tale “story crafting,” so who knows how they really got their hands on it.

    It’s a “prototype (EV1.5) of the yet-to-be-released Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra with Nvidia’s RTX Spark N1X inside, and [I] have been playing with it for about a month now,” Fouquin writes. It’s fitted with a 20-core Arm CPU and a Blackwell GPU featuring 6,144 CUDA cores. The laptop is well-built, with a comfortable and accurate keyboard and tasteful backlighting. It’s mostly stable outside “Performance mode” and responsive to user input.

    The Hidden Reason Nvidia Made the New RTX Spark

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    The Hidden Reason Nvidia Made the New RTX Spark

    Fouquin was initially forced to use an old Nvidia driver from late 2025, but during testing, Nvidia released a preview of its 616.00 driver, which added CUDA support to the laptop’s Blackwell GPU. This allowed for proper benchmarks, such as the Phoronix Test Suite. In Cinebench 2024, it scored 1,386 points in the multithreaded test, and just 123 points in single-core testing. In Cinebench 2026, it scored 5,771 points in the multicore test and 540 points in the single-threaded benchmark.

    That would put the onboard chip somewhere in the region of an Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF or AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D. TechPowerUp notes that, though you can’t directly compare these informal test numbers to its own reviews, such results would put the Surface Laptop Ultra behind its likely competitors, including the M5 MacBook Pro and similarly priced x86 Windows laptops.

    Elsewhere in testing, Fouquin found the LG display’s local dimming was lackluster, resulting in blooming in high-contrast scenes. There was also quite apparent color banding in HDR mode, giving windows a strange vignette look. There’s no chassis flex, though; the laptop feels strong and sturdy, and appears quite repairable with easy-to-remove screws; Fouquin was also able to replace the SSD easily enough.

    Recommended by Our Editors

    All in all, it feels like a decent first outing for an RTX Spark laptop. Not what Nvidia would have wanted for a first review, but this is an engineering sample, so it’s unlikely to have all the performance and stability tweaks of a commercial release.

    Nvidia RTX Spark laptops are slated to launch this fall.

    About Our Expert