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AI Slop Is Ripping Off One of Summer’s Best Games. Copycats Are Proving Hard to Kill

AI Slop Is Ripping Off One of Summer’s Best Games. Copycats Are Proving Hard to Kill

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Getting clones taken down can be an exhausting process for developers. Small studios have less time, energy, and resources to dedicate to this process, and they’re at the whims of the digital distribution platforms these games exist on.

Wren Brier, Unpacking’s creative director, says that since the game’s release in 2021, developer Witch Beam has reported more than 80 clones. “It feels like whack-a-mole sometimes,” Brier says. These are games that are not just similar in nature but “blatant copyright infringements” that lift the game’s assets or even its name. “The majority have been extremely low-effort scams using Unpacking’s name or imagery to trick players into downloading something that isn’t even a game, just a series of ads,” she says.

When it comes to many AI-made clones, Brier says there’s a misconception about what that means. “They’re not AI-made games, they’re AI-generated marketing images attached to a completely unrelated, hastily slapped-together, bare-bones skeleton of a game,” she says. “They are literally a scam: They are trying to trick players into buying a crappy product by using misleading imagery and by pretending to be a real game that the player might have heard of.”

Clones don’t always threaten a developer’s profits—Aggro Crab is confident about its bank account, thanks to Peak’s massive success—but the damage can be widespread in other ways. Brier says that AI-clones hurt developers the same way AI books hurt authors: “Flooding a storefront with garbage that no one wants to play makes it impossible for players to organically discover indie games.” Game certification, the process of getting onto a platform, used to be stricter.

“It’s not a problem just for the games that get cloned,” Brier says. “It’s a problem for all of us.”

For developers, there aren’t many options to fight clones, regardless of how they’re made. Intellectual property attorney Kirk Sigmon says clones are already difficult to tackle legally; copyright protection doesn’t extend to a genre, aesthetic, or even gameplay mechanics. AI “definitely makes slop generation faster, but the issue has been around for well over two decades,” he says. “All that’s really happened is that the bar has moved ever so slightly lower for new entrants, because you can make an AI model pump out stuff for you faster.”

The easiest case for copyright infringement typically happens when a cloner lifts work from the game directly—as happened with Unpacking. “It’s not uncommon for knockoff games to accidentally (or intentionally) copy assets from the game they are knocking off,” Sigmon says.

In fact, he says, AI-generated games might actually be better protected from copyright infringement lawsuits. “After all, if knockoff developers are savvy, they’ll use AI models to develop unique assets/code rather than steal it from another game or just download it from some random Internet source,” he says. “That’ll make it much harder to go after them in court, for better or worse.”

Platforms ultimately hold the power when it comes to ridding a storefront of clones, though smaller developers bear the brunt of the work in filing a report and sorting out who to talk to. Sometimes that process is quick and wraps in a few days; sometimes it can take weeks. Social pressure may be the best defense a developer has. Sigmon says that complaining to storefronts or enlisting fans are workable solutions. “I don’t know many gamers who are a fan of half-hearted slop games,” he says.

Aggro Crab and Landfall are taking this route. “We’re not really the type to be litigious,” says Kamen, the cofounder. Instead, they’re being outspoken in their distaste. In early August, the company posted on X, in reference to one copycat, that it would rather users “pirate our game than play this microtransaction-riddled [Roblox] slop ripoff.” Landfall tweeted that the company has “been reporting a bunch of these AI slop things” in response to a screenshot of the game Peaked Climbing. It was available on the PlayStation Store before being removed; Peak was released only on PC. WIRED has reached out to PlayStation, Roblox, and Steam and will update accordingly.

“I consume media because it’s made by humans,” Kamen says. “I want to experience a piece of art, whatever it may be, another human has made and get their perspective and their outlook on the world. If AI is used to make the game, then you’re removing that from the equation. There’s no value in it.”

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Like it or not, data centers are now intrinsic to our modern lives, supporting not just the AI boom but healthcare, banking, government services, and other essential sectors. Reliable data center operation depends on effective cooling, which is already a major challenge as many methods require huge inputs of water or energy. To make matters worse, new research suggests that one of our cheapest, most efficient cooling strategies could stop working in a warmer world.

The findings, published Monday in the journal Scientific Reports, show that rising temperatures and humidity levels threaten the viability of direct air free cooling, an energy-efficient, waterless technique that pulls outside air in to cool data center servers. Over the past 45 years, weather conditions that limit direct air cooling have become significantly more common, particularly across the tropics and the southeastern United States, according to the study. As the global temperature continues to rise, this problem is only going to get worse.

“We found that periods of time when temperature and humidity exceed recommended operating thresholds for direct air free cooling are becoming more frequent and lasting longer in many regions,” lead author Christina Karamperidou, a professor of atmospheric sciences professor at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, said in a statement. “This will reduce the availability of air free cooling for a growing number of data centers globally.”

Climate-driven cooling constraints

For direct air free cooling, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers recommends keeping the air entering a data center between 64 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit (18 and 27 degrees Celsius), with 10% to 70% relative humidity and a dew point below 59 degrees F (15 degrees C). Air that is hotter and more humid than this won’t cool the servers effectively and could corrode metal components.

To investigate how this cooling method will function in a warmer, wetter world, Karamperidou and her colleagues used a combination of high-resolution hourly weather observations, climate model simulations, and global records of data center locations. With this data, they evaluated how often environmental conditions exceeded recommended operating limits for direct air free cooling over the past 45 years and in future climate scenarios.

The researchers found that the prevalence of weather conditions that limit direct air free cooling has increased significantly in recent decades. Even regions that have only seen modest long-term increases in heat and humidity are experiencing longer daily exceedance events, and the share of data centers exposed to conditions that limit direct air free cooling availability for at least one quarter of the year is rising.

Interestingly, the findings suggest that the hottest, most humid days are intensifying faster than average days, indicating that environmental stress on direct air free cooling systems is become more and more concentrated in rare, highly consequential events.

“From an operational perspective, those worst-day conditions often drive contingency planning, system overrides, redundancy requirements, and reliability decisions,” Karamperidou said. “This suggests that infrastructure planning may need to account not only for average environmental conditions but also for how the most stressful days are changing over time.”

By 2050, the number of hours that exceed temperature and humidity limits for direct air free cooling is protected to increase under high greenhouse gas emissions scenarios, according to the researchers. In most regions globally, the average number of hours per day during which this cooling strategy is constrained increases by more than two hours per day, the findings show.

A troubling feedback loop

While this study focuses on how weather can influence data centers, it’s important to remember that data centers can influence local weather too. These facilities dissipate a lot of heat, and research has shown that they can actually create heat islands within a 6-mile radius of themselves.

Karamperidou and her colleagues did not account for this effect, so the direct air free cooling constraints they identified may be conservative, they write in their report. Still, they emphasize that their findings do not mean that this cooling strategy is necessarily infeasible in warm, humid regions. Rather, the study shows that the window of feasibility for direct air free cooling is narrowing due to climate change.

“Alternative strategies—including indirect evaporative cooling, liquid cooling, and hybrid architectures—can partially offset these constraints, albeit with distinct trade-offs in water use, system complexity, and operational design,” the researchers write.

Indeed, as one of the simplest, cheapest, and most efficient cooling strategies becomes increasingly unreliable, data center operators may be forced to turn to more energy- and water-intensive methods. This, in turn, could put added strain on electric grids and water resources that are themselves strained by climate change. Adapting data centers to a warming world without exacerbating the impacts of rising global temperatures will require innovative solutions.

#Cheapest #Cool #Data #Centers #Wont #Work #Warmer #WorldAI,data centers,extreme heat,Global warming">The Cheapest Way to Cool Data Centers Won’t Work in a Warmer World  Like it or not, data centers are now intrinsic to our modern lives, supporting not just the AI boom but healthcare, banking, government services, and other essential sectors. Reliable data center operation depends on effective cooling, which is already a major challenge as many methods require huge inputs of water or energy. To make matters worse, new research suggests that one of our cheapest, most efficient cooling strategies could stop working in a warmer world. The findings, published Monday in the journal Scientific Reports, show that rising temperatures and humidity levels threaten the viability of direct air free cooling, an energy-efficient, waterless technique that pulls outside air in to cool data center servers. Over the past 45 years, weather conditions that limit direct air cooling have become significantly more common, particularly across the tropics and the southeastern United States, according to the study. As the global temperature continues to rise, this problem is only going to get worse. “We found that periods of time when temperature and humidity exceed recommended operating thresholds for direct air free cooling are becoming more frequent and lasting longer in many regions,” lead author Christina Karamperidou, a professor of atmospheric sciences professor at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, said in a statement. “This will reduce the availability of air free cooling for a growing number of data centers globally.” Climate-driven cooling constraints For direct air free cooling, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers recommends keeping the air entering a data center between 64 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit (18 and 27 degrees Celsius), with 10% to 70% relative humidity and a dew point below 59 degrees F (15 degrees C). Air that is hotter and more humid than this won’t cool the servers effectively and could corrode metal components. To investigate how this cooling method will function in a warmer, wetter world, Karamperidou and her colleagues used a combination of high-resolution hourly weather observations, climate model simulations, and global records of data center locations. With this data, they evaluated how often environmental conditions exceeded recommended operating limits for direct air free cooling over the past 45 years and in future climate scenarios. The researchers found that the prevalence of weather conditions that limit direct air free cooling has increased significantly in recent decades. Even regions that have only seen modest long-term increases in heat and humidity are experiencing longer daily exceedance events, and the share of data centers exposed to conditions that limit direct air free cooling availability for at least one quarter of the year is rising. Interestingly, the findings suggest that the hottest, most humid days are intensifying faster than average days, indicating that environmental stress on direct air free cooling systems is become more and more concentrated in rare, highly consequential events. “From an operational perspective, those worst-day conditions often drive contingency planning, system overrides, redundancy requirements, and reliability decisions,” Karamperidou said. “This suggests that infrastructure planning may need to account not only for average environmental conditions but also for how the most stressful days are changing over time.” By 2050, the number of hours that exceed temperature and humidity limits for direct air free cooling is protected to increase under high greenhouse gas emissions scenarios, according to the researchers. In most regions globally, the average number of hours per day during which this cooling strategy is constrained increases by more than two hours per day, the findings show. A troubling feedback loop While this study focuses on how weather can influence data centers, it’s important to remember that data centers can influence local weather too. These facilities dissipate a lot of heat, and research has shown that they can actually create heat islands within a 6-mile radius of themselves. Karamperidou and her colleagues did not account for this effect, so the direct air free cooling constraints they identified may be conservative, they write in their report. Still, they emphasize that their findings do not mean that this cooling strategy is necessarily infeasible in warm, humid regions. Rather, the study shows that the window of feasibility for direct air free cooling is narrowing due to climate change. “Alternative strategies—including indirect evaporative cooling, liquid cooling, and hybrid architectures—can partially offset these constraints, albeit with distinct trade-offs in water use, system complexity, and operational design,” the researchers write. Indeed, as one of the simplest, cheapest, and most efficient cooling strategies becomes increasingly unreliable, data center operators may be forced to turn to more energy- and water-intensive methods. This, in turn, could put added strain on electric grids and water resources that are themselves strained by climate change. Adapting data centers to a warming world without exacerbating the impacts of rising global temperatures will require innovative solutions. #Cheapest #Cool #Data #Centers #Wont #Work #Warmer #WorldAI,data centers,extreme heat,Global warming

AI boom but healthcare, banking, government services, and other essential sectors. Reliable data center operation depends on effective cooling, which is already a major challenge as many methods require huge inputs of water or energy. To make matters worse, new research suggests that one of our cheapest, most efficient cooling strategies could stop working in a warmer world.

The findings, published Monday in the journal Scientific Reports, show that rising temperatures and humidity levels threaten the viability of direct air free cooling, an energy-efficient, waterless technique that pulls outside air in to cool data center servers. Over the past 45 years, weather conditions that limit direct air cooling have become significantly more common, particularly across the tropics and the southeastern United States, according to the study. As the global temperature continues to rise, this problem is only going to get worse.

“We found that periods of time when temperature and humidity exceed recommended operating thresholds for direct air free cooling are becoming more frequent and lasting longer in many regions,” lead author Christina Karamperidou, a professor of atmospheric sciences professor at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, said in a statement. “This will reduce the availability of air free cooling for a growing number of data centers globally.”

Climate-driven cooling constraints

For direct air free cooling, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers recommends keeping the air entering a data center between 64 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit (18 and 27 degrees Celsius), with 10% to 70% relative humidity and a dew point below 59 degrees F (15 degrees C). Air that is hotter and more humid than this won’t cool the servers effectively and could corrode metal components.

To investigate how this cooling method will function in a warmer, wetter world, Karamperidou and her colleagues used a combination of high-resolution hourly weather observations, climate model simulations, and global records of data center locations. With this data, they evaluated how often environmental conditions exceeded recommended operating limits for direct air free cooling over the past 45 years and in future climate scenarios.

The researchers found that the prevalence of weather conditions that limit direct air free cooling has increased significantly in recent decades. Even regions that have only seen modest long-term increases in heat and humidity are experiencing longer daily exceedance events, and the share of data centers exposed to conditions that limit direct air free cooling availability for at least one quarter of the year is rising.

Interestingly, the findings suggest that the hottest, most humid days are intensifying faster than average days, indicating that environmental stress on direct air free cooling systems is become more and more concentrated in rare, highly consequential events.

“From an operational perspective, those worst-day conditions often drive contingency planning, system overrides, redundancy requirements, and reliability decisions,” Karamperidou said. “This suggests that infrastructure planning may need to account not only for average environmental conditions but also for how the most stressful days are changing over time.”

By 2050, the number of hours that exceed temperature and humidity limits for direct air free cooling is protected to increase under high greenhouse gas emissions scenarios, according to the researchers. In most regions globally, the average number of hours per day during which this cooling strategy is constrained increases by more than two hours per day, the findings show.

A troubling feedback loop

While this study focuses on how weather can influence data centers, it’s important to remember that data centers can influence local weather too. These facilities dissipate a lot of heat, and research has shown that they can actually create heat islands within a 6-mile radius of themselves.

Karamperidou and her colleagues did not account for this effect, so the direct air free cooling constraints they identified may be conservative, they write in their report. Still, they emphasize that their findings do not mean that this cooling strategy is necessarily infeasible in warm, humid regions. Rather, the study shows that the window of feasibility for direct air free cooling is narrowing due to climate change.

“Alternative strategies—including indirect evaporative cooling, liquid cooling, and hybrid architectures—can partially offset these constraints, albeit with distinct trade-offs in water use, system complexity, and operational design,” the researchers write.

Indeed, as one of the simplest, cheapest, and most efficient cooling strategies becomes increasingly unreliable, data center operators may be forced to turn to more energy- and water-intensive methods. This, in turn, could put added strain on electric grids and water resources that are themselves strained by climate change. Adapting data centers to a warming world without exacerbating the impacts of rising global temperatures will require innovative solutions.

#Cheapest #Cool #Data #Centers #Wont #Work #Warmer #WorldAI,data centers,extreme heat,Global warming">The Cheapest Way to Cool Data Centers Won’t Work in a Warmer World The Cheapest Way to Cool Data Centers Won’t Work in a Warmer World  Like it or not, data centers are now intrinsic to our modern lives, supporting not just the AI boom but healthcare, banking, government services, and other essential sectors. Reliable data center operation depends on effective cooling, which is already a major challenge as many methods require huge inputs of water or energy. To make matters worse, new research suggests that one of our cheapest, most efficient cooling strategies could stop working in a warmer world. The findings, published Monday in the journal Scientific Reports, show that rising temperatures and humidity levels threaten the viability of direct air free cooling, an energy-efficient, waterless technique that pulls outside air in to cool data center servers. Over the past 45 years, weather conditions that limit direct air cooling have become significantly more common, particularly across the tropics and the southeastern United States, according to the study. As the global temperature continues to rise, this problem is only going to get worse. “We found that periods of time when temperature and humidity exceed recommended operating thresholds for direct air free cooling are becoming more frequent and lasting longer in many regions,” lead author Christina Karamperidou, a professor of atmospheric sciences professor at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, said in a statement. “This will reduce the availability of air free cooling for a growing number of data centers globally.” Climate-driven cooling constraints For direct air free cooling, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers recommends keeping the air entering a data center between 64 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit (18 and 27 degrees Celsius), with 10% to 70% relative humidity and a dew point below 59 degrees F (15 degrees C). Air that is hotter and more humid than this won’t cool the servers effectively and could corrode metal components. To investigate how this cooling method will function in a warmer, wetter world, Karamperidou and her colleagues used a combination of high-resolution hourly weather observations, climate model simulations, and global records of data center locations. With this data, they evaluated how often environmental conditions exceeded recommended operating limits for direct air free cooling over the past 45 years and in future climate scenarios. The researchers found that the prevalence of weather conditions that limit direct air free cooling has increased significantly in recent decades. Even regions that have only seen modest long-term increases in heat and humidity are experiencing longer daily exceedance events, and the share of data centers exposed to conditions that limit direct air free cooling availability for at least one quarter of the year is rising. Interestingly, the findings suggest that the hottest, most humid days are intensifying faster than average days, indicating that environmental stress on direct air free cooling systems is become more and more concentrated in rare, highly consequential events. “From an operational perspective, those worst-day conditions often drive contingency planning, system overrides, redundancy requirements, and reliability decisions,” Karamperidou said. “This suggests that infrastructure planning may need to account not only for average environmental conditions but also for how the most stressful days are changing over time.” By 2050, the number of hours that exceed temperature and humidity limits for direct air free cooling is protected to increase under high greenhouse gas emissions scenarios, according to the researchers. In most regions globally, the average number of hours per day during which this cooling strategy is constrained increases by more than two hours per day, the findings show. A troubling feedback loop While this study focuses on how weather can influence data centers, it’s important to remember that data centers can influence local weather too. These facilities dissipate a lot of heat, and research has shown that they can actually create heat islands within a 6-mile radius of themselves. Karamperidou and her colleagues did not account for this effect, so the direct air free cooling constraints they identified may be conservative, they write in their report. Still, they emphasize that their findings do not mean that this cooling strategy is necessarily infeasible in warm, humid regions. Rather, the study shows that the window of feasibility for direct air free cooling is narrowing due to climate change. “Alternative strategies—including indirect evaporative cooling, liquid cooling, and hybrid architectures—can partially offset these constraints, albeit with distinct trade-offs in water use, system complexity, and operational design,” the researchers write. Indeed, as one of the simplest, cheapest, and most efficient cooling strategies becomes increasingly unreliable, data center operators may be forced to turn to more energy- and water-intensive methods. This, in turn, could put added strain on electric grids and water resources that are themselves strained by climate change. Adapting data centers to a warming world without exacerbating the impacts of rising global temperatures will require innovative solutions. #Cheapest #Cool #Data #Centers #Wont #Work #Warmer #WorldAI,data centers,extreme heat,Global warming

Like it or not, data centers are now intrinsic to our modern lives, supporting not just the AI boom but healthcare, banking, government services, and other essential sectors. Reliable data center operation depends on effective cooling, which is already a major challenge as many methods require huge inputs of water or energy. To make matters worse, new research suggests that one of our cheapest, most efficient cooling strategies could stop working in a warmer world.

The findings, published Monday in the journal Scientific Reports, show that rising temperatures and humidity levels threaten the viability of direct air free cooling, an energy-efficient, waterless technique that pulls outside air in to cool data center servers. Over the past 45 years, weather conditions that limit direct air cooling have become significantly more common, particularly across the tropics and the southeastern United States, according to the study. As the global temperature continues to rise, this problem is only going to get worse.

“We found that periods of time when temperature and humidity exceed recommended operating thresholds for direct air free cooling are becoming more frequent and lasting longer in many regions,” lead author Christina Karamperidou, a professor of atmospheric sciences professor at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, said in a statement. “This will reduce the availability of air free cooling for a growing number of data centers globally.”

Climate-driven cooling constraints

For direct air free cooling, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers recommends keeping the air entering a data center between 64 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit (18 and 27 degrees Celsius), with 10% to 70% relative humidity and a dew point below 59 degrees F (15 degrees C). Air that is hotter and more humid than this won’t cool the servers effectively and could corrode metal components.

To investigate how this cooling method will function in a warmer, wetter world, Karamperidou and her colleagues used a combination of high-resolution hourly weather observations, climate model simulations, and global records of data center locations. With this data, they evaluated how often environmental conditions exceeded recommended operating limits for direct air free cooling over the past 45 years and in future climate scenarios.

The researchers found that the prevalence of weather conditions that limit direct air free cooling has increased significantly in recent decades. Even regions that have only seen modest long-term increases in heat and humidity are experiencing longer daily exceedance events, and the share of data centers exposed to conditions that limit direct air free cooling availability for at least one quarter of the year is rising.

Interestingly, the findings suggest that the hottest, most humid days are intensifying faster than average days, indicating that environmental stress on direct air free cooling systems is become more and more concentrated in rare, highly consequential events.

“From an operational perspective, those worst-day conditions often drive contingency planning, system overrides, redundancy requirements, and reliability decisions,” Karamperidou said. “This suggests that infrastructure planning may need to account not only for average environmental conditions but also for how the most stressful days are changing over time.”

By 2050, the number of hours that exceed temperature and humidity limits for direct air free cooling is protected to increase under high greenhouse gas emissions scenarios, according to the researchers. In most regions globally, the average number of hours per day during which this cooling strategy is constrained increases by more than two hours per day, the findings show.

A troubling feedback loop

While this study focuses on how weather can influence data centers, it’s important to remember that data centers can influence local weather too. These facilities dissipate a lot of heat, and research has shown that they can actually create heat islands within a 6-mile radius of themselves.

Karamperidou and her colleagues did not account for this effect, so the direct air free cooling constraints they identified may be conservative, they write in their report. Still, they emphasize that their findings do not mean that this cooling strategy is necessarily infeasible in warm, humid regions. Rather, the study shows that the window of feasibility for direct air free cooling is narrowing due to climate change.

“Alternative strategies—including indirect evaporative cooling, liquid cooling, and hybrid architectures—can partially offset these constraints, albeit with distinct trade-offs in water use, system complexity, and operational design,” the researchers write.

Indeed, as one of the simplest, cheapest, and most efficient cooling strategies becomes increasingly unreliable, data center operators may be forced to turn to more energy- and water-intensive methods. This, in turn, could put added strain on electric grids and water resources that are themselves strained by climate change. Adapting data centers to a warming world without exacerbating the impacts of rising global temperatures will require innovative solutions.

#Cheapest #Cool #Data #Centers #Wont #Work #Warmer #WorldAI,data centers,extreme heat,Global warming

The end of the biggest World Cup ever is almost here. Following 100 matches, there are just four teams left and four more games to play.

The tournament has been hosted by three countries: Mexico, Canada, and the US. All of those host countries are now out of the running. The final teams are France, Spain, England, and Argentina. Those teams will play two more semifinal games, another game to determine who gets third place and a final match to end it all.

Going into this year’s World Cup, FIFA anticipated that it would be the most watched tournament in the organization’s history. As the tournament moved into the quarterfinals earlier this month, FIFA noted that more than more than 6.2 million people had attended matches in person, “while millions more follow the action across digital platforms, broadcast, and fan experiences in host cities and around the world.”

You can find the full schedule, which defaults to your local time zone, on the FIFA website.

Here’s how to watch the final games.

Semifinals

France vs. Spain, at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas — 3 pm ET on Tuesday July 14

England vs. Argentina, at Atlanta Stadium — 3 pm ET on Wednesday July 15

Third Place Playoff

The two losing teams of the semifinal matches will face off for the title of third place at 5 pm ET on Saturday, July 18, in the Miami Stadium in Miami, Florida.

Final

The World Cup final game is at 3 pm ET on Sunday, July 19, in the New York/New Jersey Stadium.

The game will also feature the first-ever Super Bowl–style halftime show in World Cup history, with performances from Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira, BTS, and Gustavo Dudamel. As the name implies, that will likely land right in the middle of the broadcast, so aim to watch somewhere around 4 pm ET on July 19.

Where to Stream

If you have satellite TV or cable service, you can watch the final kickoffs live on TV via Fox Sports in the US. The games are also available on the FoxOne streaming service for $20 per month.

FIFA has partnered with YouTube as its “preferred partner” for streaming the games. You’ll need YouTube TV’s sports plan, which is currently $55 per month. Other paid options include Fubo ($46 per month) and Hulu’s live sports option ($90 per month).

In partnership with Telemundo, Peacock is streaming all of the games in Spanish. You can find all the official broadcasters on the FIFA website.

New Competition

This World Cup has been huge, competition-wise, as it is the first to include 48 teams in the tournament instead of the 32 for past World Cups. Given the increased number of teams, the structure for how the competition played out was different from past World Cups. Countries were first sorted into groups (labeled with letters A–L) and played out games in the First Stage within those groups.

Winners of those matches went on to duke it out in the stage called the Round of 32, then got whittled down in a Round of 16. After that, the winners moved on to the quarterfinals, which wrapped up last weekend.

#Watch #World #Cup #Semifinals #Finalssports,football,how-to,world cup 2026,soccer">How to Watch the 2026 World Cup Semifinals and FinalsThe end of the biggest World Cup ever is almost here. Following 100 matches, there are just four teams left and four more games to play.The tournament has been hosted by three countries: Mexico, Canada, and the US. All of those host countries are now out of the running. The final teams are France, Spain, England, and Argentina. Those teams will play two more semifinal games, another game to determine who gets third place and a final match to end it all.Going into this year’s World Cup, FIFA anticipated that it would be the most watched tournament in the organization’s history. As the tournament moved into the quarterfinals earlier this month, FIFA noted that more than more than 6.2 million people had attended matches in person, “while millions more follow the action across digital platforms, broadcast, and fan experiences in host cities and around the world.”You can find the full schedule, which defaults to your local time zone, on the FIFA website.Here’s how to watch the final games.SemifinalsFrance vs. Spain, at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas — 3 pm ET on Tuesday July 14England vs. Argentina, at Atlanta Stadium — 3 pm ET on Wednesday July 15Third Place PlayoffThe two losing teams of the semifinal matches will face off for the title of third place at 5 pm ET on Saturday, July 18, in the Miami Stadium in Miami, Florida.FinalThe World Cup final game is at 3 pm ET on Sunday, July 19, in the New York/New Jersey Stadium.The game will also feature the first-ever Super Bowl–style halftime show in World Cup history, with performances from Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira, BTS, and Gustavo Dudamel. As the name implies, that will likely land right in the middle of the broadcast, so aim to watch somewhere around 4 pm ET on July 19.Where to StreamIf you have satellite TV or cable service, you can watch the final kickoffs live on TV via Fox Sports in the US. The games are also available on the FoxOne streaming service for per month.FIFA has partnered with YouTube as its “preferred partner” for streaming the games. You’ll need YouTube TV’s sports plan, which is currently per month. Other paid options include Fubo ( per month) and Hulu’s live sports option ( per month).In partnership with Telemundo, Peacock is streaming all of the games in Spanish. You can find all the official broadcasters on the FIFA website.New CompetitionThis World Cup has been huge, competition-wise, as it is the first to include 48 teams in the tournament instead of the 32 for past World Cups. Given the increased number of teams, the structure for how the competition played out was different from past World Cups. Countries were first sorted into groups (labeled with letters A–L) and played out games in the First Stage within those groups.Winners of those matches went on to duke it out in the stage called the Round of 32, then got whittled down in a Round of 16. After that, the winners moved on to the quarterfinals, which wrapped up last weekend.#Watch #World #Cup #Semifinals #Finalssports,football,how-to,world cup 2026,soccer

World Cup ever is almost here. Following 100 matches, there are just four teams left and four more games to play.

The tournament has been hosted by three countries: Mexico, Canada, and the US. All of those host countries are now out of the running. The final teams are France, Spain, England, and Argentina. Those teams will play two more semifinal games, another game to determine who gets third place and a final match to end it all.

Going into this year’s World Cup, FIFA anticipated that it would be the most watched tournament in the organization’s history. As the tournament moved into the quarterfinals earlier this month, FIFA noted that more than more than 6.2 million people had attended matches in person, “while millions more follow the action across digital platforms, broadcast, and fan experiences in host cities and around the world.”

You can find the full schedule, which defaults to your local time zone, on the FIFA website.

Here’s how to watch the final games.

Semifinals

France vs. Spain, at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas — 3 pm ET on Tuesday July 14

England vs. Argentina, at Atlanta Stadium — 3 pm ET on Wednesday July 15

Third Place Playoff

The two losing teams of the semifinal matches will face off for the title of third place at 5 pm ET on Saturday, July 18, in the Miami Stadium in Miami, Florida.

Final

The World Cup final game is at 3 pm ET on Sunday, July 19, in the New York/New Jersey Stadium.

The game will also feature the first-ever Super Bowl–style halftime show in World Cup history, with performances from Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira, BTS, and Gustavo Dudamel. As the name implies, that will likely land right in the middle of the broadcast, so aim to watch somewhere around 4 pm ET on July 19.

Where to Stream

If you have satellite TV or cable service, you can watch the final kickoffs live on TV via Fox Sports in the US. The games are also available on the FoxOne streaming service for $20 per month.

FIFA has partnered with YouTube as its “preferred partner” for streaming the games. You’ll need YouTube TV’s sports plan, which is currently $55 per month. Other paid options include Fubo ($46 per month) and Hulu’s live sports option ($90 per month).

In partnership with Telemundo, Peacock is streaming all of the games in Spanish. You can find all the official broadcasters on the FIFA website.

New Competition

This World Cup has been huge, competition-wise, as it is the first to include 48 teams in the tournament instead of the 32 for past World Cups. Given the increased number of teams, the structure for how the competition played out was different from past World Cups. Countries were first sorted into groups (labeled with letters A–L) and played out games in the First Stage within those groups.

Winners of those matches went on to duke it out in the stage called the Round of 32, then got whittled down in a Round of 16. After that, the winners moved on to the quarterfinals, which wrapped up last weekend.

#Watch #World #Cup #Semifinals #Finalssports,football,how-to,world cup 2026,soccer">How to Watch the 2026 World Cup Semifinals and Finals

The end of the biggest World Cup ever is almost here. Following 100 matches, there are just four teams left and four more games to play.

The tournament has been hosted by three countries: Mexico, Canada, and the US. All of those host countries are now out of the running. The final teams are France, Spain, England, and Argentina. Those teams will play two more semifinal games, another game to determine who gets third place and a final match to end it all.

Going into this year’s World Cup, FIFA anticipated that it would be the most watched tournament in the organization’s history. As the tournament moved into the quarterfinals earlier this month, FIFA noted that more than more than 6.2 million people had attended matches in person, “while millions more follow the action across digital platforms, broadcast, and fan experiences in host cities and around the world.”

You can find the full schedule, which defaults to your local time zone, on the FIFA website.

Here’s how to watch the final games.

Semifinals

France vs. Spain, at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas — 3 pm ET on Tuesday July 14

England vs. Argentina, at Atlanta Stadium — 3 pm ET on Wednesday July 15

Third Place Playoff

The two losing teams of the semifinal matches will face off for the title of third place at 5 pm ET on Saturday, July 18, in the Miami Stadium in Miami, Florida.

Final

The World Cup final game is at 3 pm ET on Sunday, July 19, in the New York/New Jersey Stadium.

The game will also feature the first-ever Super Bowl–style halftime show in World Cup history, with performances from Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira, BTS, and Gustavo Dudamel. As the name implies, that will likely land right in the middle of the broadcast, so aim to watch somewhere around 4 pm ET on July 19.

Where to Stream

If you have satellite TV or cable service, you can watch the final kickoffs live on TV via Fox Sports in the US. The games are also available on the FoxOne streaming service for $20 per month.

FIFA has partnered with YouTube as its “preferred partner” for streaming the games. You’ll need YouTube TV’s sports plan, which is currently $55 per month. Other paid options include Fubo ($46 per month) and Hulu’s live sports option ($90 per month).

In partnership with Telemundo, Peacock is streaming all of the games in Spanish. You can find all the official broadcasters on the FIFA website.

New Competition

This World Cup has been huge, competition-wise, as it is the first to include 48 teams in the tournament instead of the 32 for past World Cups. Given the increased number of teams, the structure for how the competition played out was different from past World Cups. Countries were first sorted into groups (labeled with letters A–L) and played out games in the First Stage within those groups.

Winners of those matches went on to duke it out in the stage called the Round of 32, then got whittled down in a Round of 16. After that, the winners moved on to the quarterfinals, which wrapped up last weekend.

#Watch #World #Cup #Semifinals #Finalssports,football,how-to,world cup 2026,soccer

Back-to-school shopping is already expensive, and this year, tech upgrades aren’t getting any cheaper. Between the ongoing memory crunch (aka RAMageddon), higher hardware costs, and recent Apple price hikes on some products, finding a good deal on the gadgets students need matters more than ever.

Luckily, not every back-to-school tech upgrade has to hurt. T-Mobile’s latest offers are helping students and families save on the stuff they’re most likely shopping for, from free Galaxy S26 and iPhone 17 deals to tablets and home internet.

Before you start picking your new phone color, there’s a catch worth knowing about. These T-Mobile deals do come with a few strings attached. Depending on the offer, you may need to add a new line, pick a qualifying plan, or trade in an eligible phone to get the advertised price. Some savings are also delivered through monthly bill credits.

Best phone deal for students

If you were already planning to upgrade your phone before heading back to school, this is one of T-Mobile’s biggest offers. New customers who switch their number can get a Samsung Galaxy S26 or iPhone 17 for $0 with qualifying plans, with the discount applied through 24 monthly bill credits.

You’ll need a qualifying T-Mobile plan, and depending on the offer, you may need to switch your number to get the full discount. If you cancel service before the credits finish, you’ll be responsible for the remaining device balance.

Best budget phone deal for students

Metro by T-Mobile is offering the iPhone 16e for $99.99 upfront when you bring your existing number to its $50 per month AutoPay plan. After three months of service, you’ll also get a $100 virtual prepaid Mastercard, effectively covering the phone’s cost.

The iPhone 16e is Apple’s more affordable iPhone option, giving students access to features like Apple Intelligence support, a 48-megapixel Fusion camera, and a familiar iOS experience without jumping up to the price of a flagship model.

Best tablet deal for students

A tablet can be a pretty handy school sidekick, whether you’re downloading textbooks, taking notes, or giving your laptop a break. Right now, T-Mobile is giving the Samsung Galaxy Tab A11+ 5G (128GB) away with a new qualifying tablet line.

The catch? The $289.99 price is covered through 24 monthly bill credits, so you’ll want to stick with the plan for the full promo period to get the complete discount.

Best home internet deal for students

Moving off campus usually means adding one more thing to your budget: WiFi. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is down to $35 per month when bundled with a qualifying T-Mobile phone plan, saving you $15 per month.

New customers can also get a free month of service plus up to $200 back via virtual prepaid card, making it a great option for students moving into an apartment or anyone who wants simple setup without a long-term price surprise. Eligible plans come with a five-year price guarantee, so your monthly rate won’t change during that period (excluding certain fees and upgrades).

#TMobile #backtoschool #deals #Free #Galaxy #S26 #iPhone">Best T-Mobile back-to-school deals: Free Galaxy S26, iPhone 17, and more Back-to-school shopping is already expensive, and this year, tech upgrades aren’t getting any cheaper. Between the ongoing memory crunch (aka RAMageddon), higher hardware costs, and recent Apple price hikes on some products, finding a good deal on the gadgets students need matters more than ever. Luckily, not every back-to-school tech upgrade has to hurt. T-Mobile’s latest offers are helping students and families save on the stuff they’re most likely shopping for, from free Galaxy S26 and iPhone 17 deals to tablets and home internet.Before you start picking your new phone color, there’s a catch worth knowing about. These T-Mobile deals do come with a few strings attached. Depending on the offer, you may need to add a new line, pick a qualifying plan, or trade in an eligible phone to get the advertised price. Some savings are also delivered through monthly bill credits.Best phone deal for students If you were already planning to upgrade your phone before heading back to school, this is one of T-Mobile’s biggest offers. New customers who switch their number can get a Samsung Galaxy S26 or iPhone 17 for alt=

RAMageddon), higher hardware costs, and recent Apple price hikes on some products, finding a good deal on the gadgets students need matters more than ever.

Luckily, not every back-to-school tech upgrade has to hurt. T-Mobile’s latest offers are helping students and families save on the stuff they’re most likely shopping for, from free Galaxy S26 and iPhone 17 deals to tablets and home internet.

Before you start picking your new phone color, there’s a catch worth knowing about. These T-Mobile deals do come with a few strings attached. Depending on the offer, you may need to add a new line, pick a qualifying plan, or trade in an eligible phone to get the advertised price. Some savings are also delivered through monthly bill credits.

Best phone deal for students

If you were already planning to upgrade your phone before heading back to school, this is one of T-Mobile’s biggest offers. New customers who switch their number can get a Samsung Galaxy S26 or iPhone 17 for $0 with qualifying plans, with the discount applied through 24 monthly bill credits.

You’ll need a qualifying T-Mobile plan, and depending on the offer, you may need to switch your number to get the full discount. If you cancel service before the credits finish, you’ll be responsible for the remaining device balance.

Best budget phone deal for students

Metro by T-Mobile is offering the iPhone 16e for $99.99 upfront when you bring your existing number to its $50 per month AutoPay plan. After three months of service, you’ll also get a $100 virtual prepaid Mastercard, effectively covering the phone’s cost.

The iPhone 16e is Apple’s more affordable iPhone option, giving students access to features like Apple Intelligence support, a 48-megapixel Fusion camera, and a familiar iOS experience without jumping up to the price of a flagship model.

Best tablet deal for students

A tablet can be a pretty handy school sidekick, whether you’re downloading textbooks, taking notes, or giving your laptop a break. Right now, T-Mobile is giving the Samsung Galaxy Tab A11+ 5G (128GB) away with a new qualifying tablet line.

The catch? The $289.99 price is covered through 24 monthly bill credits, so you’ll want to stick with the plan for the full promo period to get the complete discount.

Best home internet deal for students

Moving off campus usually means adding one more thing to your budget: WiFi. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is down to $35 per month when bundled with a qualifying T-Mobile phone plan, saving you $15 per month.

New customers can also get a free month of service plus up to $200 back via virtual prepaid card, making it a great option for students moving into an apartment or anyone who wants simple setup without a long-term price surprise. Eligible plans come with a five-year price guarantee, so your monthly rate won’t change during that period (excluding certain fees and upgrades).

#TMobile #backtoschool #deals #Free #Galaxy #S26 #iPhone">Best T-Mobile back-to-school deals: Free Galaxy S26, iPhone 17, and more

Back-to-school shopping is already expensive, and this year, tech upgrades aren’t getting any cheaper. Between the ongoing memory crunch (aka RAMageddon), higher hardware costs, and recent Apple price hikes on some products, finding a good deal on the gadgets students need matters more than ever.

Luckily, not every back-to-school tech upgrade has to hurt. T-Mobile’s latest offers are helping students and families save on the stuff they’re most likely shopping for, from free Galaxy S26 and iPhone 17 deals to tablets and home internet.

Before you start picking your new phone color, there’s a catch worth knowing about. These T-Mobile deals do come with a few strings attached. Depending on the offer, you may need to add a new line, pick a qualifying plan, or trade in an eligible phone to get the advertised price. Some savings are also delivered through monthly bill credits.

Best phone deal for students

If you were already planning to upgrade your phone before heading back to school, this is one of T-Mobile’s biggest offers. New customers who switch their number can get a Samsung Galaxy S26 or iPhone 17 for $0 with qualifying plans, with the discount applied through 24 monthly bill credits.

You’ll need a qualifying T-Mobile plan, and depending on the offer, you may need to switch your number to get the full discount. If you cancel service before the credits finish, you’ll be responsible for the remaining device balance.

Best budget phone deal for students

Metro by T-Mobile is offering the iPhone 16e for $99.99 upfront when you bring your existing number to its $50 per month AutoPay plan. After three months of service, you’ll also get a $100 virtual prepaid Mastercard, effectively covering the phone’s cost.

The iPhone 16e is Apple’s more affordable iPhone option, giving students access to features like Apple Intelligence support, a 48-megapixel Fusion camera, and a familiar iOS experience without jumping up to the price of a flagship model.

Best tablet deal for students

A tablet can be a pretty handy school sidekick, whether you’re downloading textbooks, taking notes, or giving your laptop a break. Right now, T-Mobile is giving the Samsung Galaxy Tab A11+ 5G (128GB) away with a new qualifying tablet line.

The catch? The $289.99 price is covered through 24 monthly bill credits, so you’ll want to stick with the plan for the full promo period to get the complete discount.

Best home internet deal for students

Moving off campus usually means adding one more thing to your budget: WiFi. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is down to $35 per month when bundled with a qualifying T-Mobile phone plan, saving you $15 per month.

New customers can also get a free month of service plus up to $200 back via virtual prepaid card, making it a great option for students moving into an apartment or anyone who wants simple setup without a long-term price surprise. Eligible plans come with a five-year price guarantee, so your monthly rate won’t change during that period (excluding certain fees and upgrades).

#TMobile #backtoschool #deals #Free #Galaxy #S26 #iPhone

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