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[ad_1] When Danganronpa creator Kazutaka Kodaka and Zero Escape director Kotaro Uchikoshi joined forces to found Too Kyo Games in 2017, I was curious to see just what the two legends of so-called “death games” would create together. But although the team has put out several games in just under a decade, none of them have quite felt like a collaborative effort bearing the distinct creative fingerprints of both creators, until now. The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy may not be a death game like the duo’s previous work, but the tactical RPG is still overflowing with both Kodaka and Uchikoshi’s signature twists, turns, over-the-top characters, and bold design elements that have made each of their works memorable.6 Things To Know Before Starting Persona 5 TacticaI’m about 30 hours into The Hundred Line, and for much of that time its premise is classic Kodaka, to the point where I was curious if it might turn out to be a secret Danganronpa game masquerading as something new. A group of teenagers living in a Tokyo complex are attacked by a strange alien invasion, and to help them face this threat, a weird little ghost-like mascot named Sirei gives each of them a blade that activates a mysterious power within them. Called hemoanima, these powers manifest as different weapon types that are an extension of each character’s personalities. The group is then trapped in the titular Last Defense Academy and told they must defend the school from the invading forces for 100 days. Only then will they be allowed to go home.Everything about Hundred Line screams Danganronpa spin-off, even if officially it isn’t. The teenagers locked in a school by a devious mascot premise is one major similarity, but the game also features the same artist and composer as the murder mystery series. So despite its differences, it still has the same vibe. Initially I wasn’t sure what to make of this because Kodaka has made a career out of being self-referential. Each Danganronpa game paid homage to the previous one in ways that went beyond narrative throughlines. 2023’s Master Detective Archives: Rain Code may have told a more noirish supernatural tale, but the underlying murder mystery structure was nearly a 1:1 recreation of Danganronpa, right down to the mechanics you used to solve its crimes. When nearly everything a game developer has done has been a callback to his defining work, you start to wonder if the guy only has, like, two ideas.Screenshot: Too Kyo Games / KotakuWhile the derivative nature of Hundred Line was distracting at times, I can’t deny it scratched an itch. Kodaka’s brand of high-stakes drama juxtaposed with zany dark humor is still a winning formula, and although the sci-fi mystery it tells is maybe not as immediately compelling as his previous work, it goes in some wild directions that kept me guessing. However, with all the good comes some of Kodaka’s known quirks that you may or may not find grating if you’ve followed his work. While half the cast of trapped high schoolers meaningfully drive the plot forward, the other half serve mostly to derail serious conversations with obnoxious one-liners. For most of the game I wasn’t able to really get to know them because Hundred Line’s social elements are severely lacking compared to those in Kodaka’s previous work, but more in-depth conversations unlocked later which I’m still chipping away at. Even without those extra conversations, however, the cast is full of standouts like the brute with a heart of gold Takemaruand the unnerving assassin Yugamu. Even the characters who initially seemed like one-note tropes wormed their way into my heart eventually.All of those different personalities manifest in different fighting styles for the game’s tactical combat. Invading forces will periodically attack the Last Defense Academy, and over the course of the game you’ll have to convince hesitant classmates to join the war effort. As your party grows, so do the challenges you’ll face. For the most part, Hundred Line’s big story battles are spaced out enough that each feels significant, and there are few enough of them that even the most challenging don’t overstay their welcome. If you’re the type of person who wants a Kodaka or Uchikoshi story but doesn’t consider yourself much of a tactical RPG connoisseur, fear not: Hundred Line’s battles feel more like puzzles than the more demanding combat in something like XCOM or Baldur’s Gate 3.Screenshot: Too Kyo Games / KotakuThe crux of Hundred Line’s tactical battles is its AP system. These action points are what allow you to make someone on your team cast an ability, defend an objective, or even move across the battlefield. You’ll start out with only a few of these per turn, but defeating mid-level or higher-ranking enemies on the field will grant you more. As the battle progresses your team gets access to their ultimate abilities, which typically deal high damage to a large area on the field and can take out several enemies at once. These led to the most rewarding moments of Hundred Line’s battles for me, as I chained different party members’ ultimates together to give the rest of my team more chances to pull off a decisive attack.One of my favorite fights came about midway through Hundred Line when the school was being attacked by a powerful Commander unit. They had nearly taken down my defenses and would have won the fight if I didn’t end the battle in one turn. Luckily, when a character reaches a certain low health threshold, they’re able to cast their ultimate as a final sacrifice, dealing devastating damage to the field but taking themselves out of the fight. By this point several of my characters were a light pat from death, but in my ranks I also had Kyoshika, the katana-using samurai with a passive ability that allowed her to do extra damage to enemies who were “alone” on the field and not surrounded by any of their teammates. At this point, I knew I had to take a scorched earth approach to the battle to emerge victorious. I sacrificed several of my teammates, using their self-destructive ultimates to take out several mid-level foes and give my team more AP. After I’d lost several of my crew, I had more than enough actions saved up for Kyoshika to whale on the lone Commander, with each strike more than doubled in power because of her passive ability. Doing this meant I was just barely able to win the fight, all because I was willing to sacrifice pawns and made do with what I had left. That kind of table-turning problem-solving feels great, and it was rewarding to see my understanding of one character’s strengths win me the fight. Those kinds of plays only became more common as the game went on and I unlocked new characters with their own specialties. Sure, it’s not as deep or daunting as some of the genre’s biggest names, but it’s got the juice.Screenshot: Too Kyo Games / KotakuI’ve mentioned that Hundred Line feels like Kodaka’s greatest hits, for good and ill, but I haven’t touched on how Zero Escape’s DNA is clearly running through the game. That’s because the extent of Uchikoshi’s influence is pretty hidden for much of its run, and explaining it would rob you of some of the boldest swings the team takes. It’s why despite hitting the credits, I’m still not quite ready to dive into everything the game has to say and stamp “The Kotaku Review” on this write-up. I’ve been pulled away from Hundred Line by other obligations, but getting back to it is all I’ve been thinking about. If you’re a fan of Danganronpa or Zero Escape, know that even with the switch-up in genre, this is a true marriage of some of the best parts of both games.  [ad_2] Source link

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Effortless chic is one of the most coveted styles in modern fashion—refined yet relaxed, polished without ever feeling forced. This sartorial philosophy revolves around timeless elegance, clean lines, and a quiet sophistication that transcends fleeting trends. What makes effortless chic so appealing is its simplicity and versatility, offering a look that’s both accessible and sophisticated for anyone willing to embrace its core principles. At its essence, this style is not about excess or constant reinvention; rather, it’s about curating a wardrobe and honing an intuitive sense of balance in dressing. Whether for a casual outing, a business meeting, or an informal dinner, mastering this aesthetic infuses confidence and ease into every occasion. Understanding the Foundations of Effortless Chic Photo: @alicia_krakowska_hadid/Instagram The foundation of any chic wardrobe lies in high-quality basics. These are not just simple garments, but thoughtfully chosen pieces that form the bedrock of your personal style. A crisp white t-shirt, classic blue jeans, a tailored blazer, a neutral-toned cashmere sweater, and a timeless trench coat are essential staples. Together, they offer endless combinations while maintaining a cohesive and refined look. Above all, fit is crucial. Even the most luxurious fabrics and elegant designs fall short if they don’t flatter your figure. A truly chic look often boils down to meticulous tailoring. It’s worth knowing your measurements and investing in alterations when needed—the smallest adjustments—a hem, a cinched waist, or a repositioned sleeve—can dramatically elevate both the feel and appearance of an outfit. Here’s what to keep in mind when building an effortlessly chic style… #1. The Art of Combining Neutrals and Layers Photo: AnnaZhuk/iStock Color plays a subtle yet essential role in achieving the effortless chic look. A wardrobe grounded in neutrals—white, black, grey, navy, beige, and camel—creates a sense of harmony and lends itself to sophisticated layering. These timeless shades effortlessly mix and match, making it easier to maintain consistency and elegance across various outfits. Layering is where the style truly comes to life. A perfectly cut blazer over a soft knit top, a lightweight trench coat draped casually over a midi dress, or a delicately tied scarf can add depth and intention to even the simplest looks. These layers should feel intuitive, not forced, reflecting the cultivated nonchalance that defines the effortless chic aesthetic. Each element should appear carefully chosen without being overthought. For instance, a cashmere cardigan left slightly open, paired with softly draping trousers, conveys both ease and elegance, blending the two effortlessly. #2. Accessories That Elevate Without Overwhelming Photo: @alexandralapp/Instagram Accessories, when chosen thoughtfully, act as quiet amplifiers of style. In this case, quality always trumps quantity. A classic leather handbag, a pair of well-crafted loafers, or a minimalist gold necklace can elevate an outfit without disrupting its overall balance. The key is to avoid over-accessorizing. A few carefully selected pieces speak louder than a collection of fleeting trends. Sunglasses with clean lines, a structured belt, or a scarf in a subtle pattern can punctuate a look, guiding the eye and adding interest without overwhelming the ensemble. The goal isn’t for the accessories to compete for attention, but to complement the outfit as a cohesive whole. It’s in these moments that many find inspiration, observing how understated elements seamlessly come together, rather than standing out on their own. #3. Grooming and the Role of Natural Polish Photo: @ebonyobsidian/Instagram An effortless chic outfit is never truly complete without attention to grooming. Hair and makeup should reflect the same values—clean, polished, and uncomplicated. Hair can be styled in soft waves or worn sleek and straight, but it must always appear well-cared for. Similarly, makeup should enhance your natural beauty, focusing on healthy skin, subtle eye definition, and just a hint of color on the lips or cheeks. Nails, though often overlooked, make a significant contribution to the overall impression. Clean, trimmed nails—whether lightly polished or simply buffed—signal attention to detail. It’s this subtle care, rather than excessive embellishment, that defines elegance within the effortless chic aesthetic. Equally important is the condition of the clothes themselves. Wrinkled fabrics or scuffed shoes can quickly undermine an otherwise polished look. The integrity of your outfit relies as much on the condition of each piece as it does on its fit and style. It’s these small, thoughtful touches that elevate your look and ensure it stays timeless. #4. Developing a Signature and the Importance of Consistency Photo: @jackieaina/Instagram Personal style gains its true power through consistency. One of the defining traits of those who master the effortless chic aesthetic is the creation of a personal uniform. This doesn’t mean a monotonous rotation of the same outfits, but rather an understanding of which combinations resonate and work effortlessly. It could be a preference for wide-leg trousers and crisp shirts, or perhaps midi skirts paired with turtlenecks and low-heeled boots. Having a signature piece is key. This item acts as both a functional staple and a subtle statement, simplifying dressing while ensuring your look always feels cohesive. It might be a tailored blazer, a delicate silk scarf, or a particular cut of denim. These constants become the foundation of a wardrobe that adapts seamlessly to any occasion. But above all, confidence is paramount. An outfit only truly feels effortless when it reflects the wearer’s comfort in it. The ease that comes with being well-dressed is often what makes the style appear so natural and effortlessly chic. When you’re comfortable in what you wear, it radiates through your entire look, making it all the more attractive. Featured Image: @alicia_krakowska_hadid/Instagram  For the latest in fashion, lifestyle, and culture, follow us on Instagram @StyleRave_ —Read also !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '496558104568102'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script',' fbq('init', '1453079628754066'); fbq('track', "PageView"); Source link

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We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. Any products or services put forward appear in no particular order. if you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Summer fashion for big guys doesn’t have to be a challenge. While the fashion industry often showcases slim figures, summer opens the door to unique styling opportunities for larger frames. “If you get the basics right – like the fits that look best on you or colors that are flattering – then everything just comes together,” says Luke McDonald, a stylist at men’s personalized shopping service, Thread. “Dressing a bigger frame is all about playing to your strengths, rather than thinking you have to hide weaknesses.” Embrace the season with confidence, here are six summer style tips for bigger guys. 6 Summer Styles For Big Guys Embrace Boxy Fits Airflow is summer’s grail, but when you shop at the XL end of the rail, it can be tough to find. Because it’s cheaper, brands generally scale clothes up from a medium, rather than account for the different dimensions of bigger physiques, which is why shirts and tees can cling where they shouldn’t. Boxier fits are designed to hang away from your skin, whatever your shape, which works for your look and your body temperature. Jacamo Be Light With Your Layers When it’s too hot to think, you can’t layer up. Which is a pity, because layers add structure and balance your upper and lower halves. But summer fashion for bigger guys doesn’t mean you have to default to a T-shirt every day. Simple moves, like a short-sleeve shirt worn open over a vest, or a lightweight blazer with a tee, give your look shape and without blocking that all-important airflow. River Island Don’t Fear Colour Sure, black is slimming, but in summer, it’s hot in all the wrong ways. Bright weather should be the catalyst for a lighter wardrobe, and not just because it reflects heat instead of absorbing it. “When the sunlight’s stronger, bold shades look better,” says McDonald. They’re flattering, too, especially if you match them to your skin tone and stick to block colours – busy patterns confuse the eye and can make you look bigger. BoohooMAN Get Some Texture Cotton is summer’s default fabric because it’s breathable, absorbs sweat and you can just bung it straight in the wash. But all-cotton looks can fall flat because the fabric offers little depth. That’s where equally breezy materials like seersucker and linen come in – they’re full of texture, which means you can stick to simple pieces in block colours but still look put-together. Jacamo Freshen Up Your Prints Block colours might be your mate, but you needn’t swerve pattern completely. Stripes are an obvious win for the bigger guy, but anything geometric can work, too, especially if you’re colour-shy. Things like polka dots, checks or even florals are a low-effort way to keep monochrome looks from slipping into uninspired. Not that you have to go black-and-white – muted colours like rust and forest green are still summery, but not dazzling. Just stick to pattern on either your top or bottom halves. Head-to-toe ends up a bit Magic Eye. Jacamo Add Statement Accessories If ever there’s a time to go big on accessories, it’s summer. Sunglasses, hats, cross-body bags – they’re all warm-weather essentials that can make basic looks pop. Helpfully, they also come with no sizing issues. Shoes are equally powerful at turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. Just see how a killer pair of suede Chelsea boots can transform jeans and a tee from your laundry day outfit to a wear-all-summer signature. BoohooMAN 5 Summer Essentials For Bigger Guys Overshirt An overshirt is staple when it comes to men’s summer fashion for bigger guys for all kinds of reasons – they’ll take the chill off when the sun goes down, but are still light enough to chuck in a bag – but they’re especially powerful for guys with larger frames. Unbuttoned, they’ll hang off your shoulders and away from your body, creating a sharper silhouette. Tailored Shorts If finding trousers is tough when you’ve got bigger thighs, tracking down perfect shorts is a nightmare. Basketball-style baggies might be comfortable, but they make you bottom-heavy and throw your look out of balance. Instead, go for shorts that end a couple of inches above the knee and taper slightly. Look for pleats, too, which give more room while retaining that trim shape. Vacation Shirt A big guy in a Hawaiian shirt has been a sitcom punchline for decades, but the new breed of vacation shirt has put paid to that. The trick is to dial back the colours – two is plenty – and go for patterns with lots of negative space, like florals or even animal prints. Just please, nothing with hula girls. Boxy T-shirt We’ve already talked about the value of looser, roomier fits, which is why boxy tees should be at the top of your summer shopping list. You can’t go wrong with white, but it’s also worth thinking graphic (that’s graphic, not slogan). Make like Jonah Hill and look to streetwear brands who craft the kind of clever, tasteful tees that become an outfit’s focal point, without looking obnoxious. Polo Shirt If your body shape has more curves than you’d like, then look to V-shaped necklines, which create angles by widening your shoulders and slimming your waist. Because deep Vs are still on the banned list, look to the button-up collars of polos or Henleys, which achieve the same trick without turning you all Love Island. 3 Summer Style Icons For Bigger Guys Jonah Hill Those who have followed Jonah Hill’s blossoming into a street style don won’t have been surprised that the sometime Palace spokesman’s first feature as director is all about ‘90s skate kids. His summer fits tend towards sleeper streetwear – Palace’s less noisy tees, camp collar shirts from Japanese dons Wacko Maria – with the occasional jolt of something wild, like a tie-dye Grateful Dead tee or basketball jersey tucked into high-waisted trousers. DJ Khaled There’s a chance that, long ago, DJ Khaled had some fucks to give. But not anymore. Fittingly for a man as famous for his work on a jet ski as in the music studio, Khaled proves that nothing’s off-limits, even if you are carrying some timber. Wild Versace shirts? Wilder Gucci tracksuits? Bubblegum pink actual suits for big guys? All more than pull-offable if you accessorise them with the confidence of a man who won’t even let getting lost at sea harsh his vibe. David Harbour David Harbour – AKA Hawkins’s good-guy cop – broke free of head-to-toe brown for the most recent season of Stranger Things, debuting a Hawaiian shirt that could have appeared on the Prada runway. Off-screen, the actor is no style slouch either, with a look based around making simple things work well. See his velvet blazer and jeans at Miu Miu’s Paris Fashion Week show, or his penchant for trim polos that highlight his gym-honed arms. He’s proof that when you’re the biggest guy on-set, that’s something to embrace, not cover up. Jocks & Nerds deputy editor Tom Banham is an outerwear addict with bylines in GQ, Men’s Health and Mr Porter. He’s fascinated by the collision of high fashion and streetwear, but also knows his way around a soft-shouldered blazer. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter at @banham_tom Source link

[cleverhottubmiracle]

Every year, the global fashion industry churns out billions of jeans, T-shirts, dresses and sneakers. And every year, as consumers replace old trends with new, more clothes wind up in the global waste system.Globally, approximately 92 million tonnes of textiles are thrown away every year — roughly triple the total amount of waste Canada generates annually. Most end up incinerated or in landfills. The staggering volumes have attracted the attention of regulators, with policymakers in China, the EU and US states like California demanding the industry do more to clean up the mess. The result has been a big push to promote textile recycling, a solution brands have presented as a way to both curb their carbon emissions and tackle the industry’s waste issues. The problem? Textile recycling at any kind of scale doesn’t really exist yet.How does textile recycling work today?Today, only a tiny fraction of the world’s textiles are recycled back into new materials. That’s partly because of technology and partly because of the fashion industry’s janky infrastructure. Textile recycling involves undoing the complex and detailed series of steps that go into making clothing. The process starts with getting unwanted products back from consumers. That’s easier said than done; most countries don’t collect textile waste separately, or have only recently started to do so. Once they come back, clothes then have to be sorted and prepped, a manual and therefore expensive process. Most recycling techniques can only handle very specific types of material, which means garments that aren’t up to spec need to be sifted out. Zippers, buttons and fasteners all need to be removed before recycling. Unidentifiable and invisible challenges also lurk on the surface of fabrics in the form of dyes, coatings and treatments designed to provide functionality like water, crease and stain resistance. Partly as a result of such barriers, today textile recycling is “almost non-existent,” said textile expert Lutz Walter. In the fashion industry, recycled cotton has a market share of around 1 percent or less and the 12 percent or so of polyester supply that’s recycled comes from plastic bottles, not old clothes, he added. To the extent that textiles are currently being recycled, it’s mostly through mechanical recycling, a well-established process that involves shredding unwanted old materials into fibres to be spun back into new fabrics. The process is relatively cheap, but the end product is also generally lower quality. Chopping fibres up shortens them, making them more fragile and prone to breaking. The process doesn’t work on polyester — fashion’s most widely used material — because instead of shredding, the plastic-based material just turns to melted globs. Cotton can typically only undergo one round of mechanical recycling, experts say, after which the cotton fibres are too short to be remade into textiles. The quality of the cotton matters, too. Cotton textiles from factories, such as cut-offs from new garments, are more desirable than cotton textiles from consumers, which have already undergone unknown amounts of washing and wear-and-tear.New lower-impact techniques that tear cotton at slower speeds to keep the fibres longer are being developed, but there are still serious limitations to this approach. The holy grail for the industry, advocates say, is chemical recycling. It’s a much more nascent approach, but if perfected, it holds out the promise to make the fashion industry truly circular, allowing old clothes to be recycled back into good quality new materials again and again, according to its backers. What is chemical recycling and how does it work?Chemical recycling is the process of breaking down textiles using chemical solvents, often helped along by heat and catalysts like enzymes. The exact process varies from start-up to start-up, depending on the proprietary “recipe” each innovator has developed and the materials they aim to recycle. The plastic packaging sector has employed similar techniques for years, but the application is relatively new for textiles, with technologies still jockeying to prove they can commercialise and scale. Innovators tend to fall into two camps, those that focus on cotton textiles and those that focus on polyester textiles — the two most commonly used materials in the fashion industry. A select few accept blends, a more complex proposition because the process for recycling the two materials is quite different and an additional step is required to separate them before they can be independently broken down. To date, fashion’s highest-profile efforts to bring chemical recycling to scale have focused on cotton. Circulose, the Swedish recycler previously known as Renewcell, had built a plant capable of processing thousands of tonnes of cotton before running into financial difficulties and going bankrupt last year. While the company has had to reset, it remains one of the only textile-to-textile recycling companies to have reached industrial scale.The process for chemically recycling cotton relies on acids or bases to relax the bonds between fibres, allowing them to be pulled apart and formed into a pulpy mixture of cellulose — the material that forms cell walls in plants and the fibres in cotton. Other chemicals can be used to strip dyes. Once dried, what’s left is a pulp of recycled cellulose that can be used to make viscose or lyocell, just like virgin cellulose harvested from trees.The process of breaking down polyester is more intensive than recycling natural fibres. This is by design. Polyester textiles “are, on purpose, very stable,” said Lars Krause, chemical recycling expert at the renewable carbon think tank, nova-Institut. That means more energy is required to break them down. This chemical back-tracking, known as depolymerisation, can be achieved using a number of different methods, each with their own pros and cons. Hydrolysis; water-based depolymerisationMany innovators, such as Inditex-backed Circ, French green chemistry business Carbios, and Swiss company GR3N have opted for a water-based approach to depolymerisation, known as hydrolysis. The method is generally considered low cost because water is a cheap solvent, experts say. It also produces the favoured precursor for polyester manufacturers around the world, terephthalic acid. But hydrolysis is energy-intensive, requiring high heat and pressure to work. That adds emissions to a process that is meant to be green. The end product is also relatively impure, requiring extra steps to remove contaminants before the resulting TPA can be remade into polyester. Innovators say the temperatures and pressures they use are lower than standard for chemical industries thanks to the proprietary technologies they use. For instance, Carbios uses enzymes from bacteria instead of acids or bases. The output from such enzyme-assisted hydrolysis is cleaner, experts say, because enzymes can be disposed of at the end of the process by simply blasting them with heat. Acids and bases, on the other hand, form a chemical soup that has to be treated to avoid polluting the environment at the end of the process. But enzymatic recycling is also more expensive and the process takes longer because enzymes can be blocked by contaminants.GR3N uses microwave technology as a catalyst to speed up chemical reactions, reducing energy use, while Circ says it lowers energy consumption with its proprietary process of purifying TPA.Glycolysis and Methanolysis; alcohol-based depolymerisationChemical recyclers can also opt for alcohols instead of water to facilitate depolymerisation. Reju, a textile recycler owned by French engineering company Technip Energies, and H&M-backed Syre both use glycol to break down polyester into the monomer BHET, also known as bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate. Glycolysis is a well-established process for recycling plastic bottles and is considered low energy compared to hydrolysis and other forms of alcohol-based depolymerisation. The tricky issue here, experts say, is that BHET is difficult to purify because it is very soluble in water. That means the yield of recycled raw material can be relatively low. The process also requires a catalyst to work at large scale, which adds a mandatory cost to the process. Whereas catalysts speed up the hydrolysis reaction time, the glycolysis reactions can only complete with a catalyst. Companies can opt for a greener metal or an organic catalyst, used by Reju, over toxic solvents. Finally, companies like textile recycler Eastman, one of the early creators of polyester in the 1950s, have chosen to use methanol instead of glycol to stimulate depolymerisation. The process can handle larger amounts of polyester than hydrolysis and glycolysis, and the purification process is easier, resulting in better quality monomers, experts say. But its output, dimethyl terephthalate, requires one further step to get to the preferred polyester monomer, TPA, increasing the cost of the technique. A silver bullet solution?Despite ambitious commitments by brands including Zara, H&M and Puma to transition large chunks of their material mix to recycled content by the end of the decade, getting textile-to-textile recycling to a place where it can service that demand will take substantial investment and concerted work throughout the supply chain.Whether textile-to-textile recycling lives up to its green promise also depends on exactly what processes and ingredients make it to commercial scale. For instance, plastic packaging recyclers, who pioneered many of the techniques innovators are aiming to bring to the fashion industry, have faced criticism for their use of harsh and toxic solvents and energy-intensive processes. There are lots of complicating factors, not least the fact that there’s no single benchmark for what “good” looks like. “It’s not like there’s some objective standard that people can use to look at a process and say, ‘Well, this one makes more sense than that one,’” said chemical engineer Paul Martin of the chemical process development consulting firm Spitfire Research. Secondary processes can cause additional problems too. If the output of the recycling process is contaminated, for instance, “you’re really not helping anybody, because it might take as much energy to purify that stuff” as making first-generation TPA,” Martin said. Textile recyclers say they are committed to developing less polluting processes that deliver on recycling’s environmental promise, rather than causing more pollution. Ultimately, they argue, there’s no other alternative if the industry is to really deal with the mounting piles of unwanted old clothes. “We can’t mechanically recycle them all and we aren’t single-use products,” said Rachel Kibbe, chief executive of the trade association American Circular Textiles that represents some US-based textile recyclers. “We are durable products that can be used over and over.” Source link

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This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. In the current U.S. financial fiasco of tariffs, layoffs, a tight job market, big 401(k) losses, inflation, and economic unpredictability in general, we thought it'd be the perfect time to round up some of the best tools for managing your budget. If you've been hanging in there and just want to get more organized about your spending and saving, or you need to refigure your big picture because of a major life change *raises hand*, check these out! We've previously rounded up the best financial books for beginners, but today we're sharing books and apps that focus on learning how to budget. Please share your favorite resources and tools in the comments! Not all of the books below are recently published, though general budgeting tips don't change too much from year to year. If you're solely looking for guidance regarding the dumpster fire Americans are facing, read this article from The WSJ [gift link] on making wise money decisions, and this Washington Post story [gift link] about changing your shopping habits. related: tales from the wallet: how to make a budget related: not sure what to do first/next in your personal finance journey? here's our money roadmap The Best tools for Managing Your Budget: BOOKS You Need a Budget You Need a Budget: The Proven System for Breaking the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Cycle, Getting Out of Debt, and Living the Life You Want by Jesse Mecham (2017)[Amazon / Bookshop] Fans of the iconic YNAB tool — and Corporette readers in general! — won't be surprised that we're including this book, because it's a classic. If you're a newbie to budgeting or just never have been too organized with spending and saving, this book’s strategies will help you streamline things. Mecham, who created his personal finance company and the YNAB tool before writing this book, wrote it to help readers change their relationship to money and reduce financial stress. He provides four straightforward rules here: (1) Give Every Dollar A Job, (2) Embrace Your True Expenses, (3) Roll With The Punches, and (4) Age Your Money. Read more about the associated YNAB tool, a reader-favorite system, below! The One Week Budget The One Week Budget: Learn to Create Your Money Management System in 7 Days or Less! by Tiffany Aliche, “The Budgetnista” (2011)[Amazon / Bookshop] If you don't have a ton of time to focus on (and agonize over) budgeting, or to read a super comprehensive personal finance book, The One Week Budget by The Budgetnista is a smart pick. The One Week Budget is a brief, basic guide that explains how to carefully budget by tracking every penny, and it includes with simple forms and helpful examples. It's suitable for adults but also is written with a teenage audience in mind — and it shows Aliche's sense of humor. This book could be perfect for new grads and those who are starting their first career job. (We also rounded up our top financial tips for women just starting high salary jobs.) Do note that reviewers say it may realistically take longer than the “one week” due to allowing enough time to collect data on your spending habits. Aliche has also written other financial books (including one for kids), appeared in a Netflix basic guide to personal finance and PBS special, “Get Good With Money“; writes a blog; and runs an online course. My Money My Way My Money My Way: Taking Back Control of Your Financial Life by Kumiko Love (2022) [Amazon / Bookshop] Kumiko Love, the author of My Money My Way, is the creator of The Budget Mom (offering podcast, budgeting system, courses, and so on), but this book is aimed at all women, whether or not they're moms. Her financial street cred: Love paid off $78,000 in debt and was able to buy a house in cash. She's also an accredited financial counselor. You know, if a personal finance expert appears on the cover of her book with full sleeves (no shade, I am tattooed myself!), it's a good sign her writing won't be staid and dry. That impression pans out here, as Love's summary emphasizes “align[ing] your emotional health with your financial health.” It can be hard to separate emotions from finances sometimes, after all. *sigh* Love's is meant to help readers understand their spending habits, make good decisions, and create a budget. Your purchase comes with a reading guide, six video lessons, and a “financial fulfillment checklist,” all on The Budget Mom website. related: the best personal finance resources from professionals The Best Apps for Managing Your Budget You Need a Budget YNAB is a hugely popular personal finance tracking tool, and lots of readers are big fans. Its website promises to teach users to “give every dollar a job,” “fund your wildest dreams,” “define priorities and guide spending decisions toward the life you want,” and “life spendfully.” (Does the word “spendfully” bother anyone else? Eh, I won't hold it against the app.) In addition to the basic features you'd expect in a money app, here are a few others to know about: all-device syncing, community challenges, goal tracking, key reports, debt management help, and the ability to share your subscription with others. Online, YNAB also offers free Q&As, workshops, a blog, and an online community. YNAB has a free 34-day trial (the site doesn't ask for your credit card first), and after that, the fees are $109/year (comes out to $9.08/month) or a $14.99/month plan. Here's a guide to starting out with the app. related: 3 great online personal finance classes Rocket Money I've been hearing good things about Rocket Money lately (and no, not just in their podcast ads!) It has a couple of features YNAB doesn't have, especially regarding bills and the unneeded subscription services many of us have. (I mean, am I really reading enough Scientific American to keeping paying my online subscription? I am not.) Rocket Money lists your subscriptions in one place, and your “concierge” can even cancel them for you (nice!). It also enables you to track your spending and net worth and to keep tabs on and lower your bills, with the aim of saving more and spending less. It also guides your saving habits to reach your goals, has handy phone widgets, gives you a free credit score, and even negotiates bills for you (for a fee, of course). Its website has free personal finance guides for members and non-members, and the company also offers a credit card.) While Rocket Money is free, a premium membership with extra features is available for $6-$12/month, and you can sign up for a free 7-day trial (not nearly as long as YNAB's!) related: money challenge: review your renewing subscriptions FINAL NOTES on budgeting! I recently used Quicken Simplifi for a little while (RIP Mint), and I don't feel like it gives you anything special compared to the two tools above. (YMMV, because Wirecutter once called it the best budgeting app.) It costs $5.99 a month, but I paid $38 for one year back in January during a sale. You can read more detailed info, and opinions on budgeting systems on Reddit, plus general advice. Start with out r/personalfinance, r/financialplanning, and r/budget. Some of the personal finance subreddits contain helpful wikis, too. If you're looking for budget spreadsheets and don't want to reinvent the wheel, check Etsy if you don't mind paying for a fancy one. I just bought this template from Etsy because it was $5, but now it's marked $26 on sale (?!). (It also turned out to be more complicated than I expected.) Microsoft 365 has a selection of free budget templates to try, and you can even ask a finance-savvy friend if they have one to share. (I did this and got a good, simple one.) Readers, we'd love to hear your budgeting tips and fave tools and books! Also, does anyone out there still keep track of things on PAPER, either using your own system or free online printables? I'm kind of tempted. Stock photo via Stencil. Source link

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Chanel appoints Kendrick Lamar as brand ambassador for eyewear, Burna Boy makes history as first African artist to headline Stade De France, Stephen Curry leads Warriors to playoff win over Rockets. Stay in the know with our Rave News Digest, which summarizes five of the hottest global news stories you need to catch up on, saving you time and energy. Consider it your daily news fix. Here is a rundown of five of the hottest news topics… 1. Chanel appoints Kendrick Lamar as brand ambassador for eyewear Kendrick Lamar has signed with Chanel as brand ambassador 🔥 Set to make his debut in a new eyewear campaign pic.twitter.com/KxPbDnmgUa — NFR Podcast (@nfr_podcast) April 21, 2025 Chanel has officially named Grammy-winning rapper and entrepreneur Kendrick Lamar as the new face of its Spring 2025 eyewear campaign, launching on April 22. The partnership signals a strategic push by the French luxury house to connect more deeply with global youth culture through collaborations that merge fashion, music, and storytelling. Lamar appears alongside actors Margaret Qualley, Lily-Rose Depp, and Nana Komatsu in the campaign, which showcases Chanel’s latest eyewear collection. “Chanel has a timeless legacy, and that is always something I can get behind,” Lamar said of the collaboration. “Since they don’t make clothes for men, I knew it would have to be glasses.” The partnership follows a growing relationship between Kendrick Lamar and the brand, beginning with his custom Chanel look at the 2023 Met Gala and continuing with pgLang’s co-creation of The Button, a fashion film that premiered during Chanel’s haute couture show. With eyewear positioned as one of Chanel’s most commercially dynamic and accessible categories, the move reflects a broader shift in luxury marketing, where cultural influence and cross-industry partnerships are crucial to staying relevant. According to Chanel fashion president Bruno Pavlovsky, eyewear is a strategic pillar in the brand’s business model. Lamar now joins an elite group of male ambassadors at Chanel, including G-Dragon and Timothée Chalamet, with future creative collaborations expected through his company pgLang. 2. Burna Boy makes history as the first African artist to headline Stade De France Burna boy took over Paris and made history at Stade de France. This is greatness 🔥 pic.twitter.com/xf1cSWqTKy — MBAH (@Mbahdeyforyou) April 20, 2025 Global music icon Burna Boy made history on April 18, as he became the first African artist to headline a sold-out show at the iconic Stade De France in Paris. Performing in front of over 80,000 fans, the Afrofusion superstar delivered a sensational performance that celebrated African music on a grand global stage. The night kicked off with explosive sets from Nissi and Fireboy DML, who energized the crowd with their joint performance of “Nobody.” Burna Boy’s entrance electrified the stadium, taking fans on a dynamic musical journey through his biggest hits and powerful storytelling. Surprise collaborations throughout the night elevated the experience further, as Burna Boy invited Shallipopi for a viral remix of “Laho,” Joé Dwèt Filé for their track “4KampeII,” and French star Dadju to the stage. UK rapper Dave also joined him for their global smash “Location,” setting social media abuzz. The historic performance not only reaffirmed Burna Boy’s place as one of the most influential artists in the world but also marked a defining moment for African music on the international stage. With each record-breaking milestone, Burna Boy continues to expand the reach of Afrobeats, proving that his sound knows no borders. 3. South Africa: Actor Joe Kazadi gets engaged South African actor and model Joe Kazadi is officially off the market! The “Scandal!” and “Uzalo” star shared the exciting news of his engagement in a heartfelt joint Instagram post with his partner on Sunday. The couple posted intimate photos, including a close-up of a sparkling diamond ring and a romantic shot of them kissing, accompanied by the simple yet powerful caption, “A fiancé.” Fans and fellow celebrities have since flooded the comment section with congratulatory messages for the happy couple. Kazadi, known for his roles in popular South African soapies like “Generations,” “Ekasi: Our Stories,” and “The Queen,” has typically kept his personal life out of the spotlight, often sharing only glimpses of fatherhood moments with his daughter, Omotola. While he has not yet revealed the identity of his fiancée, the news has sparked excitement across social media, with fans eager to learn more about the bride-to-be and the couple’s future plans. 4. Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, aged 88 Pope Francis has died. He dedicated himself to marginalized people – especially refugees – as the world’s politicians fought culture wars. Here’s how the first Pope from the Global South changed the narrative: pic.twitter.com/aThNX66pJv — AJ+ (@ajplus) April 21, 2025 Pope Francis, the 266th Bishop of Rome, passed away on Easter Monday, April 21, at the age of 88. The announcement was made at 9:45 AM by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, from the Casa Santa Marta. “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father,” Cardinal Farrell said with solemn reverence. “His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church,” he added, praising the late pontiff’s unwavering commitment to the Gospel, especially his tireless advocacy for the poor and marginalized. Pope Francis had battled a series of respiratory illnesses in recent years and was hospitalized in February with bilateral pneumonia before returning to the Vatican in late March to continue his recovery. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pope Francis made history in 2013 as the first Jesuit and first Latin American pope. His pontificate was defined by a message of mercy, humility, and a global call for peace. Despite significant health challenges, including a partial lung removal in his youth and frequent respiratory complications in his later years, he remained deeply active in Church affairs. Just a year before his death, he approved a revised edition of the papal funeral rites, requesting a simple and faith-centered ceremony. According to Archbishop Diego Ravelli, the rites will reflect Francis’ wish to be remembered not as a powerful figure but as a servant and disciple of Christ. The funeral details have yet to be formally announced. 5. Stephen Curry leads the Warriors to a playoff win over Rockets Steph Curry drops 31 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL as the Warriors get the WIN over the Rockets and STEAL GAME 1 in HOUSTON 💪 Jimmy Butler: 23 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST, 5 STL pic.twitter.com/j9HElnaiNq — Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) April 21, 2025 Stephen Curry delivered a standout performance, scoring a game-high 31 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 95-85 victory over the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series. The seventh-seeded Warriors made it two consecutive wins in Houston, with Curry also contributing six rebounds and three assists. Jimmy Butler added 25 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, helping Golden State gain an early 1-0 series lead. “Steph was incredible. With that type of pressure on him from [Amen] Thompson and others, he just made some amazing plays,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday. The second-seeded Rockets, returning to the postseason for the first time since 2019-20, struggled to shake off their late-season slump, extending their losing streak at home to two. Head coach Ime Udoka downplayed the idea that inexperience was to blame, instead pointing to physicality and poor decision-making under pressure. “Going into the lane, trying to shoot over too many and not finding your outlets is a big thing and a big key for us all year,” Udoka noted. Elsewhere in the playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers cruised to a 121-100 win over the Miami Heat, with Donovan Mitchell, Ty Jerome, and Darius Garland combining for 85 points, highlighted by Jerome’s 16-point fourth-quarter burst in his playoff debut. Featured Image: Photo: Karim Sadli for Chanel Our Weekday News Digest summarizes five of the hottest news topics worldwide–including celebrity news from Hollywood to Nollywood, the latest trending global headlines from American reports to top African news today, and the best sports stories in 2025. For the latest in fashion, lifestyle, and culture, follow us on Instagram @StyleRave_ — Read also !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '496558104568102'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script',' fbq('init', '1453079628754066'); fbq('track', "PageView"); Source link

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[ad_1] So if you are an iPhone user, you are, in a way, immune and safe from keyloggers as long as you keep your device updated.Keyloggers often disguise themselves under generic names or icons to blend in, so it becomes necessary to have a closer look at all the apps that you have installed on your device.Let’s look at some ways in which you can check whether your phone has a keylogger installed, and how you can safeguard yourself.In an age where smartphones carry everything from personal chats to banking details, digital privacy is more important than ever. But what if someone was silently keeping tabs on every word you type? If this sounds scary, it’s exactly what a keylogger does: a stealthy app that records everything that you type and do on your device. In this guide, we will look at three simple ways to check if your device has a keylogger installed, hiding in plain sight.What is a Keylogger?Before we dive into the safety measures, it’s essential to know what a keylogger actually is and why it’s a bigger concern than most people think. A keylogger, also known as keystroke logger, is a type of spyware designed to quietly record everything you type on your device. This includes passwords, credit card numbers, and even personal conversations from your social media apps. If your device gets infected with a keylogger, it can send all of this information to a hacker, even without you noticing.Keyloggers are a major problem on desktops, especially on computers in large IT offices and even government agencies, as hackers constantly try to steal sensitive information from these places. However, the mass adoption of smartphones among the general public means that even regular citizens are now on the radar of attackers.Here are some examples of what type of data a keylogger can steal from your smartphone:A keylogger can capture your touchscreen input and record what you do on your display.Track all of your clipboard inputs, which include everything that you copy and paste.Save your screenshots, screen recordings, and even images and videos from your phone’s gallery.Some advanced keyloggers also monitor your location, microphone, and camera, turning your phone into a surveillance tool.Most of these problems are primarily targeted at Android smartphones, as it’s nearly impossible to perform these actions on an iPhone due to Apple’s strict safety measures in iOS. So if you are an iPhone user, you are, in a way, immune and safe from keyloggers as long as you keep your device updated.Let’s look at some ways in which you can check whether your phone has a keylogger installed, and how you can safeguard yourself.1. Check for Unknown Apps on Your PhoneOne of the easiest ways to spot a keylogger is by scanning your phone for apps that you don’t remember installing. Keyloggers often disguise themselves under generic names or icons to blend in, so it becomes necessary to have a closer look at all the apps that you have installed on your device. Sometimes, these apps do not show up in the app drawer at all, and you need to check hidden apps from your phone’s settings. Follow these steps:1. Open Settings on your phone, and go to Apps.2. Now select App management. The exact option name might vary by device.3. By default, your phone will only show the list of apps that were installed by you. Check the list and uninstall any app that feels suspicious to you.4. You can analyse your safety further by checking the system apps by tapping on the three dots icon.If you find a fishy app, then you should immediately uninstall it. We also recommend doing a factory reset of your device to remove all the residual files from the harmful app, preventing it from getting re-installed.2. Monitor Battery and Data UsageSince keyloggers run in the background, they consume a significant amount of data and battery on your device. By monitoring these two factors, you can get an idea of whether your device is being spied on. Here’s how you can check data consumption on an Android phone.1. Open Settings on your device and search for Data Usage.2. Select the Data usage by app menu. Here you can see the list of all apps that consume data on your device.3. If you notice an unknown app that is consuming too much data, then delete it.4. You can also check WiFi Data usage by going to Wireless Settings > WiFi > WiFi Data Usage.5. In the Settings app, navigate to the Battery option and go to Battery usage by app.3. Use Anti-Spyware Tools on Your PhoneIf you are still doubtful of a keylogger being installed on your phone, then you should use professional antivirus and anti-spyware apps. By using a reputed antivirus app, you can safeguard yourself as these tools are trained to detec all types of spyware and malware that circulate on the internet.Here are some top free anti-keylogger apps that you can install on your Android phone:FAQsQ. How do you know if your phone has a keylogger?Keyloggers run in the background and consume a lot of data and battery. If you notice that your phone is suddenly consuming too much internet and battery, then it’s an indication that a keylogger could be spying on you.Q. Does a factory reset remove keylogger?Yes, doing a factory reset is the easiest and most effective way of removing a keylogger from your phone. This is because your device resets all settings, including all the installed apps and files, getting rid of the keylogger or any other spyware.Wrapping UpKeyloggers are sneaky and hide easily, but they are completely invisible. With simple steps such as monitoring the installed apps on your phone and checking for unusual data usage and battery drain, you can detect whether a keylogger is installed on your device. It is important to identify them as early as possible to prevent data theft.You may also like to read:You can also follow us for instant tech news at Google News or for tips and tricks, smartphones & gadgets reviews, join the GadgetsToUse Telegram Group, or subscribe to the GadgetsToUse Youtube Channel for the latest review videos.Was this article helpful?YesNo [ad_2] Source link

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[ad_1] Bluesky’s launch of a verification system has raised a slew of questions among its user base, from who will be picked — and why — to what outside organizations might be involved and whether the self-verification process will end. TechCrunch has some answers. After a leak last week, Bluesky officially announced Monday the arrival of its verification system, which is designed to ensure that notable people are who they say they are on the social network. While similar in some respects to the system that Twitter had once used before pivoting to paid verification under Elon Musk, Bluesky’s verification builds on the company’s decentralized ethos by giving other entities the authority to verify users independently. Bluesky briefly explained how this process worked in a blog post. However, the numerous questions found in the replies to Bluesky’s posts and on other forums, like Reddit, indicate that many don’t fully understand verification. We’ve rounded up some of the more common questions that seem to be on users’ minds to try to help explain the verification process and its rollout. While Bluesky didn’t respond to TechCrunch’s requests for comment, we’re referencing the company’s own documentation and its leaders’ posts to try to answer the questions we found many were asking. Which organizations have been given the ability to verify besides Bluesky itself? One missing piece of information from Bluesky’s blog post was which organizations outside of Bluesky are being given the tools to verify others. The company explains that “Trusted Verifiers” will be those organizations that Bluesky allows to issue blue checks. However, the only example of this that was shown was The New York Times, which is now allowed to issue checks to its journalists. What Bluesky hasn’t said is which other organizations now have this power, or how they were chosen. It’s also unclear if Bluesky has others lined up for early access; the company didn’t reveal any future partners on this effort. This makes Bluesky’s announcement of verification feel somewhat premature, as people want to see the working examples of decentralized verification systems from the get-go, even if it’s initially with only a few testers. Image Credits:Bluesky We’ve found that beyond The New York Times, there are only a couple of other organizations that have been given Trusted Verifier status at this time. These include Wired and The Athletic, according to Bluesky software engineer Samuel Newman. Bluesky itself said it’s only starting out with a “small and non-comprehensive group of accounts.” CEO Jay Graber added that the initial set includes “news orgs” that have agreed to verify their journalists. Later, the company will launch a form that will allow other organizations to apply for Trusted Verifier status, but Bluesky has not indicated when this will happen. Does Bluesky want verification to be perceived as an indicator that a person is “trustworthy” too? Image Credits:Bluesky One of the problems with Twitter’s old verification system is the verification badge became a coveted achievement. If a user was noteworthy enough, had gained a certain number of followers, or was an expert in their field, they began to feel they should be verified. But they may not have received a verification badge because Twitter disagreed with them about their importance. Other times, they just didn’t know the right people at Twitter to ask. How Bluesky feels about this matter is still somewhat vague. The company’s blog post suggests that its own verification will work to “proactively verify authentic and notable accounts,” but doesn’t explain the criteria it’s using to deem an account “notable” enough to be worthy of verification. When it was suggested to Bluesky CTO Paul Frazee that people were curious about the who, when, and why around Bluesky’s verification, he only responded by saying “yep yep.” How mysterious! We’ll mark this one “TBD.” Why is [X] verified but not [Y]? As with any launch of verification, people are quick to focus on the haves and the have-nots. Who got verified first and why? And why did this person or organization get verified over that one? Image Credits:Bluesky When Bluesky announced that verification had launched, many assumed they would immediately see blue checks everywhere. Instead, people were struggling to understand how news organizations like CNN, The WSJ, and Bloomberg received the blue-and-white verification badge but others like Politico or MSNBC did not (as of the time of writing!). This is likely because Bluesky has not completed its rollout of verification. The company suggested in a post on the network that the launch of verification was not an instant process, when it announced that users would “start seeing” blue checks appear in Bluesky following the launch. Plus, Bluesky noted it wasn’t accepting any verification requests “currently,” which could imply that, at a later date, it will have a process for doing so. In other words, we wouldn’t read too much into who is verified as of today or what that means, as we’re only at the beginning of this rollout. What does this mean for self-verification? Before the launch of verification, Bluesky offered another way for users to verify that they are who they say they are: with domains. In 2023, the company began allowing organizations and individuals to set a domain as their username, and since then, over 270,000 accounts have done so, Bluesky says. Image Credits:Bluesky screenshot of @NPR account This system is not going away, Bluesky notes, as it will “continue to be an important part of verification on Bluesky.” Instead, it will now become another layer of verification. It will remain an optional way to confirm an identity, however, not a mandate for getting verified. Still, Bluesky says it “highly recommends” official organizations and high-profile individuals do this and provides how-to documentation to get started. Also worth noting: the company said in December 2024 that after someone changes a Bluesky username to a website URL, their old bsky.social username will still be reserved for them. This prevents account impersonation by bad actors. For that reason, the reservation will never expire. What does this mean for those accounts that were unofficially verifying users ahead of the official launch of verification? As one example, Hunter Walker and Guan Yang have been running a labeler to unofficially verify a range of diverse media outlets, large and small, national and local. This labeler also verified elected officials, prominent activists, political operatives, and other celebrities, according to its website. Image Credits:Screenshot of Hunter Walker's Bluesky account showing labels Walker noted in a post on Bluesky the company had not approached him about the official verification system. “No one at Bluesky has ever talked to me about verification. I sure have a lot of legwork done if they’d like to!,” he wrote. So far, these “unofficial” labels and badges have not disappeared from users’ accounts, but the future of the labeler remains uncertain. “We will keep going if it’s needed but, frankly, I hope this ultimately moves to a single, clear source of credible verification,” Hunter said on Bluesky. Rapper and musician Flavor Flav had also helped to confirm which Bluesky accounts were authentic in the social network’s earlier days. His guidance may also no longer be required once the verification system fully rolls out. (Unless he becomes a Trusted Verifier on his own, we suppose!) What will happen if a Trusted Verifier begins abusing its privilege? In theory, those granted a Trusted Verifier status should be … trustworthy. But what happens if one goes rogue and begins to operate unethically, like taking payments for verification? There’s no detailed process for how this will be handled, nor is there an official set of rules that Trusted Verifiers have to agree to as of yet — as far as we can tell. But it appears that Bluesky has considered the possibility. When asked in a Bluesky post what would happen in the case that a Trusted Verifier abused its privilege in some way, CTO Paul Frazee responded that “Bluesky can intervene if needed.” Why is the symbol a blue-and-white check, like Twitter, instead of a blue Butterfly or something unique? Lastly, some people wondered if adopting a similar look-and-feel to Twitter’s checks made sense. Bluesky is different, so shouldn’t it use some other design language? Frazee replied to questions about this, too, saying at different times the company had tried other colors, like green, but found that blue better matched Bluesky’s existing color palette. The team has not officially explained why it went with a traditional checkmark instead of a blue butterfly, for instance, as many have suggested. Likely, though, it’s just a matter of the check being a recognized symbol with an understood meaning. [ad_2] Source link

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[ad_1] A security architect with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) alleges that employees from Elon Musk‘s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) transferred gigabytes of sensitive data from agency case files in early March, using short-lived accounts configured to leave few traces of network activity. The NLRB whistleblower said the unusual large data outflows coincided with multiple blocked login attempts from an Internet address in Russia that tried to use valid credentials for a newly-created DOGE user account. The cover letter from Berulis’s whistleblower statement, sent to the leaders of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. The allegations came in an April 14 letter to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, signed by Daniel J. Berulis, a 38-year-old security architect at the NLRB. NPR, which was the first to report on Berulis’s whistleblower complaint, says NLRB is a small, independent federal agency that investigates and adjudicates complaints about unfair labor practices, and stores “reams of potentially sensitive data, from confidential information about employees who want to form unions to proprietary business information.” The complaint documents a one-month period beginning March 3, during which DOGE officials reportedly demanded the creation of all-powerful “tenant admin” accounts in NLRB systems that were to be exempted from network logging activity that would otherwise keep a detailed record of all actions taken by those accounts. Berulis said the new DOGE accounts had unrestricted permission to read, copy, and alter information contained in NLRB databases. The new accounts also could restrict log visibility, delay retention, route logs elsewhere, or even remove them entirely — top-tier user privileges that neither Berulis nor his boss possessed. Berulis writes that on March 3, a black SUV accompanied by a police escort arrived at his building — the NLRB headquarters in Southeast Washington, D.C. The DOGE staffers did not speak with Berulis or anyone else in NLRB’s IT staff, but instead met with the agency leadership. “Our acting chief information officer told us not to adhere to standard operating procedure with the DOGE account creation, and there was to be no logs or records made of the accounts created for DOGE employees, who required the highest level of access,” Berulis wrote of their instructions after that meeting. “We have built in roles that auditors can use and have used extensively in the past but would not give the ability to make changes or access subsystems without approval,” he continued. “The suggestion that they use these accounts was not open to discussion.” Berulis found that on March 3 one of the DOGE accounts created an opaque, virtual environment known as a “container,” which can be used to build and run programs or scripts without revealing its activities to the rest of the world. Berulis said the container caught his attention because he polled his colleagues and found none of them had ever used containers within the NLRB network. Berulis said he also noticed that early the next morning — between approximately 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. EST on Tuesday, March 4  — there was a large increase in outgoing traffic from the agency. He said it took several days of investigating with his colleagues to determine that one of the new accounts had transferred approximately 10 gigabytes worth of data from the NLRB’s NxGen case management system. Berulis said neither he nor his co-workers had the necessary network access rights to review which files were touched or transferred — or even where they went. But his complaint notes the NxGen database contains sensitive information on unions, ongoing legal cases, and corporate secrets. “I also don’t know if the data was only 10gb in total or whether or not they were consolidated and compressed prior,” Berulis told the senators. “This opens up the possibility that even more data was exfiltrated. Regardless, that kind of spike is extremely unusual because data almost never directly leaves NLRB’s databases.” Berulis said he and his colleagues grew even more alarmed when they noticed nearly two dozen login attempts from a Russian Internet address (83.149.30,186) that presented valid login credentials for a DOGE employee account — one that had been created just minutes earlier. Berulis said those attempts were all blocked thanks to rules in place that prohibit logins from non-U.S. locations. “Whoever was attempting to log in was using one of the newly created accounts that were used in the other DOGE related activities and it appeared they had the correct username and password due to the authentication flow only stopping them due to our no-out-of-country logins policy activating,” Berulis wrote. “There were more than 20 such attempts, and what is particularly concerning is that many of these login attempts occurred within 15 minutes of the accounts being created by DOGE engineers.” According to Berulis, the naming structure of one Microsoft user account connected to the suspicious activity suggested it had been created and later deleted for DOGE use in the NLRB’s cloud systems: “DogeSA_2d5c3e0446f9@nlrb.microsoft.com.” He also found other new Microsoft cloud administrator accounts with nonstandard usernames, including “Whitesox, Chicago M.” and “Dancehall, Jamaica R.” A screenshot shared by Berulis showing the suspicious user accounts. On March 5, Berulis documented that a large section of logs for recently created network resources were missing, and a network watcher in Microsoft Azure was set to the “off” state, meaning it was no longer collecting and recording data like it should have. Berulis said he discovered someone had downloaded three external code libraries from GitHub that neither NLRB nor its contractors ever use. A “readme” file in one of the code bundles explained it was created to rotate connections through a large pool of cloud Internet addresses that serve “as a proxy to generate pseudo-infinite IPs for web scraping and brute forcing.” Brute force attacks involve automated login attempts that try many credential combinations in rapid sequence. The complaint alleges that by March 17 it became clear the NLRB no longer had the resources or network access needed to fully investigate the odd activity from the DOGE accounts, and that on March 24, the agency’s associate chief information officer had agreed the matter should be reported to US-CERT. Operated by the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), US-CERT provides on-site cyber incident response capabilities to federal and state agencies. But Berulis said that between April 3 and 4, he and the associate CIO were informed that “instructions had come down to drop the US-CERT reporting and investigation and we were directed not to move forward or create an official report.” Berulis said it was at this point he decided to go public with his findings. An email from Daniel Berulis to his colleagues dated March 28, referencing the unexplained traffic spike earlier in the month and the unauthorized changing of security controls for user accounts. Tim Bearese, the NLRB’s acting press secretary, told NPR that DOGE neither requested nor received access to its systems, and that “the agency conducted an investigation after Berulis raised his concerns but ‘determined that no breach of agency systems occurred.'” The NLRB did not respond to questions from KrebsOnSecurity. Nevertheless, Berulis has shared a number of supporting screenshots showing agency email discussions about the unexplained account activity attributed to the DOGE accounts, as well as NLRB security alerts from Microsoft about network anomalies observed during the timeframes described. As CNN reported last month, the NLRB has been effectively hobbled since President Trump fired three board members, leaving the agency without the quorum it needs to function. “Despite its limitations, the agency had become a thorn in the side of some of the richest and most powerful people in the nation — notably Elon Musk, Trump’s key supporter both financially and arguably politically,” CNN wrote. Both Amazon and Musk’s SpaceX have been suing the NLRB over complaints the agency filed in disputes about workers’ rights and union organizing, arguing that the NLRB’s very existence is unconstitutional. On March 5, a U.S. appeals court unanimously rejected Musk’s claim that the NLRB’s structure somehow violates the Constitution. Berulis shared screenshots with KrebsOnSecurity showing that on the day the NPR published its story about his claims (April 14), the deputy CIO at NLRB sent an email stating that administrative control had been removed from all employee accounts. Meaning, suddenly none of the IT employees at the agency could do their jobs properly anymore, Berulis said. An email from the NLRB’s associate chief information officer Eric Marks, notifying employees they will lose security administrator privileges. Berulis shared a screenshot of an agency-wide email dated April 16 from NLRB director Lasharn Hamilton saying DOGE officials had requested a meeting, and reiterating claims that the agency had no prior “official” contact with any DOGE personnel. The message informed NLRB employees that two DOGE representatives would be detailed to the agency part-time for several months. An email from the NLRB Director Lasharn Hamilton on April 16, stating that the agency previously had no contact with DOGE personnel. Berulis told KrebsOnSecurity he was in the process of filing a support ticket with Microsoft to request more information about the DOGE accounts when his network administrator access was restricted. Now, he’s hoping lawmakers will ask Microsoft to provide more information about what really happened with the accounts. “That would give us way more insight,” he said. “Microsoft has to be able to see the picture better than we can. That’s my goal, anyway.” Berulis’s attorney told lawmakers that on April 7, while his client and legal team were preparing the whistleblower complaint, someone physically taped a threatening note to Mr. Berulis’s home door with photographs — taken via drone — of him walking in his neighborhood. “The threatening note made clear reference to this very disclosure he was preparing for you, as the proper oversight authority,” reads a preface by Berulis’s attorney Andrew P. Bakaj. “While we do not know specifically who did this, we can only speculate that it involved someone with the ability to access NLRB systems.” Berulis said the response from friends, colleagues and even the public has been largely supportive, and that he doesn’t regret his decision to come forward. “I didn’t expect the letter on my door or the pushback from [agency] leaders,” he said. “If I had to do it over, would I do it again? Yes, because it wasn’t really even a choice the first time.” For now, Mr. Berulis is taking some paid family leave from the NLRB. Which is just as well, he said, considering he was stripped of the tools needed to do his job at the agency. “They came in and took full administrative control and locked everyone out, and said limited permission will be assigned on a need basis going forward” Berulis said of the DOGE employees. “We can’t really do anything, so we’re literally getting paid to count ceiling tiles.” Further reading: Berulis’s complaint (PDF). 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Ask any reality TV fan and they’ll tell you they’re obsessed with dating shows, The Real Housewives, or — if they’re lucky — both. That’s exactly what Bravo has delivered with its newest series, Bravo’s Love Hotel — a romantic reality experiment that sends four familiar Housewives to Mexico in search of eligible bachelors. Airing Sunday, April 27, Bravo’s Love Hotel follows Shannon Storms Beador (The Real Housewives of Orange County), Gizelle Bryant and Ashley Darby (The Real Housewives of Potomac) and Luann de Lesseps (The Real Housewives of New York) as they check into the Grand Velas Boutique Hotel in Los Cabos, Mexico — a dreamy, oceanfront setting perfect for romance and the Houseviwes ultimate girls trip,   First for Women recently caught up with the stars to learn exactly what they are looking for in a man and what they hope to get out of the show. Read on for more.   Shannon Storms Beador is hoping to find love after her legal troubles  Shannon Storms Beador Ana York/Bravo In November 2023, Beador was sentenced to three years’ probation following her driving under the influence (DUI) and hit-and-run charge, a time that she said was “rough.”  “After my DUI, I didn’t date and I just worked on myself. And so when I was asked to do the show, it had been that one-year mark, and I thought, ‘Okay, this would be a fun way for me to try and get back out here,’” she said. “I realized that when it comes especially to my personal life, I don’t make the best choices. And so what I did is I focused on myself and have been working with a therapist, and I’m creating healthy boundaries in my life and trying to eliminate as much toxicity as I can.  “I was probably in the lowest place I’ve ever been in my life after the DUI, and I didn’t think I’d be able to dig myself out of the hole that I dug. And I feel proud of myself, because the year after that was incredibly tough with friendships, with old relationships, with legal issues and filming. It was a lot. So, to be in probably the happiest place I’ve ever been, I’m proud of myself that I could get through it all. Ultimately, it was a good thing for me because I realized I can be on my own, take care of myself and get through it.”  Despite having that mindset, Beador remains hopeful that she’ll find a man who is “kind-hearted, intelligent, fun, family-oriented and a good communicator.” Entertainment Brittany Cartwright Talks Jax Split and Dating Again (EXCLUSIVE) Reality TV show star Brittany Cartwright is ready to reenter the dating world. The 36-year-old single mom to Cruz Michael Cauchi, age 3,  is best known for shows like The Valley, Vanderpump Rules and Vanderpump Rules: Jax and Brittany Take Kentucky. She has also made headlines in recent months because of her ongoing divorce from […] “I’m a relationship girl, so the concept of dating more than one person simultaneously was a little bit uncomfortable for me. Still, I appreciate that, because I don’t often feel uncomfortable. So that part was fun.”  Beador is 61 and lives in Los Angeles, California. She has two daughters, who are expected to make a cameo on the show.  Gizelle Bryant shares that she is ready to finally put herself first  Gizelle Bryant Ana York/Bravo Bryant is 54 years old and has been on The Real Housewives of Potomac since 2016. Before that, she was married to Jamal Harrison Bryant from 2002 until 2009 and even had three kids with him, but following their split, the reality TV star put dating on the back burner and focused on her children.  “I got divorced 16 years ago, so I honestly don’t even remember being married. I don’t even think about it. It’s not in my daily life. My focus post-divorce was always my kids and just making sure that they had the best life possible. Now they’re all in college, and I’m a huge empty nester,” Bryant shared. “Now in my life, it’s all about me and what I want to do, what I think is important, what makes me happy and what fulfills me. So, the show Love Hotel was perfect timing because it just allowed me to not think about my children and put me first.”  Once she finally does that, Bryant hopes to find someone who will “make me laugh.” “So it took me some time to get some comedy out of these guys because I just feel like if you have a long-term partner and he can’t make you laugh, that’s a problem right out of the gate. So that’s what I was looking for,” she continued, before sharing that, man or no man, she “did find out a lot about myself from the process, and it was enlightening.”  Ashley Darby opens up about being a ‘hardcore romantic’   Ashley Darby Ana York/Bravo Darby, 36, might be the cast’s youngest member, but that isn’t stopping her from opening herself up to finding love at The Love Hotel. “I came in with some preconceived notions, because I have watched every love show imaginable. I’ve always thought about what I would say or do if I were in that position, and how would I respond if someone that I was interested in did this or that, like I see on the shows,” she shared. “So I expected that I would just go in there and sort of own it since I’d watched so many love shows, and was very pleasantly surprised that there was quite a bit that I needed to learn about myself when it came to dating. “I’m just a hardcore romantic, and I’ve been begging and pleading with the powers that be, and when the opportunity came, I was very happy to say yes to being a part of Bravo’s first dating show.” Entertainment Grant Ellis Teases ‘The Bachelor’ Finale—Says It’s ‘Eye-Opening’ (EXCLUSIVE) Ladies, grab your roses, champagne, passports and ball gowns, because it’s time to get to know Grant Ellis—the newest star of ABC’s hit reality dating show, The Bachelor! In this exclusive sitdown with First for Women, the 31-year-old former professional basketball player opens up on his time on the show and if the season ended […] Upon her check-in, Darby said that all she wanted was a “hot guy” who valued self-care.  “Men are taking care of themselves in different ways. They’re more conscious of their appearance and style, and I needed to find a guy who was stylish in his own right.  I can’t carry it for the two of us. He’s got to be able to share some of the weight.”  The reality star has two young children, both of whom appeared briefly on The Real Housewives of Potomac.  Luann de Lesseps spills on her love life and cabaret career  Luann de Lesseps Ana York/Bravo Luann de Lesseps—a.k.a “The Countess”—has appeared in 13 of the 15 seasons of The Real Housewives of New York City. She also has a very successful cabaret career, which she says she “works very hard on.”  “It’s been an amazing, incredible journey for me and my shows,” she noted. “You never get to see my show on television because of music rights. They always just show drama around my show. So when people come to my show, they’re like, ‘Wow.’”  De Lesseps is currently on tour for her latest show, “Countless Cabaret,” but she said that is not stopping her from heading to Mexico to find love.  “I’ve been single for quite some time now, and so when they called me and said, ‘We want to send you on a trip, and we’re gonna find you guys,’ I was, like,  ‘Good luck with that,’” she joked. “They actually did bring around some really great guys. I was thrilled with the idea of doing something other than The Housewives. This show is about finding love again at this point in our lives. And I think it’s going to be inspiring for the fans.”  The Countess is 59 years old and has two children. For more FIRST exclusives, keep scrolling! Tamsen Fadal Talks Maximizing Midlife by Finding the Upsides of Menopause (EXCLUSIVE) Tori Spelling on Her Encounter with an Alligator, Motherhood and Missing Shannen Doherty (EXCLUSIVE) Selma Blair Shares an Update on Her MS and the Importance of Self-Advocacy (EXCLUSIVE) Source link

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[ad_1] Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test. In the quest for the smoothest possible gaming experience, buyers have two major avenues. You can get a 240 Hz OLED which provides infinite contrast and blur-free motion along with very low input lag, but that comes with a premium price. A 27-inch display meeting those specs will cost at least $500.For considerably less money, there’s VA. This LCD technology delivers very high contrast, at least 3,000:1 in most applications with some monitors approaching 5,000:1. It isn’t completely free of motion blur but if you get the frame rate high enough, you can have a very crisp moving image. There are 240 Hz models available in the 27-inch size for $300-400. But what if you could have 300 Hz for the same money? AOC answers the question with its CQ27G4ZH, a 27-inch QHD curved VA panel with 300 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR10 and wide gamut color. Let’s take a look and see how it compares to some of the best gaming monitors on the market.AOC CQ27G4ZH SpecsSwipe to scroll horizontallyPanel Type / BacklightVA / W-LED, edge arrayScreen Size / Aspect Ratio27 inches / 16:9Row 2 - Cell 0 Curve radius: 1500mmMax Resolution and Refresh Rate2560x1440 @ 300 HzRow 4 - Cell 0 FreeSync and G-Sync CompatibleNative Color Depth and Gamut10-bit (8-bit+FRC) / DCI-P3Response Time (MPRT)0.3msBrightness (mfr)300 nitsContrast (mfr)3,000:1SpeakersNoneVideo Inputs1x DisplayPort 1.4Row 11 - Cell 0 2x HDMI 2.1Audio3.5mm headphone outputUSBNonePower Consumption32w, brightness @ 200 nitsPanel Dimensions WxHxD w/base24.1 x 15.5-20.3 x 9.4 inches (612 x 394-516 x 239mm)Panel Thickness3 inches (75mm)Bezel WidthTop/sides: 0.35 inch (9mm)Row 18 - Cell 0 Bottom: 0.9 inch (23mm)Weight12 pounds (5.44kg)Warranty3 yearsThe CQ27G4ZH meets the all-important value element with a price of $300 at this writing. That puts it in direct competition with 240 Hz models. Those extra Hertz will lop a millisecond off the panel response time and deliver lower input lag too. You may like And like all QHD gaming monitors, it won’t require a $1,500 video card to drive it at maximum speed. Of course, there’s Adaptive-Sync in both FreeSync and G-Sync flavors. And you get motion blur reduction courtesy of a backlight strobe with adjustable pulse width to balance brightness and clarity to your liking.The image is deep and saturated thanks to VA contrast that I measured at over 5,600:1. The CQ27G4ZH has the broadest dynamic range of any LCD panel I’ve tested, and it does this without an expensive Mini LED backlight. You don’t get the high output of that technology but with native contrast this good, the picture pops for all content, SDR and HDR. I also found out-of-box color good enough to eliminate the need for calibration. The gamut is slightly smaller than some but still covers a measured 89% of DCI-P3, enough for brilliant primary colors.The CQ27G4ZH’s build is solid and simple and sticks to the “everything you need and nothing you don’t” philosophy of really good value priced gaming monitors. There are no USB ports, internal speakers or LED lights. But you do get a decent stand with full ergonomics and all the necessary gaming aids like aiming points, sniper mode, timers and a refresh rate indicator. You can also dial in an sRGB mode if you need it for color grading or would just prefer the correct color space for SDR content.It'll be hard not to refer to the CQ27G4ZH as “300 Hz for 300 bucks” so I’ll only say it this once. And that price could always change. But as I write this, it represents a superlative example of a most favorable price/performance ratio.Assembly and AccessoriesThe CQ27G4ZH is packed securely in molded pulp rather than crumbly foam. The stand assembles with a captive bolt, then the panel snaps in place to create a solid package. If you’d rather use an arm, there’s a 100mm VESA mount with fasteners included. Cables include high quality HDMI and DisplayPort with an IEC cord for the internal power supply.Product 360Image 1 of 4(Image credit: AOC)(Image credit: AOC)(Image credit: AOC)(Image credit: AOC)The CQ27G4ZH features a simple look with just enough cues to tell you it’s a gaming monitor. The upright has a hexagonal shape with the cable hole turned to match the bevels. That means you won’t see light through it from the front. It’s a small but unique design element that I have not seen before.The base is finished in dark gray while the rest of the parts are matte black. AOC logos appear on the front and back and the stand’s attachment point is ringed in red. The back also features flat bits and angles rather than curves and tapers.The screen’s curve is subtle with a 1500mm radius which sounds tight but, in this size, it’s just enough to bring the sides into focus without causing image distortion. I barely noticed it, but I would still term it an enhancement. Curved 16:9 screens have grown on me since I added one to my desktop. They make the monitor less dominant of your space while providing the same screen area as a flat panel.The stand includes full ergonomics with a 4.8-inch height adjustment, 5/23 degrees tilt, 20 degrees swivel and a 90-degree portrait mode. Movements are firm with little play and a solid feel. Though the CQ27G4ZH is light in weight, its build quality is tight.The input panel is up and under and includes two HDMI 2.1 and a DisplayPort 1.4. You also get a 3.5mm headphone jack which can also drive powered speakers. There are none built in, nor are there USB ports.OSD FeaturesThe CQ27G4ZH’s OSD represents a new design for AOC. Gone is the ribbon across the bottom of the screen. It’s replaced by a more traditional rectangle trimmed in gold and red. Signal status appears at the top and button labels are at the bottom. There’s no joystick but four control keys navigate the large array of options.Image 1 of 7(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)Video processing and gaming aids are all grouped in the Game Setting menu along with the seven picture modes. Shadow control helps players see better in dark places by increasing the black level. The aiming points are called Dial Point and offer a simple cross that either remains red or switches between red and black dynamically to contrast with the background. The sniper scope magnifies the center of the screen in three ratios.The video processing suite features include a four-level overdrive. The Extreme setting is available when you turn off Adaptive-Sync because it includes backlight strobing and overdrive together. If you want the strobe alone, turn on MBR and adjust its pulse width slider. There is a slight phasing artifact but it’s barely noticeable if you keep the slider to a low value. As with any fast monitor, the best scenario is to use the overdrive and max the frame rate. The CQ27G4ZH looks optimal on Fastest with just a subtle black outline around moving objects.The Picture menu offers seven additional image presets which are a bit confusing. This is standard AOC practice and appropriately, the best choice is Standard, Standard Gaming mode, Standard Eco Adjustment. Gamma presets go from 1.8 to 2.6 in 0.2 increments and are accurately labeled. Set 2.2 and you get 2.2. There are three fixed color temps plus a user mode with RGB sliders. Unlike most manufacturers, AOC starts their sliders center-range rather than at 100%. This makes balance far easier to achieve. The second screen of options includes three HDR emulations and a color space selector where you can specify sRGB or Native which covers around 90% of DCI-P3.AOC CQ27G4ZH Calibration SettingsThe CQ27G4ZH comes out of the box ready to play. Not only is color close to perfect, but the default brightness setting is also right at 200 nits. You can literally just plug it in and go. Not willing to leave it alone, I calibrated anyway and realized a small but visible improvement. With the few tweaks shown below, the CQ27G4ZH is spot-on for grayscale tracking, gamma and gamut accuracy.For HDR signals, you can use the three emulation modes, or the default called Display HDR. Its luminance curve is perfect with no clipping anywhere in the brightness range and color is close to the mark as well. There’s no dimming, either field or zone, so contrast remains at around 5,600:1.Swipe to scroll horizontallyPicture ModeStandardBrightness 200 nits80Brightness 120 nits40Brightness 100 nits30Brightness 80 nits21Brightness 50 nits7 (min. 35 nits)Contrast46Gamma2.2Color Temp UserRed 48, Green 53, Blue 46 Gaming and Hands-onIf you’re reading this wondering if the CQ27G4ZH is a viable alternative to an OLED, the quick answer is yes. While a 240 Hz OLED will be completely blur-free, a 300 Hz LCD with speed like this comes incredibly close to that benchmark.AOC has included an excellent overdrive that helps make the CQ27G4ZH one of the smoothest 27-inch QHD monitors I’ve experienced. Test patterns revealed a slight undershoot which manifests as black ghosting. I could not see this in content. The moving image was always clean and clear with no apparent edging or ringing. There was no blur or hesitation either as all control inputs produced instant response. Lag is extremely low and should not be noticed by even the most experienced gamers.I had no trouble keeping the frame rate at 300 fps thanks to a GeForce RTX 4090 video card. QHD resolution at 27 inches means 109ppi which ensures a sharp image free of visible dot structure. I tried turning off Adaptive-Sync so I could use the Extreme overdrive setting. It combines a very narrow pulse width strobe with overdrive to create even smoother motion, but the light output cut was extreme as well, around 70%. It was fine for dark room play but too dim when the lights were on.I also tried MBR and its adjustable pulse width slider. That worked well with just two clicks dialed in. Brightness only dropped by 10% and I couldn’t see any phasing artifacts. Higher settings made the phasing appear and light was further reduced. Bottom line: run at 300 Hz if you can with overdrive on Fastest and Adaptive-Sync on. It’s the best combination.The HDR image was excellent even though I didn’t measure a ton of brightness from the CQ27G4ZH. A Mini LED screen like Xiaomi’s G Pro 27i will be brighter but even with its zone dimming feature, I preferred the deep blacks of the AOC. It boasts over 5,600:1 native contrast without any dynamic option and that translates to a consistently deep image with truly black shadows that are clearly detailed.I also had no complaints about color saturation even though the CQ27G4ZH’s color volume is a tad below average. That’s why contrast is so important. It makes up for other shortcomings. I applaud AOC’s use of VA tech here. It takes you most of the way to OLED for far less money.Productivity is nicely enhanced by the CQ27G4ZH’s curve. It’s subtle and in normal use, you won’t notice it except that it brings the picture more efficiently into one’s peripheral vision. I used to wonder why 16:9 curved screens existed but now that I use one every day, I see the benefit. You get the same screen real estate with a slightly narrower footprint and better focus on the sides of the image.Takeaway: The CQ27G4ZH could be called a bare-bones gaming monitor because it lacks speakers and USB ports. But it has a full suite of excellent video processing options and terrific picture quality thanks to its high contrast. There is plenty of light output and color is well saturated. It comes very close to OLED quality for significantly less money. And with 300 Hz, it’s one of the quickest 27-inch QHD gaming monitors out there.MORE: Best Gaming MonitorsMORE: How We Test PC MonitorsMORE: How to Buy a PC Monitor [ad_2] Source link

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[ad_1] Samsung makes everything from smartphones and gaming monitors, to smart TVs and dishwashers. I'm always looking for a sale (I’m assuming you are, too), and I've found the best Samsung promo codes to help you save big on your most important tech purchases. At WIRED, we often review the South Korean company’s products, especially Samsung’s vast lineup of Galaxy smartphones, and I've rounded up a bunch of Samsung coupons for (virtually) every type of shopper.$50 Off With Samsung Promo Code and up to $2,100 OffRight now, Samsung has some of the best deals I've ever seen on their best-selling tech, and they're about to get even better with limited-time trade-in credits, a special offer program, and bundle deals. Shop Samsung’s best coupons and April offers to save up to $2,100 with Deal of the Day discounts on phones, laptops, tablets, TVs, smartwatches, and more tech. Along with these deals, you can get a Samsung coupon for an extra $50 off on orders over $500 when you download the Samsung Shop app and purchase a S25 Ultra series phone, or select Samsung Odyssey gaming monitors when you pre-order one, during April 2025.You can also get up to $750 in enhanced trade-in credits on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which WIRED reviews editor Julian Chokkattu rated 8/10 because of its new AI features powered by Google’s Gemini and adaptable settings. And if you have your eyes on the new Galaxy S25 Ultra, now’s your chance to save up to $1,000 with up to a $630 trade-in credit or up to $200, even if you’re not trading in your old phone.There are a bevy of Samsung coupons, from discounts for educators to friend referral codes, to help you save on everything from soundbars to wireless chargers to Samsung’s highly anticipated health-based wearable Galaxy Ring.There are even more ways to save big on tech purchases, with Samsung's “bundle and save” discounts. By buying products together that you already need, you can save a ton. Like saving 40% on select Galaxy Buds, watches and tablets when you order the Galaxy S25 Ultra. You can also get 20% off select Galaxy Books when you order the S25 Series, and save a whopping $1,650 on QLED 4K TVs when you buy an ATMOS Soundbar.Save up to 30% With Samsung Coupon Codes - Offers ProgramOne of the hottest Samsung promo codes is a whopping 30% discount for government employees, first responders, military personnel, and educators. Samsung also has offer programs, meaning you can combine your promo code discount with most other offers to increase discounts. Get a pal involved for more savings—when a friend uses your referral code to make a purchase at Samsung.com, they'll get 5% off their purchase (up to $250 off) and you’ll get up to $100 off per order (with the potential to save $1,000 per calendar year). My insider tip is to sign up for a Samsung Rewards account for even more perks, including exclusive Samsung coupons, flash sales, and updates on the newest Samsung products, like the QLED 8K, select refrigerators, and other home appliances.Extra $200 Off Samsung TVs With Trade-In DealsAlong with other great tech, Samsung has some seriously nice TVs. The Samsung Frame TV has been trending this year for its stylish ability to blend into your home’s decor. Plus it just feels more elevated than a regular ol’ TV and mount. Some other trending TVs this Spring have been the Q60D, S90C, and the S95D models. Plus, there are tons of TV and home theater deals at Samsung. If you’re in the market for a new TV, it’s worth checking out the 98” QLED Q80C while it’s $600 off and includes mounting for free. You can also take advantage of their Trade-In Recycling Program for up to $200 off when you trade in your old TV—any brand, any size. When your new one is delivered, Samsung will handle recycling the old one, so you can enjoy your upgrade.$150 Samsung Coupon and Over $1,000 Off AppliancesAlthough here at WIRED we mostly cover Samsung’s traditional AV tech, they also make top-of-the-line kitchen and home appliances. And right now, you can get $1,000 off a Bespoke Smart Slide-In Electric Range. This range is straight from a The Jetsons fantasy, with an AI Home LCD display, which is pretty much a kitchen robot helper that gives you personalized recipe recommendations, the ability to search for and follow video recipes, and access your favorite apps so you can see who's at your door through your video doorbell, and more. There’s also a Smart Oven Camera inside, meaning you can check on meals as they cook from anywhere and even share time-lapse videos to show off your skills. When you make a purchase, you can get a $100 Samsung coupon towards future appliance purchases, which will be emailed 35 days after the item’s delivery.Right now, you can get even more discounts on hot, high-tech Samsung appliances, like an extra $150 off the Bespoke 4-Door Flex Refrigerator with AI Family Hub when you purchase a Hood and Slide-In Range or Cooktop. This deal includes a free installation service, plus Samsung will haul away your old appliances and recycle them. This futuristic fridge is basically also an iPad, with an AI Family Hub with the large screen and changeable door panels. Plus, there’s AI Vision inside, so you always know what's inside (and what you need to buy at the store). And the Beverage Center has an internal dispenser or a built-in AutoFill Water Pitcher to get cold, crisp water whenever you want it, whichever way you want.Save up to $300 When You Pre-Order a New Odyssey Gaming MonitorTo help you find exactly what you’re looking for (and more ways to save money), Samsung has gaming category deals, along with exclusive pre-order offers. Like when you pre-order Samsung's Odyssey gaming monitor, you can get $300 off, or the savings in the form of a $300 Samsung credit for future order discounts. With their “Buy More Save More” offers, you can save 10% when you purchase another eligible monitor, plus, earn up to 3 times more Samsung Rewards points for future purchases made in-store.Stay up to Date on all Things Samsung at WIREDWIRED also has guides to help determine which Galaxy S24 phone is best for you and how to set up your Samsung Galaxy S25 to ensure you’re getting the most out of its features, as well as advice on which Galaxy S24 series accessories, like cases, chargers, and power banks, are worth the money.Us nerds here at WIRED also follow CES (sort of the Coachella for tech nerds) for all the updates on tech (almost) no one asked for, and Samsung’s bi-annual Galaxy Unpacked event, where they show off its newest toys. We have a lot of opinions about Samsung's foldable Galaxy Z Flip6 and Z Fold6 phones. We are also patiently awaiting new releases of Galaxy Tab tablets, a new line of Galaxy Buds Pro 3 wireless earbuds, and a new series of the Galaxy Watch, with a new design and improved sensors for health tracking. [ad_2] Source link

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If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission. When we talk about teen boys, we often focus on their behavior. How they act out, how they go quiet, how they bottle things up or explode with little to no warning. But what we don’t always ask is why they’re acting that way … or what they’re trying to say when they do. If you haven’t seen Netflix’s Adolescence yet, you should clear out a few hours for a binge-watch, especially if you’re the parent of a teen boy (but be warned: it’ll hit a nerve). The miniseries centers around a 13-year-old boy named Jamie, whose digital life takes a dark and dangerous turn. But while the story is framed around online radicalization, it also forces us to confront below-the-surface things we overlook: what happens when boys are taught to hide what they feel, to bury their hurt, and to mistake detachment for strength. Related story I Was Terrified To Be a 'Boy Mom' — Until I Realized How Amazing It Is From the earliest moments of the show, it’s clear that Jamie isn’t being deliberately ignored; he’s just flying under the radar. He’s surrounded by classmates, teachers, and a seemingly supportive family. To everyone around him, he appears fine. But no one really thinks to ask how he’s really doing. No one offers him space to be vulnerable. He’s functioning — and because of that, he’s left alone with thoughts and feelings no one ever digs into. Boys, especially ones who seem functional, are expected to be strong, steady, and self-contained, to keep it together. And when they do, no one thinks to look closer. As a mom of four teen boys, I’m often guilty of this myself: not providing the emotional check-ins everybody deserves regardless of gender. As long as they’re acting fine, they are fine … right? The emotional unraveling that plays out onscreen in Adolescence isn’t just about the dark corners of the internet — it’s about masculinity. It’s about the roles we assign to boys, and how dangerous it can become when those roles don’t allow room for softness, sadness, or uncertainty. It isn’t because we don’t love them or don’t care about their emotional well-being; it’s just that these norms are so deeply ingrained in so many of us. And frankly, it’s easier to pretend everything is OK than to do a painful dive into why it isn’t. Boys’ stoicism about emotion makes it easier to do this. At SheKnows, our Teen Council — a group of teenagers we regularly consult for real-time insights — reminds us the same thing again and again: Boys have feelings. Deep ones. But most of them don’t feel safe expressing those feelings, especially in spaces where masculinity is tied to toughness, stoicism, or detachment. “There’s a negative stigma around crying, or being seen as weak,” 17-year-old Ajani told us during an interview for SheKnows’ Be a Man project — a deep dive into what masculinity means to Gen Z boys. When we played a “feminine or masculine” word association game with our panelists, they voted the words “violent,” “strong,” and “toxic” as masculine, while “emotional,” “caring,” and “logical” all rated as feminine. It’s a telling look at how society continues to tell boys that emotions are for girls; even though it’s come a long way, it’s clear that we still have far to go. This emotional shutoff isn’t just anecdotal — data support it. A study published in BMC Public Health found that conformity to traditional masculine norms like emotional stoicism and self-reliance significantly hinders adolescent boys and young men from seeking help. Self-stigma and a lack of emotionally safe, male-friendly support spaces contribute to a mental health crisis that’s often invisible until it’s too late. Emotional Isolation Isn’t a Coincidence — It’s a Pattern What Adolescence captures so hauntingly is the erosion of connection that happens when boys aren’t invited to express themselves. Unfortunately, the belief that boys are just naturally less emotional continues to persist, even though it’s more cultural than biological. A study in the American Journal of Men’s Health found that adherence to traditional masculine norms is correlated with reduced social connectedness and an increased risk of mental health issues in both men and adolescent boys. When boys are taught that needing support is weak or feminine, many of them stop seeking it at all. Ruth Whippman, author of BoyMom: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity, spoke to SheKnows about how the patriarchy may appear to benefit boys on the surface, but it ultimately fails them. “We haven’t done a good job of holding boys accountable and expecting the same things that we expect from girls. … So in that way, we indulge boys, but in another way, we’ve neglected them emotionally,” she said. “We don’t tend to their emotional needs in the same way that we tend to girls. There’s all this research that shows that we don’t listen to boys’ feelings in the same way that we listen to girls’ feelings. We don’t engage them in emotional conversations in the same way that we do with girls. Even from earliest babyhood, we handle them in a different way. We jiggle them and wrestle with them and handle them really physically, but we don’t give them the same level of caretaking — that more nurturing touch. So in some ways boys benefit from this system, and we don’t hold them accountable in the same way, but in other ways, they’re really losing out.” Masculinity Isn’t the Problem — But the Way We Define It Might Be Scott Galloway, NYU professor, author, and host of the “Prof G” and “Pivot” podcasts, hit the nail on the head during his “Media and ‘Masculine Energy’” discussion with SHE Media CEO Samantha Skey at this year’s SHE Media Co-Lab at SXSW. True masculinity, he said, is the polar opposite of toxic — involving self-sufficiency, a sense of responsibility towards others, and being able to take care of oneself, then extending that care to loved ones. “Think about the most masculine jobs in the world, someone in the military, a cop, or a fire person,” he pointed out. “What are they doing? Their default system is, ‘If there’s a fire on the 17th floor, my job is protection through risking my own life in the service of protecting others.'” So if masculinity is still being defined by outdated, limiting standards, how do we as parents help our sons build something better? The answer starts with creating space. That might look like validating feelings when they do come up — without rushing to fix or reframe them. It might mean modeling emotional honesty ourselves and showing our kids that being upset or overwhelmed doesn’t make anyone weak. It’s in how we talk about other men and boys, too — praising emotional intelligence, empathy, and communication just as much as we praise grit and resilience. These shifts might seem small, but they can make all the difference. Because, despite what we’ve been conditioned to believe, boys are not less emotional — they’re just less allowed to be emotional. Masculinity doesn’t have to be the problem. In fact, if we redefine it, it can be part of the solution. As Galloway says, strength can include self-awareness. Courage can mean asking for help. Leadership can look like compassion, not control. That’s why it’s so important that as parents, we stay engaged in these conversations, especially as online influences like the ones alluded to in Adolescence try to fill in the gaps. “If you want your teen boy to have a good conversation about masculinity and what it means to be a man, have it with him yourself rather than allowing somebody else to have it with him online,” Richard Reeves, author of Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It, told SheKnows. “And don’t blame him if he’s looking for an answer to the question, ‘How should I be a young man today?’ You want to be in that conversation. You do not want to be subcontracted in that conversation to somebody online.” Adolescence isn’t just a story about a boy who gets lost online. If there’s one thing the show makes heartbreakingly clear, it’s this: No boy is immune from the weight of invisible expectations — not even the ones from “normal” families who love them deeply. Like yours. Like mine. If we want to raise boys who are emotionally healthy, we have to let go of the myth that emotions make them weak. And we have to start now — not when something goes wrong, but every single day in the way we listen, speak, and respond. Not “man up” and not “be a man” — but just … be. Source link

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We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. Any products or services put forward appear in no particular order. if you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. There was a time when wearing clothes so baggy they needed a staple gun to stay on was less of style move, more your mum making sure you could make it through puberty in the same school blazer. But if you graduated any time in the last 15 years, chances are you grew up to enjoy clothes that were designed slim and flattering – clothes that didn’t just hang on your shoulders. For the majority of the 21st century, menswear has been dominated by skinny cuts. Under the influence of Hedi Slimane at Dior Homme and later Saint Laurent, men’s wardrobes were shrink-wrapped around the mid-2000s. It was all muscle shirts, slimline tailoring and indie bands in skinny-fit everything. But in recent years, the fashion pendulum had swung back. It was partly a reaction to what came before, but the oversized trend also went hand-in-hand with the rise of hip-hop fashion and athleisure into the mainstream. Kanye West’s longline tees and chunky hoodies were one part, the billowing suits of Kim Jones, Demna Gvasalia, Patrick Grant and Virgil Abloh another. Compared with spray-on jeans and nip-and-tuck tailoring, this is comfort as fashion. Wide-leg trousers, slouchy blazers, boxy tees and blanket coats. Not that oversized clothes can’t be tailored, but they’re certainly more louche. It would be a mistake to think it’s something new, though. Wider slacks are bastions of 1950s style, dad jeans are right out of the ’90s, while power suits are ingrained in the 1980s. Oversized has always been a statement, and just now it’s one that a lot of the fashion world is making. Supersize Me: How To Make The Oversized Trend Work Know The Occasion The oversized trend might be big right now, but it’s not something for all occasions, says stylist Sarah-Ann Murray, who has dressed the likes of Samuel L Jackson, Stanley Tucci and Jonah Hill. “I’m not convinced it works as eveningwear which is usually the most formal of occasions. That’s not to say you can’t wear it for smarter looks though. Take the Armani-like Italian suits, which are often a generously-cut soft style. “As long as it fits on the shoulders, the arm and trouser length, and proportionally at the waist, and the rest of the proportions are correct so it is not too short in the jacket, then a deconstructed oversized suit, especially double-breasted, can absolutely work.” Buy Oversized, Not Big Don’t try and cheat the system, either. Other sharp-elbowed shoppers might have nabbed all but one of this season’s must-have suede jackets, but if it’s two sizes too big, don’t just palm it off as oversized, which always works best when it’s been designed to fit that purpose. “Purposefully oversized pieces provide the additional structure you need to avoid looking like all your clothes have stretched on the hanger which just looks scruffy,” says Murray. “You want the items to be oversized in the correct places, like the shoulders and the waist. Otherwise, you’ll look like a schoolboy who’s not grown into his new school uniform yet, or worse, Donald Trump in a suit.” Add Balance As with any statement trend, it’s important to avoid the temptation to go crashing in with all the grace of a reversing dump truck without any tyres on. This style works best when you dip your toes in gently at first, says Murray. “For the most part, you need to balance out the look with a slimmer fit elsewhere. With an oversized coat, for example, you might want to wear it over a more fitted jumper, tee or shirt and slimmer jeans and have just one item which offers the movement and oversized lines. The same stands for jeans or trousers, try and keep it a normal fit on top, but avoid super skinny as the contrast will look odd.” 7 Ways To Go Big On Oversized Fashion Oversized Coat The oversized coat has been beloved by wallflower sleuths ever since Sherlock Holmes swung a cape over his shoulders and stuck a deerstalker on his bonce. Follow the detective’s lead on this one. When you’re going big with fit, go easy on colour. Neutral shades like grey, white and navy work best, while brighter tones will have you looking like a sleazy soul singer finishing up a bender in the local strip club. Oversized technical coats, puffer jackets and parkas work, but wool overcoats best lend themselves to a more flowing silhouette. Underneath, keep the silhouette sleek with roll necks and cropped trousers, and keep a little of below on show so no one is worried about what you are wearing (or lack thereof) under wraps. Oversized T-Shirt Skatewear is streetwear and streetwear is high-fashion, so thanks to some basic mathematics, baggy tees – a favourite of those ollie 360 flipping boarders – are now high-fashion. A minimal, neutral tee will stand you in slicker menswear stead than any Grateful Dead band merch, but don’t be afraid of a pop of colour as long as you’re balancing it down below. Usual rules about the oversized T-shirts sleeve hitting the middle of the bicep don’t necessarily apply here, with some cuts falling as low as the elbow. Just maybe consider adding a few rolls to the hem to avoid your arms looking weedy. Oversized Jumper A jumper is probably the easiest item of oversized clothing to wear – who could blame you for cocooning yourself in knitwear for winter? It’s a look that can be as grungy as it is cosy countryside, though. As the likely second line of defence under a jacket or coat, it’s easier to work colour and pattern into an oversized jumper than other items of clothing. If you do opt for something attention-grabbing up top, keep it balanced with a simple pair of trousers below, which should hit the sartorial sweet spot on fit: not too wide, not too skinny. Standard crew necks aren’t the only option here either. An exaggerated roll neck can look (and feel) especially warm and inviting when the weather outside becomes harsher. Oversized Suit You don’t need to be a menswear expert to know that wearing a zoot suit is an acquired taste (and a bad one at that). However, power dressing is once again back in the boardroom, so it pays to know how to make the hire. If you are going to amp-up your tailoring, remember that the basic principles of fit still count. That means the jacket should slope down the shoulders and the sleeves should finish above the top of your wrist bone. To bring the look out of the 1980s, consider dressing down a boxy double-breasted suit by wearing the jacket open over a plain T-shirt, or by using separates to break the outfit up. Oversized Trousers Baggy jeans and trousers? That’s madness, you say. But there is a way to do it and not look like a sack of potatoes. First things first, go cropped. Most of the time, bunches of excess fabric at the hem tend only serves to look less messy. If there is a break, aim for just one full break and make sure the back of the trousers isn’t sweeping the floors. Pleated trousers are a great option in this category – on trend, and as part of the 1950s comeback, they sit above the waist for a flattering fit while the trouser fabric neatly flows down below. The thicker fabric on jeans means they won’t glide as effortlessly as you strut, but their unfussy demeanour means they work great in workwear ‘fits like a sturdy camel chore coat with a layered shirt and T-shirt underneath (trucker cap optional). Oversized Hoodie I said to hip-hop, hippie to the hippie, you’re going to have to buy an oversized hoodie. Everyone in the rap game from Travis Scott to Kanye West is touting them, the blown out of proportion shape suiting the larger than life personas. Black is a favoured go-to, probably because it hides all the shadows from the rounder parts of your frame (love handles be gone) so the eye can focus on just the shape of the fabric and not of you. Logos and graphics can work, but unless you’re a regular hypebeast, keep these to a minimum – a simple script logo is enough to show people that you’re clued into the best brands about. Be warned though, it will never work for smart casual occasions so works best next to other casual favourites like jeans and sneakers. Oversized Shirt Try and stay away from the high fashion side of things with this one – dress shirts without cufflinks billowing limply just looks like honey shrunk you with her ray gun. However, a patterned or plaid shirt over the top of a simple tee with the sleeves rolled up (droopy cuffs are a no-no) always works as long as there is some hardwearing denim down below. Longline shirts can work with a slim-fitting jacket over the top to emphasise the length while keeping the upper body in check. The same goes for a jumper. If your shirt fabric is peeking out below a jumper keep the shirt in one colour – it will look odd having a floating paisley pattern around your crotch. If opting to go for an oversized short-sleeve shirt, Cuban collars work mainly because the slouchy holiday look will never go out of vogue, but best to go wide with the trousers too. You’re on your holidays, so let it all out. Source link

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[ad_1] Programmers can now use large language models (LLMs) to generate computer code more quickly. However, this only makes programmers’ lives easier if that code follows the rules of the programming language and doesn’t cause a computer to crash.Some methods exist for ensuring LLMs conform to the rules of whatever language they are generating text in, but many of these methods either distort the model’s intended meaning or are too time-consuming to be feasible for complex tasks.A new approach developed by researchers at MIT and elsewhere automatically guides an LLM to generate text that adheres to the rules of the relevant language, such as a particular programming language, and is also error-free. Their method allows an LLM to allocate efforts toward outputs that are most likely to be valid and accurate, while discarding unpromising outputs early in the process. This probabilistic approach boosts computational efficiency.Due to these efficiency gains, the researchers’ architecture enabled small LLMs to outperform much larger models in generating accurate, properly structured outputs for several real-world use cases, including molecular biology and robotics.In the long run, this new architecture could help nonexperts control AI-generated content. For instance, it could allow businesspeople to write complex queries in SQL, a language for database manipulation, using only natural language prompts.“This work has implications beyond research. It could improve programming assistants, AI-powered data analysis, and scientific discovery tools by ensuring that AI-generated outputs remain both useful and correct,” says João Loula, an MIT graduate student and co-lead author of a paper on this framework.Loula is joined on the paper by co-lead authors Benjamin LeBrun, a research assistant at the Mila-Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, and Li Du, a graduate student at John Hopkins University; co-senior authors Vikash Mansinghka ’05, MEng ’09, PhD ’09, a principal research scientist and leader of the Probabilistic Computing Project in the MIT Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences; Alexander K. Lew SM ’20, an assistant professor at Yale University; Tim Vieira, a postdoc at ETH Zurich; and Timothy J. O’Donnell, an associate professor at McGill University and a Canada CIFAR AI Chair at Mila, who led the international team; as well as several others. The research will be presented at the International Conference on Learning Representations.Enforcing structure and meaningOne common approach for controlling the structured text generated by LLMs involves checking an entire output, like a block of computer code, to make sure it is valid and will run error-free. If not, the user must start again, racking up computational resources.On the other hand, a programmer could stop to check the output along the way. While this can ensure the code adheres to the programming language and is structurally valid, incrementally correcting the code may cause it to drift from the meaning the user intended, hurting its accuracy in the long run.“It is much easier to enforce structure than meaning. We can quickly check whether something is in the right programming language, but to check its meaning you have to execute the code. Our work is also about dealing with these different types of information,” Loula says.The researchers’ approach involves engineering knowledge into the LLM to steer it toward the most promising outputs. These outputs are more likely to follow the structural constraints defined by a user, and to have the meaning the user intends.“We are not trying to train an LLM to do this. Instead, we are engineering some knowledge that an expert would have and combining it with the LLM’s knowledge, which offers a very different approach to scaling than you see in deep learning,” Mansinghka adds.They accomplish this using a technique called sequential Monte Carlo, which enables parallel generation from an LLM to compete with each other. The model dynamically allocates resources to different threads of parallel computation based on how promising their output appears.Each output is given a weight that represents how likely it is to be structurally valid and semantically accurate. At each step in the computation, the model focuses on those with higher weights and throws out the rest.In a sense, it is like the LLM has an expert looking over its shoulder to ensure it makes the right choices at each step, while keeping it focused on the overall goal. The user specifies their desired structure and meaning, as well as how to check the output, then the researchers’ architecture guides the LLM to do the rest.“We’ve worked out the hard math so that, for any kinds of constraints you’d like to incorporate, you are going to get the proper weights. In the end, you get the right answer,” Loula says.Boosting small modelsTo test their approach, they applied the framework to LLMs tasked with generating four types of outputs: Python code, SQL database queries, molecular structures, and plans for a robot to follow.When compared to existing approaches, the researchers’ method performed more accurately while requiring less computation.In Python code generation, for instance, the researchers’ architecture enabled a small, open-source model to outperform a specialized, commercial closed-source model that is more than double its size.“We are very excited that we can allow these small models to punch way above their weight,” Loula says.Moving forward, the researchers want to use their technique to control larger chunks of generated text, rather than working one small piece at a time. They also want to combine their method with learning, so that as they control the outputs a model generates, it learns to be more accurate.In the long run, this project could have broader applications for non-technical users. For instance, it could be combined with systems for automated data modeling, and querying generative models of databases.The approach could also enable machine-assisted data analysis systems, where the user can converse with software that accurately models the meaning of the data and the questions asked by the user, adds Mansinghka.“One of the fundamental questions of linguistics is how the meaning of words, phrases, and sentences can be grounded in models of the world, accounting for uncertainty and vagueness in meaning and reference. LLMs, predicting likely token sequences, don’t address this problem. Our paper shows that, in narrow symbolic domains, it is technically possible to map from words to distributions on grounded meanings. It’s a small step towards deeper questions in cognitive science, linguistics, and artificial intelligence needed to understand how machines can communicate about the world like we do,” says O’Donnell.This research is funded and supported, in part, by the Canada CIFAR AI Chairs Program, the MIT Quest for Intelligence, and Convergent Research.  [ad_2] Source link

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[ad_1] The U.S. still has its sights on winning the global AI race. First stop: Commandeering AI manufacturing. Announced just last week, a $500 billion infrastructure investment from artificial intelligence giant Nvidia will bring domestic AI manufacturing to the U.S. — that's half a trillion dollars going toward mass production of the the country's own AI supercomputers as well as NVIDIA's Blackwell chips. The AI supercomputers will take over a million square feet of manufacturing space in Texas, while factories and manufacturing partners across Arizona — operated by the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which landed a similar deal in March — will be tasked with building and testing chips. Proponents say it's a welcome investment in the country's growing AI economy, potentially boosting jobs and aiding in the development of an AI workforce. In the words of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang: "The engines of the world’s AI infrastructure are being built in the United States for the first time."But while the investment may bode well for the country's position in the AI race, a recent report from Greenpeace suggests an additional worry for such hardware manufacturing chains and AI data centers, at large: Their voracious consumption of electricity. AI manufacturing eats away at power supplyAccording to research from Greenpeace East Asia, electricity consumption linked to AI hardware manufacturing increased by more than 350 percent between 2023 and 2024 — It's expected to increase another 170-fold in the next five years, according to Greenpeace, exceeding the total amount of power consumed by the population of Ireland. Global hubs for AI manufacturing in East Asia, including Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan, are the largest consumers of electricity and are increasingly reliant on climate destructive fossil fuels, the report finds. Unlike other similarly foreboding reports, these figures apply to the early lifecycle of an AI-powered product, including the creation and testing of chips, and not just the processing power used by AI supercomputers like those built by Nvidia. "While fabless hardware companies like Nvidia and AMD are reaping billions from the AI boom, they are neglecting the climate impact of their supply chains in East Asia," said Katrin Wu, Greenpeace East Asia supply chain project lead. "AI chipmaking is being leveraged to justify new fossil fuel capacity in Taiwan and South Korea – demand that could, and should, be met by renewable energy sources. Across East Asia, there are many opportunities for companies to invest directly in wind and solar energy, yet chipmakers have failed to do so on a meaningful scale."The need for more and more energy sources As enthusiasm for AI has exploded over the last several years, so too has its demands on the globe's already strained energy sources. In the words of experts, AI is an energy hog. Mashable Light Speed According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), "the U.S. economy is set to consume more electricity in 2030 for processing data than for manufacturing all energy-intensive goods combined, including aluminium, steel, cement, and chemicals."Half of the growth in U.S. electricity demand between now and 2030, which is expected to at least double, will be due to AI — currently, around 40 percent of data centers in the U.S. are supplied by gas power plants. Renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, won't be able to match the need, says the IEA, necessitating a further reliance on large scale fossil fuels like gas and coal and potentially bottlenecking states' emissions goals. The issue doesn't just pertain to AI's immense processing power. "The rapidly rising energy costs of AI data centers have captured global headlines, yet the environmental implications of other parts of the hardware lifecycle are often overlooked," said Greenpeace report author Alex de Vries. On April 14, President Donald Trump announced a plan to revitalize the U.S. coal industry, including protecting coal-fired power plants and expediting leases for domestic coal mining that would also supply hungry AI data centers. But while coal power is remarkably cleaner than it was in generations past, it's not a viable path toward reducing carbon emissions.Similar to other manufacturing sectors, such power demands are inequitably shared among global regions, as well. "The manufacturing process of AI hardware is energy intensive and carries a significant environmental footprint, especially considering the concentration of this manufacturing in East Asia, where power grids still rely heavily on fossil fuels, and chipmakers have taken few steps to procure renewable energy," de Vries warns. Consumer demand also exacerbates energy costs. Some researchers have said just a single AI chatbot query consumes the same amount of electricity as what's required to light a bulb for 20 minutes, while others point to the growing water footprint created by cooling systems for AI servers. According to researchers at the University of California, Riverside, a user asking between 10-50 ChatGPT queries per day uses up about two liters of water. How AI proponents are tackling sustainability Even so, AI has the potential to revitalize the need for renewable energy. According to the IEA, the continued AI boom could spur investment in diverse energy sources and cement the importance of renewables and natural gas sources. AI could also accelerate "innovation in energy technologies," the IEA contends.For example, some AI manufacturers have sought nuclear power options in response to growing grid demands. Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have announced plans to secure nuclear energy deals to power their in-house AI products, including reopening the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania. Bipartisan lawmakers are seeking exemptions on nuclear power to support a cleaner energy option, too. The relationship is reciprocal: Nuclear power facilities help supply energy to AI processing demands, while AI-powered technology may offer a solution to the complicated maintenance of nuclear reactors.Other companies, including controversial claims by Chinese-owned OpenAI competitor DeepSeek, are finding ways to reduce the amount of processing power needed to feed their models. But such energy alternatives need continued investment from AI's major players, from the companies selling AI products to the manufacturers and politicians aiding in their creation. And as the Trump administration and other U.S. political leadership have struck down its commitments to climate and environmental stewardship, and slashed at the country's climate science infrastructure, concern over the technology's environmental strain remains. var facebookPixelLoaded = false; window.addEventListener('load', function() document.addEventListener('scroll', facebookPixelScript); document.addEventListener('mousemove', facebookPixelScript); ) function facebookPixelScript() if (!facebookPixelLoaded) facebookPixelLoaded = true; document.removeEventListener('scroll', facebookPixelScript); document.removeEventListener('mousemove', facebookPixelScript); !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script','//connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '1453039084979896'); fbq('track', "PageView"); [ad_2] Source link

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This Earth Day, we revisit some of our favourite previously published photo and art projects from the Dazed archives by image-makers including Adam Rouhana, Gleeson Paulino and Yelena Yemchuk. Taken across the globe – from the highlands of Scotland to the rainforests of the Amazon and the ice sheets of Greenland, from pre-war Ukraine to occupied Palestine – these works celebrate nature’s beauty while simultaneously exploring the fractured relationships between humans and the environments we inhabit. Inuuteq Storch documents the everyday life of Greenlandic people against vast and magnificent icy backdrops; Daniel Jack Lyons amplifies trans and queer voices in the Amazon while exploring how indigenous traditions, environmental catastrophe and political unrest intersect; Marcus Riggs draws inspiration from Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise” in a photo series celebrating the fortitude of the human spirit; and Adam Rouhana reminds us of the profoundly human interactions that playout amongst nature. At a time when ecological collapse is entangled with political violence, cultural erasure and systemic inequality, the climate crisis reveals itself not just as an environmental emergency, but as a deeply human one. Collectively, these projects encourage us to reconnect and heal, and pull us back towards nature. Where data and headlines often fail to resonate, these images capture the emotion, urgency and beauty of what’s at stake. Camille Lemoine, Down Tower Road15 Images Camille Lemoine’s photo series Down Tower Road drives us to challenge our approach to the environment as a resource. Dramatic backdrops of wind-brushed grasses and amethyst heathers are juxtaposed with human bodies against dark skies, shot on the meditative moorlands of Scotland, where the photographer lives. Down Tower Road started through an exploration into community and belonging, though Lemoine soon recognised that nature plays a part in this. “I consider community as something that extends beyond people: the tadpoles, moths, heather and fungi are all part of this wider network and my own personal identity,” the photographer previously told Dazed. “My intention was to show the body surrendering to its natural source.” Alongside writers like Kathleen Jamie and Nan Shepherd, and land artists such as Ana Mendieta, Lemoine is also influenced by the Gaelic language. “Gaelic has a huge array of ‘nature’ words that are usually very visually descriptive, for example, there are over 100 words for hill or mountain. I wonder if we all had 100 words for ‘hill’ and recognised the importance of each mound, would we change the way we viewed nature and stop seeing it as a single anonymous resource? As we lose land and species, it’s not just a physical loss, but an emotional and cultural one. It will be important to remember not just what these things look like, but how they made us feel.” Read the full story here. Yelena Yemchuk, Malanka (2024)11 Images Pre-war, in 2019 and 2020, Ukrainian-American artist Yelena Yemchuk made pilgrimages to Kransoilsk, Ukraine, to celebrate and capture the mysticism of Malanka. “The story of Malanka is based on a folk tale pre-Christian origins,” Yemchuk said of the annual folk ritual that takes place on January 13 and 14 each year. Her photo book (published by Patrick Frey Editions), named after the celebration, depicts the bitter chill, the freezing fog and the low winter sun, as villagers of the rural Ukrainian town, dressed in bright and brilliant embroidered textiles, masks and costumes, come together to say farewell to the season as springtime looms. “There are so few places in the world that still value and hold on to ancient traditions,” Yemchuk says. “I think it’s so important that we hold on to these spiritual and mystical traditions, these stories of the past. We need them as individuals and as societies to stay in touch with our spirits of the past and present, to have some magic in our lives. It’s so sacred.” Yelena Yemchuk’s Malanka is published by Patrick Frey Editions and is available to order here now. Read the full story here. Combining archival and found photography with his own imagery, photographer Inuuteq Storch – the first Kaalaleq (Arctic Inuit) artist to have a solo exhibition at the Venice Biennale (2024) – documents everyday life under the dramatic Greenlandic skies. Where urban photography often shows the impact of human activity as triumphant over nature, Storch’s photography depicts architecture and human figures as smaller than Mother Nature, whose changing moods direct the day. “We live because of nature, it decides what kind of day we are going to have,” Storch told Dazed.  Read the full story here. Adam Rouhana, Before Freedom12 Images In his series Before Freedom, the Boston-born Palestinian photographer Adam Rouhana captures what is circumstantially forgotten in the framing of Palestine: the quiet, natural dignity of everyday life. Rouhana’s images – children playing in water, families surrounded by nature, people enjoying the fruits of once-abundant farmlands, a rearing horse – affirm that to live, to exist in communion with the land, to laugh, to raise children, and to seek peace is profoundly human. The first image in the show is of children splashing in shallow waters. It evokes the universal innocence of summer afternoons, a memory anyone might carry from childhood. Yet here, such moments unfold against the backdrop of occupation, under siege, within a war zone. “Palestine was, [...] before Israel’s occupation, an open-border, culturally-pluralist, religiously diverse, fertile homeland – our homeland,” Rouhana reminds us. While rising up against violent colonialism and genocide, Rouhana’s photographs also defy the flattening of Palestinian identity into tragedy alone: they insist on life, on joy, on continuity, on resistance. “To show my photos of Palestine now,” he told Dazed, “is to say: we are here, in Palestine – and we’re not going anywhere.” Read the full story here  Daniel Jack Lyons, Like A River (2022)18 Images Artist and anthropologist Daniel Jack Lyons’ photo book Like a River (published by Loose Joints), documents the marginalised teenagers growing up in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest. Like a River amplifies and empowers the trans and queer communities of the region. Lyons explores how the intersection of deep indigenous traditions and identity politics meet in the lush canopies and vegetation of the rainforest and the toxic mess of environmental degradation, violence and discrimination. “It’s a space that accentuates the seemingly reckless courage of youth to live in truth, in spite of the relentless pressure to submit and conform,” he told Dazed. “I think the biggest distinction is that this is all happening within a larger context centred on illegal mining, massive deforestation, and the Bolsonaro regime’s environmental and social policies, rooted in climate change denial and white supremacy.” Like A River by Daniel Jack Lyons is published by Loose Joints. Read the full story here. Marcus Riggs, Again, again, I rise (2020)13 Images Celebrating the fortitude of the human spirit, Berlin-based photographer Marcus Riggs draws inspiration from Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise” to create a photo series that celebrates the power of self-love, resistance, healing, and quiet defiance. Captured across a range of landscapes, from serene lily ponds and dense green forests to arid desert expanses, the series portrays bodies communing with their environment and one another in gestures of tenderness and resilience. The series was conceived amid the collective turmoil of 2020 – a year marked by isolation, political unrest, and police brutality. “I wanted to shoot something that brought me a sense of calmness, taking it back to a very basic foundation that we all are connected to in some way or another, nature and the naked human body,” he told Dazed. The images unfold in a carefully considered sequence: beginning with the emergence of a woman from inky water, as if birthed by the earth itself, and ending with a man at rest in a sparse, textured landscape, surrendering to the quiet power of nature. Riggs ends, quite poignantly: “Through all of the pain we may have endured thus far and will continue to endure collectively, we will also continue to rise and rise again.” Read the full story here. Gleeson Paulino: Echoes Of The Amazon15 Images Gleeson Paulino’s evocative photos of indigenous communities in the Amazon rainforest offer an alternative perspective of the social, cultural and environmental impact of the climate crisis. Paulino’s vibrant portrayals of abundant landscapes, people and animals, all coexisting harmoniously, transport us to a place rife with beauty. Echoes of the Amazon invokes an emotional response that statistics and words might fail to do. They bid for humanity and the reignition of an educative desire to learn more about the people and places who are primarily affected by exploitative ‘evolution’. “Photography has the power to awaken empathy, to pause someone for just a second longer, and maybe even to inspire care and action,” Paulino told Dazed previously. “I’m documenting real people and real moments, but I’m also chasing something more intangible – an energy, a lingering atmosphere.” Read the full story here. !function (f, b, e, v, n, t, s) if (f.fbq) return; n = f.fbq = function () n.callMethod ? n.callMethod.apply(n, arguments) : n.queue.push(arguments) ; if (!f._fbq) f._fbq = n; n.push = n; n.loaded = !0; n.version = '2.0'; n.queue = []; t = b.createElement(e); t.async = !0; t.src = v; s = b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t, s) (window, document, 'script', ' fbq('init', '357833301087547'); fbq('track', "PageView"); Source link