Converting complex documents into structured data has long posed significant challenges in the field of computer science. Traditional approaches, involving ensemble systems or very large foundational models, often encounter substantial hurdles such as difficulty in fine-tuning, generalization issues, hallucinations, and high computational costs. Ensemble systems, though efficient for specific tasks, frequently fail to generalize due to their dependency on handcrafted pipelines for each sub-task. On the other hand, multimodal foundational models, although powerful, often suffer from high computational costs and reliability issues like hallucinations.Researchers from IBM and Hugging Face have recently addressed these challenges by releasing SmolDocling, a 256M open-source vision-language model (VLM) designed explicitly for end-to-end multi-modal document conversion tasks. Unlike larger foundational models, SmolDocling provides a streamlined solution that processes entire pages through a single model, significantly reducing complexity and computational demands. Its ultra-compact nature, at just 256 million parameters, makes it notably lightweight and resource-efficient. The researchers also developed a universal markup format called DocTags, which precisely captures page elements, their structures, and spatial contexts in a highly compact and clear form.SmolDocling leverages Hugging Faces compact SmolVLM-256M as its architecture base, which features significant reductions in computational complexity through optimized tokenization and aggressive visual feature compression methods. Its main strength lies in the innovative DocTags format, providing structured markup that distinctly separates document layout, textual content, and visual information such as equations, tables, code snippets, and charts. SmolDocling utilizes curriculum learning for efficient training, which initially involves freezing its vision encoder and gradually fine-tuning it using enriched datasets that enhance visual-semantic alignment across different document elements. Additionally, the models efficiency allows it to process entire document pages at lightning-fast speeds, averaging just 0.35 seconds per page on a consumer GPU while consuming under 500MB of VRAM.The performance data clearly positions SmolDocling at the forefront of current technologies. In comprehensive benchmark tests involving various document conversion tasks, SmolDocling outperformed substantially larger competing models. For example, in full-page document OCR tasks, SmolDocling achieved significantly better accuracy metrics, such as a notably lower edit distance (0.48) and higher F1-score (0.80), compared to models like Qwen2.5 VL (7B parameters) and Nougat (350M parameters). It also excelled in equation transcription, achieving a 0.95 F1-score, matching state-of-the-art models like GOT. Furthermore, SmolDocling set a new benchmark in code snippet recognition, demonstrating high precision and recall scores of 0.94 and 0.91 respectively.What sets SmolDocling apart from other document OCR solutions is its capability to handle diverse elements within documents, including intricate items such as code, charts, equations, and varied layouts. Its capabilities extend beyond typical scientific papers to reliably handle patents, forms, and business documentation. By offering comprehensive structured metadata through DocTags, SmolDocling eliminates ambiguity inherent in formats like HTML or Markdown, enhancing the downstream usability of document conversions. Its compact size enables large-scale batch processing at remarkably low resource demands, facilitating cost-effective deployments at scale.In conclusion, SmolDocling represents a significant breakthrough in document conversion technology, demonstrating that compact models can not only compete but substantially outperform larger foundational models in crucial tasks. The researchers have successfully demonstrated how targeted training, innovative data augmentation, and novel markup formats like DocTags can overcome traditional limitations associated with size and complexity. SmolDoclings release not only sets a new standard in efficiency and versatility for OCR technologies but also provides an invaluable resource for the community through openly available datasets and a highly efficient, compact model architecture. This marks a substantial advancement in document understanding and opens up exciting new possibilities for enterprise-level applications and broader accessibility.Check outTwitterand dont forget to join our80k+ ML SubReddit. Asif RazzaqWebsite| + postsBioAsif Razzaq is the CEO of Marktechpost Media Inc.. As a visionary entrepreneur and engineer, Asif is committed to harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence for social good. His most recent endeavor is the launch of an Artificial Intelligence Media Platform, Marktechpost, which stands out for its in-depth coverage of machine learning and deep learning news that is both technically sound and easily understandable by a wide audience. The platform boasts of over 2 million monthly views, illustrating its popularity among audiences.Asif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/ByteDance Research Releases DAPO: A Fully Open-Sourced LLM Reinforcement Learning System at ScaleAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/A Coding Guide to Build an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) App in Google Colab Using OpenCV and Tesseract-OCRAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Cohere Released Command A: A 111B Parameter AI Model with 256K Context Length, 23-Language Support, and 50% Cost Reduction for EnterprisesAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/A Code Implementation to Build an AI-Powered PDF Interaction System in Google Colab Using Gemini Flash 1.5, PyMuPDF, and Google Generative AI API

Mar 19, 2025Ravie LakshmananVulnerability / Network SecurityCybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of two critical flaws impacting mySCADA myPRO, a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system used in operational technology (OT) environments, that could allow malicious actors to take control of susceptible systems."These vulnerabilities, if exploited, could grant unauthorized access to industrial control networks, potentially leading to severe operational disruptions and financial losses," Swiss security company PRODAFT said.The list of shortcomings, both rated 9.3 on the CVSS v4 scoring system, are below -CVE-2025-20014 - An operating system command injection vulnerability that could permit an attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the affected system via specially crafted POST requests containing a version parameterCVE-2025-20061 - An operating system command injection vulnerability that could permit an attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the affected system via specially crafted POST requests containing an email parameterSuccessful exploitation of either of the two flaws could permit an attacker to inject system commands and execute arbitrary code. The issues have been addressed in the following versions -mySCADA PRO Manager 1.3mySCADA PRO Runtime 9.2.1According to PRODAFT, both vulnerabilities stem from a failure to sanitize user inputs, thereby opening the door to a command injection."These vulnerabilities highlight the persistent security risks in SCADA systems and the need for stronger defenses," the company said. "Exploitation could lead to operational disruptions, financial losses, and safety hazards."Organizations are recommended to apply the latest patches, enforce network segmentation by isolating SCADA systems from IT networks, enforce strong authentication, and monitor for suspicious activity.Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

Refuting its name, New College is one of the most ancient and venerable of Oxfords colleges. Founded by William of Wykeham in 1379, it occupies a predictably grand huddle of ancient golden-stoned courts, if here bifurcated unusually by a crenellated fragment of Oxfords original city wall.The colleges oldest courtyard or quad in Oxford-speak was a radical departure when completed in 1403. Great Quad was the first purpose-designed, all-of-a-piece academic courtyard, combining chapel, great hall and student rooms arranged around it. It set the template for what became the default model for other Oxbridge colleges and universities for centuries.It was, typologically, a radical thing to do, putting un-alike building types and uses together in a whole, says David Kohn, founding director of David Kohn Architects (DKA), which recently completed its own addition to the College the Gradel Quadrangles (named after the main donor) a few hundred yards up the road. It provides a satellite college campus of 94 student rooms, study spaces, offices and performance space, with its own gatehouse and tower, together with classrooms, assembly hall and canteen for New College School.AdvertisementA walk around the old college campus takes you through the rich historical context into which DKAs new buildings were required to fit. Garden Quad, a second, late-17th century courtyard, was another architectural first in its time: an open-ended quad with buildings erected on only three of its four sides.It was a shift from the enclosed, walled courts of the 14th century, which segregated rowdy students from townsfolk [murders of and by students were not uncommon at the time] to a very open gesture, where you can see the town beyond, says Kohn. It coincided with New College inviting townsfolk to take up residence, for a fee. So the buildings form reflects the changing attitude between town and gown. I like the idea that architecture, be it at a glacial pace, can express changes in the society around it.The idea helped inform DKAs design for its latest addition. It sits to the north of the college precincts, in an area of Neogothic and Arts and Crafts villas built for dons around the turn of the 20th century. These are surrounded by large gardens a very different environment from the streets tightly lined by college walls and quads to the south.One of the villas on the site is Grade II-listed and the college had tried unsuccessfully several times to get planning permission to demolish an adjacent unlisted villa to redevelop as student housing. It was the colleges decision to masterplan the site as a whole that unlocked it, says Kohn, whose practice won the 2015 competition for the far more ambitious development of a new mini-campus. The scheme consists of three detached buildings: a small single-storey gatehouse; a seven-storey tower with a distinctive curlicue-profiled top; and a sinuous three-storey student housing block, arranged across the site like a deconstructed version of a college. As you approach, the ensemble presents a strikingly playful confection of forms rather Gaud-esque, with creamy limestone faades accented decoratively by pink sandstone.AdvertisementThe blocks are expressive in plan, too, with the main student housing block curving around a central horseshoe-shaped court, its curving sides creating further implied courtyard spaces between it and the adjacent Victorian college and school buildings that bookend it. Its as though the glacial evolution of the open-ended quad form to stretch the analogy has here reached melting point, the open-ended, softly rounded forms reflecting what DKA calls the fluid, open relationship between town and university today.Another key piece in unlocking the site was the realisation that the listing of the villa was specifically attached to its street front and west garden, so building was allowed close to its rear. This freed up space for the relatively bulky horseshoe-shaped block, which sits close to the villa at the rear, as well as against neighbouring buildings. The site was previously occupied in part by a 1970s school addition, which was demolished. The tight junctions would have been awkward with a more orthogonal building but here work comfortably, smoothed out by curved faades and features. Kohn says the layout was also influenced by an unpublished 1940s Pevsner essay on picturesque planning, which talks of the virtue of narrow spaces.It means the college has been able to house everything it needed to on the site: Important, given the arms race between colleges to build new facilities, says Kohn.The pink sandstone arch of the gatehouse-cum-porters lodge is heavily corniced and somewhat Classical in form, with a hint of Lutyens Delhi about it. It has provoked other comparisons. There was meant to be a green roof but one don thought it would make it look too Teletubbies-like, says Kohn.Through the grilled, geometrically patterned entrance gates, designed by artist Eva Rothschild, the view is framed to be scenographic, says Kohn. The new blocks and Arts and Crafts villa sit beyond a lawn and mature trees retained from the original gardens, like a Repton landscape in miniature. Kohn says: We worked with the conservation architect Marcus Beale, who was clear from the start that any successful development had to be landscape-led, incorporating the trees. This is certainly stagey architecture slightly mannered, as Kohn describes it.Seen close-up, the quality of the stonework of faades creamy Ancaster limestone flecked with grey and diagonally jointed is exceptional, given this was a Design and Build contract. Kohn has nothing but praise for the stone contractor, Grants of Shoreditch. The faades are dressed in a harder, pinker sandstone, which also forms cornices from which carved gargoyles and grotesques emerge another artists commission, this time Monster Chetwynd. We decided these should depict endangered animals which may become extinct during the lifetime of these buildings, says Kohn. One depicts the sleepy head of a golden mole popping out from the stonework, while another, a pangolin, hangs on for dear life at the top of the tower.The towers highly modelled silhouette reflects its extrusion from a trefoil-shaped plan a motif of three intersecting circles symbolising the Holy Trinity. DKA took its cue for this from the colleges Perpendicular chapel, where the motif is ubiquitous in the architecture. The shape is also picked up playfully in the designs of door handles and grilles elsewhere in the new buildings.The tower becomes more transparent the higher up it goes it was important that it didnt feel defensive with enlarged windows taking ever more expressive shapes as they go up, one resembling a theatre proscenium. Student rooms, grouped around kitchens, occupy lower floors, while the Gradel Institute of Charity, funded by the main donor too, in a slightly self-rewarding way occupies the upper levels of the tower with the best views for its offices.Kohn points to how the suns progress can be tracked incrementally across the undulating, south-facing faade of the main horizontal block, a bit like a sundial. It brings a dynamism to the architecture and makes it look curvier than it is, he observes.A sawtooth pattern of pink stone, nicknamed the flame cornice by DKA, runs across the top of the faades. Elsewhere, the cornice roller-coasters irregularly up and down over dormer windows, reflecting those of adjacent buildings. The roofs are prominently rounded. Kohn says: I like how, in the premodern era, roofs were very important parts of faades.The structure was changed from steel to timber during the design process, with the highly insulated roof covered in polygonal anodised aluminium tiles, fitted algorithymically together, which give it the appearance of a plump slab of fish, covered in silvery scales.While the buildings forms invoke the aforementioned Tellytubbies and fish-scale metaphors, they also call up a cacophony of architectural echoes: Gaud, certainly, but also the forms of the other traditions of early 20th century modernism before everything went orthogonal the flowing, moulded forms of Scharoun and Haring, the organic-expressionist fantasies of Hermann Finsterlin. I like the open-ended possibilities at the beginning of the 20th century. Lots of architects dont like Gaud and see his work as kitsch. But architecture should be expressive and communicative and flirt with form, says Kohn. He welcomes different readings of the building, saying: A building is collaborative, but its not so much about co-authors as an architect, I dont want to give up agency but about its users and readers. It needs to be open-ended and non-systemic enough to be read in different ways.The three storeys of the main block accommodate the majority of the student rooms, grouped around communal kitchens. The curves of the external envelope are still evident, if more subtly, in these spaces. The corridors visibly snake, pivoting off rounded stairwells lit from above by oculi. The shifting geometries allow for a variety of room shapes, including duplexes inspired by those at James Stirlings Florey building at nearby Queens College. But, where those are light-filled, these suffer from being somewhat cave-like under the curve of the roof, lit only by a low, horizontal window. In general, though, these are decent, comfortable rooms. Everywhere woodwork is painted in DKAs signature green. The heating arrives via ground-source heat pumps, delivered through an underfloor system. Due to the tightness of the site, one wing is split between the college and New College school, its volume filleted down the middle: one side student rooms, one side classrooms, canteen and school hall, the larger spaces raised cleverly, but counterintuitively, to the top of the building. Its pretty seamless, given the yin and yang contrast between calm academic quad to one side and noisy school playground to the other.At basement level sits a new 50-seat chamber concert-like performance space a classic box-in-a-box, designed with Charcoalblue which audiences can access down from the front quad, the entrance in line of sight from the porters lodge. While simply fitted-out, with acoustic spray-finished walls left visible behind oak baffles, the latter are crenellated to recall Oxfords city walls in the old college: another historical reference snuck in.Other interior spaces do not feel so resolved, nor so successful. The performance space is approached down a curving stair and through an enfilade of idiosyncratically shaped spaces. A slightly awkward skinny art gallery space feels like a leftover from the imposed geometries, while an octagonal basement lobby seems to have lost its function as the orientation space for which its geometry was intended. It was to have served a lecture theatre sitting under the quad, which was cut from the programme. The quality of the Design and Build-completed interiors is more par-for-the-course, too: odd service junctions, messy exposed ducting and handrails cutting across windows.Overall, though, this is quite a project: its play with decoration, historical form and iconography takes DKAs idea of communicative architecture, seen in previous projects such as the Red House and in the Design District, to another scale of complexity and urbanity. Even the distinctive DKA colours that define those projects, a definite red and green period for the practice, are here digested more subtly into pink stone and green sward.While the use of natural materials such as loadbearing stone faades and timber roof structure has helped bring the embodied carbon-count down (given the concrete basement and frame), they also contribute to the buildings forms soft but solid which Kohn describes as permanent but light in character. Even if you dont particularly like their unique appearance, they express a gently playful quality that positively animates the streets around.In places the form-making seems at the expense of the interior spaces, but I like the tale this architecture is telling and it clearly had the funding and client to allow it to be so fully told. Interestingly, Kohn mentions that, on the back of this project, Bob Stern has invited him to be the visiting professor of Classical architecture at Yale in spring 2027, coinciding with the first exhibition of Soanes drawings to be shown there. I like how Soane plays with Classical architecture, not as a given, but as a text for interpretation, says Kohn. One suspects he has taken a similar approach here.Architects viewThe Gradel Quadrangles are a major expansion of one of the University of Oxfords oldest colleges, designed to address the residential, study and pastoral needs of undergraduates at New College. The project provides 94 student bedrooms, a shared study space and a performance auditorium, alongside facilities for the adjacent New College School, and a landmark tower housing offices for the Gradel Institute of Charity.New College Oxford is architecturally significant: the first planned university quadrangle was built here in 1379, as well as the first open-sided quad in the 17th century. We sought to pursue that spirit of innovation and the trajectory of buildings gradually embracing the outside world with Oxfords first-ever curved quad. Sinuous elevations frame a series of landscaped spaces and the New College School playground. Departing from the typologys closed, quasi-monastic origins, the project seeks a more open and welcoming contemporary interpretation that shifts the relationship between university and city.Intrinsic to the inspiration of the building was a requirement that it should feel part of the main college, should be built for the long term and be something that is much more than a hall of residence. In response, we have created buildings with a distinct sense of place that are essentially collegiate but very much without precedent in their architecture and material treatment. A key element is a series of artworks made in collaboration with contemporary artists, including stone gargoyles and grotesques, representing the continuation of a creative tradition rooted in New Colleges medieval origins.David Kohn, director, David Kohn ArchitectsEngineers viewQuads and tiles are both known for being rectangular. New College Oxfords latest building has reinvented the idea of a quad in a curved plan.Early explorations in the design centred around building a curved roof over the curved quad a loadbearing vaulted roof, made of Catalan tiles cemented together with plaster of Paris. This way of building, used by Gaud and Gustavino, creates elegant, efficient structures, whose funicular shape is loaded compression; a vault can be vanishingly thin as a result. Sadly, the skills to build these roofs are also vanishingly rare and not practical to use on such a scale as the Gradel Quadrangles.Looking for alternatives, sprayed concrete seemed possible but, with a large basement, we had enough concrete in the scheme already, where it was really needed. So we started wondering whether our vaulted roof could be made in timber. We worked a few options using diagrids and CLT shells but the one that won out was simple curved laminated timber ribs skinned in OSB and planks. What was exciting was that the original craftsmanship envisaged in the tile layers making the vaults became digital craftsmanship, the timbers slotting together into shaped rebates with no need for steel connectors.The project concluded eight years after it began with the idea of tiles again, this time not to hold up the curved roof but to clad it. Working with the architects and contractors, we developed a method to clad the roof with 5,000 or so aluminium tiles of different shapes, devising a way to lay them out over the irregular surface with installers using their phones to map the positions with an augmented reality app.The other curves of the building are rendered in structure: the concrete frame cradles the curved floor plates and the stone walls, made in Ancaster limestone, dovetail together like the stones in a lighthouse wall.Tim Lucas, partner, Price & MyersClients viewWhen David Kohn Architects won the competition to design a new development at New College back in 2015, my predecessor described it as a highly significant project that would release the potential of an important central Oxford site whilst at the same time creating a piece of striking architecture that will match the quality of the rest of the college both timeless and sensitive to the environs.The Gradel Quadrangles are an outstanding fulfilment of that ambition, and allow us to address the residential, study and pastoral needs of our undergraduates. Many more of them can now live in college, with a level of comfort and facilities unparalleled by other new builds. Our auditorium the New Space is a hugely valuable addition, bearing in mind our very strong musical tradition. The new buildings for New College School work extremely well, and it is wonderful to see the schools young pupils enjoying the building together.Our brief demanded a sensitive solution to a very challenging design problem: reconciling exciting and innovative architecture within a particular Edwardian streetscape; the southernmost part of north Oxford. David Kohns decision to embrace the quadrangle typology drawing upon the rich architectural history here at New College but to create something entirely fresh has given us a range of outstanding new facilities and a building that, like the original New College buildings, will hopefully stand for centuries.When you walk into the Gradel Quadrangles, the first thing you see is a contemporary statue of our founder, William of Wykeham. He was an innovator, and David Kohn has emulated his spirit in a remarkable way. There is a truly collegiate sense of place but in a highly original form. Most important of all, our students just love living there.Miles Young, warden, New College, OxfordWorking detailThe parapet of the Main Quad building brings together many of the construction systems in the project. Vertically, the self-load-bearing stone faade, of 70mm-thick buff weatherbed Ancaster limestone from Lincolnshire, is topped off with contrasting pink Stoneraise blocks from Cumbria to create the flame cornice. This faade, beautifully built by Grants of Shoreditch, is laterally braced by ties to the concrete frame.This in turn supports a prefabricated timber roof structure made in Switzerland by Blumer Lehmann. The design of this element was carried out during construction in collaboration with structural engineers Price & Myers and earned the project an Institute of Civil Engineers Carbon Champion Award.The roof is topped with anodised aluminium polygonal tiles that were set out by the structural engineers using an algorithm that tessellated three, four, five, six and seven-sided tiles to cover the unique geometry of the roof with minimal joints.Projecting from the parapet is a bear gargoyle, one of 24 that represent the contemporary animal kingdom under threat from the climate crisis. These include a pangolin, golden mole, toucan, elephant and bushbaby, chosen in consultation with the professor of evolutionary biology at New College, Ashleigh Griffin, and suggestions from Katherine Rundell, author of The Golden Mole and Other Vanishing Treasure.The animal forms were created by artist Monster Chetwynd in collaboration with stonemason Fergus Wessel.David Kohn, director, David Kohn ArchitectsProject dataStart on siteOctober 2021CompletionApril 2024Gross internal floor area5,639m2Construction cost54.5 millionConstruction cost per m29,670ArchitectDavid Kohn ArchitectsClientNew College OxfordStructural engineerPrice & MyersM&E consultantSkelly & CouchQuantity surveyorArcadisProject managerRidgePrincipal designerOxford ArchitectsApproved building inspectorOxford City CouncilLandscape designTodd Longstaffe-GowanGate artistEva RothschildGrotesques/gargoyles artistMonster ChetwyndStonemasonFergus WesselPlanning consultantBidwellsTheatre consultantCharcoalblueStone faade contractorGrants of ShoredtichTimber roof specialistBlumer LehmannGate fabricatorThe White Wall CompanyMain contractorSir Robert McAlpineCAD software usedVectorworksSustainability dataPercentage of floor area with daylight factor >2%Not suppliedPercentage of floor area with daylight factor >5%Not suppliedOn-site energy generationNilHeating and hot water load (predicted)MQ*: 116.92 kWh/m2/yr , NCS: 54.31 kWh/m2/yr, NWH: 181.14 kWh/m2/yrTotal energy load (predicted)MQ: 128.4 kWh/m2/yr, NCS: 40.01 kWh/m2/yr, NWH: 189.83 kWh/m2/yrCarbon emissions (all) (predicted)MQ: 35.2 kgCO2/m2, NCS: 16.3 kgCO2/m2, NWH: 45.2 kgCO2/m2Annual mains water consumptionNot suppliedAirtightness at 50Pa (actual)MQ: 2.12 m3/hr/m2, NCS: 2.73 m3/hr/m2, NWH: 2.89 m3/hr/m2Overall thermal bridging heat transfer coefficient (Y-value)Not suppliedOverall area-weighted U-valueNot suppliedEmbodied / whole-life carbonNot suppliedPredicted design life100 years*MQ (Main Quad), NCS (New College School), NWH (New Warham House)

Real Housewives of Orange County star Heather Dubrow, and her husband Dr. Terry Dubrow, who is a plastic surgeon on the TV show Botched, are ditching the 90210 for a more modestand flexiblelifestyle. The reality TV stars are offloading their Beverly Hills mansion for $25 million, per TMZ.The Dubrows bought their English-style dream house in July 2023 for $16 million from the estate of late filmmaker Martha De Laurentiis. Since the purchase, the 1940s compound has gone through several rounds of renovations. Now, the two-story hilltop home, which sits on eight acres of land, features five bedrooms and nine bathrooms spread across 9,000 square feet.A living area in the home.Photo: Christopher AmitranoA grand entry foyer with dual staircases greets guests. The main space is defined by a sun-drenched living room lined with bookshelves, a formal dining room with a fireplace, and a kitchen with a marble island and stainless appliances. Other luxe amenities include an upstairs primary suite featuring a cozy seating area, a private balcony looking out onto the LA skyline, and dual walk-in closets. The top floor also hosts a library and a media room, per Robb Report.Join NowFlash Sale: Become an AD PRO member today and unlock your design potential.ArrowThe homes dining area.Photo: Christopher Amitrano

Tight on square footage? Then you need a hard-working desk that doesnt feel like an eyesore in your home office. Here, weve gathered the best desks for small spaces, each offering an ample work surface and plenty of extra storagewithout taking up valuable real estate in a tightly squeezed studio apartment, bedroom, or living room.Read on for compact desk options from some of our favorite retailers in a variety of styles, including midcentury secretary desks, laptop desks, minimalist ladder desks, and more. Whether youre looking to store office essentials, transform a bookshelf into a workspace, or ditch an overstuffed filing cabinet for something a bit more streamlined, rest assured: Your cramped corner, tiny work-from-home office, or small home is about to get a major productivity upgrade.Our Top Picks for the Best Desks for Small SpacesBest Wall-Mounted Desk: Formr UnderSTUDY, $499Best Rolling Desk: Ryan Collapsible Metal Desk, $199Best Compact Desk With Storage: Castlery Sloane Desk, $699Best Secretary Desk: Article Fantol Natural Oak Wood Secretary Desk, $599Best Sit-Stand Desk: Herman Miller Passport Work Desk, $805 $604Browse According to CategoryStorage-Heavy PicksArticle Fantol Cabinet DeskSpecsDimensions: 29"H x 42"W x 24"DMaterials: Solid wood legs with veneer topAssembly required? YesArticles Fantol Secretary Desk features clean lines, a solid wood frame, and removable storage shelves that lend themselves to multipurpose functionality. Need a home office setup that can be hidden away at days end? Done. A child-friendly workspace for homework and art? You got it. A tidy bar cabinet to be tucked beside a dining table or into a tight living room corner? Consider it accomplished. Adding to the desks do-it-all appeal: sturdy, solid oak legs and a natural wood finish with one-of-a-kind character.Castlery Sloane Desk with 2 DrawersSpecsDimensions: 29.9"H x 47.2"W x 47.75"DMaterials: Engineered woodAssembly required? YesFor those interested in a work surface that can double as a vanity or living room sideboard, the Sloane Desk from Castlery is up to the task. Elevated by fluted panels and a duo of discreet storage drawers, its look is polished enough to nimbly complement non-office settings.Blu Dot Stash Reversible DeskSpecsDimensions: 29"H x 42"W x 24"DMaterials: Solid wood legs with veneer topAssembly required? YesAvailable in eight color options (were partial to the combination of olive and ash), this clever home office addition pairs a solid wood tabletop with a handy storage drawer that can be arranged to accommodate both left- and right-handed workers. Added perks: Reviewers applaud how easy it is to put togetherand its narrow legs give it a lighter look despite its width of nearly four feet. All you need now is a chic, ergonomic office chair to match and your sleek, space-saving workspace is complete.Design Within Reach Line Mini DeskSpecsDimensions: 29.5"H x 36"W x 22"DMaterials: Wood and wood veneer/MDFAssembly required? YesA treat for the eyesand a space-saving solution for any small homethis compact wood desk pairs its clean, design-forward aesthetic with discreet, functional details: a drawer for extra storage, a hidden cubby for cables, and a fully finished back that allows it to be displayed anywhere in the room. With solid wood legs and slats, its a sturdy home office addition thats both handsome and heirloom-worthy.East Urban Home DeskSpecsDimensions: 47.64"H x 31.30"W x 11.02"DMaterials: Manufactured woodAssembly required? YesTheres something magical about furniture with hidden functions. This is one of those pieces of furniture. At first glance, it looks like a slightly retro cabinet, but youd be fooled. Theres a hidden Murphy desk once you open up the cabinet drawers with storage packed into every corner of this design. Were especially into the low-profile bookshelf on each side and interior shelves. Heads-up: It might be best to assemble this one with a buddy, and make sure to anchor the cabinet to the wall.Basic, Multipurpose DesksUrban Outfitters Ryan Collapsible Metal DeskSpecsDimensions: 29.5"H x 23.9"W x 47.75"DMaterials: IronAssembly required? YesAn older version of the Ryan desk has been featured on this list before, but a space-saving update to its design warrants a reappearance. Outfitted with a collapsible steel tabletop, foldable legs, removable wheels, and a clean white finish, its built to meet a diverse range of needs. It also easily subs in as a desk or console when neededand stays conveniently out of sight when its not. (A non-collapsible version is available, too, in punchy powder-coated shades like sky blue and kelly green.)Made by Choice Fem Work DeskSpecsDimensions: 41"H x 37"W x 22"DMaterials: Ash woodAssembly required? YesWith its warm, natural ash frame and pleasing lack of technical bells and whistles, this Finnish-made wood desk is just right for those in search of a functional, compact workspace that, well, doesnt look like one. Equally at home in a kitchen, living room, or bar, Fem features two spacious tabletop surfaces for work and storagewith the top down, the piece functions as a standing desk; when its folded back, its the perfect height for an office chair. Our associate commerce director Lori Keong owns this desk in her small New York City apartment and can attest that its the ideal adjustable height to make the most of wall space and is super easy to put together since all the pieces fit into each other like puzzle pieces.Branch Daily DeskSpecsDimensions: 28.5"H x 36"W x 24"DMaterials: Laminated MDF and powder-coated steelAssembly required? YesBranchs small-space-friendly Daily Desk was designed using what the brand describes as a nothing unnecessary approach. Accordingly, what may first appear to be a bare-bones minimalist frame is just the base of a modular system that allows users to opt in to details and accessories that work for themand say no to the ones that dont. Among a slew of add-ons to help your home office work harder: a felt-lined desk drawer, caster legs, privacy panels, headphone stand, and more. Choose from three sizes and six head-turning finish combinations.Cayman L-Shape Rotating DeskSpecsDimensions: 30"H x 50"W x 20"DMaterials: kiln-dried mango woodAssembly required? YesA modern, minimalist dream, this solid wood, L-shaped desk features a surface that swivels, for a flexible office space that can expand and contract as the days needs dictate.Wall-Mounted OptionsDcor+ by ElfaSpecsDimensions: 85.5"H x 36"W x 20"DMaterials: SteelAssembly required? YesFor lofty home offices with high ceilings but cramped quarters, this tall ladder system from The Container Store delivers. Its strong stainless steel shelves can hold your laptop, plus store trinkets, books, and decor up top (with a weight limit of 88 pounds per shelf). You can even request that it be installed by the Elfa team if youre not the best at using drills.Design Within Reach Folk Ladder DeskSpecsDimensions: 28/75"H x 32"W x 20"DMaterials: Ash or walnut wood, wood veneer over MDF shelvesAssembly required? YesCreate the home office of your Danish design dreams with this solid wood ladder desk that combines space-saving functionality with the option of expandable shelving. Featuring solid wood rails and a choice of three finishes (black, natural ash, or walnut brown), the Folk Ladder Desk can be combined with additional shelving for a modular workspace thats as gratifying to use as it is delightful to look at.Formr UnderSTUDYSpecsDimensions: 28/75"H x 32"W x 20"DMaterials: Wood and metalAssembly required? YesTheres no need to sacrifice floor space with this tidy wall-mounted desk from West Elm. Available in three sizes, it features a compact work surface with a narrow ledge that offers just enough space for pens, picture frames, and office supplies. Another reason to love it: Its crafted from repurposed construction debris, so its minimalist frame is sustainably made to boot.Metal DesksRoom & Board Slim DeskSpecsDimensions: 30"H x 36"W x 20"DMaterials: steelAssembly required? NoA visual breath of fresh air, the Slim Desk more than lives up to its name, providing all the sturdiness of a larger piece, minus the bulk. Combining durable, hand-welded steel construction with graceful, slender lines, its simultaneously hardy, elegant, and functional: Theres not one but two full-sized surfaces to work with, and a choice of two sizes (and 14 vivid colors!) allows for a multitude of styling possibilities. Pair with the collections matching bookcases, storage shelves, and side tables to customize further.Ikea Micke DeskSpecsDimensions: 29.5"H x 28.75"W x 20"DMaterials: Particleboard, plastic, paper foil, and powder-coated steelAssembly required? YesThough it may appear minimal, the under-$60 Micke desk from IKEA offers impressive functionality despite its no-frills frame. A roomy drawer features plenty of space for tools and supplies, the design can be paired with other Micke pieces to create workspaces of various sizes, and a clever cable outlet keeps the tabletop clutter-free. Plus, its simple, streamlined design makes it an undeniably versatile choice, suited to play a range of rolesfrom computer desk to crafting table, entryway console to elegant vanity.West Elm Mid-Century Art Display Mini DeskSpecsDimensions: 30"H x 36"W x 22.2"DMaterials: Tempered glass, engineered wood, wood veneer, steel frameAssembly required? YesLevel up your at-home work station with this sophisticated metal, wood, and glass desk from West Elm. Featuring a tempered glass top, its designed to function both as an adaptable work surface and a means for keeping art, knick-knacks, and other assorted tools and treasures comfortingly in sightand within arms reach.Sit-to-Stand TablesPassport Work TableSpecsDimensions: 45"H x 27"W x 20"DMaterials: Wood veneer top, painted metal baseAssembly required? YesAdaptability on wheels! This Herman Miller laptop table offers several ways to customize your work experience. Choose your preferred tabletop and painted metal base finishes, opt for casters or glides, and, once youre all set up, enjoy the freedom of rolling its lightweight frame wherever you please (a perk of its cordless, non-electric design). The cherry on top: Its surface can be raised and lowered manually, transforming it from a sitting to standing desk in one easy motion. A compatible bag hook and privacy screen are sold separately.Mini Motia Sit-to-Stand DeskSpecsDimensions: 46"H x 34"W x 23"DMaterials: wood veneer top, die-cast aluminum legsAssembly required? YesAvailable in three sizes and color combinations, the height on this detail-oriented, electric standing desk is conveniently adjustable at the touch of a button. Its ice-blue finish provides a welcome break from ho-hum neutralsand, if youd like, you can order a desk chair in the exact same color for a sleek, monochrome setup.Foldable and Portable DesksArticle Portima C Side TableSpecsDimensions: 19-27"H x 22"W x 14"DMaterials: wood and powder-coated steelAssembly required? NoThis height-adjustable side table pulls double duty as a desk in a snap. Despite a solid wood tabletop and powder-coated steel foundation, the Portima C weighs in at just 20 pounds, which means it can easily move from living room to office to bedroom and back again. Plus, its slender base can slide under chairs, sofas, and beds, minimizing its footprint and keeping its contents as close as needed.AmazonGreenForest Folding DeskSpecsDimensions: 32.2"H x 32.2"W x 24.5"DMaterials: Wood and metalAssembly required? NoTake the guesswork out of building your own desk with this fully assembled model. Perfect as a portable workspace in a small home, this desk folds down to one-inch thickness, so it can easily be stored under your bed or in a closet after youve clocked out for the day.

Lets model and animate a cool and colorful retro cassette tape scene in Blender.Source

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While Rippling and Deel duke it out in the field and in the courtroom alleging illegal sales and marketing tactics, heres another way to boost business growth: pick up a massive sum of cash to expand your operations in those areas.Factorial, the Barcelona-based unicorn startup that provides an all-in-one HR platform in the cloud for small and medium businesses, has picked up a non-dilutive (no equity) $120 million from General Catalyst money it says it will invest in one specific area: go to market (or GTM, the umbrella term used for the wider expenses associated with sales and marketing activities).Factorial initially cut its teeth in the boom for HR services that came with the social distancing of the Covid-19 pandemic, with a free version of the product that went viral and racked up more than 60,000 users. Soon after it went paid-only, and CEO and co-founder Jordi Romero told TechCrunch in an interview that it has seen customers and revenues grow sixfold in the last year, putting the number of paying businesses at 13,000. Factorial will be using the money to take advantage of that momentum.Factorials news about raising more money to turbocharge its sales and marketing is coming, coincidentally, at a time when HR sales and marketing activities are suddenly in the spotlight albeit not a particularly glowing one.Deel and Rippling, two larger HR startups that have a history of acrimony and aggressive competition against each other, are now in the midst of a major legal showdown, where Rippling is suing Deel, alleging that it worked with a spy to steal intel about customers and sales and marketing strategies. Deel denies the allegations.From what we understand, Factorial says its running an audit internally to make sure that it also has not had any activity among its ranks that violates company confidentiality and its code of practices. Having the funds to go to market as Factorial is doing today is one way to grow a sales funnel, yet unfortunately among SaaS companies, so is poaching and other aggressive tactics to secure talent, leads and strategy. In any case, Factorial has a window here to use this $120 million to position itself away from the drama and win business.To be clear, this money is not an equity investment, nor is it the more classic form of venture debt. The money is coming out of GCs Customer Value fund. Its effectively a non-dilutive loan (no equity stake involved) that Factorial will pay back from its cashflow specifically gross profit from customers that GCs money helped to acquire.The money that Factorial has picked up over the years from equity raises the last round was $120 million at a $1 billion valuation back in 2022 remains untouched. And although GC gets no equity in the investment, it does set up a relationship that could lead to a future round of funding where it does get equity.From what we understand, Factorial is not currently looking to raise a significant primary equity round soon. More likely it will raise a secondary round to give earlier investors and employees some liquidity.As Jordi Romero, Factorials co-founder and CEO, described it, General Catalysts Customer Value strategy operates a bit like an equity fund (minus the equity stake). It doles out money from it to a number of startups that want to boost their GTM, and it tracks performance across the portfolio more like equity investing, meaning there is no collateral as you would have in debt. Some in the pool may sink, and some may swim, and that is the bet GC is making.Unlike debt, the company does not have any downside risk as GC bears the downside risk if the go to market investmentdoes not perform, Pranav Singhvi, the MD at General Catalyst who came up with the idea and runs the fund, told TechCrunch over email. He added that the typical company that gets funds in this way is late-stage or public that have demonstrated consistency in sales and marketing.Singhvi also talked at length about Customer Value in this podcast in October 2024.Factorial has now borrowed $200 million from GC under these terms after picking up $80 million under the same terms in April 2024.Sanghvi said that GC now has assets under management in the range of 10 figures (that is, billions) from its Customer Value efforts, which have been going for four years now. Typically in a month it deploys hundreds of millions of dollars into SaaS, direct-to-consumer, fintech, gaming ad other companies. We believe this is a key part of how companies will finance their growth in the future, he said.

A complete list of all the known layoffs in tech, from Big Tech to startups, broken down by month throughout 2024. 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.