We chat to Jo Plaete from Metaphysic about the use of its neural HMC performance injection tech, including for the character Rook in Alien: Romulus.Welcome to the brand new AI and machine learning in VFX season of episodes on the befores & afters podcast. This season is all about where AI and machine learning are being used right now in visual effects. Today Im joined by Jo Plaete, chief innovation officer and visual effects supervisor from Metaphysic.On the podcast: Ian Failes (left) is joined by Metaphysics Jo Palate.Youll likely be familiar with Metaphysics work on three big projects from last year Furiosa, where they worked on the Bullet Farmer, Alien: Romulus, where they helped craft Rook, and Here, where they de-aged (and aged) Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, among several other characters. For those projects, Metaphysic utilized its Neural Performance Toolset, including its Neural Editing and Animation tools.Go in-depth on Alien: Romulus in issue #22 of befores & afters magazine.For Rook in Alien: Romulus, in particular, Metaphysic also relied on something it coined Neural HMC performance injection, where the performance of an actor captured in an HMC was also part of the mix of delivering that character. Thats what we focus on today, as part of Metaphysics approach to AI-driven facial animation.Listen in, above.The post Metaphysics neural HMC performance injection tech appeared first on befores & afters.

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more.Since ChatGPTs launch in 2022, it feels like artificial intelligence is finally going mainstream. From Fortune 500 board rooms to dinner tables, everyone is talking about AI, its applications, and its promise. With more than $500 billion flowing into AI infrastructure investments, many investors predict the AI wave is just gaining momentum.Those investors are right, AI still has a long way to go before it is truly ubiquitous. But more importantly, we have to tread carefully when we talk about AI going mainstream. The reality is that while many reading this article are already using AI in our daily lives, there are billions of people around the world who are a long way away from feeling AIs impacts and opportunities.So how do we truly change the world with AI? The opportunity isnt just about reach, but about the underlying data and infrastructure that will be needed to make AI a truly global technology revolution.Lessons from mobile phone adoptionWe can learn a lot about the promises and pitfalls of technology revolutions by looking to the past. Today, 70.5% of the worlds population uses a cellphone. Yet, its taken nearly 50 years for cellphones to gain worldwide adoption since the first mobile phone call was made in 1973 by Martin Cooper, a Motorola executive, using a prototype mobile phone.While mobile phone technology has improved significantly, with phones getting smaller and smarter over the years, the real power of mobile phones took hold with the cellular networks evolution. The 2G cellular network introduction in 2000 catapulted mobile phone usage forward and made it possible for companies like Apple to imagine the first iPhone, launched in 2007.Without significant investment and expansion in global cellular networksthe foundational infrastructure required to bring cell phone technology to every corner of the worldits possible that cell phones would never have gained popularity or market share.Biases and blind spotsSo, what hurdle does AI need to overcome to truly become a global technology? While many investors are looking towards power and chipsthe critical GPUs that allow AI to performthey are missing a much more important foundation: data.Large language models (LLMs)the backbone of todays AIare only as good as the data they are trained on. Unfortunately, data often comes with built-in biases and blind spots.Consider for a moment that many of the most popular LLMs have been built by U.S. companies and are trained on large, publicly available datasets using online sources like literature, news, social media, and Wikipedia. While expansive, this data is inherently influenced by Western cultural norms, political ideologies, and historical viewpoints. This is a problem if the AI product is meant to be used globally.Its a simple truth: Online data tends to reflect wealthier, tech-savvy populations that represent a very small percentage of the world population. As a result, the LLMs powering the most exciting AI are only relevant and working for English-speaking users with regular internet access, but are failing to account for the experiences and realities of the global majority.The path forwardOne solution is stronger AI governanceimplementing policies and procedures that actively mitigate biases in AI models and the underlying data they depend on. This has become a growing focus for policymakers and industry leaders alike, aiming to make training data more inclusive and models more reflective of diverse perspectives. Auditing systems for algorithmic fairness is one way to address this.However, relying on a handful of AI companies to self-regulate has its limitations. Arriving at an industry standard consensus can be difficult, policy adoption can be slow, and enforcement is often inconsistent. We need a broader approach.Another way forward is for companies to take matters into their own hands by pairing the depth of their own proprietary datasets and domain expertise with the breadth and processing power of existing AI models. By making a commitment to their own data management, companies across industries and regions present a huge opportunity to help improve and expand available data sets. Leveraging new, alternative sources of customer data is core to my company Talas thesis on reaching true global scaleand has enabled Tala to efficiently implement AI in its financial infrastructure.A truly global revolutionOne thing is clear: AI is here to stay, and its pace of development will only accelerate. But if we do not address its biases and blind spots now, we risk leaving billions of people out of the equation.There is hope that the AI industryfrom incumbents to disruptorswill recognize the global opportunity to implement AI. Companies must take proactive steps by adopting forward-thinking AI governance, while also leveraging proprietary data to fill in the gaps of the first generation of LLMs. The opportunity starts with global data and infrastructure. We are early enough in the lifecycle of AI to make sure we are building products to revolutionize the entire world, not just parts of it.Shivani Siroya is founder and CEO of Tala.

Erin McGuire spent years cultivating fruits and vegetables like onions, peppers and tomatoes as a scientist and later director of a lab at the University of California-Davis. She collaborated with hundreds of people to breed drought-resistant varieties, develop new ways to cool fresh produce and find ways to make more money for small farmers at home and overseas.Then the funding stopped. Her lab, and by extension many of its overseas partners, were backed financially by the United States Agency for International Development, which Trumps administrationhas been dismantling for the past several weeks. Just before it was time to collect data that had been two years in the making, her team received a stop work order. She had to lay off her whole team. Soon she was laid off, too.Its really just been devastating, she said. I dont know how you come back from this.The U.S. needs more publicly funded research and development on agriculture to offset the effects of climate change, according to apaper out in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this month.But instead the U.S. has been investing less.United States Department of Agriculture data showsthat as of 2019, the U.S. spent about a third less on agricultural research than its peak in 2002, a difference of about $2 billion. The recent pauses and freezes to funding for research on climate change and international development are only adding to the drop. Its a serious issue for farmers who depend on new innovations to keep their businesses afloat, the next generation of scientists and eventually for consumers who buy food.If scientists have reliable backing, they can keep improving crop varieties to better withstand perilous weather conditions likedroughtsorfloods,find new uses for existing crop species,figure outhow to protect workers,develop new technologyto aid in planting and harvesting orcreate more effective ways of fighting pests.They can also investigate agriculturespotential roleinfighting climate change.This is terrible news for the U.S. agricultural sector, said Cornell associate professor Ariel Ortiz-Bobea, the lead author of the paper.Trump administration hastens funding cutsAs the Trump administration pauses and shutters research programs funded by the Environmental Protection Agency, USDA and other agencies, Ortiz-Bobea and other experts have seen field trials stopped, postdoctoral positions eliminated and a looming gap forming between the reality of climate change and the tools farmers have to deal with it.The EPA declined to comment, and the USDA and USAID did not respond to Associated Press queries.Ortiz-Bobea and his team quantified overall U.S. agricultural productivity, estimated how much it would be slowed by climate change in coming years and calculated how much money would need to be invested in research and development to counteract that slowdown.Think of it like riding a bike into a headwind, Ortiz-Bobea said. To maintain the same speed, you have to pedal harder; in this case, R&D can be that extra push.Some countries are heading that direction. China spends almost twice as much as the U.S. on agricultural research, and has increased its research investments by five times since 2000, wrote Omanjana Goswami, a scientist with the Food and Environment team at the Union of Concerned Scientists, in an email.Spending cutbacks have also shuttered agricultural research across almost all of the Feed the Future Innovation Labs, of which McGuires was one. Those 17 labs across 13 universities focused on food security, technical agriculture research, policy and various aspects of climate change. The stop-work orders at those labs not only disappointed researchers, but made useless much of their work.There are many, many millions of dollars of expenditure that will generate nothing now because the work couldnt be finished, said David Tschirley, a professor who had been directing another one of those programs, the Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research, Capacity and Influence at Michigan State University, since 2019.Finding new funding for agricultural researchSome researchers hope that other sources of funding can fill the gaps: Thats where private sector could really step up, said Swati Hegde, a scientist in the Food, Land, and Water Program at the World Resources Institute.From an agricultural point of view, climate change is really scary, with larger and larger regions exposed to temperatures above healthy growing conditions for many crops, said Bill Anderson, CEO of Bayer, a multinational biotechnology and pharmaceutical company that invested nearly $3 billion in agricultural research and development last year. But private companies have their own constraints on R&D investment, and he said Bayer cant invest as much as it would like in that area.I dont think that private industry can replicate how federal funding typically supports early stage, speculative science, he said, because the economics dont really work. He added that industry tends to be better suited to back ideas that have already been validated.Goswami, of the Union of Concerned Scientists, also expressed concerns that private research funding isnt as trackable and transparent as public funding. And others said even sizeable investments from companies dont give anywhere near enough money to match government funding.Researchers, farmers and consumers feel the falloutThe full impact may not be apparent for many years, and the damage wont easily be repaired. Experts think it will be a blow in other countries where climate change is already decimating yields, driving hunger and conflict.I really worry that if we dont really look at the global food situation, we will have a disaster, said David Zilberman, a professor at UC Berkeley who won a Wolf Prize in 2019 for his work on agriculture.But even domestically, experts say one thing is almost certain: this will mean even higher prices at the grocery store now and in the future.More people on the Earth, you need more productivity to prevent food prices going crazy, said Tom Hertel, a professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University. Even if nothing changes right away, he thinks 10 years from now, 20 years from now, our yield growth will surely be stunted by cuts to research on agricultural productivity.Many scientists said the wound isnt just professional but personal.People are very demoralized, especially younger researchers who dont have tenure and want to work on international food research, said Zilberman.Now those dreams are on hold for many. In carefully tended research plots, weeds begin to grow.Melina Walling, Associated PressThe Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APsstandardsfor working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas atAP.org.

A striking new skyscraper is being constructed in Miami, Florida. This residential tower will be distinguished by its sculpted exterior and will incorporate solar-panel-integrated windows to help minimize reliance on grid-based energy. Dubbed the Residences at 1428 Brickell, the buildings interior has been designed by Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel (ACPV Architects), while the local firm Arquitectonica is responsible for the exterior design, with development by Ytech.Located on Miamis prestigious Brickell Avenue, the skyscrapers exact height has not been disclosed, but it will feature 70 stories, marking it as an impressive structure. The unique sculpted exterior takes its inspiration from the wind rather than the nearby sea, as might be expected, and it will be anchored by a sturdy base that incorporates abundant greenery.Designer: Arquitectonica x ACPV ArchitectsAlthough constructing a large glass tower in Miami doesnt align with notions of sustainability, the buildings exterior will incorporate a substantial number of solar panels within the glazing of its west-facing facade. This design choice aims to decrease its reliance on grid-based energy.Since the solar cells are integrated into the glass, the effective lifespan of the panels can match the window itself, said ACPV Architects The property will feature 500 photovoltaic-integrated windows along the west-facing facade, creating a Solar Backbone comprising nearly 20,000 square feet [roughly 1,850 sq m] of energy-producing glass. With this orientation and permanently installed generating capacity, the system is capable of producing up to 170,000 kilowatts, or 170 megawatts, of clean energy per year.The interior of the skyscraper is designed to accommodate 189 luxury residences, each thoughtfully designed to provide an exceptional living experience. Every residence will feature its private foyer, and residents will enjoy expansive terrace areas, ideal for outdoor relaxation or entertaining guests, as well as summer kitchens that enhance the alfresco dining experience. High ceilings will add to the sense of spaciousness, while the Italian kitchens will be outfitted with premium finishes and top-of-the-line appliances.While specific pricing details for these residences have not been disclosed, reports from Florida YIMBY indicate that the two-to-four-bedroom units are expected to range from $3 million to $7 million. The luxurious penthouse suite is priced at an impressive $60 million. Considering the hefty price tag, the building willnaturally offer an extensive array of amenities. Residents will have access to a stunning rooftop pool, and multiple lounges will offer comfortable spaces for socializing and unwinding, while dedicated office spaces will cater to those who work from home. A state-of-the-art cinema and a fully-equipped gym are also included.The post Luxury Living Redefined Inside Miamis Eco-Friendly Skyscraper With Solar-Panel-Integrated Windows first appeared on Yanko Design.

Belgian watchmaker Ressence has just shattered expectations with its latest technological marvel. The Type 7, unveiled today, introduces GMT functionality and an integrated titanium braceletfirsts for the brandwhile maintaining its revolutionary oil-filled dial technology. This isnt just another luxury watch but rather a fundamental rethinking of how we interact with time on our wrists. After spending time with it, Im convinced this is the most lust-worthy GMT since my beloved Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi from 2018.Designer: RessenceDesign RevolutionThe Type 7 marks a dramatic departure from Ressences design language. Gone are the perfectly rounded cases that defined previous models, replaced by a more architectural tonneau shape with flat sides and polished bevels. This geometric approach creates a distinctly industrial aesthetic that feels both contemporary and timeless, yet still unmistakably Ressence. The sleekness of the design is what immediately captured my attentionits unlike anything else in my collection.We wanted to explore new territory without abandoning what makes Ressence unique, explains a company representative. The Type 7 masterfully achieves this balanceits both recognizably part of the Ressence family and something entirely new in the horological landscape. The angular case flows seamlessly into the integrated bracelet, creating a cohesive visual statement from every angle. As someone who appreciates design integrity, this seamless integration speaks volumes about the thought process behind the watch.Whats particularly striking is how this more brutalist approach contrasts with the fluid, almost organic movement of the dial elements. This tension between rigid exterior and flowing interior creates a visual dynamism rarely seen in watchmaking. The juxtaposition draws the eye and keeps it engaged as the orbital display system performs its hypnotic rotations. I found myself staring at it far longer than Id care to admit.The 41mm case size strikes an ideal balancesubstantial enough to make a statement without overwhelming smaller wrists. Grade 5 titanium construction ensures the watch remains surprisingly lightweight despite its robust appearance. This material choice reflects Ressences commitment to both technical excellence and wearer comfort. After years of wearing heavier steel sports watches, the lightness of the Type 7 is genuinely refreshing.Functional Art on the WristAt the heart of the Type 7 lies Ressences revolutionary ROCS 7 module (Ressence Orbital Convex System), the latest evolution of their patented display technology. This ingenious system creates the illusion that time indicators are floating directly beneath the sapphire crystal by filling the dial chamber with oil to eliminate refraction completely. The effect must be seen in person to be fully appreciated. Photos simply dont do justice to how the dial seems to materialize directly beneath the crystal.Traditional watch dials suffer from distortion when viewed from the sidea problem the Type 7 eliminates entirely. The oil-filled technology ensures perfect legibility from any angle, creating an almost holographic effect that transforms time-telling into a visual experience unlike any other mechanical watch on the market today. Even my cherished GMT-Master II, with its excellent legibility, cant match this level of visual clarity.The engineering challenges behind this system are considerable and represent a significant technical achievement. The movement must remain oil-free while still powering the oil-immersed display components. Ressence solves this through a magnetic transmission system that separates the ETA 2824 base movement from the ROCS module, allowing each to operate in its optimal environment. This separation ensures reliability while maintaining the visual spectacle that defines the brand.For the first time, Ressence has incorporated GMT functionality into its orbital display system. Rather than adding a conventional GMT hand, theyve integrated a 24-hour subdial that rotates within the larger time display ecosystem. This approach maintains visual harmony while adding genuine utility for travelers who need to track multiple time zones. As someone who frequently travels between time zones, I find this implementation both beautiful and practicala rare combination in watchmaking.Bracelet EngineeringThe integrated titanium bracelet represents a significant engineering milestone for Ressence. According to the companys technical specifications, the bracelet continues the angular design language established by the case, with each link precisely machined from the same Grade 5 titanium. This material consistency ensures visual harmony throughout the entire watch.Ressences engineers have developed a proprietary link system that allows the bracelet to follow the wrists contours while maintaining the geometric aesthetic. The company states that extensive computer modeling was employed to determine the optimal link size and articulation points for maximum comfort without compromising the design vision.The deployant clasp incorporates five micro-adjustment positionsa technical feature that allows for precise sizing without requiring tools. This engineering solution addresses one of the common challenges with integrated bracelets: the difficulty of achieving a perfect fit as environmental conditions change throughout the day.The bracelets integration with the case represents a technical achievement in itself. Rather than using traditional spring bars, Ressence has developed a proprietary attachment system that creates a seamless junction between case and bracelet. This approach eliminates visual breaks in the design while ensuring structural integrity under stress.Technical SpecificationsSetting the Type 7 requires using Ressences signature caseback winding and time-setting mechanisma system that eliminates the need for a traditional crown, preserving the cases clean lines. This mechanism, called the Ressence Compression Lock System (RCLS), also contributes to the watchs 50-meter water resistance. While not designed as a dive watch, this rating ensures the Type 7 can handle everyday encounters with water without concern. The absence of a crown creates an exceptionally clean profile that I find aesthetically pleasing.The technical specifications impress across the board and demonstrate Ressences commitment to performance. The movement beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour for smooth seconds movement and precise timekeeping. A 36-hour power reserve provides reliable operation between windings, sufficient for weekend wear. Perhaps most impressive is the case thickness of just 12.5mm despite the complex technology housed withina testament to Ressences engineering prowess. The slender profile makes it far more wearable than many other GMT watches in my experience.Two versions are available for collectors and enthusiasts to choose from. The Night Blue model with ceramic bezel joins the permanent collection, while the limited Aquamarine XV edition celebrates Ressences 15th anniversary with a distinctive color palette. The anniversary model features an aluminum bezel and is limited to just 80 pieces worldwide, ensuring exclusivity for early adopters. The Night Blue speaks to me personallyits depth and richness complement the technical nature of the watch perfectly.Market Position and Future ImpactPriced at CHF 36,000 (approximately $40,000 USD), the Type 7 establishes itself in the luxury watch segment with clear justification. The proprietary technology and engineering innovations reflect Ressences boutique status and focus on high-concept timepieces. Value stems from genuine innovation rather than heritage or brand recognition. The watch launches amid a surge in brutalist design across the industry, with brands from Toledano & Chan to Girard-Perregaux embracing angular aesthetics. This timing positions it perfectly within current design conversations while maintaining its unique identity.Ressence balances sharp edges with its signature flowing dial design, creating a visual language that feels modern yet timeless. This approach appeals to collectors who appreciate forward-thinking design in an industry often defined by tradition and incremental improvements. The achievement stands out particularly in the GMT category, where innovation typically focuses on color schemes rather than fundamental rethinking of time display methods.The oil-filled technology creates an immediate visual connection to time, while GMT functionality adds practical value for travelers. This synthesis makes the Type 7 simultaneously an artistic statement and a practical tool. For owners, it offers a fundamentally different relationship with timekeeping itself. By pushing mechanical boundaries while respecting horological principles, Ressence gives enthusiasts a glimpse into watchmakings future possibilities. The Type 7 has captured the imagination of the watch community worldwide, generating immediate desire among collectors who recognize the significance of this achievement.The post Ressence Unveils Type 7: Revolutionary Oil-Filled GMT Watch with Integrated Titanium Bracelet first appeared on Yanko Design.

The documents reveal a DOGE affiliate is attempting to transfer the headquarters of an independent think tank, the United States Institute of Peace, to the government at no cost.

The Privacy Act Modernization Act would update 1974 legislation for the modern age, restricting government use of personal data and introducing new penalties, including prison time, for violators.

The start-ups valuation, which has nearly doubled in six months, shows continued enthusiasm for A.I. among investors.

MacworldIn the latest Power On newsletter, Bloombergs Mark Gurman reports that Apple is on track to release the next generation of its M-series chip. The M5 chip will make its debut with the iPad Pro, which is currently in late testing and is on track for the second half of this year. Gurman also reports that Apple will release an M5 MacBook Pro in the October/November timeframe.Gurman refers to the M5 iPad Pro as a chip-and-ship model, meaning that the only major upgrade to the device will be a new processor. With the M4 iPad Pro released in July last year, Apple upgraded the display to OLED, made the device thinner, and moved the front-facing camera to the long side, in addition to the chip upgrade. That doesnt leave much in the way of updates beyond the new chip.When the M5 iPad Pro ships, it could be a while before the next iPad Pro upgrade. Gurman notes that Apple is already charting an M6 chip upgrade, but it wont happen until 2027. The M6 iPad Pro will also feature an Apple C-series modem for wireless connectivity. The C1 modem made its debut in the iPhone 16e, and future versions will feature faster mmWave performance and satellite connectivity, reports say.The M5 MacBook Pro will also reportedly be a chip-and-ship upgrade. The 2026 MacBook Pro, however, is rumored to feature a major revamp that coincides with the laptops 20th anniversary. Besides the aforementioned M6, it will also get an OLED display and a thinner design.Gurman also mentioned that Apple is working on an M4 MacBook Air and did not mention when it would ship. The MacBook Air is on a different cycle from the MacBook Pro, shipping in the first half of the year following the MacBook Pro release. The M4 MacBook Air just started shipping a few weeks ago.The M5 is expected to offer an incremental performance boost from the M4, likely in the range of 15 to 25 percent in CPU speed. That alone may not be compelling enough for owners of recent M-series iPad Pros and MacBook Pros to upgrade, but it will offer a significant boost over older devices.

MacworldIf youve had your Mac for a few years you may be looking longingly at the Apple website wishing you could justify the expense of buying a new one. But luckily you dont have to fork out for a replacement computer to enjoy speed increases: in this article, we gather some simple tips to enhance the performance of your current device.How to make a Mac run fasterBelow we will run through the various checks you should make to find out why your Mac is running slow and speed it up, well cover why you need to have at least 10% of your Macs total storage free to keep it running well and how you can free up that space if need be. Well also look at how to find out if a particular app is gobbling up all the processing power and how to close it. And well look at other changes you can make to your Mac to make it run faster, including adding more RAM or, since thats probably not an option, clearing your RAM to speed things up.Before you begin, try the following quick tips to see if they speed up your Mac:Restart your Mac. If you havent restarted it for a while your RAM/Unified Memory could be maxed out.Delete unnecessary files, apps and other items that are taking up space especially if you have less than 10% of your Macs storage free.Update your software in case there is a software issue that is causing the problem. Has your Mac recently downloaded a software update you have yet to install? We find that now Apple has added Apple Intelligence to the mix downloaded software updates take up a lot more space on our Mac before we update it. Watch out for humongous software updates playing havoc with your Macs storage.FoundryHow to speed up a Mac or MacBookFollow these steps to speed up your Mac and make it run faster. 1.Restart your MacScreenshotFoundryOne of the most obvious things you can do if your Mac has slowed down is restart it. However, we understand that there will be lots of reasons why you dont want to do that. Perhaps you dont want to stop what you are doing and wait while your Mac restarts and the app you were using is reloaded. But restarting is usually the first fix for any Mac thats slowed right down. In fact that is why we recommend that you do restart regularly. Few aspects of Macs cause more arguments than the one about what to do at the end of the day: shut down or sleep? It used to be recommended that a computer should be left switched on because of the wear and tear of restarting the hard drive. With the advent of SSDs this is no longer a problem. The amount of time it would take to start up a Mac also used to be prohibitive. This is no longer the case, Macs start up almost instantly. Nowadays, the main advantage of leaving a Mac sleeping rather than switched off is that it lets you continue where you left off. The only other reason to leave the Mac running is if you run maintenance or backup scripts at night. We address that here: Should I shut down my Mac every night? Shutting down your Mac has a number of advantages many of which are related to how RAM (or Unified Memory, as Apple calls it) is being used. macOS uses swap files: spaces on your hard disk that allow your Mac to pretend it has more RAM than it actually has as virtual memory. Once the number of swap files exceeds five or so, your Mac starts to slow down. Then its time to reboot.Restarting your Mac also means caches will get flushed and applications that are hogging your RAM will let it go.Restarting your Mac clears the caches and shuts down applications. The result is a Mac thats refreshed and should perform better.If right now shutting down and restarting isnt for you or that doesnt work there are plenty of other tips below to work through as you attempt to speed up your Mac. 2.Close unnecessary appsFoundryIt might sound obvious, but the best place to start, if you dont want to shut down your Mac, is to close any apps that are running in the background.If you havent shut your Mac down recently your Mac may be devoting memory and CPU space to a program you havent used since last week, instead of to the apps you want.A quick way to see which apps are running is to glance at the Dock at the bottom of the screen. Programs that are running will have a dotunderneath them. If you cant see this dot, open System Settings/System Preferences and click Desktop & Dockand ensure that Show indicators for open applications is selected.Alternatively, press Command + Tab to bring up the App Switcher and tab through to see which apps are open.There are a few ways you can shut down these apps. Right-click (or Ctrl-click) on their icon in the Dock and choose Quit, or if you are using the App Switcher, select a program and press Command-Q to quit it.If when you Right-click on the icon in the Dock you see the Force Quit option against it you likely have identified the culprit because a problem with that app is probably slowing down your whole system.Should you not get any options at all or just a spinning beach ball, you can use the Apple menu to shut the unresponsive app down. To do this, click on the Apple logo in the top left corner then select the Force Quit option. Youll see a list of all open applications, simply highlight the one you think is playing up and click the Force Quite button.Read How to Force Quit on a Mac for more information. 3.Find out whats slowing you downFind out whats hogging the CPU.FoundrySome apps are more power-hungry than others, and sometimes apps have issues that cause them to grab more than their fair share of your system resources.If you want to see which apps are using up your system resources, open the Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder. (Or press Command + space bar and start to type activity and press enter to open it from there).Activity Monitor shows all the processes on your Mac (some of which you cant, or shouldnt, close) so go to the menu bar at the top of the screen and click View >Windowed Processes before you do anything.Now, back in Activity Monitor, click on the CPU button and the %CPU column to list all programs by the amount of CPU they are using. You can also use this to see what Memory, Disk and Network different processes are using.If you see that one app in particular is gobbling up a lot of CPU power then you can close it from here by selecting the app with the mouse and clicking on the x in the menu bar at the top of the Activity Monitor.Take note of the apps that are using the most power they might require a software update to make them work more efficiently.For more advice see: How to use Activity Monitor to handle troublesome apps on your Mac.4.Make sure enough space is freeFoundryPart of your Macs performance depends on empty drive space. The Mac needs to be able to write and read its swap files and free space helps. But for these safeguards to work, you need at least ten percent of your disk drive empty.Therefore, if you want your Mac to run at its best and you dont have 10 percent of yourstorage space available you need to offload some of your larger files.Your hard drive hosts a number of big files and folders. These could include email files and backups, and old versions of apps that you no longer need. If you frequently upload photos to your Mac and download music you may find that you quickly use up thespace.There are a few ways to find out how much space you have available. The method depends on the version of macOS you are running. In macOS Ventura and later: Open System Settings > General > Storage. Wait while it calculates how much of your storage is being used, and also shows you what is using it.Click on the i beside any category of content, e.g. Applications. Click on anything and delete it if you dont need it. If you sort by date last used thats a quick way to find things you dont need. Alternatively sort by size to find larger items to delete. You wont be able to delete anything from the macOS and System Data categories, but you can find out ways to remove this kind of content here: How to delete System Data.If you are running short of space we run through various ways to free up the space on your Mac in How to free disk space on a Mac. Want a quick way to clear some space on your Mac? We have a round up of the Best Mac Cleaners where we include MacPaw CleanMyMac, Parallels Toolbox, and more.We have some more space-saving tips below. 5.Update your softwareDo you need to run an update?FoundryMake sure you regularly perform a software update for macOSand all the apps installed on your Mac.If you are running any recent macOS version go to System Settings > General > Software Update. In slightly older versions of macOS its System Preferences > Software Update. Now wait while your Mac checks for updates. If there is one to install, do so.Next check if your apps need updating. To check if there is an update for anything you have downloaded from the App Store open the App Store and click on Updates.If you have apps purchased outside of the App Store they need to be updated separately. You can make sure that macOS keeps itself up-to-date: Click on System Settings > General > Software Updates. Click on the i beside Automatic Updates. Ensure that Check For Updates, Download new updates, and Install macOS updates are selected. Make sure that Install Application updates from the App Store is selected. Also ensure that Install Security Responses and system files is selected.6.Free up RAM What is hogging your Macs RAM?FoundryA long time ago the solution to improving your Macs performance was adding more RAM. Unfortunately this isnt really an option for users of modern Macs and not at all if you have any of the M-series of Macs as the memory is built onto the chip.If you own an older Mac a 27-inch iMac for example it is relatively easy to upgrade the RAM and we will discuss how to do that here: How to upgrade RAM in a Mac.But since that wont apply to many Mac users, well begin by explaining how to free up RAM. We also cover separately here: How to free up memory (RAM) on a Mac.The simplest way to free up RAM is to restart your Mac, but sometimes we dont want to do that. In that case there are apps you can use to free up RAM or you can use Activity Monitor. Well start with the Activity Monitor method. Open Activity Monitor. Click on the Memory tab.If you look at the bottom of the window you will see how much RAM is being used. In our case 7GB of the 8GB available.Click on the column headed Memory to sort by the biggest users of your RAM. Lots of what you will see here will undoubtedly mean nothing to you, but there will be a few apps that stand out.Free up RAM by closing any RAM-hungry apps you arent using. You can do this via the Dock (right-click on the app and choose Quit), or just click on the app on Activity Monitor and then click on the X in the menu.There are also apps that will help you clear your RAM. Among our favorites are Parallels Toolbox, which has an easy to use tool you can use to free memory and comes bundled with lots of other useful tools for $24.99/20.99 a year (Theres a free 7-day trial available). Read our review of Parallels Toolbox. Another option is CleanMyMac X from MacPaw. This collection of tools will warn you if you have Heavy Memory Usage and will offer to Free Up your RAM. CleanMyMac X costs $39.95/29.95, it also has a free 7 day trial. f youre on a budget DaisyDisk is another option for $9.99/9.99. See our round-up of the best Mac cleaners for more options. 7.Check the health of your MacAppleIf these fixes arent working you should make sure that your Mac is completely healthy. You can do this by running Disk Utility, which a program included on your Mac.Open Disk Utility (in Applications/Utilities).Select your startup drive from the list on the left.Click the First Aid tab to the right.Click Run (in older versions this was Verify).If Disk Utility finds problems with your drive, youll need to boot from a different volume to perform the actual repairs. This is whatRecovery mode is for. To boot into Recovery mode you need to hold down Command+R at startup on an Intel Mac, or press and hold the Power Button at start up on an M-series Mac. Once in Recovery Mode youll be able to access Disk Utility and carry out the recommended repairs. Read more aboutusing Disk Utility to fix a Mac.You can also run theApple Hardware Test(for Macs older than June 2013) orApple Diagnostics(for Macs from June 2013 or later). Both tests check your Mac for other hardware issues, such as bad RAM.There are other steps you can take if you have an old Mac that you are trying to speed up, one is to repair permissions. Repairing permissions isnt something you can do on recent Macs, but in old versions of macOS it was necessary to repair permissions occasionally. This was achieved by following these steps: Open Disk Utility and choose your main hard drive from the sidebar.Click on First Aid and Repair Permissions. If you have an older Mac this will ensure that all the files on your Mac have the correct permissions, which will help keep things ticking along.However, since the arrival of Mac OS X El Capitan in 2015, you can no longer repair permissions in Disk Utility. Its gone because the new System Integrity Protection (SIP) that arrived in El Capitan prevents permissions on files being modified which, according to Apple at least, means there should be no need to repair permissions.8.Sort out your iCloud syncsFoundryIf you use iCloud to sync files across multiple desktops and sync your photos to iCloud Photos, you may be suffering slowdowns while your system syncs in the background.If you think this is happening to you there are a few things you can try.If you use iCloud Desktop, avoid storing large documents on your desktop dont drag and drop a humongous video file onto your desktop unless you need access at another location. You could also change where your screenshots are saved to. In fact if you only store the documents you need access to on your iCloud desktop you may speed things up and spend less time waiting for the files you actually need to sync. Just remember that if you dont save things on your Desktop or somewhere else where they sync, they wont be available to you in iCloud.If you use iCloud Photos on your Mac and you dont want to be busy syncing images, avoid opening the app in the first place. If it proves problematic, turn off iCloud Photos on that device. 9.Keep a tidy DesktopFoundryAnother tip is to keep your Mac Desktop free of clutter. If youre using iCloud to sync various devices your Desktop will be synced and a cluttered Desktop will take time to sync. To find out just how much data is on your Desktop open the Finder and right-click on Desktop in Favourites, choose Get Info and then contemplate why there is 10GB of junk on your Desktop. But that isnt the only problem. Every file on your desktop is a window with an image in it either an icon or a preview of the file. Each of those windows and their contents is stored in RAM so that when you switch to the Desktop or use QuickLook, your Mac can show you whats in the window. The more files you have on your desktop, the more data is stored in RAM. That could result in your Mac running more slowly, especially if your Macs memory is already under pressure.This is why it is worth organizing files properly in the appropriate user folder Documents, Pictures, Movies etc and you may see an improvement in the speed of your Mac. Luckily, since macOS Sierra, it has been possible to automatically sort files on your Desktop into Stacks, so that everything it automatically filed away into folders (by Kind or Date). Just open a Stack and delete excess files from time to time. To set Desktop Stacks up if you havent already click on your Desktop and choose View > Use Stacks from the menu. 10.Manage SpotlightFoundrySpotlight, particularly in recent versions of macOS, is a terrific tool. But if you use multiple drives, particularly on older Macs, it can take Spotlight time to index and re-index the filesystem. That in turn will slow down your Mac.The answer is to limit the files Spotlight indexes. This is done in the Siri and Spotlight pane in System Settings (or the Spotlight pane in System Preferences on older Macs). As you can see in the image above Spotlight is indexing everything, but if we wanted to omit certain results we could. You can also omit certain folders you dont want Spotlight to search: Click on the Spotlight Privacy tab and drag in any folders or volumes that you dont want to search onto the window.That will stop Spotlight indexing the folder or volume and thus reduce the number of files it needs to index, meaning it spends less time indexing and should improve performance on your Mac.11.Stop programs from opening at startupFoundryIt is possible to set up your Mac so that when you start it up the programs you regularly need to use open up automatically. This could be a useful feature, but sometimes other applications you dont want to use get into those items that open automatically when you log in. If you really want to speed up your Mac stopping these programs from opening when you turn it on can really help. Heres what to do: Open System Settings. Click on General Click on Login Items. If any items are in the Open at Login (that you dont want to be there) remove them. You can also stop items from being able to run in the background. In older versions of macOS: Open System PreferencesClick Users & Groups.Now click on the Login Items tab to see if there are any programs and services that are set to launch when you first power up (or log in to) your Mac.Highlight an item in the list that you dont want and click on the Delete from Login Items button at the bottom of the list.12.Turn off visual effectsFoundryMost Macs can run macOS without any trouble. However, you can turn off some features that might slow your Mac down.For example, some people prefer to keep the Dock static to prevent slowdown. Open System Settings > Desktop and Dock and untick the following boxes. (in older versions its System Preferences > Dock & Menu Bar)Besides Minimize windows using change Genie Effect to Scale Effect. Turn off Magnification if you have that option selected.13.Turn off File Vault encryptionFoundryFile Vault allows you to encrypt every file you store on your Mac to keep it safe from prying eyes. It also uses lots of processor cycles, however, to encrypt and de-crypt those files.If you use it, switch it off and see if you notice a difference in performance.Click on System Settings. Go to Privacy & Security. Click on File Vault. Click Turn Off. (In System Preferences its the Security & Privacy tab that you need). 14.Delete, delete, deleteFoundryWere you suffering from limited space when you checked earlier? There are a number of quick ways to free up space on your Mac. Empty the Trash: Right-click on Trash in the dock and choose Empty Trash.Automatically delete: You can also set the Trash to automatically delete items every 30 days. Open the Finder and click on Finder > Settings > Advanced. Now choose Remove items from the Trash after 30 days.DeleteDownloads: Are there any items youre unlikely to need still in the Downloads folder. Click on Downloads to the right of the Dock and the arrow at the top to open it in the Finder andsee everything thats in there.Delete old and large files: Open the Finder and choose Recents (in older versions of Mac OS X choose All My Files), then either choose to sort by date or size.Choose size to selectively delete the biggest files. Choose date to find the files you havent needed in a while. (If your finder window isnt showing size, go to View > Show View Options, and choose Size.)Remove unwanted apps and programs: remove apps that you dont use. You can just drag and drop apps into the Trash, but that can still leave associated files and settings on your Mac. For that reason, our advice is to invest in a program like CleanMyMac X($34.95/29.95 for a one year subscription) that can show you how much hard drive space apps are taking up and when you last used them, and can delete apps and all associated files.Remove Widgets: You could also remobe widgets used in the Notification Centre. To do this, click on the clock and date at the top right of your screen (or the bullet icon on older macOS versions). Scroll down and click on Edit Widgets (or Widgets, or Today in older versions of macOS). Remove any you dont need. 15.Move photos to an external driveFoundryYou might be surprised by how much of your Macs storage is taken up by photos and home videos.You may consider paying for iCloud Photo storage, thinking that this would mean you could delete photos from your Mac as they would be stored in the cloud, but unfortunately, that isnt how iCloud Photos works. If you delete the photos from the Mac that they are stored on you will also delete them from iCloud and all your devices you can view them on. Thats not to say that there is no benefit to using iCloud Photos. The service can greatly reduce the amount of space taken up by the images on your Mac thanks to a setting that means that no more photos are stored on your Mac than you have room for.To make sure iCloud Photos isnt taking a lot of space on your Mac follow these steps: Open Photos and click on Settings (Preferences in older versions).Click on iCloud.Make sure that Optimise Mac Storage is selected.This will mean that if your Mac is low on space only small versions of the photos and videos will be stored on your Mac the full res versions in the cloud. You can, of course, download full-res versions at any time.You may like to use another service to back up your photos in the cloud. You could try DropBox or Google Drive for example. Read about how to back up your Photo library in the cloud here:How to back up your Apple photo library.If you would prefer not to use a cloud service you could set up an external storage device and move the photos currently stored on your Mac to that.To do so, follow these steps:How to move photos to an external hard driveQuit Photos.Copy the Photos Library by dragging it from the startup volume to your external volume.Once complete, hold down the Option key and launch Photos.In Photos, select Photos > Settings (or Preferences), and in the General tab, click Use as System Photo Library.We explain those steps in more detail here: How to move your Photos library to an external drive and you might like to check out our recommendations for best hard drive and best SSD. 16.Move your music FoundryAnother big folder could be your music library, especially if you have previously ripped music from CDs or have a lot of downloads. As with Photos, you could free up disk space by offloading your musicfilesto an external drive. For more information read how to move your Macs Music Library to another location. (Note that your music library then needs to be relinked via the Settings > Advanced tab.)Alternatively, you could subscribe to iTunes Match, which, for $25/21.99 a year, will move all your music into the cloud so you can delete it from your Mac, and access it on any of your devices.Once your music is in iTunes Match you can just download the tracks you want to listen to when you want to listen to them.Apple Music subscription can work in a similar way, in that it allows you access to all your music via the cloud but iTunes Match is a clone of your music library in the cloud, where Apple Music just offers you access to any tracks you already own via the cloud. See How iTunes Match and Apple Music work together. 17.Empty your Macs CachesFoundryYou shouldnt just delete files from cache because they can actually increase the performance of your Mac. For instance, a web browser will cache web pages so that when a website is revisited, the whole pages doesnt have to be re-downloaded. Deleting cache will also mean that you will have to re-enter login details and passwords. Deleting cache can be more trouble than its worth. However, if you need to free up space deleting some files from cache could be a solution. Have a look at your user caches by hitting Command+Shift+G from your Desktop to bring up Go To Folder and then typing ~/Library/Caches/.To see how much space your Cache is taking up you could right-click on the Caches folder in the Finder and select Get Info. Dont be surprised if a number of gigabytes are residing here.As user caches are rebuilt when needed, you can safely delete these, especially for apps that are no longer used. Safari, Firefox and iTunes all allow you to clear caches directly within the apps (we address removing Safari cache below). While you could go through all these cache files, deleting them, there are a number of useful utilities you can use to do this for you.For example, CleanMyMac X from MacPaw ($34.95/29.95 a year) can clear your cache quickly for you. Open the app, choose System Junk and then click Scan followed by Clean. Alternatives are CCleaner for Mac (free) and Parallels Toolbox ($19.99/15.99 a year). All three solutions feature in our round-up of Best Mac Cleaners. We have a separate guide to clearing the Cache on your Mac.18.Empty Safari cacheFoundrySpeaking of Cache, Safari sometimes gets clogged up with data. Cleaning this out will help speed up Safari in macOS.In older versions you can just open Safari and choose Safari > Reset Safari and check Remove all Website Data. (Leave the other options unticked.) Now click on Reset. This can help speed up sluggish web browsing.In later versions, youll need to open the Settings (or Preferences) dialog box, then select the Privacy icon and click the Manage Website Data button. You can then delete all cookies and cache by clicking the Remove All button.If you just want to remove the cache and not the cookies or browser history, things are more complicated. But the hidden Safari Developer menu can be used to achieve this.The Developer menu can be activated by selecting Safari > Settings (or Preferences), clicking Advanced, then putting a tick by Show Develop Menu in Menu Bar. (This option is right at the bottom.)A new Develop menu option appears to the left of the Window and Help menu options. Close any open Safari windows and select Empty Caches on the Develop menu. Then click File > New Window to start Safari with a clean cache.Read: How to clear Safari Cache and Cookies on a Mac for more advice about clearing Safari cache.19.Add more RAMFoundryAs we explained above, adding more RAM isnt the solution it used to be because upgrading the RAM in modern Macs especially ones with an M-series chip is impossible.However, if you own an older Mac especially if you have a 27-inch iMac it is relatively easy to upgrade the RAM.In the past adding more RAM was the go-to solution for improving a Macs performance. Before you go ahead and spend money, however, its worth trying to figure out how much of a difference it will really make, if any.The easiest way to do this is to fire up Activity Monitor (its in Applications/Utilities), click on the Memory tab and keep an eye on the memory pressure gauge at the bottom of the window. Ifits permanently green, youre probably not going to see a huge difference by upgrading. If it turns red regularly, its worth the expenditure.How much RAM you add and how you add it is dependent on your Mac. But as a rule of thumb, the effort of performing the installation compared with the marginal cost of bigger RAM modules means that its worth maxing out your Macs RAM in one go.That will often mean removing the existing modules and replacing them. Its a good idea, though not essential, to buy all the RAM you fit at the same time from the same manufacturer. If you decide just to fill empty slots, the same applies. And you should pair RAM modules of the same capacity, if possible.The biggest hurdle will be whether it is possible to upgrade the RAM in your Mac, its easy to add more RAM to a 27-inch iMac, but as we said above, many modern Macs cannot be user-upgraded at all, which is why our usual advice is to buy as much RAM as you can afford as a build-to-order option when you first buy your Mac.We have a separate tutorial with more information about installing RAM in a Mac.20.Do a clean install of macOSAppleIf all else fails, and youve tried everything weve suggested to speed up your Mac without success, there is one more option:a clean reinstallation of the OS.Its not a job to be undertaken lightly youll need to delete your entire boot drive. But, it will clear all the files that have been collected in the system Library and the user Libraries over the years and which may be causing the Mac to run slowly.Remember to make at least one, preferably two, complete back-ups of your bit drive before you start so you can copy documents, images, music and anything else you need back once youve installed the new OS.And dont fall into the trap of thinking you have everything in the cloud, because there will be something that isnt in the cloud! 21.Buy a new MacAppleIf you are still struggling with a slow Mac read our guide to choosing a new Mac so that you can find the best replacement for you. Read: Which Mac is bestor Which MacBook to buy.We also have round-ups of the best Mac deals right now so you can get a Mac at a lower price than Apple sells it for:iMac deals Mac mini deals MacBook Pro deals MacBook Air dealsMac Studio deals