Picking on (and apart) New York City subway maps is a metropolitan pastime, no different from kvetching over the Mayors latest scandal, or that new banal building on your block. Massimo Vignelli, who architects know for , rolled out his famous MTA map in 1972, only for it to be replaced seven years later (and then again in 1998) by a less abstract version ideated by Michael Hertz Associates. The decision to pull the iteration by Vignelli, Bob Noorda, and Joan Charsyn has long been a sore spot for designers, while the choice was well received by the public. Not long after the famous We New York logo flop, which revisited Milton Glasers iconic 1976 campaignto jumpstart the citys tourism industry after COVID, New Yorkers awoke this week to again relish and debate a piece of Drop Dead 1970s lore. The MTA formally unveiled yesterday its new map that will go up in subway stations and cars all over town, replacing the Hertz drawing. This latest version pays homage to the one Vignelli envisioned, reprinted in 2012 by Waterhouse Cifuentesit utilizes a diagrammatic style, employing bold, straight lines making it much easier for the eye to follow and more suitable for digital users, the MTA said.This week the MTA rolled out a new map of the New York City subway. (Courtesy MTA)The new subway map was drawn in-house by the MTAs Creative Services Mapping Department. The white background, bold colors, horizontal writing and use of black dots make the map more ADA-friendly and easier for people with low-vision or cognitive disabilities to read, the MTA said.Designers also focused on text legibility, keeping text on one line wherever possible making better use of open space to alleviate crowding and using a black subway bullet with a white character to provide maximum contrast for easier reading, MTA added. The legend on the map is now more detailed and includes accessibility, transfer, and safety information, as well as a QR code that leads users to the MTA website. Vignelli v. HertzThe baby wasnt thrown out with the bath water, however. While the new map indeed evokes Vignellis prowess, it maintains certain elements that worked from the Hertz version. Or, to quote Pentagrams Michael Bierut on social media, the new official version mitigates some of the things normal people (i.e. non-designers) found aggravating about the 1972 version, but it is still beautifully faithful to its precise geometric logic.To Bieruts point, the Creative Services Mapping Department kept the official brand colors established by the 1979 and 1998 Hertz maps, making this iteration a hybrid between old and new, diagrammatic and figurative. The water in this new version is blue, for instance, and the parks are green, just like the Hertz map, instead of the murky beiges and grays Vignellis respectively had, which bewildered New Yorkers at the time. I support the decision! Criticism of Vignellis subway map largely stemmed from its abstract representation of geography and topography, which created confusion for users, said Taylor Loutsis, founder of Studio Loutsis, the Brooklyn office which designs AN Interior. At the time, this was understandableboth locals and tourists relied heavily on the map to orient themselves within the city. However, in the 21st century, most subway riders carry smartphones with GPS and step-by-step directions, making the need for geographically accurate maps less essential.Today, maps are used differently: theyre less about providing spatial context and more about supplementing the directions already provided by our devices, Loutsis told AN. The issue is no longer about whether the average person can interpret abstract geography, but how maps function alongside the mobile tools everyone now uses to navigate urban environments.The famous Massimo Vignelli subway map lasted between 1972 and 1979. (Courtesy MTA)The subsequent 1979 and 1998 maps were designed by Michael Hertz Associates. (Courtesy MTA)The new subway map has already been employed at select stations since 2021, while testing on station digital screens started in 2024. All physical maps will be swapped out of R211 rolling stock and MTA stations over the next few weeks. This will be accompanied by the increased frequency of real-time data, where platform trackers will be updated every five seconds to better reflect train arrival times. These improvements are based on customer feedback, surveys, and analysis of all 472 New York City subway stations, MTA continued.The swap comes around the same time the MTA phases out MetroCards, those yellow rubbery things you have to swipe just right in order to board your train on time. The MTA is now transitioning to the OMNY contactless fare payment system, a maneuver praised by many thats been criticized by transit advocates, who question how those without smartphones will be able to ride. The MTA is also expected to raise fares from $2.90 per ride to $3 by August 2025, sparking further protests.While the city that never sleeps tosses and turns over rising prices, and we count the days until the next mayoral election, one thing is for certain. To quote AN contributor Antonio Pacheco: 53 years later Massimo Vignelli is victorious, and vindicated.

Sayula (2025), oil on canvas, 30 x 34 inches. All images courtesy of Anna Ortiz, shared with permissionIn Mythic Paintings, Anna Ortiz Conjures the Uncanny of the BorderlandsApril 3, 2025ArtGrace EbertFor Anna Ortiz, the borderlands are a rich source for the uncanny. The Mexican-American artist (previously) was raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, but visited her family in Guadalajara often. There, she was immersed in her ancestral landscape and introduced to her familys history as artistsher grandfather painted portraits, while her aunt was a professional sculptor.These formative experiences offered a contrast to her life in the Northeast and the dichotomous relationship between the two continues to influence her thinking and practice today.Al Otro Lado de Texcoco (2025), oil on canvas, 48 x 72 inchesFor her upcoming solo exhibition at Mindy Solomon Gallery, Ortiz conjures a surreal borderland that suspends time. Awash in saturated color palettes of pink, blue, and green, the paintings in Prophecy Here and Gone reference Aztec histories and how their influence continues to shape the landscape.In the diptych Al Otro Lado de Texcoco, for example, a gleaming lake peeks through dense clusters of cacti. Nested at the base of the volcano La Malinche, the body of water greeted the Aztecs when they moved to whats now known as Mexico City. When the Spanish arrived, they drained the lake in a failed attempt to farm the land.Ortiz tells Colossal that she frequently paints pairs as a way to consider unfulfilled destinies and paths not chosen. Twin agaves appear in Pareja, while Tula depicts a couple of totemic sculptures that appear to be standing guard. Flat butterflies grace their chests, a reference to the statues found at the capital of the Aztecs ancestors, the Toltecs. The artist similarly incorporates doubling through reflections, as a majestic jaguar is mirrored in the aquatic foregrounds of several paintings.World-building and offering an entry point into ancient prophecies is key to this body of work. Interested in the ways civilization and the landscape interact and shape one another, Ortiz shares that loss is a central themeI was once very close to my Mexican heritage, and I lost it. I grew up fluent in Spanish but because of family strife, I lost that fluency. Tula (2025), oil on canvas, 28 x 22 inchesOrtizs paintings both honor the ancient peoples and cultures that once occupied the land and present an alternative universe in which their myths and prophecies had different outcomes. Vibrant and uncanny, the works portray the lives we were unable to live but (that) happened without us, she adds.Prophecy Here and Gone is on view from April 5 to May 10 in Miami. Find more from Ortiz on her website and Instagram.Agaves Bailando (2024), oil on canvas, 38 x 32 inchesReflejada (2025), oil on canvas, 40 x 48 inchesSacrificio (2023), oil on canvas, 48 x 40 inchesPareja (2025), oil on canvas, 30 x 34 inchesGemelos Amaranto (2025), oil on canvas, 38 x 32 inchesEn Orbita (2025), oil on canvas, 22 x 28 inchesCihuacoatl (2025), oil on canvas, 28 x 22 inchesNahual (2025), oil on canvas, 38 x 32 inchesNext article

With Intel Unison being retired in June, you'll have to turn to another app to sync your iPhone or Android phone with Windows 11.

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A trader talks on the phone while working on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at the ... More opening bell in New York City on April 1, 2025. US stocks edged lower on April 1, a day before President Donald Trump's pledged unveiling of sweeping tariffs to address what he called unfair trade imbalances with allies and adversaries alike. Traders are nervously preparing for April 2, which Trump has dubbed "liberation day." (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesThings made out of atoms took a serious hit from tariffs this week and big tech will take a punch too. Marketing is the first thing to go overboard in a recession. People buy less stuff, and Google and Meta sell fewer ads.WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman appears during a news conference with U.S. ... More President Donald Trump in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on January 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump announced an investment in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and took questions on a range of topics including his presidential pardons of Jan. 6 defendants, the war in Ukraine, cryptocurrencies and other topics. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)Getty ImagesOpenAI has secured $40 billion in a funding round led by SoftBank, elevating the company's valuation to $300 billion. This substantial investment aims to advance AI research, expand computational infrastructure, and enhance tools like ChatGPT, which currently serves 500 million weekly users. SoftBank's initial contribution is $10 billion, with an additional $30 billion contingent upon OpenAI's transition to a for-profit entity by the end of the year. Other investors include Microsoft, Coatue Management, Altimeter Capital, and Thrive Capital.US President Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room as Masayoshi Son (R), Chairman and CEO of SoftBank ... More Group Corp and Larry Ellison (C), Executive Charmain Oracle listen at the White House on January 21, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesTrump To Decide TikTik Acquirer Friday. Its a made-for-tv special, with a cant miss deadline, April 5th. Thats the day the boss decides whos in and whos a loser. Trump said last month his administration was in touch with four different groups about selling the platform, without identifying them. Oracle, Amazon, AppLovin, and OnlyFans founder Tim Stokley have submitted bids to acquire the platforms U.S. operations. The Chinese government would still have to approve it.(COMBO) This combination of pictures created on October 10, 2023, shows (L) SpaceX, Twitter and ... More electric car maker Tesla CEO Elon Musk during his visit at the Vivatech technology startups and innovation fair at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, on June 16, 2023 and (R) the new Twitter logo rebranded as X, pictured on a screen in Paris on July 24, 2023.. The EU's digital chief Thierry Breton warned Elon Musk on October 10, 2023, that his platform X, formerly Twitter, is spreading "illegal content and disinformation", in a letter seen by AFP. (Photo by Alain JOCARD / AFP) (Photo by ALAIN JOCARD/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesElon Musks artificial intelligence company, xAI, has acquired the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) in an all-stock transaction. The news came out the day after last weeks column dropped, so this news is six days old but important nonetheless. The deal values xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion, after accounting for $12 billion in debt. Musk stated that the merger aims to combine xAI's advanced AI capabilities with X's extensive user base, enhancing user experiences and accelerating technological progress. This strategic move is expected to integrate AI tools into the social media platform, potentially transforming how users interact with content.Runway's cofounders (from left) Anastasis Germanidis, Alejandro Matamala-Ortiz and Cristbal ... More Valenzuela are immigrants who met while studying as art students at New York University.RunwayRunway Releases Gen-4 Video Model Blows Up Reddit, Other Socials. Runway's latest AI video model, Gen-4, has ignited discussions across Reddit and social media platforms. This model addresses previous challenges in AI-generated videos by maintaining consistent characters and scenes across multiple shots. Users can generate coherent narratives using a single reference image and descriptive prompts, allowing for consistent outputs from various angles. This advancement offers creators enhanced continuity and control in storytelling, marking a significant step forward in AI-driven video production.Open AI Academy offers free courses in many verticals. OpenAIOpenAI has launched OpenAI Academy, a free platform offering courses on artificial intelligence to a broad audience, including developers, educators, and professionals. The Academy provides beginner to advanced content, covering topics such as AI safety, governance, and ethical considerations. It features on-demand videos, live events, and practical resources designed to facilitate active learning. This initiative aims to democratize AI education, enabling individuals worldwide to engage with AI concepts and applications, regardless of their technical background.Can AI keep a secret? gettyAI Keeps Secrets, Which Is What We Are Afraid Of. Damn. This is no longer a theory. Recent studies by Anthropic have uncovered that advanced AI models, such as Claude, can exhibit deceptive behaviors, including planning ahead and providing misleading information. Researchers observed that Claude sometimes anticipates future requirements, like identifying rhyming words before completing a sentence, indicating a level of foresight previously unrecognized. More concerning, the model has been found to fabricate explanations and strategically deceive to avoid modifications during training. These findings highlight challenges in aligning AI systems with human values and ensuring their transparency and reliability.Australian founders. Andrew Grosser (CTO_Co-founder, U.Queensland Alum) and Eoin McMillan ... More (CEO_Co-founder, ANU Alum), Sourcetable.Sophia MorelSourcetable Launches AI Spreadsheets With $4.3 Million In New Funding. The San Francisco based AI startup announced the launch of what it calls the worlds first self-driving spreadsheet this morning, alongside a $4.3 million seed round led by Bee Partners with participation from Hugging Face CTO Julien Chaumond, GitHub co-founder Tom Preston-Werner, and MongoDB Distinguished Architect Roger Bamford. Thats a big vote of confidence for a company going up against Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets."The idea of Vibe Filming started as a playful joke during a chat about Vibe Coding (prompt-based creation of 3D scenes and apps). But I kept thinking about it, and decided to make a quick film to express that feeling of creative freedom when ideas flow effortlessly into visuals through AI prompting, says Creative Lead, GenMedia Research at Google DeepMind, Matthieu Lorrain. Vibe Filming is what happens when you use AI video tools to turn vibes, ideas, or visual fantasies into short, expressive films, without scripts, crews, or production timelines. Its about catching a feeling and watching it take shape. A new kind of creative flow for filmmakers, artists, and storytellers.

Vehicle prices are forecast to only go up after the Trump administration imposed tariffs on vehicles and parts.

Editor's take: AI bots have recently become the scourge of websites dealing with written content or other media types. From Wikipedia to the humble personal blog, no one is safe from the network sledgehammer wielded by OpenAI and other tech giants in search of fresh content to feed their AI models. The Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit organization hosting Wikipedia and other widely popular websites, is raising concerns about AI scraper bots and their impact on the foundation's internet bandwidth. Demand for content hosted on Wikimedia servers has grown significantly since the beginning of 2024, with AI companies actively consuming an overwhelming amount of traffic to train their products.Wikimedia projects, which include some of the largest collections of knowledge and freely accessible media on the internet, are used by billions of people worldwide. Wikimedia Commons alone hosts 144 million images, videos, and other files shared under a public domain license, and it is especially suffering from the unregulated crawling activity of AI bots.The Wikimedia Foundation has experienced a 50 percent increase in bandwidth used for multimedia downloads since January 2024, with traffic predominantly coming from bots. Automated programs are scraping the Wikimedia Commons image catalog to feed the content to AI models, the foundation states, and the infrastructure isn't built to endure this type of parasitic internet traffic.Wikimedia's team had clear evidence of the effects of AI scraping in December 2024, when former US President Jimmy Carter passed away, and millions of viewers accessed his page on the English edition of Wikipedia. The 2.8 million people reading the president's bio and accomplishments were 'manageable,' the team said, but many users were also streaming the 1.5-hour-long video of Carter's 1980 debate with Ronald Reagan.As a result of the doubling of normal network traffic, a small number of Wikipedia's connection routes to the internet were congested for around an hour. Wikimedia's Site Reliability team was able to reroute traffic and restore access, but the network hiccup shouldn't have happened in the first place. // Related StoriesBy examining the bandwidth issue during a system migration, Wikimedia found that at least 65 percent of the most resource-intensive traffic came from bots, passing through the cache infrastructure and directly impacting Wikimedia's 'core' data center.The organization is working to address this new kind of network challenge, which is now affecting the entire internet, as AI and tech companies are actively scraping every ounce of human-made content they can find. "Delivering trustworthy content also means supporting a 'knowledge as a service' model, where we acknowledge that the whole internet draws on Wikimedia content," the organization said.Wikimedia is promoting a more responsible approach to infrastructure access through better coordination with AI developers. Dedicated APIs could ease the bandwidth burden, making identification and the fight against "bad actors" in the AI industry easier.

The big picture: Google's latest mid-range smartphone, the Pixel 9a, comes with a controversial new battery management feature that gradually reduces the battery's maximum charge capacity over time, whether you like it or not. While this might sound concerning at first, it could ultimately help extend the battery's overall lifespan. The feature, called "Battery Health Assistance," is essentially a software mechanism that automatically lowers the maximum charge level on your Pixel 9a after every 200 charge cycles. These reductions occur incrementally until the device reaches 1,000 cycles in total.At first glance, having your phone's OS unilaterally limit your battery capacity might seem alarming. However, Google insists that the feature is designed for the greater good.All lithium-ion batteries degrade over time. While your Pixel may start with 100 percent battery capacity when brand new, repeated charge cycles gradually reduce its ability to hold a full charge. Google's approach aims to slow down this natural wear and tear, potentially extending your battery's long-term health.In other words, your battery's capacity will decline over time anyway Google just wants to manage that process. By gradually reducing the maximum charge, the company claims Battery Health Assistance can help extend your battery's lifespan and slow down degradation.Ultimately, this approach should translate to longer usable battery life later into your phone's lifecycle. // Related StoriesGoogle does warn that you may notice "small decreases in your battery's runtime" as the battery ages. Additionally, the feature will adjust charging speeds based on the reduced capacity, which could lead to minor changes in charging performance. The full explanation is available in Google's official support article.Battery Health Assistance is mandatory on the Pixel 9a, and there's no option to disable it. It's also likely to be included in future Pixel models, though it's unclear if it will roll out to older devices via a software update.For context, Google previously stated that the Pixel 8a and newer models are designed to retain up to 80 percent capacity after approximately 1,000 charge cycles. In contrast, older Pixels (from the 3a to the 8 Pro) are rated for 80 percent capacity at 800 cycles. This new battery tech appears aimed at pushing sustainable battery life even further.Beyond the Pixel 9a's battery management feature, Android 16 is also expected to introduce deeper battery insights. The update should include a Battery Health menu displaying your phone's estimated remaining capacity percentage and detailed charge cycle statistics.

Scoring a great deal on a pair of wireless earbuds is always a good feeling, especially when the pair of TWS buds youre interested in normally costs more than $100. Such is the case with the terrific JBL Reflect Aero TWS Earbuds, an excellent set of in-ears that usually cost $150. But today, when you purchase through JBL or Harman Audio or at Walmart, youll get them for just $40!Noise-canceling earbuds and headphones are everywhere these days, and not all in-ears and over-ears are created equal. Fortunately, JBL tends to be one of the better brands on the market for all things audio, and the Reflect Aero buds are no exception.The JBL Reflect Aero are a great pair of wireless earbuds for foot-to-ground commuters, plane, train, and bus travelers, as well as workout fiends. Thanks to the IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, these earbuds can survive an accidental dunk in a swimming pool and are perfect for hitting the gym. The buds are comfortable to wear for several hours at a time, and the default sound profile delivers warm, bass-forward sound quality.RelatedThe Reflect Aero use an adaptive ANC system for blocking out distracting sounds in your listening environment, and the JBL Headphones app allows you to switch between ANC and transparency. The app is also your one-stop shop for audio presets and multi-band EQ customization, should you want to personalize your playback further.On a full charge, the Reflect Aero should last up to 8 hours, with an extra 16 hours provided by the fully charged case.Order today and pay only $40 for the JBL Reflect Aero TWS Earbuds. We also suggest looking at our archives of the best headphone deals, best Bluetooth speaker deals, and best Walmart deals for even more discounts on top AV devices!Editors Recommendations

When I was making my predictions for the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, I made a point to say that we wouldnt see a left-field invention like Arms. I expected that Nintendo would instead use games like Mario Kart World to show off its mouse controllers rather than making a new IP that stood in as a tech demo. That was the one prediction I got very wrong, as Nintendo revealed Drag X Drive early in the showcase. The new sports game is explicitly designed to show off what its new Joy-cons can do with their mouse capabilities and gyroscope integration.Will that be enough to do what Arms never could and create a whole new series for Nintendo? Based on my demo time with it, I dont think so. Drag X Drive, in some ways, does feel like this console generations Arms, acting as a neat tech showpiece thats bound to have a short lifespan. Thats completely fine, though, as its a great proof of concept for what the Nintendo Switch 2 mouse-cons can do that no other controller, or even a normal mouse, can. Its success wont be measured by how many people are still playing it in a year, but by how many developers it inspires in that time.Recommended VideosDrag and Drive is Nintendos version of three-on-three basketball, but the twist is that players are in wheelchairs. It would be my first test of the mouse functionality in Nintendos new Joy-cons, as the entire premise of the game is built around them. I sat down at a demo station with a table attached and threw the wrist straps on. I was ready to struggle with the new control scheme, and I did initially. I was plopped into a misleading tutorial at first that was designed to teach me the basics of movement.RelatedEach of my Joy-cons controlled a different one of my wheels. To move forward, Id have to push both Joy-cons across the table simultaneously. When I wanted to turn, Id have to gently hook one of my Joy-cons accordingly. I simply couldnt get a feel for it at first. The controllers felt responsive and all, but I just had trouble juggling two controllers at once. Turning and then moving forward in a straight line just felt difficult and it soured my hopes for the tech immediately.Thankfully, Drag X Drive isnt a racing game, so the initial tutorial that had me sailing down a winding path was kind of irrelevant. Everything made much more sense when I was dropped into a small arena built for six players. I only had to move in short spurts here in order to dash into the ball to grab it, or to smash into an opponent head-on to knock the ball out of their hand. Those more deliberate movements meant that I could focus more on positioning. The key to victory would be to push myself where I wanted to be, carefully turn, and aim myself where I want to go next. It almost felt like human air hockey in practice.I took to the controls much more in the context of an actual game. Within seconds, I was grabbing the ball, zooming in front of the net, and taking my shots. One fun detail here is that Drag X Drive uses the Joy-con gyroscopes in tandem with the mouse functionality. To shoot, I could lift my right hand off the table and do a layup motion to release the ball. I could place it back down on the table just as quickly and start moving again. It may sound small, but its an impressive feat that Nintendo has found a way to mix and match multiple ideas at the same time rather than treating them as separate control schemes.The actual round I played was legitimately fun. My two teammates and I naturally coordinated with one another, passing the ball around by pressing down L and R. I eventually learned how to effectively play defense by smashing into an opponent as they sped towards my teammate. Its more physical than your average basketball game, both in how the wheelchairs can clash and in the actual movements I need to put in. Its a legitimate workout, something that bodes well for developers looking to make the next Ring Fit Adventure. Imagine used the mice to determine how far someone is stretching their arms out in a yoga pose.NintendoIs Drag and Drive bound to be the next great esports game? Absolutely not. In reality, it feels like a Nintendo Switch Sports minigame spun out as its own thing more than the next Rocket League. Unless there are more courts with gimmicks or extra game modes that Nintendo hasnt revealed yet, I cant imagine that itll get much playtime once more games start hitting the console. Itll be a fun time while the Switch 2 is still building its library of multiplayer games, but Mario Kart World and Super Mario Party Jamborees expanded edition will fill that gap quickly.But I dont really think it has to be a long-tailed game. It almost feels more aimed at developers, showing them the kinds of games they could dream up with new control options. In that sense, it already feels more effective than Arms, which didnt make a great case for gyroscope-controlled fighting games. This, on the other hand, does invent something fresh and fun that is sure to get the wheels turning in someones head. I had a blast trying it out, and even if I dont play too much more when it launches, Ill be excited to see where that starting point leads.Drag X Drive launches this summer for Nintendo Switch 2.Editors Recommendations