a repairable and not-buyable laptop Framework “temporarily pausing” some laptop sales because of new tariffs "We would have to sell the lowest-end SKUs at a loss." Andrew Cunningham – Apr 7, 2025 6:34 pm | 44 Sales of some Framework Laptop 13 models have been paused in the US because of the Trump administration's new tariffs. Credit: Andrew Cunningham Sales of some Framework Laptop 13 models have been paused in the US because of the Trump administration's new tariffs. Credit: Andrew Cunningham Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more Framework, the designers and sellers of the modular and repairable Framework Laptop 13 and other products, announced today that it would be "temporarily pausing US sales" on some of its laptop configurations as a result of new tariffs put on Taiwanese imports by the Trump administration. The affected models will be removed from Framework's online store for now, and there's no word on when buyers can expect them to come back. "We priced our laptops when tariffs on imports from Taiwan were 0 percent," the company responded to a post asking why it was pausing sales. "At a 10 percent tariff, we would have to sell the lowest-end SKUs at a loss." "Other consumer goods makers have performed the same calculations and taken the same actions, though most have not been open about it," Framework said. Nintendo also paused US preorders for its upcoming Switch 2 console last week after the tariffs were announced. For right now, Framework's sales pause affects at least two specific laptop configurations: the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H and AMD Ryzen 5 7640U versions of the Framework Laptop 13. As of April 1, Framework was selling pre-built versions of those laptops for $999 and $899, respectively. Without those options, the cheapest versions of those laptops start at $1,399 and $1,499. There's no word on whether those configurations will come back at a higher price, or if they're gone for good. Preorders for the upcoming Ryzen AI version of the Framework Laptop 13 still start at $1,099. "We will continue to provide updates as we have them," reads the company's statement. Framework had no additional information to share when contacted for comment about timing, or whether other products would be affected. The Trump administration implemented a mostly across-the-board 10 percent tariff on imports on April 5. Larger and more variable so-called "reciprocal" tariffs are currently set to go into effect on April 9, and have targeted China, Taiwan, India, and other countries where US tech companies do the bulk of their manufacturing. Experts have speculated that the administration may have used generative AI chatbots to calculate the tariffs, some of which have targeted uninhabited islands. Andrew Cunningham Senior Technology Reporter Andrew Cunningham Senior Technology Reporter Andrew is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica, with a focus on consumer tech including computer hardware and in-depth reviews of operating systems like Windows and macOS. Andrew lives in Philadelphia and co-hosts a weekly book podcast called Overdue. 44 Comments

Romulus and Remus are genetically modified grey wolvesColossal Biosciences A company called Colossal Biosciences says it has revived an extinct species – the dire wolf. “On October 1, 2024, for the first time in human history, Colossal successfully restored a once-eradicated species through the science of de-extinction. After a 10,000+ year absence, our team is proud to return the dire wolf to its rightful place in the ecosystem.” That’s the claim made on the website of the US-based company. Here’s what we know. What’s happened? Colossal is claiming that three genetically modified grey wolf pups – two males called Remus and Romulus born in October, and a female called Khaleesi born in January – are in fact dire wolves. The same company also recently announced the creation of woolly mice and a nearly complete thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, genome.Advertisement What is a dire wolf? Dire wolves are large extinct canines (Aenocyon dirus) that lived in the Americas until around 10,000 years ago. The animals looked like large wolves with white coats. They were made famous by the Game of Thrones TV series – hence the name Khaleesi, after a main character in the show. So, a dire wolf is an extinct species of wolf? No. Grey wolves and dire wolves were thought to be very closely related based on their physical similarities, but a 2021 study of ancient DNA revealed that they last shared a common ancestor around 6 million years ago. Jackals, African wild dogs and dholes are all more closely related to grey wolves (Canis lupus) than dire wolves are, despite their similar appearances. Does that mean there are a lot of genetic differences between grey wolves and dire wolves? Beth Shapiro of Colossal says her team has sequenced the complete genome of the dire wolf and will soon release it to the public. Shapiro could not tell New Scientist how many differences there are but said the two species share 99.5 per cent of their DNA. Since the grey wolf genome is around 2.4 billion base pairs long, that still leaves room for millions of base-pairs of differences. Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. Sign up to newsletter And Colossal claims it has turned grey wolves into dire wolves by making just 20 gene edits? That is the claim. In fact, five of those 20 changes are based on mutations known to produce light coats in grey wolves, Shapiro told New Scientist. Only 15 are based on the dire wolf genome directly and are intended to alter the animals’ size, musculature and ear shape. It will be a year or so before it’s clear if those changes have had the intended effects on the genetically modified animals, says Shapiro. So these pups aren’t really dire wolves at all, then? It all comes down to how you define species, says Shapiro. “Species concepts are human classification systems, and everybody can disagree and everyone can be right,” she says. “You can use the phylogenetic [evolutionary relationships] species concept to determine what you’re going to call a species, which is what you are implying… We are using the morphological species concept and saying, if they look like this animal, then they are the animal.” What will happen to the gene-edited grey wolves that look a bit like dire wolves? Shapiro says they are being raised on a 800-hectare reserve where they are being observed and cared for. “They can’t get a splinter without us knowing,” she says. There are no plans to allow them to breed. Topics:

Trump's economic policy sounds like it has "the same tagline as Season 3 of 'Squid Game,'" Jon Stewart said on "The Daily Show." The Daily Show 2025-04-08T08:10:53Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Jon Stewart laid into Trump's tariffs during his monologue on "The Daily Show" on Monday. Trump's economic policy sounds like it has "the same tagline as Season 3 of 'Squid Game,'" Stewart said. Trump's tariffs are slated to take effect on April 9 and to impact more than 180 countries. "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart slammed President Donald Trump's tariffs during his monologue on Monday night, likening the administration's economic policy to the hit South Korean Netflix show, "Squid Game."In a segment called "Trade Wars," Stewart discussed the latest developments in the Trump administration's economic and trade policy."Our economy is in the midst of a beautiful metamorphosis, turning from a simple caterpillar into a dead caterpillar," Stewart said.Trump's tariffs, announced on Wednesday, are slated to go into effect on April 9 and to impact more than 180 countries. The tariffs start at a baseline rate of 10% and will hit both the US's friends and foes.During his monologue, Stewart pointed out that Trump had responded to criticism of his tariffs with social media posts urging Americans not to be "weak" or "stupid."Those posts included a Truth Social post on Friday, in which Trump wrote in all-caps: "ONLY THE WEAK WILL FAIL!""What are you doing? Your economic policy has the same tagline as Season 3 of 'Squid Game?'" Stewart said on Monday night. "Only the weak shall die in my economy!"The first two seasons of Netflix's hit show "Squid Game" followed groups of deeply indebted people in South Korea as they competed in a series of deadly games to win a life-changing sum of cash. The fictional show has no single tagline but has become interchangeable with the topics of debt, financial crises, and economic despair.The series' third season is set to air on June 27. Netflix ran the tagline "Prepare for the final game" on promotional posters."And it didn't have to happen like this," Stewart added of Trump's tariffs. "Trump had so many options to shape the world economy into the one he thought was fairer. He could have proposed some incentives to bring back manufacturing. He could have gone sector to sector, nation to nation, negotiate better trade reciprocal agreements.""We're the richest country in the world, ever. We're not the world's victims," Stewart said. "If we have inequalities in this country, that's on us.""And I'm not saying we can't make adjustments and renegotiate things, but it didn't have to be this reckless," he added.Stewart has consistently criticized Trump and the administration's policies, but he's far from the only prominent critic of Trump's tariff policies.Joshua Bolten, the CEO of Business Roundtable, said Trump's tariffs "run the risk of causing major harm to American manufacturers, workers, families and exporters.""Damage to the US economy will increase the longer the tariffs are in place and may be exacerbated by retaliatory measures," Bolten said.Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman — who came out strongly for Trump during the 2024 election — has called for Trump to call a 90-day timeout on the tariffs.And Elon Musk, Trump's biggest backer and most prominent advisor, broke with the administration on tariffs, advocating instead for a "zero-tariff" system and "free trade zone" between the US and Europe.Trump's tariff announcement has roiled markets and spooked investors. The S&P 500 is down by nearly 14% year to date, while the Nasdaq Composite is down 19% year to date.On Sunday, Trump said he didn't want to see markets cratering — but that "sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something."The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI. Recommended video

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.Welcome to The Logoff: Today I’m focusing on the economic fallout from Donald Trump’s tariffs, as the consequences of the president’s largely unchecked power are becoming clearer and more alarming.What’s the latest? After more losses today, the Dow is down more than 4,000 points since Trump rolled out his tariffs on Wednesday afternoon. The markets last dropped like this in 2020, when the economy was being systematically shut down to fight Covid-19.What’s next? The 10 percent, across-the-board tariffs took effect Saturday. The targeted, higher tariffs on specific nations go into effect April 9.And more tariffs could be coming. After China threatened to retaliate against Trump’s new tariffs with a 34 percent tax on US goods, the president threatened an additional 50 percent tariffs on Chinese goods unless Beijing pulls back. It’s the latest sign Trump’s tariffs have started a global trade war.Can anyone stop Trump’s tariffs? A handful of Senate Republicans are backing a bill that would curtail Trump’s authority to impose tariffs without Congress’s blessing. But even with all the Democrats on board, the legislation doesn’t have enough support to override Trump’s promised veto and seems unlikely to become law. What’s the big picture? Even before Trump took office, observers debated whether his talk of massive tariffs was a bluff or a blueprint. It seems investors were betting on the former, and now that the tariffs are going into effect, the financial shocks are real.How bad is this going to get? That depends largely on Trump. He has said that other nations are sending teams to negotiate, which means there’s still a chance that some of the tariffs could be canceled. But if any significant chunk of those taxes moves forward, economists predict higher prices and slow economic growth — if not an outright recession.And with that, it’s time to log off…If you’re in need of a distraction, let me point you to this incredible livestream of a bald eagle nest — complete with two eaglets — in California’s Big Bear Valley. (And thanks very much to the reader who emailed to suggest this!) If the market upheaval has you wondering what to do, my colleague Allie Volpe has a great piece about how to start an emergency fund for tough times. Thanks so much for reading. See you back here tomorrow.See More:

New research from Stanford suggests artificial intelligence isn’t ruled by just OpenAI and Google, as competition increases across the US, China, and France.

Nintendo's Switch 2 will launch with Mario Kart World and upgraded versions of Zelda titles, but there's one game I want to play on it more than any other — and you may not have heard of itTech22:00, 07 Apr 2025Updated 08:59, 08 Apr 2025Wild Hearts should get another chanceLast week's reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2 offered a little bit of everything. We got hardware information, confirmation that it will launch with Mario Kart World, and third-party ports including Elden Ring.And, while Hollow Knight fans finally got a brief (three second) glimpse of Silksong, there was another title on the sizzle reel part of the Nintendo Direct that got me more excited than almost anything else.‌Article continues belowLet me tell you all the tragic tale of Wild Hearts, a 2023 title that deserved much more love than it got — but might just be set for a renaissance with the Switch 2.While EA is best known for its sports titles and Battlefield, back in 2023 the company published Wild Hearts. The game was, essentially, a Monster Hunter-like game set in a fantasy world inspired by Feudal Japan.‌Players would hunt huge monsters based on Japanese folklore (Kemono), then turn them into new weapons and armour. It's about as close to Monster Hunter as you can get, but with a unique Karakuri system that meant players could gather resources to build traps and weapons like a comically large hammer that could send Kemono flying.Karakuri are so much fun to useUnlike It Takes Two and Unravel (its siblings on the EA Originals label), however, Wild Hearts seemingly struggled to find an audience despite looking absolutely beautiful. Poor PC performance, and good-but-not-great reviews meant EA dropped support for the game just a few months after launch.‌As a big Monster Hunter fan that really enjoyed my time with Wild Hearts, it felt like there would be no further news about the game — until it popped up in that Switch 2 reveal.Wild Hearts is a really good-looking gameAs for what's new, it's not immediately clear. Players can now hunt in groups of four rather than the three on the previous version, while EA is seemingly nowhere to be seen as Omega Force has seemingly grabbed the IP from its former partner.Article continues belowGiven the studio had designs to make it a pillar franchise along the same lines of Dynasty Warriors, that could be a masterstroke if Wild Hearts can bring players in with the Switch 2 launch and keep them playing with regular content updates.Thankfully, we don't have long to find out — while Switch 2 launches on June 5, Wild Hearts S will arrive on July 25. Here's hoping it can make a real go of things this time around. For more on Monster Hunter-style titles, be sure to check out our review of Monster Hunter Wilds.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.‌‌‌

It turns out I would have made a useless bandit in 15th-century Bohemia (Picture: Warhorse) One of the most popular role-playing games of recent years is also one of the most historically accurate, as a Metro writer with a personal investment in the story explores Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. With over 2 million copies sold in its first two weeks, it’s fair to say Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has been a big success for its developers, Warhorse Studios. The Czech-made game sold five times more than the original title in its first month and received positive reviews, while being praised for its ‘absorbing simulation’, ‘impressive sense of consequence’, humour, and world-building. But I think there is one fundamental aspect that underpins all of this praise, that helps make the game stand out from its peers: its historical accuracy. Warhorse worked with historians, reenactors, and academic sources to make Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 as authentic as possible. ‘No game – or even movie or book – can perfectly replicate the past, but we put an enormous effort into getting as close as possible,’ in-house historical consultant, Joanna Katarzyna Nowak, tells Metro. POV: It’s 1403, and you are about to get blood stains off your tunic before someone realises you have something to do with that missing guard… (Picture: Warhorse Studios) A gateway to history I grew up in Cittadella, a beautiful medieval city in Italy. My world was defined by a ring of stone walls built in the 13th century – running around narrow cobbled streets, playing hide and seek amongst shadowy archways, and sneaking into secret courtyards. The past was everywhere, and it was very tangible, something I could feel beneath my feet and above my head. The playground, located in the park in front of the moat, became our stage and battleground. We’d sit there on sunny afternoons, imagining stories of knights, kings, and queens. Despite this, the history I studied at school felt very removed from my life. I found it boring, repetitive, and pointless. I vividly remember staring at my workbook, trying to learn some dates ahead of a test, wondering what was the point in any of it. Luckily, I later discovered that video games were able to change that. They provided context, consequence, and feeling. And, above all, they made history fun again. That’s me on the right! (Picture: Martina Andretta) It started with Tomb Raider 2 (1997) and the city-building game Pharaoh (1999), which led me to Egypt for my first proper adult trip abroad. After a long break from gaming, I picked up Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (2018) during the pandemic. Its Discovery Tour, a free-to-roam map with educational content, was criminally overlooked. Then came the first Kingdom Come: Deliverance (2018). Although what attracted me at first was its role-playing component, I soon realised it was its approach to history that set it apart from anything else I had played. And after 226 hours of gameplay, I was excited for a sequel. Is it worth playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance 1 before 2? You don’t have to, but I recommend you do. Plot-wise, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 picks up exactly where the first game ends. By knowing the story in full, you will feel a lot more invested in the characters and have a deeper understanding of the decisions you’ll have to make in the sequel. Whatever you choose to do, I’d suggest you first watch Warhorse Studios’ recap of what happened in the first game before you begin. What to expect from Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 It’s 1403 and you play as Henry of Skalitz, a blacksmith-turned-knight, during a time of great political upheaval. The setting is stunning. Warhorse Studios has reconstructed parts of 15th century Bohemia – what is now part of the Czech Republic and one of the most influential states of the Holy Roman Empire – in painstaking detail. Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse, author, historical consultant and creator of Fake History Hunter, thinks this is the best part of the game. ‘It’s such a detailed, immersive world, it comes closer to giving us an idea of what life in the late Middle Ages was like than pretty much all other first-person games and a lot of films and TV shows.’ To the uninitiated, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 can be a punishing experience, especially early on. Bandits assaulting you? Escaping or returning to God’s mercy are the most likely options. Think you can just steal anything you come across? It won’t be long until you’re caught. Forgot to wash? Everyone will notice. Want to save your game? Not that easy, because you have to brew a potion. Medieval life takes preparation, and this is an essential element to the deep immersion. Trosky Castle as it appears in the game (Picture: Warhorse Studios) Trosky’s ruins are one of the most visited sights of the Czech Republic (Picture: Slavek Ruta/REX/Shutterstock) The challenges of creating a historically-accurate game like KC:D2 Nowak and her colleagues carefully replicated many details, from Trosky Castle to the city of Kutná Hora (or Kuttenberg, its German name). For example, each house in the game is built using authentic medieval construction techniques, showing the materials and architectural details of the time. And, importantly, the towns burst with vibrant colours. ‘Very different from the dark, dingy, brown and drab rags and cold grey houses we see in films and TV,’ explains Teeuwisse. Nowak is especially proud of what they achieved with the clothing. ‘It was a huge challenge to merge historical research, artistic vision, technical limitations, and gameplay needs into one coherent system,’ she explains. ‘The result is a diverse and historically authentic wardrobe that players can mix and match while still maintaining period accuracy.’ She found the hardest aspect to recreate was people’s daily lives. Routines and social interactions required extensive research and creative interpretation. On top of that, the team also had to consider nuances like folklore and religion. Who hasn’t eavesdropped on a trader at the market? (Picture: Warhorse Studios) Martin Bartoš (known as Kuttenberger Martin on YouTube) is a surveyor of historical buildings in Kutná Hora. He was also pleasantly surprised at the level of detail in the game, including the names of minor characters. For example (minor spoilers ahead), during the quest The Italian Job, players must infiltrate the Italian Court and get through a church council without raising suspicions. ‘Most of the people present are real historical figures,’ Bartoš points out. But some trade-offs were necessary to ensure smooth and enjoyable gameplay. Warhorse created a catalogue of modular elements (such as doors, windows, weapons), that could be reused across different structures. Since these had standardised dimensions and opening mechanics, it was easy to swap them quickly, without causing bugs. Nowak explains: ‘Imagine if every door had a handle at a different height – our characters would constantly struggle to interact with them! Overall, the game is all about finding compromises.’ Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has received some criticism. Orange carrots, no children in sight, and British accents are amongst the faults most widely discussed by players. Teeuwisse wishes bathhouses didn’t offer sexual favours: ‘Most bathhouses were places where families would go, you’d see your neighbour there, so not really a good spot for hanky panky. That’s what brothels were for.’ To Nowak, ‘historical accuracy is always a journey, not a fixed destination’. ‘If we’ve inspired players to learn more about history, then we consider that a huge success,’ she adds. Can games teach history? Research shows that video games have become a powerful learning tool, although they do present some challenges. ‘Games are both responsible for correcting myths and reinforcing them,’ says Teeuwisse. ‘Most games don’t spend a lot of effort on doing research or don’t care enough about it, which is of course their prerogative.’ But games can often be the scintilla that makes ‘someone a history addict for life’, she says. Warhorse Studios have received many messages from players who became fascinated by medieval history thanks to the series. ‘That’s exactly what we hoped for: to spark curiosity and get people engaged with real history.’ Although he doesn’t think games are the best tool for education, Bartoš agrees they are helpful to drive some interest. ‘A lot of people wrote [about] how they started to read more about [King] Sigismund, Jan Žižka, etc, and ended up going down the rabbit hole called the Hussite Wars, spending hours reading about that… which is great!’ What I love about Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 In Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, your choices and their consequences also respect the values of the era (minor spoilers ahead!). During one quest, Birds of Prey, you are asked to find some poachers causing trouble in the local area. Soon, you learn that poaching, especially when done at a larger scale, was punishable by death during the Middle Ages. In my mind, this seemed a harsh sentence. Here I am, standing in front of a pleading man who can’t feed his family, and whose property has been ravaged by bandits. And yet, if everyone at the time behaved the same way, the forests would soon have been emptied. Fascinated, by the subject I then engaged in a 30-minute deep dive into the history of hunting and poaching in Medieval times. The world of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is both dangerous and pretty (Picture: Warhorse Studios) The game succeeds in its mission because an interest in history isn’t necessary to enjoy it. There is no one there to remind you that this is an important subject, and that you must study. You could easily complete the game without having a clue about what King Sigismund is up to.  But the quests, the witty dialogue and the characters are seamlessly interconnected in a way that makes you want to learn more. And if, like me, you do eventually get the history bug, don’t forget to check the in-game codex. It is a great way to make sense of Henry’s world. More Trending Both Kingdom Come: Deliverance games are an exception in the current market. With their complex mechanics – refined but not abandoned in the second game – they don’t make compromises for ease of play. And yet, once you understand and accept the games’ mechanics, it’s hard to want to stop playing. ‘I finished the game but regularly return to it just to wander the streets of Kuttenberg; that says something,’ says Teeuwisse. ‘I’m pretty sure that Kingdom Come: Deliverance will get a lot of people excited about medieval history when their teachers couldn’t.’ A walk in the forest… or the calm before the storm? (Picture: Warhorse Studios) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Thirty years ago in Japan today, Heero Yuy infamously tore up the birthday invite of Relena Peacecraft and threatened to kill her—and it was more than just meme history that was forever changed. It would take just shy of another five years for it to happen, but Gundam had laid the groundwork for its first major hit outside of Japan—and bring its big robots, and even bigger ideas, to a whole new audience. Released in Japan on April 7, 1995—to celebrate the Gundam franchise’s 16th anniversary on the same day—Gundam Wing was the franchise’s second dip into the world of alternate timelines beyond the series’ iconic primary continuity, the Universal Century. Its predecessor, Mobile Fighter G Gundam, had juked where, up to that point, Gundam had jived, trading broad astropolitical worldbuilding for more shonen and super robot influences. Wing then, would return to jiving, establishing a precedent that practically every alternate universe series has followed since: new characters, new setting, but themes and stories that would resonate with, and be in conversation to, ideas first established in those Universal Century stories. Set in the year After Colony 195, Wing establishes a familiar Gundam scenario: humanity has advanced into the stars and to a series of space colonies within the solar system, but dissent between the latter wishing for independent rule away from the former has sparked a period of violent tensions. Unlike the Universal Century, the colonies are the protagonists and heroic perspective here, with a group of scientists working together to build five Gundams, powerful mobile suits, and send them to Earth alongside young, specially trained pilots, originally unaware of each other, but dedicated to their mission of liberating the colonies from the yoke of Earth’s militarism at any cost. If G Gundam had extrapolated the franchise to one of its most heightened potentialities, then Wing was intrigued with the more rooted aspects of what had made Gundam in the first place, a story about youth and war, about the politics of peace—and perhaps even further rooted than that, largely eschewing fantastical ideas like the psionics of Newtypism to depict a more grounded reality, but of course one where giant robots shot the ever-loving hell out of each other. Wing instead found its fantasy in the high melodrama of its interpersonal relationships, giving the five members of the Gundam Team—Heero, Quatre, Trowa, Wu Fei, and Duo a feisty, fractured relationships that created plenty of drama (and, inevitably in the vein of fujoshi interest before it with Char and Amuro, plenty of material for a thriving fan shippers—there’s a reason why perhaps Wing more than most Gundam shows has swathes of promotional artwork depicting the cast in slice of life scenarios or in boy bands). © Sunrise But in Japan, beyond that layer of interest in the five boys themselves, Gundam Wing was only a marginal success. What made Wing important wouldn’t happen for another five years, when it became the first Gundam series to air on Toonami—introducing Western audiences not just to its own vision of what Gundam was, but for many, what the franchise was altogether. Riding a wave of anime interest that had exploded with the likes of Pokémon and Dragon Ball before it, Gundam Wing‘s arrival in 2000 was another landmark in entrenching the medium’s popularity in the West. Without its adaptation, Gundam‘s place outside of Japan would be very different—fundamentally changing a relationship that has developed over the past 25 years, to where now Gundam movies hit theaters around the world, and the latest shows in the franchise air day and date. It’s perhaps fitting then, that Wing‘s 30th anniversary falls on the eve of a new era for Gundam. GQuuuuuuX, the latest show in the franchise—itself straddling the line of alternate-universe storytelling and direct links to the Universal Century in fascinating ways—is set to begin this week, a new generation that will be experienced by Gundam fans around the world. Access to the broader world of Gundam in the years since may take off some of Wing‘s nostalgic sheen; it’s a show that becomes increasingly thematically muddled as it goes on, and its best ideas are explored in more interesting ways elsewhere in the franchise. But even then, it’s still difficult to imagine a better series to have introduced the world to Gundam at large than it, timed at a perfect moment to enthrall a generation of nascent anime fans—a gateway that showed you that giant robots were extremely cool, but that the ideas behind them could be even cooler. Gundam Wing is streaming on Crunchyroll, for any and all, but especially those nostalgic now-30-somethings with a fondness for Just Communication. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

River Bend Repair / Vaughan Howard Architects with InPlaceSave this picture!© Sean Fennessy•Australia Architects: InPlace, Vaughan Howard Architects Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2023 Photographs Photographs:Sean Fennessy, Derek SwalwellMore SpecsLess Specs Save this picture! Text description provided by the architects. I'd first like to acknowledge the Wurundjeri woi wurrung people of the Kulin Nations. Traditional custodians of Garambi Bannj, and pay my respects to their continued caring for country, which has particular resonance for this project. Riverbend house (previously Cuming House) is located in Eltham, where the wide floodplains of the Yarra Valley narrow into the steep-sided and tree-lined Warrandyte Gorge. Specifically, it is located on Laughing Waters Road, which, through deep time, has been a place of great social, cultural, and environmental significance. The last remaining Wurundjeri stone eel trap on the Birrarung sits on a bend in the river below Riverbend House, and Wurundjeri reasserted their cultural practices a number of years ago through the re-scarring of trees.Save this picture!Artists, writers and architects have layered the area with significance, and developed a unique approach to living with nature, most evident through the work of the River Bend house architect Alistair Knox, and Landscape architect Gordon Ford. By 2015 Riverbend House was subject to demolition by neglect by the local Council, left to decay and eventually be demolished as they couldn't see an ongoing use for it. InPlace is not-for-profit arts organization that seeks to preserve built heritage and place artists in significant sites to allow for the production of new work, and facilitate workshops connecting people to lost cultural practices. They instigated a process to save the house, and have subsequently partnered with Parks Victoria and Wurundjeri Corporation to establish the Garambi Baan Cultural Precinct.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Repair – When I partnered with InPlace and began the renovations of River Bend, we framed the project around the idea of repair and how the repair of a significant piece of built heritage could extend to cultural repair and also to the repair of landscape and ecology.Save this picture!Riverbend – The house itself is perched on an escarpment above the Birrarung, a gentle bend in the plan opens views both upstream and downstream. The design of the house is heavy masonry pillars with infill timber window-walls, through which landscape views flow.Save this picture!The main intervention was the removal of a wall between the dining room and the kitchen, amplifying the connection between interior and landscape by opening up clear views through to the river and valley on entering the house. The other main decision was to replan the kitchen and the ensuite, removing a large walk-in pantry in favor of creating an accessible shower. This plan shows how the materials flow between interior spaces and from inside to outside, as well as the re-planned kitchen and bathroom. There was a particular focus on materials, to use their experiential qualities to amplify the landscape rather than be referential to the original era of the house.Save this picture!The kitchen tiles are handmade by Anchor Ceramics, connecting to a long lineage of ceramics in the Eltham area. The gray-green tiles, with their irregular, slightly matte surface, reflect the dusty gray-green leaves of the Eucalyptus Meliadora beyond. A thin stainless-steel shelf is both functional and a place to house a collection. The benchtop, in cold-rolled, unpolished stainless steel, takes on the glossy quality of the river beyond, gently gathering the landscape in its milky reflections.Save this picture!Rather than devote the whole bench to stainless steel, the corner with the best view out to the Birrarung was given over to a timber writer's desk, a subtly lower level than the rest of the bench. Materials for fittings and fixtures were selected for their textures, with leather cupboard pulls to patina with age and kitchen utensils chosen for their beauty as well as functionality. All the existing materials in the house were addressed. The Welsh slate floors were painstakingly stripped back and resealed with natural linseed oil. The window-frames were re-sanded and oiled, and the walls scrubbed.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The pendant and dining table were sourced from local designer and Eltham resident Kate Stokes. Like the kitchen tiles, this was in the spirit of the original era of the house, when homes across Melbourne were fitted out with locally produced furniture. The low pendant creates an intimate space around the table in the large room. The table itself, at 2.4m long, is big enough for a large convivial gathering. The vase is by the Japanese Australian ceramicist Yoko Ozawa, who was inspired by early morning light on the white mana gum trunks and the mist of the river during her residency. The heart of the house is the Living Room, with an almost medieval-sized open fireplace. We added an elemental blocky but cosy sofa and Featherston chaise, contributing a layer of generosity and warmth to the space while keeping it intrinsically connected to the landscape beyond.Save this picture!The decoratively laid terrace bricks were documented, removed, cleaned, and re-laid on a new base by original Knox builders. The terrace overlooks the river and the eel-trap and feels like an incredibly special place, particularly now that it has been restored. All extraneous items were removed from the house, including old fences and carports, stripping it back to its essence. A new zincalum roof in the same finish and profile replaced the rusted-out roof, and the partially destroyed fascia was repaired, while new hardwood plywood replaced the old asbestos soffits, and all the Oregon beams and fascias were sanded and oiled.Save this picture!Where functionality required new additions, they were carefully designed to be sensitive to the Heritage of the dwelling. The water treatment system services cabinet was designed as three panels, referencing the proportions of the brick pillars. Weathering steel was used, a contrasting material to the brick and timber of the house, but one that settles into the environment as it weathers.Save this picture!Back inside, the bedroom is both a cosy retreat, but also connected to the river. A velvet Featherstone chair provides a warm vantage point to experience the landscape beyond. The new sisal carpet also tonally connect to gravel and brick, and the shaley clay soil of the area. A built-in wardrobe was removed from the room, revealing the original hardwood plywood and restoring the room to its originally intended proportions. We designed all the beds for the house with discrete steel frames and salvaged Oregon headboards.Save this picture!Save this picture!The sliding door to the bathroom was replaced, with a little bit of glamor, with brass trim and brass door-pull, and clad both slides in blue grass paper, a material settled on after pretty much every other material was considered and ruled out. The bathroom was intended to feel like an unfussy bathhouse. The terracotta floors connect to the brick paving, and clear, glossy Japanese tiles pick up the whites of the manna gum trunks. By removing the pantry, the shower was made deep enough not to need a shower screen, allowing the simplicity of the materials to speak without interruption.Save this picture!Since the project has been completed, 24 artists have been residents in the Garambi Baan program. This is a snapshot of both past and upcoming commissions that InPlace has programmed for 2023-2024. Many of the residents have been first nations or diaspora communities, and programs have been run that seek to repair connections to craft practices that hold deep cultural significance. InPlace is currently partnering with DEECA and Wurundjeri to fence and manage the regeneration of the whole precinct and reintroduce practices, including cultural burning and other culturally sensitive land management techniques. The landscape has already been indigenized with planting.Save this picture!The original idea for Riverbend was repair. The overwhelming feedback from residents has been that Riverbend and Laughing Waters feels like a healing place, which became the theme for the last year of programming. The notion of healing extends across the project, from healing country, to healing broken connections with culture, knowledge and land. And the repair of a piece of architecture has in a small way contributed to providing safe space where healing journeys can begin. Save this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less About this officeInPlaceOffice••• Published on April 08, 2025Cite: "River Bend Repair / Vaughan Howard Architects with InPlace" 08 Apr 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1028593/river-bend-repair-vaughan-howard-architects-with-inplace&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Macworld This is a complete travel iPad setup, featuring 32GB of storage, Beats wireless headphones, and all the essential accessories to keep you productive, entertained, and connected — without hauling around a full laptop or draining your phone battery. And at 50% off, it’s an easy upgrade that won’t wreck your travel budget. What’s included in this iPad travel bundle? An Apple iPad 7 with a 10.2″ Retina display, 32GB of storage, and up to 10 hours of battery life. Whether reading, streaming, or getting work done on the go, it’s built to keep up. A pair of renewed Beats Flex Wireless Headphones offering up to 12 hours of listening time, a tangle-free neckband, and magnetic earbuds that auto-pause when you take them off. A full accessory kit, including a protective case, charging cable, stylus, and screen protector, so you’re ready to go right out of the box — no extra purchases or prep needed. The iPad is Grade A refurbished and arrives in near-mint condition, while the Beats Flex are renewed open-box returns, tested, cleaned, and repackaged. Whether you’re firing off emails at 30,000 feet, watching movies in a hotel room, or catching up on podcasts during your commute, this bundle has your back Grab the Apple iPad 7 + Beats Flex Travel Bundle for just $149.99 — 50% off. Apple iPad 7th Gen (2019) 32GB WiFi Space Gray (Refurbished) with Beats Flex Headphones BundleSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.