0 Comments
0 Shares
15 Views
Directory
Directory
-
Please log in to like, share and comment!
-
WWW.ARCHITECTURALDIGEST.COMInside a Vibrant Notting Hill Row House Decorated in Record SpeedIf a designer has barely a month after signing onto a project to begin finalizing its fixtures, finishes, and fittings, she better hope she finds herself fully dialed into her clients’ aesthetic aspirations from the get-go. Lucky for London’s Tiffany Duggan, of Studio Duggan, that proved just the case with a creative, art-collecting couple whose four-story Victorian row house she recently completed in Notting Hill.“They’ve got great taste, great style,” says Duggan of the homeowners, parents to three children. What they didn’t have, however, was time to spare: Their new home was well into its top-to-bottom renovation—with the build team, Pembridge Developments, more than ready for final design decisions—when Duggan joined the project. And that’s why it proved a very good thing, indeed: “We were really well aligned from a style perspective and what we both liked,” the designer explains. “That made the process quicker.”Like many spaces in the house, the living room combines rich pink with paler green tones. Here, Edward Bulmer’s Celadon paint color adorns the walls, while a sofa from Duggan’s Trove lifestyle and home collection wears a Pollack red-pink velvet, and the fireplace fender a Schumacher ikat in similar hues. The clients brought with them the graphic cut-pile wool carpet as well as the art collection, which here includes a woodcut by Tom Hammick over an antique mantel from Lassco. To the right hangs a family portrait. Their simpatico sensibilities extended from a shared love of color to a mutual belief that any interior benefits from a mix of old and new. The clients wanted the decor to feel collected, “very much like it had been growing over time,” the designer continues, explaining this was relatively easy to achieve because the homeowners already had collections of antique and vintage pieces plus extensive art holdings. Perhaps the most important aspect of the alignment between Duggan and her clients? “They wanted to do something fun and interesting,” she says.So that’s exactly what Duggan did, beginning, of all places, with the children’s bathroom on the top floor, for which she paired zellige tiles in a soft lilac hue with a sink, tub, and toilet from the Water Monopoly, all in a buttery yellow. “We wouldn’t normally start with the bathroom,” Duggan admits, “but since we were tight on time, we focused on things we had to for the build.”0 Comments 0 Shares 18 Views
-
WWW.DROPSITENEWS.COMLeaked Data Reveals Massive Israeli Campaign to Remove Pro-Palestine Posts on Facebook and InstagramPro-Palestine protesters in front of Meta headquarters on November 3, 2023. Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images.A sweeping crackdown on posts on Instagram and Facebook that are critical of Israel—or even vaguely supportive of Palestinians—was directly orchestrated by the government of Israel, according to internal Meta data obtained by Drop Site News. The data show that Meta has complied with 94% of takedown requests issued by Israel since October 7, 2023. Israel is the biggest originator of takedown requests globally by far, and Meta has followed suit—widening the net of posts it automatically removes, and creating what can be called the largest mass censorship operation in modern history.Government requests for takedowns generally focus on posts made by citizens inside that government’s borders, Meta insiders said. What makes Israel’s campaign unique is its success in censoring speech in many countries outside of Israel. What’s more, Israel's censorship project will echo well into the future, insiders said, as the AI program Meta is currently training how to moderate content will base future decisions on the successful takedown of content critical of Israel’s genocide.To support Drop Site’s investigations, become a free or paid subscriber.The data, compiled and provided to Drop Site News by whistleblowers, reveal the internal mechanics of Meta’s “Integrity Organization”—an organization within Meta dedicated to ensuring the safety and authenticity on its platforms. Takedown requests (TDRs) allow individuals, organizations, and government officials to request the removal of content that allegedly violates Meta’s policies. The documents indicate that the vast majority of Israel’s requests—95%—fall under Meta’s “terrorism” or “violence and incitement” categories. And Israel’s requests have overwhelmingly targeted users from Arab and Muslim-majority nations in a massive effort to silence criticism of Israel.Multiple independent sources inside Meta confirmed the authenticity of the information provided by the whistleblowers. The data also show that Meta removed over 90,000 posts to comply with TDRs submitted by the Israeli government in an average of 30 seconds. Meta also significantly expanded automated takedowns since October 7, resulting in an estimated 38.8 million additional posts being “actioned upon” across Facebook and Instagram since late 2023. “Actioned upon” in Facebook terms means that a post was either removed, banned, or suppressed.Number of posts reported by the Israeli government over time, by country of post origin. Obtained by Drop Site News.Number of posts actioned upon by Meta over time, by country of post origin. Obtained by Drop Site News. Takedown RequestsAll of the Israeli government’s TDRs post-October 7th contain the exact same complaint text, according to the leaked information, regardless of the substance of the underlying content being challenged. Sources said that not a single Israeli TDR describes the exact nature of the content being reported, even though the requests link to an average of 15 different pieces of content. Instead, the reports simply state, in addition to a description of the October 7th attacks, that:This is an urgent request regarding videos posted on Facebook which contain inciting content. The file attached to this request contains link [sic] to content which violated articles 24(a) and 24(b) of the Israeli Counter-Terrorism Act (2016), which prohibits incitement to terrorism praise for acts of terrorism and identification or support of terror organizations. Moreover, several of the links violate article 2(4) of the Privacy Protection Act (1982), which prohibits publishing images in circumstances that could humiliate the person depicted, as they contain images of the killed, injured, and kidnapped. Additionally, to our understanding, the content in the attached report violates Facebook’s community standards.Meta's content enforcement system processes user-submitted reports through different pathways, depending on who is reporting it. Regular users can report posts via the platform’s built-in reporting function, triggering a review. Reported posts are typically first labeled as violating or non-violating by machine-learning models, though sometimes human moderators review them as well. If the AI assigns a high confidence score indicating a violation, the post is removed automatically. If the confidence score is low, human moderators review the post before deciding whether to take action.Governments and organizations, on the other hand, have privileged channels to trigger content review. Reports submitted through these channels receive higher priority and are almost always reviewed by human moderators rather than AI. Once reviewed by humans, the reviews are fed back into Meta’s AI system to help it better assess similar content in the future. While everyday users can also file TDRs, they are rarely acted upon. Government-submitted TDRs are far more likely to result in content removal.Meta has overwhelmingly complied with Israel’s requests, making an exception for the government account by taking down posts without human reviews, according to the whistleblowers, while still feeding that data back into Meta’s AI. A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report investigating Meta’s moderation of pro-Palestine content post-October 7th found that, of 1,050 posts HRW documented as taken-down or suppressed on Facebook or Instagram, 1,049 involved peaceful content in support of Palestine, while just one post was content in support of Israel.A source within Meta’s Integrity Organization confirmed that internal reviews of their automated moderation found that pro-Palestinian content that did not violate Meta’s policies was frequently removed. In other cases, pro-Palestinian content that should have been simply removed was given a “strike,” which indicates a more serious offense. Should a single account receive too many strikes on content that it publishes, the entire account can be removed from Meta platforms.When concerns about overenforcement against pro-Palestinian content were raised inside the Integrity Organization, the source said, leadership responded by saying that they preferred to overenforce against potentially violating content, rather than underenforce and risk leaving violating content live on Meta platforms.Remove, Strike, SuspendWithin Meta, several key leadership positions are filled by figures with personal connections to the Israeli government. The Integrity Organization is run by Guy Rosen, a former Israeli military official who served in the Israeli military’s signals intelligence unit, Unit 8200. Rosen was the founder of Onavo, a web analytics and VPN firm that then-Facebook acquired in October 2013. (Previous reporting has revealed that, prior to acquiring the company, Facebook used data Onavo collected from their VPN users to monitor the performance of competitors—part of the anti-competitive behavior alleged by the Federal Trade Commission under the Biden administration in its suit against Meta.)Rosen’s Integrity Organization works synergistically with Meta’s Policy Organization, according to employees. The Policy Organization sets the rules, and the Integrity Organization enforces them—but the two feed one another, they said. “Policy changes are often driven by data from the integrity org,” explained one Meta employee. As of this year, Joel Kaplan replaced Nick Clegg as the head of the Policy Organization. Kaplan is a former Bush administration official who has worked with Israeli officials in the past on fighting “online incitement.”Meta’s Director of Public Policy for Israel and the Jewish Diaspora, Jordana Cutler, has also intervened to investigate pro-Palestine content. Cutler is a former senior Israeli government official and advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Cutler has reportedly used her role to flag pro-Palestine content. According to internal communications reviewed by Drop Site, as recently as March, Cutler actively instructed employees of the company to search for and review content mentioning Ghassan Kanafani, an Arab novelist considered to be a pioneer of Palestinian literature. Immediately prior to joining Meta as a senior policymaker, she spent nearly three years as Chief of Staff at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C—and nearly five years serving as deputy to one of Netanyahu’s senior advisors, before becoming Netanyahu’s advisor on Diaspora Affairs.According to internal information reviewed by Drop Site, Cutler has continued to demand the review of content related to Kanafani under Meta’s policy “Glorification, Support or Representation” of individuals or organizations “that proclaim a violent mission or are engaged in violence to have a presence on our platforms.” Kanafani, who was killed in a 1972 car bombing orchestrated by the Mossad, served as a spokesperson for the left-wing Palestinian nationalist group, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The PFLP was designated as a terrorist group over a quarter century after he was killed, which, according to Meta’s guidelines and Cutler’s efforts, serves as a basis to flag his content for removal, strikes, and possible suspension.Global ScopeThe leaked documents reveal that Israel’s takedown requests have overwhelmingly targeted users from Arab and Muslim-majority nations, with the top 12 countries affected being: Egypt (21.1%), Jordan (16.6%), Palestine (15.6%), Algeria (8.2%), Yemen (7.5%), Tunisia (3.3%), Morocco (2.9%), Saudi Arabia (2.7%), Lebanon (2.6%), Iraq (2.6%), Syria (2%), Turkey (1.5%). In total, users from over 60 countries have reported censorship of content related to Palestine, according to Human Rights Watch—with posts being removed, accounts suspended, and visibility reduced through shadow banning.Notably, only 1.3% of Israel’s takedown requests target Israeli users, making Israel an outlier among governments that typically focus their censorship efforts on their own citizens. For example, 63% of Malaysia’s takedown requests target Malaysian content, and 95% of Brazil’s requests target Brazilian content. Israel, however, has turned its censorship efforts outward, focusing on silencing critics and narratives that challenge its policies, particularly in the context of the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the West Bank.Despite Meta’s awareness of Israel’s aggressive censorship tactics for at least seven years, according to Meta whistleblowers, the company has failed to curb the abuse. Instead, one said, the company “actively provided the Israeli government with a legal entry-point for carrying out its mass censorship campaign.”Leave a comment0 Comments 0 Shares 23 Views
-
WWW.VG247.COMBy Azura, forget that rumoured Oblivion Remake, someone's created a Doom-style Tamrihell filled with killer Adoring FansGore-and Champion By Azura, forget that rumoured Oblivion Remake, someone's created a Doom-style Tamrihell filled with killer Adoring Fans I assume in lore terms this is a realm Sheogorath put together just to make sure the Hero of Kvatch went full Shivering Isles NPC. Image credit: Bethesda/Sloth_Johnson News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on April 14, 2025 As we all continue to wait for any news on the heavily-rumoured Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion remake, a fan has taken matters into their own hands and created a Doom-style boomer shooter version of the game about a bunch of potato-faced empire-lovers shutting some spooky doors. Yep, stop staring at Bethesda's socials for five minutes, this is worth exposing youself to missing a sudden official remake announcement for five minutes. Seriously, you can chill out, I'm sure the studio will send us all Adoring Fan singing telegrams to make sure none of us miss it, assuming it exists. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Right, here we go. Reddit user Sloth_Johnson has shared a clip of them playing an Oblivion-themed boomer shooter they've created using the Easy FPS Editor - a tool that's designed to help you create your own old school FPS. Think Doom or classic Wolfenstein, but with whatever coat of paint you want slapped over it to create an end result similar to the Doom art gallery experience we all got a kick out of at the start of this year. Rather than looking at paintings, Sloth_Johnson's creation lets the player romp through a dungeon done up to look a bit like the interiors of the Imperial City's stone buildings, cutting down hostile Adoring Fan sprites that keep yelling 'By Azura', because of course they do. Oblivion Remake - Official Footage by u/Sloth_Johnson in oblivion To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Once those little fellas and a pretty terrifying shotgun-wielding Imperial guard who naturally roars about you having violated the law have been cut down, you find Emperor Patrick Stewart in the final room and he gives you that speech about having had a wet dream about you. Except in this case, Sloth_Johnson just cuts him down before he barely gets a word out. Hang on a minute, was the Hero of Kvatch a Mythic Dawn agent all along? Regardless, I've now got some sad news about this cool thing that even has its own renderings of Oblivion's wonderful soundtrack. You'll probably never be able to play it yourself. "Don't think I can ever release this sadly, with all of the Bethesda assets and whatnot," its creator has written in a Reddit thread about it. Oof. Insert that Simpsons clip where Lionel Hutz imagines a world without lawyers here. Even if you never get to play this Oblivion boomer shooter, you should definitely get to play another cool fan-made Elder Scrolls Oblivion thing soon, with massive mod Skyblivion on course for release this year regardless of whether Bethesda drops its own official remake soon.0 Comments 0 Shares 15 Views
-
WWW.NINTENDOLIFE.COMMario Kart World Players Are Already Uncovering Hidden VehiclesSubscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube807k The Nintendo Switch 2 hands-on experience is already in full swing, giving those lucky enough to attend the chance to play through a handful of new games coming to the system. As you might expect, Mario Kart World is one such title and, while seeing what the racer has to offer, fans are already uncovering some of its secrets (thanks for the heads up, VGC). For example, those who watched the game's reveal trailer with an eagle eye might have seen Birdo drive into the back of a huge truck and seemingly take command of it for a section of the course, but did you know that there are other vehicles in the world where a similar process can happen? We didn't! While checking out the above footage from YouTube animator GetMadz (via his second channel GettingMadz), we saw just that. When exploring the world in Free Roam mode, Bowser drives his kart into a large nearby hovercraft, Thunderbird 4-style, and then whips it around the open seas. In the background, we can hear someone explain that the larger crafts can be used to take out racers around you, with "something similar" cropping up in the city-based circuits — referring to the aforementioned trucks, we imagine. We can only assume that these big vehicles will be a way to clear the track around you while speeding through a grand prix, adding some mech-like protection to hairier sequences. But who knows, perhaps there's a different tactical edge to these vehicles that we haven't seen yet. All eyes on Thursday's Direct, we suppose. And that wasn't the only secret that the hands-on experience had to share. VGC's Andy Robinson took to BlueSky with footage of a new boost, caused by holding your hop for a second or two. Not sure if anyone noticed this before, but you can now hold your hop in Mario Kart World for a boost— Andy Robinson (@andyrobinson.bsky.social) 2025-04-11T10:40:58.136Z Gosh, there's going to be so much to learn when this one arrives with Switch 2 on 5th June. You can find our full hands-on impressions of the upcoming racer in the below feature. The World Wide Road Our predictions for Switch 2's biggest launch game What do you make of these new features? Is there anything else that you're excited to see in Mario Kart World? Let us know in the comments. [source x.com, via videogameschronicle.com] Related Games See Also Share:2 2 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment... Related Articles It's Official, Switch 2 Joy-Con Will Not Feature Hall Effect Sticks Controllers have been designed from the ground up Upgrade Pack Price For Zelda: BOTW And TOTK Has Been Confirmed A pleasant surprise! Nintendo Confirms US Price For 'Switch 2 Welcome Tour' Quick, act surprised! Where To Pre-Order Nintendo Switch 2 Where to buy Switch 2 consoles, accessories & games UK Switch 2 Fans, Don't Bother Going To GAME Stores For Your Pre-Order You won't get one0 Comments 0 Shares 20 Views
-
WWW.ARTOFVFX.COMThe Electric State: VFX Breakdown by Storm StudiosOslo-based Storm Studios crafted the epic “robot war” prologue for The Electric State – a stunning series of one-off shots featuring unique bots, wild environments, and mind-bending VR visuals! © Vincent Frei – The Art of VFX – 2025 The post The Electric State: VFX Breakdown by Storm Studios appeared first on The Art of VFX.0 Comments 0 Shares 22 Views
-
ENTAGMA.COMFree Course: Introduction into APEX – Ep.01Free Course: Introduction into APEX – Ep.01 by Anthea Eichstetter 14.04.2025 comment 0 Free Course We are very excited to have Magnus Møller – Co-founder of Tumblehead Animation – as your teacher for this APEX beginner course. In this 3-part series, Magnus will introduce you into the world of Character Animation with Houdini! You will learn how and why to use APEX and how it differs from SOPs, how to rig a Character and finally you will also get an introduction into APEX script. We hope this series is helpful to you. If you have any requests or feedback, please leave them in the comments below. We would love to have Magnus back for future APEX and Animation courses. Your feedback and support are the best way we can achieve this! Liked it? Take a second to support Anthea Eichstetter on Patreon!0 Comments 0 Shares 15 Views
-
3DPRINTINGINDUSTRY.COMALTANA Brings Cubic Ink Resin Production Closer to U.S. CustomersGerman chemical group ALTANA has ramped up production of its Cubic Ink UV-curing resins for industrial additive manufacturing, marking a major step toward localized manufacturing and distribution in the United States. By producing domestically, ALTANA also aims to enhance supply chain reliability and reduce delivery lead times for its U.S.-based customers. The first large-scale batch of a UV-curable 3D printing resin from Cubic Ink was produced in collaboration with ALTANA’s ACTEGA division at its Cinnaminson facility and is now headed to a medical technology customer in the U.S. West Coast. “Our customer proximity was crucial to the successful implementation of the project. We are on site and understand the challenges of our customers. This enables us to grow together and quickly develop individual product solutions. This is especially true for innovative technologies such as 3D printing,” said Dr. Max Röttger, Head of Cubic Ink. The move reinforces ALTANA’s commitment to scaling industrial-grade additive manufacturing, backed by robust production capacity, advanced technologies, and rigorous quality assurance. ALTANA Cubic Ink Scaling Up Production. Photo via ALTANA . High-Performance Materials for Open 3D Printing Platforms The Cubic Ink resin portfolio is engineered for compatibility with a wide range of open 3D printing systems, including DLP, LCD, and SLA technologies. Optimized for end-use applications, these resins offer properties such as chemical resistance, durability, and aging stability. Their low viscosity supports real-time, cost-efficient processing, while customizable formulations can be fine-tuned for specific machines and operational requirements. Cubic Ink also offers specialized inks for material jetting. This broader materials strategy supports a wider array of applications across industries with stringent performance demands—including automotive, aerospace, and healthcare fields such as audiology, dentistry, and orthopedics. ALTANA Cubic Ink – Materials for Additive Manufacturing. Photo via ALTANA. Track Record of Innovation and Industry Collaboration ALTANA’s current scale-up effort builds on a series of strategic partnerships and product expansions. In 2024, ALTANA’s Cubic Ink division teamed up with 3D printing firm Quantica to develop advanced materials for 2D and 3D inkjet printing. The collaboration introduced starter resins for Quantica’s NovoJet OPEN system and focused on high-viscosity formulations to extend application possibilities. In 2023, ALTANA expanded its Cubic Ink portfolio to include new materials for DLP, LCD, SLA, and jetting systems, targeting end-use components in high-demand sectors. Highlights from the 2023 portfolio included Cubic Ink High Performance 2-1400 VP for SLA, along with other specialized materials like Mold 210 VP, 601 VP, and ESD-safe High Performance 4-2800 VP-ESD. These products were showcased at Formnext 2023 in Frankfurt, signaling ALTANA’s commitment to open-system, industrial-scale AM solutions. Who won the 2024 3D Printing Industry Awards? Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter to keep up with the latest 3D printing news. You can also follow us on LinkedIn, and subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry Youtube channel to access more exclusive content.Featured image shows ALTANA Cubic Ink Scaling Up Production. Photo via ALTANA.0 Comments 0 Shares 21 Views
-
WWW.COMPUTERWEEKLY.COMGovernment injects extra funding to drive quantum growthBartek Wróblewski - stock.adobe News Government injects extra funding to drive quantum growth The UK government has ploughed an extra £121m into quantum to drive development of the technology By Cliff Saran, Managing Editor Published: 14 Apr 2025 12:00 The government has committed £121m of funding over the next 12 months to support quantum computing in the UK. While quantum computing remains a nascent technology, it promises to revolutionise research and development, and power computational tasks that cannot be performed on today’s most advanced supercomputer, paving the way to significant economic benefits in countries that can harness the technology effectively. The UK’s National Quantum Technologies Programme sets out the government’s long-term effort to back early-stage research, and support getting quantum technologies out of the lab and onto the marketplace. According to data from professional services firm Qureca, China has made the largest investment in quantum technology, which it estimates is worth $15bn, followed by the US ($7.7bn). The UK’s investment in quantum technology ($4.3bn) is ahead of both Germany ($3.3bn) and France ($2.2bn), according to Qureca’s data, which demonstrates the government’s continued funding and its big bet on this emerging technology sector. Coinciding with World Quantum Day, the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology said the funding is being made available over the next year to expand the use of the technology and secure the UK’s position as a world-leader in quantum as part of the government’s long-term commitment to the sector. Secretary of State for science and technology Peter Kyle said the UK is home to the second-largest community of quantum businesses in the world. The funding is set to help support the development of new quantum tools and products, and aligns with the government’s Plan for Change. “Quantum has the potential to save millions for our economy, create thousands of jobs and improve businesses across the country – stopping fraudsters in their tracks, protecting our bank accounts and more,” he said. “Backing our world-class quantum researchers and businesses is an important part of our Plan for Change.” Read more about quantum computing UK government invests £106m in five quantum tech hubs: Five university hubs are receiving funding to support the development of quantum applications that can support healthcare and businesses. Research team demonstrates certified quantum randomness: 56-qubit trapped ion quantum computer from Quantinuum has demonstrated quantum supremacy as a random number generator. The government hopes the funding will help to further the development and deployment of quantum systems, which could be used to power improved healthcare systems, boost energy efficiency in the grid, and help tackle fraud and money laundering. For instance, Quantum experts at HSBC have been working with the National Quantum Computing Centre to research how quantum computing could be used to identify the indicators of anti-money laundering. The funding is being split across a number of areas: £46.1m through Innovate UK will be used to accelerate the deployment of quantum technology across a range of sectors, including computing; networking; position, navigation and timing; and sensing. The National Quantum Computing Centre will receive £21.1m to further its quantum testbed programme with Innovate UK and support the Quantum Software Lab. The National Physical Laboratory will receive £10.9m for its quantum measurement programme. In July 2024, the government announced five new quantum hubs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Oxford and London to bring together researchers and businesses. As part of this research programme, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council will receive £24.6m in funding, which includes an investment of £3m in training and skills programmes. Other programmes receiving funding include 11 Quantum Technology Career Acceleration Fellowships, which are being awarded £15.1m and £4.3m from the Science and Technology Facilities Council to back early-career researchers and Quantum-enabled apprenticeships. In The Current Issue: Interview: The role of IT innovation at Royal Ballet and Opera ‘Bankenstein’ and a cold calculation means banking crashes will continue Download Current Issue Sysdig: A new arms race on the evolving battlefield of cloud security – CW Developer Network No Complaints About Automating Compliance – Networks Generation View All Blogs0 Comments 0 Shares 26 Views
-
WWW.ZDNET.COMSamsung's new rugged phone and tablet are built to last - but still have AI smartsBalancing brains and brawn, the XCover7 Pro is Samsung's latest rugged phone, now housing a brighter display and Google's AI software0 Comments 0 Shares 31 Views