In Brief Posted: 1:56 PM PDT · April 19, 2025 Image Credits:Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images / Getty Images Congress has questions about 23andMe bankruptcy 3The leaders of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce said they are investigating how 23andMe’s bankruptcy might affect customers’ data. Representatives Brett Guthrie, Gus Bilirakis, and Gary Palmer (all Republicans) sent a letter Thursday to the genetic testing company’s interim CEO Joe Selsavage asking a number of questions about how 23andMe will handle customer data if the company is sold. The letter also says that some customers have reported problems deleting their data from the 23andMe website, and it notes that direct-to-consumer companies like 23andMe are generally not covered by the protections of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). “Given the lack of HIPAA protections, the patchwork of state laws covering genetic privacy, and the uncertainty surrounding what happens to customer information should a sale of a company or customer data and information transpire, we are concerned that this trove of sensitive information is at risk of being comprised,” the representatives write. 23andMe, which settled a data breach lawsuit for $30 million last year, filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in March, with co-founder and CEO Anne Wojciki saying she was resigning to become a private bidder for the company. Topics

By the end of the 19th century, Brookline’s connection to Boston via the streetcars opened the town up to suburban development unlike anything seen before. From this, Boston businessmen could move to the suburbs for more land and live in larger single-family homes while commuting to the city for work. This large house in the Cottage Farm neighborhood was built in 1899 on speculation and purchased by George and Annie Andrews, who two years later, built a stable on the adjacent lot. Architect Robert Coit, specialized in large suburban houses, primarily in the Boston-area suburbs, and showcased his design talents for this Tudor Revival home. Tudor Revival style ornament include the second story over-hangs supported on brackets, the diamond pane sash and casement windows, vergeboard with finials, and portico with steep gable.

Table of Contents Table of Contents A melting pot of the best companies The third-party retailers The Huaqiangbei malls are a tech lover’s dream Looking beyond devices  One of my favorite places to visit in China is Shenzhen. Established in 1979, the small fishing village north of Hong Kong has turned into the beating heart of China’s technology scene, and nowhere is this more epitomized than in Huaqiangbei.  A district in Shenzhen, Huaqiangbei, has become the go-to destination for exploring the latest technology. However, it’s much more than this: it’s also where you’ll find the craziest and wildest range of technology devices, accessories, and components.  Recommended Videos Want a cheap pair of AirPods Pro? It has you covered. An Apple Watch running Android? Also covered. A new screen at a fraction of the price your local phone repair shop charges? This is where to be.  Related As part of my trip to China, I just returned to Huaqiangbei for the first time in six years. I bought a range of products, including both inexpensive and official items, as well as others. Here’s a closer look at the craziest tech market in the world.  Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends It’s notable that every major smartphone company, as well as many non-smartphone companies, has a large presence in Huaqiangbei. Many of the former have multiple presences, as they each aim to outdo one another and sell their wares to every customer passing by.  Take Huawei, for example. There is a flagship Huawei store on the corner by a large mall, and several doors down in either direction, there are other official stores. Or Xiaomi, which has at least four stores that I could count within a 5-minute walk. This only accounts for two blocks of Huaqiang Road North, but the street extends much longer.  Then there’s DJI, which has at least three stores that I could see in the same radius. The same applies to Oppo and Vivo, although the former has less presence than the latter. Conspicuous in that it only has one store of note? Samsung, and its store is a regular-sized store, with Samsung less focused on this market than its competition.  What about Apple? There is at least one official store, as well as a multitude of smaller retailers that promote themselves as official resellers. This doesn’t account for the markets and stalls as well.  Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends Once you move past the official stores, you’ll find a host of third-party retailers and resellers with stores facing directly onto the street. Instead of smaller, somewhat kosher retailers tucked away in the malls, these resellers are more akin to your neighborhood phone store than a market stall.  Here, you’ll find most phone brands under one roof, along with some great bargains. While the official stores have fixed prices – although they’ll still have deals and you can occasionally snag a discount – these resellers will test your bargaining power, at least within reason. If you’re looking for 30 %+ off the latest phone, you won’t find it here, but if you’re looking for a small discount on the newest gear or a bigger discount on older tech, this is where you should go.  Most of these resellers won’t have the latest phones within days, but rather within a month or two. Prices are negotiable, but unless you speak Mandarin, it’s advisable to have a translation app handy on your phone. You’ll also want to know the actual value and retail price of a gadget, especially as some of them will intentionally start at a higher price, and your purchase may not be the bargain you think it is.  By far the biggest presence in Huaqiangbei is the malls and markets. This is where you’ll find the gems and the duds that make this street and area the craziest market in the world.  Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends If you’re like me and love gadgets, you’ll either need a sizable wallet or strong willpower. Failing either of those, you’ll end up buying far more than you expect, especially if it’s your first time in Huaqiangbei.  Walk into one of the many markets on Huaqiang Road North and you’ll find hundreds, if not thousands, of small stall owners with millions of products as far as the eye can see. This is where your used phones end up, and while there are many fake products – some of which are completely outrageous – many of them are genuine.  The majority of stalls are heavy with Apple products, and virtually every stall with mobile products has AirPods on display to tempt you to part with your money. Beyond Apple, foldable phones are also aplenty, and while you won’t find the very best folding phones, you will find many that are one or two generations old. These can be purchased at a considerably lower price than in a traditional retail store, and unlike other stores, negotiation is part of the experience.  Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends Every stall has a calculator, and this is how you’ll communicate and agree on a price. Never accept the first price, but don’t expect to knock 50% off their price either. Some products are priced fairly low, so there’s little margin, but anything up to 15% could be considered reasonable and has a strong possibility of the vendor agreeing to a deal. There are some latest devices – both new and used – and you’ll save up to 20% off the retail price. For example, several stalls will happily sell you a new iPhone 16 Pro Max 256GB for between $950 and $1,100, whereas it costs $1,300 from Apple.  Once you agree on a price, you’ll want Alipay or WeChat Pay ready to go; both apps are key to paying and accessing services in China, and both also accept foreign cards. There are transaction limits, and they’re secure; in fact, they’re so safe that my Alipay account was blocked when I tried to purchase a Xiaomi 15 Ultra in an official store, and I had to go through several appeal steps to be able to charge anything with Alipay.  These markets are a tech lover’s dream, but surprisingly, Huaqiangbei is more than just devices.  Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends Many of these stalls offer a wide range of products, from hairdryers to cables, and everything in between. Then there are entire markets dedicated to drones, gadgets, and other tech items that any tech enthusiast will likely fawn over. Some of these products are far too tempting, and it takes strong willpower to walk away.  These aren’t name brands, but they offer a similar experience; for example, several drones were nearly identical in appearance and functionality to those made by DJI, and these were listed for under 25% of the price of DJI-branded products.  China is a country that consumes a significant amount and a market where every company wants to establish a presence, not just tech companies. Opposite a string of shops selling tech, you’ll find stores for Gucci and other luxury retailers, and right next to them is a menswear shop that sells everything from t-shirts to suits.  Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends There are also huge malls with five to ten floors dedicated to selling components for every device. If you’ve ever wanted to acquire all the parts and build a phone, this is where you’ll find them. If you’re looking for a supplier for your gadgets, this is where you can find them.  Huaqiangbei is vast, so you’ll likely never see it all. Across two visits spanning more than ten hours, I barely scratched the surface. Not only will it consume a significant amount of your time, but you can also quickly spend a substantial amount of money. As far as tech markets go, it’s one of the craziest, wildest, and most diverse places I’ve ever seen. Every alley also has lots of stalls, and a small doorfront can lead you to large malls hidden behind buildings. When you find a product you want at a price that you like, you should buy it; otherwise, you’ll spend countless hours trying to find the same vendor.  The variety of stalls and products is a testament to the overall impact of Shenzhen on the technology market. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to buy some more gadgets to take home with me. Editors’ Recommendations

President Donald Trump's tariff formula has come under scrutiny. Getty Images 2025-04-19T21:31:15Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Dozens of leading economists and academics have taken issue with Trump's tariff plan. The economists, including two Nobel laureates, signed a declaration criticizing Trump's trade war. The signatories were especially critical of Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs. Dozens of economists — including two Nobel laureates — have signed a letter criticizing President Donald Trump's tariff policy, calling it "misguided" and warning it could cause a "self-inflicted recession."In an "anti-tariff declaration" that as of Saturday afternoon had been signed by nearly 900 people, the writers warned that the timeline to undo the Trump administration's "incoherent and damaging policies" on trade is narrowing."The proponents of tariffs portray these measures as acts of 'economic liberation.' Instead, tariffs invert the principles of liberty that ushered in an American-led age of human freedom and prosperity," the letter reads."The current administration's tariffs are motivated by a mistaken understanding of the economic conditions faced by ordinary Americans," it continues. "We anticipate that American workers will incur the brunt of these misguided policies in the form of increased prices and the risk of a self-inflicted recession."Trump has said the tariffs are meant to reverse a persistent overall trade deficit.Some of the high-profile signatories of the anti-tariff declaration include Nobel laureates James Heckman and Vernon Smith, the economist and former Republican Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas, and N. Gregory Mankiw, the chair of the Council of Economic Advisors under President George W. Bush.The signatories were especially critical of Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs. "The 'reciprocal' tariff rates being threatened and imposed by the United States upon other countries are calculated using an erroneous and improvised formula with no basis in economic reality," the letter reads.Still, the signatories expressed optimism that their worldview would ultimately win out."We remain hopeful, however, that sound economic principles, empirical evidence, and the warnings of history will prevail over the protectionist mythologies of the moment," the letter added.For years, conservatives have overwhelmingly backed Trump's economic plans. Trump's tariff policy, however, has been met with increased resistance from within, including seven GOP lawmakers who earlier this month signed on to support a bill that would remove tariffs after 60 days if a president imposes them without congressional approval.Since the start of Trump's second term, the president has floated, put into effect, and pulled back on a number of tariffs.On April 2, which Trump dubbed "Liberation Day," he announced sweeping tariffs for countries around the globe. One week later, he issued a 90-day pause on the highest tariffs, keeping a 10% baseline rate for most nations.Trump has disrupted long-standing economic and political alliances with Canada and Mexico, and he remains locked in an ongoing trade war with China. The administration last week exempted many tech products from the tariffs on China, but Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick later indicated that those exemptions were only temporary.Trump's actions in recent weeks have led to volatility in the stock and bond markets, and many economists have previously criticized the administration's back-and-forth trade strategy.The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Business Insider. Recommended video

When Ray Stevenson died, Ahsoka season two almost died with it. Dave Filoni, the show’s creator, was at Star Wars Celebration Japan this weekend and did a panel about his Disney+ show. Along the way, the topic of Stevenson’s passing came up and Filoni got visibly emotional. Stevenson played fallen Jedi Master Baylan Skoll, a character that clearly had a huge role to play in the future of the series—however, Filoni revealed it went much deeper than that. “Season two was obviously a big challenge anyway, but it was a particularly big challenge because of a losing Ray,” Filoni said during the panel. “He was just the greatest person and such a great spirit on the show. I knew Ray from working in voice acting with him, I just always instantly connected with him and thought, ‘When I make live-action, I need this guy to portray a powerful Jedi Knight that have had in mind.’ And he did not disappoint in any way. Ray was the most beautiful person on screen and off, he was wonderful to all of us. However big of a loss you think it is, it’s bigger.” “It was a challenge for me even to consider continuing [Ahsoka] for a while,” he continued. “But I have a great support group with Jon [Favreau] and Rosario [Dawson] and I found a way. I had Ray in my head and I’m grateful for all the conversations with him about Baylan. So I understood what to do, it just took a while to get there. But I’m very confident now that Ray would be happy with the direction that we’ve chosen.” Season one ended with Baylan on a personal quest to find deeper meaning in the Force, with Ahsoka and Sabine hot on his tail. But according to Filoni, the reason for Baylan existing is more than just as a bad guy. “The character was meant to be important,” Filoni said. “He’s meant to be the parallel to Ahsoka in every way. If there’s a light, there’s a dark and Baylan is representing a different journey of a Jedi that’s lost his way. As much as [Ahsoka] represents one that’s kind of walked away from the Order, so did he. And that parallel is something that must continue.” Rory McCann as Baylan Skoll in Ahsoka Season 2 – io9/Lucasfilm Knowing he wanted to continue the story to honor Stevenson, Filoni and executive producer Jon Favreau knew there was only one option: recast the character. And as previously reported, they found their man in Scottish actor Rory McCann. “In essence, because Ray performed it so iconically, there is a blueprint for what this character should be,” Filoni said. “And then I talked to Jon and Jon and I decided that we just needed to find the right person that would not just understand the character, but also understand a bit of what Ray brought to it as well. It’s something imperceptible. Something just in the eyes, to be honest, and I think we both felt very fortunate that we met Rory McCann. So Rory will be taking over the role.” Filoni said that McCann, best known for roles in Game of Thrones and Hot Fuzz, is coming in with one main goal: make the legacy of Ray Stevenson live on. “[Rory] takes it very seriously. He’s a big man with a big heart, and he has such respect for Ray and what he brought to this. I know this sole focus is not letting Ray down and not letting you guys down. You’ll love them, and we love him and I love what he’s taking on. It’s a big deal, so the force is with him.” Ahsoka season two starts shooting by the end of April. No word on a release date, but we have to imagine sometime in late 2026. 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.

K2 House / coil Kazuteru Matumura ArchitectsSave this picture!© Yoshiro Masuda Architects: Coil Kazuteru Matumura Architects Area Area of this architecture project Area:  168 m² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2024 Photographs Photographs:Yoshiro Masuda Lead Architects: Kazuteru Matumura More SpecsLess Specs Save this picture! Text description provided by the architects. We planned a home in a quiet residential area of the southern part of Osaka for two families and their five cats. The vision was to create a connected home where each space maintains a sense of distance while light and wind reach every corner of the house.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!A new garden was designed behind the house, centered around an existing summer orange and fig tree in the southeast corner of the property, a spot where the family enjoys gardening. The second floor features a spacious sloped ceiling and a private balcony, its design ensuring privacy from neighboring houses.Save this picture!By designing the living spaces on the two floors to be offset from one another, we created distance and a sense of privacy for the two. The common main entrance and stairwell occupy the space created with the offset, bringing balance to the entire structure.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Large openings facing the garden and balcony, combined with carefully positioned skylights, invite plenty of natural light into the home. The attic is designed as an open storage space with exposed beams, creating a fun area for the cats to roam freely and allowing fresh air to flow to all levels. At the back of the entrance, we created a covered terrace overlooking the yard, featuring louvers that soften the light and provide a safe space for the cats to enjoy the outside air.Save this picture!Throughout the house, playful design elements add character, such as the gradient wallpaper by WhO in the stairwell, intricate latticework by Tanihata, and a large mirror covering a wall to create openness in the space. Together with the garden, which will grow richly with the care of the owner, we look forward to seeing the house become more comfortable as time goes by.Save this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less About this office Published on April 19, 2025Cite: "K2 House / coil Kazuteru Matumura Architects" 19 Apr 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1029112/k2-house-coil-kazuteru-matumura-architects&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

Nature, Published online: 16 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01104-0The suggestion that pathogens play a part in driving dementia is not as niche as it once was, but the evidence remains inconclusive.

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Discord Adds Facial Scans for Age Verification in the UK and AustraliaThe communication app introduces a procedure of facial or ID scanning for users when they access sensitive content. The new feature is an experiment being implemented in the UK and Australia, as these countries’ legal acts require a stricter age verification. To confirm the age, users need to record a video selfie or take a photo of their ID.Read the full story here: https://80.lv/articles/discord-adds-facial-scans-for-age-verification-in-the-uk-and-australia/

Have you heard about the TrueDepth addon that brings the DepthAnything model (monocular depth estimation) into Blender? We've just tested it.