As any investor will tell you, the past month has been absolutely brutal when it comes to the markets. In the past 30 days alone, the Nasdaq is down 9.5%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 7.8%, and the S&P 500 is down 7.8%. But in the same period, one asset has surged: gold. As of the time of this writing, the price of an ounce of gold has surged over the past 30 days by a remarkable 14.4%. And gold isn’t just surging—it’s hitting all-time highs. This morning, gold peaked above $3,506 per ounce—a record for the precious metal. As of the time of this writing, the commodity has pulled back slightly to around $3,453 an ounce, according to Yahoo Finance data. However, even that price is still striking. That’s nearly $800 an ounce higher than gold was at the beginning of 2025. Since then, the metal has surged 32%.  Gold’s biggest jump has happened in the past five days alone. During that period, it has surged 7.78% But why?  Gold is a historic safe haven during chaotic economic times When the economy is in turmoil or investors fear an economic downturn is coming, they tend to park their money in what are known as economic “safe havens”—assets that have historically been less likely to decrease in value during greater economic downturns. As Investopedia notes, historic safe havens include cash; some currencies like the Swiss franc, the U.S. dollar and Japanese yen; U.S. Treasury bills; and precious metals, most notably, gold. However, investors of late seem to feel that some of these historic safe havens—the U.S. dollar in particular—aren’t as reliable now as in past times. Instead, they seem to be throwing their money into gold, hence the recent rapid surge in price. As for why investors are turning to safe havens—and sending gold surging in recent weeks—it mainly comes down to two President Trump-related reasons, notes the Wall Street Journal. Trump’s chaotic tariffs The first reason is no surprise. Ever since Trump announced his new chaotic “Liberation Day” tariff policies on April 2, investor confidence has plummeted as the tariffs—and their implementation—have spread uncertainty throughout the economy and business world. While many of the tariffs are now paused for 90 days, the ones Trump levied against China are still active, as are China’s retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. These tariffs mean that Americans are paying more for many common goods, and they are impacting the volume of goods that American businesses export to customers in China. And given the Trump administration’s chaotic implementation of the tariffs, its mixed messaging surrounding them, and the lingering uncertainty of whether deals can actually be reached with other nations before the 90-day pause expires, people are beginning to lose faith in the U.S. economy, and recession fears are rising. If a full-blown recession does hit, it’s likely stocks and other assets may continue to fall, which is why many investors are now seeking safe havens like gold. Trump’s attacks on Fed Chairman Jerome Powell But maybe even worse than Trump’s chaotic tariffs is his recent and increasing attacks on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Trump wants Powell, who oversees America’s independent central bank, the Federal Reserve, to lower interest rates. The reason Trump wants power to do this is that Trump’s tariffs have pummeled the stock markets and consumer confidence. When the Federal Reserve chooses to lower interest rates, the stock markets generally rise and consumer spending increases, as MSNBC points out. That’s because it’s cheaper to borrow money for things like homes and cars. It can also lower credit-card interest rates, further boosting spending. But Powell has so far refused to acquiesce to Trump’s demands—and for good reason. While lower rates can help the economy in the short term, they can have a negative impact in the long term by giving it a temporary artificial boost. As MSNBC notes, if rates are already lowered, and things do get worse with the economy in the future, the Federal Reserve will have one less tool in its arsenal to help fight the economic downturn because it has already lowered rates. But Trump seems to care more about the short term. That’s likely why he has increased his attacks on Powell, whom he has threatened to fire, which most legal experts agree the president can’t do anyway. As a matter of fact, the central banks of most countries, including the United States, are set up to be independent of the government precisely so that leaders can’t pressure the banks to do something that is beneficial for political reasons instead of being rational for economic ones. Still, Trump’s very public beef with Powell is enough to make some investors leery that Trump may indeed be willing to undermine what is seen as a critical pillar of the U.S.’s economic credibility. That beef is leading to uncertainty, which is leading to some investors now looking for more stable, safe-haven assets like gold.

A commercial airliner was on final approach to San Francisco’s international airport in November when the crew spotted a drone outside the cockpit window. By then it was too late “to take evasive action,” the pilots reported, and the quadcopter passed by their windshield, not 300 feet away. A month earlier, a jetliner was flying at an altitude of 4,000 feet near Miami’s international airport when its pilots reported a “close encounter” with a drone. In August, a drone came within 50 feet of clipping the left wing of a passenger jet as it departed Newark International Airport. The incidents were all classified as “near midair collisions” — any one of which could have had catastrophic consequences, according to aviation safety experts. They were also not isolated encounters. An Associated Press analysis of an aviation safety database reveals that drones last year accounted for nearly two-thirds of reported near midair collisions involving commercial passenger planes taking off and landing at the country’s top 30 busiest airports. That was the highest percentage of such near misses since 2020, when air traffic dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first reports of near misses involving drones were logged in 2014, the AP found. The number of such encounters spiked the following year. Over the last decade, drones accounted for 51% — 122 of 240 — of reported near misses, according to AP’s analysis. Passenger jets have long been subject to risks around airports — whether from bird strikes or congested airspace — as was made clear by the January collision between a military helicopter and commercial jet near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people. The threat has become more dire The threat from drones has become more acute in the last decade as the use of quadcopters and remote-controlled planes has exploded in popularity. The FAA estimates that Americans are operating more than a million drones for recreational and commercial purposes. “If you have the money, you can go on the internet and buy a pretty sophisticated drone that can reach altitudes they really have no business being at,” said William Waldock, a professor of safety science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The risk is most acute near airports because that is where the flight paths of drones and airplanes most overlap, experts said. The incidents represent only a portion of such close calls because the database — NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System — relies on voluntary submissions from pilots and other aviation workers. A separate FAA program, which includes reports from the public, tallied at least 160 sightings last month of drones flying near airports. “The FAA recognizes that urgency, and we all know additional changes need to be made to allow the airports to go out and detect and mitigate where necessary,” said Hannah Thach, executive director of the partnership, known as Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence. FAA says it is taking steps to improve safety The FAA said it has taken steps to mitigate the risks of drones. It has prohibited nearly all drones from flying near airports without prior authorization, though such rules are difficult to enforce, and recreational users may not be aware of restrictions. The agency requires registrations for drones weighing more than 250 grams (0.55 pounds), and such drones are required to carry a radio transponder that identifies the drone’s owner and broadcasts its position to help avert collisions. Additional rules govern commercial drone use. The agency has also been testing systems to detect and counter drones near airports. Among the methods being examined: Using radio signals to jam drones or force them to land. Authorities are also weighing whether to deploy high-powered microwaves or laser beams to disable the machines. Experts said the FAA and other authorities could do more. They suggested creating a system similar to speed cameras on roadways that could capture a drone’s transponder code and send its pilots a ticket in the mail. They also said the FAA should consider regulations that require all manufacturers to program a drone’s GPS unit to prevent it from flying near airports and other sensitive areas, a method called “geofencing.” Drone manufacturer ends mandatory “geofencing” DJI, a leading drone maker, used such geofencing restrictions for years. However, it eliminated the feature in January, replacing it with an alert to drone pilots when they approach restricted areas. Adam Welsh, head of global policy at DJI, said managing requests from authorized users to temporarily disable the geofencing became an increasingly time-consuming task. More than one million such requests were processed last year. “We had around-the-clock service, but the number of applications coming in were becoming really hard to handle,” Welsh said. “They all had to be reviewed individually.” With no other manufacturers enabling geofencing, and without government rules requiring it, DJI decided to end the practice, he said. The FAA declined to say if it is considering whether to mandate geofencing. Drone users can face consequences Experts said authorities should take more aggressive action to hold drone users accountable for violating restricted airspace — to highlight the problem and deter others from breaking the rules, pointing to recent arrests that they hoped might send such a message. In December, for example, Boston police arrested two men who operated a drone that flew dangerously close to Logan International Airport. Police reported that they were able to find the drone flyers, in part, by tracking the aircraft thanks to its FAA-mandated transponder signal. A month later, a small drone collided with a “Super Scooper” plane that was fighting wildfires raging through Southern California. The drone punched a hole in the plane’s left wing, causing enough damage that officials grounded the aircraft for several days to make repairs. Authorities tracked down the 56-year-old drone operator, who pleaded guilty to a federal charge of recklessly flying his aircraft. The man, who has yet to be sentenced, admitted he launched his DJI quadcopter to observe fire damage over the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, despite the FAA having restricted drone flying in the area, according to court records. The operator lost sight of the drone after it flew about 1.5 miles from where he had launched it. And that’s when it struck the “Super Scooper.” —Aaron Kessler and Michael Biesecker, Associated Press

Local transportation remains a challenge for many African regions, which are beset by high fuel costs, low incomes and punishing road conditions. German company AfricroozE aims to solve these challenges with their eponymous e-bike, designed specifically for the African market. The robust bikes were designed to be cheap to produce, using affordable steel and commonly-available components. To weather African road conditions, the bikes are kitted out with thick spokes and fat, puncture-proof tires. With a 350W motor, the single-battery Commuter model has a max payload of 90kg (198.4 lbs), a range of 40 - 60km (25 – 37 miles) and a top speed of 30 km/h (18.6 mph). A more powerful dual-battery Allrounder model boasts a 500W motor, yielding a maximum payload capacity of 150kg (330.7 lbs) and a range of 75 - 100 km (47 – 62 miles). To make it easier (and greener) for riders to power the batteries, AfricroozE has set up a network of solar-powered charging stations across Uganda, Zambia, Kenya, Togo and Benin. They've also trained local mechanics in those regions both to repair the bikes and operate the charging stations, creating local jobs.The bikes start at €600 (USD $682) and the company has created a microcredit system to help buyers finance the bikes. In contrast, a motorcycle can cost more than $10,000, and bring additional costs with both fuel and maintenance.This video tells the development story of the bikes, and shows the impact they're having:

In the U.S., approximately 30-40% of the food supply is wasted. This translates to about 133 billion pounds of food each year, with fruits and vegetables accounting for around 40% of that waste. The phrase "One bad apple spoils the whole bunch" literally refers to the fact that a single rotting apple can quickly contaminate other apples in a group. This is not due to any morally bankrupt behavior on the part of the apples, but rather that rotting apples produce ethylene gas, which hastens the ripening and decay of nearby apples. Storing fruits in a bowl can trap ethylene gas, which can lead to over ripening and spoiling of a whole bowl of fruit. Designer Agota Jonas wanted to create a better fruit bowl, to try to solve this problem. She literally turned the bowl inside out, and created the Fruitbridge. Most fruits are round, and like trees, the Fruitbridge gently holds them with minimum contact, keeping fruit apart from each other and allowing air to circulate freely.These fruit stands are made of food-grade stainless steel, using low-energy fabricating methods: laser cutting, cold rolling, and hand finishing. Material is not wasted. Leftover pieces are reused for other small products such as tealight holders and keychains.Sold in variations holding two or three rows of fruit, the Fruitbridge is avaialble directly from the Lucky Round Avocado website.

Keyboards have always been the trusty sidekick for designers, but as creative software becomes more complex by the day, even the most seasoned creators find themselves fumbling with tricky shortcuts. With dozens of keyboard combinations to remember, often changing from one program to another, it’s no wonder the humble keyboard is starting to feel a little overwhelmed. Designers crave something more intuitive, a tool that keeps up with inspiration rather than slowing it down. Micro keyboards and customizable control decks have stepped in to ease this pain, giving creators dedicated buttons for frequent actions. While most of these devices sport digital displays on every key, letting you swap icons and functions with a click, the Framer Creator Micro 2 takes a refreshingly analog detour. Instead of relying on screens, it brings back the tactile satisfaction of physical keycaps, keeping things charmingly straightforward. Designer: Work Louder x Framer What really makes the Framer Creator Micro 2 stand out is its purposeful simplicity. Designed with Framer users in mind, this pint-sized peripheral maps each key to a specific action in the visual website builder. Whether it’s adding a new text layer, pasting effects, searching elements, or publishing your site, having a dedicated button for each task is a real game-changer for workflow. Rather than changing digital displays for new shortcuts, users simply swap out keycaps and physically rearrange them. This hands-on approach is not just retro fun but also helps your fingers remember where each action lives, making repetitive tasks feel more natural. As your favorite Framer actions evolve, so does your keyboard, ensuring your muscle memory is working at peak efficiency. Of course, customization doesn’t stop at the keys. The Framer Creator Micro 2 also offers a tactile knob for quick scrolling or adjustments and a thumb slide joystick for even more control. Give the joystick a push and up pops a radial menu, giving you eight extra customizable actions to play with. This clever combination means you get the best of compact design and functional depth without a cluttered workspace. For designers, the Framer Creator Micro 2 is a delightful fusion of nostalgia and modern utility. It ditches the trends of flashy screens in favor of something that feels personal and tactile. With a customizable layout, satisfying physical keys, and helpful extras like the dial and joystick, it’s a fresh take on boosting productivity. Ultimately, it invites creators to interact with their work in a hands-on, playful way, making every project feel just a little more engaging. The post Framer Creator Micro 2 puts a very analog spin on the micro keyboard design first appeared on Yanko Design.

CDs were, by far, the most dominant audio format during the late 1990s and the early 2000s, surpassing cassette tapes. Today, CDs hold little functional significance. So, what do you do with the CDs you have lying at home from your younger days? If you’re Aaed Musa, you could build yourself a wrist-mounted CD launcher and shoot some fruits and veggies at a staggering 33 mph. Well, you don’t want an animal or human in harm’s way! Musa is not the first to try a CD launcher. Since they have become obsolete, CDs have been used to create furniture and blasted away in launchers such as the Discos Locos in Far Cry 6. Inspired by the Discos Locos and its version by Hacksmith, Musa has designed his own – but instead of a gun-like design, he has put the contraption on the wrist to shoot CDs out of his powerful, wearable CD launcher. Designer: Aaed Musa Creating a unique spin on otherwise tried designs would pose design challenges. This, Musa realized the hard way during the creation of this contraption. The entire physics and maths that’s gone into the building process has been meticulously detailed by Musa in the YouTube video, but if that’s not your thing, just read on to basically understand what he has achieved and how it is a lethal tool to behead vegetables and fruits in the garden for fun. What other practical purposes can a wearable CD shooter have for you to create, if you happen to follow Musa and build one for yourself? Before that, let’s see how he has come about it. Aaed Musa got a box of mini-CDs (slightly smaller in size than traditionally used for audio) and he instantly thought of making a wrist-mounted launcher for them. He started out by designing a flywheel, which he refers to as the heart of the CD launcher. A flywheel spinning at really high speed allows a projectile to slide onto its path to be launched with great force. The flywheel is powered by a motor that can spin at up to 40,000 RPM. After perfecting the throw, Musa focused on increasing the speed at which the CD was launched. For this, he added a second flywheel, which scaled up the ejection speed to 33 mph. An interesting thing that Musa has done is, he has angled flywheels in such a way that when launched, the CDs spin to give them the gyroscopic stability to hit the target with great precision. This wrist-mounted CD shooter can fire 5 discs per second for some serious fun. The mount, which holds the basic shooting mechanism, was initially 3D printed from plastic, which didn’t appear too cool, so the final variant is made using CNC-machined metal. Cool, isn’t it? The post YouTuber builds wrist-mounted launcher that shoots 5 CDs per second at 33 mph first appeared on Yanko Design.

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Apple is continuing its push to bring more games to its platforms, with the latest involving an offer to add visionOS support to the Godot game engine.Apple has pledged visionOS support for GodotApple has been gradually making more of an effort to encourage developers to make their games available on macOS and its ecosystem as a whole. Now, it seems that it's trying to get more gaming content for the Apple Vision Pro.A pull request on the Github page for Godot, a free and open-source game engine, has Apple making an offer to help the engine work on Apple Vision Pro. The request, by Ricardo Sanchez-Saez of the visionOS engineering team, states that Apple wants to contribute Vision Pro support to the Godot engine. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums