By Matt Novak Published November 16, 2024 | Comments (4) | Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan speaks during a discussion on antitrust reforms at the Brookings Institution October 4, 2023 in Washington, DC. Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images The number of complaints about unwanted telemarketing calls in the U.S. has dropped a whopping 50% since 2021, according to the FTCs annual report on spam calls released Friday. The federal agency launched Operation Stop Spam Calls in 2023, one of many efforts credited with helping cut back on the number of annoying calls Americans get from telemarketers. The most common complaint about spam calls to the FTC over the past year was regarding medical and prescription issues, with imposters being the second most common, and reducing debt the third. The other categories rounding out the list include energy, solar, and utilities as well as home improvement and cleaning complaints. Some of the spam complaints were regarding live callers, but the majority were so-called robocalls. In fiscal year 2024, which ended Sept. 30, the FTC received 1.1 million complaints about robocalls, down from 1.2 million in 2023, and over 3.4 million in 2021.There are over 253 million people registered on the Do Not Call list right now. In 2023 that number was 249 million, 246 million in 2022, and 244 million on the list in 2021. Americans can put their number on the Do Not Call registry by visiting donotcall.gov or by calling the tollfree number 8883821222. Calling that number should be done from the phone you want to register. The new report includes some interesting data, including a ranking of the states with the highest percentage of people whove registered for the Do Not Call list. The states with the most active registrations relative to their population include New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The fewest registrations were in Alaska, with Hawaii and Texas not far behind.The state-level data for people whove registered for the Do Not Call list FTC The FTCs report includes detailed breakdowns for each state and can be viewed at the agencys website. And there has been real progress in getting rid of at least some unwanted calls. But the folks at the FTC know they still have work to do. Illegal calls remain a scourge, but the FTCs strategy to pursue upstream players and equip the agency to confront emerging threats is showing clear signs of success, said Sam Levine, Director of the FTCs Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a statement published online. In the years to come, it will be critical we continue this progress by confronting not only telemarketers but those firms who knowingly profit from scam calls.That line years to come, certainly sounds ominous after Donald Trump won the presidential election on Nov. 5. After all, the likely peak of the scam robocall era was the end of the 2010s, when Trump was president. And its unlikely that anyone who may be installed at the FTC by Trump will be as aggressive with consumer protection than the current head of the agency Lina Khan. In fact, given the names Trump has put forward for important agencies, like Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense and Matt Gaetz for Attorney General, its probably a safe bet that Khan will be replaced by some complete clown who has no qualifications aside from loyalty to Trump. Get ready for a lot more robocalls in the coming years, my friends.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Matthew Gault Published November 14, 2024 By Todd Feathers Published November 13, 2024 By Dua Rashid Published October 23, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published October 18, 2024 By Lucas Ropek Published October 17, 2024 By Todd Feathers Published October 16, 2024

Grin Sunray Kindergarten / ARCPLUS ECADI Shanghai Xian Dai Architectural Decoration & Landscape DesignSave this picture! Liang ShanKindergartenJing An Qu, ChinaArchitects: ARCPLUS ECADI Shanghai Xian Dai Architectural Decoration & Landscape DesignAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:4182 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Liang Shan Lead Architects: Liu Haiyang More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Grin Sunray Kindergarten, dreaming Space in a Tree Hole. Design starts with a tree. We hope to create a tree that only exists in fairy tales and cartoons. The children climbed up and down and looked at each other. The children would have the chance to explore different tree cave spaces, sit in rows and chat about the world they discover. Caves are the most primitive form of architecture and the most innocent way for children to perceive space. We want this to be the place where children's dreams begin.Save this picture!The sun-filled atrium, with its curved surface encircling the children, is the space's center and the starting point for exploration. The texture and shape of the atrium are designed in a smoothly curved combination so that it feels like being in a valley. The friendly and warm wooden texture allows every child to touch it at will. Caves in different sizes and shapes are the outposts for discovering fun things. The corridors connecting the atrium and the functional rooms while the staircase windows look at each other, creating more surprises for the children to play around with, also serve as the buffer and linking layer in the space, just like "branches" according to "Big Tree".Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!It's highly possible to find out children poking their little heads out at the cave holes. It matters more for children to have this small world to explore on their own rather than a symbolic and organized architectural experience. The cavernous entrance to the multi-functional hall is interspersed with the atrium and walkways to inspire children to explore. The classroom space is a complete square without division in a low-saturation color of warm grey. We hope that the "white space" for activity and "white space" of color will provide as many possibilities to give the freedom for children to arrange and decorate their classrooms.Save this picture!Save this picture!From a tree to a dream space in a tree hole. Although those who are grownups might no longer be able to look at the world with "children's eyes", they are willing to create spaces for dreaming for the children to become the person he or she has fantasized about being.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Jing An Qu, ChinaLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officePublished on November 17, 2024Cite: "Grin Sunray Kindergarten / ARCPLUS ECADI Shanghai Xian Dai Architectural Decoration & Landscape Design" 17 Nov 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1023534/grin-sunray-kindergarten-arcplus-ecadi-shanghai-xian-dai-architectural-decoration-and-landscape-design&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?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

Niddrie Autistic School / Guymer Bailey ArchitectsSave this picture! Ian Ten Seldam PhotographySchoolsNiddrie, AustraliaArchitects: Guymer Bailey ArchitectsAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:4950 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2021 PhotographsPhotographs:Ian Ten Seldam PhotographyManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: Armstrong, Dulux, Gerflor, Gunnersens, HY-TEC, Lysaght, Melbourne Brick, Opal, Polytec, Rockcote, Shaw, StoneSet, Street and Garden Furniture, Urban Salvage Timber, Wattyl, Wortley Lead Architects: Patrick Giles More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Guymer Bailey were engaged to design a masterplan and first-stage development of new educational facilities for Western Autistic School's Niddrie campus, now independently known as Niddrie Autistic School. The brief of works entailed demolishing a classroom block, site amenities and playgrounds that remained underdeveloped for twenty-five years. Originally a mainstream school, the aging facilities were failing to accommodate modern criteria for special needs learning and ill-suited to face unique challenges for young children with ASD (autism spectrum disorder).Save this picture!The school's pedagogy requires supportive environments to help students achieve learning autonomy in preparation for mainstream education. Teaching spaces are arranged to assist students develop natural skills in problem-solving and independent thinking. These skills form a coping mechanism that, when combined with external stimuli, build confidence to learn in conventional schools. Curriculums are taught in small classes where students feel safe, and allow teachers to build close, supportive relationships.Save this picture!Save this picture!Niddrie Autistic School's ideology is that the 'child is at the heart of their work'. This concept divided the built form into a series of adaptable, interconnecting learning spaces that respond uniquely to student's primary, shared, or community needs. This multi-functionality begins in classrooms and gently unfolds into larger school settings. The design's overarching diversity encourages inquisitive and analytical behavior allowing students to gain confidence learning in diverse environments. Individual teaching spaces address primary student & curriculum needs, guided by staff and specialists, and are accessible to visiting families. Where shared needs arise, classes combine into learning networks and communities that facilitate collaboration, engagement, and cross-support.Save this picture!Save this picture!The project's integration between indoor and outdoor learning saw opportunity to reclaim natural landscapes within the school's centre and utilize their value to develop student's physical, cognitive, and social skills. Activity spaces, courtyards and playgrounds are centralized around the school's eldest trees, unifying historical and new site aspects. The building's layout balances engaging group learning areas with private retreat zones to accommodate students requiring attentive care. Each class features private sensory gardens, opens to adjacent outdoor common learning areas, and observation nodes enabling passive oversight and assistance. Shared resource spaces are versatile to allow lesson diversity, can function independently, and enable mixed teaching methods in different sizes and arrangements.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Interior student wayfinding presented complications due to young age-groups and common reading difficulties for autistic students. The solution converted signage into murals that assist children pictorially. Their colours and shapes are a wayfinding tool, assisting navigation and memory in a passive, visual format. Images focus on species native to Niddrie's region, encouraging students to explore looking for them around the school.Save this picture!Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Niddrie, AustraliaLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officePublished on November 17, 2024Cite: "Niddrie Autistic School / Guymer Bailey Architects" 16 Nov 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1023354/niddrie-autistic-school-guymer-bailey-architects&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?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

Donkey Kong 64 has a special place in a generation of gamers' hearts and scooped up several awards the year of its release--for a quick nostalgia trip, you can read GameSpot's review from 1999. The game brought Donkey Kong and his friends into the first 3D space after the Donkey Kong Country series had wrapped on the previous generation of consoles. While the gameplay is still iconic, even more so was the opening theme "The DK Rap", which introduced players to the characters.In celebration of the game's 25th anniversary, rapper Substantial, along with original composer Grant Kirkhope, teamed together for a remix album called Rare Treats: Donkey Kong 64 Revisited. The song--one of 14 tracks on the album--features new beats, and some new lyrics, but still has that funky DK vibe.THE DK RAP IS BACK!!!! I've been dying to share with this with you all, @IamSubstantial did an amazing job bringing the worst rap track in the history of rap tracks up to date, a bit of guitar from me too! O-KAY!!!!!! art by @Kev_Bayliss https://t.co/ceEiyYp2Ag Grant Kirkhope (@grantkirkhope) November 15, 2024 "This isn't just a nostalgia trip--it's a full-blown, banana-fueled celebration, with revisited recordings and versions re-arranged by composer Grant Kirkhope. Track titles have also been updated to match their intended destiny," the official song description reads. "Remade by the legend himself, Grant Kirkhope: The original composer and living legend who brought you the unforgettable tracks of Banjo-Kazooie and GoldenEye 007 has returned to remaster the DK64 soundtrack."Continue Reading at GameSpot

The official Bloodbrone card game is on sale for slightly less than we saw during Amazon's October Prime Day sale. Normally $45, Bloodborne: The Card Game is discounted to $33. The deal is part of Amazon's sprawling early Black Friday board game sale, which also includes Skyrim's official board game adaptation. You can get Bloodborne's official board game for cheaper than its Prime Day price, too. Get Bloodborne Card Game Deal Bloodborne: The Card GameThe Bloodborne card game is designed for three to five players, and pits them against Yharnam's gruesome denizens as they explore the perilous Chalice Dungeon. Like the video game, there'll be boss battles, tenuous alliances to forge, and blood to collect as you strengthen your Hunter along the way. With multiple bosses and randomly generated dungeons, each playthrough is designed to offer a unique and thrilling experience.Though it's not discounted in Amazon's early Black Friday promotion, the Hunter's Nightmare expansion lets you dive deeper into the Chalice Dungeon, adding eight new bosses to battle, new Hunter cards, and potent Runes to bolster your skills.Continue Reading at GameSpot

The exploration in Astroneer is incredible. All the different planets, their different biomes, and the different resources available on each planet make the player traverse the expanse of space to progress, giving them stunning visuals in the process.

Resident Evil Village took the franchise to new heights with some of the best environmental design and motion capture performances of any Resident Evil title to date. Ethan Winters' journey through Romania is certainly worth a rerun or two, but even though Resident Evil Village tells the story of a man's relentless search for his infant daughter, it doesn't always need to take itself so seriously. In fact, the modding community feels that Resident Evil Village has the makings of a comedy horror, especially when some of the character models and weapons get a makeover.

Wishlist my indie survival gamehttps://store.steampowered.com/app/3233250/IslaNode_Rescue_Signal/

Hello, I start to learn more and more about composing music for games I have a question about dynamic & linear music.So for example the music is composed dynamically for the video game so there would be for a basic example different sections / loops that work seamlessly together (Horizontal and Vertical).There are Games that have this type of dynamic music in game but also a linear / static soundtrack release.How does this get achieved? What would be a common

Another month, another batch of exciting new releases in theaters to look forward to! Gladiator II, Wicked Part I, Moana 2, and more all slated to be released by the end of November. But what about a new sci-fi flick, or at the very least a good one to watch from the comfort of your own home? Dont worry: Weve got just the list of options for you to choose from!Every month, we pull together a list of the best sci-fi movies available to stream on Netflix. For this month, weve curated a trio of sci-fi films that each touch on the subject of deja vu in their own peculiar way. Weve got a neo-noir thriller starring Ethan Hawke (Moon Knight) and Sarah Snook (Succession), a legacy sequel to one of the most important sci-fi franchises of the early 2000s, and a so bad its good superhero movie starring Dakota Johnson.Lets take a look at what this month has to offer!Editors pick: PredestinationDirectors: Peter Spierig, Michael SpierigCast: Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, Noah TaylorEthan Hawke stars opposite then-future Succession star Sarah Snook in this mind-bending sci-fi caper. Adapted from Robert A. Heinleins short story All You Zombies, Predestination stars Hawke as an agent of a clandestine organization on a mission to apprehend a notorious terrorist known as the Fizzle Bomber. As part of his mission, the agent is tasked with recruiting a forlorn writer (Snook) with an extraordinary life story.I cant go much further into the details of the story without risk of spoiling its many twists and turns, but what I can say is that Hawke and Snook deliver terrific performances as two lonely people brought together through truly extraordinary circumstances. If youre looking for an unconventional and deeply affecting sci-fi story with a compelling mystery and a provocative ending, Predestination is this months sci-fi movie to watch. Toussaint EganThe Matrix ResurrectionsDirector: Lana WachowskiCast: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen IIIn the almost three years since its release, The Matrix Resurrections has aged into one of the most interesting and incisive movies of the legacyquels era. It masterfully treads the line between engaging with the legacy of the original Matrix movies while also questioning the entire industry that could make it possible, or even necessary, to return to a franchise a decade after it ended. The movie dares to ask what kind of cultural stagnation studios might have tried to force us into that we havent developed new heroes in all this time.Of course, its also more than just its metaphors. And in keeping with Matrix series tradition, Resurrections is also just an absolutely kick-ass action movie. And for all the movies clever industry-wide criticisms, it is hard to argue with the pure cinematic joy of seeing Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss back on screen together. For the conflict of those two feelings alone, Resurrections is well worth your time now that its on Netflix. Austen GoslinMadame WebDirector: S. J. ClarksonCast: Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Isabela MercedThis one is not so much a recommendation of a movie as it is a recommendation of an experience. Im certainly on the record of thinking Madame Web is a bad movie. But that doesnt mean theres no fun to be had with its particular brand of bad. That being said, you probably wont have a great time with the movie just watching it on your couch alone on a Saturday night. But if you can organize the right group of friends, the right refreshments, and the right attitude, Madame Web is a near perfect movie to throw on Netflix and make jokes about.If for some reason you want a more serious reason to watch this, then consider that maybe its plot will have some kind of relevance for the Kraven the Hunter, a movie thats supposedly coming out on Dec. 13. AG