Weekly curated resources for designersthinkers andmakers.You are Jean-Claude Van Damme. Youre straddling two 18-wheelers careening through space while doing the splits. Its very difficult, your groin hurts, and you could really use a strawberry Pop-tartHeres the question that has brought on all the pain and Pop-tart cravings: Do I continue the path of individual contributor or turn towards management?As designers, this is a decision that we all need to face eventually. As soon as we become competent in our craft, we start to realize that we cant straddle the gap forever.The split decision: IC or manager? By TripCarrollStreamline feedback and slash revisions for faster, flawless website delivery [Sponsored] Say hello to the deadline-friendly web builder that keeps you focused on creativity, not legwork. The no-nonsense copilot handles the heavy lifting, making it smooth to go from idea to publish. Ideal for small teams and agencies building sites on tight timelines.Editor picksLaid off twice in a year Riding the tech rollercoaster as a product manager.By JeanHuangCustomer as competitive advantage Are we doing the same as our competitors expecting different results?By HelgeTennGreat products transcend the Usability vs. Utility debate Your users want results, not compromises.By AviSiegelThe UX Collective is an independent design publication that elevates unheard design voices and helps designers think more critically about theirwork.New book celebrates UKs influential modernist graphic designers Make methinkWe did all this discovery now how do we decide? The more discovery they do, the more ideas they get. The ideas, the interviews, the stories, the pain pointsthey all start to pile up. Thats where the problem comes in. Now the PM has a giant portfolio of ideas. But the team can only build one thing at a time. How do they decide on the one thing to donext?Are AI assistants making us worse programmers? In programming, high-level languages many times abstract the complexity away from yousomething developers working with JavaScript, Python, Java, etc, know well. It seems clear that AI assistants introduce a new human-machine interfacenatural language. Is thatbad?Dont forget to localize your icons Localizing your app, web app, or website is more than just running all your text through Google Translate and hoping for the best. Creating effective, trustworthy communication with language communities means doing the work to make sure your content meets them where theyare.Little gems thisweekWhy is the Mac mini power button on the bottom? By ElvisHsiaoHow Insight Timer monetizes 25M users By MaryBorysovaHow I used AI to design brand-aligned illustrations By MotyWeissTools and resourcesText formatting experiences can be a trap Improve a keyboard users experience with indentation.By Nik JeleniauskasReimagining prototyping with AI Bringing creativity, speed, and efficiency to design validation.By VamsiBatchuTest smart Which automation strategy to choose for peace of mind?By JuliaKocbekSupport the newsletterIf you find our content helpful, heres how you can supportus:Check out this weeks sponsor to support their worktooForward this email to a friend and invite them to subscribeSponsor aneditionIC or Manager, laid off twice, prototyping with AI was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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With the release of the Quest 3S, Meta aims to provide users with an affordable virtual and augmented reality experience. A stripped-down version of the Meta Quest 3, the 3S is an entry-level, standalone VR rig at a price that won't make you wince. But is the $200 price-chop worth the sinking FOMO feeling that can come from buying second-best gear? Like everything in life, it depends on your expectations and how picky you are. While the 3S is a huge improvement, in every way, over the Quest 2, things get more complex when compared to the Quest 3. The processing power is the same, so it's fully compatible with all that system's games and software, but the graphics are a downgrade. Different display types on the two models means experiences on the Quest 3S don't look quite as good as they do on the Quest 3. The 3S's graphics are very good, thoughso good that the downgrade probably won't be a deal killer for many. Meta Quest 3S (128GB) $299.99 at Best Buy Shop Now Shop Now $299.99 at Best Buy ProsLow pricePowerful processorConsGraphically weaker than the Meta Quest 3Quest 3S specsProcessor: Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2DRAM: 8GBDisplay resolution: 1,832 by 1,920 (per eye)Refresh rate: 120Hz Headset weight: 514gField of view: 96 degrees horizontal, 90 degrees verticalChipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2Audio: Stereo speakers compatible with 3D spatial audio, 3.5mm audio jackRam: 8GB Storage: 128GB or 256GBBattery life: Up to 2.5 hoursCharge time: 2.3 hours via 18W power adapterHow the Meta Quest 3S feels on your face"Will I actually want to strap this thing to my head?" is the first question I ask about any VR gear. No matter how technically impressive it may be, if I don't feel comfortable wearing a headset, if it causes neck strain, or feels awkward/unwieldy, I'm not likely to use it much. I'm happy to report that the Quest 3S is tolerable to strap to your face. The headset's front-heavy style looks more like last-generation's Quest 2 than the Quest 3, but the new head strap, the device's fairly even weight distribution, and its lightness (at 514 grams, it actually weighs a gram less than the Quest 3) result in a comfortable enough headset for long periods of escape from reality. It's slightly less comfortable than the Quest 3, though. The bulk of the 3S's mass is farther from your face, making it feel a touch heavier. The Meta Quest 3S is smooth like butterFrom initial setup to navigation, the Meta Quest 3S is smooth and intuitive. Someone who is brand new to VR should be able to pick it up and get started with minimal hassle, and even fairly complex tasks like defining an area for using the device in your house can be accomplished with minimal headache. Meta's UI designers deserve recognition for creating an environment that's so intuitive you barely even notice it. The same vibe applies to the controllers. They fit right in your hand, and "doing things" in experiences, like pushing buttons, grabbing objects, or pulling triggers, is instantly understandable. I coached a tech-phobic friend though a first-VR experience mostly by saying, "don't think about it. Just do what you would do"a real testament to the intuitive control scheme. Pancake vs. Fresnel: under the hood of a Meta Quest 3S Credit: Stephen Johnson Both the Meta Quest 3 and the Quest 3S are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor with 8GB of RAM, so in terms of processing, they're equals. That power means even the larger, more complex games that are coming out for the system, like Batman: Arkham Shadow, run smoothly. Augmented reality experiences like the "Home Invasion" mode in Drop Dead: The Cabin hum along nicely. The front-facing cameras mean you can snap yourself back into reality with a knock on the side of the headset or by pressing a new-for-the-3S controller button. Everything seems to work just as well on the 3S and the 3. But there is one difference: the display. Taken on their own, the Quest 3S's graphics are amazing for a standalone VR headset. If it's your first time using VR, or you're upgrading from a Quest 2, you're going to be blown away by the crispness and clarity of the Quest 3S's visuals. You're not likely to think, "I wish these could be better." If you've used a Quest 3, however, it might be a different story.The 3S's fresnel lenses and display offer a narrower field-of-view and lower resolution than the pancake lenses of the Quest 3. The 3S's display is 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye compared to the 3's 2064 x 2208 pixels per eye. One number is definitely bigger than the other, but how much does it matter in practice? To me, not much. I took a screenshot from each device in the same position in Assassin's Creed: Nexus for comparison, and I can barely tell them apart. The one on the left was taken with the 3S. The one on the right with the 3: Credit: Stephen Johnson/Ubisoft Maybe you can't readily tell from screenshots, but if I switch between a 3 and my 3S, I can see some differenceson the 3S, characters on menu screens look a little jaggy, the field of view is smaller, things look less clearbut overall, it's one of those "Yeah, I guess that looks a little better, maybe" things to me, not an "Oh my God! This looks like garbage!" thing. I realize some people won't be able to tolerate not having the best possible experience, but I don't get hung up on perfect visual clarity. I'm more about the overall effect than the fine details. Which brings me to the big question: Is the Meta Quest 3S fun? The Meta Quest 3S is crazy fun. I played the same mission in Assassin's Creed Nexus VR on the Quest 3 and the Quest 3S, and found that I had the same amount of fun sneaking around in historical Italy in each. I then spent 15 minutes working out in Supernatural using each headset and burned the same number of calories swatting at targets, even though the scenery was a touch more blurry on the 3S. I watched a YouTube video while on my back in each, checked out some immersive, 360 videos, and poked around in Meta Horizon Worlds. Each experience was equally fun, and I didn't find the visual differences distracting and wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't looking for them. Fun is subjective, though. Maybe you can only enjoy things if you know it's the best possible experience. Fun levels may be equal, but if given a choice, I'm going to pick the Meta Quest 3 every time for its comfort and clarity (and because it's the better one). The wider field of view feels slightly less claustrophobic. The better weight distribution makes it slightly more comfortable. Everything looks slightly crisper. But if I was going to buy a Quest 3 or 3S, I'd pick the 3S without hesitating. The visual differences are slight, but the price difference is substantial. At $299, a base level 3S is nearly half the cost of the $499 Quest 3, and that price makes it a bargain, and, overall, a better product.Bottom line: the Quest 3 is a killer toy In my review of the Meta Quest 3, I noted how technically impressive it is, but wondered if it had any use beyond a flashy toy. I still rarely use a VR headset for anything but watching movies or playing games, but 3S's lower price means I don't feel like I should be. It's a toy, but an insanely greatand now reasonably pricedtoy. The Quest 3S offers near-identical performance to the Quest 3, and its $299 price and pick-up-and-play vibe make it a great product if you want to dip your feet into the world of VR/AR but you don't want to make it your lifestyle.

The stock market rallied to all-time highs on Wednesday following Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite indexes each reached new record levels.Here's what you need to know about why the market responded in this way, and what it means for your investment strategy.Why the markets surged post electionAnalysts attribute the market surge to two key factors:Reduced uncertainty. As I've covered previously, the prospect of a new government and potential policy shifts can create a whirlwind of speculation, leading to market volatility that can unsettle even seasoned investors. An election outcomeregardless of the winnereliminated the uncertainty that had weighed on the markets prior to the vote. In fact, the U.S. stock market has historically tended to rise regardless of which party wins the White House.Prospects of a business-friendly government. Investors are anticipating pro-business policies from a second Trump administration and a Republican-controlled Senate.The Dow closed up over 800 points, or 2.9%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq gained 2.2% and 3.9% respectively. As we've already seen, Trump has a penchant for rolling back or undoing regulations, which benefits sectors that might have experienced greater scrutiny under a Harris administration. Banking, energy, and technology stocks were among the biggest winners in the days following the election.What this means for youWhile this news might make it tempting to buy shares of Tesla or Bitcoin, you might want to take a beat, first. As a rule of thumb, financial advisors caution investors against making sudden, drastic changes to their portfolios based on this one-time event. The so-called "Trump trade" could easily turn into a bumpy roadinvestors should be wary that parts of Trumps economic platform, such as tax cuts and tariffs, could stoke inflation. Plus, all the details of the timing and implementation of the Republican policy agenda are hardly clear at this time. It's never a good idea to dramatically alter your investment strategy in response to a specific election outcome. Instead, this could be a good time to rebalance and make sure you're not overly exposed to any one sector or company. So while the rally may be tempting, always evaluate your overall asset allocation first before jumping in. Allowing current events to constantly sway your financial decisions can lead to emotional stress and decision-making influenced by fear or overconfidence. After all, you're not as objective as you thinkhere some tips so that you don't lose money over it. In the end, experts recommend staying disciplined and sticking to your long-term investment plan, regardless of who occupies the White House.And if you experienced some gains and anticipate a big expense in the short term, converting some of your earnings into cash or certificates of deposit could be a good move.

Black Friday deals are in full swing in the tech space, and one of the best deals at the moment is on our top pick for the best wireless headphones you can get. Sony's WH-1000XM5 headphones have dropped to $298, which represents a $100 discount. Thats one of the lowest prices weve seen; they briefly dropped to $280 earlier this year, but we havent seen that price since. If youre on a tight budget, consider the WH-1000XM4 headphones, which are one generation older but offer a lot of the same features and are currently on sale for $200. We've long been recommending Sony's 1000X line and this is the best iteration to date. They earned a score of 95 in our review. The redesigned headphones are much more comfortable to wear for extended periods than previous models. Sony has improved the active noise cancellation (ANC) feature as well, thanks to the addition of a new chip and four more microphones. We feel that the company's current flagship headphones do a better job of blocking out high frequencies and background noise (and even human voices) than the XM4s. The XM5s can switch between noise modes depending on your location or activity, and they can pause audio automatically when you start speaking. They deliver better call quality than rival models and, in general, you'll get clear, crisp sound, including punchy bass. You won't need to charge the XM5s too often either, as they have a 30-hour battery life. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/sony-black-friday-deals-include-the-wh-1000xm5-headphones-for-100-off-192016735.html?src=rss

Though I do love walking through a supermarket and picking out my own foods, I will admit that, come winter, I often turn to delivery apps to get my products. DoorDash, one of the many delivery apps on the market, has launched a new feature that could make this process even more seamless, allowing iOS users import their grocery list from Reminders into the app.To take advantage of this, you can go to Reminders and copy your list or import it directly in the DoorDash app. An option should appear while you're shopping inside a store that says "Got a grocery list?" in a box on the page. From there you can click import and choose which list you want to sync based on the titles and a preview of the items. DoorDash will then show you options based on your list. So, for example, if you wrote onions, then it will let you scroll through different onions for sale and below it will have your next item with other options.DoorDash is also unveiling other changes, such as letting you add items from multiple stores to an order before placing it. The company has offered DoubleDash since 2021 but that only allowed you to include items from close stores after placing the original order.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/doordash-can-import-grocery-lists-from-ios-reminders-app-140020164.html?src=rss

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Microsoft reportedly offered the US government $150m in free cybersecurity services, and injected consultants into agencies.

Elon Musk was a central figure in the business world pushing for Trump's return to the White House in the lead-up to this month's elections.

Chinese gaming and social media giant Tencent on Wednesday reported profit above analysts' expectations, while revenue missed slightly.