'Presented in a step-by-step format, this book helps the reader understand how the game design skills that are acquired through creating tabletop games can be used when designing video games.'

Chris Kerr, News EditorNovember 19, 20243 Min ReadImage via RemedyAt a GlanceRemedy is going all-in on self-publishing but claims the approach will require a change in mindset.Alan Wake and Control developer Remedy claims self-publishing will drive the studio create games for a wider audience.Outlining the company's five-year strategy during a Capital Markets Day presentation, Remedy CFO Santtu Kallionp said ditching the publisher-funded model isn't just about securing a bigger chunk of revenue, but rather changing how Remedy approaches development."With the publisher funded model, the way Remedy has approached building our game concepts and business cases can be explained in the following way. [...] It starts by Remedy creating a captivating creative pitch and game concept, which includes a budget ask," said Kallionp."Then we would have taken that out and sold it to a potential publisher. Once a publisher has bought the concept it is the publisher's responsibility to try and position [the title] and try to find a big enough audience for that game. Often publishers, especially if they are platform holders, have strategic platform interest, making them more willing to take risks on creative projects with unknown commercial upsides."Kallionp explained that with its previous titles, especially projects funded by publishers, Remedy didn't prioritize building a game with a huge target audience in mind. Instead, the company was more focused on creating a compelling concept that would attract interest (and investment) from prospective partners.That's going to change. Now that Remedy intends to fund development and self-publish its titles (with help from select partners like Annapurna Pictures and Tencent), Kallionp said the company will need to be "more strategic" when thinking about that intended audience. He explained the studio will need to understand from the get-go whether a concept will be capable of attracting a large playerbase, because it's now Remedy's "sole responsibility" to ensure its projects become commercially viable.Remedy expects entire organization to buy into new publishing modelKallionp said Remedy's approach to self-publishing is shaped by three guiding principles. Firstly, the Finnish studio wants to build a "focused internal team" that owns the critical publishing areas and can achieve operational scale and global reach by working with key partners.Secondly, he emphasized that Remedy will only publish its own gameslargely because it wants "publishing to be closely integrated with our development teams throughout the life cycle of our games." Finally, he said everyone involved with production must understand "how we are publishing our games [and] how we are marketing out games," because all employees are driving towards the same end goal.Kallionp noted that Remedy is still expanding its self-publishing team, which is split into six key units each with their own leader, and hopes to grow the division to just over 20 people. If the company can realize its vision, Kallionp believes Remedy will deliver lucrative hits and nurture expansive player communities."By publishing our games ourselves, we get to build closer integrations between game development and publishing to help align our games with a large enough target audience. We will also get closer closer to our players, as we are responsible for making the key decisions regarding updates and fixes based on player feedback and analytics," he added."And finally, self-publishing will push and motivate the whole organization to think more commercially, as we are solely responsible ourselves for the financial success or failure of our games."Read more about:Remedy EntertainmentTop StoriesAbout the AuthorChris KerrNews Editor, GameDeveloper.comGame Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, andPocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.See more from Chris KerrDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

Sony is bringing a big new feature to the PlayStation Portal: cloud streaming. When it first launched, the device was only able to stream games from your PS5 over Wi-Fi. But as part of a new system update thats rolling out starting later today, youll be able to stream select PS5 games from the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog to your PlayStation Portal.Sony is launching the feature in beta, and youll need to be a PlayStation Plus Premium subscriber to take advantage of it. Sony says that to stream at 720p, youll need a minimum 7 Mbps connection, while 1080p quality will require a minimum 13 Mbps connection. Portal Cloud Streaming Beta Image: SonySome PlayStation Plus features wont be available to start with cloud streaming to the PlayStation Portal, including Game Trials, party voice chat, game invites for select games, 3D audio, and in-game commerce. And you wont be able to stream any PS4 games or PS3 games. Child accounts also wont be able to use cloud streaming on the Portal.The beta will be available in the following countries:Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Cyprus, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United StatesSony launched cloud streaming on PS5 consoles last year.As part of the new PlayStation Portal update, there are changes to audio, too, including a lower minimum volume level and the ability to tweak settings of a PlayStation Link device from your Portals settings.

Following ongoing reports that Amazons generative AI makeover of Alexa is not going well, it appears Amazon may take a more practical approach to making its smart assistant more useful.According to Business Insider, Amazon is partnering with several companies to make Alexa better at doing things you might want a digital assistant to do: including calling an Uber, tackling Ticketmaster for events, booking dinner through OpenTable, and handling GrubHub and Instacart for your food delivery. Now, if this sounds familiar, it's because the likes of Uber, OpenTable, GrubHub and others already had Alexa Skills, but apparently, this is something different. These companies are reportedly being recruited to be part of the new Alexa, which Amazon has said will be a smarter, more capable voice assistant so much more capable, that the company will charge a premium for its use. Amazon wants to make the new Alexa capable of completing an entire task for a user rather than handing it off to a third party, as it largely does with Skills. BI reports that these partner companies would become the primary option for handling those specific tasks on the upgraded Alexa." So, for example, when you ask Alexa to order that pizza you got last week from that place you like, it could potentially link into your GrubHub account and order you a pepperoni and pineapple, saving you several minutes of fiddling with your phone. According to BI, the partnerships aren't final. In fact, an Amazon spokesperson told the publication that any product development process features ideas that dont necessarily reflect what the experience will be when we roll it out for our customers.The approach is an interesting antidote to the generative-AI hype around voice assistants. Theres no need to reinvent the wheel here, just make the wheel better. While the report didnt include technical details, if Amazon is partnering with companies, it may well be to leverage a much more tried-and-true solution than generative AI: APIs. Instead of unleashing an LLM-powered assistant on a service or website and telling it to execute a task for you (a model that companies like Rabbit and Humane AI have tried with limited success), Amazon could just use a smarter, more conversational Alexa to make the clunky command and control structure of API calls more seamless. While technically much less ambitious, if it makes for a smoother experience ordering your pizza via voice than with the current Alexa Skills process, thats an improvement all round. The downside is that if Amazon relies on partnerships to provide this functionality, your local pizza place may not be on that list. (Mine only just got online ordering, and it's spotty at best.) According to BIs source, Amazon expects to have around 200 partners by Q3 next year. Depending on who those partners are, this approach of let's make sure this actually works rather than heres a chatbot that might try to add pinecones to your pizza feels like a better solution.

Author(s): Barhoumi Mosbeh Originally published on Towards AI. On November 11, Alibaba announced its most advanced coding model to date: Qwen 2.5-Coder-32B-Instruct. But thats not all, its actually part of a whole family of coding models! In addition to the 32B model, there are versions with 0.5B, 1.5B, 3B, 7B, and 14B parameters. Before writing this article, I reviewed feedback from many of YouTubers, writers, and technical experts, and the consensus has been overwhelmingly positive. Today, well explore whether it really lives up to the hype.Ive been using ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude for a while, and I can confidently say that Claude is the best at coding and understanding complex tasks. To be honest, Gemini is in a different league altogether. Fun fact: I once won a machine learning competition two years ago using Bard (now rebranded as Gemini) because everyone else was using ChatGPT. Bards performance gave me a competitive edge back then. Today, I believe Gemini might be the best vision model available, but overall, Im not a big fan.To evaluate the models performance in coding, we should cover the following three key aspects: Code Generation, Code Repair, and Code Reasoning. Additionally, we need to consider how many programming languages the model supports and its alignment with human preferences.OverviewBefore testing out Alibabas model, lets take a look at the performance results they have announced.Based on their internal benchmarks, it even outperforms GPT-4 and comes very close to Claude 3.5. However, I personally dont place too much weight on internal benchmarks alone, but the results seem very interesting according to those who have tried it.You can find more details about the performance here:Qwen2.5-Coder-32B-Instruct Qwen2Now it is the time, Nov. 11 10:24! The perfect time for our best coder model ever! Qwen2.5-Coder-32B-Instruct!qwen2.orgIm testing the model locally using Ollama:qwen2.5-coder:32bThe latest series of Code-Specific Qwen models, with significant improvements in code generation, code reasoning, andollama.comYou can also try out the model on the demo page of Hugging Face:Qwen2.5 Coder Demo a Hugging Face Space by QwenDiscover amazing ML apps made by the communityhuggingface.coCode GenerationMany people have already covered how well it performs in web and design:So, we will focus on testing it with some Python challenges. Lets start with a medium-level LeetCode problem:PromptThe problem description: Longest Substring Without Repeating CharactersAnswerclass Solution(object): def lengthOfLongestSubstring(self, s): """ :type s: str :rtype: int """ # Dictionary to store the last seen index of each character char_index_map = {} # Initialize the start of the current window and the maximum length start = 0 max_length = 0 for end in range(len(s)): # If the character is already in the map and its index is within the current window if s[end] in char_index_map and char_index_map[s[end]] >= start: # Move the start to the right of the last occurrence of the current character start = char_index_map[s[end]] + 1 # Update the last seen index of the current character char_index_map[s[end]] = end # Update the maximum length of the substring found so far max_length = max(max_length, end - start + 1) return max_lengthResultsImage from the authorNot the best, but it gets things done and passes all the tests. Can it solve a hard problem? (Note that the model could have been trained on these problems already, but its still impressive.)PromptProblem description: Regular Expression MatchingAnswerclass Solution(object): def isMatch(self, s, p): """ :type s: str :type p: str :rtype: bool """ m, n = len(s), len(p) # Create a 2D array to store the results of subproblems dp = [[False] * (n + 1) for _ in range(m + 1)] # Base case: empty string matches empty pattern dp[0][0] = True # Handle patterns like a*, a*b*, etc., which can match an empty string for j in range(1, n + 1): if p[j - 1] == '*': dp[0][j] = dp[0][j - 2] # Fill the dp table for i in range(1, m + 1): for j in range(1, n + 1): if p[j - 1] == '.' or p[j - 1] == s[i - 1]: dp[i][j] = dp[i - 1][j - 1] elif p[j - 1] == '*': dp[i][j] = dp[i][j - 2] # '*' matches zero occurrences if p[j - 2] == '.' or p[j - 2] == s[i - 1]: dp[i][j] = dp[i][j] or dp[i - 1][j] # '*' matches one or more occurrences # The result is in dp[m][n] return dp[m][n]ResultsImage from the authorAfter testing it on 1020 problems on LeetCode, I have the impression that it was trained on all problems, so its not the best way to evaluate it. However, its still worth sharing. Additionally, it always chooses to provide a Python solution, even when not specifically asked for one. But lets try something different. I asked the model to optimize the code to minimize resource consumption as much as possible.Image from the authorI didnt expect that, but when I asked the model to improve the performance, it even fails in the simplest cases.Lets now move to the next test, Code Repair. I will be providing the model with some code containing errors generated by Claude. I asked the model to generate some hard cases to fix, and lets see how it performs.Code RepairPromptThe following code contains several bugs. Please identify and fix them, and provide an explanation for each bug you find.class AsyncTaskQueue: def __init__(self): self.tasks = [] self.running = False self.lock = threading.Lock() self.workers = [] async def add_task(self, task): async with self.lock: self.tasks.append(task) if not self.running: self.start_processing() async def start_processing(self): self.running = True while self.tasks: task = self.tasks.pop(0) worker = asyncio.create_task(self.process_task(task)) self.workers.append(worker) if len(self.workers) >= 3: done, pending = await asyncio.wait(self.workers) self.workers = list(pending) self.running = False async def process_task(self, task): result = await task() return result AnswerCertainly! Let's go through the provided code and identify the issues, then correct them. Here are the main problems and their fixes:Issues IdentifiedThreading Lock Usage with Asyncio:The threading.Lock is not suitable for use with asyncio. Instead, you should use asyncio.Lock.Async Context Manager for Lock:The async with statement is used incorrectly with threading.Lock. It should be used with asyncio.Lock.Starting Processing:The start_processing method should be called in a non-blocking manner. Since start_processing is an async method, it should be awaited properly.Task Management:The start_processing method should handle task processing more efficiently. The current implementation might not handle task completion correctly.Worker Management:The workers list should be managed more carefully to ensure that tasks are completed before marking the queue as not running.Corrected CodeHere's the corrected version of the code:import asyncioimport threadingclass AsyncTaskQueue: def __init__(self): self.tasks = [] self.running = False self.lock = asyncio.Lock() self.workers = [] async def add_task(self, task): async with self.lock: self.tasks.append(task) if not self.running: self.running = True asyncio.create_task(self.start_processing()) async def start_processing(self): while True: async with self.lock: if not self.tasks: self.running = False break task = self.tasks.pop(0) worker = asyncio.create_task(self.process_task(task)) self.workers.append(worker) if len(self.workers) >= 3: done, pending = await asyncio.wait(self.workers, return_when=asyncio.FIRST_COMPLETED) self.workers = list(pending) async def process_task(self, task): result = await task() return result# Example usageasync def example_task(): await asyncio.sleep(1) print("Task completed") return "Result"async def main(): queue = AsyncTaskQueue() await queue.add_task(example_task) await queue.add_task(example_task) await queue.add_task(example_task) await queue.add_task(example_task) await queue.add_task(example_task) await queue.add_task(example_task)asyncio.run(main())Explanation of FixesAsyncio Lock:Replaced threading.Lock with asyncio.Lock to ensure compatibility with asynchronous operations.Async Context Manager for Lock:Used async with self.lock: to properly manage the lock in an asynchronous context.Starting Processing:Changed the logic to start processing in a non-blocking manner by using asyncio.create_task(self.start_processing()) inside add_task.Task Management:Modified start_processing to continuously check for tasks and process them until no tasks are left. It breaks out of the loop when there are no more tasks and sets self.running to False.Worker Management:Ensured that workers are managed correctly by using asyncio.wait with return_when=asyncio.FIRST_COMPLETED to handle task completion efficiently.Example UsageThe example usage demonstrates how to add tasks to the AsyncTaskQueue and run them asynchronously. The main function adds several tasks to the queue, and they are processed concurrently with a maximum of 3 workers at a time.This corrected and optimized code should perform better and be more reliable.Results and feedbackClaude evaluates the models response as 7.5/10. with this feedback:While the model provided a functionally correct solution, it delivered a tutorial-grade fix rather than a production-grade implementation. This indicates that for complex concurrent programming tasks, human expertise is still crucial for robust system design.After experimenting with the model, it gets the job done, but often requires follow-up prompts to improve the response. While it doesnt struggle with understanding the task at hand and can correct most critical bugs, it still lacks some of the strengths seen in models like ChatGPT and Claude, particularly in areas such as error handling, resource management, and optimization. I believe these may be the models key weaknesses.Specialized LLMs: A New Era in AIIts fascinating to witness the emergence of relatively small, domain-specific language models that can run locally. I believe were entering an exciting new era of specialized LLMs, and this is just the beginning. While the concept isnt new, were finally seeing models that truly excel in specific domains.The combination of RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) and specialist LLMs could define the AI landscape in the coming months/years. Were likely to see more powerful coding-focused models from industry leaders like OpenAI and Anthropic. Programming is perhaps one of the most natural domains for specialized AI, and we might soon see even more focused models, imagine LLMs specifically optimized for DevOps or front-end development!Dont feel overwhelmed by these rapid advances. Yes, it can be somewhat daunting to see LLMs mastering skills that traditionally took years to develop. Coding, which has challenged humanity for decades, is being transformed before our eyes. But rather than seeing this as an endpoint, we should view it as an opportunity for growth and innovation.Whether the current wave of LLM advances slows down in the coming years or this is merely the beginning of a longer journey, our response should remain the same: stay curious, keep learning, and never stop innovating. The future of technology is being written right now, and we all have a part to play in shaping it.Join thousands of data leaders on the AI newsletter. Join over 80,000 subscribers and keep up to date with the latest developments in AI. From research to projects and ideas. If you are building an AI startup, an AI-related product, or a service, we invite you to consider becoming asponsor. Published via Towards AI

Black Friday is one of the best times of year to upgrade your kitchen appliances, and the Samsung brand is no exception. Samsung has just kicked off its Black Friday Sale with some huge discounts on their 2024 lineup of Bespoke appliances, including up to $1700 off refrigerators and up to $1300 off gas, electric, and induction ranges.These deals become much better if you're eligible for a Samsung education (EDU), business (EPP), military, government, or first responders account (verification is done through ID.me). You would saving upwards of $1,400 on top of the existing Black Friday discounts. Definitely check to see if you can qualify.Samsung Refrigerator DealsBespoke 3-Door French Door Refrigerator 24 cu. ft. with AutoFill Water PitcherBespoke 3-Door French Door Refrigerator 24 cu. ft. with Beverage CenterBespoke 3-Door French Door Refrigerator 24 cu. ft. with Family Hub PanelBespoke 3-Door French Door Refrigerator 30 cu. ft. with Family Hub PanelBespoke 4-Door French Door Refrigerator 23 cu. ft. with AutoFill Water PitcherBespoke Counter Depth 4-Door Flex Refrigerator 23 cu. ft. with Beverage ZoneBespoke 4-Door French Door Refrigerator 23 cu. ft. with Beverage CenterBespoke 4-Door French Door Refrigerator (29 cu. ft.) with Beverage CenterBespoke 4-Door Flex Refrigerator 29 cu. ft. with Beverage CenterSamsung Kitchen Range DealsGasBespoke 6.0 cu. ft. Smart Slide-In Gas Range with Air Fry & Precision KnobsGas6.0 cu. ft. Smart Freestanding Gas Range with Non-Preheat Air Fry and Convection+GasBespoke 6.0 cu. ft. Smart Slide-In Gas Range with Smart Oven Camera & Illuminated Precision KnobsGasBespoke Smart Slide-In Gas Range 6.0 cu. ft. with Flex Duo & Illuminated Precision KnobsGasBespoke Smart Slide-In Dual Fuel Range 6.3 cu. ft. with Flex Duo & Illuminated Precision KnobsInductionBespoke 6.3 cu. ft. Smart Slide-In Induction Range with Anti-Scratch Glass CooktopInductionBespoke 6.3 cu. ft. Smart Slide-In Induction Range with Ambient Edge Lighting & Air Sous VideInductionBespoke 6.3 cu. ft. Smart Slide-In Induction Range with AI Home & Smart Oven CameraElectric6.3 cu. ft. Smart Freestanding Electric Range with Air Fry and GriddleElectricBespoke 6.3 cu. ft. Smart Slide-In Electric Range with Air FryElectricBespoke 6.3 cu. ft. Smart Slide-In Electric Range with Smart Oven Camera & Illuminated Precision KnobsElectricBespoke Smart Slide-In Electric Range 6.3 cu. ft. with Flex Duo & Illuminated Precision KnobsThese 2024 Appliances Are More Techy Than ThinkYou might be wondering what kitchen appliances have to do with tech. Well, these certainly arent your grandma's fridges and ovens. The new 2024 refrigerators come equipped with plenty of savvy features like a separate concealed "Beverage Center" that holds drinks, an auto-refilling water pitcher, and an ice dispenser or a massive 22" or 32" Family Hub smart display that lets you see inside your refrigerator, manage your familys calendars, stream music, and more.The new 2024 ovens are just as fancy. They come in your choice of gas, induction, or electric but they have several features that helps you consolidate several appliances into one, like a built-in air fry or sous vide mode. To conserve electricity, some models are equipped with an oven camera so you can see how your dishes are roasting or baking without ever opening the door. Like the Bespoke fridges mentioned above, you can also have a smart LCD display built into your range so you can look up recipes or play videos without ever grabbing your phone. Are these features necessary? Absolutely not, but as a tech-head, I find it all very cool.When Is Black Friday 2024?The actual date of Black Friday in 2024 falls on November 29, but the holiday deals season starts a lot earlier than that. Plenty of retailers have already been dropping deals online. (This usually starts in the last week of October, just before Halloween.) More and more deals will roll out leading up to the event, which culminates in massive discounts on Black Friday. Retailers will not reveal their biggest deals until the big day, but many deals will be available well in advance.Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Final Fantasy XIV is the latest online multiplayer game to head to mobile, joining Diablo and Monster Hunter among others. It is being developed by Tencent subsidiary LightSpeed Studios, which is responsible for PUBG Mobile and recently added Dragon's Dogma director Hideaki Itsuno to its ranks as part of its newly-established Japan Studio.The official release calls it an "exciting extension of the beloved franchise" and says it will capture the "immersive experience of the original title in a fresh, mobile-friendly format." It's unconfirmed whether the new mobile title will include cross-progression or any of the expansions, but LightSpeed Studios does plan to retain lifestyle content including fishing, Triple Triad, and chocobo racing.PlayIGN's Twenty Questions - Guess the game!IGN's Twenty Questions - Guess the game!To start:...try asking a question that can be answered with a "Yes" or "No".000/250In a statement as part of the release, Final Fantasy XIV Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida called the new release a "sister to Final Fantasy XIV." It has been 11 years since FFXIV 2.0: A Realm Reborn launched, and this new mobile game will be a sister to FFXIV, aiming to recreate the grandeur of the original's story and combat mechanics on mobile devices, Yoshida said. Non-combat features, such as Disciples of the Land and Hand, will also be faithfully implemented and we look forward to growing alongside the passionate FFXIV community."Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn was first released in 2013 and has experienced huge success since, releasing multiple acclaimed expansions, including Dawntrail earlier this year. It has been lauded for its respectful handling of Final Fantasy history, its storytelling, and its numerous features.The release claims that the mobile version will allow players to "immerse themselves in the meticulously crafted visual experience that defines Eorzea on mobile." It will include "intricate weather and time-of-day systems" and "over 600 weather patterns across various landscapes." The development teams have sought to optimize player character and equipment designs for the original game. IGN has asked for clarification on whether it will only feature the original A Realm Reborn content to start.Final Fantasy XIV Mobile does not yet have a release date, but a demo will be available for play tests in China, with a global launch following soon after.Kat Bailey is IGN's News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

There is a long checklist to get through when you're preparing to sell your home. You have to get your property appraised, make any necessary repairs, and spruce up your curb appeal to make the best first impression. Some homeowners even consider making upgrades ahead of listing their properties, in hopes that will boost the sale price considerably. But before you renovate your home to impress potential buyers, we have a warning. Certain design choices can actually hurt your home's value and the chances of a speedy sale. Kitchens are highly personal, and every buyer has their own preferences and vision of the space, says Zillow's trend expert, Amanda Pendelton. In general, Zillow research finds kitchen renovations deliver some of the worst returns on investmentabout $0.50 on the dollar, she explains. Some buyers are home chefs and entertainers, and theyll want all the bells and whistles, while other buyers may prefer ordering takeout and dont want to pay for that top-of-the-line steam oven you just installed.Of course, resale value isn't the end-all-be-all of decision-making factors. If you love sunshine yellow cabinets (and you're going to be using them for years to come), go ahead and paint them! But if you're renovating to sell, or thinking about future property and resale value, these are the design choices you'll want to skip. Related StoriesSilver HardwareSilver may have made a comeback this last year in the world of fashion and jewelry, but in interiors, it's still the least desirable hardware finish. Zillow research finds listings with satin nickel hardware or fixtures get 34 percent fewer saves per day and 36 percent fewer shares per day on Zillow. However, chrome finishes fare better in the housing market. Homes with chrome hardware or fixtures only get 19 percent fewer saves per day and 18 percent fewer shares per day. Oak Cabinetschandlerphoto//Getty ImagesWood cabinets are divisive: Some are beloved, while others are despised, and it all depends on the finish of the wood. While white oak, ash, and paler tones are popular, especially in Scandinavian design, orange-hued oak doesn't fare as well, and often seen as dated. Homes with oak cabinets get 9 percent fewer saves per day and 10 percent fewer shares per day on Zillowand sell for 0.8 Onyx StoneA yellowish, orange stone, often with brown and white veining, onyx is a controversial countertop and backsplash choice. It's bold, but it's not as durable or functional as quartzite or granite, which makes potential buyers wary. For-sale listings with onyx get 22 percent fewer saves per day and 25 percent fewer shares per day than similar homes.Yellow Paint Elliott Kaufman//Getty ImagesBold, colorful kitchens may be showstopping from an interior design perspective, but personality-forward design can scare potential buyers off. Selecting the wrong paint colors could cost you when its time to sell. We recommend neutrals like white, navy, and even warmer tones like brown and beige to boost your kitchen's universal appeal. Zillows research finds homes with a bright yellow kitchen command offers that are $2,125 less than expected on a typical U.S. home. Tile or Laminate CountertopsLaminate countertops are a common, budget-friendly renovation option, but potential buyers will take the choice as the homeowners cutting corners. Tile counters are great, and we're partial to the aesthetic, but they are notoriously difficult to clean and maintain over time. Home shoppers arent willing to pay a premium for either of these materials. Homes with laminate countertops can sell for 1.1% less than expected, and buyers pay 1% less for homes with tile countertops, according to Zillow research. Follow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok.

Dawn Aerospace has flown its rocket-powered aircraft past the speed of sound, the latest milestone on its path to its first commercial flights.During the test, which took place on New Zealands South Island, the startups Mk-II Aurora aircraft reached Mach 1.1 and an altitude of 25 kilometres. Dawn said this marks the first time a civil aircraft has flown supersonic since Concorde.The feat comes after Aurora hit Mach 0.92 in August, which, at the time, was three times the speed and five times the height of its previous test conducted in 2023. Dawns aircraft just keeps on getting faster. The end goal is to go hypersonic (6,17312,348 km/h) and fly over 100 km above the Earth twice in one day.Register NowAs a company, we have been working for more than seven years to design, develop, test, and deliver supersonic flight. We are now achieving this and will start commercial payload operations in the coming months, said Stefan Powell, CEO of Dawn Aerospace.The company, headquartered in the Netherlands and New Zealand, claims that during the test last week the Aurora also broke the world record for the fastest aircraft to climb from ground level to 20 km. The spaceplane made the ascent in just 118.6 seconds, beating the previous record set in the 1970s by a highly modified F-15 fighter jet.This milestone sets the stage for Aurora to become the worlds highest and fastest-flying aircraft and paves the way for the first operational hypersonic aircraft, redefining whats possible in aviation, said Powell.Cheaper access to spaceKiwi Stefan Powell and his brother James founded Dawn Aerospace in 2016 alongside Dutchman Jeroen Wink, and the two Germans Tobias Knop and Robert Werner. The team hopes to unlock cheaper, quicker access to space for applications such as microgravity research, atmospheric science, Earth observation, and testing high-speed flight.Dawn has spent just $10mn on its flight programme to date and looks to complete it using just $20mn pennies for an aerospace company. One can assume that these low production costs will also translate into cheap flights for customers.Dawns lean approach to tech development stands out in an industry dominated by billionaire-funded startups and deep-pocketed governments. The company generates some additional revenue from its other business line, which builds low emissions propulsions systems for satellites. Nevertheless, its looking to do something quite remarkable given its limited cash runway.The startups ultimate vision is to build an orbital stage aircraft, dubbed Mk-III, that could transport satellites into low-Earth orbit, putting it in direct competition with Elon Musks SpaceX. Story by Sin Geschwindt Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecos (show all) Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecosystem. He's happiest sourcing a scoop, investigating the impact of emerging technologies, and even putting them to the test. Sin has five years journalism experience and holds a dual degree in media and environmental science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Get the TNW newsletterGet the most important tech news in your inbox each week.

As we reported on Monday, Apple has published a new support document confirming that iCloud backup will stop working on iPhones and iPads running iOS 8 or older versions of the operating system. Now weve also learned that there will be restrictions on syncing Safari bookmarks as well.Safari sync to stop working on some iOS versionsAccording to another support article published on Apples website, devices running versions prior to iOS 11 will no longer sync Safari bookmarks via iCloud. Users with affected devices wont lose their current bookmarks, but new bookmarks wont sync with other devices and vice versa. The change will also affect Macs running versions prior to macOS Sierra 10.12.5.Apple says users will have to update their devices to iOS 11 or later or macOS Sierra 10.12.6 or later to keep syncing their Safari bookmarks via iCloud. For those who dont have a compatible device, the company will make Safari bookmarks available on iCloud.com.Moving forward, iCloud Bookmarks can keep your Safari bookmarks up to date across all your devices just make sure that all of your devices are updated to iOS 11 or later and your Mac is updated to macOS Sierra 10.12.6 or later. You can also sync bookmarks to a Windows PC using iCloud for Windows and the iCloud Bookmarks browser extension.iOS 11 was the first version of Apples operating system to run exclusively on 64-bit devices, which made it incompatible with devices such as the iPhone 5, iPhone 5c and iPad 4 which are stuck on iOS 10. When it comes to macOS, Macs released in 2012 and later can be upgraded to macOS Sierra at least to keep Safari bookmark synchronization working.The news comes after Apple also announced that iCloud backup will stop working on devices running versions between iOS 5 and iOS 8. According to Apple, current backups on unsupported devices will also be deleted from the cloud. Both changes will come into effect on December 18, 2024.Apple has a webpage with the minimum system requirements for each of its online services, which you can check out here.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel