The companys woes are symptomatic of a wider malaise among companies that make batteries for electric vehicles.

MacworldThe annual Black Friday weekend is a fantastic time to buy an Apple Watch, with big savings from a wide variety of retailers. Technically it lasts just four days, from Black Friday (November 29, 2024) to Cyber Monday (December 2, 2024), but deals start weeks before and last through the month of December.In this article, we will share all the best Apple Watch deals in the run-up to Black Friday 2024 and throughout the event. We also share our advice about how to get the best deal on an Apple Watch, what to look out for, and what to avoid. If you want to know what other Apple products are discounted, check out our roundup of the best Black Friday Apple deals.Apples Black Friday Shopping Event: Is the Apple Watch included?Apple doesnt do discounts, but it holds an annual shopping event over the Black Fridayweekend. This typically consists of gift card offers rather than actual savings. For 2024 you can get a $50/40 Apple Gift Card if you buy an Apple Watch SE onApples U.S. siteorApples U.K. site. In 2023 Apple also offered gift cards with the Apple Watch Series 9, but this year it isnt doing the same for the Series 10.While Apple doesnt cut Apple Watch prices for Black Friday, plenty of other retailers do. We are sharing the best deals we have seen so far below.Best Apple Watch deals for Black Friday 2024U.S.Amazon,Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm): $329 ($50 off with coupon, MSRP $399)Amazon,Apple Watch Series 10 (46mm): $359 ($50 off, MSRP $429)Amazon,Apple Watch SE 2 (40mm): $169 ($80 off, MSRP $249)Amazon,Apple Watch SE 2 (44mm): $199 ($80 off, MSRP $279)Amazon,Apple Watch Ultra 2: $719 ($80 off, MSRP $799)U.K. Amazon, Apple Watch Ultra 2 (49mm, GPS + Cellular): 769 (30 off, RRP 799)Amazon, Apple Watch Series 10 (46mm): 409 (20 off, RRP 429)Amazon, Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm): 379 (20 off, RRP 399)Argos, Apple Watch SE (40mm) (2022): 209 (10 off, RRP 219)Argos, Apple Watch Series 9 (45mm): 329 (RRP was 429 Clearance)Argos, Apple Watch Series 9 (41mm): 299 (RRP was 399 Clearance)Apple Watch deals for Black Friday 2024: Our adviceApple currently sells three Apple Watches: the standard Apple Watch Series 10 (starting at $399/399), the cut-price Apple Watch SE (from $249/219), and the premium Apple Watch Ultra 2 (from $799/799). These are each available in a range of colors, materials, and sizes, which may affect the price.For most customers the Apple Watch SE will be more than sufficient; however, the Series 10 offers a bigger screen (with always-on functionality) and better health sensors. The Ultra is only worth getting if you live a life of adventure and need a watch that can cope with the rough and tumble of long hikes, perilous climbs, and underwater dives. For detailed advice on selecting the best model for you, check out our Apple Watch buying guide. You can get a deal on an Apple Watch all year round in our round-up of the Best Apple Watch deals.You may also see deals on older models that Apple itself doesnt sell anymore. The Apple Watch Series 9 came out in fall 2023 and was only discontinued two months ago; that should still serve you perfectly well. For that matter, the Series 8 and 1st-gen Ultra launched in fall 2022, the same time as the current SE, so they ought to do fine too. But wed probably steer clear of anything older than that.Its important to be aware that Black Friday will bring bad deals as well as good ones. Retailers dont want to give you a great deal; they want you to buy their unwanted stock at a high price and will use all sorts of tricks to persuade you to do so. Dont let them get away with it.Always check the current MSRP/RRP for the watch youre planning to buy (we include these with all of our recommended deals). Apple tends to drop prices on older products on a yearly basis, but retailers may conveniently forget to mention this and quote the old price instead. That makes their discount look bigger and the deal more appealing. Some retailers also raise their own prices ahead of Black Friday, then drop them back down and claim a large saving. Price tracker sites like CamelCamelCamel can help you to work out if this has happened. We will also flag it if we see it.Its worth checking reviews and buying guides (such as ours, linked above) to assess the age and worth of the device. Make sure youre not being fobbed off with antiquated stock. Also, watch out for deals on the cellular models; these can look like big savings, but in our experience, there is little point in owning a cellular Apple Watch. You might as well pay less and get the standard model.Finally, what actually constitutes a good deal? U.S. buyers should be looking at a benchmark of roughly $60 to $70 off the current models and $100 or more off discontinued ones, which is what we saw in 2023. But deals tend to be weaker in the U.K., where we struggled to find 30 off anything last year. We hope the retailers will do better this time around, but you may need to prepare yourself for disappointment.Black Friday: Latest Apple Watch Series 10 dealsThe Apple Watch Series 10 came out in September 2024. The 42mm model starts at $399/399.RetailerPrice429View Deal447View Deal429,00 View Deal429,00 View Deal429,00 View Deal433,13 View Deal447,00 View Deal449,00 View Deal449,00 View Deal494.68View DealPrice comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwideView more pricesProductPricePrice comparison from BackmarketThe 46mm version of the Apple Watch Series 10 starts at $429/429.RetailerPrice$359View DealPrice comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwideProductPricePrice comparison from BackmarketBlack Friday: Latest Apple Watch Ultra 2 dealsApple Watch Ultra 2 came out in September 2023. It has an MSRP of $799/799.RetailerPrice0.01View Deal859View Deal779,99 View Deal891.68View Deal913,71 View Deal951,83 View DealPrice comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwideView more pricesProductPricePrice comparison from BackmarketBlack Friday: Latest Apple Watch SE (2022) dealsApples first budget SE smartwatch came out in 2020; this is the second-gen model, which launched in September 2022. Prices start at $249/219 for the smaller version. (If you dont see any deals below this paragraph, that means theres no stock left in your region.)RetailerPrice269View Deal288.4View Deal243,99 View Deal244,00 View Deal244,51 View Deal279,00 View Deal329,99 View Deal329.99View DealPrice comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwideView more pricesProductPricePrice comparison from BackmarketThe larger 44mm version has an MSRP of $279/249.Black Friday: Latest Apple Watch Series 9 dealsThe Series 9 was released in 2023, having launched alongside the Ultra 2. The 41mm version had an MSRP of $399/399 before being discontinued.RetailerPrice357,45 View Deal403,79 View Deal449,00 View Deal461,81 View Deal519,99 View DealPrice comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwideView more pricesProductPricePrice comparison from BackmarketThe 45mm version of the Apple Watch Series 9 was $429/429.Retailers worth checking outU.S.AppleAmazon U.S.Best BuyCostcoTargetWalmartU.K.AppleAmazon U.K.ArgosCurrysJohn LewisKRCSVeryBlack Friday 2024: Best deals for Apple productsCheck out these roundups for the best Apple deals:Best Black Friday 2024 Apple accessory dealsApple Black Friday 2024 saleBest Black Friday 2024 Apple dealsBest Black Friday 2024 Mac DealsBest Black Friday 2024 MacBook dealsBest Black Friday 2024 AirPods dealsBest Black Friday 2024 Apple Watch dealsBest Black Friday 2024 iPad dealsBest Black Friday 2024 iPhone dealsBest Black Friday 2024 Mac monitor dealsBest Black Friday 2024 SSD and external hard drive deals

MacworldAt a glanceExpert's RatingProsCross-platform software that offers macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Android, and WindowsIntuitive user interface that follows modern design guidelineCompletely free to download and use on macOSConsMac client doesnt support proper PDF editing Questionable user data collection Wonky annotation toolsOur Verdict SwifDoo is free to download and use, but Apples built-in Preview app performs most of the tasks offered, including proper PDF editing, which SwifDoo doesnt do. Price When ReviewedThis value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefinedBest Pricing TodayBest Prices Today: SwifdooRetailerPriceSwifdoo69,00 View DealPrice comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwideProductPricePrice comparison from BackmarketPDF editors are essential for Mac users living the paperless lifestyle. While macOS can view, annotate, and sign PDFs natively, the OS provides little control over the files core content. So, those wishing to tweak the text or images of a certain PDF document will have to rely on third-party solutions. With so many apps out there, however, finding the right pick may be tricky. SwifDoo PDF for Mac is one of the options you may come across when hunting for an editor. Is it any good, though?Pricing and availabilitySwifDoo PDF supports macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Windows, and Android. Notably, however, the feature sets differ depending on the platform youre using. So, for example, the Windows app packs distinct capabilities unavailable on macOS or the mobile clients. Similarly, the price differs based on the OS youre running it on. In this review, we will be evaluating SwifDoo PDF for macOS specifically. The rating, pros, cons, and overall specifications only apply to this particular client.SwifDoo PDF for the Mac is available to install and use for free, and theres no premium tier to unlock additional features. To get started, you can head to the companys website, where you can download the installer.See our round-ups of of the best PDF editors for Mac and our best free PDF editors for Mac. First impressionsFoundryBefore installing SwifDoo PDF on my Mac, I checked the iOS/iPadOS clients listing on Apples App Store. I was shocked to find in the privacy disclosure section that the app collects users location data and uses it to track them. Theres absolutely no excuse for a PDF editing app to collect and use this kind of information, especially when iPhone and iPad users have to pay recurring fees to unlock all features. I then had ChatGPT read and analyze the privacy policy on its website and compare it to those of some reputable PDF editors. Unsurprisingly, SwifDoo PDF seems to collect a broader range of data than some other solid options out there. In short, I wouldnt trust this PDF editor with my data, especially highly sensitive documents. Whether you do depends on your personal preferences, though.FeaturesFoundryWhile SwifDoo PDF was designed for Intel Macs and seemingly hasnt been optimized for Apple silicon chips, it runs pretty smoothly on my MacBook Air M2. It features a clutter-free main page where you can interact with recently viewed files or open a different PDF via Finder.Once you load a document, you can tweak it using the standard annotation tools. These include highlighting, inserting notes, underlining, striking through, drawing, adding text boxes and shapes, stamping, and more. While the UI is generally modern and the app performs fluidly, using the annotation tools can be a bit wonky. For example, Id have to tap the highlight tool and select the text multiple times to get it to work. Otherwise, SwifDoo PDF for Mac doesnt typically lag or misbehave.Other SwifDoo PDF perks include page rotation, printing, and an auto-generated index that lets you quickly jump between document sections based on their headings. While these utilities are all great, the Mac client doesnt offer text or image editing. So, you cant add or remove sentences or manipulate the actual document beyond basic annotation.Should you use SwifDoo? Apples built-in Preview app performs most of the tasks offered by SwifDoo PDF for macOS. While the third-party Mac software is free to download and use, it doesnt support proper PDF editing. So, if youre unhappy with Apple Preview, SwifDoo PDF likely wont cater to your needs, either. For basic annotation, I recommend using the native tools provided by the operating system. To actually edit your PDF files, consider relying on a premium offering from a reputable company. Regardless, I advise you to stay away from SwifDoo PDF for Mac.

DuckDuckGo has urged the European Commission to open three investigations into Googles compliance with the EUs Digital Markets Act (DMA), alleging non-compliance with key obligations under the law.In a blog post, the privacy-focused search engine outlined Googles obligations under the DMA, which include sharing anonymized click and query data, implementing choice screens, and allowing users to easily change default search settings.Unfortunately, Google is using a malicious compliance playbook to undercut the DMA, DuckDuckGo said. Google has selectively adhered to certain obligations often due to pressure from the Commission while totally disregarding others or making farcical compliance proposals that could never have the desired impact.DuckDuckGo argued that the obligations were designed to counter Googles market dominance, noting parallels with findings in the United States v. Google case. The US judge in that case ruled that Googles scale and distribution advantages were illegal, citing that 70% of search queries flow through access points preloaded with Google.This creates what the judge called a perpetual scale and quality deficit for competitors, locking in Googles dominance.The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has now escalated its antitrust efforts against Google, seeking a landmark ruling that could reshape the technology sector.DuckDuckGos call for additional probes comes as Google faces growing competition from emerging players such as OpenAI and Perplexity AI.Compliance enforcement challengesDuckDuckGos allegations against Google shed light on the ongoing challenges in enforcing fair competition within the digital ecosystem.In its post, DuckDuckGo has even argued that DMA fails to adequately address Googles scale advantage. While sharing click-and-query data is a crucial step, the company said it is not enough on its own to foster a competitive search engine market.The potential gaps in Googles compliance with the DMA underscore the need for vigilant regulatory oversight, said Prabhu Ram, VP of the industry research group at Cybermedia Research. If substantiated, these allegations could significantly impact competition dynamics in Europe.SanchitVirGogia, chief analyst and CEO at Greyhound Research, added that its important to note that DMA is wide-ranging, complex, and open to interpretation.Hence, whether or not Google is compliant is still up for discussion, Gogia said. The fact is that Google has made select changes to encourage fair competition. Still, given the open-to-interpretation nature of this act, there is room for discussion (read allegation) from the competition.Moreover, as new competitors like Perplexity AI and OpenAI gain traction in the search market, any regulatory action against Google must account for the growing challenge these vendors pose to its dominance, Gogia added.What Google may doThis could get more difficult as analysts suggest Google may have strategies to navigate the issue, such as licensing anonymized search data that excludes a significant portion of queries.While this approach could technically comply with legal requirements, it risks undermining the intent of the rules.This, in turn, raises concerns about genuine user choice in an environment favoring incumbents, Ram pointed out. How EU regulators address these issues will be pivotal, shaping the behavior of other gatekeepers and setting important precedents for global competition policies.In its post, DuckDuckGo has called on regulators worldwide to examine the implementation of DMA, warning that Google has exploited loopholes to circumvent the rules. The company urged authorities to take measures to ensure Google cannot continue to obstruct progress and fair competition.

A US congressional commission has called for a Manhattan Project-like initiative to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) development, urging Congress to grant the executive branch sweeping, multiyear contracting authority to fund advancements in AI, cloud computing, and data centers.The bipartisan US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) issued the recommendations in a 793-page report on Tuesday, highlighting the growing urgency to outpace Chinas rapid strides in emerging technologies, including AI, quantum computing, and biotechnology.Congress should establish and fund a Manhattan Project-like program dedicated to racing and acquiring an Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) capability, the report stated, drawing parallels to the WWII-era government project that developed the first atomic bombs.Provide broad multiyear contracting authority to the executive branch and associated funding for leading artificial intelligence, cloud, and data center companies and others to advance the stated policy at a pace and scale consistent with the goal of US AGI leadership, the report further added as a suggestion to Congress.The report also advised the Secretary of Defense to designate AI projects as having the highest national priority, underscoring the strategic importance of staying technologically ahead of China to protect US economic and military interests.Direct the US secretary of defense to provide a Defense Priorities and Allocations System DX Rating to items in the artificial intelligence ecosystem to ensure this project receives national priority, it stated.A DX Rating is assigned to programs of highest national priority.The USCC, established in 2000 to monitor and report on US-China trade and economic relations, issued its latest report amid mounting geopolitical tensions and a race to dominate the technologies of the future.Tech rivalry with global implicationsThe commission warned that Chinas technological progress, if left unchecked could threaten US deterrence in the Pacific region and destabilize the global balance of power. Chinas advancements could erode the United States economic and military position and tip the global balance of power, the report said.The US has already taken steps to limit Chinas access to critical technologies. On Monday, the Treasury Department finalized a rule restricting US investments in Chinese AI, quantum computing, and semiconductor sectors a move building on President Joe Bidens executive order last year aimed at curbing the export of technologies that could bolster Chinas military and intelligence capabilities.Tuesdays report also detailed tensions between the two nations over issues such as sanctions on Chinese officials, restrictions on semiconductor imports, and national security concerns surrounding the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok.Despite a bilateral agreement reached in late 2023 to pursue limited cooperation on military communication, climate change, countering fentanyl and other drugs, artificial intelligence (AI), and people-to-people ties, China has continued its efforts to counter or weaken US policies without changing its own behavior, the report observed.Generative AI is central to the recommendations of the report, which pointed out that while the US currently leads development in the domain by over a year, Chinese companies are making a concerted effort to develop generative AI models similar in sophistication to those of US companies. The USCC report also emphasized the US need to maintain leadership in developing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) AI systems capable of performing any intellectual task that a human can do.The proposed initiative echoes the strategic and national security urgency of the original Manhattan Project, highlighting the role of advanced technology in shaping global power dynamics.

Their personal relationship has not always helped "Tim Apple", but Tim Cook has been more successful in working with Trump than most.Tim Cook and Donald Trump in a meeting at the White House in 2018 image credit: ApplePresident Trump has previously backed the FBI against Apple over what he called foreign apps, and famously forgot Cook's name, but overall Apple appears to have been able to benefit under a Trump administration. The Wall Street Journal says that this is down to a particular technique Cook uses, alongside lobbying Trump personally."That's why he's a great executive, because he calls me and others don't," Trump said in 2019. Continue Reading on AppleInsider

Amazon's official Black Friday Deals Week event starts now and we have live coverage of today's best Apple deals, including new low prices on M4 Macs, the 2024 iPad mini 7, current Apple Watch models and more.Amazon's Black Friday deals on Apple start now.Black Friday is happening now at both Amazon and Best Buy, and we're monitoring the Apple space closely so you can save the most money on your holiday shopping. From M4 MacBook and Mac mini discounts to the cheapest Apple Watch Series 10 prices we've seen this season, there are a number of bargains worth considering when choosing gifts for loved ones.Shop Amazon's BF Sale Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

National Museum of Photography Rotterdam building design in transformed historic eight-storey warehouse: to become state-of-the-art home for Dutch national collectionhttps://www.e-architect.com/rotterdam/national-museum-of-photography-rotterdam#nationalmuseum #photography #rotterdam #dutcharchitectureNational Museum of Photography Rotterdam building design in renewed historic eight-storey warehouse: Dutch national photographic collection

Designed by BWM Architects, the Grand Hotel Straubinger, in Bad Gastein, Austria, epitomizes luxury and historical preservation. Its selling proposition lies in its meticulous restorationhttps://www.e-architect.com/austria/grand-hotel-straubinger-bad-gastein-austria#architects #hotel #austria #historicalpreservation #architecture #restorationDesigned ny BWM, the Grand Hotel Straubinger epitomizes the pinnacle of luxury and historical preservation

New findings produced by the Institute of Psychology at the University of Freiburg and German Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems have shown the proven social acceptance of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs) in different urban conditions.According to techxplore.com, which first reported the news: "The conclusions showed that the acceptance of integrated photovoltaics in urban areas is generally very high and that PV on modern buildings is viewed more positively than on historic buildings."Additionally, the study found that colored PV panels that match their buildings roof or facade design increased their rates of acceptance. Andreas Wessel, a PhD student and co-author of the study says: "The study provides initial insights into the social acceptance of PV systems on and around buildings. It confirms that the acceptance of PV systems can actually be increased through good visual integration with colored modules, especially for historic buildings."