The robust computer thats very, very tiny introduced by Apple CEO Steve Jobs almost 20 years ago just got even tinier. And once again, if youre thinking of switching from Windows, theres little excuse not to climb aboard; the most affordable Mac ever is also among the fastest consumerAI desktopsmoney can buy.While the Mac mini in hand is considerably smaller, its cost increased just a little and computational performance improved exponentially. These impressive changes allow the it to be a gateway for switchers, a second computer for any mobile Mac user, and a highly capable desktop for everyone else.Its also a server, a computer to which you can offload big tasks and its quite capable of handling the kind ofcutting-edge productivity softwareyou might use on a MacBook Pro, though perhaps not as efficiently.In the interests of objectivity, I should say up from I love the new Mac mini. Its a triumph, a culmination of everything the first Mac mini aimed to be, but much, much better. Introduced along with the also superb MacBook Pro, Apples Mac line-up proves that, with Apple Silicon inside,the company is a the top of its game.What you can expect under the hoodAll this capability comes because of the amazing M-series processor Apple has slotted inside and reflects the devices extensive processor history that straddles the companys PowerPC chips on its first release, the Intel years, and todays super-efficient, low-power chips that put Apple ahead of the industry. Theres a lot to love, starting at $599 (though the M4 Pro with 14core CPU and 20core GPU, 48GB, and 1TB SSD model I tested costs a lot more, $2,199.) That price tag might dent the superlatives a little, but probably not fatally.For a company made famous by the quality of its design, the Mac mini you see today isnt a major departure from the models of yesteryear, other than size. This third major redesign remains faithful to the breed a compact all-in-one metal box designed to work with the mouse, keyboard and display you already own. Now just 2-in. high, the 5-in.-by-5-in. (100% carbon neutral aluminum) box remains, resolutely, a Mac mini.Such is the classic simplicity of Apple design, if youd been abducted by aliens two decades ago and taken to the peaceful planet Zog to hang out with and learn from an enlightened species, youd still recognize this as a Mac mini when you returned. (Though youd probably be disappointed at the state of enlightenment here on Terra Ferma.)But alien adventures aside, because it aims to work with kit you already own, connectivity has always been important to the mini. The new model offers two USB-C ports, HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet, three Thunderbolt 5 ports, a headphone jack, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3 though you no longer get USB-A, putting that standard even further back in history. You also dont get an SD card slot, but you didnt in the last model, either.You can now drive up to three external displays, which is amazing, really, and I bet many of us take that for granted.The power button (which you rarely, if ever, need to touch) is on the lower left corner of the 1.6-pound device; that positioning raised many critical cat calls when it was spotted, but if thats all the critics have then Apple has got something right.What it doesApple says the Mac mini with M4 Pro is up to 20x faster than the fastest Intel-based Mac mini. The benchmark results I got back that assertion up, and more. I was a little open-jawed at the results I got and had to run tests multiple times they impressed me so very much.Time for some benchmarks:Geekbench 6.3Single Core: 3,8715.Multi Core: 22,314.OpenCL: 69,013The CPU results are incredibly impressive. If you check the Geekbench Mac charts, you will find they mean the Mac mini delivers at least as much punch as the currently available Mac Studio, or last years 16-in. M3 Max MacBook Pro. There is no performance compromise whatsoever in this machine.Cinebench R2322,737 CPU multi core (a top three position, up there with Intel Xeon W and AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2992WX).2,137 CPU single core (leader of the pack).ValleyFPS 101.3It is important to note that Valley isnt optimized for Apple Silicon and relies on Apples Rosetta technology, so its not a fair comparative test. But it does illustrate just how performant these little Macs have become.Youll find additional benchmark tests atMacStadium, where new M4 Mac minis are already being put into service as servers in real-life, mission-critical environments. They note that the M4 Pro, tears past all the previously available Mac mini models, and even puts some of the older Studio models to shame.Youll find a similarly fabulous statement from an impressedJeff Geerling, who says: The chip isnt thefastestat everything, but its certainly the mostefficientCPU Ive ever tested. And that scales down to idle power, too it hovers between 3-4W at idle which is about the same as aRaspberry Pi.It is worth noting that most of the time the power efficiency means it will barely feel warm to the touch, no matter how hard you push it. These results, and those of all the other M4-powered Macs, absolutely illustrate the extent to which the shift to Apple Silicon hasturned the processor industry upside down, putting once last-place Apple in bidding distance for the throne.Take it anywhereThe Mac mini is small. You can put it anywhere you need it on a bookshelf, certainly under a reception desk, anywhere in an office, and in almost any situation where you might need a computer on warehouse or factory floors. The front-mounted USB-C ports and headphone jack make its usage flexible, too. While it is not and nor is it intended to be a portable device, it is worth noting that so long as you have a keyboard, mouse, and display wherever you intend to go, the Mac mini is a computer you can take with you.What about Thunderbolt 5?Apple celebrated the introduction of Thunderbolt 5 on these Macs when they were announced. All the same, for most users it means very little. Sure, if you use a compatible Thunderbolt 5 cable and a compatible device, youll get data transfer speeds of 120Gbps, but right now those who have those things skew toward being pro gamers and video professionals. That will change of course as Thunderbolt 5 proliferates and becomes cheaper, though it is nice to know that you can use this tiny Mac to power multiple 6K displays. Thunderbolt 5 will also be important to those who choose to use the new macOS feature that lets them use larger Mac apps that are stored on external SSD drives.Time to upgrade?The new model stacks up proudly against Apples first M1-series Mac mini. Youll see significant performance gains, and while the M1 Mac mini Ive used as my daily drive ever since it was introduced has never let me down, I did experience a perceptible difference in performance.Four years later, is it time to upgrade? I think it might be, and the fact Ive had four trouble-free years with an M1 gives me a lot of confidence to expect more great years with an M4 model.However, in contrast to the Intel Macs, the question of whether or whether not to upgrade shouldnt be a question at all of course, you should. The difference in performance was like night and day when the M1 models first appeared; with the M4 series, youll feel like you just swallowed a glass of iced water in hell, as someone once said.Unlike the performance compromise Mac mini represented back in the day, with Apple Silicon you can look forward to pro performance at a price thats more within reach.A dream realizedThe thing about the price is important. Its hard to ignore a computer that starts at $599 and can kick out this level of performance.As a desktop, it ticks most boxes:Windows switchers will like that they might be able to continue using existing kit with the system, and theyll like it even more once they realize these Macs are so powerful theyll run Windows better in VM mode than some PCs.Pro users will quickly find these Macs are capable of pro level performance that matches or exceeds some of last years more expensive Mac models.Enterprises can be confident that these machines can be deployed across a wide array of situations and handle their tasks really well.And every Mac mini user will appreciate that there is enough processor oomph inside these devices that we will still be enjoying a great experience using them in three, four, five or more years time. As mentioned above, my M1 Mac mini has never missed its stride and is four years old.With its new and still unmistakably Apple Mac mini design the new model looks good, is whisper quiet, runs almost every application you might want to run, and demands hardly any desk space. If you need an Apple desktop or need to put an Apple system together at as low a price as possible, then the great thing about these Macs is you wont feel at all compromised these things shift!All in all, this is a triumph, an absolute accomplishment of the journey Apple set out on when the first ever Mac mini models appeared. I cant recommend it enough.You can follow me on social media! Join me onBlueSky, LinkedIn,Mastodon, andMeWe.

The US government has scaled back Intels preliminary CHIPS Act grant from $8.5 billion to under $8 billion, reflecting concerns over the companys delayed investments and financial woes, The New York Times reported. The funding was part of the governments effort to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing amid growing global competition.Intel, originally seen as the largest beneficiary of the CHIPS Act, has struggled to meet expectations following its biggest quarterly loss in its 56-year history. The cut coincides with a $3 billion military contract offered to Intel to produce chips for the Department of Defense, the report said citing sources who did not wish to be identified.In March 2024, the Biden administration and Intel signed a preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) for an $8.5 billion funding package. This support was part of Intels broader plan to invest over $100 billion in expanding its US manufacturing operations, including the construction of new chip facilities in Arizona, Ohio, Oregon, and New Mexico.The agreement also included up to $11 billion in additional loans from the US government, aimed at strengthening Intels position as a key player in the evolving AI-driven semiconductor landscape.The decision to reduce the grant underscores the challenges Intel faces as it attempts to reclaim technological leadership while fulfilling the US administrations vision of revitalizing domestic chip manufacturing.However, there is no clarity on the other terms and conditions of the reduced grant package.Investment delays and strategic setbacksThe funding reduction comes as Intel pushes back the timeline for completing its Ohio chip manufacturing project from 2025 to the end of the decade. The delay, coupled with persistent challenges in matching the technological advancements of rivals like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), has dampened confidence in the companys ability to deliver on its commitments.The delay in Intels investment is especially concerning given the current surge in demand for chips, driven by the rise of AI, said Rachita Rao, senior analyst at Everest Group. With AI transforming the industry, the existing IT infrastructure is becoming insufficient to handle its processing requirements.Intels difficulties come as the Biden administration seeks to reduce US reliance on Asian supply chains through the CHIPS Act, a $39 billion initiative aimed at boosting domestic chip production. In March, President Joe Biden highlighted Intels role in transforming the semiconductor industry during a high-profile visit to Arizona.However, Intels setbacks now present significant hurdles to achieving that vision, the report noted.Oversight and milestonesCommerce Department officials, tasked with ensuring accountability for CHIPS Act funding, have set stringent performance benchmarks, such as building plants, producing chips, and securing customer commitments for domestically made products.Intels struggles to meet these goals reportedly complicated its negotiations for the final grant terms, according to the report.Meanwhile, TSMC has secured a $6.6 billion grant under the program while committing over $65 billion of its own funds to US factory construction.Additionally, Intel is pursuing riskier strategies at a time when TSMC is focusing on a low-risk, high-production model that appears to be yielding strong results, Rao noted. Given Intels inability to effectively compete in the current market, the reduction in funding seems justified to some extent.This, certainly, is not a piece of good news for Intel which has been grappling with significant financial challenges at the moment. The company reported an 85% year-on-year decline in profits and announced plans to cut 15,000 jobs recently. Additionally, the financial downturn has prompted Intel to suspend dividend payments.The path ahead for US chip manufacturingThe Biden administration viewed the funding as a strategic initiative to lessen reliance on foreign semiconductor supply chains. The US has highlighted the programs success in driving factory construction, pointing out that the country will soon host facilities from all five of the worlds leading chipmakers.Intel is struggling to keep pace with its competitors, particularly TSMC, which dominates the market with its competitive pricing and significant market share, Rao said.Intels success is vital not just for the company, but for the broader US semiconductor ecosystem. As AI is poised to drive future demand for advanced chips, Intels manufacturing capabilities and technological innovations will be crucial in ensuring the US remains competitive in the global market.However, the reduction in Intels grant underscores the challenges of balancing federal investments with corporate accountability. A query to Intel remains unanswered.

The DOJ said that Google "rigged" ad auctions in a way that hurt the competition in its closing arguments at an antitrust trial, but it isn't clear how the US District Court Judge will rule.The DOJ has accused Google of being a monopoly in the advertising market.Google has been the subject of antitrust lawsuits since 2023, with the DOJ claiming that the company was an illegal monopoly in the search market. In August of 2024, the courts sided with the DOJ, but another lawsuit concerning the company's advertising technology followed shortly after.The Department of Justice provided its closing arguments in the latest case against Google on Monday. Its lawyer, Aaron Teitelbaum, claimed that Google had linked together its ad-related technologies in a way that stifled the growth of rival products, forcing publishers to rely on Google's systems for ad revenue. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

The Black Friday AirPods Pro deal discounts the 2nd Gen model with USB-C to $153.99, a $96 markdown and the lowest price on record.Get the lowest price ever on Apple AirPods Pro 2It's unclear how long the holiday promotion will last, as AirPods Pro 2 are a top seller each holiday season. And with the $153.99 price being the lowest on record, bargain hunters are likely to pick up a pair to replace an older model or as a gift for friends and family.Buy for $153.99 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

The Polish History Museum in Warsaw designed by the Polish architectural studio WXCA is recognised as the worlds finest new cultural sector investment:https://www.e-architect.com/poland/polish-history-museum-in-warsaw-building#PolishHistoryMuseum #Warsaw #PolishBuilding #architecture #Poland

In Britain, as our government has promised, were going to have a council housing revolution, the building of as yet unknown numbers of homes at genuinely affordable rents, a return to policies of 50 and more years ago in order to address the well-known housing crisis. Which is welcome. Luckily there are, close at hand, outstanding examples of how this might be done, in cities and countries on the continent of Europe.Moore points to Vienna, the city known for its ambitious development model for social housing, and Barcelona as two examples of what he says is a healthy "willingness to experiment" to be applied back home in the UK. The new Labour Party government has promised to usher in a "revolution" in council housing to deliver the up to 100,000 new homes needed per year to match current needs that have been made worse for years by bad policies and a lack of funding.The same set of issues are plaguing efforts back across the pond in New York City, where Moore's American counterpart Michael Kimmelman recently considered some "radical" alternatives being pursued as part of NYCHA's complicated new plans.

Proposed tariffs by the incoming Trump administration may increase the prices of many items at the store. But for architects and advocates working on more efficient and sustainable buildings, theres fear that tariffs could impact specific materials and machines that are key to their work. Higher costs from tariffs, some say, may slow down the pick up of these techniques of residential and commercial construction, and make such buildings more expensive and less attractive to build.Firms could be hard put to keep pace with the cost of procuring materials like mass timber and products such as heat pumps after the proposed blanket tariffs are enacted, explains FastCompany. This would add stress and uncertainty to the already lagging American building industry, which is considered behind Europe as far as efforts to increase efficiency standards are concerned. Domestic manufacturing would have to rise to the challenge or risk falling back into the wrong kind of "American Exceptionalism" that is both environmentally unproductive and at odds with a global consensus on building sustainability.

What does it take to design a home that fully embraces its breathtaking natural surroundings while maintaining the comforts of modern living?This question defines the ethos behind Cortina 10, the recipient of the Best in Show Award in the 2024 Best of LaCantina competition. Nestled in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, Cortina 10 by KA Designworks exemplifies how architecture can transcend mere shelter to become an experience one that is inseparably tied to its environment.This ski-in/ski-out residence not only offers access to the trails of Telluride Ski Resort but also maximizes views and airflow, capturing the essence of the mountains through a seamless indoor-outdoor design facilitated by LaCantinas folding doors.Perched on a steep lot surrounded by multiple 14,000-foot peaks, Cortina 10 leverages its unique position by embracing the topography and orienting the residence to highlight panoramic views. Entering the home is itself an experience in spatial design. Guests are invited through a glass aperture that frames the surrounding forest, immediately guiding their gaze upwards via a floating staircase with white oak treads and metal railings.This staircase leads to the great room, the homes centerpiece, where the architects have designed a viewing podium overlooking the space. This multi-functional living room, flooded with natural light and wrapped in glass, offers a nearly 180-degree vantage point over the mountainous landscape, making the interior feel like an extension of the outdoors.In such a setting, the transition from indoor to outdoor living becomes essential to the design. LaCantina bifold doors, measuring 14 feet wide and floor-to-ceiling in height, open the great room entirely onto an expansive deck, seamlessly merging the two spaces. This wraparound deck, equipped with comfortable seating, a fire pit, an outdoor kitchen, and a hot tub, acts as an elevated viewing platform, inviting residents and guests to savor the mountain air in all seasons.LaCantinas remarkable ability to open entire walls allows us to seamlessly merge indoor and outdoor spaces, inviting the beauty of nature right into the heart of the home, the KA Designworks team explains. This approach allows Cortina 10 to blur the line between architecture and landscape, offering an immersive experience where interior spaces flow effortlessly into the environment.KA Designworks design approach was about more than creating an appealing aesthetic; it was about elevating the experiential qualities of the space as well. In mountain environments where the terrain drops away from the site, creating an environment that feels connected to its surroundings can be challenging. Cortina 10 is perched on a steep lot, where the landscape feels distant and the connection to nature is limited, says the architectural team. In such a setting, transforming decks into vibrant outdoor living spaces becomes essential to the design ethos.By integrating LaCantinas folding doors, the architects ensured that outdoor areas could become true extensions of the home, accessible and usable regardless of the season. The doors, which open the main living area along multiple bays, enable fresh air and sunlight to pour in during the warmer months while closing securely to maintain thermal comfort in winter.KA Designworks selection of LaCantina doors went beyond functionality; it was also a choice driven by craftsmanship. The doors minimal threshold profile creates a seamless transition that enhances the feeling of connection to the outdoors.The folding doors fit snugly within a standard 26 wall, which not only streamlines the structure but also maintains clean, consistent exterior wall detailing. This level of precision, according to the architects, ensured a consistent and polished exterior wall detailing that enhanced the homes visual appeal.LaCantinas doors are also engineered to support the homes energy efficiency. These doors excel in thermal performance too, the architects emphasize. We were able to bask in those breathtaking views without compromising on energy efficiency or overall building performance.In a climate that demands durability and performance, the thermally-broken frames of the doors provide excellent insulation, preventing heat loss in winter while still allowing for expansive glass that maximizes views. This feature was critical to the success of Cortina 10, as it allowed the designers to prioritize both style and sustainability.On the lower level, the integration of LaCantina doors continues to support the homes connection to the landscape. A large family and game room opens onto a second deck that is directly adjacent to the ski trails, providing easy access to the slopes while offering an informal gathering space.This level also includes a ski locker area, a bunk room, and two en-suite bedrooms, each designed to offer guests an immediate connection to the outdoors. By utilizing LaCantinas customizable door systems, KA Designworks created openings that not only fit the specific needs of the space but also maintain a cohesive aesthetic throughout the residence.Ultimately, Cortina 10 stands as a testament to the power of thoughtful design and high-quality materials. Its not just about creating a space; its about crafting an experience that celebrates the interplay between architecture and nature, says the design team.The integration of LaCantina doors transformed this home from a structure nestled in the mountains to a dynamic living experience that invites the outdoors in. As occupants move gracefully between spaces, they experience a fluid connection to nature that transforms everyday living, making Cortina 10 an exemplary winner of the 2024 Best of LaCantina competition.To learn more about how LaCantina Doors can elevate your next project, click here.Photography by Dallas and Harris PhotographyThe post Mountain Masterpiece: KA Designworks Visionary Home Wins Best in Show in LaCantina Competition appeared first on Journal.

A new exhibition at the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) in Montreal showcases photography, travel diaries, and sketches from the archives of Arthur Erickson, one of Canadas most renowned 20th century architects.A new exhibition at the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) in Montreal showcases photography, travel diaries, and sketches from the archives of Arthur Erickson, one of Canadas most renowned 20th century architects. Being There: Photography in Arthur Ericksons Early Travel Diaries was curat...

Major changes are underway at Newark Liberty International Airport. Last month, renderings dropped for a revamped Terminal B. This month, visuals were shared of a 2.5-mile-long elevated rail structure that will replace the existing AirTrain Newark.This month, Port Authority shared new plans to build a 2.5-mile-long elevated rail structure, dotted by three new stations, that will replace the existing AirTrain Newark mass transit system. PANYNJ has selected Tutor Perini Corporation and O&G Industries to design the line and its accompanying stat...