Justin Carter, Contributing EditorDecember 13, 20242 Min ReadImage via Epic Games.At a GlanceEpic is working with service provider Telefnica to make Fortnite more accessible to British and Spanish players.Epic Games has teamed with telecommunications provider Telefnica to ensure its titular store and Fortnite both come preinstalled on Android phones. This "long-term partnership" applies to players under the Telefnica network in the UK, Germany, Spain, and Spanish-speaking territories of Latin America.In its announcement, Epic says the partnership "makes Fortnite and the Epic Games Store more accessible on millions of Telefnica Android devices. [...] This strategic alliance aims to provide a more competitive ecosystem for Android players, empowering them with a choice beyond the conventional app marketplaces."Telefnica operates in Europe and Latin America, and Epic said the provider was the first mobile carrier to implement direct carrier billing in the Epic Games Store. The two also previously teamed on an interactive music experience within Fortnite.Under the deal, players in those regions have easier access to Epic's storefront and battle royale, plus Rocket League and third-party games.Epic still wants a free app market to do what it wantsBoth Epic and CEO Tim Sweeney have repeatedly preached the dream of an open app marketplace for phones. The EGS and Fortnite are on (or will be) iOS in regions like Japan and the European Union, which he's called the first steps toward "eliminating the anticompetitive terms that Apple and Google impose on developers and consumers, so we can build a better store for everyone."As part of its years-long legal feud, Apple locked Epic's European developer account earlier this year to prevent Fortnite and the EGS from releasing on iOS in that region. The account was later reinstated, but not before Sweeney used the event to decry Apple for "[not] allowing true competition on iOS devices."Last year, Epic admitted it personally created an advocacy group with companies like Bandcamp and Spotify to help build its antitrust case against Apple. The two music streaming services were reportedly unaware of Epic's true intent at the time.According to Epic, it and Telefnica hope to bring "more benefits" to mobile players throughout 2025.Read more about:[Company] Epic GamesTop StoriesAbout the AuthorJustin CarterContributing Editor, GameDeveloper.comA Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.See more from Justin CarterDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

In a series of Threads posts this afternoon, Instagram head Adam Mosseri says users shouldnt trust images they see online because AI is clearly producing content thats easily mistaken for reality. Because of that, he says users should consider the source, and social platforms should help with that.Our role as internet platforms is to label content generated as AI as best we can, Mosseri writes, but he admits some content will be missed by those labels. Because of that, platforms must also provide context about who is sharing so users can decide how much to trust their content.Just as its good to remember that chatbots will confidently lie to you before you trust an AI-powered search engine, checking whether posted claims or images come from a reputable account can help you consider their veracity. At the moment, Metas platforms dont offer much of the sort of context Mosseri posted about today, although the company recently hinted at big coming changes to its content rules.What Mosseri describes sounds closer to user-led moderation like Community Notes on X and YouTube or Blueskys custom moderation filters. Whether Meta plans to introduce anything like those isnt known, but then again, it has been known to take pages from Blueskys book.

What if you could turn a PSP with a broken screen into a miniature PS2, connect a Bluetooth controller to it, and play PSP games on your TV? Thats the idea behind Retro Mod Works PS Placeable, a mod that consolizes the PSP and was featured yesterday in a video from the YouTube channel Macho Nacho Productions. Retro Mod Works charges $274.99 for a prebuilt PS Placeable. Those are waitlisted at the moment, though a message on the site says the project is a one man show and that the demand for the Placeable was higher than anticipated. Retro also offers to mod customer-provided PSPs for $100 less, and theres an option preorder DIY parts and do the conversion work yourself. The mod requires either a PSP-2000 or PSP-3000 revision, as the first PSP didnt have a video output. Its not clear when the DIY parts will ship weve asked Retro Mod Works and will update if we get a reply.A stack of PS Placeables. Image: Retro Mod WorksRelatedThe primary person behind the project, named Dan, told Macho Nacho host Tito Perez that he hated the idea of buying digital games for which he has physical copies, and wanted a way to add Bluetooth controller support while preserving the UMD drive. Hes also mentioned in replies on Reddit that his goal is to help people revive broken PSPs with the mod, which doesnt need the consoles screen.But buying one of these mod kits can be pricey or require skills most people dont have. If you just want to play PSP games on your TV and dont care about having a UMD drive, the PSP Go which lacked Sonys oddball optical drive but supported Bluetooth controllers and also had a way to output video is still pretty easy to come by.

Large Language Models (LLMs) have achieved remarkable advancements in natural language processing (NLP), enabling applications in text generation, summarization, and question-answering. However, their reliance on token-level processingpredicting one word at a timepresents challenges. This approach contrasts with human communication, which often operates at higher levels of abstraction, such as sentences or ideas.Token-level modeling also struggles with tasks requiring long-context understanding and may produce outputs with inconsistencies. Moreover, extending these models to multilingual and multimodal applications is computationally expensive and data-intensive. To address these issues, researchers at Meta AI have proposed a new approach: Large Concept Models (LCMs).Large Concept ModelsMeta AIs Large Concept Models (LCMs) represent a shift from traditional LLM architectures. LCMs bring two significant innovations:High-dimensional Embedding Space Modeling: Instead of operating on discrete tokens, LCMs perform computations in a high-dimensional embedding space. This space represents abstract units of meaning, referred to as concepts, which correspond to sentences or utterances. The embedding space, called SONAR, is designed to be language- and modality-agnostic, supporting over 200 languages and multiple modalities, including text and speech.Language- and Modality-agnostic Modeling: Unlike models tied to specific languages or modalities, LCMs process and generate content at a purely semantic level. This design allows seamless transitions across languages and modalities, enabling strong zero-shot generalization.At the core of LCMs are concept encoders and decoders that map input sentences into SONARs embedding space and decode embeddings back into natural language or other modalities. These components are frozen, ensuring modularity and ease of extension to new languages or modalities without retraining the entire model.Technical Details and Benefits of LCMsLCMs introduce several innovations to advance language modeling:Hierarchical Architecture: LCMs employ a hierarchical structure, mirroring human reasoning processes. This design improves coherence in long-form content and enables localized edits without disrupting broader context.Diffusion-based Generation: Diffusion models were identified as the most effective design for LCMs. These models predict the next SONAR embedding based on preceding embeddings. Two architectures were explored:One-Tower: A single Transformer decoder handles both context encoding and denoising.Two-Tower: Separates context encoding and denoising, with dedicated components for each task.Scalability and Efficiency: Concept-level modeling reduces sequence length compared to token-level processing, addressing the quadratic complexity of standard Transformers and enabling more efficient handling of long contexts.Zero-shot Generalization: LCMs exhibit strong zero-shot generalization, performing well on unseen languages and modalities by leveraging SONARs extensive multilingual and multimodal support.Search and Stopping Criteria: A search algorithm with a stopping criterion based on distance to an end of document concept ensures coherent and complete generation without requiring fine-tuning.Insights from Experimental ResultsMeta AIs experiments highlight the potential of LCMs. A diffusion-based Two-Tower LCM scaled to 7 billion parameters demonstrated competitive performance in tasks like summarization. Key results include:Multilingual Summarization: LCMs outperformed baseline models in zero-shot summarization across multiple languages, showcasing their adaptability.Summary Expansion Task: This novel evaluation task demonstrated the capability of LCMs to generate expanded summaries with coherence and consistency.Efficiency and Accuracy: LCMs processed shorter sequences more efficiently than token-based models while maintaining accuracy. Metrics such as mutual information and contrastive accuracy showed significant improvement, as detailed in the studys results.ConclusionMeta AIs Large Concept Models present a promising alternative to traditional token-based language models. By leveraging high-dimensional concept embeddings and modality-agnostic processing, LCMs address key limitations of existing approaches. Their hierarchical architecture enhances coherence and efficiency, while their strong zero-shot generalization expands their applicability to diverse languages and modalities. As research into this architecture continues, LCMs have the potential to redefine the capabilities of language models, offering a more scalable and adaptable approach to AI-driven communication.Check out the Paper and GitHub Page. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also,dont forget to follow us onTwitter and join ourTelegram Channel andLinkedIn Group. Dont Forget to join our60k+ ML SubReddit. Asif RazzaqAsif Razzaq is the CEO of Marktechpost Media Inc.. As a visionary entrepreneur and engineer, Asif is committed to harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence for social good. His most recent endeavor is the launch of an Artificial Intelligence Media Platform, Marktechpost, which stands out for its in-depth coverage of machine learning and deep learning news that is both technically sound and easily understandable by a wide audience. The platform boasts of over 2 million monthly views, illustrating its popularity among audiences. [Download] Evaluation of Large Language Model Vulnerabilities Report (Promoted)

LatestMachine LearningMulti-Agent Collaboration: The Future of Problem Solving with GenAI. 0 like December 15, 2024Share this postAuthor(s): Shivam Mohan Originally published on Towards AI. This member-only story is on us. Upgrade to access all of Medium.The field of artificial intelligence (AI) has witnessed extraordinary advancements in recent years, ranging from natural language processing breakthroughs to the development of sophisticated robotics. Among these innovations, multi-agent systems (MAS) have emerged as a transformative approach for solving problems that single agents struggle to address. Multi-agent collaboration harnesses the power of interactions between autonomous entities, or agents, to achieve shared or individual objectives. In this article, we explore one specific and impactful technique within multi-agent collaboration: role-based collaboration enhanced by prompt engineering. This approach has proven particularly effective in practical applications, such as developing a software application.One compelling approach to multi-agent collaboration is assigning different roles to agents, enabling them to specialize and work together to achieve a shared objective. Think of this as assembling a dream team where each member has a unique skill set. In software development, for example, creating a coding application using multi-agent collaboration might involve agents taking on roles like a planner, coder, tester, and debugger. By dividing responsibilities, the agents can efficiently tackle the problem in parallel while ensuring quality and coherence.Imagine we want to build a simple calculator application using a Read the full blog for free on Medium.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 AITowards AI - Medium Share this post

LatestMachine LearningMulti-Agent Collaboration: The Future of Problem Solving with GenAI. 0 like December 15, 2024Share this postLast Updated on December 15, 2024 by Editorial TeamAuthor(s): Shivam Mohan Originally published on Towards AI. This member-only story is on us. Upgrade to access all of Medium.The field of artificial intelligence (AI) has witnessed extraordinary advancements in recent years, ranging from natural language processing breakthroughs to the development of sophisticated robotics. Among these innovations, multi-agent systems (MAS) have emerged as a transformative approach for solving problems that single agents struggle to address. Multi-agent collaboration harnesses the power of interactions between autonomous entities, or agents, to achieve shared or individual objectives. In this article, we explore one specific and impactful technique within multi-agent collaboration: role-based collaboration enhanced by prompt engineering. This approach has proven particularly effective in practical applications, such as developing a software application.One compelling approach to multi-agent collaboration is assigning different roles to agents, enabling them to specialize and work together to achieve a shared objective. Think of this as assembling a dream team where each member has a unique skill set. In software development, for example, creating a coding application using multi-agent collaboration might involve agents taking on roles like a planner, coder, tester, and debugger. By dividing responsibilities, the agents can efficiently tackle the problem in parallel while ensuring quality and coherence.Imagine we want to build a simple calculator application using a Read the full blog for free on Medium.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 AITowards AI - Medium Share this post

The weekend is officially here, and we've rounded up the best deals you can find! Discover the best deals for Sunday, December 15, below:LEGO Horizon Adventures for $39.99LEGO Horizon Adventures - Nintendo SwitchLEGO Horizon Adventures PS5Lego Horizon Adventures is the latest game in the Horizon series, and it marks the first time a Horizon game has been playable on Nintendo Switch. In our review, we wrote, "Lego Horizon Adventures reimagines Horizon Zero Dawn with a playful Lego twist, simplifying the story while keeping the heart of its key moments and characters."Cowboy Bebop - The Complete Series for $17.99Cowboy Bebop: The Complete Series [Blu-ray]Cowboy Bebop is one of the best anime series ever. Following the adventures of Spike, Jet, Faye, Ed, and Ein, this series is one any anime fan needs to see at least once. We have the series ranked as the #2 best anime of all time, writing "Cowboy Bebop has had an indelible impact that reaches far beyond anime; everyone from Orson Scott Card to Rian Johnson to Robin Williams have praised the series and cited its influence on their work."Alan Wake II for $59.99Alan Wake 2 Deluxe EditionAlan Wake II never received a physical release at launch last year, but Remedy has fixed that as of last month with the Alan Wake II Deluxe Edition. This release bundles in Alan Wake II and its two expansions, Night Springs and The Lake House. If you're a fan of survival horror, this is one of the best games available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.Astro Bot for $49.97Astro Bot PS5Selected as Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2024, Astro Bot is on sale this weekend, and there has never been a better time to pick up one of the PlayStation 5's best games. Building off Astro's Playroom, Astro Bot features many new abilities and bosses to fight, with over 300 bots to rescue across the galaxy. You'll find planets modeled after beloved PlayStation games like Ape Escape and Uncharted, and even surprise third-party bots like Leon S. Kennedy from Resident Evil 2. Super Mario RPG for $29.99Super Mario RPG - Nintendo SwitchThis weekend, you can save $30 off Super Mario RPG, the Nintendo Switch remake of the SNES title. The beloved game returns with a fresh coat of paint and the combat we all love, with even Yoko Shimomura returning to compose a remade soundtrack! Super Mario RPG is incredibly beginner-friendly, so you don't need to have any RPG experience to dive right in and enjoy this classic.Save on ROG Ally at Best Buy$449.99 for My Best Buy Plus MembersAsus ROG Ally AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme 512GB Gaming HandheldThis weekend at Best Buy, you can save on the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme model, where it's priced at $499.99. This handheld device is perfect for exploring your Steam library on the go, with PC Game Pass support also easily accessible. If you're planning to travel anytime soon, the ROG Ally will be your best friend.Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven for $39.99Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the SevenRomancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is arguably the best entry point into the SaGa series at this time. Acting as a full 3D remake of the 1993 release, this game features English and Japanese voiceovers, rearranged music, retooled gameplay, and more. If you're still unsure about Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, you can check out the free demo across all platforms! Stellar Blade for $49.99PS5Stellar BladeYou can grab Stellar Blade for just $50 this weekend. This action game from Shift Up has been one of the most popular games of the year. Just a few weeks ago, new Nier: Automata DLC was released, which included new outfits inspired by A2, 2B, and Emil. In our 7/10 review, we stated "Stellar Blade stands out as a gorgeous and well-crafted action game with very impressive strengths and very clear weaknesses."Ace Attorney Investigations Collection for $29.99Ace Attorney Investigations Collection - NIntendo SwitchAce Attorney Investigations Collection brought both Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutors Gambit in one package, with Prosecutor's Gambit releasing in English for the very first time. This release features updated visuals, new animations, gallery mode, conversation history, and more. You can even switch between the old and new sprites!Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics for $39.99Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics - Nintendo SwitchMarvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics - PlayStation 4Finally, you can score Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics for only $39.99 this weekend at Amazon. This collection packs in seven different titles, including the beloved Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes. At last, you can play these classic titles on modern platforms.

Warning: contains spoilers for The Mirror and the Light finale.Cromwell kept his composure and shrewdness until the last. Moments from his death, this master of government mastered himself to deliver a final speech the real meaning of which was a secret shared between him and us. Only we could see Wolsey in that scaffold crowd, and so only we understood that when Cromwell prayed heartily aloud for his masters forgiveness, he didnt mean Henry. Stripped of his titles, freedom and life, Cromwell ensured that his last words at least belonged to him and to Wolsey the only man he would ever call father.It was elegantly done, as was the death scene. Instead of seeing the axe fall, or hearing it connect while the horror played out across anonymous faces in the crowd, we heard the sound of a bee buzzing and were transported with Cromwell to Launde Abbey, his little heaven here on Earth. Its the place he told his daughter Jenneke that he wanted to retire when all his work is done, and where hed once imagined her waiting for him in the doorway. She wasnt waiting there in this version of the scene, presumably because this wasnt Cromwells imagination but his final reward.Was all Cromwells work done? Not by half, but his Reformation had lasting effect even during the post-Henry chop-and-change. Wouldnt you know, the former Lord Chancellor was dead right in that soothsaying speech to the vultures at the Tower of London after he was gone, the kings invasions of France and Scotland did drain the countrys coffers. Then, seven short years after Cromwell was killed, Henry died too.On the basis of this drama, good bloody riddance. On the basis of this drama, he should have been the last one ever crowned. Rulers who believe themselves to be Gods envoy on Earth, and who think their every magical wish deserves to be granted are dangerous entities, then and now. It leads to this lives being taken as casually as a sulking child flicks chess pieces off the board in a losing game.What was behind Henry wanting to hear Cromwells letter read aloud a second time? Not his conscience, but his vanity. The pleas for mercy were passed over in favour of a line about Henry living ever-young an idea that clearly appealed to him. However many magic rings Cromwell was rumoured to wear on his hand, he didnt have the power to turn this ageing, impotent, sclerotic king back into a robust roaring boy, which to Henry, was unforgivable. Oh well, Henry, perhaps marrying a teenager will help? No? Shame.Cromwells fate was sealed long before his arrest when Henrys ego was stung by his introduction to Anna of Cleves, or further back during Gardiner and Norfolks horse trading with the French. There was certainly no hope in what he interpreted as hopeful signs. Still, he went down fighting. That glorious 18-minute interrogation scene (eat your heart out, Line of Duty) of him facing his accusers and verbally delivering jabs, crosses and uppercuts to their every allegation was wonderful to watch. ( I cannot always wait for the slow grindings of your brain, my lord is going straight into my email signature) or it would have been if we could have shared his confidence that he still had a future to fight for.Read more Cromwell dominated his attackers, ably defending himself from accusations both ludicrous (the purple doublet, the enchanted ring, the receipt of a pair of gloves) and legitimate (the promise to Catherine, telling Call-Me hed take arms against the king, not succeeding in killing Pole). He missed no chance to threaten, undermine or twist the knife, and as a result, Call-Me looked as though he would vomit at any moment, while Richard Riche shrank to an ant faced with his terrifying former master bellowing LOOK AT ME mid-defence. If thered been a jury, Cromwell would have walked free, with a fat purse for damages.Alas, there was no jury because the verdict had already been decided. Cromwell only realised that when Rafe told him that his London home of Austin Friars was being dissolved, and as a result he was a different man in round two drained and defeated. The shift in tone even forced Norfolk to do something other than hold his nose at Cromwell and call him a plebby poo-pants (this hasnt been one of Timothy Spalls more nuanced performances), when he came out with that strikingly insightful point about Henry seeing them all as merely his hunting dogs. Gardiner too, dropped the schadenfreude for a second and feared for his own safety like a human being instead of a hissing snake.Even condemned, Cromwell still organised and instructed. Son Gregory and nephew Richard were to repudiate him to save themselves. A bruised and bloody Christophe was told not to fight. He even had words of encouragement for his executioner, from one axe-man to another. If dying bravely was his goal, then he achieved it.Crucially, Cromwell didnt die alone. As the birds sang on the morning of his execution, Wolsey returned and granted Thomas the mercy hed been refused by the king. Or perhaps Thomas conscience granted it to himself, depending on how you see the Cardinals apparitions. Either way, the accusation of betrayal that had undone him more than any allegation of treason against the king, was soothed. Well, I dare say daughters sometimes get things wrong, offered Wolsey.Perhaps that was the Light in this moribund episode. Since Dorotheas accusation, Cromwell has been his own painful Mirror reflecting on the man he is and the man he was. His conscience has been pricked by his past, hence those recurring night terrors. Now, hes made right with Wolseys ghost, and given the many parallels between his death and that of Anne Boleyn, maybe with his own life, hes paid his debt there too. The nightmares are over. Its his time to walk in the sweet, quiet air.All episodes of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light are available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.

Like any expression of style or aesthetic sensibility, interior design trends come and go. Right now we're in the grips of Gen Z's obsession with putting bows on everything; next year it will be something else. The trouble is that some of these trends don't go as fast as they came.We all have some skeletons in our wardrobe that remind us of the clothing fads we never should have indulged inand if you are an interior design professional, and you've been at it long enough, some of those skeletons are bound to show up in your living room too. So we asked six brave designers to tell us the design trends they look back on with regret. They stepped up and revealed what makes them cringealong with the styles and pieces that are so timeless, they never go out of style. Related StoriesFurniture Trends Designer Regret Taking Part InHead to Toe Midcentury Modernonurdongel//Getty Images Before you get miffed that midcentury modern furniture is on this list of regrets, just know that the two designers who said this both recognize that the MCM aesthetic has its placeas long as there are other elements mixed in. "About a decade ago, the resurgence of MCM design was everywhere, and for our generation, it felt somewhat nostalgic as we grew up with our grandparents' homes being MCM time capsules," Mark Schubert of Phillip Harrison Interiors says. However, the design market was oversaturated by the look. Vintage pieces were everywhere and then the aesthetic turned up in new collections by high-end and fast-furniture companies alike.Designer Allison Handler agrees. "As my style and aesthetic has evolved, I really cringe at going all in on this style/trend a few years back." However, she says that she'd still include midcentury modern pieces as long as she was able to mix in other design styles and transitional pieces, like warmer fabrics and textures, to soften the lines. Related StoryChevron-Patterned UpholsteryDaniel Cortez//Getty ImagesAnyone alive and coherent in the 2000s likely had a very close relationship with the chevron trend. Designer Amy Elbaum of AE Design sure remembers it. "Looking back on the trend, I completely regret the style because chevron is such a bold pattern and usually includes high-contrast colors that make this type of fabric tire very quickly over time due to its intensity," she explains. She also points out that chevron fabric doesn't easily transition into other design styles because it's such a modern and dominant pattern. Ikat FabricDaniel Cortez//Getty ImagesMikel Welch says that a trend he "dove into with full enthusiasm was Ikat fabric." No vintage piece he found was safe from reupholstery in this bold, intricate fabric. "Today, I cant help but cringe when I see photos of that phasethose loud, busy designs dont resonate with me anymore," he adds. With his more minimalist approach today, the Ikat material simply feels too chaotic and less sophisticated than his preferred aesthetic now. Buddha-inspired FurnitureCavan Images//Getty ImagesWelch adds that another trend he got swept up in early in his design career was Buddha-inspired furniture, including a red Buddha chair he used in a model home project. "Back then, I thought it was a cool, artistic statement, but I didnt fully understand the cultural weight behind it," he explains. "Reflecting on it now, I realize how shallow that choice was, and I cant help but laugh at how misguided it was." Welch parting ways with that project, which he recognizes was probably for the best. "It was a design choice that lacked depth and respect, and Ive learned so much from that experience." Cheap Chrome PiecesKwanchai_Khammuean//Getty ImagesDesigner Ali Budd looks back with regret on the phase in which she used low-quality chrome pieces in clients' homes. Rather than the general price of the items though, what bothers her the most now is the fact that they were typically knock-off versions of iconic furniture. "Its not about trendsits about integrity," she says. Over-the-Top Glam FurnitureVostok//Getty ImagesExcessively glam furniture pieces have fallen out of favor with designer Kristy Turner of Melanie Turner Interiors. "It used to be the go-to for adding instant luxury, but now it feels a bit dated and heavy-handed," she says. The over-the-top shine and ornamentation isn't in style anymorepeople are generally turning to more understated elegance instead, with sleek lines, natural materials, and a timeless vibe. Jewel-Toned Velvet SofasDaniel Cortez//Getty ImagesIt may be a bit controversial, but designer Alicia Held-Morris of Morris Lare Interior Design says that these once-beloved couches have not stood the test of time. "We love a good jewel-tone moment in the right interior, but not all velvets are created equal," she explains. "Some velvets, particularly cotton, crush easily, show wear rapidly, and dont hide any stains." Those issues combined with a rich tone shows every little bit of wear and tear. Button-Tufted Chesterfield SeatsBulgac//Getty ImagesWhile Held-Morris agrees that the Chesterfield sofa is beautiful and classic, the button-tufted versions are frankly a mess. "The button areas can get snagged easily, catch every little bit of dirt and dust, and arent that comfortable to sit on," she says. Rather than the button-tufted backs, she suggests a cushion instead, or putting a button-tufted version in a place that doesn't get a lot of traffic, like an entry hall or at the foot of a bed. And now for the pieces that will never go out of style:Natural MaterialsPatrick BillerBy Allison Willson.Mikel Welch calls out slipcovered sofas in natural fabrics, like linen, for their timelessness. "These pieces not only age well, but also add a sense of comfort and effortless elegance to any room," he says. Weathered WoodJulie SoeferBy Marie Flanigan.Wooden furniture with a natural patina are also on Welch's list of pieces that'll always be in style. As the wood ages, the furniture gains more character and charm, "making them just as relevant today as they were years ago," he adds. Neutral HuesAime MazzengaBy Wendy Labrum.Looking at the color wheel, Amy Elbaum explains that neutral tones and fabrics remain in style more consistently than other more saturated hues. "Having these kinds of pieces means you can evolve your aesthetic over time by changing out accessories, rugs, pillows, and art," she says. Neutral fabrics and color schemes can stand the tests of time better than brighter pieces. Quality antiquesMali Azima"There's something timeless about the craftsmanship and character they bring to a space," says Kristy Turner. From weathered wood to an authentic design, the history and charm of a vintage piece blend effortlessly with many types of contemporary decor. Related StoryHans Wegner Dining ChairsDesign Within Reach"These midcentury chairs are timeless not only for their beauty, but for their comfort," says Alicia Held-Morris. Hans Wegner's designs are simple yet sculptural wooden forms that are "engineering marvels," she says. They're practical, stylish, and comfortableis there anything more timeless than that? Follow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok.

With Apple Intelligence requiring an M1 chip or newer, its never been a better time to buy your first MacBook, or upgrade an older MacBook youre still holding on to. MacBooks are more affordable than ever in the Apple Silicon era, with the cheapest options starting below $700. Holiday deals make it a better time than ever to buy a new MacBook without blowing your bank account.M1 MacBook AirApple has launched 3 MacBook Airs since entering the Apple Silicon era, with the M1, M2, and M3 chips. The M1 MacBook Air still utilizes a more familiar wedge design from the Intel era, although a lot of users might prefer that.The M1 MacBook Air, despite being four years old, remains an excellent laptop for its price. It boasts blazing fast performance thanks to the M1 chip, a stunning retina display (though with thicker bezels compared to the newer MacBook Airs), a great keyboard, up to 18 hours of battery life, and it doesnt sound like an airplane thats about to take off when you open it in public.Since the M1 MacBook Air is the oldest on this list, its also the cheapest. One caveat with the M1 MacBook Air is that its harder to find new ones with more than 256GB of storage, so if you need a lot of storage, youll have to buy a newer Air. On the bright side, it does remain to be the only Apple Silicon MacBook to come in a proper Gold color.You can buy the M1 MacBook Air for as low as $649 at Walmart in all 3 colors: Silver, Space Gray, and Gold.13-inch MacBook Air (M1) with 256GB of storage, 8GB of memory: $649 at WalmartM2 MacBook AirIn 2022, Apple introduced the redesigned MacBook Air with a thinner design, a bigger display with slimmer bezels, and reintroduced MagSafe. It also came in new Starlight and Midnight colors in addition to Silver and Space Gray, although Gold was no longer. If youre looking for a modern MacBook but also want to save money, this will be your best bet. Since its not the latest model anymore, it goes on sale quite frequently. Other than it being a little slower than the M3 models, its practically the latest and greatest. They can also come with double the RAM now, with 16GB of unified memory.Theres good deals for the M2 MacBook Air, starting at $749 with 256GB of storage and 8GB of Unified Memory from varying retailers up to $250 off! Models with 16GB are starting at $799.13-inch MacBook Air with 256GB of storage, 8GB of memory: $749 at Best Buy13-inch MacBook Air with 256GB of storage, 16GB of memory: $799 at Best Buy, $799 at AmazonM3 MacBook AirApple refreshed the MacBook Air earlier this year with the M3 chip, and this remains the latest model. It features the same design as the prior MacBook Air, just faster. It wont see an M4 refresh until sometime next year, although there are still some nice deals to look at here if you want the latest chipset. Right now, you can secure up to $250 off, and there are configurations available with 512GB of storage. There are also deals available on the 15-inch version of the M3 MacBook Air.13-inch models with M3 chip:13-inch MacBook Air with 256GB of storage, 16GB of memory: $899 at Amazon (requires on page coupon)13-inch MacBook Air with 512GB of storage, 16GB of memory: $1099 at Amazon (requires on page coupon)13-inch MacBook Air with 512GB of storage, 24GB of memory: $1299 at Amazon (requires on page coupon)15-inch models with M3 chip:15-inch MacBook Air with 256GB of storage, 16GB of memory: $1099 at Amazon (requires on page coupon)15-inch MacBook Air with 512GB of storage, 16GB of memory: $1299 at Amazon (requires on page coupon)15-inch MacBook Air with 512GB of storage, 24GB of memory: $1499 at Amazon (requires on page coupon)14-inch MacBook ProApple redesigned the MacBook Pro in 2021 with a brand new 14-inch miniLED display with ProMotion, more ports (most notably an HDMI port and SD card reader), as well as bigger batteries and better thermals. It also gained a 1080p webcam for the first time. Although the 14-inch MacBook Pro isnt as affordable as the other MacBooks listed, if you want that amazing display and the extra ports, there are still some good deals to find.Theres two key versions of the 14-inch MacBook Pro that well be highlighting, one with the M3 chipset, and the other with the M4 family of chips.The baseline M3 model starts with 8GB of memory, and lacks an extra USB-C port on the right side. While this is a decent compromise, its the cheapest way of getting Apples incredible miniLED display on a laptop.M4 models all start with at least 16GB of memory, and come with the full array of ports. They also feature a 12MP ultra wide camera for Center Stage, making FaceTime calls a lot more fun.Since the M3 model is no longer the latest and greatest, there are some good deals to be found, with up to $300 in savings available. There are also some nice discounts available on new M4 models already.M3 chip models:M3 MacBook Pro with 1TB of storage, 8GB of memory: $1299 at Best BuyM3 MacBook Pro with 1TB of storage, 16GB of memory: $1499 at Best BuyM4 chip models:M4 MacBook Pro with 512GB of storage, 16GB of memory: $1499 at Best BuyM4 MacBook Pro with 1TB of storage, 16GB of memory: $1649 at AmazonM4 Pro MacBook Pro with 512GB of storage, 24GB of memory: $1799 at Best Buy, $1799 at AmazonWhile this isnt a focus of the piece, if youre interested in a 16-inch MacBook Pro, Best Buy has a nice clearance deal on M3 Pro models, starting at $1999.Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Bluesky,InstagramAdd 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. 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