Fortnite is back on mobile: For the past four years, the massively popular battle royal game has been nowhere to be found on iPhone and Android. If you wanted to play Fortnite, you mostly needed to look elsewhere to get your fix. Starting today, however, the game has made its return to smartphones and tabletsat least, for some of us.If you have an Android device, you can play Fortnite without issue. If you have an iOS device, however, things are a bit more complicated: Those of us with an iPhone or iPad in the EU will have access to the game, but for the rest of the global iOS community, the Fortnite ban is still very much in effect. Epic Games is its own app store nowThat's because Fortnite isn't appearing on the iOS App Store or Android's Play Store. Instead, the game's developer, Epic Games, is offering Fortnite through its own app store, Epic Games Store, which is launching today, as well as the independent iOS app store AltStore PAL. The Epic Games Store, and, thus, Fortnite, are available on Android devices around the world, but both Epic's store and AltStore PAL are only offered in the EU for iOS. If Apple had its way, EU users wouldn't have access to these stores either. The whole saga ties back to EU crackdowns on Apple's closed business practices. The European Commission decided Apple had to open up specific aspects of its ecosystem, including allowing third-party developers to create their own web browsers (rather than build theirs based on Safari's WebKit platform), and giving developers access to the iPhone's NFC capabilities. Part of that decision, however, forced Apple to allow developers to create and operate their own app stores on iOS: Starting with iOS 17.4, stores like AltStore PAL have been able to sell apps to EU users without going through Apple's App Store. Now, Epic is taking advantage of the same policy to offer games like Fortnite to European customers.Why the delay, considering this policy went into effect in March? Apple pushed back against Epic: The company terminated Epic's developer account in March, claiming Epic was not operating in good faith. After some back and forth, however, Epic was able to get its account back.It's not overly surprising, considering Apple is not a fan of Epic (and neither is Google for that matter). It's the reason Fortnite isn't on their app stores to begin with. Back in 2020, Apple and Google both barred Epic from hosting the game on their respective platforms when Epic decided to skirt in-app purchase rules. Apple and Google require developers like Epic to give them a 30% cut of all purchases made through their apps. It's steep, and Epic didn't like it, so the company tried to get users to pay them directly outside of both app stores' rules. Epic did sue Apple, and lost on every count except one: The court found that Apple should not be allowed to block customers from paying developers directly, so now the company has to offer a way for developers to advertise these external payment options. It's a good thing, too: Because of that 30% fee, in-app purchases are often more expensive than the same content offered outside the platform.In any case, Fortnite (as well as other Epic games like Fall Guys) is now available on all Android devices, and EU iPhones, via the Epic Games Store.How to get Fortnite on AndroidWhether you live in the EU or not, you can play Fortnite on your Android phone starting today. It's not as straightforward as downloading a normal app, however, which is why Epic has a tutorial on how to download both its app store, as well as Fortnite, on your Android device:Head to the Epic Games Store download page, and download the store on your phone. If you see a pop-up warning you about the safety of the app, tap Download anyway. (Epic says this is a standard Android message, and that their app store is safe.)Once the file is downloaded, tap Open.If your phone says you can't download an app from this source, tap Settings on the pop-up, then enable the toggle for Allow from this source.When prompted to download the Epic Games Store, tap Install.Once finished, tap Open.Try to download Fortnite from the store. You'll see a similar pop-up from step 4, so tap Settings, and tap the toggle for Allow from this source.Tap Install on the Fortnite pop-up, and you're done. How to get Fortnite on iPhone (EU only)Again, to play Fortnite on iPhone, you need to live in the European Union. If you don't, the following steps will not work. Just as with the Android instructions, getting Fortnite on your iPhone isn't obvious, so Epic has a video to walk users through installation:Head to the Epic Games Store download page, and attempt to download the store on your phone. Your iPhone will let you know your settings don't allow you to install apps like this from the web. Tap OK, then head to Settings.Tap Allow Apps From "Epic Games Inc." at the top of the page, then tap Allow on the pop-up.Go back to Safari, tap Install, then tap Install App Marketplace.Open the newly downloaded Epic Games Store, look for Fortnite, then install it. Tap Install App on the pop-up, and you're done.

Texas Instruments is the latest recipient of CHIPS Act funds. The 2022 law, signed by President Biden to boost domestic silicon production in the face of increasing Chinese chip imports, will award TI $1.6 billion in grants. The company will also receive $3 billion in loans and tax credits that could amount to $6 to $8 billion.The effort is expected to create over 2,000 US manufacturing jobs at Texas Instruments new plants and thousands of indirect jobs for construction, suppliers and supporting industries. TI says it expects to receive another $10 million to fund workforce development.TIs grant money will go towards three chip fabs already under construction in Texas and Utah. The plants will produce 300mm silicon wafer chips under the bills $2 billion minimum set aside for legacy chips. The CHIPS Act primarily focuses on cutting-edge silicon, like those increasingly used for AI. TIs production will go towards less advanced processors for things like smartphones, appliances and national defense. GlobalFoundries was awarded $1.5 billion for legacy silicon production in February. With Fridays awarding of funds for TI, the government has now met its minimum quota for legacy chips.Bloomberg notes that China has recently boosted its investments in legacy chips. Along with creating US jobs, the CHIPS Act was designed to curtail Chinas influence as silicon becomes more of an essential global resource. Other recipients include Intel ($8.5 billion), TSMC ($6.6 billion) and Samsung ($6.4 billion).Texas Instruments said it will spend around $40 billion in Utah and Texas, including two more factories in Sherman, TX. However, those arent expected to be operational until after 2030. For the CHIPS Act, the Commerce Department prioritizes projects that can be completed by the decades end, leaving those delayed plants without federal funding.The $280 billion CHIPS Act passed in 2022 with 64 votes in the Senate and 243 in the House. The bill included $39 billion in subsidies for domestic chip manufacturing, 25 percent tax credits for manufacturing costs and $13 billion for workforce training.After the bill passed in 2022, Biden said it would strengthen our national security by making us less dependent on foreign sources of semiconductors. He noted that it included guardrails to ensure that companies receiving tax payer dollars invest in America and that union workers are building new manufacturing plants across the country.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/texas-instruments-awarded-16-billion-in-chips-act-funding-for-domestic-silicon-production-180039388.html?src=rss

Looking for NYT Connections answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, plus my commentary on the puzzles.

Huawei is reportedly planning to introduce a new AI chip which it claimed is on par with Nvidia's H100.

Most Americans will remember 2020 as the year when the pandemic changed everything. But for Lake Charles, Louisiana, and its neighbors along the Gulf Coast, it was also the year of record-setting disasters, when once-in-a-lifetime storms hit in such rapid succession that their impacts blurred together.A recent National Academies consensus study I worked on looked into the compounding disasters that the region facedboth physical and socioeconomicas storm after storm arrived during the pandemic with little time for recovery.It concludes that Lake Charless experiences could be a harbinger of whats to come in a warming world unless the nation fundamentally rethinks its disaster preparedness, response, and recovery strategies.Lake Charless compounding disastersHurricane Laura made landfall near Lake Charles on August 27, 2020, as a powerful Category 4 storm, with wind speeds exceeding those that local building codes were designed to protect against. The ongoing pandemic made filing FEMA assistance requests and insurance claims more difficult. Assessors could view properties only from afar; on-site application assistance was suspended, forcing residents into untested online systems.As the community struggled to self-document its losses, Lake Charles was struck again five weeks later by Hurricane Delta. The storm lashed already crippled buildings and sent debris flying, causing further damage and creating complex claims scenarios.A house with no roof in Lake Charles [Photo: Wikipedia]It was nearly impossible to differentiate new damage from existing damage worsened by the latest storm. Delayed recovery assistance left municipalities with no funds to pay for more debris removal.Then, February 2021 brought a deep freeze to still-unrepaired homes, bursting pipes and adding more water damage from within. Tarps protecting damaged roofs frayed, allowing even more water in from above. Debris continued to mount along the streets.When record rainfall arrived in May 2021, debris-clogged stormwater systems were overwhelmed. Floodwaters inundated properties, pushing yet another round of losses into an already overwhelmed claims and assistance system. Uninsured losses mounted as flooding reached areas not expected to flood under normal circumstances and thus not required to carry flood insurance.This is what a compounding disaster looks like. The growing economic toll left many homes unrepaired. Damaged rental properties were quickly absorbed by buyout programs or flipped in suddenly lucrative housing markets. Housing recovery in Lake Charles lags to this day.Members of the Louisiana National Guard assessing storm damage in Lake Charles [Photo: Wikipedia]What happened in Lake Charles in 2020-21 illustrates an important truth: Compounding disasters are avoided only by reducing the recovery time after each storm.Thats a challenging prospect with storms striking more frequently due to climate change. As the study teams resident engineer, I believe it will require prioritizing housing resilience, creating more flexible assistance systems, and building adaptive capacity that can contend with novel storm scenarios.1. Build resilient homesThe best way to reduce recovery time is to eliminate the need to recover at all. That begins with building homes that are able to withstand extreme storms.Unlike other critical infrastructure that is strictly regulated, most housing is governed by the private decisions of property owners who receive very little information regarding the vulnerability of their homes. It is thus unsurprising that they do not realize how breaches of a window or garage door could propagate to destroy their home.Worse yet, aging existing properties are not required to comply with the latest building codes, making the nations aging housing inventory particularly vulnerable to compounding disasters.States could adopt and enforce enhanced construction standards, but political will is lacking in many Gulf Coast states. Beyond developer concerns over rising construction costs, code reform can become politicized.One example is Alabama, which does not enforce a statewide building code. Jurisdictions in Mobile and Baldwin counties elected to enforce the Coastal Construction Code Supplement, created after hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Katrina (2005) to strengthen houses beyond typical code minimums. This, along with the Strengthen Alabama Homes grant program, led to more homes being built to a higher standard along the Alabama coast. Many of those homes were unscathed when Hurricane Sally hit in 2020.These local programs offer a template that can be replicated in states such as Louisiana, which is similarly emphasizing resilient affordable housing as part of its build-back-better strategy.2. Recognize that one size no longer fits allHousing recovery in Lake Charles was particularly impeded by the rigidity of the nations current disaster assistance apparatus, which views each disaster as a discrete event, managed by a standardized and at times restrictive process. That resulted in significant delays and denials of assistance during the compounding disasters of 2020 and 2021.In sharp contrast, pandemic relief funds arrived in these communities in the same time period with few restrictions, giving municipalities the flexibility to address acute needs and even bolster long-term resilience. Communities used the funds to provide emergency rental and utility assistance, harden vulnerable infrastructure, and improve flood management capacity.The 2020-21 storm sequence bankrupted a dozen Louisiana insurers and left the national disaster fund depleted. The federal government now has an opportunity to redesign national assistance systems to transition from a historically rigid, event-based view of disasters toward a more flexible perspective that more fully accommodates the varied and prolonged effects of compounding disasters based on each communitys needs and capacity.Disasters today are compounding in ways unimagined when the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act was written 35 years ago. It established how the federal government, and specifically FEMA, assists states and local governments in preparing for and recovering from disasters. Overhauling the law could bring an important reset to national disaster-assistance policies.3. Learn from the pandemicBeyond speeding recovery through flexible funding, the pandemic forced communities to develop new capacity to adapt to crises, likely helping them respond to compounding disasters that would follow.The COVID-19 crisis spurred improved data collection and reporting capabilities. We found that it also enhanced coordination within and across organizations.And it forced virtual service deliveryschools developed online learning systems, and physicians popularized telehealth. Those new technologies were already in use in Lake Charles when storm damage shuttered schools, one day after the first in-person classes since the pandemic. It is unlikely that such swift adaptation would have occurred without months of a pandemic building that adaptive muscle.Climate change will bring new weather patterns that are beyond emergency managers current playbooks, which are filled with protocols honed by past experience. The capacity to adapt will be essential when those playbooks cant handle compounding disasters that few had imagined. Tracy Kijewski-Correa is a professor of engineering and global affairs at the University of Notre Dame.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Swedish studio White Arkitekter has completed an assortment of apartment buildings for the latest phase of the Gascoigne Estate regeneration in Barking, east London.Led by the Barking and Dagenham council and developed by urban regeneration company Be First,the West Phase 2 development encompasses 386 homes arranged across five apartment blocks.The project also includes 31 townhouses that are interspersed with communal courtyards and a 1,500-square-metre playground.White Arkitekter has completed new homes for the Gascoigne Estate regenerationAddressing the council's ambition to regenerate Barking as "one of London's greenest, most affordable and sustainable neighbourhoods", White Arkitekter drew on Scandinavian urban design principles of equitable living, climate resilience and wellbeing for the redevelopment.This strategy involved the studio designing tenure blind homes homes that are a mix of social and private housing but all have the same design.Sixty per cent of these are affordable and 10 per cent are wheelchair accessible, and the studio also created a landscaped public realm for the community.The studio drew on Scandinavian design principles for the development"The challenge was delivering high-density, tenure blind homes on a relatively small site while also creating opportunities for framed courtyards to enable smaller community groups to share gardens," studio partner Linda Thiel told Dezeen."Using our Scandinavian design principles to guide the process, we were able to achieve both simultaneously and the result was five towers combined with 31 townhouses around three courtyards."The towers are complete with brick cladding and balconiesThe five apartment blocks, ranging from nine to 20 storeys, are each constructed from a concrete frame combined with precast concrete panels, and complete with brick cladding. A combination of inset and protruding balconies line the facades.Aside from their varying heights, the structures are distinguished by the colour of the external brick as well as by shifts in their geometry and orientation.On their ground floors, the towers host spacious, light-filled lobbies along with bike storage.Read: Mae Architects completes "21st-century almshouse" in SouthwarkFlanking each of the five blocks at ground level are rows of three-storey townhouses built from timber frames similarly clad in brick. Terraces located at the townhouses' rears provide direct access to the adjacent courtyards."The arrangement of the buildings, the active frontage, well-overlooked streets, mews, and courtyards played a big part in the project's concept and overall social sustainability," Thiel said."We created a public space strategy to keep the community and neighbourhood safe and active."The towers are flanked by three-storey townhousesComplementing the shared outdoor spaces, the studio also integrated pedestrian walkways and cycle routes across the site to improve access through the estate as well as to the town centre and other amenities."Working with our broader placemaking strategy for the estate, we developed a landscape-led approach that promotes walking, shared amenities and reinforces existing routes," Thiel said."The site is a gateway to the Gascoigne Estate and a convergence point of routes through and around the estate, linking it to Barking Town Centre."Walkways and cycle routes improve access across the estateIn alignment with the borough's plans to become carbon neutral by 2030, the studio implemented a series of sustainability strategies, which included adding photovoltaic (PV) panels and brown or green roofs across both the towers and townhouses, and integrating a water-powered system responsible for supplying 69 per cent of the homes' heat.Moreover, mature trees were retained and protected across the redevelopment, while a buffer of trees and rain gardens were added along the site's street-facing edge to enhance biodiversity.Spacious lobbies are hosted on the towers' ground floorsOther apartment blocks recently featured on Dezeen include a cooperative housing block near Zurich that references industrial structures and a red brick apartment block in Amsterdam that references the Amsterdam School style of architecture.The photography is by Paul Riddle.The post White Arkitekter draws on Scandinavian principles for east London estate regeneration appeared first on Dezeen.

Lately, all we see around us are existing tall buildings and upcoming skyscrapers its surely a beautiful sight and enhances the skyline of the city and perhaps even benefits the economy, but it is imperative to also keep the sustainable approach in mind and the adverse effects of these skyscrapers on the society and its well being. The divide between urban centers, agricultural areas, and natural ecosystems is widening, leading to significant environmental, social, and logistical challenges. Urumqi, the political, economic, and cultural hub of Xinjiang in northwest China, epitomizes this conflict between urban development and agricultural ecological resources. To address these pressing issues, the innovative architectural design concept of Urban Intercropping has been proposed.Designers: Penghao Zhao, Hanyu Sun, Sinuo Jia, Jingxuan Li, Songping Jing, Yibo Gao, YuJie Zeng, and An JiangInspired by traditional agricultural intercropping systems, where different crops are grown together to optimize the use of resources, the Urban Intercropping concept integrates this planting pattern with urban spatial planning. By strategically inserting architectural structures into the gaps of the city, a new urban system is formed. The Urban Intercropping model shifts from a centralized to a decentralized urban development approach. Architectural slicing devices are introduced into underutilized spaces within the city, transforming them into productive and functional areas. This approach maximizes the use of space and resources, addressing the issues of urban sprawl and inefficient land use.Central to this design is the concentration of agricultural industries in high-rise buildings using a vertical intercropping planting model. This model optimizes the use of space, light, and other resources, enabling high-density agricultural production within urban settings. These high-rise agricultural hubs are composed of mechanical devices, non-mechanical facilities, and movable living units, addressing urban housing shortages, traffic congestion, and the lack of green spaces. By enhancing urban efficiency and revitalizing intermediate urban areas, these structures create a dynamic and sustainable urban environment.Urban Intercropping emphasizes the transformation of urban morphology by integrating skyscrapers and other tall structures into existing urban spaces. These buildings are designed to connect seamlessly with the underground transportation system, alleviating traffic congestion and improving urban mobility. The incorporation of these vertical elements redefines the citys skyline and promotes a more efficient use of urban space.A key component of the Urban Intercropping concept is the construction of ecological corridors. These corridors are designed to preserve air quality and prevent dust storms by planting specific types of vegetation that stabilize sand and purify the air. Greenhouse membranes and platforms support these plants, creating green spaces that serve as habitats for wildlife and recreational areas for residents. These corridors also facilitate the migration of animals and provide healthy, green environments for pedestrians and transportation networks.The design also focuses on the generation and arrangement of social unit spaces, drawing inspiration from the Eight Queens Problem. This mathematical problem involves placing eight queens on a chessboard so that no two queens threaten each other, ensuring optimal spatial efficiency. Similarly, in Urban Intercropping, functional units are arranged to allow for the smooth transfer of movable community units without disrupting other activities. This ensures flexibility and efficiency in urban spaces, accommodating changing needs and uses.To maximize the effectiveness of Urban Intercropping, detailed structural components are optimized. Multifunctional membranes, vertical and horizontal transportation equipment, modular units, and greenhouse boxes are integrated to form an interconnected system. These components work together to enhance the overall design, making urban spaces more adaptable and resilient.The architectural design concept of Urban Intercropping offers a revolutionary approach to urban planning and development. By bridging the gap between cities, agriculture, and nature, this concept provides sustainable solutions for modern urban challenges. Through innovative design and technological advancements, Urban Intercropping promotes ecological environmental protection and sustainable urban development, paving the way for a harmonious coexistence of urban and natural ecosystems.The post Sustainable Skyscrapers Transform This Chinese Citys Landscape Using Urban Intercropping first appeared on Yanko Design.

Classic adventure games are heavily associated with comedy, but The Cat Lady is pure horror and introspection.This 2012 adventure game bounces between reflections on mental health and sweet, sweet revenge murderin'.

X's AI image bot is about as chaotic as you'd expect.

Batman 85th Anniversary 10-Film Collection On 4K Blu-ray $162.39 (was $205) Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart Preorder at Target To celebrate Batman's 85th anniversary, DC is releasing a new 4K Blu-ray box set featuring 10 of the Caped Crusader's memorable animated adventures. Showcasing the Dark Knight across multiple eras of animation, Batman 85th Anniversary Collection is available to preorder now ahead of its September 10 release date. The upcoming 4K Batman box set has a gaudy $205 price attached to it, but Amazon has now become the first and only major retailer to offer a discount. Amazon's substantial preorder deal drops the price of Batman 85th Anniversary Collection to $162.49, which represents a savings of 21%. If you already preordered at full price, you'll still get this deal, as Amazon doesn't charge for preorders until the item ships and automatically gives customers the best price offered since the order was placed.It's currently listed for $201 at Amazon and Target, but it'll likely drop in price before launch. As a reminder, Amazon and Target do not charge for preorders until your order ships, at which point you'll get the lowest price offered since placing your order. Batman 85th Anniversary 10-Film Collection On 4K Blu-ray $162.39 (was $205) Amazon is the only major retailer offering a discount on the collection. Walmart and Target are taking preorders for $201, so, at the moment at least, you can save roughly $40 by locking in your Batman 85th Anniversary Collection preorder at Amazon. It's certainly possible Walmart and Target will also drop the price, but it's worth noting Amazon usually discounts Blu-rays in response to deals at Walmart and Target, so there's a chance neither retailer will lower the price to the same level.Batman's 85th Anniversary Collection comes with a colorful slipcase and a 24-page commemorative booklet. The box set comes with 4K Blu-ray and digital versions of all 10 movies. So, which films are you getting? A pretty varied assortment of classic and modern Batman stories set in several different timelines:Batman: Mask of the PhantasmBatman Year OneBatman: Assault on ArkhamBatman: The Killing JokeBatman and Harley QuinnBatman: Gotham by GaslightBatman: HushBatman: Soul of the DragonBatman: The Long HalloweenBatman: The Doom That Came to GothamThis is a pretty solid collection of Batman movies. The highlights here are obviously Mask of the Phantasm and Year One, while some of the other entries are fun popcorn flicks you can binge through like comfort junk food. Soul of the Dragon reimagines Batman as a '70s-era martial arts master in a cheesy adventure film starring several other skilled DC fighters, Assault on Arkham is an action-packed dive into Rocksteady's Arkhamverse that mostly focuses on the Suicide Squad, and Gotham by Gaslight puts a Victorian-era spin on Batman.The Killing Joke, Harley Quinn, and Hush don't reach the same heights, but they remain faithful the DC source material and are still worth watching. Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart Preorder at Target Batman 85th Anniversary 10-Film 4K Blu-ray CollectionThis isn't the first box set focused on Batman's animated movies. To celebrate the Caped Crusader's 80th anniversary in 2019, DC released an 18-film collection. That collection contains six of the movies featured in the new collection, but the 80th Anniversary Collection has standard 1080p Blu-ray discs. Batman 80th Anniversary Collection is on sale for $63 (was $90) at Amazon. Considering it comes with a dozen movies not found in the 85th Anniversary Collection, it's worth checking out even if you preorder the new one. And if you're wondering why you're getting fewer movies with the new collection, it almost certainly stems from the fact that all of the movies in the 85th Anniversary Collection are already available on 4K Blu-ray today. Films such as Gotham Knight, Under the Red Hood, and Son of Batman aren't available on 4K Blu-ray.Continue Reading at GameSpot