Next in Dezeen's review of 2024we look back at 10 significant skyscrapers from the year, including three designed by BIG, Japan's tallest building and the renovation of the Transamerica Pyramid.Photo by Hufton + CrowOne Za'abeel, UAE, by Nikken SekkeiAnother skyscraper that was named the world's best this year was the One Za'abeel towers in Dubai, which were namedDezeen readers' favourite new skyscraper.Designed by Japanese studio Nikken Sekkei, the pair of skyscrapers are connected by a skybridge 100 meters over a six-lane highway. The skybridge extends from the building to create the world's longest cantilever.Find out more about One Za'abeel Photo by Evan JosephOne Domino Square, USA, by Selldorf ArchitectsOne of four New York skyscrapers on this list, One Domino Square stands on the waterfront alongside the Williamsburg Bridge and the recently renovated Domino Sugar Refinery.The pair of residential skyscrapers were designed by Selldorf Architects and clad in iridescent porcelain tiles.Find out more about One Domino Square Photo by Evan JosephOne High Line, USA, by BIGAnother pair of residential skyscrapers, this time with twisted forms, were completed in New York next to the High Line.Designed by Danish architecture studio BIG, the 91-metre-high and 122-metre-high towers contain 236 condominiums along with a pool, gym and dining area.Find out more about One High Line Photo by Joana FranaEZ Parque da Cidade, Brazil, by UNStudioContinuing the trend of skyscrapers duos, this pair of towers in So Paulo, Brazil, was designed by Dutch firm UNStudio to "redefine vertical living" in the city.Located in the Chacara Santo Antonio neighbourhood, the skyscrapers rise to 39 and 36 storeys tall and contain a total 244 apartments. Both towers have a "windmill-shaped" floor plan, with volumes extended out from the central stair and lift core.Find out more about EZ Parque da Cidade Photo by BicubikEPIQ, Ecuador, by BIGThe second of a trio of BIG skyscrapers completed this year, the 24-storey EPIQ building stands alongside the central La Carolina Park in Quito.The 101-metre-high skyscraper consists of two curved, L-shaped stacked blocks that have a series of open terraces in the space where the interconnected towers meet.Find out more about EPIQ Photo by David LipmanTransamerica Pyramid, USA, by Foster + PartnersIn San Francisco, architecture studio Foster + Partners completed an overhaul of the landmark Transamerica Pyramid, which originally opened in1972.The studio aimed to "restore the logic" of the 260-metre-high office building, restoring original elements and linking it to a redesigned adjacent park.Find out more about Transamerica Pyramid Photo of Skanska USA1550 on the Green, USA, by BIGThe final BIG building on the list, this staggered "bundle of towers" is located alongside Discovery Green park in Downtown Houston, Texas.Named 1550 on the Green, the building is formed of six connected towers that curve slightly, with the tallest block reaching 137 metres high.Find out more about 1550 on the Green Photo by Jason O'RearMori JP Tower, Japan, by Pelli Clarke & PartnersIn Japan, US studio Pelli Clarke & Partners unveiled Japan's tallest skyscraper this year.Named Mori JP Tower, the 330-metre-high skyscraper is Tokyo's first supertall skyscraper and overtook the 300-metre-tall Abeno Harukas in Osaka, also designed by Pelli Clarke & Partners, to become the country's tallest building.Find out more about Mori JP Tower Photo by Astra StudiosSutton Tower, USA, by Thomas Juul-Hansen Designed by New York designer Thomas Juul-Hansen to be "modern and classic", the Sutton Tower stands 259 metres high on Manhattan's East Side.The simple rectangular building was entirely clad in Bavarian limestone and topped with a champagne-coloured stainless steel crown.Find out more about Sutton Tower Photo by Evan JosephThe Greenwich, USA, by Rafael Violy ArchitectsOne of the last buildings designed by Uruguayanarchitect Rafael Violy, who passed away in 2023 at the age of 78, the 88-storey The Greenwich skyscraper was completed inDowntown Manhattan this year.Located two blocks south of the World Trade Center complex, the glazed tower contains 272 apartments.Find out more about The Greenwich The post The top 10 skyscrapers of 2024 appeared first on Dezeen.

Lamps are something I dont really think about when it comes to how they look or how they are designed. Sure there are some chandeliers and light fixtures that capture my attention every once in a while, but Im not really particular about them when it comes to my house or even what they use at places like my workplace, malls I hang out in, my favorite coffee shops, etc. A well-designed one that also captures the functionality expected of it will surely capture my attention.Designer: Matthias PinkertThe Kala Lamp seems to be one of those uniquely designed pendant lamps. For one thing, it seems to be floating on air with its two thin, simple wires holding up the entire contraption. This discrete suspension also houses the lamps power supply so it looks a bit like magic. But what makes it even more magical (from the point of view of our naked eyes) is that you are able to control the amount of light and where it points to with the four rings.When you slide the four rings over the base, you are able to create an individualized design of light space. Instead of having the whole pendant lamp lighted, you can choose certain areas and also control how much light it gives off. You can have fun moving the rings around, adding a certain element of interactivity when trying to find the right combination for your space. It can also be pivoted 45 degrees forwards and backwards so you can use either direct or indirect light.For sure the designer has thought about the fragility or sturdiness of such a fixture. I may have some fears about it falling from the roof since the wires are very thin or whoever is trying to play around the rings might snap the wires off. But its an interesting kind of pendant lamp, one that is well-designed and also adds to the personalization and functionality of this piece of lighting. The post Pendant lamp lets you control amount and direction of light with a few twists first appeared on Yanko Design.

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MacworldAt a glanceExpert's RatingProsCompact dimensionsHigh qualityGood charging timesConsNo golden cable includedNo carrying caseOur Verdict Small, practical, powerfulwith the optional golden charging cable, its a great gift for a loved one. A power bank perfect for carrying in a handbag.Price When ReviewedThis value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefinedBest Pricing TodayPrice When Reviewed49,95 EuroBest Prices Today: Mophie Powerstation Mini 5K goldRetailerPriceMophie49,95 View DealPrice comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwideProductPricePrice comparison from BackmarketThe small Powerstation Mini 5K Gold Limited Edition immediately catches the eye with its golden color. The housing is made of aluminium and has a bead-blasted finish. This gives it a high-quality look. With its compact dimensions of 7.6 by 4 by 2.5 centimeters, the Powerstation Mini 5K fits into any small bag.The capacity is 5,000 mAh and a four-stage LED display shows the charging status and remaining battery life. The USB-C port is capable of Power Delivery with a maximum output power of 20 watts.The output of 20 watts is sufficient for a charging capacity of 51 percentage points for the iPhone 15 and 24 percentage points for the 11-inch iPad Pro, both after 30 minutes. The output power of 20 watts is ideal for the iPhone, but can also power a camera or an iPad if required. The only thing missing is a protective bag to protect the stylish powerbank from scratches in your handbag.Should you buy the Powerstation Mini 5K Gold Limited Edition?The Powerstation Mini 5K scores points in several respects: the elegant housing is a real eye-catcher and the power bank is barely bigger than a lipstick. With 5,000 mAh, it offers enough capacity to recharge an iPhone after a long day. We have more power banks in our roundup of thebest MagSafe and magnetic power banks for iPhone.

MacworldAnother year is about to be consigned to the dustbin of history but before the clock runs out, lets take a look at the worst takes of 2024!AI boostersIf you know anything about the Macalope, you knew this was going to be in here.First was the chorus of people who said Apple is behind on AI! When companies are rushing products to market that have no discernible revenue path, routinely provide results that are wrong and even dangerous and are built upon stolen information, one wonders if this isnt something you should be behind on. Maybe next year well hear about how Apples behind on building the Torment Nexus.As if this no-legged stool wasnt a questionable enough place to sit your butt on, we had analysts who claimed this miracle of science would spur a smartphone super-cycle, boosting sales and profits for any company that was able to deliver this life-changing technology.That did not happen.Still, more than one company developing an AI pin had gobs of venture capital money shot at them out of a t-shirt canon. And how did that turn out?The Worst Product Ive Ever Reviewed For NowJust months after the hype fizzle, people are wondering if AI is even going to be able to get any better anytime soon. Turns out the wait and see approach might have been the smart one. Surprise.Still, there are some AI takes we can agree on. Several AI executives complained this year that they cant make their product unless they have free access to copyrighted material. Great! Were in agreement! You wont make your product and well keep our copyrighted material! Glad we had this chat.AI itselfSpeaking of bad takes and AI, how about the bad takes AI itself delivered in 2024?Googles AI, just as an example, suggested people eat glue and rocks. OK, thats just one instance. As a counterpoint, when asked if you could use gasoline to cook spaghetti faster, its answer was an emphatic No!If it had only stopped there.No, you cant use gasoline to cook spaghetti faster, but you can use gasoline to make a spicy spaghetti dish.No! No, you cant! OK, the Macalope has never drunk gasoline, but hes pretty sure its not going to make a dish spicier.Apple Intelligence was not immune to such flights of nope, not fancy nothing fancy about putting gasoline in your spaghetti. Thats shack living. How about flights of flimflamery?Apple Intelligence botched a notification summary about Luigi Mangione, and the BBC isnt happyYes, Apple Intelligence incorrectly suggested that the alleged assassin of the CEO of United Healthcare had killed himself.And still Tim Cook says he loves summaries.IDGApples ad departmentApples ad departments first gaffe this year was the infamous Crush ad. It was intended to indicate all the great, creative things you can do with an iPad. The only problem was it kind of sent a mixed message by literally crushing all of those things in a giant industrial hydraulic press.Metaphors. How do they work?Apple even wet so far as to issue an apology for that one.Then, just last month, Apple ran several Apple Intelligence ads featuring people using AI to compensate for their obnoxious personality flaws. Message: Are you a jerk? Have we got a solution for you!Might have wanted to run that through another review.The U.S. Department of JusticeWhile the Macalope would certainly say Apple could benefit from a little legislative guidance in how to conduct some of its affairs (cough App Store cough), the suit against the company brought by the U.S. Department of Justice back in March wrecks itself before it checks itself. Decrying Apples supposed domination of the auto industry with CarPlay and then taking credit for all of Apples successes because it took action against Microsoft in the early 2000s are apparently things you can write without exploding from a deadly buildup of nonsensium. Who knew?GM doubles downIt was 2023 when GM announced that it was eschewing CarPlay, even going so far as to say it was for safety reasons. But the company apparently is still trying to eat its own dog food which may not be a metaphor. Some of their actions sometimes make you think they might actually be eating dog food, cat food, whatever happens to just be sitting there when theyre hungry.Despite losing two key executives, including Apples former head of Cloud Services, Mike Abbott, and then laying off more than 1,000 software engineers, GM says this is all part of its grand plan of bold choices to own the user experience.Well, you know what they say. You broke itTim SweeneyLast but not least is Epic CEO Tim Sweeney. Oh, not for anything he said about his companys fight with Apple over trying to set its own app store up on iOS, although we could probably get one or two gems out of that mess, too.No, his worst take of the year is when he complained about the time his MacBook got stolen and he could see where it was thanks to Fine My.This feature is super creepy surveillance tech and shouldnt exist. Years ago, a kid stole a Mac laptop out of my car. Years later, I was checking out Find My and it showed a map with the house where the kid who stole my Mac lived. WTF Apple? How is that okay?!It is left up to the reader to decide if he just hates anything Apple makes or is so drunk on libertarianism that when someone steals his laptop he just says I have been bested in the marketplace of getting things while the getting is good! Good for him!Those are the worst takes of 2024. Cant wait to see what 2025 brings!I think.

For more than two years, Ive been working with WinGet daily to monitor and maintain the apps on my Windows 10 and 11 PCs. For those not already in the know, WinGet is the built-in, command-line interface to Microsofts Windows Package Manager service. It works in both PowerShell and Command Prompt with equal facility.WinGet is designed to enable users to discover, install, upgrade, remove and configure applications on Windows 10 and 11 computers, according to Microsoft Learn. In my experience, WinGet is helpful for checking and updating most applications that run on Windows.Please note: WinGet is included with Windows 10 version 1709 and later, and all versions of Windows 11 as the App Installer. If youre running an earlier version of Windows 10, visit the WinGet home page at GitHub. There, click the Latest button under Releases at right, and download the item named Microsoft.DesktopAppInstallermsixbundle (the missing characters identify Microsoft Store apps). Double-click on this item to install it.(Dont worry: if you do this on a newer Windows version, it will inform you, The App Installer is already installed.)Exploring a PC using WinGetUsing WinGet starts with opening an administrative command line session. Press the Windows key + X, then pick Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin) from the pop-up menu. (I use PowerShell and will use it for examples throughout this story.) Given that WinGet runs in PowerShell, it uses straightforward PowerShell syntax to provide information or perform actions. WinGet tells you about itself if you enter the command:winget --info(Although Ive followed Microsofts lead in labeling this command WinGet, the command line doesnt care about capitalization.)As you can see in Figure 1, the output from this command shows the running version of Windows Package Manager, along with the OS Build number, system architecture, Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller version, and symbol values for WinGet directories, links, and Admin Settings.Figure 1: Output from WinGets info command tells you about the system, plus WinGet-related software and settings.Ed Tittel / IDGThis information can be helpful, but its not terribly interesting, nor have I found it super-useful in day-to-day WinGet use and troubleshooting.Things get more interesting with WinGets two information display subcommands: list and show. The list subcommand shows whats currently installed on the target PC, while the show subcommand searches an online database of available packages to show you information about matching search hits.With no qualifiers or queries, winget list shows a list of every item installed on your PC (177 items on an up-to-date Windows 11 production PC; 339 items on a heavily used production Windows 10 PC). All standard executables and Microsoft Store apps are included in this count.Winget show wont do anything unless you provide it with a search string. Its normally used to search for specific packages, or to see if they exist. Try it with search strings such as windows, power, powershell and so forth. Its soon obvious that this is a more focused tool. I use it primarily when WinGet tells me a package needs an upgrade. It helps me find complete IDs, version numbers, and publisher, and tells me where it came from. (That usually means WinGets package repository or the Microsoft Store.)The winget search command can be more helpful than show if youre looking for something specific. It lists all items that include the search string. Thus, if you use the same strings recommended in the preceding paragraph, youll get more and more interesting results.Figure 2 shows the output for winget search PowerShell as an illustration. (It shows items with PowerShell in their names, IDs, and tags, so its more inclusive.)Figure 2: Matching on PowerShell is especially useful for tagged items, particularly Windows Terminal and related applications.Ed Tittel / IDGWinGets star subcommand: upgradeMy favorite among the WinGet subcommands is the upgrade item. It offers insight into available upgrades and offers various ways to perform upgrades on a Windows PC. Indeed, three variants of winget upgrade are likely to be both useful and informative:winget upgradewinget upgrade --allwinget upgrade --all --include-unknownBy itself, winget upgrade (no additional arguments or modifiers) simply tells you if newer versions of installed packages are available. Figure 3 shows an example of this command from one of my production level test PCs, with some items in need of update. Notice that the Version column identifies the version thats currently installed. The Available column identifies the corresponding new (updated) version one could apply in its stead, if desired.Figure 3: Seven updates are available for the target PC, as shown.Ed Tittel / IDGThe next command, winget upgrade --all, tells WinGet to update all items from the upgrade list for which a version number is known. In Figure 3, all items have values in the Version column. Note further that all packages shown come from the default WinGet package repository (named winget in Figure 3).The third command, winget upgrade --all --include-unknown, tells WinGet to update all items even if the version column is blank. In general, this command is more useful because it involves less additional work. Thus, I use it as my go-to for all winget upgrade commands, just to make sure I cover everything.Figure 4 shows results after running that catch-all command on the target PC. (Ill have more to say about this figure later.)Figure 4: On this production PC, WinGet finds and installs four upgrades, but leaves the fifth alone.Ed Tittel / IDGNote that youll sometimes see installer windows and even PowerShell or Command Prompt sessions open and close as WinGet goes through the necessary motions involved in performing those updates. Note further: when updating web browsers Edge, Chrome, or Firefox, for example if the browser is running when you run WinGet, you must relaunch that browser manually before the update fully completes. If its closed, it completes on its own. (WinGet always applies an abundance of caution when it encounters running processes.)Running winget upgrade again after performing all updates shows nothing left to do. In Figure 5, the message No installed package found matching input criteria translates into Nothing to upgrade.Figure 5: No installed package found matching input criteria means Nothing to upgrade.Ed Tittel / IDGAbout pinned applications (and other experimental WinGet features)If you look back at Figure 4, youll see the sentence The following packages have an upgrade available, but require explicit targeting fairly near the top, with Discord listed below. What does that mean, and why does this happen? Some application developers, including Discord, use advanced WinGet features pinning in this case (look back at the final line of Figure 4) to prevent unwanted changes to the Discord app. It usually updates inside the app so this approach (mostly) prevents WinGet from getting involved.On the other hand, you can always use WinGet to uninstall an app, and then use WinGet one more time to reinstall. For Discord, that command sequence looks like this:winget uninstall Discord.Discordwinget install Discord.Discord(Note at the head of Figure 4, the ID value for Discord is Discord.Discord, so thats how we specify these commands.)The first command removes (the old version of) Discord; the second command installs (the new version of) Discord. Its what I call a remove-replace operation, and it works pretty well for general WinGet troubleshooting, too. Ive also used it recently for Zoom Workplace, various Teams versions, and other occasional vexations.For the record, the pin command is a relatively new subcommand for WinGet. It first appeared in general release in July 2024. According to Microsoft Learn, the winget pin command allows you to limit the Windows Package Manager from upgrading a package to specific ranges of versions, or it can prevent it from upgrading a package altogether.Another special qualifier, namely --include-pinned, lets you override this restriction. But because Discord is the only item in my stable of apps that uses this restriction, its not worth adding to my go-to command string.When the upgrade command fails or falls shortSometimes, WinGet updates dont clear the items that appear when you enter the winget upgrade command by itself. That means something remains on your PC that WinGet couldnt handle. Through experience, Ive observed the following possibilities, each of which has its own potential solution:Multiple copies of the same app or application are resident. If you have multiple installations of the same program, only one is likely to be current and up to date. Unless you require older versions, the simplest fix is to uninstall them so only the current, updated version remains present.Ive seen this happen with PowerShell, for example, where some of my PCs retained version 7.2.5 even when 7.4.5 or 7.4.6 (the current version as I write this) was also present. Using Programs and Features (or some equivalent third-party tool like Revo Uninstaller Free), you can find and uninstall out-of-date versions.Strange programs that youve never seen before and dont need show up. Case in point: occasionally an item named Teams machine-wide installer shows up on my PCs. Its something Microsoft uses that apparently gets left behind from time to time. Uninstalling this item causes no noticeable issues with Teams, and it removes the item from further upgrade consideration.Current WinGet packages arent available for some apps. One of WinGets limitations is that it only works with items registered in its package database. You may need to visit the app publishers website to find current updates that arent registered with WinGet.In the past, Ive covered using third-party automated tools such as UpdateStar and Patch My PC to keep apps updated in Windows 10 and 11. These and other update scanners may find items in need of updating on your PC that WinGet doesnt handle. On my PCs, that includes applications such as Nitro Pro (a PDF reader/editor), Amazon Kindle (for which only an outdated package is available via WinGet), FileZilla, various Intel tools (e.g., Intel Driver & Support Assistant), and more.If youre willing to research your applications and their sources for updates, you can almost always find a way to get them updated. That said, WinGet cannot handle all apps on its own. Many or most of them, yes; all of them, no.A WinGet for all seasonsAs you become familiar with WinGet, youll find it to be a terrific tool for helping keep Windows systems (and reference or canonical Windows images for automated deployments) up to date. Its become my tool of choice for keeping apps updated because its fast and easy to use. Although I still use UpdateStar to scan my systems to tell me what needs updates and Patch My PC to handle a handful of things that WinGet cant, WinGet remains my go-to tool to keep systems current. I use WinGet every day; the other tools weekly, at most.If you try it for yourself, I believe youre likely to continue using WinGet for the very same reasons. SeeMicrosofts WinGet documentationfor a complete list of commands and options.One final note: If you know someone who could benefit from WinGet but isnt comfortable using the command line, see this article by Chris Hoffman detailing how to use WingetUI, a package that wraps a graphical interface around WinGet.This article was originally published in January 2023 and updated in December 2024.

Last week, Falcom confirmed that Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter, its remake of The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky FC, would launch worldwide next year. Unfortunately, it wont feature the same localization as the original game (which was done by XSEED and received extensive praise).The remakes Steam listing reveals that the story features revamped localizations in English, German, and French. These translations have been carefully refined, so it remains to be seen how close they are to the original. If anything, the localization may be more faithful to the original Japanese release.Alongside a new translation, there will be new voiceovers in English and Japanese. The original Trails in the Sky series didnt have voice acting outside combat, so this is a step up. Hopefully, Estelles audio quality will improve on her appearance in Trails of Cold Steel 4.Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter will be available in Fall 2025 for Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PC.