AI and the Built Environment: Bridging Technology, Design, and Cultural IdentityPresented by:Save this picture!A concept for a riverside opera house in Honduras. Image Moises Carrasco on MidjourneyArtificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the architectural landscape, offering tools that enhance creativity, streamline workflows, and redefine design processes. From assisting in urban planning to conceptualizing homes and creating visualizations, AI is unlocking new possibilities for architects, designers, and even non-professionals. Yet, as AI-generated outputs become more prevalent, concerns emerge regarding the possibility of generating generic-looking designs or the disappearance of traditional design skills. These challenges lead us to critically examine how AI complements human creativity and the ethical implications surrounding authorship, originality, and intellectual property rights in this rapidly evolving digital era.In this roundup, we explore articles that dive into AI's current and future roles in architecture and design. They address the ways AI assists in generating concepts and democratizing the design process. The articles also look into its potential to optimize urban planning while tackling its limitations, such as repetitive outputs and copyright dilemmas. Whether examining AI's ability to visualize contemporary homes around the world or its potential to make everyone a designer, these articles highlight the balance architects are currently looking for to embrace AI's transformative power and use it to their advantage.Read on to discover 5 articles that provide discussions and ideas of what its role in our current workflow might be and how it could influence the architect's work in the future. Related Article Can AI Make Architects Better Storytellers? How AI Will Make Everyone a Better Designer: For Better or WorseSave this picture!This article is the seventh in a series focusing on the Architecture of the Metaverse. Architect John Marx, AIA, explores the impact of artificial intelligence on the design profession. He discusses how AI tools, such as Midjourney, enable users to generate complex and aesthetically pleasing designs through simple text prompts, democratizing the design process and allowing individuals without formal training to create sophisticated visual content. Marx also addresses concerns about the potential homogenization of design and the erosion of traditional skills, emphasizing the need for designers to critically engage with AI technologies to harness their benefits while preserving the unique aspects of human creativity.Artificial Intelligence and Urban Planning: Technology as a Tool for City DesignSave this picture!Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing urban planning by enhancing decision-making, resource allocation, trend prediction, and citizen engagement. For instance, AI-driven tools analyze urban morphology to optimize city layouts and the creation of green spaces. At the same time, participatory platforms empower communities to contribute to planning processes. These technologies enable planners to create more intelligent, efficient, and sustainable urban environments.How are AI Systems Assisting Architects and Designers?Save this picture!Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly becoming a valuable tool for architects and designers, enhancing various aspects of the design process. AI-powered image generation tools like DALL-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion enable professionals to swiftly transform text prompts into visual concepts, facilitating rapid idea testing and lowering the barrier to design experimentation. These tools encourage a language-based approach to conceptualization, allowing designers to explore a multitude of design possibilities efficiently. By automating repetitive tasks and providing innovative visualization capabilities, AI serves as a complementary asset in the creative workflow, augmenting human creativity rather than replacing it.How AI Can Help Us End Design Education AnachronismsSave this picture!This article examines the transformative impact of generative AI on architectural education. He argues that the rapid advancement of AI technologies needs a reevaluation of traditional teaching methods and curricula, emphasizing the importance of adaptability in preparing future architects. It identifies three outdated practices in design education that AI can help eliminate: the culture of overwork, the undervaluation of soft skills, and the reliance on outdated tools. By integrating AI into the educational framework, he suggests that institutions can foster a more balanced, relevant, and forward-thinking approach to training architects, ultimately enhancing both the learning experience and the profession's evolution.How Does Artificial Intelligence Perceive the Contemporary Home? Different Perspectives from 15 CountriesSave this picture!In collaboration with Ulises Design Studio, ArchDaily explored how artificial intelligence (AI) envisions contemporary homes across 15 countries. Utilizing AI image generators like Midjourney, the study revealed that initial prompts produced homogenized designs, reflecting dominant architectural styles present in the AI's training data. To capture a broader spectrum of architectural diversity, the team refined their prompts to include specific regional elements and materials, resulting in images that showcase unique cultural and vernacular characteristics. This experiment underscores AI's potential in architectural visualization while highlighting the importance of critical human engagement to avoid generic design norms.Copyrights for Architectural Imagery in the AI EraSave this picture!This article examines the complexities of intellectual property rights as artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent in architectural design. It highlights the challenges in determining originality and authorship when AI-generated images are involved, especially since AI systems often utilize vast datasets that may include copyrighted works without explicit permission. The piece underscores the necessity for clear legal frameworks to address these issues, ensuring that both human creativity and technological advancements are fairly protected and regulated.This article is part of the ArchDaily Topics: Year in Review, presented by Gira.Minimalism with character and clear shapes reduced to the essentials. The Gira design lines are suitable for a variety of furnishing styles, in different colours and materials. With the introduction of the Gira E2 light grey recycled material, Gira is setting a strong example for sustainability and innovation in switch design.Every month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and architecture projects. We invite you to learn more about our ArchDaily Topics. And, as always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us.Image gallerySee allShow lessAbout this authorMoises CarrascoAuthorCite: Moises Carrasco. "AI and the Built Environment: Bridging Technology, Design, and Cultural Identity" 27 Dec 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1024493/ai-and-the-built-environment-bridging-technology-design-and-cultural-identity&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Cruquius Island Housing / KCAPSave this picture! Marcel IJzermanAmsterdam, The NetherlandsArchitects: KCAPAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:48750 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Marcel IJzerman, Sebastian van Damme Lead Architects: KCAP More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Cruquius Island, a man-made peninsula in Amsterdam's Eastern Docklands, has transformed from a historical industrial zone into a vibrant residential neighbourhood defined by its unique waterfront setting. Originally constructed between 1875 and 1925 to expand the Port of Amsterdam, the area evolved from a cattle market to an industrial hub and now into a lively urban enclave. This redevelopment exemplifies how architecture, urban design and landscape planning can reshape historical sites to meet contemporary needs. While the island's industrial heritage is referenced, the focus is on its transformation into a modern living environment.Save this picture!The former industrial area, once home to warehouses and factories, has given way to a diverse mix of housing types and public spaces. A fan-shaped arrangement of 14 buildings creates a neighbourhood of varying scales, transitioning from large, elongated structures reminiscent of historic industrial architecture to smaller, three-story duplexes. This design reflects a balance between density and intimacy, with each home featuring outdoor spaces such as balconies, gardens, or terraces. Every residence enjoys views of the water, highlighting the project's seamless integration with its waterfront location.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The urban plan emphasises a hierarchy of scales and spaces. From the Cruquiusweg, sightlines extend directly to the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal, reinforcing a strong visual connection to the water. Large ships navigate this busy waterway while pedestrians enjoy the tranquillity of the quaya lively, car-free promenade lined with ground-floor residences, commercial spaces and recreational areas. The juxtaposition of these contrasting elements adds vibrancy to the neighbourhood, fostering a sense of place that is both intimate and expansive.Save this picture!Landscaping plays a central role in the project, with pathways, semi-public gardens and communal green spaces woven into the urban fabric. These pathways, designed with irregular edges to evoke an organic aesthetic, guide movement through the site while creating inviting places to linger. Collectively, these elements enhance the area's spatial quality, offering residents spaces to relax, socialise and enjoy a tranquil, pedestrian-friendly environment.Save this picture!Save this picture!Sustainability underpins the project's identity. Parametric design principles were employed to optimise sunlight access for residences and shared spaces. Green roofs, solar panels and energy-efficient systems minimise the environmental footprint, while semi-mature trees and extensive landscaping enhance biodiversity and the quality of life for residents. Ground-level spaces feature active, interactive facades, blending residential and community uses to foster engagement. Secure bicycle parking and accessible communal spaces further promote sustainable, urban living.Save this picture!Through the complete transformation of former brownfield sites at this location, this housing project preserves and celebrates local character, while introducing modern residential amenities that ensure liveability and comfort. The playfully meandering landscaping, and the porosity that it introduces to the spaces between buildings, honours the area's past while orienting it toward the future. The result is a neighbourhood within a neighbourhood, exemplifying how historical preservation and placemaking innovation can harmonise, to create desirable new urban housing.Save this picture!Cruquius Island therefore, sets a standard for waterfront redevelopment, converting a former industrial district into a green, thriving community. By blending heritage, nature and modern city life, the project asserts KCAP's commitment to sustainable redevelopmentand is a model for future initiatives, in dense urban regeneration.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Amsterdam, The NetherlandsLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeKCAPOfficeMaterialBrickMaterials and TagsPublished on December 27, 2024Cite: "Cruquius Island Housing / KCAP" 27 Dec 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025028/cruquius-island-housing-kcap&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

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The Grand Line, especially its latter half, called the New World, is considered to be the most dangerous place in One Piece. Filled with abnormal weather, dangerous monsters, and deadly pirates, when sailing in these locations, only the toughest can survive. Even the Straw Hats, a formidable pirate crew, needed two years of training before they could enter One Pieces New World without any substantial risks.

Sony has confirmed that a PlayStation presentation will take place during the annual Consumer Electronics Show on January 6, 2025. The annual event highlights what tech fans can look forward to during the following year, and PlayStation may have some exciting news for gamers during its 2025 showing.

The upcoming zombie open-world game Dying Light: The Beast will mark the return of Kyle Crane, the long-missing protagonist from the original game that released in 2015. A fan favorite, Crane's return is welcome news for fans of the franchise, and Dying Light: The Beast will explore the physical and mental changes he has undergone while spending years in captivity. His captor, Marius Fischer, is known as The Baron and is a man shrouded in mystery, making him an intriguing Yin to Crane's Yang.

This is a story about fear and anxiety.Its also about Taash, the fire-breathing qunari companion in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. When I was playing through the game for my review, they were one of my favorite folks to have along on missions. There are various reasons why and some are just practical: I was playing a mage, so having a warrior on hand for Warrior Stuff was useful, but I also enjoyed Taashs snarky and practical approach to the world. Every time another party member would get lost in their own head about something, Taashs Thats vashedan! would inevitably yank them back out in a fun way.Taash is also nonbinary, which is one of two axes their character conflict and development rotate around. The other is that they were born in the lands of the Qun, a religious and deeply stratified society, but they were raised in Rivain, a close-enough Mediterranean analog with a sharply contrasting culture. In both respects, Taash is presented to us as a character who feels pulled between opposing poles by these forces in their life. Taashs mother, Shathann, is an expert in Qun history and a stern and lecturing type who seems to disapprove of everything nontraditional her child does, including both not being feminine enough and not following the Qun enough.My moment of fear about Taash came when I encountered a specific in-game codex entry: Taash Notes: Meeting Shadow Dragons to Talk Gender Stuff. A hefty number of codex entries involving Taash are framed as notes they take on various subjects (including one on how to set traps in the Lighthouse, which I enjoyed). Their notes on gender unlock after a conversation with Neve and Rook about Taashs discomfort with their gender identity; the implication is that Neve hooked Taash up with trans folks in the Shadow Dragons faction who might have useful information on the subject.Unfortunately, this codex entry feels both awkward and out of place. Not necessarily harmful theres nothing in it that made me go thats obviously untrue or anything of the sort. That said, if this were a Mass Effect game and not a Dragon Age one, it would be extremely easy to paint this codex entry as Taashs net search history. It has extremely strong baby queer person googling what queer means and writing it down energy, because thats basically what it is. Without an in-game internet, Taash has to rely on speaking to actual people; without in-game social media, they get their thoughts out on paper to make sense of them.Taashs notes cover everything from what dysphoria is, to struggling with the definition of the term nonbinary, to uplifting testimonials from said trans NPCs about what gender means, to the literally stated Trans woman IS woman. Speaking from experience, and as someone who was working out their sexuality at a time when the internet was not even remotely as widely available as it is today, these are the kind of notes and scribbles I would have written, its true, but in the process they can come across in a very heres Taashs Being Genderqueer 101 blog post kind of way.Since Taashs way of speaking is already relatively informal and modern-sounding compared to other party members, that contributes to the feeling that this is just ever so slightly out of place. Critics and fans have argued that nonbinary, an already modern term, needed an in-universe equivalent, which I disagree with. Harvey Randall at PC Gamer argues that instead, Veilguards writers needed to establish more of how the term was situated in the DA worlds culture and history, and I do think contextualizing nonbinary in Thedas culture/language would have helped, but its not strictly speaking required.As I read through the codex entry, I had a pit-of-the-stomach feeling getting bigger with each new word. I wasnt worried about the anti-woke crowd; one, they would hate this game regardless, and two, who cares what fools think? What worried me was what my fellow queer players would have to say about it, because in my imagination, the possibility of a deeply negative reaction loomed large. That was informed by my own reading, too; because the relevant codex entry had a somewhat 101-level tone and was delivered in a codex entry and not through, say, a scene where Taash interacts directly with those trans NPCs about this made me worried that queer players would feel it didnt go far enough, or would believe it to be targeted at non-queer players instead.However, a large part of my anxiousness came from personal experience. In the summer of 2011, I was a postdoctoral researcher at the MIT Game Lab, which was at the time the Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab. Our partnership with the Singapore Media Development Authority meant that every summer, Singaporean game dev students from our Singaporean sister lab would come to Boston, split into teams alongside local students from MIT, Berklee College of Music, and Rhode Island School of Design, and make games in an intensive eight-week program. Specifically, they would make games that furthered the research of academics working in games, who applied to have their projects chosen.That summer, one team was making a game for my research. The study sought to understand a teams process as they built a game with a very broad mandate: Make a game with a queer-resonant theme. In game development terms, I was product owner; another lab researcher was our game director. While we did spend time in the room with the team to observe them and provide input and oversight, the games creative direction story, art, sound, gameplay was in the hands of the students, and it was really their efforts that drove the project.The result was a game called A Closed World, a short and simple Flash-based RPG. When the game was released, it got good press both internally and externally, with coverage by multiple game publications, including Kotaku, as well as non-games news outlets. In retrospect, I am sure the MIT name opened doors for us that might not open as easily for other queer creators, particularly indie queer creators working on their own. My team was thrilled to see our little game find positive reception in the world, however.This is not to say we didnt receive criticisms for missteps or things we overlooked, and of those, many were still the products of intense discussion and debate among the team, or between the team and myself or my colleague who was serving as game director. The games story involves escaping from a seemingly haunted forest; at one point, I suggested the ending involve the main character finding a cliffside over clouds and taking a leap of faith to leave their home and start a new life. Members of my team argued, convincingly, that such an ending might read like an attempt at self-harm instead. Discussions of that kind were numerous, and that was about a thing that didnt make the final cut, let alone what did.However, some high-profile queer indie devs took serious issue with it, for various reasons. In one of the more striking examples, Anna Anthropy made a parody game called A Closed Mind, using a similar visual style but written to suggest our game believed intolerance could be defeated like a JRPG boss. Many of the criticisms we received at the time suggested that it was a waste for MIT to spend money having my team make this game; that we didnt understand how to make queer games, or understand the issues.At the time I needed to be diplomatic in my public responses, since I was representing the lab and the university, but in hindsight, things like A Closed Mind and accusations that my team didnt really understand the issues at all feel not only misplaced but extremely petty. For the members of my team who identified as somewhere in the vastness of the queer spectrum, accusations from queer devs that the team wasnt queer enough, or didnt understand queer experiences, were deeply hurtful (and to be honest, they hurt me too). Its one thing to dislike what we did; thats natural, and putting art in the world means needing to be prepared for people to dislike it. This felt like something else entirely.That experience is what made me scared for Taashs and Veilguards reception. Was it going to get the not queer enough! label because it had, admittedly, tackled things at a more basic and beginner level than some might like? Would people use things like the Taash Notes codex entry to claim that the writer(s) didnt understand the issues?Criticism of queerness or, indeed, a focus on any marginalized identity category in an artistic work is fraught from the jump. You want to support creators who make attempts to be inclusive, who actively work to bring in these types of characters and themes, but at the same time, it feels so easy for even the most well-intentioned attempt at inclusivity to head somewhat off the rails anyway something thats happened to BioWare before. Thus, its necessary that such criticism be able to call queer work into account for its mistakes too. Its such a careful line to walk.The problem is that I think we as both critics and fans have, over the past decade plus, created an environment where creators experience enormous fears about getting it wrong, and producing something that isnt pitch-perfect on the issues in every way is immediately painted as so harmful or detrimental the work needs to be thrown out entirely. The anxiety is real, but the concrete steps devs can take to address concerns can also lead to positive outcomes. The rise in sensitivity readers, diversity consultants, and other such steps devs can take to head off mistakes before games reach the shelves are an unalloyed good, and they have roots in a similar place.Are our only two options getting it right and getting it harmfully wrong, though? Things arent, if youll excuse the sorta-pun, binary in that way. I dont necessarily think the presentation of Taashs gender journey is as artful as it could be, for sure; I think it could have been smoother, more integrated into the setting and into their broader story about choosing who they wish to be (Taashs big, oft-repeated line is You dont get to tell me who I am). Is it harmful, though? Or just not to some players tastes? With each new take and article and blog post Ive read, I find it harder to justify excoriating the writing team for Veilguard on this one, of accusing them of getting queerness wrong. Thats wild, and I am not gonna put myself in the place of people who told my team, back in 2011, that their earnest attempt wasnt queer enough.I said this was a story about fear and anxiety, and thats what it is now, although the pitch I made to Polygon about this story had a very different form at first. The original idea was less about Taash and more about how I felt the approach to playersexual companion story and romance designs in Veilguard was a step forward from Dragon Age 2 (spoilers: it is); Taash was more of a footnote in that story. As I wrote it, though, I was getting more and more blocked, and I realized it was because I was cutting and rearranging and rewording and watering down what I was saying in the interest of not upsetting anyone. I didnt want to criticize too hard and have Trick Weekes (Taashs primary writer) and the Veilguard team feel I was attacking them unduly, but I was also afraid of drawing backlash from queer readers who felt I was too forgiving or didnt go hard enough.I think this is why I have such mounting frustration with accusations Ive seen from critics and players saying that Taash is just a cardboard stand-in for the writers thoughts on gender, or that the writing surrounding it was too safe or sanded down or not messy enough. Of course its not messy! Queer players and critics have been in comment sections, blogs, and social media posts for years tut-tutting everyone even other queer devs and indie devs with nowhere near the resources at their disposal! for not getting things pitch-perfect, for not using the exact right terms, for being messy at all. Its totally believable this situation is the result. Which do you want? Messiness, or infallible politics? You cannot have both! They are antithetical!Perhaps being too safe, too polished, is indeed the problem when it comes to Taash, or Veilguards handling of gender broadly, but Id much rather have an earnest and too-safe attempt based on an ethos of trying to do right by us queer players than something actively harmful to the community at large. Too safe is not actively harmful; too safe is room for improvement. Too safe is a learning opportunity.

Tintin, the seminal hero of the pulp genre of boy adventurers, enters the United States public domain in 2025, though in a way that probably wouldnt please his creator Herg very much. Not necessarily because the cartoonist would be angry at other folks being able to legally make Tintin stories but because the Tintin story entering the public domain is among his least favorite ones. On Jan. 1, 2025, works first published in 1929 (and sound recordings from 1924) will enter into the public domain in the United States, and that includes a good portion of Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, a work of explicit and broad anti-Soviet/Marxist propaganda that Herg was so embarrassed by that he refused to allow it to be reprinted for 40 years. But Tintin and his little dog Snowy arent the only comic strip characters whose earliest adventures will no longer be covered under copyright. Popeye (you know, the sailor man?) also appeared in E.C. Segars Thimble Theater for the first time in 1929. Though, at that point, Thimble Theater had already been running in the New York Journal for a decade Popeye was merely a one-arc guest character in the adventures of Ham Gravy (boyfriend to Olive Oyl) and Castor Oyl (brother to yeah, you get it). The nautical hombre hadnt even developed his trademark spinach-powered super strength, and Olive Oyl wouldnt break up with Ham Gravy to date him until 1930. Other 2025 entries to the wild world of public domain art include many films from the bleeding edge of the Silent Era and the Talkie revolution, including Alfred Hitchcocks first sound film, Blackmail, and the first feature-length Marx Brothers movie, The Cocoanuts. Numerous Disney animated shorts also enter the field, like The Skeleton Dance, whose dancing skeletons (what else?) have gained new life in celebratory Halloween gifs.Mickey and Minnie Mouse themselves made a big splash last year when their earliest shorts hit public domain, enabling gleefully emotionally transgressive and carefully not-legally transgressive horror art, and more than a dozen more 1929 Mickey Mouse shorts will follow in 2025, including The Karnival Kid, in which the famous mouse has a speaking role for the first time. What would this writer like to see in the public domain in 2025? Maybe our universal agreement that, in the pursuit of something to do with newly public domain art, low-budget horror is low-hanging fruit. (Of course we are getting Popeye the Slayer Man in 2025.)For more notable works entering the public domain in the United States in 2025, you can check out the Center for the Study of the Public Domains yearly bulletin.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.If you're an Android user looking to upgrade your smartwatch game, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is now available for $219.99 (down from $399.99), its lowest price ever, according to price-trackers. Available in 43mm and 47mm (which costs $30 more) sizes, the Watch 6 Classic sports a stainless steel case, a sophisticated eco-leather band, and a rotating bezel. Besides giving it a premium look, the bezel also enhances functionality and protects its Super AMOLED always-on display (which boasts up to 2,000 nits of brightness, making it easy to read even in direct sunlight). However, keep in mind that using the display at full brightness can significantly drain the battery. Samsung claims up to 30 hours of battery life with the always-on display active, but heavy use could require daily charging. Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic 43mm Bluetooth Smartwatch $219.99 at Amazon $399.99 Save $180.00 Get Deal Get Deal $219.99 at Amazon $399.99 Save $180.00 Built to endure, the Watch 6 Classic boasts 5ATM water resistance, an IP68 rating, and meets the MIL-STD-810H standard, making it resistant to dust, water, extreme temperatures, vibration, and shock. In other words, you can take it just about anywhere (if you're an Android user; the Watch 6 Classic does not support iOS). Additionally, its 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage reportedly ensure smooth and responsive performance, with apps loading quickly and the interface remaining lag-free. For connectivity, the Watch 6 Classic offers Bluetooth and wifi, with an option to add LTE connectivity for an extra $50. A heads up, thought, that while this smartwatch can pair with non-Samsung Android devices, some features are exclusive to Samsung Galaxy handsets.The Watch 6 Classic runs on Wear OS 4 and Samsungs One UI 5, which is said to provide a smooth and customizable user experience. Plus, it supports a wide range of apps, from Google Maps to Spotify, and integrates seamlessly with Samsung Galaxy devices. Health tracking is a major focus too, with features like heartrate monitoring, ECG readings, blood pressure monitoring, and sleep tracking, among others. That said, according to this PCMag review, the Watch 6 Classic exhibits a slight delay in detecting rapid heartrate changes. If you're considering other options, the Google Pixel Watch at $173.98 (down from $189), makes for a solid alternative.

There are some traditions that go along with the holidays and visiting family: Eating lots of food, reminiscing about old times, watching classic movies, and of course: fixing all the tech difficulties that your parents or other elderly family members have managed to get themselves into over the previous 12 months.Of course, the time will most likely come for all of us when we're confused by the latest gadgets and gizmos, and pine for simpler times. However, during your stint as the resident family tech expert, there are some simple jobs you can take care of for your relatives and make sure they're well set up for another year.Get everything updated Get phones and laptops right up to date. Credit: Lifehacker Software updates are important for a whole host of reasons: They squash bugs, they tighten security, they add new features, and they improve compatibility with apps, hardware, and websites. If your parents have been neglecting to get their devices set up with the latest updates, you can sort this out for them.Checking for updates and getting them installed isn't difficult: Head to Windows Update in Windows Settings, General > Software Update in macOS System Settings, System > Software updates in Android Settings, and General > Software Update in iOS Settings. If you see an option for automatic updates, turn it on.You might find that really old devices aren't eligible for the latest updates from Microsoft, Apple, and Googleif that's the case, it might be worth having a discussion about whether it's worth the time and money to upgrade to something newer (which will probably be faster, less error-prone, and more secure).Check app permissions App permissions in macOS. Credit: Lifehacker A quick check of app permissions can make a real difference when it comes to device security: You don't want any apps accessing camera and microphone permissions, for example, without explicit permission (and it's all too easy to tap through on these permission requests when they pop up).You can find these by heading to Privacy and security in Windows Settings, Privacy & Security in macOS System Settings, Security and privacy > Privacy controls > Permission manager in Android Settings, and Privacy & Security in iOS Settings.If you see an app you're not sure about, check with your parents: If they don't actually use it or have no idea where it's come from, uninstall it from the device and you don't have to worry about what it might be doing. You can always reinstall it again later if it is something your parents have been using.Audit browser settings Chrome will warn you about unsafe extensions. Credit: Lifehacker A lot of screen time is web browsing time, and an insecure and outdated browser can leave you vulnerable. This is particularly true on Windows and macOS, where browsers are dealing with more advanced web apps, managing third-party extensions, and getting deeper hooks into the operating system.Here are some quick checks to make on your parents' browser of choice: Make sure the latest version of the browser is being used (this is usually handled automatically), look through the list of browser extensions to see if there's anything suspicious or unnecessary, and check the home page and default search settings to check they haven't been hijacked by scammers or affiliate marketing companies.The exact steps for doing this will vary between browsers, but you should be able to find the necessary options without too much difficulty. In Chrome, for example, you can check for updates by clicking the three dots (top right), then Settings, then About Chrome. Click Extensions on the same Settings page to check the installed add-ons.Check password security Apple devices have their own Passwords app. Credit: Lifehacker Passwords can be a real security problem, whether it's forgetting them, having them hacked and leaked, or revealing them through clever phishing schemes. If your parents have their passwords sorted, that's a significant step towards keeping them and their accounts protected in the future.You know what's best for your own relatives, but ideally you want to get them to sign up to a password manager of some kind: This means everything gets safely secured, passwords won't be forgotten, and warnings will appear for passwords that are repeated or not strong enough (a good password manager will suggest strong passwords too).It's also important to have two-factor authentication enabled wherever it's offered (most digital accounts now support it). It adds a little bit of extra inconvenience when logging in to new devices, but it makes accounts much more secure, and protects against password leaks: Again, this is something that the best password managers can handle.