LG just unveiled its latest microwave ahead of CES 2025. The LG Signature model features a 27-inch FHD display. We can finally watch stuff during the 90 seconds it takes popcorn to pop. Let us never be without screens!This is a touchscreen display thats being described as an immersive entertainment experience right in the kitchen. The microwave also connects to Wi-Fi, for streaming content, and has built-in speakers. We dont know what OS it runs on or if it can access every streaming platform out there. Traditional LG smart TVs run webOS, so maybe the same is true here.The company has also remained mum as to whether this screen is ad-supported or not. Putting a bunch of ads right in the kitchen sure sounds like something a boardroom of execs would salivate over. LG already shows full-screen ads on many of its televisions when they are idle.The touchscreen does integrate with LGs ThinQ Smart Home Dashboard, which allows control over compatible Matter and Thread devices. It can also pair with the companys induction range oven to display cooking progress metrics, thus eliminating the need to bend down and check the oven manually. What a scourge, all of that bending down.LG hasnt revealed pricing or availability for this snazzy new appliance. Its likely well learn more when CES 2025 starts in earnest on January 7. Well be there and will report back as to what it feels like to watch Arcane while standing in front a microwave.LGThe company is in love with screens right now. It also announced a new refrigerator with an OLED display and a washer/dryer with an LCD. Im all for increased entertainment options but, uh, what happens when those displays break? It seems like buttons and knobs would be easier to repair or replace than a giant touchscreen.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/lg-slapped-a-27-inch-touchscreen-on-its-latest-microwave-162736550.html?src=rss

A new set of US government requirements aims to tighten cybersecurity after multiple recent attacks.

It comes a day after the former president passed away at 100

Atos says its been warned of a potential ransomware attack, but there has been no concrete evidence so far.

The U.S. faces a potential surge in COVID-19 casesa wave, the 10th since the pandemic began, that experts say could take many by surprise due to its silent nature.Unlike previous years, where winter waves began in November, this years surge has started later. Wastewater surveillance data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals a sharp increase in viral activity. As of December 21, SARS-CoV-2 levels are classified as high or very high in 28 states.Michael Hoerger, a public health expert at Tulane University, describes this phenomenon as silent transmission, noting that many are unaware of the rising risk due to low activity levels earlier this fall. Theres a good chance that a lot of people are going to get sick in the next couple of weeks and be unaware of it. Most people are not tracking CDC data, and so their only way of knowing whether were in a wave is if theyve gotten sick, he told TODAY.com.Wastewater data and regional trendsThe CDC has shifted its focus from tracking individual cases to monitoring wastewater, test positivity rates, and emergency department visits. Recent data shows:COVID-19 levels in wastewater have risen nationally, increasing from low in November to high by late December.States with very high activity include Arizona, Kentucky, and Massachusetts, among others.Test positivity rates stand at 7.5%, up nearly 2% from the previous week.Symptoms and current variantsThe dominant variants circulating, including XEC and KP.3.1.1, are highly transmissible but generally cause mild symptoms. Common symptoms include:Sore throatCongestionFatigueCoughFever or chillsDespite their mild nature, infections can still lead to severe outcomes, particularly for high-risk individuals, and contribute to the ongoing challenge of long COVID-19.Vaccination and preventionThe CDC recommends the updated COVID-19 vaccine, which targets the KP.2 variant. This vaccine is expected to provide strong protection, though uptake remains low, with only 21% of U.S. adults vaccinated.To mitigate the spread, health officials advise:Staying up to date on vaccinations.Testing for COVID-19 if symptomatic or exposed.Masking in crowded indoor settings.Staying home when unwell.

The German government accused U.S. billionaire Elon Musk on Monday of trying to influence its election due in February with articles supporting the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, even though it suggested they amounted to nonsense.Musk, who is set to serve Donald Trumps new administration as an outside adviser, endorsed the AfD as Germanys last hope in a guest opinion piece for the Welt am Sonntag newspaper that prompted the commentary editor to resign in protest.It is indeed the case that Elon Musk is trying to influence the federal election with X posts and the opinion piece, a German government spokesperson said.Musk is free to express his opinion, the spokesperson said, adding: After all, freedom of opinion also covers the greatest nonsense.Musk, the worlds richest person, has defended his right to weigh in on German politics because of his significant investments, and has praised the AfDs approach to regulation, taxes and market deregulation.His intervention has come as Germans prepare to vote in a parliamentary election on Feb. 23 after the collapse of the coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Musk also called for Scholzs resignation after a car rammed into a crowd at a Christmas market on Dec. 20, killing five people.The AfD is currently in second place in opinion polls behind the main opposition conservatives, and might be able to thwart a centre-right or centre-left majority in the election. Germanys mainstream parties have pledged not to work with the AfD at the national level.The government spokesperson said Musks endorsement of the AfD was a recommendation to vote for a party that is being monitored (by domestic intelligence) on suspicion of being right-wing extremist and which has already been recognised as partly right-wing extremist.German politicians have excoriated Musk for his endorsement of the AfD, with the co-leader of Scholzs Social Democrats (SPD) comparing him to Russian President Vladimir Putin.Both want to influence our elections and specifically support the AfDs enemies of democracy. They want Germany to be weakened and plunged into chaos, Lars Klingbeil told the Funke news group on Monday.Friedrich Merz, leader of the opposition Christian Democrats and current favourite to succeed Scholz as chancellor, told Funke that Musks comments were intrusive and pretentious.Friederike Heine, Reuters

A popular soda of the 1980s and 90s is set to make a grand reentrance.Jolt, which had double the caffeine of other colas, will return to stores in 2025but now, as an energy drink. The soda was removed from shelves after its founders filed for bankruptcy in 2009, due to dwindling sales. Then in 2017, Jolt Cola was briefly resurrected, appearing on shelves at Dollar General stores. Not managing to regain enough of a following, the chain stopped selling it in 2019.Jolt 2.0 never caught on, in part, due to health concerns consumers had about high-caffeine drinks, especially for children. However, energy drinks have surged in popularity in recent years. From 2018 to 2023, energy drink sales grew by 73%. Given the boost, the new Jolt owners believe it stands a fighting change.Aaron Singerman, who grew up in the 80s, is the founder of Redcon1, the supplements-and-energy-drink company reprising Jolt. He previously told MarketingDive that as a kid, he wasnt allowed to drink Jolt Cola. But now, the entrepreneur appears to be leaning into the high-caffeine aspect of the soda, as it will now be marketed as an energy drink. Though Singerman reportedly is figuring people wont be thinking about the energy factor of the new Jolt, consumers trying it are more than likely to feel it. Jolt will contain nearly three times the caffeine of its previous incarnation, jumping from 71 milligrams to 200 milligrams. The serving size is increasing from 12 ounces to 16 ounces, and sucralose is replacing sugar as its sweetener.Jolt will hit the market in early 2025. Its reentry comes after concerns around the safety of energy drinks have escalated in recent years. Researchers at Mayo Clinic found that consumption of energy drinks is linked to cardiac arrhythmia in patients with genetic heart disease. And multiple lawsuits have been launched against Panera Bread alleging that deaths were due to cardiac arrest from consumption of the restaurants highly caffeinated lemonade. Panera settled one of the suits in 2024.Still, when it comes to energy drinks, there is a clear demand, as sales of the global energy drink market is growing. The same goes for products that remind us of our childhood. To the older audience like us, we remember when we werent allowed to have it. So that has that nostalgia play, Ryan Monahan, Redcon1s chief marketing officer, told MarketingDive. And though Monahan said Redcon1 doesnt intend to target Jolt to those under 21, some company execs expect Gen Z, a demographic thats a big user of energy drinks, to show an interest. Theyre kind of reimagining these older types of experiences or brands or products in a new way.

Canadian studio HCMA has completed an aquatic and community centre in British Columbia that is the country's first zero-carbon certified building.The tmsewtx Aquatic and Community Centre opened in 2024, providing a 10,684-square metre (114,571-square foot) public athletic space for people of all abilities in the city of New Westminster.HCMA has completed an aquatic and community centre in British ColumbiaLocated on the site of the former Glenbrook Ravine headwaters that were lost to development, the architecture studio wanted to "reconcile" the "lost historical landscape", allowing people to reengage with it."tmsewtx aims to make a strong, civic statement while being sensitive to the natural environment and human-scale experience. Our goal was to design a building that would both integrate with its historical context and be a source of pride for the community," Vancouer-based HCMA told Dezeen.The building features a slanted roof made of iron ore standing-seam metalThe design of tmsewtx the name was chosen by a panel of Indigenous community members and means "sea otter house" was guided by a two-year public engagement process involving over 3,000 people from different multicultural groups.The building was rotated diagonally off the orthogonal street grid in order to align with the ravine's topographical line and reconnect the northern headwaters to the southern ravine in a public plaza and rain garden on the south side of the site in addition to allowing for the continued use of two neighbouring buildings during construction.The centre is Canada's first all-electric, zero-carbon-certified buildingThe ceremonial southern plaza allows visitors to arrive via a series of bridges through dense vegetation and are welcomed by a Miyiwts sculpture by Squamish Nation artist James Harry, while the urban northern plaza encourages informal gatherings and allows indoor programming to flow outside.The stair-stacked facade is composed of floor-to-ceiling glass that separates perpendicular walls made of scalloped off-white precast concrete and topped with a striking slanted roof made of iron ore standing-seam metal.Read: Project Mingde uses "cascading" roofs on Chinese nursery to recycle rainfall"The stepped, modulated elevation achieves a human scale where the building touches the ground, anchoring it into the re-established ravine space, while the strong black roof unifies the diverse program elements into a singular form," the team said.The two plazas are connected by a large glazed lobby that divides the paid programming areas from the free access zones and features a monumental free-floating, helical staircase.The lobby features a free-floating spiral staircaseThe eastern half of the building holds the aquatic spaces an eight-lane competition lap pool with dive platforms, a leisure pool with a lazy river, two hot tubs, and sauna and steam rooms in addition to changing rooms and service spaces.Meanwhile, the western half of the building contains two gymnasia, multi-purpose spaces, childcare, tenant spaces, and offices.Selected for their high performance in damp aquatic environments, "mass timber and wood elements introduce an organic, variegated expression that warms and calms spaces, connecting them to the outdoor environment that surrounds the building."Mass timber and wood elements were used in the interiorsThe black metal roof transitions to an exposed wooden structure and off-white and glossy blue tiles bounce light around the space.Aquatic centres are some of the worst offenders when it comes to energy use and carbon emissions. Its time to change the paradigm," HCMA principal Paul Fast told Dezeen.The building is topped with a photovoltaic array that produces five per cent of the centre's annual operating energy the rest is supplied through electric systems and passive daylighting strategies.Its zero-carbon certification was dispensed by the Canada Green Building Council.The black metal roof transitions to an exposed wooden structureIn addition to being Canada's first all-electric facility, tmsewtx is also the first to use a gravity-fed InBlue filtration system, reducing chlorine usage and associated harmful byproducts in favour of improved air and water quality.Previously, HCMA embedded "Indigenous design principles" in student housing in Terrace, British Columbia and teamed up with Saucier + Perrotte to create a crystalline soccer stadium that references the mining landscape of Montreal.The photography is by Nic Lehoux.Project credits:Architect: HCMA Architecture and DesignArchitectural Firm Project Team: Paul Fast, Darryl Condon, Alexandra Kenyon, Ian McLean, Maeve Counihan, Rob Wilson, Michael Dimock, Elena Bushell, Katherine Mathers, Nicole Laguit, Rebecca Holt, Jason Burtwistle, Zina Berrada, Natalia Mulekova, Marni Robinson, Fiona Jones, Amanda Klassen, Alice Rooney, Maianne Capellan, Judy BauStructural: Fast + EppMechanical: AMEElectrical: AES EngineeringLandscape: PFS StudioCost: Ross TempletonCivil: Aplin & MartinAcoustic: RWDIWayfinding + Signage: HCMAPublic Art: James HarryProject Manager: Turnbull ConstructionContractor: Heatherbrae BuildersThe post HCMA designs all-electric aquatic center in British Columbia appeared first on Dezeen.

Our ancient ancestors may not have lived in modern comfort, but the legacy they left behind continues to inspire and even drive our own endeavors today. Even with the advancements in manufacturing and materials, the ideas and even the methods used by previous civilizations serve as a springboard for modern artworks and products, demonstrating the lasting power of great craftsmanship and designs. Even something as practically useless today as amphorae can become figurative vessels of delight and wonder, especially when interpreted in a uniquely different way.These designs, for example, have a loose similarity to those ancient Roman vases and jugs, but their fluorescent colors and moss-like surface give them an other-worldly appearance. Coupled with their slightly distorted forms that make them look almost organic, these PVC-coated objects connect past and present in a surreal way, as if these objects were taken by aliens and transformed into their own image and likeness.Designer: Maxwell MustardoAmphorae were critical tools during ancient times, used to carry valuable liquids like oil and wine or used for storing grain. They were so important in peoples daily lives that they were alternatively used as units of measurement much like todays cups and gallons. Elaborately painted amphorae were also used for funerary purposes, either as grave markers or as containers for ashes, the ancient predecessors of modern urns.Of course, we now have better ways to store perishable goods, but the distinctive beauty of these neck-handled vases is not something that can be easily dismissed. To our modern tastes, they seem to have come from an entirely different world, so its not that uncommon to see these reinterpreted exactly like that. Adding some luminous rods has given some amphorae a futuristic glow, literally and figuratively, but a different treatment takes the design in an entirely new direction thats truly out of this world.Mixing stoneware clay with modern production techniques, these Anthropophorae look almost alive, albeit frozen in time or petrified. Using sandblasting and wet exfoliation, the ceramic material receives a rough, moss-like texture that looks almost organic. Layers of PVC coating give it an almost glossy sheen that, together with a unique choice of color pigments, makes the objects seem to glow even without any internal light source.The Anthropophorae collection is both mystical and alien, distorting familiar designs and reshaping them into something not only new but also strange. It combines the craftsmanship of the ancient past with the techniques and materials of the present, creating a new language that has roots in humanitys rich history.The post Fuzzy glowing vessels give ancient ceramics an eerie alien character first appeared on Yanko Design.

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