The group listed partial names of 66 victims and promised to share full names soon.

Im not buying a PS5 Pro in 2025 instead Im picking up a very long HDMI cable and a new GPU for my gaming PC.

The group listed partial names of 66 victims and promised to share full names soon.

Major European energy companies doubled down on oil and gas in 2024 to focus on near-term profits, slowing downand at times reversingclimate commitments in a shift that they are likely to stick with in 2025.The retrenchment by oil majors comes after governments around the world slowed the rollout of clean energy policies and delayed targets as energy costs soared following Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.Big European energy companies that had invested heavily in the clean energy transition found their share performance lagging U.S. rivals Exxon and Chevron, which had kept their focus on oil and gas.Against this backdrop, the likes of BP and Shell this year sharply slowed their plans to spend billions on wind and solar power projects and shifted spending to higher-margin oil and gas projects.BP, which had aimed for a 20-fold growth in renewable power this decade to 50 gigawatts, announced in December it would spin off almost all its offshore wind projects into a joint venture with Japanese power generator JERA.Shell, which once pledged to become the worlds largest electricity company, largely stopped investments in new offshore wind projects, exited power markets in Europe and China and weakened carbon reduction targets.Norways state-controlled Equinor also slowed spending on renewables.Geopolitical disruptions like the invasion of Ukraine have weakened CEO incentives to prioritise the low-carbon transition amid high oil prices and evolving investor expectations, Rohan Bowater, analyst at Accela Research, told Reuters. He said BP, Shell and Equinor reduced low-carbon spending by 8% in 2024.Shell told Reuters it remained committed to becoming a net zero emissions energy business by 2050 and continues to invest in the energy transition.Equinor said: The offshore wind segment has been through demanding times in the last couple of years due to inflation, cost increase, bottlenecks in the supply chain, and Equinor will continue to be selective and disciplined in our approach.BP did not respond to a request for comment.TOUGH CLIMATEThe oil companies retrenchment is bad news for efforts to mitigate climate change. Global heat-trapping carbon emissions are forecast to climb to a new high in 2024, which will be the warmest year on record.And 2025 is shaping up to be another tumultuous year for the $3 trillion energy sector, with climate-sceptic Donald Trump returning to the White House. China, the worlds biggest crude oil importer, is trying to revive its faltering economy, potentially boosting oil demand.Europe faces continued uncertainty over the war in Ukraine and political turmoil in Germany and France.All those tensions were laid bare at the annual United Nations climate conference in Baku in Azerbaijan in November, when the host countrys President Ilham Aliyev, hailed oil and gas as a gift from God.That summit yielded a global climate finance deal but disappointed climate advocates who had hoped governments would coalesce around a phase-out of oil, gas and coal.The energy companies will be watching to see if Trump follows through on promises to repeal President Joe Bidens landmark green energy policies, which have spurred investments in renewables across the United States.Trump has vowed to remove the United States from global climate efforts, and has appointed another climate sceptic, oil executive Chris Wright, as his energy secretary.OIL DEMANDThere are potential pitfalls in the energy majors renewed emphasis on oil and gas.Demand growth in China, which has driven global prices for two decades, is slowing, with growing signs that its gasoline and diesel consumption is plateauing.At the same time, OPEC and top oil producing allies have repeatedly delayed plans to unwind supply cuts as other countries, led by the United States, increase oil output.As a result, analysts expect oil companies to face tighter financial constraints next year. Net debt for the top five western oil giants is expected to rise to $148 billion in 2024 from $92 billion in 2022, based on LSEG estimates.Ron Bousso, Reuters

The data centers powering the AI industry are fueling higher levels of dangerous air pollution, according to new research. In a paper titled The Unpaid Toll: Quantifying the Public Health Impact of AI, scientists say this pollution could lead to up to 1,300 premature deaths each year by 2030. On top of that, the public health costsranging from treating cancer and asthma to covering missed work and school daysare estimated to be hitting around $20 billion annually.When we talk about the costs of AI, its often discussed in terms of electricity consumed, carbon released into the atmosphere, and water needed to operate massive data centers. While those costs are really important, they are not whats going to impact the local communities where data centers are being built, coauthor Adam Wierman, director of Information Science and Technology at Caltech, said in a statement.As AI becomes more deeply embedded in daily life, the resulting air pollution in the form of lung-penetrating fine particles and other federally regulated pollutants, including nitrogen oxides, is only expected to increase. By 2030 the public health burden is expected to be double that of the U.S. steelmaking industry, and could rival that of all the cars, buses, and trucks in California, the study projects.Recent Department of Energy estimates found that data center energy use is expected to either double or triple by 2028. Last year alone, data centers produced at least 106 million metric tons of emissionsrivaling those of the domestic commercial airline industry, which produces around 131 million metric tons of CO2 annually, according to MIT Technology Review.Take, for example, generating the electricity needed to train a large language model at the scale of Metas Llama-3.1, released in July this year. The air pollution produced would be equivalent to more than 10,000 round trips by car between Los Angeles and New York City, the report said.While AI isnt going anywhere, its important that the industry is held accountable for both environmental and public health impacts. The authors recommend that standards and methods be adopted that require tech companies to report the air pollution caused by their power consumption and backup generators, so that hidden costs can be counted for.

OpenAI, one of the worlds most valuable startups, originally began in 2015 as a nonprofit focused on AI research. But as the cost of achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI)AI that could surpass human intelligencesoars, the company is shifting gears to attract more funding. On December 26, OpenAI announced in a blog post that it plans to set up a public benefit corporation (PBC) for its commercial operations, while keeping its nonprofit arm focused on charitable initiatives.Key changes in structureThe proposed transformation will enable OpenAIs existing for-profit division to function as a Delaware PBC withordinary sharesof stock. This shift is designed to attract the substantial investments required for the companys ambitious projects. The hundreds of billions of dollars that major companies are now investing into AI development show what it will really take for OpenAI to continue pursuing the mission, OpenAIs boardexplained. They emphasized the need for conventional equity to secure funding at this scale.OpenAIs latest$6.6 billion fundinground at a valuation of $157 billion hinged on whether the company could restructure its corporate model to remove a profit cap for investors. The board highlighted the importance of aligning its structure to sustain both its nonprofit goals and the for-profit capital needed to advance AI technologies.The nonprofit arm will retain a significant stake in the PBC, with its valuation determined by independent financial advisors. This structure aims to balance OpenAIs mission-driven goals with the flexibility toraise capital effectively.Financial landscape and market positionOpenAI has experienced exponential growth, achieving the$157 billion valuationwithin two years of launching its groundbreaking chatbot, ChatGPT. RecentMcKinsey researchsuggests that generative AI could contribute between $2.6 trillion and $4.4 trillion annually to the global economy, reflecting the immense potential of AI technologies.But despite generating $3.7 billion in revenue this year, OpenAI anticipates losses of$5 billion, underscoring the need for additional capital to sustain its trajectory.

Power strips or extension cords are no longer foreign sights in public spaces and homes. Its almost as if the architecture of buildings and houses hasnt caught up with modern times, neglecting the growing need for accessible power outlets. Then again, some establishments intentionally limit those sources of power as deterrents to loitering and lounging that deprive customers of space and businesses of added income.As common as they may be, the design of power strips hasnt exactly changed that much over the past years. Aside from designs that include individual switches and fuses per socket, the dominant power strip design has remained the same uninspiring white box as it has been for decades. It is useful but not particularly pleasing. This concept design tries to give the power strip a facelift to turn it into a simple yet eye-catching display that makes every use feel more alive and engaging.Designer: PTPCThese days, there are many modern designs that try to inject a bit of life into gadgets and appliances by adding AI and displays to their feature lists. While those definitely upgrade the experience, they are not the only methods available to change the formula. There are plenty of other ways to make a design look more interesting, one that doesnt need anything more than a play of light and shadow.The Lightbox Power Strip, as the name pretty much states, is a combination of a three-socket power strip and a small lightbox. The idea is pretty simple, with the box providing not only power but also a pleasant sight that contrasts with the potential mess of cables coming out from the top of the rather large box. That source of fun and entertainment comes from the light shining inside and out through translucent plates that give character to an otherwise boring piece of equipment.The translucent plate with prints and stickers slides in and out of the body, hiding behind a ridged plastic surface that adds visual texture to the design. A knob on top of the box controls the light color and intensity, allowing the owner to mix and match images and colors to their whims. Its a simple, low-tech design that adds a bit of vibrancy to a mundane object that we use almost mindlessly every day.Having only three sockets is admittedly a bit limiting, even with USB ports on the side. The bulk of the Lightbox Power Strip also makes it impossible to carry around with you, limiting its use to your house or semi-permanent locations. Nevertheless, it could be a source of attraction and interest, further fanning the flames of power outlet wars.The post Power strip and lightbox concept makes charging feel a bit more fun first appeared on Yanko Design.

The lowest price on Apple's iPad mini 7 can be found at B&H and Amazon, with both retailers running a limited-time deal on the 256GB model.Save $70 on Apple's iPad mini 7 with 256GB capacity.The 256GB iPad mini 7 in Space Gray can be snapped up for $529 at B&H and Amazon today, with both retailers knocking $70 off Apple's MSRP on the Wi-Fi model.Get 256GB iPad mini 7 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

As part of Archinect In-Depth: Visualization, Niall Patrick Walsh explored the impact of two influential schools of architecture, the cole des Beaux-Arts and the Bauhaus "both of which dramatically impacted architectural visualization in ways that continue to resonate today." In response Eamez argued "Bauhaus and early modernism still carried much of the same ethos from Beaux-Arts -- human proportions, rationalism, monumentality. If anything, it was carrying humanism into dialogue with new machine and industrial processes, including glass, steel, elevators and automobiles. Which is why classic modernism is always so much better than what follows."Left: A Beaux-Arts period architectural perspective (anonymous, 18th century). Right: A drawing by Lszl Moholy-Nagy from 1919, who would join the Bauhaus as an instructor in 1923.Plus, there were 11 takeaways from the 2024 Mental Health Survey Results. One that jumped out at me was that "48% of survey respondents told us that the COVID...

A new whiskey bar concept in Shanxi Province from the French Beijing-based studio JSPA Design has gotten our attention following the projects completion earlier this year.Photo credit: Liu XinghaoThe space was made out of the former two-story podium for the building that is occupied above by an apartment complex. A new facade was enacted made with cast-in-place concrete panels while interaction with the street and city is further enabled by installing operable folding windows and a concrete bench usable on either side.Photo credit: Liu XinghaoPhoto credit: Liu XinghaoPhoto credit: Liu XinghaoThe repetition of a concrete arch grants a further recognizable character to the space using the existing architecture of the building as a kind of identity. On the second floor, the notion of intimacy is predominant and created via a series of three small alcoves which are again covered by a cast-in arch that conceals small benches and a fireplace while offering views of a feature "showcas...