Richard Cytowic is a neurologist, neuropsychologist, and textbook writer. He specializes in metacognition. He is a professor of Neurology at George Washington University. HisNew York Times Magazinecover story about the Presidential Press Secretary James Brady received a 1982 Pulitzer Prize nomination.Human brains are products of the Stone Age, and the sensory overload of Digital Age life threatens the natural, optimal functioning of that fundamental biology. Richard Cytowic, an award-winning neurologist, explains why our brains struggle to thrive amid the mass of new addictive technologies and how our modern screen habits are of incredible detriment to happiness and performance. Fortunately, science holds the possibility of how to break the curse digital devices have cast over our lives.Below, Cytowic shares five key insights from his new book,Your Stone Age Brain in the Screen Age.Listen to the audio versionread by Cytowic himselfin the Next Big Idea App.1. The brain operates within fixed energy limits.I use the term StoneAge because modern brains are no different from those of our distant ancestors. They have not evolved, whereas technology has grown exponentially. I focus on digital distractions and the detrimental effects of phones and screens on our minds. Attention spans have gone to hell. People say, Im addicted to my phone, then spend hours scrolling through TikTok or Instagram, unable to cut back no matter how much they say they want to. People wrongly look at the issue as a matter of external forces rather than from the brains perspective.I also think in engineering terms: What does it cost in energy to perform a certain action or think a certain thing? No amount of diet, exercise, or Sudoku puzzles can increase available energy. Willpower and a pot of coffee are, likewise, useless. If we cant overcome the brains inherent energy limits, then we need to work with what we have. The idea that planks and Pilates can boost brain power is a fantasy.The biological brain is an energy hog. It accounts for only 2% of body weight yet consumes 20% of the daily calories we burn. Most go towards maintaining physical structures by pumping sodium and potassium ions across membranes. There is precious little left over for mental work.Thats why were so awful at multitasking and coping with sensory overload. An overload of working memory is the reason behind the Oscar fiasco in which presenters were handed the wrong envelope for Best Picture. The culprit was tweeting about Emma Stone at the very moment he should have been cueing up the next envelope. Your attention cannot hold two things at once.2. Peoples appetite for mental garbage.People obsess over what they put in their bodies: organic, vegan, gluten-free, no artificial colorings. Why arent they as picky about what they take in through the senses? The mental garbage we ingest is arguably more harmful than an occasional cheeseburger and fries. Some individuals fast for health or religious reasons. What if it were possible to indulge in asensory fastfor a dayor even an hourfree from texts, tweets, videos, emails, and other digital junk food?Our brains did not evolve to crave constant stimulation; they crave facetoface social engagement. To a baby, nothing is more fascinating than a human face. They lock onto it, follow it, and smile as their pupils dilate. Every parent and grandparent knows this. So why do we block our real faces from one another with mediated images on phones and tablets?Thousands of likes, follows, and online acquaintances are nothing compared to an intimate connection with the person sitting next to us. Weve all seen people gathered around, each staring alone into their cellphones, failing to engage with the person a foot away. Is it any wonder why there is an epidemic of loneliness?3. Screens induce virtual autism.Virtual autism is the development of autistic-like behaviors in otherwise normal youngsters who are exposed to heavy amounts of screen media, especially gaming. The term virtual autism was introduced in 2018 by psychiatrist Marius Teodor Zamfir, who studied children exposed to prolonged screen time. Though behaviorsmimicthose of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)avoiding eye contact, social withdrawal, delayed language, and reduced imaginative playthese children typically recover once screen time is drastically reduced or eliminated.Young brains are malleable and molded by whatever environment they are exposed to. Critical windows, particularly during the first two years of life, are essential for growing connections in brain areas responsible for vision, language, and social cognition. Screens interfere with this natural development by reinforcing pathways that prioritize sensory gratificationsuch as rapid sequences of sights and soundsat the expense of those for social and emotional intelligence, empathy, and imagination.4. Screens act like secondhand smoke.Just as we learned to shield ourselves from cigarette fumes, we can guard against unwanted screen exposure. Monitors play cooking shows while youre on the treadmill. Advertisements beckon in subway stations and bus shelters. Can you remember when those used to be quiet spaces where you could be alone with your thoughts? You probably cant. Trying not to look is hard if not impossible. You may have an hour to kill at the airport, but a monitor in the lounge blasts out the latest news as if the updates on the bottom crawl were something you couldnt live without knowingright now. It seizes your attention like a moth to a flame and holds it. Screens demand to be looked at.We can reclaim our attention, but it takes effort. Screens will always be proliferating. We can learn, however, to coexist with them by establishing screen-free zones and socializing facetoface more often with others. We can set boundaries for when and where we use our devices, who we let text us, and what companies we allow to send us push notifications. It is easier said than done, but you must begin somewhere. The strongest thing you can do is begin and keep at it.5. iPads are the worst babysitter and a form of child abuse.We once lived in a slow-paced, natural world of green environments. Resources our ancestors once fought for now overwhelm us. Todays technology, promised to enrich our lives, has been crafted to hold users attention as long as possible. There are only 1,440 minutes in a day, and tech companies fight ruthlessly for our eyeballs, making it hard to disengage.Hook an infant on an iPad, and you have a customer for life. Exasperated parents may say theyre the only thing that keeps kids quiet, but the iPad is the worst babysitter ever. Shoving one in front of a youngster or dangling it over a bassinet is a form of child abuse, in my opinion, because doing so blocks the development of their central vision. Normal vision is 20/20; a newborns acuity is 20/400. Color vision becomes functional around four to six months, as do other networks for decoding the perceptual complexity of movement.Despite their underdeveloped vision, newborns are astute social creatures: locking onto an adults dilated pupils is a common sign of interest and pleasure that makes them smile. iPads interfere with this natural development. Screen characters dont talkwitha child but ratheratthem. They provide none of the emotional, social, and linguistic cues that pour forth when a child interacts with a real parent or grandparent.Critical windows within the first two years exist for the growth of brain areas responsible for vision, language, and emotional intelligence, including Theory of Mind, which entails learning how to read othersa skill that develops long before we learn to speak. Screens interfere with the natural maturation sequence by reinforcing pathways that prioritize immediate sensory gratification over pathways destined for this kind of emotional intelligence.This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission.

So you woke up on Christmas morning to a new Mac. Perhaps its the miraculous M4 Mac mini, or maybe its the stunning M4 Pro MacBook Pro complete with the nano texture display. No matter which Mac you unwrapped, youre probably itching to try out some new apps and games to see what that new computer can do.Here are six of our current favorites, which you might want to try.Pixelmator ProEver since its inaugural release seven years ago, Pixelmator Pro has felt like the Adobe Photoshop competitor we all wish Apple itself would create. It is hands down one of the best image editors ever on any platform and is one of the few professional graphics and photo editors that dont require a subscription.The app easily goes head-to-head with Photoshop, and generally beats it in terms of ease-of-use and design. If you plan to do any kind of graphics editing on your new Mac, Pixelmator Pro is a must-have. The app is so good that Apple has announced its intention to acquire it, subject to regulatory approval.Pixelmator Pro is currently $49.99 on the Mac App Store.TimeStoryFew Mac apps show as much attention to detail as TimeStory, which helps you create visual and detailed timelines. It is one of the best Mac apps Ive discovered in years and one that is useful in so many environments, including education, business, and the home.With TimeStory, teachers and students can create richly detailed timelines to help convey, for example, the succession of notable events throughout history for use in the classroom or school reports. The app is also helpful for roadmapping business projects for the future. Its also incredibly useful for those who want to chart personal details, like family histories. But perhaps its best quality is its easy-to-use interface with simple click and drag-and-drop functionality.TimeStory is currently $49.99 on the Mac App Store.CleanMyMacCleanMyMac is often referred to as the utility that Apple forgot. The app is packed with tools that helps optimize your Macs performance, manage your files, and even protect against increasing malware threats. CleanMyMac is made by MacPaw, one of the best developers of third-party utility apps for macOS.CleanMyMac has been around for over a decade, but this year, it got a radical design overhaul that makes managing your Macs care easier than ever. Some of my favorite tools in the app are the one that helps find gigabytes of unneeded junk files (so that you can reclaim storage space), the built-in malware protection provided by Moonlock, and the one that helps manage app updates and uninstallations.CleanMyMac is a free download on the Mac App Store. A yearly subscription currently costs $39.99, or the app offers a one-time purchase option for $119.99.Prince of Persia: Lost CrownThanks to the power of Apple Silicon chips, the Mac is increasingly drawing big-name game developers to the platform. The most recent major game developer to bring a headline title to the Mac is Ubisoft, which just released its new Prince of Persia: Lost Crown action-adventure game for macOS.Prince of Persia: Lost Crown is a beautiful side scroller that lets users play in the shoes of Sargon, who can master mystical powers, leading to some really fun and clever game mechanics. If you love platformers, puzzles, and great art direction, Prince of Persia: Lost Crown is the perfect game for your new Mac.Prince of Persia: Lost Crown is currently $19.99 on the Mac App Store.PRIMSome people like action-packed games like Prince of Persia. Others enjoy games driven by a strong narrative. If youre in the latter group, you need to check out PRIM. In the point-and-click game, Death finds out he has a daughter, Prim. She goes to live with him, and upon turning 16, Prim finds out she has powers of her own.PRIMs black-and-white visuals are stunning. Its a look that couldnt be more apropos for a game about Death and his offspring. In addition to hand-painted graphics and an emotional story, PRIM also features a terrific orchestral score.PRIM is currently $17.99 on the Mac App Store.The WereCleanerIf youre looking for a relaxing, cute, and . . . bloody game, you should check out The WereCleaner. Yes, its just as the name suggests: You play a night-shift janitor who turns into a werewolf but still needs to do his job so he can pay the rent. That job is to clean up the mess people make in the officebut sometimes your werewolf urges cant stop you from devouring those same peopleleaving you a bigger mess to take care of.The WereCleaner is a game that is part stealth, part strategy, part comedyand tons of fun. And its one of those games you can play in short bursts, returning to it whenever you need a little downtime with your new Mac.The WereCleaner is currently free on the Mac App Store.

As we move into 2025, the fitness industry continues to innovate, offering equipment that helps you achieve your fitness goals and seamlessly integrates into your home environment. Whether you want to build strength, improve flexibility, or enhance cardiovascular health, these top five exercise equipment will help you stay on track.These designs offer a range of innovative features and benefits to help you achieve your 2025 fitness goals. If youre getting into the fitness zone, then these products are definitely worthy of consideration for anyone looking to enhance their health and well-being in the coming year.1. Tempo MoveTempo Move is more than just an exercise assistant; its a revolution in home fitness design. This compact home gym is crafted to blend effortlessly with your living room furniture, eliminating the need for a separate gym space or frequent trips to the storeroom. With a sublime blend of materials, colors, and finishes, Tempo Move transforms your living area into a sophisticated home gym.The equipment discreetly hides behind a fabric cabinet, while the top features an iPhone dock compatible with iPhone XR and upwards. By connecting to any large-screen TV, Tempo Move allows you to follow exercise routines and receive real-time coaching from trainers.Why is it noteworthy?Unlike traditional gym setups, its elegant design ensures it doesnt disrupt your living spaces aesthetic. The ability to connect to a TV via HDMI enhances the workout experience, allowing users to follow along with trainers on a large screen. This innovative approach not only makes fitness more accessible but also encourages consistent workouts by eliminating common barriers like space and inconvenience.What we likeBlends with home decor, making it an unobtrusive addition to your living space.Connects to a TV for an immersive workout experience with trainer guidance.What we dislikeLimited to newer models, potentially excluding users with older devices.Although compact, it still requires a dedicated space in the living room.2. RitFit BUFFALO Multifunctional Smith MachineCalled the RitFit Buffalo Multifunctional Smith Machine this one-of-a-kind machine is designed to provide fitness enthusiasts with a comprehensive workout experience at home. It merges convenience and functionality, converting your home into a dynamic fitness hub. You can add this machine to your home gym setup, thereby improving your strength training routine.The machine saves space while improving and elevating the quality of your workouts. It offers you a whole bunch of different exercise options, allowing you to smash your fitness goals. It merges a Smith machine, lat pull-down, and cable crossover, and will provide a workout that hits every major muscle group with precision. The machine is versatile, ensuring your workout is dynamic and effective.Click Here to Buy Now: 2,379.99$2,699.99 ($320 off, use coupon code RFBC-320). Hurry, the deal ends in 48 hours!Why is it noteworthy?The Buffalo Multifunctional Smith Machine features a multifunctional pull-up bar with enhanced grip material that adds a layer of utility. It allows you to perform wide, narrow, neutral, and reverse grip pull-ups, ensuring the different muscle groups are efficiently targeted. It also includes enhanced grip material for comfort, ensuring your workouts are challenging, enjoyable, and interesting. It boasts a dual-sided design, integrating a Smith Machine, power rack, and functional trainer.What we likeEquipped with 14 adjustable settings and a 2:1 pulley ratio.Ideal for family and group workouts as well.What we dislikeEven though it is multifunctional, eliminating the need for multiple machines, it will occupy some space in your home.3. IKEA DAJLIEN CollectionCalled the DAJLIEN collection, this pastel-colored collection by IKEA includes a range of versatile and compact exercise and fitness gear designed to complement your exercise routine. It includes 19 pieces, and this collection offers everything from ring-shaped dumbbells and exercise mats to step-up boards, all in a harmonious blend of subtle green, yellow, and white hues.These items can be easily stacked away when not in use, maintaining the aesthetic of your home. The collection also includes unique items like an air purifier, slippers, two distinct ponchos, a portable waterproof Bluetooth speaker for post-workout sessions, kneepads, yoga straps, and more for recovery.Why is it noteworthy?It can seamlessly integrate fitness into everyday life without compromising on style. The pastel hues allow the equipment to blend naturally with home decor, making it less obtrusive than traditional gym gear. This collection also emphasizes the importance of recovery and stress relief, offering accessories that cater to holistic well-being.What we likeOffers a wide range of equipment that can be easily stored, ideal for small spaces.Includes recovery and stress relief gear, promoting overall well-being.What we dislikeLacks advanced features found in more specialized fitness equipment.Some items may not withstand intense or prolonged use.4. Handy GymDubbedthe Handy Gym, this revolutionary flywheel device is designed for professional training. It is a compact and portable solution for effective and dynamic workouts. It weighs only two pounds and uses inertial technology to offer efficient eccentric training. The device is ideal for elite athletes, physiotherapists, and personal trainers.It includes an array of accessories, allowing users to perform up to 200 different exercises targeting all muscle groups. With its mobile app, users can access exercise videos and descriptions, and if equipped with an encoder, receive real-time statistics of their physical activity.Why is it noteworthy?The Handy Gym utilizes cutting-edge inertial technology to deliver a high-quality training experience, reducing the need for heavy weights. Its compact design is ideal for diverse fitness levels and goals. The accompanying app enhances the user experience by providing guided workouts and tracking progress, making it an ideal tool for those seeking flexibility and convenience in their fitness routine.What we likeThe lightweight design allows for easy transport and a wide variety of exercises.Inertial resistance provides effective training without traditional weights.What we dislikeMay require time to understand and master the use of inertial technology.Full functionality depends on the use of included accessories and apps.5. AROUNDThe AROUND spinning bike concept presents a softer and more approachable design compared to traditional exercise bikes. Its light gray color and flywheel body design make it an ideal addition to home environments, whether in the living room or bedroom. It draws inspiration from mollusks and portable water purifiers.It features a unique tuyere-like handle that provides a gentle breeze as you spin, simulating outdoor biking. A small monitor on the handle allows users to watch videos or track statistics like heart rate, speed, and calories burned, enhancing the indoor cycling experience.Why is it noteworthy?AROUND redefines the traditional spinning bike by prioritizing aesthetics and user experience. Its approachable design encourages more people to incorporate cycling into their fitness routines, while the innovative handle design adds a refreshing element to workouts. The built-in monitor enhances engagement by allowing users to watch content or track progress.What we likeSoft colors and unique features make it inviting for home use.Allows for entertainment and progress tracking during workouts.What we dislikeAs a concept, availability and final specifications may vary.This may lack advanced functionalities found in high-end spinning bikes.The post Top 5 Exercise Equipment To Achieve Your 2025 Fitness Goals first appeared on Yanko Design.

From auction sales to the public backlash and tantrums over copyright, AI art made a lot of headlines in 2024.

Tips on the open source app in a professional shop.

As part of Archinect's 2024 Year in Review series, we're recalling some of the highlights of our academic coverage from architecture schools across the country and beyond. This year, we published important conversations with academic leaders about AI application in education, architectures role in climate change, and schools' impact on local communities.Leading Voices at Architecture and Design Schools(L-R): SCI-Arc Program Chairs Kristy Balliet, Marcelyn Gow, Elena Manferdini, David RuyAI, Climate, and Advice for the Next Generation: Watch Our Roundtable with SCI-Arc Program ChairsArchinect hosted an insightful roundtable with four program chairs from SCI-Arc, diving into architectures most pressing questions. The discussion tackled AIs impact on the profession, architectures role in climate change, overlooked issues, and advice for the next generation. The conversation offers valuable perspectives on education, practice, and the future of the field. Explore the thought-prov...

This post is brought to you by Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)At the intersection of architecture, conservation, and design, Interior Architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) takes an innovative approach to the reuse and transformation of existing buildings. The program explores how the built environment can be reimagined and how new experiences can be introduced to the spaces we inhabit.MA Adaptive Reuse Spring Studio collective installation Redwood Library, Newport, RI Prof. Wolfgang Rudorf, Lee BoronsonThe one-year+ Master of Arts (MA) in Adaptive Reuse at RISD offers a post-professional, intensive curriculum focused on the creative reuse and transformation of existing buildings. The program emphasizes adaptive reuse as a sustainable practice, integrating architectural, historical, and cultural values into the design process. Students learn to repurpose old or underutilized structures for new purposeswhether residential, commercial, or culturalwhile ad...

This holiday season is the swan song for the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo told us as much when it said a long-awaited Switch successor would be announced by April 2025. But Nintendo thankfully didnt get a case of senioritis as it looks to graduate to a Switch sequel, as 2024 had a litany of excellent titles come to the nearly eight-year-old console. So were taking a little look back at some of our favorite games on the Switch for 2024. One of the great things about this years offering of Switch titles is that they all should work on the follow-up to the Switch since Nintendo confirmed its next generation will be backward-compatible. (And hopefully any performance issues of games on the current Switch will be resolved when playing them on the next model, if were so lucky.)We all have to remain patient as we continue to wait for the Switchs successor, but these games are without a doubt worthy of playing during your current Nintendo consoles final months in the limelight. Image: PlaystackI know there are a handful of us on staff for which Balatro was our personal Game of the Year, and I dont think any of us are gamblers or big fans of poker. Thats the beauty of this indie roguelike; you dont have to be a stan of card games or know a thing about poker to enjoy its unique dopamine rush. From the music and sound effects to the lo-fi visuals, Balatro hits all the right notes to sink in its hooks and lock you in. Youre likely to find yourself muttering just one more run many times over. Next thing you know, its 3AM and the baby will be up in just a few hours or perhaps that last part is just me. Image: NintendoPrincess Zelda finally got her own game, allowing you to play as her full time in a Legend ofmay not be perfect in its execution, but its a worthwhile adventure where Zelda solves puzzles and defeats baddies by summoning previously defeated enemies and everyday objects. Image: BigmodeTheres an air of mystery about Animal Well that may entice you or straight-up confuse you. If youre the type that loves forgoing any guides and figuring everything out on your own, theres a really good chance youll love this pixelated 2D platformer. It blends a bit of Mario-like jumping puzzles with a Metroidvania sense of open exploration and adventure complete with some mysterioso vibes. Image: Fellow Traveller Games1000xResist takes place in a postapocalyptic world where humanity is driven underground by the arrival of an alien race. You play Watcher, one of many clones of a young girl who is somehow immune to the mass disease brought by the alien Occupants. And of course, all is not what it seems. Its capital-S, capital-F sci-fi for sure. Image: NintendoIts been a big year-plus for Mario RPGs. But after the remake of Super Mario RPG and the remaster of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Mario & Luigi: Brothership shows us that our favorite plumbing duo can still keep things fresh in the roleplaying space. Brothership has a lighthearted and playful story, fun turn-based combat, and an adorable art style. You can sum up how charming this game is with a singular, two-worded game mechanic: Luigi Logic. Image: Devolver DigitalBe prepared to feel feelings. Neva is the most recent indie from the developer ofGris, and in addition to being a lovely work of visual art, it tells a story about caring for a baby fox thats sure to make some folks weep (especially if youre a parent). Image: CapcomI wanna take you for a ride. And what a ride this classic fighting game collection is, encapsulating the various Marvel and Capcom crossover 2D fighters and even including The Punisher beat-em-up that kick-started the long-running collaboration. This best-of compilation is worth the price of admission just to finally get Marvel vs. Capcom 2 on modern consoles, complete with online play. Image: UbisoftPrince of Persia: The Lost Crown was the earliest gem of 2024, coming out way back in January. Fast-forward to October, and Ubisoft sadly disbanded its development team. But The Lost Crown remains an amazing side-scrolling Metroidvania / Soulslike mash-up with some challenging (yet fun as hell) combat and platforming. And while the game world is quite large, with lots to explore, the game respects the players time by offering helpful in-game tools like pinning screenshots to the map. Image: Devolver DigitalPepper Grinder is a unique 2D platformer that has you traverse its colorful sprite-filled world with a drill, dolphin-diving into and up from the ground. The games key mechanic feels frenetic and extremely rewarding when you expertly traverse the worlds obstacles via the violent path of your drill and fallen enemies. It then ups the ante later by adding a grappling hook. Be still my beating heart. (No, really, the fast action gets my heart rate up at times in a fun way, not in a concerning way.) Image: Annapurna InteractiveIf youve ever enjoyed an escape room, youre likely to dig Lorelei and the Laser Eyes. Its slick black, white, and red art style and eerie setting fill the game with a sense of mystery, and its challenging puzzles are sure to tickle your brain. Just be prepared to take notes, so as not to feel overwhelmed when the game makes you think outside the box or do basic math.

My high school English teacher drilled into my head that there was a proper way to read a book: If youve read a book without taking notes, youve not read it at all. She had a point taking notes helps me engage with the material in a much deeper way than just reading.Nowadays, I am incapable of reading anything without writing down my thoughts, and my Notes app is a cluttered disaster as a result. But its distracting to pull up a separate app every time I want to jot down a note and hard to find those notes later. The Kindle Scribe promises to fix that with its note-taking capabilities, making it easy to scribble in the margins like I do on paper.RelatedThe original Kindle Scribe, from 2022, missed the mark for me. Here, finally, was a Kindle you could take notes with, yet you couldnt write directly on ebook pages. Instead, you could only annotate disappearing sticky notes and only on some Kindle titles. I quickly gave up on the Scribe, and for the past year or so Ive mainly used the Kobo Elipsa 2E instead.Since then, the Kindle Scribe has come a long way. Now with the second-generation e-reader, you can finally jot notes directly onto a wider range of Kindle ebook pages, convert handwriting to text, and even summarize notes in its built-in notebooks.But the Scribe has more and better competition than ever. And with a price bump, it needs to nail these new features to make it worth $399.99. Thats especially true given the original Kindle Scribe is still available for $60 less, and you can download all of these features onto it via Amazons latest software update.6Verge ScoreAmazon Kindle Scribe (2024)$399.99The GoodActive Canvas lets you finally write directly onto your Kindle booksThe new AI-generated summary and handwriting conversion features are usefulSpacious and sharp E Ink displayThe BadIts still not easy to annotate ebook pagesNote-taking capabilities are still lackluster compared to competitorsOverpricedgiven the main changes are software updates also available on the last-gen model$400 at Amazon$400 at Best BuyHow we rate and review productsThe latest Kindle Scribe is almost identical to its predecessor save for a few cosmetic differences. It now arrives in a beautiful new Metallic Jade colorway, and it has even, paper-like white trim instead of the asymmetric black bezels on the original model.Otherwise, the Scribe is still very much a larger version of the Kindle Paperwhite at heart, and it shares many of the same strengths and weaknesses as its smaller sibling. Its still exceptionally easy to buy and read Kindle books and more complicated to read outside of the Amazon ecosystem. It isnt waterproof or as snappy as the Paperwhite, but its fast enough with an adjustable warm light and the same, crisp 300ppi display resolution. Thats sharper than the $399.99 Kobo Elipsa 2E, and on par with the $379.99 Onyx Boox Go 10.3, which lacks a light altogether.Granted, its not easy lugging around a 10.2-inch e-reader, especially one made from slippery aluminum, and you cant hold it comfortably with one hand. But on the flip side, the extra screen real estate makes it easier to read and take notes. The tablet weighs slightly less than a pound, which helps with portability.1/2The Premium Pen stylus comes with a customizable shortcut button and a rubber eraser.1/2The Premium Pen stylus comes with a customizable shortcut button and a rubber eraser.But the Kindle Scribes key selling point is that you can take notes on it, and in that respect, I have mixed feelings. The general handwriting experience is excellent. As before, theres no lag, and it really does feel as if youre directly writing on paper. It comes bundled with Amazons Premium Pen, a small green stylus that comes with a new rubber soft-tipped eraser that reminds me of an actual pencil. I loved using it, especially since it doesnt require charging and comes with a customizable shortcut button just like its predecessor. (The Premium Pen is now standard, instead of being a $30 upgrade option, which partially accounts for the price increase from the original Scribe.)While I enjoyed writing with the pen, the Scribes new note-taking capabilities still fall short of the competition. With the new Active Canvas tool, the company finally addresses one of my chief complaints with the Scribe: you can now write notes that remain visible directly on ebook pages, rather than on sticky notes that disappear into an icon in the margins (Amazon still offers the sticky notes feature if you prefer those). The software feature adds a resizable text box around your handwritten note, then reflows the rest of the page around it. It also works well on other reflowable documents, including PDFs and Word files. Amazon will also be releasing an expandable margins feature in early 2025, too, allowing you to scribble notes in a side panel you can then hide, though thats not yet available to test.The Kobo Elipsa 2E (left) is still way easier to take notes on than the Kindle Scribe (right).But Amazon still doesnt really understand how people naturally take notes on books or what would make those notes useful. While the old sticky notes and highlighted passages sync with Kindle mobile apps, you cant view the Active Canvas notes on your Kindle mobile or browser app, or export them to another app theyre only visible on the Scribe. You cant add them to your on-device notebook, either. Plus, sometimes the text box size messes up the page formatting, creating extra spaces between sentences. While you can resize, theres a lag thatll slow you down. A few times, my notes disappeared altogether, so I had to keep adjusting the size until it reappeared.Whats more frustrating, you cant circle a word or phrase and jot down a note right next to it. Once you write a note, the page automatically realigns, so a lot of times the Scribe would add my note to the wrong part of a line or passage. Amazon doesnt let you move the text boxes around, and you cant even draw an arrow from a line to your note, so you cant manually anchor it to the correct piece of text either. All in all, its a frustrating, complicated experience, especially when rivals from Kobo and Onyx let you seamlessly annotate pages with easy-to-find notes just as you would writing on a physical book.The Kindle Scribes built-in notebook comes with multiple templates, including a daily planner.Marking up PDFs is a lot more intuitive and free of Active Canvas limitations, so you can take notes naturally. You can also mark up text-searchable PDFs and export them without losing the ability to search within the text. Unfortunately, you cant search within the markups. You also cant mark up sideloaded PDFs; you have to use Amazons Send to Kindle feature. That said, Amazon says your documents are encrypted, both while being sent, in the cloud, and while on the device.A glimpse of some of the other templates and pages Amazon provides.Amazon also made some improvements to its built-in notebooks, offering a wider selection of templates than when the first Scribe launched. Theres 18 preloaded templates ranging from lined to dotted paper you can use as weekly planners, checklists, and more, all of which I found helpful. You can also download more templates from Amazon, or upload PDF files and treat them as templates.1/3I wrote some of my review in the Kindle Scribes built-in notebook partly so I could test the AI features.1/3I wrote some of my review in the Kindle Scribes built-in notebook partly so I could test the AI features.The Scribe also gets two new AI features for its built-in notebooks that can summarize your notes and refine your handwriting. However, youll need an internet connection to use them and you cant tie notes you made in the built-in notebook to notes within ebooks or PDFs whatsoever. The AI summary feature is still helpful, given it does a good job of providing a broad overview of your notes. Meanwhile, the refine your handwriting feature for the most part accurately converted my handwriting into typed text, albeit slowly and onto a separate page you can only add either to the front or back of your notebook. You cant convert Active Canvas notes into typed text, though, which would have been a useful addition.Even with those additions, the Scribes built-in notebook capabilities still arent as rich as its rivals. Similar tablets from Onyx can also summarize notes and convert handwriting to text, while also letting you insert links to notes, files, websites, and attachments, record your voice, and hop into a split-screen feature. The latter lets you take notes using all the advanced built-in notebook tools, while simultaneously navigating apps downloaded from the Google Play Store like Kindle and Kobo but also the likes of The New York Times. The Kobo Elipsa 2Es note-taking tools arent as advanced as the Boox and it cant summarize notes like the Scribe, but it at least lets you quickly convert handwriting into typed text in the original notebook document.Its a decent Kindle for taking notes just like its predecessor. Photo by Sheena Vasani / The VergeThe Kindle Scribe is a better e-reader for taking notes compared to when it made its debut two years ago. Being able to write directly on ebook pages is a welcome improvement, and converting handwriting to typed text is a helpful addition. But though its starting to fall more in line with rivals from the likes of Kobo and Onyx, the Scribes still not the best option for serious note-taking. Its still too hard to annotate ebooks, and the new features just arent as useful compared to the competition.Even if youre just looking for a large Kindle with basic note-taking capabilities, the new Scribe is a tough sell when the original model is still available for $60 less and also offers Active Canvas and the generative AI features when you download the latest software update (or wait for the over-the-air update in 2025). Id recommend skipping the new Scribe and sticking with the last-gen model. Both are good e-readers for reading Kindle ebooks and casual note-taking, but theyre nearly indistinguishable.Agree to Continue: Amazon Kindle ScribeLike many e-readers, Amazons Kindle Scribe requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it contracts that no one actually reads. Its impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit agree to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people dont read and definitely cant negotiate.When you first use your Kindle Scribe, youll be asked to connect or create an Amazon account. When you set up or connect your Amazon account, Amazon will receive your email and billing address as well as your credit card number so you can buy and download content. You must also agree to the following terms:Amazons Kindle Store Terms of UseAmazons Amazon.com Conditions of UseAmazons Amazon.com Privacy NoticeAmazons Amazon Device Terms of UseAmazons Amazon Photos Terms of UseAmazons Audible Conditions of UseAmazons Kindle Personal Documents Distributor Terms of UseAmazons Alexa Terms of UseAmazons Kindle Unlimited Terms of Use (if you purchase Kindle Unlimited)Amazon Prime Terms & ConditionsAmazon Kids+ Terms & ConditionsKindle Unlimited Terms of UseIn total, there are 11 mandatory agreements to use the Kindle Scribe.Photography bySheena Vasani/ The Verge

This article contains massive Nosferatu spoilers.Judging by his filmography, its probably safe to say Robert Eggers is not strictly a religious man. His first film did, after all, end with a Puritan girl finding liberation from her Calvinist upbringing by selling her soul to the Devil and floating above a fire fed by the fat of her siblings flesh. And thats the happiest finale thus far to an Eggers joint.With those humble beginnings, the influence of religion, tradition, and magic would continue to course throughout all four of Eggers feature films to date, from his malevolent exploration of early modern anxieties about witchcraft (and independent women) to his jarringly alien and remote glimpse into the Dark Ages, a time when inhabitants of the British Isles were as likely to pray to Odin as Christ. These meditations weigh heavily, too, on Eggers newest film, Nosferatu.Like the source material that inspired the 2024 film and its 1922 ancestor, Nosferatu is steeped in matters of faith and of what happens when the beliefs of the old world confront the new. Though antiquated now, such ideas presumably kept author Bram Stoker up at night. For what is the original Dracula novel if not a Victorian man channeling his anxieties about rituals, foreign Eastern influences on the culture, and even the sex lives of young women into a gripping adventure about the modern Englishman and his dutiful New Woman wife using science and modern Christianity to vanquish the ancient past?But Nosferatu is not Dracula, and Robert Eggers is certainly not Bram Stoker. In fact, when we sat down with Eggers earlier this year to discuss his new movie, we pointed out that while Nosferatu is awash in Christian imagery, it is usually in relation to impotent attempts to control the monstrous evil represented by the films vampire, Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgrd). Yes, Eggers also created a Van Helsing proxy, the newly named Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz (Willem Dafoe), but this good doctor does not have the resolute confidence of Stokers Van Helsing, a doctor sure that his talents in medicine and the liberal arts could defeat the Undead. Conversely, Dafoes Von Franz is a raving alchemist.I make fun of that idea with some of the dialogue that Von Franz has, Eggers told us when I asked if he saw his Nosferatu as at all related to Draculas metaphor about modernity versus the old world. But is it a traditional good versus evil story? I dont think so. I think its gray, and I think that thats always more interesting. [and Von Franz] uses more occult talismans in his possession [scenes] and not a cross. Even his Christian diatribes are a bit strange.It is of a piece with Eggers larger theme, which is not so much about defeating the forgotten past, but solemnly remembering it, paying it homage, and if need be, succumbing fully to its thrall.A Priestess of Isis versus a Vampiric MagicianThe scene which most encapsulates Eggers thesis is also perhaps the tenderest in his oeuvre. In the cold, sunless embrace of a winter morning where the snow wafts by like teardrops, all of the human characters have just left a cheerless funeral where two children and their mother were consigned to a mausoleum. Afterward Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp) realizes she must come to an understanding with her doctor.Up to this point, Von Franz has been the closest thing Ellens known to a confidant in matters of the supernatural. Her husband Thomas (Nicholas Hoult) adores her, and she loves him, but even after coming face to face with the Devil, and feeling that demon sup from his breast, Tom remains hopelessly unable to understand the monster they must defeator for that matter why his wife would feel a physical draw to its presence.She neednt explain herself to Von Franz; he knows what it means to have a fascination with the dark. He also is the only person she can discuss with how to truly return to the light. Nonetheless, its only cold comfort he has to offer that morning. While Von Franz has read of varying customs for killing vampires, in Eggers script this variety of solutions confirms their impotency. The only method Von Franz gives credence to is one hidden away in the journals of Orloks willing disciple: black magic practitioner Herr Knock (Simon McBurney) and his account of a young woman being so comely (and willing) before a vampire that the nosferatu ignored its own self-preservation and drank from her until the first crow of cock and the rising of the sun.For the record, this is more or less the fateful epiphany in F.W. Murnaus original 1922 Nosferatu. Like Von Franz, the silent movies Ellen reads about how a woman must offer herself to a vampire should the plague and pestilence of the Undead be defeated. In this way, Nosferatu was always a more fatalistic and despairing tale than Dracula, perhaps befitting a film made by World War I veterans instead of a comfortable Victorian stage manager who dabbled in his free time with fiction-writing.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!It also plays into Eggers natural instincts as a storyteller. All four of his movies have a sense of inescapable doom, although in the case of Nosferatu (2024), there is a newfound sympathy and warmth to this plight, separating it from even the 1922 film. Dafoes Von Franz expresses genuine sorrow and empathy for Ellen, suggesting that in another world, back in pagan times, she mightve been revered as a Priestess of Isis. Alas in 1838 Germany, she is consigned to corsets, suspicion, and finally sacrifice.Eggers frames the 19th century bonnet around Depps face as if it were a halo whose beneficence might choke her. But the face still shows acceptance and even a serene comfort in Von Franzs kind whispers of oblivion.It is informed by a movie which heightens Ellens sacrifice into a larger narrative about foregoing the certainty of modernity in favor of the obscurity of a past we can never fully comprehend. While snatches of dialogue inform us of what Orlok once was in this story, with a nun telling Thomas the vampire was a powerful sorcerer, we are never given the full picture of how Orlok became a ghoul. There is no flashback or humanizing backstory like in Francis Ford Coppolas Bram Stokers Dracula, nor a vivid monologue painting a portrait of his life before, which is pretty much the first two volumes of Anne Rices Vampire Chronicles.Eggers Orlok is a sinister presence who clearly was at some moment in history man, but the deals he made or magic he used to cheat the grave are as esoteric as exactly what was on that sheet of paper that poor Thomas signed when he thought he was just selling real estate. Instead he sold his marriage, and perhaps more, to a wraith of the old world for a sack of gold. The devil is in the details, but while Eggers and his production designer seem to implicitly know them, we like Ellen and Von Franz are left to form educated guesses. The film never even once explains Von Franzs preferred emblem, the Fourth Pentacle of Mercury in The Key of Solomon the King (a 15th century Renaissance spellbook), is a really talisman really used to seek hidden things and control spirits.But even if Von Franz and Ellen amount to occultist amateurs blundering in the dark, at least they try to better understand the metaphysical world around them. Other characters, those who most represent modernity like the preening and affected Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), are left completely defenseless in the face of ancient truths we allowed to vanish down our collective memory hole. And woe unto ye who is too afraid to go looking into that abyss for answers.Witches, Gods, and North FolkNosferatu might have the gentlest expression of this theme, with Ellens tragic fate being grieved via handfuls of lilacs sprinkled across the remains of her, and her demon lovers, bodies. But it remains of a piece with Anya Taylor-Joys Thomasin accepting shell never be one of the Puritans elect few to see Heaven, so she instead takes the Devil up on a more earthly and immediate satisfaction in the here and now; it also is reminiscent of a crazed Wickie (Robert Pattinson) confronting some unknowable truth in a lighthouse that renders him fated to perhaps forever be fed upon by a seabird who picks at his liver, as if this is a nautical echo of the the titan Prometheus fate in Greek mythology; and of course Amleth (Alexander Skarsgrd) was nothing if not a Viking thrilled to embrace his doomed destiny so long as his death came with his enemys severed head in his hand.In all of Eggers movies, the metaphysical world exists exactly how the characters of its setting imagine it does. In the case of The Witch, the Devil walks among them in the shape of a goat or rabbit, here to inflict trauma and spiritual suffering; in The Lighthouse, a seabird really holds the soul of a sailor lost at sea perhaps even that of the sailor Thomas Wake (Dafoe), the elder Wickie who also at times resembles Poseidon in the minds eye of his guilt-ridden assistant; and in The Northman, were led to believe that Viking Amleth can really see his unborn children in the womb of witchy lover Olga (Taylor-Joy), a young woman who one might call a white witch given her confidence in using magic to free herself. She certainly seems capable of calling forth a mighty wind when her ship needs it.Nosferatu is slightly different in this regard since none of the characters have the expertise to fully know what theyre dealing with in Orlok, or how best to confront him. In fact, there is something pathetic about Dafoes warm Von Franz accepting there is no way to save the living except by sacrificing his ideal priestess. Nonetheless, these are all stories where magic exists, and the best way to survive it is to rekindle our covenant with it.Years ago, Eggers told me that he had Jungian leanings and that he muses these bits and bobs of the past are knocking around in everyones heads to some degree. If thats true, his films exist as an exercise in jiggling those bits to the forefront of our collective subconsciousbits and scraps about witches and vampires, as well as spiritual truths that the Cult of Isis spread across the entire length of the Nile and all the way into Rome and Ancient Greece. To this day, folks really do worship Isisperhaps unwittingly preparing themselves for the return of Nosferatus plague.Read more Old Magic in New Robert Eggers Movies Yet to ComeWhile preparing for this article, Eggers teased out to IndieWireThe Knight, a film described as a medieval period piece and which has sat on a shelf with a lot of screenplays. As Eggers pointed out, there were several times when Nosferatu was supposed to happen but didnt in the last decade. These days he likes to have five things going on, because you never know whats going to work, whats going to appeal to people, whats going to be greenlit.Be that as it may, the concept of exploring medieval Christianity in a movie titled The Knight could end up playing just as foreign and alien as the paganism in The Northman or Professor Von Franzs personal library. Consider the stories of St. Francis of Assisi who allegedly was pierced by the same lance that bled Christ on the crucifix after a six-winged angel approached the holy man in 1224. There are similar tales of convents and religious orders where folks were convinced they loved Christ, in the literal flesh, or for that matter turned into wolves because of opposing influences.There were also knights with their own codas and customs which were more than a bit removed from what modern interpretations of King Arthurs court would lead you to believe.And of course there are other films and worlds Eggers could explore. Personally, we wouldnt mind if he went back to his Nosferatu line about pagan times with their cults of Isis and everything else, be it Roman, Greek, or Egyptian (the latter of which Hollywood has barely visited). It would seem the sword and sandals movies are back, and the idea of the director of The Northman playing in what has become almost wholly Ridley Scotts purview could prove to be a religious experiencepagan or otherwise.Nosferatu is in theaters now.