As the year comes to an end, it's time to think about my personal smartphone of the year. 2024 has seen the rise of generative AI as a key selling point in the smartphone space, but it has also seen a realignment in form factors. The foldable form factor is maturing, there is a renewed focus on physical size, both going large and going small, and manufacturers are facing smaller gains while still needing to stand out.All these have a bearing on my choice, but there is something else that isn't listed on the spec sheets or the press releases: my own judgment. This is not sitting down with all the contributors and staff to find a combined aggregate answer... this is my choice of the smartphones that speak to 2024 as a whole, the phone that has made an impact and highlights the future.That's as much about emotion as it is about benchmarks.Before we come to my choice, let's review the alternatives and at least one out-of-left-field option.Apple iPhone 16 ProThe new iPhone 16 Pr oduring an Apple special event at Apple headquarters on September 09, 2024 ... [+] (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Getty ImagesAs always at this time of year, I come up against the closed nature of iOS and the iPhone. How much of an impact does that have on my personal choice? I do believe that a healthy ecosystem requires competition and innovation across the stack. Apple's iPhone has no competition in hardware, no competition on the firmware, and consumers have no option but to embrace both Apple's capriciousness and viewpoint.Case in point, you still can't change the time that snoozing an alarm can be... the nine minutes demanded by clockwork timepieces in the 1950s is a fixed and immutable period on iOS.As Apple upgrades the iPhone, so do countless Android manufacturers. With specifications broadly similar across the board, the emotion and safety a device can create becomes vital to its success.MORE FOR YOUApple's general approach makes me wary. Yet it's the appraoch to generative AI and the awkwardly backronymed Apple Intelligence that defines the iPhone 16 Pro. And that definition is"'late and lacking."Google announced generative AI for the Pixel series in October 2023 and launched the Pixel 8 family simultaneously. Samsung announced and launched Galaxy AI and the Galaxy S24 in January 2024. Apple announced its plans in June 2024, launched the iPhone 16 Pro in September, and released the first tentative generative AI software in October. It's not expected to match the Google and Samsung offerings until March 2025.Apple CEO Tim Cook delivers remarks at the start of the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) ... [+] on June 10, 2024 (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Getty ImagesLate and lacking. Apple is one of the world's biggest companies. The bar is incredibly high... when it makes a misstep that has a huge impact.Apple isn't behind the curve of artificial intelligence in general; iOS places significant emphasis on flavors of AI other than generative AI. Machine Learning can be found in the predictive keyboard to offer options for the next word, in the interactions with Siri, in searching thorough photos, and more. Neural nets boost the ML routines, allowing for faster processing on some camera functions and recognition routines for FaceID.Plus, this is all taking place on-device, allowing Apple to continue its push to maximising user data protection.Yet, with a constantly moving target of what consumers expect in their smartphones, Apple missed the moment to be in control of its own story around software.The iPhone 16 Pro has the cards to match the functionality of other flagships, but Apple played its hand badly and didn't offer the best iPhone 16 Pro it could. When your size demands perfection, missing by an inch is as good as missing by a mile.Samsung Galaxy S24 UltraThis picture taken on January 15, 2024 shows a woman looking at a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Photo by ... [+] JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesThanks to a January launch, Samsung has both a year to establish itself as the phone of the year but also has a year to be forgotten. With the Galaxy S25 launch just around the corner, it's worth remembering how much the Galaxy S24 family set the tone for the rest of 2024 with the launch of Galaxy AI.It was undoubtedly the most popular AI-powered handset. Counterpoint Research in May reported Samsung as holding a 58 per cent market share of generative AI-enabled smartphones. It debuted a raft of generative AI tools across the platform, including an exclusive period with Circle To Seach before that expanded to the entire Android platform.Samsung also had an exclusive with Qualcomm, allowing the Galaxy S24 Ultra to ship with an overclocked 8 Gen 3 chipset, which in turn supported faster AI processing. Everything stepped up as you would expect, but stepping up to support the introduction of AI allowed for a handset that felt more focused on new technology and pushing the envelope than most.Samsung's focus on the S24 Ultra to carry all the specced hardware meant it could sell the Ultra as the ultimate phone, with the S24 and S24+ in supporting roles rather than 'the same role but a bit smaller than the top of the portfolio.Yet the Galaxy S24 Ultra's success is an iterative one. Strip away the AI, and you have a smartphone where everything is a bit better than the year before but without any significant changes in the package.Google Pixel 9 ProThe new Google Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL phones (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty ... [+] Images)Getty ImagesIn contrast to Samsung, Google spread the power and potential across several 9 Pro devices. You had the regular Pixel 9 Pro, the larger form factor of the Pixel 9 Pro XL and the innovative design of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold (as well as the vanilla Pixel 9, which just misses out on a few top specs).The 9 Pro XL is a shade too large and is not helped by the move to a more boxy design that maximises internal volume and the perceived bulk, while the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a touch ungainly in regular use. That is why Im picking the Pixel 9 Pro here.Much of that comes down to Google's presentation of generative AI through Gemini. While there are many AI-driven features that are more technology demonstrations than day-to-day game changers, the conversational tone of Gemini AI and the different approach to search and research it offers is AI at its most flexible.I'm in no doubt that the Gemini AI capabilities will show up across the broader Android platform during 2025 - allowing Samsung to debut Circle to Search on the Galaxy S24 instead of the Pixel 8 shows that Google is not completely precious with the crown jewels, but for now, the best practical implementation of generative AI is the vocal interface with Gemini, and that means the Pixel family can challenge for the crown.If AI were the only measure, the Pixel 9 Pro could take the crown. But one other phone feels a better choice than the odds-on favorite.Before I get to that, I want to address a semantic considerationRetroid Pocket 4 ProRetroid Pocket 4 ProEwan SpenceThe title is "Smartphone of the Year" not "Mobile Tech Of The Year,"Trying to justify the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro as a smartphone is a tough sell. It lacks either a physical or embedded SIM card, does not support 5G connectivity, and demands a Bluetooth headset or earbuds to make a comfortable call. Yet there's a spirited defence that you have audio and video calling through software, running over the internet, and that's a far more prevalent way of making "calls" in 2024.The Pocket 4 Pro is a portable gaming device with the requisite analogue sticks, face buttons, d-pads, shoulder buttons and triggers. Thanks to the use of Android as the operating system, it has the Android gaming ecosystem to call on, from popular titles such as Fortnite and Genshin Impact down to more esoteric titles such as Sky: Children of Light. Except rather than the touchscreen most must rely on, you have a fully integrated controller.The Pocket 4 Pro builds on Retroid's experience in the retro gaming space. Previously, retro consoles required custom OS builds and a solid knowledge in Linux to get up and running. The industry, including Retroid, has been toying with Android as an option for some years, but in 2024, the capabilities of Android and the needs of gamers were met at an attractive price point that balanced cost and specs. Retroid launched the Pocket 5 Pro in time for the holidays, but the Pocket 4 Pro finally proved the retro market was mature and ready for Android.The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro isn't going to be called the Smartphone Of The Year... just remember that it's one good argument away from the trophy.Honor Magic V3Honor Magic V3Ewan SpenceSince the Samsung Galaxy Fold launch in 2019, the idea of a foldable has been more appealing than reality. That has benefitted smartphone designs across the board, not just in the foldables. The upcoming push into "thin phones" during 2025 partially benefits from the technology required to thin out the two sides of a foldable device.Which is where Honor appears. The Honor Magic V3, its third-generation foldable, was a home run for the form factor. It ships in the open state, so when you lift it out, the insane thickness of just 4.4 mm is evident. Closing it, you get a 9.2 mm smartphone with a 20:9 ratio outer display comparable to Honor's then-flagship Magic6 Pro (which comes in at 8.9 mm). The bevelled edges make it comfortable to get a grip of a single side to help open the phone, and the design allows for an IPX8 protection rating... the Magic V3 is good to a depth of 1.5m.Software-wise magicOS offers both 'side-by-side' apps or 'floating window over a full-screen app' for multitasking on the unfolded Magic V3. Still, it's the option to lock an app to a specific Aspect Ratio if it is not designed for a foldable that I found usefulthere's no need for a very wide when you can lock it to a 3:4 view with some bars on the left and right.Is it going to be the best-selling smartphone of 2024? Far from it. Will it be the most influential smartphone? Certainly, it will be in the foldables space, and arguably it demonstrates what 2025's thin smartphones need to aim for.The Honor Magic V3 takes all the potential of the foldable space and brings it to a single smartphone. It sits on the cutting edge of hardware and shines a light for every phone and manufacturer to aim for in 2025.That's why it's my smartphone of the year.Disclaimer: During 2024, various smartphones, including the Pixel 9 Pro and Honor Magic V3, were supplied for review purposes.

UNITED KINGDOM - DECEMBER 23: Raindrops on glass (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)Tim Graham/Getty ImagesIt seems ridiculous to think that you could reduce something like amino acid interactions and resulting proteins to the level of something like Minecraft.In fact, I wouldnt think most of us have even considered how generative AI could be applied to life science.But a few people behind the scenes are working diligently on figuring this out.Geoff von Maltzahn is at Flagship Pioneering, a company thats working on the vanguard of high-tech life science. This venture capital firm has an incubator and teams of scientists and entrepreneurs working on things like mRNA and antibody therapeutics, as well as broader genomic projects. Flagship Pioneering works with companies like Seres Therapeutics and Indigo Agriculture, to innovate in places where breakthrough scientific progress can help with the biggest challenges that we as humans face.In a compelling TED talk, Maltzahn illustrates how all of this can work.He starts with a basic explanation of protein folding, where individual proteins emerge through a process of evolution that biologists tend to understand fairly well, while the rest of us have dont have much of a clue.The World of ProteinsPart of what I thought was so great about this talk was that Maltzahn really breaks down formidable scientific ideas into words that many people can easily understand.For example, in showing how a protein structure evolves, he notes that each protein starts out as a noodle and then folds itself into useful forms.This is the equivalent of, if your car, your refrigerator, your house, arrived as a noodle and folded itself into the form that you enjoy it in, he says.MORE FOR YOUAfter explaining protein folding, he explains that new systems are able to generate models of proteins that fold in very precise ways. Maltzahn talks the prospect of about pursuing a Shakespearean mastery of protein writing.His metaphor on precision and archery, again, boils down this type of innovation into a sort of visual reference in explaining how systems can center on the creation of precise antibodies:Its kind of like Robin Hood splitting the first arrow by firing an arrow right down the center of it, 50 times in a row, he says. And the reason that it has the potential to be valuable is: every time an antibody shows that it can provide a benefit to patients, humanity has a benefit, the ability to access the very best antibody.In aid of talking about the best antibodies, he also goes over specifically how to react against the Covid virus that created the universal pandemic we all suffered through. He explains that to keep viruses from entering the cells, the technology can build antibodies that go after that portion thats attaching to receptors.This may be important to the next pandemic, Maltzahn says.More New ScienceIn addition, Maltzahn talks about creating new enzymes and analyzing things like the tree of life of SARS viruses and how that will lead to very profound discoveries.Maybe generative AI isn't just going to create beautiful cartoons and limericks to entertain ourselves and one another, and access knowledge that is already resident within humanity, he posits. It may just expand our access to new knowledge and new technologies in important ways.How big will this be?The space of unexplored biology he explains is vast. Mentioning an analogy to the great age of exploration with ships, he says we have worlds of knowledge to discover.Even with generous assumptions around everything Mother Nature has ever had the chance to build and test throughout the entire history of evolution, all of her lab has tested less than the expanse of one drop of water relative to all of the Earth's oceans of possible protein sequences, he says. Think about that for just a second. Everybody in this room, every protein that makes our lives possible, every one of our ancestors and everything else in the living world that has ever been, fits into that one drop of water. if everything we know is in that one drop of water, if we find one more drop of water, that'll be a really big deal. But there really isn't a reason to believe that it's going to be limited to that, just imagine what could be.Ive seen and heard a lot about AI in the past year, but this is something fairly unique that really deserves a close look. Were just beginning to understand how AI can create digital worlds that are vibrant, unique, and compelling, and how it can think like humans. But being able to create in a godlike way, using the building blocks of all life well, to put it simply, that thats something else.

The Grandland is Vauxhall's first larger electric SUVVauxhallVauxhall (known as Opel in the EU) is a UK brand primarily known for its keenly priced smaller cars. But as part of the huge Stellantis group, it has access to the latters next-generation EV platforms. Peugeot was first to arrive with the companys STLA Medium platform for its e-3008 and e-5008. Now its Vauxhalls turn with the Grandland, the first larger electric SUV from the brand. I took it for a UK test drive.Vauxhall Grandland: One Powertrain, Plenty Of Space InsideThe initial Grandland comes with just one powertrain, combining a 213PS motor driving the front wheels with a 73kWh (net) battery. A more powerful motor and bigger 98kWh battery are planned for a future release. There are three trim levels Design, GS and Ultimate. The Design trim comes with a 10in infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto but no built-in satnav. It still has LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, and 19in wheels, however.Upgrading to the GS trim brings a lot more kit, including a larger 16in infotainment screen with satnav and wireless phone charging, which sits behind opaque glass so you cant see the screen while driving and get distracted. Theres an illuminated strip along the front of the car, and this also includes an upgrade to Vauxhalls Pixel 3D lights, which is the companys version of matrix LEDs. These are an evolution of automatically dipping headlights that use an array of LEDs where just the ones actually pointing at oncoming traffic are dipped so you still get as much illumination of the road ahead as possible. Theres lit 3D Vauxhall branding at the rear, too. The Ultimate trim adds a premium Focal sound system, head-up display, panoramic sunroof, powered tailgate and heated windscreen, alongside 20in wheels.The Grandland is a regular SUV, not a slopey-backed "coupe".VauxhallThe Grandland is more stylish on the outside than the usual Vauxhall, and with the Impact Copper paint of the vehicle I drove, quite striking. The light bar on the front and lack of air intake grille provide a clean appearance without being overly futuristic. The side profile doesnt follow the slanty-roofed coupe trend this is a regular-shaped SUV. Thats better for practicality than a coupe anyway. This is meant to be a useful family car.MORE FROMFORBES VETTEDWhile the Grandland isnt class-leading in terms of space, it offers a good balance between passenger and cargo capacity. A six-foot passenger could comfortably sit behind a six-foot driver. The front seats have a special feature theyre AGR certified (AGR is a German acronym that translates as Campaign for Healthier Backs). This means theyre scientifically designed for comfort, including a depression in the middle of the bottom cushion for your tailbone, so you dont get so tired sitting for hours on end. During my test driving, I found this worked. The front seats are very comfortable.You wouldnt want to have three sizeable adults in the back for a very long trip, but two adults and a smaller adult or child will be fine. The rear space is accentuated in the Ultimate version by its panoramic sunroof. Rear passengers get their own air vents and USB connectivity, too.Plenty of rear luggage space with the rear seats down.VauxhallCargo space is also generous. There is 550 liters of capacity including a sizeable amount beneath the main rear floor with the back seats up. Drop these forward and the room grows to a healthy 1,645 liters, which isnt the biggest Ive seen (the Tesla Model Y and Skoda Enyaq iV offer more) but it will certainly be enough for the odd shopping trip to Ikea. If you need to lug more, the Grandland can tow 1,200kg braked.Vauxhall has improved its infotainment offering with the Grandland. The dashboard still has discrete buttons for key climate control functions, including demisting, temperature and fans peed. But the screen has a more modern interface than previous Vauxhalls and feels better integrated with other car systems, including the safety features. Where the latter are concerned, you do get the usual intrusive audible notifications when you exceed speed limits or stray across lane lines. Its now a Euro NCAP safety requirement for these to be enabled by default, but you can disable the most annoying ones with a couple of button and screen presses.Vauxhall Grandland: Driving, Range and PricingAlthough 213Ps (and 345Nm of torque) isnt exactly lacking in power, the electric Grandland weighs 2,120kg so takes 9 seconds to hit 62mph, which is relatively lugubrious for an EV. You still get a decent sense of immediacy from the throttle, although not the punch you get from some EVs. Handling is distinctly uninvolving, however, and steering soggy at low speeds. The Nevertheless, the Grandland sits confidently on highways and doesnt feel that huge in urban environments, despite its SUV format.Although we dont have the version of the Grandland with the larger battery yet, even the 73kWh pack provides a respectable range. The Design trim is WLTP rated at 324 miles, the GS at 323 miles, and the Ultimate at 318 miles, thanks to its larger 20in wheels. Theres a heat pump as standard, too, so you wont lose so much range in the winter. With a reasonable 160kW DC charging speed, the Grandland can replenish from 0 to 80% in 26 minutes, which will make longer-distance driving possible. If youre charging with AC, up to 11kW is available, although on a more widespread 7.4kW home charger, going from 0-100% will take just under 10 hours.The Grandland is not that fast or engaging to drive.VauxhallVauxhall has sensibly priced the Grandland, taking into account the soon-to-arrive 590 ($740) Expensive Car Supplement tax band for electric vehicles costing over 40,000 ($50,000). The Design car costs 37,345 ($47,000) and the GS is 38,495 ($48,000), so come in underneath this. However, the Ultimate trim creeps over the boundary at 40,495 ($51,000). This undercuts the Ford Explorer, although that has more motor power and range. Peugeots e-3008 is also quite a bit more expensive, despite having the same powertrain.In other words, the Vauxhall Grandland isnt bad value for an EV in its class. However, the hybrid version is cheaper showing that, unlike the Frontera, were not quite at price parity with internal combustion engine cars yet. With the Expensive Car Supplement coming into force for EVs in April 2025, the GS trim is probably the sweet spot for most UK buyers, despite the welcome extras included with the Ultimate trim. Even then, there is increasing competition in this format, particularly from Chinese brands, with XPENG launching its G6 in the UK, and MG promising an update to its keenly price ZS EV in early 2025 too. So while the Vauxhall Grandland is a decent car and a step in the right direction for the European brand, its success is far from guaranteed.

Earlier this week, Warner Bros. officially pushed The Batman Part II out of its October 2026 release date and delayed the sequel for another year. Now, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has weighed in on the delay and explained why it happened.The only reason for the delay is there isnt a full script, wrote Gunn on his Threads account. [Director] Matt [Reeves] is committed to making the best film he possibly can, and no one can accurately guess exactly how long a script will take to write. Once there is a finished script, there is around two years for pre-production, shooting, and post-production on big films.Recommended VideosGunn has previously indicated that under his regime, DC wont send movies into production without a finished script. In order to make the films 2026 release date, The Batman Part II would have had to begun casting by now, in addition to setting up dates to shoot the film. But because of the delay, there will now be a five-year gap between the release of The Batmanin March 2022 and its sequel.Please enable Javascript to view this contentHBOs The Penguin kept The Batmans shared universe going when it debuted in September to largely positive reviews. Colin Farrell reprised his role as Oswald Cobb aka The Penguin, and the season finale had implications for his characters future in The Batman Part II. During a recent feature with Variety, Reeves acknowledged that hes been in discussions about a second season of The Penguin.RelatedWere talking to [showrunner] Lauren [LeFranc] about doing another season, said Reeves. That was a special experience. I just feel really fortunate. These characters dont belong to me; they belong to the world. It comes down to whether you can approach them in a way that expresses something personal.The Batman Part II will be released on October 1, 2027.Editors Recommendations

Just over two years ago, Peacock officially ordered a Community movie based upon the fan-favorite sitcom that ran for six seasons between 2009 and 2015. Since then, theres been frustratingly little movement on the project. However, former cast member Ken Jeong who played Ben Chang for the shows entire run has seen the script for the film, and he loved it.It made me emotional and just brought me right back, and thats all Im legally allowed to say, said Jeong during an interview with TV Insider. There is a script, there is a plan. We just dont know when [it will happen]. Once thats agreed upon, itll be magical and real emotional I think being on set experiencing that again [will be] so gratifying. Words cant even express.Recommended VideosRick and Mortys Dan Harmon created Community as a comedy centered on Joel McHales Jeff Winger, a disbarred lawyer who attended Greendale Community College alongside his study group classmates as played by Gillian Jacobs, Donald Glover, Alison Brie, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Chevy Chase. Jim Rash played Dean Craig Pelton, while Jeongs Chang was a teacher-turned-frenemy for the study group. Of the original cast, only Chase is expected to be skipping the film after he left the series at the conclusion of season 4. Chases character, Pierce Hawthorne, was also used to explain the subsequent departure of Glovers Troy Barnes as he accepted a provision in Pierces will to sail around the world. Glover didnt return to the show after that, but he has signed on for the movie.Please enable Javascript to view this contentGlover, who is also an accomplished rapper under the Childish Gambino stage name, recently canceled his world tour to recover from an unspecified surgery. At the time, Glover wrote, My path to recovery is something I need to confront seriously, before adding that he needed time out to heal.RelatedLast summer, McHale took the blame for the Community movies delay, which he attributed to his busy schedule, including his commitment to Foxs Animal Control. The Community movie will still likely fulfill the six seasons and a movie pledge if for no other reason than it was awarded a lucrative tax credit from the state of California in September. For now, it doesnt have a premiere window scheduled by Peacock.Editors Recommendations

Andrew Jernigan, 51, has moved with his family between the US and Brazil multiple times.The last time he lived in Brazil, his children were teenagers and found the move difficult.He says that when moving with kids older than 12, parents need to think about safety and college.This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Andrew Jernigan, CEO of Insured Nomads. It has been edited for length and clarity.The first time I moved to Brazil was in 2000 to marry a Brazilian woman I had been introduced to by a friend and had been writing to for quite some time. We were engaged on my first visit and married the following year after I moved there.My family has moved four times between the US and Brazil. We learned that there are more things to consider when moving with teenagersthan when moving with little kids. We moved to Brazil, so our kids could connect with their mom's cultureAfter getting married, my wife and I moved back to the US and then to Ghana for a time for her work. In 2008, we decided to take some time to live back in Brazil with our three young children. We wanted our children, who were half Brazilian, to learn Portuguese and be exposed to different cultures. We also wanted to live somewhere for a while with a low cost of living to enjoy the benefits of the dollar's value.We moved back to the US when I had a job opportunity in Northern California. It was an adventure with fun times in the Bay Area, hiking in the mountains, and a community of diverse nationalities that the kids thrived in as well. My wife pursued further education while there, then her MBA and MPH at the University of Alabama. A company in Brazil hired her, so we made another move to Brazil in 2019.When we lived in Brazil without children or with young children, there was nothing but good about living abroad. The cost of living was cheaper, and the children could attend local schools, pick up the language, and experience Brazilian culture. As a family, we'd escape to the mountains and seaside for days out. We felt that we could have lived there forever.During the last stint of living in Brazil, from 2019 to 2021, our children were all over the age of 12, and we had to consider their futures and their safety.We had to budget for private schoolsMy kids wanted the opportunity to attend universities outside Brazil. This meant that we couldn't put them in the local Brazilian schools because they wouldn't allow them to work toward SATs or A-levels to get into American or British universities.Instead, we budgeted to place them in the American School of Rio de Janeiro. They got a great education and were exposed to expats from all around the world, but it was very expensive.The school didn't have the same level of sports clubs as in the US. My daughter had played lacrosse, and my son wanted to row for the crew neither of those sports was available to them in Brazil.We moved back to the US for many reasonsAs teenagers, they wanted to be independent of us, but we had to be very watchful of them due to safety concerns. They could be targets of theft and even kidnapping. We know it happens, and were very protective of them going around the city on their own.Whereas in the US, we wouldn't think twice about leaving them at parties or going to a friend's house, we were always on alert for their whereabouts and who they were with if they were out of the house while we were in Brazil.There were little things they missed, too. They missed comfort foods like peanut butter and American candy. And we all missed our extended family.But the main reason we came back to the US in 2021 was my kids' trajectory in school. Reintegrating back into American schools as teenagers had its challenges. Their friends had been in school together, going to birthday parties together, and attending summer camps together for three years. My kids had missed all of it and had to figure out how to insert themselves back into their old world.We miss life in BrazilEven though we knew moving back to the US was the right thing to do while our children were still teens, we still remember the incredible beaches, forests, and mountains of Brazil. We all miss being able to quickly access the rugged, wild outdoors. There were always cultural activities we could go to as a family, and we spent hours eating together at restaurants with some of the best food I've ever tasted.Even though we haven't ruled out living in Brazil in the future, we'll wait to move back until our kids are out of the house. But we'll be sure to visit often until we return to live again.

North Korean forces are being sent forward in "human waves" against Ukraine, the White House said.A spokesperson said the tactic has resulted in heavy casualties, with more than 1,000 killed or wounded in the past week.The North Korean troops are treated as expendable and sent on "hopeless" assaults, they said.North Korean forces are suffering heavy casualties as they carry out "human wave" attacks against Ukrainian troops, a White House spokesperson has said.White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday that the US now assesses North Korean soldiers are carrying out "massed, dismounted assaults" against Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region."And these human wave tactics that we're seeing haven't really been all that effective," Kirby said. "We assess that they've resulted in heavy casualties for these North Korean forces.""Our estimate is that, to date, they have suffered more than 1,000 killed or wounded in this particular fighting in just the past week of them fighting on the front lines."Kirby said it was "clear" that Russian and North Korean military leaders saw the troops as "expendable" and were "ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses."He added that the soldiers "appear to be highly indoctrinated, pushing attacks even when it is clear that those attacks are futile."North Korean troops first arrived in Russia in October. Ukraine said in November that it had for the first time attacked North Korean forces in Kursk, where Ukraine advanced into in August as part of its fightback against Russia's invasion.Pyongyang's losses have since mounted, according to South Korean and Western intelligence.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this week that preliminary estimates suggested that over 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded in Kursk.North Korea's military is one of the biggest in the world, but it has little battle experience. South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) reportedly said that some of Pyongyang's troops are ill-prepared for drone attacks and the terrain in Kursk.Ukrainian officials and soldiers have said some North Korean troops have been killed by drones that they did not realize were dangerous, while Ukrainian intelligence said others accidentally killed eight Russian soldiers in Kursk in a "friendly fire" incident caused by a language barrier.Warfare experts told Business Insider that North Korean troops appeared to be suffering high casualties as they were not given much training but that the troops could learn to adapt to the battlefield.The NIS warned that North Korea nevertheless appeared to be preparing to put more troops in Russia, The New York Times reported.Kirby also said on Friday that the US has reports "of North Korean soldiers taking their own lives rather than surrendering to Ukrainian forces, likely out of fear of reprisal against their families in North Korea in the event that they're captured."The alleged treatment of North Korean soldiers is not dissimilar to how Moscow has treated some of its own forces Russian troops have also frequently attempted to overwhelm Ukrainian positions with "meat wave" attacks.Moving forward, Kirby said the US would remain "absolutely committed" to bolstering Ukrainian air defenses, citing Russia's Christmas attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure."No doubt this was all about weaponizing winter and weaponizing energy, making it harder for the Ukrainian people to get the heat that they need simply to subsist," Kirby said.He added that the US would soon have another security assistance package for Ukraine, including air defense systems and gear "to help them in fighting in and around Kursk to beat back these North Korean waves, as well as continue their defensive operations against the Russians in the east."It comes at a crucial moment for Kyiv as it gears up for the return of Donald Trump to the White House.

It was only a month ago that Wicked started taking the world by storm, and not that long since we learned its second half would now go byWicked: ForGood. Universals not ready to reveal anything from the sequel, but that hasnt stopped co-lead Cynthia Erivo from hyping up some of the next films changes, particularly in the music. At a recent appearance on Varietys Awards Circuit Podcast, Erivo talked about her approach to playing Elphaba, who eventually becomes the famous Wicked Witch. One thing she mentioned was working closely with the play and films composer, Stephen Schwartz, to develop a brand new song for her character. Without giving anything away, she teased even the title will move you. I dont know if youre ready for it. When we filmed it, the cast and crew were crying. [] I hope audiences are readyits a song that speaks to the heart of who Elphaba is. You mightve forgotten, but Schwartz said in 2022 thered be a pair of new songs forWickedssecond half to meet the [storytellings] demands. The first movies music changes mainly concerned the characters or setting to account for it no longer being a stage musical, but those songs were otherwise the same. Giving Elphaba and Glinda some new tunes keeps things fresh for movie and OG fans, and makes Wicked: For Good feel like even more like an event. And itll also make those new songs enticing to belt out when the film eventually gets its own sing-along version. But Wicked: For Goodneeds to come out firstand itll do so on November 21, 2025. If you were waiting to watch the first film at home, good news: its hitting digital on New Years Eve. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

The iPhone 16/16 Pros new Camera Control button is almost as polarizing as politics. Some people love it; they think it makes it easier to photograph on the fly rather than unlocking the iPhone with Face ID and launching the camera app. The button also provides quick access to Visual Intelligence in the latest iOS 18 update and can serve as an accessibility tool for people who struggle with mobility. Other people hate the Camera Control button enough to call it the worst feature Apple has added to the iPhone. Thats way harsh, Tai, but you can understand the point once you start using the Camera Control button for yourself. The button is toward the lower bottom half of the iPhone, so youll have to carefully balance the device with your index finger and thumb while pressing down to snap a photo. If you dont have the mechanism down in your wrist, it causes the phone to shake quite a bitthe complete antithesis of how you want a phone moving when trying to snap a photo. Apple has algorithms that help with some of the shakiness due to the Camera Control, but theres still some cognitive dissonance. How am I supposed to believe the picture I took was steady when I can feel the iPhone shake as I do it? If youre new to the iPhone 16/16 Pro, youre probably wondering about the utility of a button that nobody has asked for. My job is to give you instructions after using the product myself, so at least you can derive some use from a function that no one was clamoring for. As I said, the Camera Control button is helpful for rapidly taking photos. But it can do a few other things if you decide the old way of snapping pictures on the iPhone still suits you better than this newfangled thing. Press to shoot Florence Ion / Gizmodo The Camera Control button on the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro is a physical button with the DNA of a MacBook trackpad. Press it down hard, like you would with the power or volume buttons, or press down lightly for a soft press. The button area is capacitive, so you can control the interface by sliding your finger. Double-press the Camera Control button to bring up the iPhone viewfinder. You can press again to snap a photo or long-press to start recording a video. If you dont press down at all, by default, you can use the Camera Control button to zoom in and out between the camera lenses, including that 5x telephoto that Apple included for both sizes of the iPhone 16 Pro. You can lightly tap the Camera Control button twice to cycle through other settings, including exposure, depth, and the iPhone 16s new Photographic styles. The soft-press-and-slide mechanism was super confusing at first. It took me a while to understand what a soft press was with the Camera Control button and to recognize iOSs interface animations when activated. I have an easier time using the phones sliding mechanism if Im stabilizing it with my other hand. If youve updated to iOS 18.2, Apple lets you control the exposure and focus lock with the Camera Control slider. Its easy to set up in the Settings app, though youll need to do all that before you take a photo. Florence Ion / Gizmodo Customize the Camera Control button Im an Android user most of the time, and my favorite shortcut for accessing the camera app is double-pressing the power button. To that end, I didnt mind that the Camera Control button requires a double-press before its activated, either. But I went for the faster shortcut to launch it after one click. Apple lets you do that from Settings. Under Camera Control, tap to choose between a single or double click to launch the camera.The Camera Control button can also be adjusted or used as an accessibility tool for people with accessibility needs. Under Settings > Accessibility > Camera Control, you can adjust the firmness of the buttons soft and hard presses and even select how forceful the press should be. You dont even have to use it You dont have to use the Camera Control button to launch the iPhones camera app. If you dig back into the iOS settings panel, under Camera Control settings, you can program it to launch something else despite limited options. You can choose between the built-in QR code scanner, the magnifier for zooming into real-life tiny text, or any third-party apps that have implemented the new hardware. You can also turn off the Camera Control button entirely if it interferes with the rest of your iPhone experience. Florence Ion / Gizmodo

Coihues Neighborhood / 0.7 ArquitecturaSave this picture! Mara Eugenia CancelaColivingVilla Udaondo, ArgentinaArchitects: 0.7 ArquitecturaAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:2315 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 ManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: FV, Hydro, ferrum Lead Architects: Juan Manuel Caonero, J. Lucas I. Cceres More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Coihues is a neighborhood of ten houses situated on both sides of an internal vehicular street after passing through an important entrance gate. The access of each unit from this community street is private and has its own garage and a park area with a pool.Save this picture!Save this picture!The houses are oriented alternately in order to receive the best sunlight opening towards their private parks. The units on the front line of the street invert their orientation to cover the best views while keeping the row of trees in their parks, which works as a natural separation from the vehicular street.Save this picture!The emplacement layout has to do with a particular perpendicular position of each house with respect to the street in order to open up the central community space and, at the same time, to improve the sunlight of the private outdoor areas. As a result of this design, it stands as a small-scale neighborhood with high-quality community spaces and large areas of privacy for each unit.Save this picture!The houses are developed on three variants of one unique typology that, by mirroring and alternating, avoid the monotony of the whole set. The internal functions of the houses are distributed on two levels, with a public area on the ground floor, which includes the living- and dining room, the kitchen, and an external gallery facing the park. This gallery is opened completely towards the street, allowing wider use by incorporating the garages as a useful space. On the first floor is the private area, which includes the master suite and the rest of the bedrooms.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The language of the housing complex is given by a reinforced concrete structure that works as an exterior enclosure as well as an assembly of the facades. From a formal point of view, the reinforced concrete is used to generate hanging planes that lighten the impact of the material while allowing the ground floor to open towards the park and, at the same time, protect the private spaces of the first level. The facades are complemented by the use of wood as cladding, giving the entire set a greater warmth and a greater harmony with the forest environment.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Villa Udaondo, ArgentinaLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this office0.7 ArquitecturaOfficeMaterialConcreteMaterials and TagsPublished on December 28, 2024Cite: "Coihues Neighborhood / 0.7 Arquitectura" [ Barrio Coihues / 0.7 Arquitectura] 28 Dec 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1024223/coihues-neighborhood-arquitectura&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