We've all been there -- the relentless tossing and turning and the endless ticking of the clock as sleep eludes us in the darkest hours of night. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends 7 or more hours of sleep each night, but it isn't always so easy to find rest.But hope is not lost, as the solution could be in your own kitchen. In addition to popular bedtime snacks, there are some drinks that may help you sleep and maintain a better sleep schedule. These drinks serve as natural sleep aids and are loaded with beneficial ingredients for both your health and sleep. By instilling thesebetter sleep habits, you can improve your sleep quality, all with a simple trip to the store or your pantry.What should you not drink before bed?There are some drinks you shouldavoid before bed because they can negatively affect your sleep. Alcohol is one such example, as it can cause fragmented sleep, reduced rapid eye movement sleep and even insomnia. Breathing problems can worsen andsleep apnea can rear its ugly head. One study showed that total sleep was decreased by 1 hour after the consumption of caffeine 6 hours before sleep. Alcohol also causes frequent urination, causing you to get up throughout the night.Caffeine is another example of a beverage that should be avoided before bed. Coffee, soda and even chocolate hold enough caffeine to affect your sleep, and the added sugar not only keeps you up at night but also puts you at risk for a host of other health issues like diabetes and heart disease. WebMD suggests completely eliminating all caffeine for two weeks. After that, you can try slowly introducing caffeine back into your diet, but you should cease immediately if you start to have trouble sleeping again.10 best drinks for sleep Cavan Images/Getty ImagesWhile some drinks will keep you awake, there are drinks for sleep that will help you fall asleep -- and stay asleep -- without trouble. Before bed, try a cup of one of these beverages that contain natural ingredients to help induce sleep.Chamomile teaChamomile is one of thebest herbal teas that has been proven to help youfall asleep fast. It contains no caffeine to keep you awake and instead is made up of a natural sedative called apigenin. Chamomile has been proven to improve sleep quality, reducing the number of wakeups for uninterrupted sleep. In addition to its sleep benefits, chamomile can reduce inflammation, improve skin health and help those with diabetes.Warm milkBefore bed, a warm glass of milk could be just the trick to help you sleep better. It contains tryptophan, which increases yourmelatonin and helps ward off sleep disorders likeinsomnia. Studies especially show that warm milk can help the sleep of those 65 years and older. Milk is also one of the most nutritious drinks for sleep, providing you with calcium, potassium and Vitamin D.Banana smoothieLike milk, bananas also contain tryptophan, which can help you sleep better, so making a banana smoothie is one of the best sleepy drinks you can enjoy. They are also a rich source of magnesium, asupplement crucial formelatonin production and maintaining your normal circadian sleep cycle. The carbohydrates in bananas have been shown to help you fall asleep faster, and the potassium helps reduce muscle cramping for less interrupted sleep. Just be careful not toadd sugar to your smoothie so you do not counteract the positive effects of the banana.WaterA small amount of water can do wonders for your sleep. Itkeeps your body hydrated, regulating your temperature, and it helps break down waste so you can release toxins through sweat. It can ward off dehydration, constipation and even kidney stones. However, be careful not to drink too much water so you do not have to get up for bathroom breaks. Ice cubes could be a better alternative if you are worried a glass of water may be too much before bed.Valerian root teaValerian comes from the honeysuckle family, and its roots have been known to fight insomnia and encourage better sleep since the second century A.D. It's a gentle andnatural sleep aid used in lieu of prescription medications to treat a number of sleep-related disorders, as well as anxiety and restlessness. A cup of valerian root tea has also been shown to help you fall asleep faster, making it one of the best drinks to help you sleep on our list. The Sleepy Girl Mocktail went viral on TikTok for its sleep-promoting properties. Alena Frolova/Getty ImagesMagnesium drink mixIf you want to skip the banana smoothie, you can still get yourmagnesium intake through a simple drink mix. It can improve your sleep schedule so you sleep longer, and it increases the production of melatonin to help you sleep more soundly. In addition to better sleep, magnesium helps support the nervous system while strengthening your bones and improving your muscle function, heart rhythm and blood sugar. Try the Sleepy Girl Mocktail with tart cherry juice, sparkling water or soda and magnesium powder.Lemon balm teaLemon balm is a member of the mint family and is often referred to as bee balm. Like valerian, you can drink this herb in a warm cup of tea before bed. A calming herb, it works with other herbs like valerian to better your sleep and fight insomnia. It can also help with anxiety, and one study even showed a reduction in teeth grinding in children during sleep. Tart cherry juiceMontmorency cherries, or sour cherries, are used to create tart cherry juice, another fantastic drink before bed. There is a whole host of nutrients, including magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron and zinc. These have been proven to help you sleep longer and better, especially for those with insomnia. Packed with antioxidants, it also reduces inflammation and improves your immune system. Almond milkAlmond milk is a good option for those who are lactose-intolerant or simply prefer some flavor in their milk. A glass of it before bed provides a triple effect of tryptophan, melatonin and magnesium -- all ingredients that have been proven to promote better sleep. Almond milk helps fight insomnia while building immunity, strengthening bones and protecting the heart. Peppermint teaPeppermint is beloved for its cool, minty flavor, and a cup of peppermint tea before bed can help you find better rest. It is caffeine-free and serves as a natural muscle relaxant so your body can relax into sleep. There are a host of medical benefits: It relieves tension headaches and migraines, helps build better immunity and can improve energy. It has also been shown to help with gastrointestinal issues.There are many sleepy drinks you can enjoy before bedtime that will help you sleep longer and more soundly. With so many additional health benefits, you can improve your sleep and your overall health in just one glass. No matter which you choose, your body is sure to thank you.

It's a busy time of year. If you want to set yourself up for a prosperous 2025, there's one thing you should be sure to do before 2024 is up: Get your finances in order.From maximizing your savings to avoiding unnecessary taxes, taking these before the year is up is worth making time for.Read more: Money Advice Shouldn't Stress You Out. Keep It Simple With These 6 Tips10 money moves to make before the end of the yearStart 2025 off on strong financial footing by doing these things right now.1. Use your remaining FSA fundsFlexible spending accountsare typically use-it or lose-it accounts. That means you usually can't roll over funds from one year to the next. If you still have money in your FSA, be sure to spend it before Dec. 31. You can use your FSA funds for many items, including contact lenses, prescription drugs and bandages.2. Max out your retirement contributions"The more money you can put into a retirement account, the better," said Chris Berkel, investment adviser and President at AXIS Financial. There are limits to how much you can put into a 401(k) or IRA annually, and contributing as much as you're allowed to can help you reach your savings goals faster. "If you're planning to contribute to a retirement account in the near future, take advantage of the current limits to maximize where possible," Berkel said.3. Consider donating to a charityDonating to charity can be highly rewarding. Your donations don't just lead to warm feelings and a good night's sleep. They can also help you when tax season rolls around. You can write off charitable cash contributions on your taxes up to 50% of your adjusted gross income. This can reduce your taxable income and potentially bump you into a lower tax bracket, reducing how much tax you owe.4. Review your insurance policiesInsurance is an essential part of a well-balanced financial strategy. Your insurance coverage may no longer fit your personal or financial situation. For instance, big life events like marriage or the birth of a child can significantly affect how much coverage you need. Review your auto insurance, homeowners or renters insurance, health insurance and other policies and consider how your needs may have changed over the last year. Then, compare other providers to ensure you're still getting the best deal possible.5. Review and rebalance your investment portfolioYou should rebalance your investment portfolio at least once a year. This ensures that your investments stay on track to help you achieve your goals.Emily Luk, CFA, CPA, CEO and cofounder of Plenty, says that rebalancing shouldn't be cumbersome. "You shouldn't need to be making material changes in what you're investing in unless you get closer to big milestones like buying a house or retirement," Luk said.What should you do? "The No. 1 investing mistake that today's adults are making is holding too much cash," Luk said. "So before you start rebalancing your investment portfolio, you should rebalance your money." That means making sure you have three to six months of expenses in an emergency fund and for goals you want to achieve in the next year.Once you have your cash holdings squared away, think about what your asset allocation should look like. One way experts recommend doing this is based on your age. For example, if you're 25, consider holding 25% of your investments in lower-risk assets like bonds and 75% in higher-risk assets like stocks. As you age, your risk appetite will likely decline, so you'd shift more money into lower-risk assets.From there, consider diversifying among asset classes. For instance, to diversify your stock holdings, you could invest in low-cost index funds. These funds use investments from large groups of investors to build diverse portfolios that track indexes like the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average. You could diversify your bond holdings with exchange-traded funds that track Treasury bills and other Treasury-backed securities, as well as bonds from issuers like Vanguard.To determine the best investing strategy for you, speak with a financial professional.6. Update your beneficiariesThere are several reasons you may want to change the beneficiaries for your insurance policies and estate. Maybe your children have become adults and don't rely on you as much as they have in the past, or maybe you have a new spouse to support. It's important to regularly review your beneficiaries and ask yourself if your current list is accurate according to your wishes. If it isn't, now is a great time to update it.7. Review your interest ratesThe interest rate environment is changing quickly. The Federal Reserve has cut the benchmark federal funds rate twice in the past few months, and more rate cuts are expected in the coming months. This can affect your money in several ways.Here are a few things to consider to make current interest rates work to your advantage.Savings accounts: High-yield savings accounts can pay annual percentage yields, or APYs, up to 10 times the national average rate (or more). If your money is languishing in an account with a paltry APY, switching it to an HYSA can help you grow your bottom line faster. And with rates on the way down, the sooner you open one, the more interest you stand to earn.CDs: A certificate of deposit is a great way to lock in today's APYs before additional rate cuts. Unlike savings accounts, which have variable rates, your CD rate is fixed when you open an account, so your returns will stay the same even if the Fed cuts rates again. Also, if you have a CD maturing soon, be sure to check competitors' rates before you let it roll over.Mortgages: Mortgage rates are falling. Market rates are currently around 7%, and they're expected to drop to around 6% by the end of the year. If you purchased your home when rates were peaking, you may want to consider refinancing. The general rule of thumb is that it may be worth it if you can lower your rate by at least 1%. Rates could fall into the mid-to-high 5% range over the next year, so keep that in mind when making your decision.Debts: If you have high-interest debts like credit cards and personal loans, you may be able to take advantage of recent rate reductions to consolidate your debt and pay off your balances faster.8. Consider a Roth conversionWith traditional retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs, you make pre-tax contributions: Taxes are deferred until you start withdrawing funds from your retirement account. You may be able to maximize your tax advantages by converting your traditional retirement account to a Roth IRA.With a Roth IRA, you make your contributions with after-tax money. Then, when you draw from your account in retirement, you'll do so on a tax-free basis. That means you won't pay any income taxes on the growth your Roth IRA produces, which could offer meaningful savings over traditional retirement alternatives. Consider these things when deciding if this is the right route for you.9. Take any required minimum distributionsIf you're 73 years or older, it's important to take the minimum required distributions from your retirement accounts before the end of the year. If you don't, the remaining amount you should have withdrawn will be subject to a 25% excise tax. You can use this calculator to determine your required minimum distribution if you're unsure what yours is.10. Set financial goals for the new yearKeep the positive momentum going by creating money goals to carry into the new year. Examples might include:Paying off debt: If you have high-interest credit card debt, your top financial priority should be getting rid of it. Create a plan to pay off your debt for good.Mastering your budget: It's relatively easy to create a budget, but it can be difficult to stick to one. Set a goal to not only create your budget but to master it in the new year.Fully funding your emergency savings: Most experts agree that you should have at least three months of expenses in your savings account at all times. If that's not the case right now, set your sights on fully funding your emergency account by the end of 2025.Finding your savings sweet spot: Do you know how much money you can comfortably save each month? Here's a guide to doing just that.More ways to maximize your money

After you've acquired the taste for coffee, you may have the desire to step up your coffee game, so we'll let you in on a little secret. If you want to buycoffee you love, you'll want to move beyond the basics and begin to understand complex coffee labels. Buying roasted coffee is similar to wine in that the label contains a great deal of information -- country or region of origin, how raw materials were processed, tasting notes -- that contribute to the overall profile of the final product. A coffee label will also detail any certifications for environmental standards or partnerships to regulate working conditions and compensation. Coffee certifications might seem straightforward but they can be the equivalent of greenwashing (looking at you Rainforest Alliance) if you don't know what you're looking for.We're breaking down the elements of coffee labels to demystify both specialty and grocery store brands alike, which can also be used as a guide for purchasing ethical or more environmentally friendly options. Plus, you'll know how to avoid paying more for labels with dubious claims.We will break down certifications such as Fairtrade versus direct trade, as well as explain what all the information on a label means, including the difference between origin and local roasters, single-origin, types of beans and roasts.Type of Bean Most coffee produced is either arabica or robusta. Imagemore M./Imagemore Co., Ltd./Corbis Upgrade your inbox Get cnet insider From talking fridges to iPhones, our experts are here to help make the world a little less complicated. There are over 120 species of coffee beans, but all commercial beans will be one of four varieties: arabica, robusta, liberica and excelsa. The reality is arabica accounts for the majority of coffee sold across the world with robusta in a much lower second place.Due to rising costs, climate change, and renewed interest in lesser-known varieties, specialty coffee beans made from liberica and excelsa are once again gaining traction outside of Southeast Asia and East Africa.A blend of coffee beans can achieve particular tasting notes or caffeine content, but it can also mask beans with a less-than-ideal flavor profile.Robusta vs Arabica RobustaArabica Percent of coffee sold 60-70%30-40%Caffeine 1.7-4%0.8%-1.4%Altitude grown LowerHigherSugars 3-7%6-9%Lipids LessMore ArabicaArabica beans account for the vast majority of beans grown and roasted around the world. The plant originated in Ethiopia but Brazil is the largest exporter. Arabica's popularity is partly due to what is considered a sweeter and less acidic flavor profile. The delicate and disease-prone arabica beans are grown in cool temperatures and higher elevations, around 3,000 to 6,000 feet, resulting in slower growth but more complex flavors.The bean thrives in tropical climates typically around the equator and several genetic varieties are found in Colombia, Indonesia, Guatemala, India and Vietnam. Some claim the delicate flavors can be too mild to stand up in iced coffee, but seeing Starbucks uses arabica beans exclusively, this really comes down to roast rather than the bean. RobustaAs the second most common bean used for commercial coffee, robusta is likely one you're familiar with even if you don't realize it. This bean is disease resistant, which helps make robusta cheaper to grow, so it tends to be used in instant coffee or cheaper brands. Robusta also has a higher caffeine content than arabica beans, and it's often used as part of a blend to make espresso.The coffee is often criticized for its burnt or rubbery taste when of low quality. Robusta can shine with notes of rum or chocolate when made from single-origin beans and in smaller batches. Kisansa is a native variety of robusta in Uganda growing in the market, while Vietnam produces the most robusta beans in the world. You can find high-end varieties sourced from Brazil, India and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Despite hundreds of varities, two types of coffee beans dominate the global market. Alina Bradford/CNETLibericaNative to Liberia, the liberica coffee bean is growing again in popularity thanks to its resistance to disease. Liberica coffee dominated the global market in the 1890s when arabica beans experienced widespread coffee leaf rust. The species is known for larger beans with thick skin, attributes that make the beans more intensive to process and have therefore slowed more widespread production.Liverica beans are known for their smooth and sweet flavor, which can be less appealing or "vegetal" if not processed and roasted correctly. The Philippine Islands produce a large amount of liberica coffee, where it is calledbarako, with small producers across Southeast Asia, especially Malaysia and West Africa.ExcelsaExcelsa coffee beans are a variety of liberica but are different enough to warrant their own category. Excelsa is seeing increased production in countries such as Uganda and South Sudan where the plant is indigenous. The coffee flavor is considered mild with berry notes, low acidity and less bitterness than liberica coffee. It's also often mixed with robusta or arabica beans for export.Roast level How long the coffee is roasted affects the end flavor dramatically. Tyler Lizenby/CNETCoffee's roast level is one of the biggest factors in the overall flavor of coffee. The same beans will taste vastly different if lightly roasted versus roasted for longer to reach the dark roast categorization. Roasting coffee is a spectrum, but light or dark roasts are the standard across the industry.Light roastLight roast coffee beans are exposed to less heat, which causes moisture to evaporate and oils to release. Lighter roasts often retain more complex and fruit-forward flavors. The beans retain their weight but produce a thinner coffee when brewed. Ignore myths that claim light roast has more caffeine than dark roasts as a result of less exposure to heat. Studies show roasting has little to no effect on coffee's caffeine content. Lighter roasts tend to exhibit more nuanced and fruit-forward flavors while darker roasts offer a rich and toasty profile. joey333/GettyDark roastDarker roasts tend to result in toasted notes and more full-bodied flavors like caramel. More oils are released from the longer roast, so the coffee will be thicker when brewed. Dark roasts also tend to contain more bitterness and more robust overall. Darker roast beans also weigh less because more moisture is evaporated when processed longer, so if you measure coffee by weight rather than by scoops, a dark roast will contain more beans, and therefore more caffeine, than a cup of light roast as a result.Espresso beans are often dark roasted for a more robust flavor when mixed with milk. Despite many brands selling an "espresso roast," the term "espresso" refers to how coffee is brewed, not a specific roast. Roast date Pay attention to the roast date. It will signal how fresh the beans inside are. Taylor Martin/CNETThe roast date is becoming more common on coffee labels instead of a "best buy" date because it isn't a great indicator of freshness. The best-buy date could mean it was roasted many months prior. Popular opinion says that coffee should be consumed seven days to three weeks after roasting to catch flavors at their peak. Unless you buy straight from a roaster, even specialty coffees won't reach store shelves within that timeframe.In reality, the roast plays a big factor in oxidation, which causes the coffee flavors to turn stale. Dark roasts can turn rancid due to the additional oils. More commonly, old coffee will be less vibrant but still taste fine. Light roasts can stay tasty for up to two months when stored properly.Roasted at origin Taylor Martin/CNETRoasted-at-origin coffees are gaining notoriety for roasting fresh beans within the same country or region where the beans are grown. Local processing often means a shorter supply chain, as in fewer stops along the way before it reaches your cup, because the uncooked coffee cherries aren't sitting in transit for weeks or months waiting to be delivered to a roaster in another country. Coffee isn't typically consumed until at least one week after the beans are roasted to allow for transport time.The flavors of the terroir can be preserved and local growers benefit from the increased profits of specialty roasting that is otherwise reserved for intermediaries or the country of import. (Buying "local" coffee in Colorado or New York is more of a marketing tool than a model of sustainability when beans are first imported from Kenya or Brazil.) The idea is that farmer roasters are also able to increase traceability and ensure quality control.Single origin Single-origin coffee is often more expensive than other specialty coffees but drinking it can help you develop a taste for terroir. Getty ImagesSingle-origin beans are sourced from one farm, cooperative or in-farm mill. Single-origin is the opportunity to become familiar with the terroir of a region, as in the taste derived from environmental elements like minerals in the soil and the groundwater. The major appeal for enthusiasts is how single-origin beans can result in flavor profiles, acidity levels, textures and aromas that are specific to a time and place, similar elements you might seek out in a single-vineyard wine or single-malt Scotch.Like its alcoholic counterparts, single-origin coffee is often more expensive than other specialty coffees that source beans from multiple growers or regions. Coffee sourced from one region or grower doesn't necessarily mean that it's better-tasting coffee. An added benefit is that it's also easier for traceability to prove that the beans are grown and processed according to the brand's claims, whether it's organic, fresh or ethically produced. It's also an approach that goes in and out of popularity.Processing method Certain regions have specialized approaches to cleaning and drying coffee cherries that highlight its distinct characteristics. Tyler Lizenby/CNETCoffee cherries are processed in a variety of traditional and modern methods to strip the skin and pulp from the seed. The roasted seeds are the coffee beans we know and consume en masse. Processing methods historically are in response to the local climate or the farm's access to water. Individual countries have developed specialized approaches to cleaning and drying the beans that highlight and preserve distinct characteristics. Processing comes down to personal preference and is an opportunity to sample a range of approaches to find one you prefer. Washed processWet processing has become more widespread for the sake of consistency and preservation of the flavors of the bean. Washed coffee is also said to preserve acidity or brightness. Coffee cherries are sorted based on whether they sink or float, the skin is then removed and are left in water for around 24 hours to a couple of days. This allows them to ferment with the mucilage, the fruit pulp, that clings to the coffee seeds. The seeds (or coffee beans) are then rinsed and dried in a machine or outdoors, depending on the local climate.Hybrid models are also used. Kenya producers are known for using a longer fermentation period and subsequent soak (sometimes more than once) to clean the beans, called double washed or double fermentation. The beans are left to dry on raised beds in the often sunny and dry climate. The method allows for a brighter acidity, fruit flavors and vibrant tasting notes.Dry processAlso called the natural process, dry-washed coffee is one of the most traditional methods that started in locations with dry climates and little access to water. Cherries are separated by winnowing, or separating the cherreis, either by hand with a sieve or with a machine. The full cherries are dried naturally in the sun, then raked and turned during the day to further dryer. Once complete the beans are either stored or hulled to remove the outer skin and inner layers. The contact with the skin and pulp for greater duration results in a smooth and heartier flavor. Hybrid processesThe wet and dry methods are combined for natural washed technique, called honey. The skin is removed with water then the seeds are laid out to dry with the pulp still attached. The honey process is performed in countries such as Brazil and Costa Rica where specialty producers often experiment with how much pulp is left on the seeds, resulting in full-bodied beans with a lower acidity but less of the fruit-forward notes.Sumatra coffee features earthy notes in part because of a method called giling basah or wet hulling. The skin and pulp are left on the coffee seeds to offer plenty of body and low acidity, but the drying process is interrupted to hull the seeds after one or two days. The seeds are pliable and moist, in contrast to the standard of hulling the beans once fully dried. The beans might be misshapen by comparison, but the method enhances the final tasting notes of cured tobacco.Coffee certificationsFairtrade Peace CoffeeThe Fairtrade certification appears on a range of agricultural products, including coffee. Fairtrade International is a nonprofit organization that oversees trade standards between buyers and producers, making sure farmers are paid a minimum price to cover the cost of what they grow. That might seem like an obvious standard, but it's common for buyers across industries to negotiate the cheapest prices for products and services resulting in lower wages -- think textiles for fast fashion or cocoa to make chocolate.When you see a Fairtrade label (spelled Fair Trade by the U.S. branch) on a bag of coffee, it signifies not only a price minimum for what farmers are compensated for the beans but requirements for exporters, brokers and companies along the supply chain. TheFairtrade certification comes with a complex set of rules for environmental protections, such as safe disposal of agricultural waste, and labor standards prohibiting child or forced labor. As a result, Fairtrade coffee often costs more to offset the costs.Direct trade Intelligentsia CoffeeDirect trade is a more recent logo found on coffee labels designed with similar intentions to Fairtrade certification. Major coffee producers devised the label as an alternative trade model without the verification process. In some ways, direct trade could be compared to the Better Business Bureau since standards are not enforced and any association is more symbolic of a company's intentions. Or think of direct trade as the ride-share model meant to disrupt the costly hurdles imposed on taxi drivers.The idea is personalized pricing between farmers and buyers to develop more realistic pricing and long-term relationships. Proponents say rather than receiving a set Fairtrade price, farmers in microclimates with sought-after beans are incentivized by a premium when a bean or process might require more time or cost investment.Rainforest Alliance Rainforest AllianceThe Rainforest Alliance is a certification best recognized by a cute little frog logo found on coffee or chocolate packaging. Unfortunately, due to careful wording and a history of dubious sourcing, the label doesn't stand for much in terms of ethics or sustainability. The Rainforest Alliance has courted controversy due to several lawsuits over the years, such as aclass action lawsuit filed in 2024 claiming the organization made false claims and forged audit documents about child labor, worker conditions and deforestation. The alliance even merged with the UTZ company, which has a history of providing cocoa produced using child labor.Traceability is so important since major retailers use the logo -- and pay the Rainforest Alliance a percentage of sales to do so have no idea what working conditions are like when sourcing from countries with child labor and harmful deforestation practices. This label might best be described as the definition of "greenwashing," but (thanks to our careful wording) let the lawsuits speak for themselves.Coffee labels FAQIs Fairtrade coffee worth it?The Fairtrade certification is similar to "organic" foods in that farmers must meet specific standards that are verified for the symbol to appear on a label. The reality is the certification is not a panacea for better wages or labor conditions. Researchers have shownFairtrade standards have benefited small farmers in places like West Africa. Other studies have found that hired workers are often paid the same regardless of higher prices, and food insecurity is still an issue.The cost of obtaining and maintaining the certification is also steep, which cuts into the profits for producers and strains time and resources.One study shows certified producers in Nicaragua are often poorer than other farmers. Regulations only state that wages must comply with legal requirements. Although the Fairtrade label is one of the most regulated coffee certifications, it appears that more work can be done.How is Fair Trade different than direct trade?Fairtrade certification is regulated with the aim of maintaining standards of compensation, sustainability and ethical working conditions.Direct trade is a set of guidelines where businesses commit to standards, such as buying from local farmers and providing sustainability reports.The benefit of the direct trade label is that it's not a costly certification with a greater onus on farmers and buyers can work with growers based on specific needs rather than a set minimum. Without third-party oversight, it's up to the buyers to report what constitutes "preferential" payment.Major coffee brands, such asStumptown Coffee, claim its direct trade standards include paying higher prices for goods and traceability by working with reliable producers. It's similar to how "natural" is used on products instead of a regulated "organic" label. Any brand can claim its product is "natural" because it has no government regulations, but it evokes a similar connotation for buyers.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereFortnite users are notably obsessed with skins, which are cosmetic items that allow them to personalize their characters. Skins in Fortnite range from sleek warriors and futuristic androids to quirky mascots and legendary pop-culture crossovers. Players eagerly await new skin releases, often strategizing their V-Bucks spends or grinding the Battle Pass to get the most desired outfits.While numerous skins may be purchased or earned in-game, Fortnite Crew takes exclusivity to a new level. This monthly subscription service not only gives customers V-Bucks and access to all passes, but it also gives them premium, exclusive skins that they cant get anywhere else. These Crew Pack skins frequently contain high-quality graphics and unusual themes, making them must-haves for collectors and Fortnite fans alike.However, now players have a game-changing suggestion to make Fortnite Crew more appealing than it already is in Chapter 6.Fortnite players demand skin collection choices in monthly Crew subscriptionsFortnite users like Less_Tennis have offered a game-changing solution to make the Crew Packs more interesting than they are. According to their Reddit Post, they suggest that Fortnite Crew should let you pick a skin from the collection each month instead of just the newest one.Fortnite players want Epic to offer skin options in their crew subscription. Image by Less_Tennis.They further continued, Its probably pretty rare that everyone likes the next upcoming Crew skin personally I havent liked one since the spartan skin in the last chapter. But since Crew now has a collection of around 50 skins and (I think) most people havent been subscribed since 2021, why not let people get a token each month that can be redeemed for any Crew skin? That way theres a much larger chance people get a skin they like.This suggestion drew the attention of many Fortnite players who have been a Crew subscriber on and off from time to time. One such player said, Just give us a token, or a token fragment every month. Allowing us to get an old skin every 1 to 3 months subbed, where another continued, That would incentivize a continued subscription like they want, I could definitely see them doing token fragments.To those unaware, currently, Fortnite Crew offers a free skin, alongside the Crew Bonus Legacy styles for each month youre subscribed to the service. Those styles are unlockable for previous skins, along with types of pickaxes that were once available to players.While the service is a great alternative for players willing to save up on spending V-Bucks, it still needs a lot of work so players can set their own terms of the subscription, including which skin they want from their pack. FortnitePlatform(s):Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter9VideoGamerRelated TopicsFortnite Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

Molly Sims envisioned a chandelier with multiple glass globes for the bar room inside her Hamptons beach house. She and designer Dan Scotti settled on this lighting fixture from Giopato & Coombes. The Kelly Wearstler coffee table really rounds it all out.Photo: Gieves AndersonGlassy globesGlass is as historic as the ball shape itself, making for a spectacular collaboration no matter the object. Its been said that the mystical properties of Gazing balls (13th century Venetian glass spheres) include warding off evil and bringing good luck. These contemporary offerings are all equally magical and practical, with just the right amount of historicism.Maison Balzac Pomponette Coupes (Set of 2)A playful addition to anyones glassware collection, Maison Balzacs selection has a colorful confetti-like offering for any tiny ball enthusiast.Cedric Mitchell Kinetic CupCedric, who draws inspiration from both 18th-century imperial Chinese glassware and Memphis Milano alike, highlights the whimsy and functionality of the ball in his candy-coated glass Kinetic Cups. Nostalgic gumball machines also served as great inspiration, and he likens the foot of his cup to the shiny, colorful treats waiting to be released with a turn of the crank.Yemen Glass Vase by Ettore SottsassOne of Ettore Sottsass tamer pieces, this collectible 1984 tricolor vase is handcrafted in Italy using a traditional opaline technique.Get Sticky Glass Tripod Desert Plate #3Grace Whiteside, founder of Get Sticky Glass, is fascinated with the experimental nature of glass and its endless possibilities. This dessert plate is a surefire way to elevate your favorite snack.Sophie Lou Jacobsen Bilboquet CarafeDescribed as a playful take on the traditional wine decanter, the Bilboquet Carafe is the perfect amount of ball if youre more of a subtle enthusiast.Helle Mardahl The PairSweetheart of the namesake Copenhagen brand, Helle Mardahl, has had huge success creating the ultimate candy inspired pieces since 2017. Many of the unique glass pieces have some sort of ball decoration and come in a variety of colorways.

Azerbaijan probe finds Russian missile caused deadly crash, reports sayAzerbaijan officials cited in multiple reports say Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432 was downed by Russias air defences.The wreckage of Azerbaijan Airlines' Embraer 190 near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 25, 2024 [The Administration of Mangystau Region via AP Photo]Published On 27 Dec 202427 Dec 2024|Updated:2 hours agoAzerbaijans preliminary investigation into a deadly air crash in Kazakhstan has concluded that the airliner was downed by Russias air defence systems, multiple media outlets have reported.Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432 crashed near the city of Aktau on Wednesday while en route to Grozny, the capital of the Chechnya region in southern Russia, killing 38 people and injuring 29 others.Azerbaijan Airlines suspended a host of flights to Russian cities on Friday and said preliminary findings showed the crash was caused by what it termed physical and technical external interference. It did not detail what that interference was.While Azerbaijan has yet to publicly announce the findings of its probe into the disaster, officials have concluded that a Russian anti-aircraft missile was to blame, Euronews, The Wall Street Journal, Anadolu Agency and the Reuters news agency reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources familiar with the investigation.Reuters cited a source as saying that the aircraft was struck by a Russian Pantsir-S battery after having its communications paralysed by electronic warfare systems on its approach to Grozny. Advertisement The firing on the plane was not believed to be intentional, Reuters quoted the source as saying.Euronews cited government sources as saying the aircraft was not allowed to land in Russia after pilots requested an emergency landing and was instead directed to fly across the Caspian Sea towards Aktau.Al Jazeera could not independently verify the claims.Complicated conditionsRussias Federal Air Transport Agency initially said that the plane had been forced to make an emergency landing after striking a flock of birds.The reports of Russias involvement came after aviation experts suggested Russian air defences were likely to blame, based on visible damage to the planes tail section.The Embraer 190 had been flying over a part of Russias North Caucasus that has been targeted by Ukrainian drones in recent weeks, and Russias Ministry of Defence reported shooting down dozens of drones on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.Footage of the stricken aircraft on social media showed the plane making a steep descent before hitting the ground and bursting into flames.Russia has cautioned against speculation about the cause of the crash, with the Kremlin refusing to comment on Friday on claims about a Russian missile being responsible.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: It would be wrong to make any hypotheses before the investigations conclusions.Separately on Friday, the head of Russias civil aviation agency, Dmitry Yadrov, said Ukrainian drones were attacking Grozny as the plane was trying to land there, before it later crashed in Kazakhstan. Advertisement Yadrov said on Telegram that there was heavy fog over Grozny when the incident occurred and conditions that day and in those hours around the airport were very complicated.Ukrainian military drones were carrying out terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure at the time, he said. Due to the danger posed by the drones, no departures and arrivals were permitted in Grozny and the plane had to divert, he added.Kazakhstan, which is also probing the crash, has declined to speculate on the cause before the release of its own findings.Azerbaijan on Thursday held a day of mourning for the victims of the crash, with residents of the former Soviet country observing a moment of silence as national flags were lowered and traffic came to a halt nationwide.This is a great tragedy that has become a tremendous sorrow for the Azerbaijani people, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said.Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies

No programming knowledge needed!We chat to Ollie Coe from Pixel Ghost (Life's Too Short) and Cesar Arminio from 2think design studio (Glory Hunters) who are taking their first few steps into the world of Game Boy development. Then we speak to Matt Hughson (From Below) and 7FH (Gunship DX, Genesis), who have been creating retro games for years and like to really drill down into the nitty-gritty of the Game Boy and its limitations.First up, Ollie Coe. Ollies debut Game Boy title, Lifes Too Short, is a charming point-and-click adventure filled with irreverent humour, quirky characters, and a puzzle or two.Images: Pixel GhostNintendo Life: Tell us a little about how you got into developing games?Ollie Coe (Pixel Ghost): Games have always held an important place in my life, from booting up Amstrad games before school to defeating Ornstein and Smough in Dark Souls and everything in between. I loved playing all and everything and had often dipped my toe into basic development through RPG Maker or other platforms that were more forgiving. Making games became a bit of a pipe dream and took a back seat. I was then lucky enough to join the games industry as a PR intern back in 2010 and have spent approximately 14 years working in PR/marketing/brand for Ubisoft, Nintendo, and The LEGO Group (among others). Then in 2022, I decided that I would finally try to learn how to make games!I tried a bunch of tutorials for Unity and GameMaker but I just did not get them. Then the Playdate arrived and with their web-based dev platform Pulp (influenced by bitsy) I was able to release my first games on the Playdate console! People actually bought and liked my games and technically I became a real game developer, which was super exciting.Image: Ollie Coe / Nintendo LifeTell us about your Game Boy game?After releasing eight Playdate games across 2022 and 2023, I got the idea to slowly flex my muscles on a different platform and bring my first game Lifes Too Short to Game Boy using GB Studio. Lifes Too Short follows a ghostly marriage counsellor who is employed to repair a rift between two vampires whose relationship is on the rocks. Its a little bit like a top-down point-and-click style game where you meet lots of interesting characters, find the items theyre looking for with all the cause and effect leading to helping the vampires reunite!So your games are essentially remasters of your Playdate games?Yes, thats right! The Game Boy version (Lifes Too Short GB) features the same story but with 4x the pixels, 4x the colours (different shades of green), and some new first-person rooms just to try my arm at different pixel art styles.What were the challenges of porting from Pulp to GB Studio?Ill admit that when I first looked into it, I thought to myself, 'Oh this will only take like a week as Ive already made the game!', but it ended up taking many months. While the story, structure, puzzles, and characters were there already, I had to redraw everything and learn how to use GB Studio to develop the game for the Game Boy. Both platforms are super beginner-friendly and provide an opportunity to make your first games. It helps to have a basic understanding of variables, 'if' statements, etc., but GB Studio especially is amazingly accessible and because its drag-and-drop focused and very visual, you dont need any coding knowledge and can instead let your creativity lead your development.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube789kYour game enjoyed a physical release through Yastuna Games? How did that come about?A fellow Game Boy and Playdate developer Goloso Games put me in touch with Frederic at Yastuna Games who worked with me to bring Lifes Too Short GB and the Game Boy Color sequel Lifes Too Short GB: A Christmas Spirit (also a Playdate remaster) to physical release. Yastuna did such an incredible job with the cartridge, packaging, distribution, etc., and helped create something that will (maybe rather morbidly) live in this world for longer than I will! Maybe this is what immortality feels like?The game had a limited run of ~50 copies would you do another print run if the interest was there?Thats a good question. Im sort of torn between honouring the original run for those that bought it and meeting any additional demand (and discussing logistics with Yastuna). I guess my answer is that Id mostly just love to have the game in more peoples hands.I believe there was some snazzy merch too?[laughing] Yes! I do have a Shopify page with some Pixel Ghost and Lifes Too Short merch. Im still amazed that some fans buy these things as the feeling of anyone playing my games still feels very fresh. Im amazingly grateful to everyone who does play!What are you working on now and do you have any future plans for the Game Boy?Right now Im working on an official port of Shadowgate for the Playdate which is due in 2024. There are no concrete plans for new games on the Game Boy but its such a pleasure to be able to upscale and bring fresh life to my Playdate games that Ill probably be tempted in the future to bring Lifes 2 Short: Unhooked (a ghostly pirate sequel) to the platform via GB Studio.Following a competition on itch.io where his demo for Glory Hunters gained some momentum, Cesar Arminio successfully Kickstarted his Game Boy project and is in the midst of developing the full game using GB Studio.Images: 2think design studioNintendo Life: Hi Cesar, tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into game development.Cesar Arminio (2think design studio): I studied graphic design with a dream to make something around the video game industry eventually. At the time here in Mexico, there werent any schools that were teaching those things game design overall, things that let you create a game, so I figured out that Id start by creating characters for video games. Some years later I worked with another studio here in Mexico called Bromio when they needed a graphic designer and we came up with a game called Pato Box which was released on PS Vita, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam. I became the lead game designer and the writer.Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo LifeYou said it was your dream to make games, what were the games from your childhood that inspired you? Were there any Game Boy titles?I think my first experience was the NES. According to my father, I started playing when I was three I played the main games like Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Duck Hunt, and Final Fantasy. I had a Game Boy Pocket and I fell in love with handhelds. I went from the Pocket to the GBC, the GBA, Nintendo DS, 3DS even the Vita. My love for the handheld systems was off the rails and that helped bring Pato Box to the PS Vita even when the system was dying at the time.Youve taken that love of handhelds and are now producing Glory Hunters, is this the first game youre making for the Game Boy? And could you tell us a little about it?Yes, this is the first game. As a graphic designer, I studied a lot of game design, narrative within video games, and concept art, but there was this software called GB Studio which would let me make my own game without knowing any language code. Glory Hunters is a new action-adventure RPG designed for the original Game Boy. It has a distinctive and original gameplay twist in that progression is driven by earning achievements. What I think is cool about Glory Hunters is that you have familiar gameplay related to The Legend of Zelda, but youre going to progress through the map in an open world through finding achievements such as cutting bushes, obtaining items, defeating bosses, or even defeating them without taking hits. There are many high-scoring minigames and overall theres more than 600 achievements in the game. Well, it plays a bit like Zelda tooSubscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube789kWow! So youre creating the game with GB Studio? Is this a completely solo effort or are you making it as part of a team?The game is being created in GB Studio version 3.1.0, using tiles to create the map, sprites for NPCs, and animations. I partnered with my neighbour Rodrigo Nuez hes a musician and is a part of a Celtic music band, so he knew a lot about the tunes used for that mood. I told him about the game and he created over 23 tracks. After that he recreated the original soundtrack with his band which you can hear on Spotify. I also teamed up with a good friend who I worked with on Pato Box, his name is Antonio Gutierrez and hes dedicated to porting the game once Im finished. Everything else, the sprites, the story, the programming I am doing myself.GB Studio is of course designed to be very user-friendly, have you found that youre bumping up against its limitations at all or is it doing everything that you want it to do?It obviously has some limitations. For example, having to optimise the game so it fits into 4mb is quite the challenge. People are always surprised at how small that is, smaller than pictures on a phone sometimes. The game will last around 24 hours, that part was really challenging. It is really easy because its drag-and-drop but as I didnt have any experience as a programmer, I dont know any language code so I needed to get familiarised with the process the logic of creating the game.You were kind enough to share a demo build with us and I was really struck by the progression system. It reminded me of The Frog for Whom the Bell Tolls not that you progress in the same way, but in that it feels familiar to something like The Legend of Zelda but with a vastly different approach to navigating through the world.I played a bit of that while researching for the game. The controls play like the first Legend of Zelda because I couldnt make something really complex with the limitations. The currency system you could compare to an EXP points system I studied a lot about how Dragon Quest 1 worked and translated that into achievement points instead of experience by killing enemies. The visuals are based on games like Final Fantasy Adventure, and Links Awakening. Some of the assets are based on the Mother series and even Pokmon.Images: Bitmap Soft, 2think design studioHow did the idea for the achievement system come about?Im a World of Warcraft player so for me the achievement system within video games started there, but the idea was really born from A Link to the Past on the SNES a specific part in the game when you had to drop rupees over and over again to upgrade bombs and arrows and I remember always as a kid trying to do that first. It was grindy but I really enjoyed having that reward of repeating the same action over and over again. That was the origin of the idea for Glory Hunters to have certain events or challenges that you could repeat over again and scale into experience or currency you could use to open the world freely. Thats evolved but its the origin of the idea.The game is having a physical release through Bitmap Soft how did that partnership come about?I joined the first GB competition on itch.io in 2021 and the demo was a finalist among 137 entries. After that I was contacted on Twitter by Bitmap Soft which was one of four or five publishers at the time creating new games for retro consoles. They said they were interested in the game, I told them I loved their games and that would be awesome - but I wanted to create a Kickstarter to reach more people. Together we figured out the campaign, I would create the game and they would make it physically for all the backers, and after that they would keep producing the game based on demand. The Kickstarter was in 2022 and we made about 130% of our target.How is development going? Are you confident in reaching your 2024 target?Originally development was meant to last one year but my second son was due to come into the world. Mixing children with all that happened with COVID, having COVID myself a lot of issues has meant we are now two years into development.Finally, while weve been chatting I cant help but admire that Game Boy behind you its enormous!Yeah, its about one metre tall. It actually works weve been taking it to events with original Game Boys for people to try out the game. Its a lot of work creating an indie game without any money, but its been awesome to see people playing it.What Ive noticed is that many of the people who are interested in the game or the Kickstarter seem to be parents, people like me who grew up with a Game Boy, a simple system with a few buttons. They want a new experience with a familiar console and to share that with their kids. Ive created the game with that in mind. You can get gratification in short bursts because parents dont have a lot of time. You can complete the game within a few hours by getting to one corner of the map and defeating a god, but then if you want to go deeper down the rabbit hole itll take a lot more time. Theres an unlock and a good ending. Id love to know how many people see it.Next up is Matt Hughson, whose game-dev day job has him working at The Coalition. A prolific designer in the homebrew NES scene, Matt took on the challenge of porting one of his best-known titles, From Below, to the Game Boy using the ZGB and GBDK2020 libraries.Images: Matt HughsonNintendo Life: Hi Matt, tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into developing games.Matt Hughson: Im in my 40s so I grew up with the NES, Game Boy, all that stuff thats kind of a cornerstone of my childhood, the heyday of Mario Mania. After childhood I got pretty into the NES in the late '90s when emulation kind of exploded, I ran some emulation websites and then went to Full Sail School in Florida for game design where I earned my degree. Despite its name it is not a sailing school, which seems to confuse everyone I talk to, they teach digital media which is super common now but when I went back in 2001 it was quite a novelty, there were no game programs at national universities, it was really only Digipen and Full Sail. From there I came back to Canada, first working in a school then transferring to Electronic Arts - bouncing around companies in Vancouver and Im now at Microsoft working on the Gears of War franchise.You mention your love for the NES I believe youve made games for the NES before?Yeah, as I mentioned Ive been working for about 20 years professionally in the industry and then I started getting into NES development around 2020 just as a hobby thing. I released From Below for the NES in 2020, then my next game was Witch n Wiz, kind of a puzzle platformer also for the NES. Then I switched over to the Game Boy for From Below Pocket. Now Im back on the NES for an action platformer called Super Sunny World which is a kind of love letter to NES Mario games.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube789kYou ported From Below from the NES to the Game Boy what made you decide to do this and what challenges did you face when porting it?I guess the root motivation was that I love the Game Boy. And I think maybe a technical reason I was interested in doing a port was because I write most of my games in C instead of Assembly which most old games were written in. Now to rewrite them in C you pay the cost of performance. I wrote From Below for the NES 99% in C with some bits from some Assembly libraries and then there are also libraries for the Game Boy which allow you to compile C, so I could take the core engine and just compile the game on the Game Boy with little to no work for the core gameplay. So that interested me, the thought that I could take the exact same game and run it on Game Boy though theres obviously a lot more work to it than that.The two biggest challenges were the resolution change and the multiplayer. Its lower resolution than the NES, the Game Boys about 144 [pixels] high and 160 wide whereas the NES is 256 by 240 so basically cut in half. In addition to that, for the Tetris-style gameplay the traditional board is 10 blocks wide and 20 blocks high; on the Game Boy render is 8x8 sprites, so if you do the math you cant actually fit that in on the Game Boy screen.Image: Matt HughsonSo if you look at the Nintendo Tetris board for the Game Boy, it is only 10 wide and 18 high, which is not really the traditional gameplay - so I wanted to kind of fix that. I did a bunch of technical tricks to essentially squish the screen so instead of being 144 pixels high its about 180 pixels high and I do it by skipping rendering every 8th scanline so instead of 8x8 sprites, its essentially 8x7 sprites. So if you look closely the blocks arent actually square theyre slightly squished. That was a bit of a technical challenge and it kind of messes with the logic a little but it means that From Below is, as far as I know, the only game on the Game Boy that has the full 10x20 game board.On top of that I wanted to add multiplayer and that was by far the hardest part of the game a peer-to-peer game where youre sending one byte at a time, its really complicated. And I had it easy! I had libraries I was building on top of and a lot of the low-level stuff was done for me but there were still tons of bugs and loads of edge cases to deal with.The Game Boy is well known for its block puzzle games youve mentioned the full-size board which makes it unique amongst its predecessors but tell us a little more about it and what makes it different.So the core hook is this Kraken monster at the bottom of the screen and hes pushing his tentacles up from the bottom of the ocean onto the gameboard. As he does so hes pushing a row of blocks up as well as leaving garbage blocks on the board while youre clearing. If you clear a line over his tentacle he retreats so this push and pull adds a twist to it. And on top of that, theres the idea that sometimes he can help you he can push blocks into empty spaces which normally you wouldnt be able to reach, so you can use him to your advantage as well.One of the core design philosophies I was aiming for was taking modern design sensibilities and adding them to this classic game, so if you play classic Tetris or Game Boy Tetris, there are a lot of modern things that you might forget or might not realise are missing things like wall kicks, lock delay so you can slide the block when it lands, little things like that to make it feel really good and fluid. Recently someone played Tetris for hours and hours to beat the game you can play at the highest level and it never gets harder. To combat that scenario and keep the games relatively short, once you reach level 30 theres basically a soft kill screen. So every level you beat the floor slowly rises so you have a smaller space to work with. By the time you reach level 40 youre essentially forced to play in the top third of the level while everything below it is locked its basically impossible because its lightning fast at that point too, but its intentional to make it so you get as many points as you can before that point and then you have a bit of a 'soft' chance to maybe score a few more lines. At that point, lines in Tetris are worth tons of points so it just ensures that nobodys going to have to play this game for four hours to get the world record. The longest play is 20 minutes or so.As I ended up nearing completion, a bunch of the hardcore NES Tetris players found it and they started giving me feedback so a lot of what Ive talked about is from them. I had no idea that stuff existed, I just kept feeding off them and pushing more and more into the game until it felt really good. Im so thankful they found it because there was lots of stuff that was totally broken that wouldve just ruined the game for high-level Tetris players.Image: Matt HughsonDo you have a world record scoreboard currently?I think its two million. Its on my Discord I keep it there. I think someone hit that last year, which is just insane to me.You had a limited run on cartridges did you do that yourself or were they produced for you?It was a bit of a mix. For the original NES game I did a super limited run of 100 copies and the first 50 I basically did myself. I contacted a guy on Etsy who made boxes and they turned out to be in Vancouver. I bought the PCBs from Broke Studio in France and I ordered the shells from China. It was an amalgamation for that first 50 which was a ton of work and really stressful, and if one doesnt work youre kind of screwed.So for the second run I just went through Broke Studio because they also do the complete-in-box service, the shipping and everything. I did eBay for those batches; for the Game Boy version and a rerelease of the NES version I set up my own store, took all the orders, and passed that on to Broke Studio who did the manufacturing and distribution for me. Witch n Wiz before went through Limited Run Games.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube789kSuper Sunny World for the NES is your current project whats the release date for that and do you have any plans for the Game Boy after that?Im hoping to release this summer. When I started it was meant to be a one-month project that was a year ago. I wanted to do something quick, a little homage to Mario 1, but it went so well that I decided to keep working on it. Its really close to done I have all the levels done, all the core gameplay is done, Im just working on bosses which is taking a long time and I want to do some meta-game stuff. Finding hidden collectibles, maybe a slot machine to buy in-game items like Smash Bros. something like that.Then Id love to return to Game Boy. Id love to do a Witch n Wiz port. It's kind of like a spiritual successor to Catrap it takes the core concept of Catrap for the first ten levels but then every ten levels after I switch the mechanics. You can loop around the edge of the screen for the next ten levels like Asteroids, later on you can flip gravity. Catrap was such an awesome game I feel like Witch n Wiz would be too. I was also thinking of doing a Super Sunny port like a Super Sunny Land similar to Super Mario Land not a straight port but a reimagining on a smaller screen. I just need to get this done first!Finally, 7FH has seen five physical Game Boy releases in a variety of different genres and is a dab hand at squeezing magic out of the tiny portable using the GBDK2020 library.Images: 7FHNintendo Life: Hi 7FH, tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into developing.7FH: I'm 42 and come from Germany. Around 2019, I discovered the GBDK (Game Boy Development Kit), which allows you to develop your own Game Boy games using C. I was fascinated by the idea of creating my own game, so I looked around for tutorials and code examples.Youre a prolific Game Boy creator with five physical releases to date. Tell us a little about each game.All my games are developed using the GBDK. It delivers only a few basic functions but no complete game engine. Developing the game engine is one of the most fun parts.Genesis (2020) is a vertical scrolling shoot em up mostly inspired by Solar Striker.Black Castle (2020) is an action platformer. Its said to be a mixture of Super Mario Land and Castlevania.Gunship (2021) is a vertical-scrolling rail shooter. This type of game hardly exists on the Game Boy, which prompted me to develop such a game.G-Zero (2022) is a F-Zero-like racing game. I found one day an F-Zero pixel art demake on the internet which inspired me.Genesis 2 (2024) is the successor to Genesis. Genesis got some bad reviews... it was my first game and I didnt know the hardware that well yet. So I wanted to prove that I can do it better.Do any of the other games draw inspiration from other Game Boy titles youve enjoyed?Genesis 1 and 2 also take inspiration from Nemesis 1 and 2. You can tell that from the name alone. Black Castle picks up on some elements of the Ghost 'n Goblins game series. Time ExtensionReady to...?Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube789kThe F-Zero series began life on the technically far superior Super NES. What were the challenges of putting that kind of gameplay onto a Game Boy with G-Zero, and what makes it different from its inspiration?G-Zero was a great challenge from a technical point of view. I was curious to see how this pseudo-3D effect can be realised on the Game Boy and took a look at F-1 Race. After I understood how the 3D effect works, I designed a first prototype. Implementing the opponent drivers was the next big challenge. Compared to F-Zero, however, I was only able to include a limited number of opponent drivers. I also had to do without jumps and boosts.Your latest release is Genesis 2 a vertically scrolling shmup. I find this game fascinating as theyre very few notable vertical scrollers on the Game Boy, with the console seeming to favour side scrollers. What led to the decision to make it vertically scrolling and what were the challenges in doing that?The Game Boy has a limit of 10 sprites per line. When you go beyond that limit, the sprite will not be rendered or there will be flickering. I always try to avoid this through clever game design and this led me to a vertical shoot em up. Another big problem is the very limited computing power of the system. A shoot em up has a lot of moving objects on screen and the collision detection in particular eats up a lot of performance. To avoid this, I do not check every collision in every frame, but distribute the checks over several frames.Youve enjoyed physical releases through both Incube8 Games and Ferrante Crafts how did you end up partnering with these companies?The goal is for me always to do a physical release. When I had finished developing Genesis, I was looking for a suitable publisher. I came to Incube8 Games via [UK-based indie developer/publisher] Spacebot Interactive. Incube8 Games offers very professional releases but they also take a lot of time to prepare. For Black Castle, I was looking for something faster and came across Ferrante Crafts. They are doing everything by hand enabling them to do fast and uncomplicated releases. Both companies are great publishers.Images: Ferrante Crafts, Incube8 GamesWhat does the future hold for you? Are you working on anything else for the Game Boy at the moment?There will be soon a DX version of Gunship on Incube8 Games. Its a Game Boy Color game with full-colour graphics and rumble support! In addition, I have developed a new prototype, but the project is still secret.So there you have it, four very different creators all producing new titles for the Game Boy. Many thanks to Ollie, Cesar, Matt Hughso, and 7FH for speaking with us.Have you tried any of these titles, or do you own any of the physical releases? Let us know in the comments down below, and if there are any other new creators for the classic console you think we should take a look at.Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo LifeSee AlsoShare:05 George is a stage and screen actor and voiceover artist with a deep love of gaming and all things Nintendo. His writing has appeared on Nintendo Life and Time Extension. 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In BriefPosted:7:42 AM PST December 27, 2024Image Credits:Getty ImagesWant a cheap EV? Hertz is handing out discounts to rentersHertz has been contacting people who are in the middle of renting electric vehicles recently to offer them the option to buy the car instead of returning it, reports The Verge. And the offers are pretty sweet, according to some renters who shared the offers on Reddit.One renter was reportedly offered a 2023 Chevy Bolt for $18,442, another was offered a 2023 Tesla Model 3 with only 30,000 miles on it for $17,913, and still another got an offer to buy a Polestar 2 for $28,500. On top of that, Hertz is offering up a limited 12-month, 12,000-mile powertrain warranty, and a buy-back offer within seven days.The move to offload its fleet of EVs, most of which are Teslas, comes nearly a year after Hertz said it would sell off a third of its EV fleet, citing lower demand and higher-than-expected repair costs.Due in part to the accelerated sell-off of the somewhat new EVs, Hertz recorded $937 million in vehicle depreciation in the third quarter, a significant increase compared to the year prior, and depreciation per unit of $537.The company said it expects the depreciation per unit to normalize to under $300 by the end of 2025.Topics

OpenAI says its corporate structure must evolve to advance its mission of ensuring artificial general intelligence (AGI) AI that can complete most tasks humans can benefits all humanity. OpenAI currently has a for-profit org controlled by a nonprofit, with a capped profit share for investors and employees. But in a blog post published Friday, the company says it plans to begin transitioning its existing for-profit into a Delaware Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), with ordinary shares of stock and the OpenAI mission as its public benefit interest.Those details had been reported elsewhere. In December, The New York Times revealedthat OpenAI was in discussions to pay its nonprofit billions of dollars for it to cede control. However, its the first time OpenAI has laid out its proposal in a public memo. As we enter 2025, we will have to become more than a lab and a startup we have to become an enduring company, OpenAI wrote in its post. The world is moving to build out a new infrastructure of energy, land use, chips, data centers, data, AI models, and AI systems for the 21st century economy. We seek to evolve in order to take the next step in our mission.OpenAI says establishing the PBC would enable it to balance shareholder interests, stakeholder interests, and a public benefit interest in its decision-making while allowing it to raise the necessary capital with conventional terms. It would also create one of the best-resourced nonprofits in history, OpenAI claims; OpenAIs existing nonprofit would receive shares in the PBC at a fair valuation determined by independent financial advisors.We have a nonprofit and a for-profit today, and we will continue to have both, OpenAI wrote. Our current structure does not allow the board to directly consider the interests of those who would finance the mission and does not enable the nonprofit to easily do more than control the for-profit. The PBC will run and control OpenAIs operations and business, while the nonprofit will hire a leadership team and staff to pursue charitable initiatives in sectors such as health care, education, and science.OpenAI was founded in 2015 as a nonprofit research lab. But as its experiments became increasingly capital-intensive, it created its current structure, taking on outside investments from VCs and companies including Microsoft. In October, OpenAI raised $6.6 billion at a $157 billion valuation, bringing its total raised to $17.9 billion. The company still expects to lose money this year, however $5 billion, according to CNBC and the terms of its latest funding round require that it completes a for-profit transition within two years.The plan faces hurdles. One of OpenAIs co-founders, billionaire Elon Musk, has filed for an injunction to halt the companys transition to a for-profit, accusing OpenAI of abandoning its original philanthropic mission. Musk has also alleged that OpenAI has deprived his AI company, xAI, of capital by extracting promises from investorsnot to fund it.OpenAI has called Musks complaints baseless and simply a case of sour grapes.Facebooks parent company and AI rival, Meta, is also supporting efforts to block OpenAIs conversion. In December, Meta sent a letter to California attorney general Rob Bonta, arguing that allowing the shift would have seismic implications for Silicon Valley.If OpenAIs new business model is valid, nonprofit investors would get the same for-profit upside as those who invest the conventional way in for-profit companies while also benefiting from tax write-offs bestowed by the government, Meta wrote in the letter. OpenAI competitors like xAI and Anthropic are structured as PBCs, but lack a nonprofit component. OpenAIs structure as it exists today is what ultimately led to the abrupt ousting of CEO Sam Altman last November, which greatly displeased investors in particular Microsoft. It also gives OpenAIs board the power to determine exactly when OpenAI has achieved AGI, and exempts this AGI from the licensing agreements the startup has in place with customers.One of those customers is Microsoft and Microsoft and OpenAI are said to have a specific, internal financial definition of AGI. According toThe Information, the two companies signed an agreement last year stating OpenAI has only achieved AGI when it develops AI systems that can generate at least $100 billion in profits.OpenAI continues to deal with an outflow of high-level talent due in part to concerns that the company is prioritizing commercial products at the expense of safety. One former employee, Carroll Wainwright, who researched aligning AI systems with safety policies, wrote in a post on X this fall that OpenAI was structured as a non-profit [but] acted like a for-profit and should not [be trusted] when it promises to do the right thing later.

As the world of interiors continues to evolve, so too do its practitioners. Following the new kids on the block not only acts as a good pulse check for the direction the industry is trending toward, but it also becomes a source of inspiration. Emerging design and architecture studios continue to impress in the scale and breadth of work for a small, new team. The following practices are run in twos or threes, hone a unique visual language, commit to an ethos that underscores the practice, and still find ways to give back or work with their communities. Here are four emerging studios thatAN Interioris keeping on the radar. Justin Donnelly and Monling Lee founded Jumbo (Sean Davidson)JumboBased in Brooklyn, New York, Jumbo is a design practice founded by Justin Donnelly and Monling Lee. Chubby, curvy, and childlike, the studios furniture and objects are guided by an ongoing interest in reductivism and whimsy. At times, the duo takes cues from food: Fortune, put into production by Heller, is a chair inspired by fortune cookies. Other times, industrialism and politics are front of mind, as is the case with the Snow Fence Chair, a reimagining of a flexible polypropylene membrane, commonly found on construction sites, into a static loveseat. This piece was inspired by the materials used in outdoor dining spaces during the pandemic. Jumbo researches the science of affecthow physical objects make people feel.Studio S II is founded by Erica Sellers and Jeremy Silberberg (Sean Davidson)Studio S IIExpect the unexpected. Studio S II, founded by Erica Sellers and Jeremy Silberberg, designs interiors and furniture and curates exhibitions. The through line is subversiveness. For instance, a sconce that mimics the back of someones head, long locks and all. Or a chair with two overlapping seats to mimic the vision of a person coming home after a drunk night out. Elsewhere, variation is the only constant, ranging from the studios maximal and layered Greenpoint apartment project to the Scandinavian minimalist interior of a Clinton Hill kitchen. Silberberg and Sellers utilize contradiction and corporeality to explore materials and form. Since its inception in 2020, the studio has quickly grown an audience through often sensual and proudly queer visual languages. Andrea Chiney, Arianna Deane, and Ashely Ku founded A+A+A (Isaiah Winters)A+A+AAndrea Chiney, Arianna Deane, and Ashely Ku founded A+A+A in 2018. The New Yorkbased studio emphasizes inclusivity. Its evident in the people who make up the firm; design work like the Tompkinsville Afro-Caribbean and Latin Market in Staten Island; and in the Design Clinic, a consultation service that seeks to help demystify the renovation process by offering a streamlined road map for each project. The studio deals in interiors and architecture as well as mobile and public spaces, installations, and research. A+A+A even designed an architecture studio curriculum, Food Futures, that uses urban acupuncture methodology to examine the relationship between urban spaces and food systems.Tyler Noblin and Max Obata founded ONO (Benjamin Heath)ONOONO, or Obata Noblin Office, approaches everything it doesfrom its handcrafted models to its designswith a thoughtful attention to detail. The San Franciscobased architecture firm is led by Tyler Noblin and Max Obata, who cofounded ONO in 2020. Continuity with site history is paramount to the studios design process, coupled with incorporating a sense of playfulness whenever possible. Such was the case in the Crane Cove Warehouse, a renovation of a warehouse into a workshop that preserves original industrial materials while introducing bright, contemporary texture. ForPennyroyal, a 1970s ski house in California, the original cedar board-and-batten facade informed the wood-clad interior within. ONO follows a technical and precise method: The goal is not to reinvent the wheel, but rather to arrive at something familiar yet fresh.