If you're constantly losing your stuff, or know someone who is, now's a great time to invest in a few AirTags. A four-pack of Apple's Bluetooth trackers are on sale for $70 at the moment, which is a record-low price and a bit cheaper than they were during the Black Friday shopping period. You're getting a $30 discount on the pack, and it breaks down to only $17.50 per tracker. Apple AirTags easily made our list of the best Bluetooth trackers, and this is especially true if youre already tied into the companys ecosystem. The finding network is vast and comprehensive, which really helps when it comes time to actually find one of these tags. Just think of all of those AirTags, iPhones and other devices out there in the world helping to create this network. These trackers can also tap into the ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless protocol, which creates a sort of game out of finding a lost item in the home. As long as the object is within 25 feet of your smartphone, the screen will display directional arrows and a distance meter. This lets you zero in on the object without having to constantly ring the AirTag. Now onto the caveats. AirTags really only work with iPhones and other Apple devices, so Android users should keep shopping for something else. Also, the ringer only pings for seven seconds at a time, which can make finding something feel like a mad dash. Finally, theres no attachment point for connecting to a keychain or a related accessory. Luckily, there are all kinds of amazing AirTag accessories to get that job done. One recent case even comes with batteries that will power the tag for a full decade. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/a-four-pack-of-apple-airtags-is-on-sale-for-a-record-low-of-70-161406138.html?src=rss

Looking for NYT Connections answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, plus my commentary on the puzzles.

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Artificial intelligence. Abortion. Guns. Marijuana. Minimum wages.Name a hot topic, and chances are good theres a new law about it taking effect in 2025 in one state or another.Many of the laws launching in January are a result of legislation passed this year. Others stem from ballot measures approved by voters. Some face legal challenges.Heres a look at some of the most notable state laws taking effect:Hollywood stars and child influencersCalifornia, home to Hollywood and some of the largest technology companies, is seeking to rein in the artificial intelligence industry and put some parameters around social media stars. New laws seek to prevent the use of digital replicas of Hollywood actors and performers without permission and allow the estates of dead performers to sue over unauthorized AI use.Parents who profit from social media posts featuring their children will be required to set aside some earnings for their young influencers. A new law also allows children to sue their parents for failing to do so.Social media limitsNew social media restrictions in several states face court challenges.A Florida law bans children under 14 from having social media accounts and requires parental consent for ages 14 and 15. But enforcement is being delayed because of a lawsuit filed by two associations for online companies, with a hearing scheduled for late February.A new Tennessee law also requires parental consent for minors to open accounts on social media. NetChoice, an industry group for online businesses, is challenging the law. Another new state law requires porn websites to verify that visitors are at least 18 years old. But the Free Speech Coalition, a trade association for the adult entertainment industry, has filed a challenge.Several new California measures aimed at combating political deepfakes are also being challenged, including one requiring large social media platforms to remove deceptive content related to elections and another allowing any individual to sue for damages over the use of AI to create fabricated images or videos in political ads.School rules on genderIn a first nationally, California will start enforcing a law prohibiting school districts from adopting policies that require staff to notify parents if their children change their gender identification. The law was a priority for Democratic lawmakers who wanted to halt such policies passed by several districts.Abortion coverageMany states have passed laws limiting or protecting abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a nationwide right to the procedure in 2022. One of the latest is the Democratic-led state of Delaware. A law there will require the state employee health plan and Medicaid plans for lower-income residents to cover abortions with no deductible, copayments or other cost-sharing requirements.Gun controlA new Minnesota law prohibits guns with binary triggers that allow for more rapid fire, causing a weapon to fire one round when the trigger is pulled and another when it is released.In Delaware, a law adds colleges and universities to a list of school zones where guns are prohibited, with exceptions for those working in their official capacity such as law officers and commissioned security guards.Medical marijuanaKentucky is becoming the latest state to let people use marijuana for medical purposes. To apply for a state medical cannabis card, people must get written certification from a medical provider of a qualifying condition, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy, chronic nausea or post-traumatic stress disorder. Nearly four-fifths of U.S. states have now legalized medical marijuana.Minimum wagesMinimum wage workers in more than 20 states are due to receive raises in January. The highest minimum wages will be in Washington, California and Connecticut, all of which will top $16 an hour after modest increases.The largest increases are scheduled in Delaware, where the minimum wage will rise by $1.75 to $15 an hour, and in Nebraska, where a ballot measure approved by voters in 2022 will add $1.50 to the current minimum of $12 an hour.Twenty other states still follow the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.Safer travelingIn Oregon, using drugs on public transit will be considered a misdemeanor crime of interfering with public transportation. While the measure worked its way through the legislature, multiple transportation officials said drug use on buses and trains, and at transit stops and stations, was making passengers and drivers feel less safe.In Missouri, law enforcement officers have spent the past 16 months issuing warnings to motorists that handheld cellphone use is illegal. Starting with the new year, penalties will kick in: a $150 fine for the first violation, progressing to $500 for third and subsequent offenses and up to 15 years imprisonment if a driver using a cellphone cause an injury or death. But police must notice a primary violation, such as speeding or weaving across lanes, to cite motorists for violating the cellphone law.Montana is the only state that hasnt banned texting while driving, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.Tax breaksTenants in Arizona will no longer have to pay tax on their monthly rent, thanks to the repeal of a law that had allowed cities and towns to impose such taxes. While a victory for renters, the new law is a financial loss for governments. An analysis by Arizonas nonpartisan Joint Legislative Budget Committee estimated that $230 million would be lost in municipal tax revenue during the first full fiscal year of implementation.Meanwhile Alabama will offer tax credits to businesses that help employees with child care costs.Kansas is eliminating its 2% sales tax on groceries. It also is cutting individual income taxes by dropping the top tax rate, increasing a credit for child care expenses and exempting all Social Security income from taxes, among other things. Taxpayers are expected to save about $320 million a year going forward.Voting rightsAn Oklahoma law expands voting privileges to people who have been convicted of felonies but had their sentences discharged or commuted, including commutations for crimes that have been reclassified from felonies to misdemeanors. Former state Sen. George Young, an Oklahoma City Democrat, carried the bill in the Senate.I think its very important that people who have gone through trials and tribulations in their life, that we have a system that brings them back and allows them to participate as contributing citizens, Young said.Associated Press writers Trn Nguyn in Sacramento, California; Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Florida; Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee; Randall Chase in Dover, Delaware; Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis; Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort, Kentucky; Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon; Summer Ballentine in Jefferson City, Missouri; Gabriel Sandoval in Phoenix; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed.David A. Lieb, Associated Press

This year is set to break the previous years record for the hottest year, and according to new research, much of that heat was a result of human-caused climate change.In a report released Friday from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) and Climate Central, scientists say that humans experienced 41 extra days of dangerous heat due to climate change this year.The researchers say that in addition to contributing to heat waves, fires, heavy rainfall, and floods, climate change intensified a number of weather events, and likely caused more deaths to occur. Its likely the total number of people killed in extreme weather events intensified by climate change this year is in the tens, or hundreds of thousands, the analysis states.The group studied 29 weather events and found evidence that climate change strengthened 26 of them. Those storms killed at least 3,700 people and displaced millions.The finding is devastating but utterly unsurprising: Climate change did play a role, and often a major role in most of the events we studied, making heat, droughts, tropical cyclones and heavy rainfall more likely and more intense across the world, destroying lives and livelihoods of millions and often uncounted numbers of people, Dr. Friederike Otto, climate scientist and leader of the study, said in a briefing on the new research.Otto explained that these extreme weather events are likely to continue unless action to prevent climate change is taken. As long as the world keeps burning fossil fuels, this will only get worse, the researcher warned, calling modern times a dangerous new era when it comes to the realities of extreme weather.Some of the most notable events the group examined in the latest research were the floods in Sudan, Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, and Chad, which killed 2,000, Hurricane Helene, which took 230 lives, and Hurricane Milton which killed 35 and led to at least $50 billion in damages.The WWA and Climate Central said in the report that the latest findings should spur global action on fossil fuels, which it says are the primary reason extreme weather is becoming more severe.A rapid move to renewable energy will help make the world a safer, healthier, wealthier, and more stable place, it added.A study earlier this year from the WWA found that temperatures triggering heat stroke were 35 times more likely, and temperatures were 2.5 degrees hotter due to human-caused climate change.

Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty in the assassination of UnitedHeathcare CEO Brian Thompson on Monday. Following the plea, an uptick in donations to Mangiones legal defense fund rolled in on the crowdfunding site GiveSendGo. At present, the sum sits at a staggering $212,426.We are not here to celebrate violence, but we do believe in the constitutional right of fair legal representation, a statement on the crowdfunding page reads. GoFundMe, another popular crowdfunding site, previously pulled all campaigns supporting Mangione.While the public response to the alleged killer has ranged from utter vitriol to admiration, the fact that so many have rushed to donate to Mangiones defense further demonstrates how many feel sympathetic to the alleged killer, or even agree with the cause hes become the face of. So does a recent survey from NORC at the University of Chicago, which found that, while 8 out of 10 U.S. adults believe the person who killed Brian Thompson bears the responsibility for the murder, 7 in 10 shared the belief that healthcare companies are also to blame. They said that proceedings like healthcare denials for coverage bear a moderate amount of responsibility for the Dec. 4 slaying.Regardless of public opinion, the 26-year-old Maryland man now faces 11 counts, including three murder charges, and a terrorist charge. Last week, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office is prosecuting the case, said the crime was a killing that was intended to evoke terror. Prosecutors have also brought a four-count criminal complaint that could invoke the death penalty.Anna Schecter, who covers crime and safety for CBS News, told the outlet in an on-air interview that there is a possibility under a Trump department of justice that the death penalty could be sought, though it would be highly unusual. Schecter pressed that the death penalty is typically reserved for terrorist charges, and interestingly, the only terrorism charge hes facing is coming from the Manhattan District Attorneys officethat first degree murder charge, rather than any federal charges.In court on Monday, Mangiones attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo told the judge that, although her client has cooperated with law enforcement every step of the way, Mangione is being treated like a guilty man before his trial has begun. The attorney blasted the New York City Mayor Eric Adams for joining Mangiones perp walk alongside armed NYPD, which she pressed was purely political fodder.There was no reason for the NYPD and everybody to have these big assault rifles (during his extradition) that, frankly, I had no idea was in their arsenal, Friedman Agnifilo told the judge. He was on display for everyone to see in the biggest staged perp walk Ive ever seen in my career.Schecter says that, given how much evidence is stacked against Mangione, including DNA evidence and surveillance footage, she doesnt see any other pathway than an insanity plea. Theres no question that prosecutors think he pulled the trigger, she explained. The question for his attorneys, she pressed, will be how is his defense team going to try and get the lightest sentence possible?While the public will certainly be watching Mangiones case closely, healthcare companies, which have received increased scrutiny since Dec. 4, are also under the microscope. Even before Thompsons murder, recent pointed criticisms of UnitedHealthcare were making headlines. In October, a Senate subcommittee report criticized UnitedHealthcare, and insurers CVS and Humana, for using technology to limit coverage while boosting profits.Medicare Advantage insurers are intentionally targeting a costly but critical area of medicinesubstituting judgment about medical necessity with a calculation about financial gain, the report reads.

Although it was touted to be released in mid-2024, it seems that OpenAI will not be debuting GPT-5 anytime soon. Sam Altman confirmed that GPT-5 (possibly the next version of the AI LLM following o1) will not be meeting its expected deadlines, which means that we could see a significant delay in the versions rollout. The reason, many speculate, is what they call the law of diminishing returns. GPTs or Generative Pretrained Transformers are only as capable as their technology allows, and increasing an AIs database doesnt necessarily translate to an AI being smarter or better.The technical hurdles facing GPT-5s development stem from fundamental challenges in its training process. Initial training rounds exposed unexpected limitations in the models ability to process and synthesize information effectively. Despite access to vast quantities of internet data, the model struggled to achieve the sophisticated understanding and reasoning capabilities that OpenAI had envisioned. This revelation highlighted a critical distinction between data quantity and quality in AI development.The Arrakis testing phase, initiated in mid-2023, brought these challenges into sharper focus. Engineering teams discovered significant shortfalls in the models processing efficiency, raising concerns about both development timelines and resource allocation. With each training run requiring approximately half a billion dollars in computing resources, these efficiency issues transformed from technical concerns into substantial financial considerations that demanded careful strategic planning.OpenAIs response to these challenges demonstrates the complexity of modern AI development. Moving beyond traditional internet-based training data, the company initiated an innovative approach to dataset creation. This involved assembling teams of domain experts to generate high-quality training materials, encompassing everything from advanced coding challenges to complex mathematical problems and detailed conceptual frameworks. While this methodology promises improved results, it has significantly extended the development timeline.The companys strategic pivot toward developing advanced reasoning models represents a fundamental shift in approach. These new models focus on sustained critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities, requiring less specialized training data but introducing new layers of developmental complexity. This reorientation signals a broader evolution in how AI systems are conceived and developed.Sam Altmans confirmation that GPT-5 wont launch in 2024 reflects a measured approach to AI development. This decision, while affecting market expectations, underscores a commitment to technological integrity over rapid deployment. The delay illuminates the intricate balance between innovation ambition and practical constraints in advancing artificial intelligence capabilities.The implications of GPT-5s postponement extend beyond OpenAIs immediate timeline. This development provides valuable insights into the challenges facing next-generation AI systems. As the field continues to evolve, these technical and resource obstacles are shaping both the pace and direction of AI advancement. The lessons learned during this process will likely influence AI development methodologies and expectations well into the future.For the broader technology sector, GPT-5s delay serves as a reminder that progress in artificial intelligence isnt simply a matter of computational power and resources. It requires careful navigation of complex technical challenges, thoughtful resource allocation, and an unwavering commitment to quality and capability standards that define the next generation of AI systems.The post OpenAI Delays Launch of GPT-5 Following Poor Results and High Costs first appeared on Yanko Design.

With 2024 in the rear window (don't miss Archinect's Year in Review series with the biggest stories), now is a good time to look forward to the upcoming architecture and design events in the new year.From the roster of current and upcoming events listed on Bustler, here is a brief curated selection of recommendations worth seeing this January.UPCOMING EVENTS

A Grand Prize winner and four Excellence honorees have just been named at the culmination of the first-ever NOT A HOTEL design competition called by the Japanese vacation stays platform. The competition is aimed at architects and creators under the age of 40 interested in selling their speculative designs for a secluded retreat located at the foot of Mt. Asama, Japan.The Grand Prize entrywill be realized and later put for sale on the market as the next accommodation in the four-year-old brand's ratherluminous portfolio of high-end designs, which includes names like BIG and Sou Fujimoto. A total of 620 entries from 23 different countries were submitted from around the world for a chance at the honor.Mohamed Hassan Elgendy and Nahed Zmeter of the Milan practice UNFORMED emerged as the winners. On behalf of the duo, Elgendy said: "This recognition undoubtedly marks a significant milestone in my career. I believe one of the reasons my proposal was selected lies in its clear and comp...