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9TO5MAC.COMPSA: Its your last chance to return Apple products before holiday deadline expiresApple always offers an extended return window for products purchased during the holiday season. But that period is just about to end, making now your last chance to get in any last-minute returns.January 8 is the last day to make holiday returnsincluding for M4 MacsHeres Apples holiday return policy:Eligible products at the Apple Store Online that are received between November 8, 2024 and December 25, 2024, may be returned through January 8, 2025. Please note that all other terms and conditions provided in the Apple Store Online Sales and Refunds Policy are still applicable with respect to such products purchased. iPhone purchases that are carrier-financed with T-Mobile or Verizon are not eligible and are subject to standard return policy. All purchases made after December 25, 2024 are subject to the Standard Return Policy.This holiday policy is especially relevant to two main groups of people:Those who received Apple products as gifts over the holidaysAnd also anyone who purchased an M4 MacOf course, even if you dont fit into either of these buckets, but you made an Apple Store purchase any time from November 8 through December 25, tomorrow is your last chance to make a return.I wanted to highlight M4 Mac customers specifically, though, because the first M4 Macs debuted on November 8.That means no one (outside of Russia) received their M4 MacBook Pro, M4 iMac, or M4 Mac mini any earlier than the holiday windows kickoff.So if youve been waffling on whether to keep your M4 Mac, or any other Apple product purchased or received in the last couple months, act fast. This Wednesday, January 8 is the last day to make a return.Are you making any Apple product returns? Let us know in the comments.Best iPhone accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel0 Comments 0 Shares
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9TO5MAC.COMVision Pro is getting NVIDIA GeForce NOW gaming service later this monthVision Pro has a lot of potential as a gaming device, but that potential has mostly been untapped so far. Today, an NVIDIA announcement is one of the first signs of change on the way.Game streaming service will be fully optimized for Safari on visionOSAs spotted by MacStories, NVIDIA has announced that their game streaming service, GeForce NOW, will be coming to the Vision Pro later this month when the newest app update, version 2.0.70, starts rolling out.From NVIDIAs announcement post:In collaboration with Apple, Meta and ByteDance, NVIDIA is expanding GeForce NOW cloud gaming to Apple Vision Pro spatial computers, Meta Quest 3 and 3S and Pico virtual- and mixed-reality devices with all the bells and whistles of NVIDIA technologies, including ray tracing and NVIDIA DLSSLater this month, these supported devices will give members access to an extensive library of games to stream through GeForce NOW by opening the browser to play.geforcenow.comIt sounds like rather than offering a dedicated app on Vision Pro, NVIDIA will be rolling out updates that optimize GeForce NOW for performing well in Safari on visionOS.NVIDIA says Vision Pro and the other VR devices will support gamepad-compatible titles and GeForce NOW Ultimate and Performance members will be able to tap into RTX and DLSS technologies in supported games for an even better visual experience.This news follows the recent Mark Gurman report that Apple and Sony were working to bring support for true VR gaming controllers from the PlayStation VR2 to Vision Pro. Slowly, the gaming story on Vision Pro is starting to grow.9to5Macs TakeGame streaming has had a rocky road for adoption on Apples platforms, primarily due to App Store rules that at one time restricted streaming apps. Nearly a year ago though, Apple updated its App Store policies to explicitly allow game streaming apps. We havent yet seen a major wave of developers bringing game streaming to Apple platforms, but todays announcement is a good sign for future potential.Are you excited about this news? Do you think gaming on Vision Pro will start to take off? Let us know in the comments.Best Vision Pro accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel0 Comments 0 Shares
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9TO5MAC.COMPhilips Hue AI lighting scenes will be available in the official appThere are plenty of third-party apps that will create automated lighting scenes with Philips Hue products, but a report that the company will be launching this feature in the official app has today been confirmed.Users will be able to request AI-generated scenes using either voice or text, with the company citing the example Give me a scene for a garden party Hueblog said in October of last year that the feature was in testing.AI has become an integral part of the technology world and artificial intelligence now has a hand in many things. Perhaps soon in Philips Hue too? This is indeed conceivable, at least in part.Philips Hue has been testing an AI Playground for some time now, which is designed to create a suitable light scene with a simple text command. Create a scene for a childrens birthday party or Create a scene for a cosy breakfast should provide the appropriate light settings.When it is launched in the Hue app unfortunately I dont know the exact date it will probably only have limited functionality at first. According to my information, the AI function will not yet be able to create its own scenes, but will only recommend suitable, existing scenes. You can then use commands such as What is the best scene for a winter evening to get the right results.The Verge today says that the company has confirmed that it will be launching some time this quarter.Philips Hue users will soon be able to create their own AI-powered lighting scenes, the company announced on Tuesday.Philips Hues new generative AI lighting assistant lets users create personalized lighting scenes based on occasion, mood, or style. They can do so by typing commands like Give me a scene for a garden party into the Hue app and also by using their voice. The assistant will then either recommend scenes from the existing Philips Hue gallery or create a new one entirely. In addition to creating scenes, the AI assistant can also be used to adjust the settings of existing lights, including brightness levels and color.The news gets a brief mention in a press release published today, but with no further details.Philips Hue introduces its first generative AI assistant in the Hue app, delivering personalized lighting scenes based on mood, occasion or style. Available in 2025, the assistant lets users type or speak commands to create the perfect ambiance, with feedback features ensuring continuous improvement.It will be compatible with all Hue lights.Image: Philips Hue and 9to5MacAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel0 Comments 0 Shares
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FUTURISM.COMSam Altman Says OpenAI Has Figured Out How to Build AGI"This sounds like science fiction right now, and somewhat crazy to even talk about it."Path ForwardOpenAI CEO Sam Altman has tried all kinds of rhetorical strategies to suggest that the dawn of artificial general intelligence (AGI) is nigh and in new missive, now he's trying a fresh pitch: that while OpenAI hasn't quite created AGI quite yet, it knows the roadmap to get there."We are now confident we know how to build AGI as we have traditionally understood it," Altman wrote in a personal blog post.There's a lot to unpack about what a "traditional" understanding of AGI might entail. In the past, OpenAI has described it as a "system that outperforms humans at most economically valuable work" and Altman characterized it as a "magic intelligence in the sky,"though an exact definition remains shrouded in controversy.One thing's for sure: this latest appeal dovetails perfectly with OpenAI and Altman's current business proposition: that they can pull off economically compelling AI, if only they can obtain more and more financial and computing resources to build the systems to support it.To that end, Altman wrote in his new post that AI "agents" may begin to "join the workforce" this year. In doing so, the CEO wrote, these seemingly AIs will "materially change the output of companies" which would also mean, of course, that they'd replace human workers, with all the baggage that entails.Glory DaysIn reality, whether OpenAI is really on the cusp offinally birthing AGI which Altman has been teasingfor agesis a matter of serious contention among experts.Sure, maybe it can fund enough data centers to scale its way to true human-level intelligence, but it's also perfectly possible that it'll hit a wall, or that its gains are already leveling off.But for all Altman's bravado, his latest entreaty sounds a lot like OpenAI's familiar and steady drip of AGI investment pitches."This sounds like science fiction right now, and somewhat crazy to even talk about it," the CEO contended. "Thats alright weve been there before and were OK with being there again."Share This Article0 Comments 0 Shares
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THEHACKERNEWS.COMResearchers Uncover Major Security Flaw in Illumina iSeq 100 DNA SequencersJan 07, 2025Ravie LakshmananFirmware Security / MalwareCybersecurity researchers have uncovered firmware security vulnerabilities in the Illumina iSeq 100 DNA sequencing instrument that, if successfully exploited, could permit attackers to brick or plant persistent malware on susceptible devices."The Illumina iSeq 100 used a very outdated implementation of BIOS firmware using CSM [Compatibility Support Mode] mode and without Secure Boot or standard firmware write protections," Eclypsium said in a report shared with The Hacker News."This would allow an attacker on the system to overwrite the system firmware to either 'brick' the device or install a firmware implant for ongoing attacker persistence."While the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is the modern replacement for the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), the firmware security company said the iSeq 100 boots to an old version of BIOS (B480AM12 - 04/12/2018) that has known vulnerabilities.Also noticeably absent are protections to tell the hardware where it can read and write firmware, thereby allowing an attacker to modify device firmware. Also not enabled is Secure Boot, thereby allowing malicious changes to the firmware to go undetected.Eclypsium pointed out that it's not advisable for newer high-value assets to support CSM, as it's chiefly meant for old devices that can't be upgraded and need to maintain compatibility. Following responsible disclosure, Illumina has released a fix.In a hypothetical attack scenario, an adversary could target unpatched Illumina devices, escalate their privileges, and write arbitrary code to the firmware. This is not the first time severe vulnerabilities have been disclosed in DNA gene sequencers from Illumina. In April 2023, a critical security flaw (CVE-2023-1968, CVSS score: 10.0) could have made it possible to eavesdrop on network traffic and remotely transmit arbitrary commands."The ability to overwrite firmware on the iSeq 100 would enable attackers to easily disable the device, causing significant disruption in the context of a ransomware attack. This would not only take a high-value device out of service, it would also likely take considerable effort to recover the device via manually reflashing the firmware," Eclypsium said."This could significantly raise the stakes in the context of a ransomware or cyberattack. Sequencers are critical to detecting genetic illnesses, cancers, identifying drug-resistant bacteria, and for the production of vaccines. This would make these devices a ripe target for state-based actors with geopolitical motives in addition to the more traditional financial motives of ransomware actors."Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE0 Comments 0 Shares
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SCREENCRUSH.COMWill Smith Is Not Starring in a New Matrix MovieWill Smith will not star in the next Matrix movie.The King Richard actor sparked speculation on Monday that he would be part of the fifth installment of the franchise that is currently in development after he shared a cryptic video on Instagram that told how he initially turned down the lead role of Neo, which ultimately went to Keanu Reeves, with the post ending on a teaser that led to fans speculating he was joining the series.The video message, in a Matrix-style font, read: In 1997, the Wachowskis offered Will Smith the role of Neo in The Matrix. Smith turned it down. He chose Wild Wild West, believing it was a better fit for him at the time. But the question remains: What would The Matrix have been like with Will Smith as Neo? Wake up, Will The Matrixhas you ...However, insiders told The Hollywood Reporter thatSmith will not be joining director Drew Goddard's upcoming Matrixproject.Warner Bros.Warner Bros.loading...READ MORE: The Best 90s Movies EverThe upcoming movie will be the first not directed by a Wachowski, though Lana Wachowski, who directed 2021's The Matrix Resurrections without sister Lilly, will executive produce the film.The project was announced last April, with Warner Bros praising The Cabin in the Woods filmmaker's vision.The studio said in a statement: Drew came to Warner Bros. with a new idea that we all believe would be an incredible way to continue the Matrix world, by both honoring what Lana and Lilly began over 25-years ago and offering a unique perspective based on his own love of the series and characters.Goddardsaid in his own statement: It is not hyperbole to say The Matrix films changed both cinema and my life. Lana and Lillys exquisite artistry inspires me on a daily basis, and I am beyond grateful for the chance to tell stories in their world.Meanwhile,Smith previously spoke of how he turned down The Matrix after being unimpressed by the siblings pitch.He said in a 2019 video shared to his YouTube channel: The Wachowskis, they came in and it was like, they had only done one movie...They came in, and they made a pitch for The Matrix. As it turns out, theyre geniuses, but there's a fine line in a pitch meeting between genius and what I experienced in the meeting... So, I made Wild Wild West. Im not proud of it.Get our free mobile app90s Movies We Cant Believe Got RemakesThese popular 90s movies got remakes. And all we want to know is ... why?0 Comments 0 Shares
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SCREENCRUSH.COMJohn Cena Introduces New McDonalds McValue MenuMeet the face of McDonalds new McValue menu: John Cena.(You can see him in the picture above, right? Sometimes people cant see him.)McDonaldsannounced a new bunch ofmenu deals today, with Cena astheir somewhat unlikely, extremely yellow sweater-wearing spokesperson.The companys new McValue platform includes a buy one, add one for a dollar offer, as well as a $5 Meal Deal. New users of the McDonalds appcan also get a free McCrispy chicken sandwich.Personally, wecant stop staring at the pictures of Cena,who returned to WWElast night for the start of what Cena has claimed will be his final year of wrestling before his retirement, brandishing trays of McDonalds food.McDonaldsMcDonaldsloading...READ MORE: Once-Beloved Fast Food Items That No Longer ExistIt is somewhat difficult, given Cenas hulking physique, to imagine him eating too often at McDonalds. But he toldPeople Magazinehis go-to order at the restaurant is two double cheeseburgers and two six-piece Chicken McNuggets.I tend not to do any drinks, because I just want to enjoy the savoriness of that, he added.Two burgers and two McNuggets and absolutelynodrink whatsoever to wash it down? You sit there with the residue of four meat patties and 12 nuggets in your mouth so you can enjoy the savoriness? Is that a thing?!? Isnt that just called being thirsty?Anyway, the items you can get under the buy one, add one for $1 deal include a six-piece McNuggets, a double cheeseburger, a McChicken, or a small fries. (For breakfast, you could opt for a Sausage McMuffin, biscuit, burrito, or hash browns. Its a big day for sausage fans.) The $5 Meal Deal comes with McDouble or McChicken, small fries, four-piece McNuggets and a small drink for five bucks.You can get more info on McDonalds website. Go there and enjoy the savoriness.Get our free mobile appThe Craziest Fast Food Menu Items EverFiled Under: Fast Food, John Cena, McDonald's, WWECategories: TV News0 Comments 0 Shares
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WEWORKREMOTELY.COMNathan James: Visual & Graphic DesignerTitle of Role: Virtual Interior Graphic Designer (Remote)Nathan James is hiring a Graphic Designed specializing in Virtual Room Designs to join our team. This role supports the Brand Marketing team's efforts in curating stunning visual assets for website merchandising, e-interior design, and other key brand initiatives.People-first company, design-first home.We are a design-first, home furnishing company focusing on the habits of urban dwellers and first time home buyers. We create stylish, affordable furniture that empowers people to bring their dreams homes to life.Because we are a people-first company, we understood the importance of being fully distributed from the beginning. Our fully remote team prioritizes collaboration, thoughtful work, and a people-first approach that values personal and professional happiness. Taking this approach helps our teammates avoid compromising who they are or their values in pursuit of a career.ABOUT THE ROLE:As a Graphic Designer specializing in virtual room design, you will be joining a Brand marketing team with three other designers. You will be responsible for curating room setups that highlight Nathan James products in aspirational, on-trend settings. Your work will be instrumental in shaping how customers visualize our products & collections in their own spaces as these images are used on our website product pages, social media & ads. Youll receive guidance and training from our senior visual artist to help you thrive in this role.This role is responsible for:Primary Responsibility: Curate virtual room designs in Google Slides for our 3D team, including collaborating with and giving feedback to our 3D rendering team.Work with the product development team to create templated instruction sheets using InDesign (ability to understand simple dielines required).Assist with brand service requests such as web assets, video editing, UGC curation, onsite imagery, and retailer-specific assets.Our current stack includes: Adobe Creative Suite, Asana, G-Suite , Later Social Media Management, Airtable, and Shopify.ABOUT US:We appreciate that time is our most valuable resource. Thats why, in everything we do, we focus on what truly matters. We do this by removing processes and ideologies that hinder our work, designing benefits that nurture a healthy relationship with work, and upholding our operating values to guide us. Through these frameworks, we build a resilient organization.We also understand working for Nathan James isnt the only function of our lives, and we dont expect that! Weve found that a team member who will be happy and fulfilled as a remote team member at Nathan James is someone who values their personal life and identity outside of work. Thats why we dont create mandatory team hangouts or events.Weve done our best work when we focus on what were solving for and whats true, so we dont create barriers or false expectations that distract us from our mission. We also dont set unreasonable working hours, deadlines, or goals. We create with calm, slow is smooth and smooth is fast.Check out Glassdoorto hear what the team has to say about working at Nathan James.ABOUT YOU:We're looking for a passionate designer with a background in graphic design (web/digital) and e-commerce photography. You should have expert knowledgeof Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator) and a strong visual aesthetic.Having an interior design "eye" is required for this role as you will be designing on-trend virtual rooms.This is a remote role, so you'll have the flexibility to work wherever you're most productive! To succeed, you'll need:Exceptional communication and organizational skills (both verbal and written).A self-starter mentality with strong time management abilities.Comfort with taking and applying feedback.For this role we do require that your normal workday has at least 4 hours overlap with both PST & EST workday without impinging on your personal/family life.Programs We UseAdobe Creative Suite:Photoshop (Advanced), Illustrator (Advanced), and InDesign (Intermediate) is required for creating visual layouts and design assets.Google Slides: Used for curating and presenting room concepts for the 3D rendering team.AirTable(no prior experience required) - used for Product & Information Management & front-end Shopify codeAsana(no prior experience required) - used internally for task & project managementSlack (no prior experience required) - used internally for communicationBonus Skills (Not Required):Experience with Shopify/front-end web designExperience creating and editing online ads (e.g., Meta Ads, Google Ads), including both static and video formats, with knowledge of ad design best practices and relevant tools (e.g., Final Cut, CapCut, Canva, Descript, Adobe Premiere, After Effects).UI/UX design experienceBENEFITS & PERKS:Our benefits are all aimed at supporting a life well lived both at work and away from work.With these benefits, we want and expect you to take vacations, spend time with your family, and be conscious of your personal wellness.HOW TO APPLY:Please submit an application here that speaks directly to this position. A cover letter is not required, but those that clearly demonstrate how Nathan James would be a great fit for you and how you would be a great fit for us will be given full attention and are highly appreciated.We expect to take two weeks to review all applications. If you dont hear from us by then, we have decided to move forward with other candidates.If we choose to move forward to the next steps in the interview process, youll hear from us and advance to a brief video interview and then on to a work sample, where youll get a chance to see the types of challenges you would be solving in this role. Our interviews are all remote by video chat, with your future colleagues, on your schedule.We aim to make an offer by end of February with a start date in March.Virtual Interior Graphic Designer Application FormA note on culture fit:At Nathan James, we are a fully remote team. We dont emphasize traditional workplace socializing or unnecessary meetingsyour time and energy are yours to manage. Well discuss this and more during the interview process!If this approach resonates with you and youre not someone who gets their social energy from work, were excited to learn more about you and review your application!0 Comments 0 Shares
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WORLDARCHITECTURE.ORGLarge triple-arched windows enhance the iconic presence of the concrete Whisky Bar in Taiyuan, ChinaSubmitted by WA ContentsLarge triple-arched windows enhance the iconic presence of the concrete Whisky Bar in Taiyuan, ChinaChina Architecture News - Jan 07, 2025 - 15:13 html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Large triple-arched windows have enhanced the iconic presence of the concrete Whisky and cocktail bar in Taiyuan, China.Named The Whisky Bar, the 664-square-metre project, which was part of a typical real-estate housing complex in Taiyuan Xiaodian, the capital of Shanxi Province in North China, involved renovating two floors of a commercial podium.The Whisky Bar was designed by French design firm JSPA Design.Facade and entrance 4The intervention's scope included three existing stores and sought to combine them into a single whiskey and cocktail bar. The area featured a discrete back entrance to a pedestrian business strip and was primarily facing the main street.Facade and entrance 5Because of the apartment building on top, the area was severely limited by the structure. In addition to the load-bearing walls that divided the area into smaller sections, there were also several pipelines and shafts that ran across the area from side to side.First floor Public 1Concrete as the defining facade materialThe faade work was necessary to enable the new project to exist in the cityscape, given the heterogeneity of the current position and surrounds. In order to create a new facade that would contrast with the typical light cladding of commercial facades, JSPA decided to remove all of the current facade claddings.First floor Public 2They worked on a cast-in-place concrete facade that will use its materiality to make an impression on the surrounding area. By using concrete as a material, JSPA was able to construct a monolithic facade that not only gives the city a new texture but also serves as a durable covering for the old building.First floor Public 4Three concrete arches that extended across the building's two levels made up the primary front, highlighting the project's character and attracting attention within its surroundings.In order to create the figure that would serve as the project's identity, the Concrete Arch was then replicated and altered in a number of ways.First floor Public 5Open barA bar for the city and a gathering spot open to the neighborhood were the goals of the project development. The bar area was covered with a concrete arch ceiling, a curved suspended slab that was cast in place to emphasize the space's street-facing orientation. This allowed for the dissipation of the back service spaces as well as all of the pipes and machinery from the original structure.A long concrete bench that could be used on both sides and a set of folding windows that allowed for the removal of physical barriers with the street were features of the ground floor bar's design, which placed a significant emphasis on communication between the project and the city.First floor Public 3Intimacy gradationA sculptural helicoidal steel staircase leads from the busy first floor, which has an urban feel, to the second floor, where the project evolved into a more private setting. A system of steel shelves was designed to provide a showcase area for whiskey bottles, as well as to subtly divide areas and create private alcoves.The display shelf's intriguing pattern, which was formed by endlessly repeating a single identical part, served as the project's second strong identity aspect.Three separate areas were encased in a concrete arch to create the illusion of an alcove, enclosing the area from wall to ceiling and enabling the cast-in design of the fireplaces and benches.Lounge 1Original materialityThe idea of a durable material that would age gracefully led to the natural choice of concrete. It was coupled with gray brick flooring on the first floor, which matched the ceiling and walls' wooden cast concrete in terms of color and design.Lounge 2Additionally, the brick floor reduces the gap between the bar and the city and reminds us of a public area.On the other hand, in order to enhance the users' sensory experience, all of the components that required skin contact were constructed using warm materials, such as the oakwood bar surface and the leather bench seats.Helicoidal StairWhisky cabinet and fireplaceSecond floor Public-moonSecond floor private roomSecond floor Staircase accessYellow brass fire placeConcrete arch corridorBrick staircaseStair AFacade and entrance 2Facade and entrance 1JSPA Design, a French design company based in Beijing that was founded in 2009 by Johan Sarvan, is renowned for its daring and avant-garde approach to product development, architecture, interior design, and landscape design.Project factsProject name:The Whisky BarArchitects:JSPA DesignProject type:Architectural (Faade) Design / Interior DesignPrinciple Designer: Johan SarvanStructure: Jiang Jies TeamVideographer:WM StudioTotal area:664m21F Indoor area:295m22F Indoor area: 369m2Materials brand:SARVAN- Furniture, LightingAll images Liu Xinghao.> via JSPA Design0 Comments 0 Shares