Dough Spectrum Black 32MSRP$900.00 Score DetailsThe Dough Spectrum Black doesn't quite feel ready for showtime.ProsAttractive, minimalist designEasily clears 1,000 nitsLoads of features, including BFICustomization is greatConsColors are way off right nowOnly a two-year warrantyPoor tone mapping in HDRTable of ContentsTable of ContentsDough Spectrum Black specsDesignFeaturesPorts and menuImage qualityGamingWarranty and burn-inIt needs more timeDough (formerly Eve) isnt the first brand that comes to mind when youre talking about the best gaming monitors. Infamously overambitious, the community-driven brand has found itself in hot water over the past few years with unfulfilled customer orders and a lack of communication with its community. The Spectrum Black 32, Doughs second OLED display, is a monument to the next era of the company.Recommended VideosThe days of strife seemed to have passed for Dough, with its monitors now available on Amazon and seemingly in the hands of customers.Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming The Spectrum Black 32 faces other problems, however. Despite showcasing promising features, a ton of customization options, and an envy-inducing third-gen WOLED panel, the Spectrum Black 32 still needs a lot of work before it can keep up with best OLED monitors on the market.RelatedDough Spectrum Black 32Screen size31.5 inchesPanel typeWOLED with MLA+Resolution3,840 x 2,160Brightness450 nits (SDR), 1,000 nits (HDR)HDRDisplayHDR True Black 400Local dimming8,294,400 zonesContrast ratio1,500,000:1Response time0.03ms (GtG)Refresh rate240Hz/480Hz (dual-mode)CurveN/ASpeakersN/AInputs2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4 (no hub) / 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 2.1, 1x USB-C w/ 100W power delivery (with hub)Ports1x USB-C upstream for firmware updates (no hub) / 1x USB-C upstream for firmware updates, 2x USB-C 2.1 Gen 2, 2x USB-A 3.1 Gen 2List price$900 $1,300Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsYou could stack up the Dough Spectrum Black up against the Eve (Doughs previous name) Spectrum from a few years ago and barely notice a difference in design. Its a black rectangle, but thats not a bad thing. Even with no branding and a minimal design, the Dough Spectrum Black feels premium, even more so than something like the MSI MPG321URX.A big reason for that is the dark-gray finish that wraps around the back side of the monitor, which is constructed fully of metal. Like similar OLEDs Ive reviewed, such as the Sony InZone M10S, the panel itself is very thin. Dough stuffs all of your connections and the guts of the monitor in a raised section at the back of the display. Its completely out of view, which makes the monitor feel much thinner than it actually is when viewed from the front.Its a great-looking display, but the big thing that stands out from a design perspective is the stand. Dough doesnt include a stand by default. Youll need to spend an extra $99 to get the stand. Its a nice stand, constructed fully of metal and with a cable routing channel through the center to keep your cable clutter at bay. But its an extra that youll have to pay for, while nearly every other monitor you can buy includes a stand in the box.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsThe lack of a stand by default could be good or bad depending on your situation. For starters, Dough only uses one stand. If you have a previous version of the Spectrum, you can swap over the stand. In addition, the stand mount uses a standard 100mm x 100mm VESA mount, so you can throw the monitor up on an arm if you want. If you already have a monitor arm, youre saving money, and thats great.On the other hand, if you just want a monitor with all of the normal conveniences (like a stand), youll end up spending more than the competition. As someone who has several monitor arms Ive acquired over the years, I ultimately like the decision to separate the stand out. However, its something youll need to keep in mind when shopping around if you have nothing to prop the Spectrum Black up on.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsIf youre wondering if the Dough Spectrum Black has a particular feature you might want, theres a good chance the answer is yes. Its packed to the brim with extras. The standout feature is the dual refresh rate, allowing you to switch between 4K at 240Hz and 1080p at 480Hz. Like the LG UltraGear Dual Mode OLED, theres a dedicated button under the front lip of the monitor that changes between the two modes (you can rebind the command of this button, as well).Thats the standout, but theres a lot more here. For starters, you get Black Frame Insertion, or BFI. Ive seen this feature before on monitors like the Asus ROG Swift 32 QD-OLED, which halves the refresh rate and inserts a black frame in between each refresh. You dont actually see those black frames. Instead, you get more stable frames during each refresh.If youre, for example, playing games locked at 60 frames per second (fps) on a console, youll see motion blur between two frames. BFI provides better motion clarity by blacking out the screen between each frame so you dont get any strange transitions where multiple frames show up on the screen at once. Its a great feature for consoles, though youll have to significantly sacrifice the brightness of the display in order to use it.In addition to BFI, Dough includes clamping for popular color spaces like DCI-P3 and AdobeRGB, as well as an anti-flicker setting for the variable refresh rate (VRR) in the display. The latter will raise the lower bound of the VRR range, preventing flicker on content running at a low frame rate. Finally, Dough supports two inputs at once, either through split screen or picture-in-picture mode.My favorite feature is screen emulation, though. The Spectrum Black includes pixel-perfect scaling, and it allows you to emulate a 27-inch, 25-inch, or 21-inch monitor. Thats extremely useful for competitive gamers who are used to playing on a smaller 1080p display, especially considering the 480Hz refresh rate option.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsIts rare to find a monitor with customization options, but thats exactly what Dough offers with the Spectrum Black. You can pick up the monitor with or without a USB hub, and with different DisplayPort standards. Getting the barebones model will save you a lot of money compared to the competition, and all with the same image quality.Without the USB hub, youre getting a standard lineup of ports two HDMI 2.1 connections and a DisplayPort 1.4 port. Youll have to use the lossless Display Stream Compression (DSC) to achieve 4K at 240Hz, but thats true of even much more expensive monitors packing this panel, such as the Asus ROG Swift PG32UCDP. If you want to turn off DSC at the cost of your refresh rate, you can.This model, which is the most inexpensive at $900 for a matte coating and $1,100 for a glossy coating, doesnt have any USB ports. It includes one USB-C connection, but thats only for firmware updates. If you want USB ports, youll need to spend $1,300 for the highest-end configuration.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsDough makes the highest-end model worth the money. Youre getting the glossy Gorilla Glass coating, along with DisplayPort 2.1 so you can have the full resolution and refresh rate without DSC newer OLED options like the HP Omen Transcend 32 are transitioning to DisplayPort 2.1, as well. More importantly, you get a total of four USB ports (two USB-C and two USB-A), along with a USB-C input thats capable of 100W of power delivery.I love the fact that you can ditch the hub and save some money. For a ton of users, a USB hub is extraneous in a monitor, and no other brand offers this level of flexibility. If you want to go with the USB hub, you even get a KVM switch, which I love to see.The menu side of things isnt as rosy. The on-screen display (OSD) has everything you need, but its difficult to navigate. Dough makes some attempts at clarity with short explainers for each of the options, but I suspect a lot of users will still get lost in the OSD. There are a ton of options, and with only a four-way joystick to get around, finding all of them can be a pain.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsGreat design, a ton of features, and a price that minus the stand is very competitive with more mainstream options? So, whats the catch with the Dough Spectrum Black? Image quality, it turns out. Ive tested the exact same panel plenty of times before, and the results here dont line up with what Id expect. This is still an OLED monitor, and it still looks great, but Dough has a lot of work to do.Gamut performance, which you can see below, sets the stage for why. In SDR, the gamut is spot on. Ive seen some QD-OLED panels like the Alienware 32 QD-OLED crack above 90% of AdobeRGB, but for the most recent WOLED options, the gamut here is right. By default, the monitor sticks to DCI-P3, but it has options to clamp the gamut to different color spaces, as well.Color coveragesRGB (Default)100%DCI-P3 (Default)96%AdobeRGB (Default)87%sRGB (HDR mode)85%DCI-P3 (HDR mode)63%AdobeRGB (HDR mode)63%And then HDR comes into the picture. These results are all off, but thats because the tone mapping for SDR content is all off. You get that horrific grayed-out look that was familiar with HDR monitors a few years ago. HDR content looks good, but trying to run any SDR content on the display will throw the colors and contrast way off.Dough has addressed SDR tone mapping a bit with a new firmware update. More on that later in this section.Colors are a pain point in general, as you can see from my color accuracy results below. This panel should be hitting a color error of just over 1, but Doughs display is hitting a color error of over 2 when measured against sRGB. You dont need any fancy calibration tools to see that the color is off, either. Regardless of the preset I chose, it seemed like something was off. The Display-P3 settings pushes too heavily into the greens, for example, while the sRGB mode is too blue.Average Delta-E (color difference)Standard (sRGB) pre-calibration2.25Standard (sRGB) post calibration2.1The firmware I tested isnt the final firmware for the monitor, or so Dough tells me. And a firmware update here can fix the lack of proper tone mapping in HDR, as well as the color accuracy issues. Still, this is a fair analysis of the display right now. Dough has been selling this monitor for a while, and based on the Dough subreddit, there are plenty of users with the display in-hand.Thankfully, the color issues dont bleed into brightness. Some of LG Displays latest WOLED panels, such as the one on the Asus ROG Swift PG32WCDM, can reach above 1,200 nits, but the brightness performance is still great here. Dough is able to clear 1,000 nits for highlights with ease, and SDR brightness, although not the best Ive seen, isnt bad.Peak brightness1% SDR335 nits4% SDR332 nits10% SDR332 nits1% HDR1,071 nits4% HDR604 nits10% HDR430 nitsUltimately, this is still an OLED display. It looks great, particularly when youre playing games or showing proper HDR content. Its clear the sliders are off, though, and you dont have a ton of options to bring the image quality back in-line without a proper firmware update. Id be happy to recommend the Dough Spectrum Black if its able to get close to what this panel is capable of after a firmware update. As it stands now, however, the monitor needs more work.A note on firmware updatesI originally tested the Dough Spectrum Black 32 with firmware 1.0.4, which is what the monitor shipped with. Most users will never perform a firmware update on their monitor, and Id wager a good chunk dont even know that monitors have firmware. Unless theres some significant change with newer firmware, I like to test how the monitor performs the way it shows up thats the experience most users are going to get.Given my results, I reached out to Dough, and it told me it had a firmware update almost ready that addressed some of the issues I noticed. What was supposed to be a delay of a few days ended up being close to two weeks. The firmware update continually failed, even after I resorted to scouring the Dough subreddit for a handful of tips that other users had come up with to get a firmware update to stick.I eventually updated to firmware 1.0.7, which is the current firmware at the time of publishing. Without the gory details, trust me when I say that it was a pain to even flash the update on the monitor something other Dough users are already talking about in the companys subreddit. This update does, indeed, address some problems. But it introduces just as many.For instance, the SDR tone mapping with HDR turned on is much better. Its not perfect, but thats a significant point of improvement. On the other hand, the firmware introduces an issue where the colors will significantly shift green with a full-screen application, and the only way to remove the green tint is to toggle HDR on and off.Itd be one thing if there was some major issue with the monitor that Dough fixed with a single firmware update. It happens. But at this point, its generous to label any of these firmware updates as 1.0.x. Its commendable that Dough wants to address community feedback with firmware updates, but at this point, these updates only serve to get the Spectrum Black 32 up to par with other OLEDs that cost the same price.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsA lot of what you need to know about gaming on the Dough Spectrum Black has been covered up to this point. Youre getting flicker-free VRR, BFI for console gaming, and the basically instant response times of an OLED panel. Add on a 480Hz refresh rate, emulation for multiple screen sizes, and pixel-perfect scaling for retro games, and you have a monitor that can handle just about any gaming scenario you can throw at it.In light of the current image quality, its hard to say its a great gaming monitor, however. This is an OLED display, and games look good on it, but a variety of monitors from Asus, MSI, Alienware, and more have better color performance out of the box. Its not too distracting on the Dough Spectrum Black, but it largely comes down to the games you play. In some titles and with some display settings, the colors dont look quite right.That doesnt mean its unusable. I was able to have an enjoyable gaming experience with Special K, which I used to inject HDR into games with greater control over the output. These kinds of tools can counteract some of the issues baked into the current firmware, and if you dont mind getting your hands dirty, youre left with a solid gaming experience. Still, you shouldnt have to resort to third-party tools, especially when Dough is asking for just as much as the mainstream competition.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsThe Spectrum Black has a ton of burn-in mitigation features too many, in fact. You get pixel shifting, pixel refresh, a screen saver, static element detection, and logo detection, but Dough goes much further. Youll find settings like temporal peak luminance control, temporal target curve, and convex power control and those are just a few of the options.If youre a display nerd, you might recognize some of these settings or their associated acronyms, but Id wager that most people wont. I dont think Dough needs to get rid of these settings, but itd be helpful to either better explain them with the tooltips in the OSD or to hide them in an advanced menu so casual users know which burn-in prevention settings are the most important.Thats a suggestion, as Dough is clearly still working on some aspects of this monitor. The warranty is a criticism. Dough offers a two-year warranty that covers burn-in, matching LG, but falling behind most other monitor brands. The going timeframe for an OLED warranty is three years. I dont think youll develop burn-in within three years in most cases, much less two years, but Dough is still behind the competition here.Dough doesnt have a great reputation for customer service, either. Theres a subreddit dedicated specifically to horror stories with the brand, particularly preorders that never shipped. The official Dough subreddit shows that customers are getting monitors, but there are still a ton of threads asking about where orders are.You shouldnt have issues ordering a monitor theyre available and shipping from Amazon now, which is the route Id suggest going with if youre interested in picking one up but the warranty doesnt inspire a lot of confidence. Given Doughs history, I hoped for a clearer commitment to customer service with its OLED release.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsI want to like the Dough Spectrum Black. I love the design, and I appreciate Doughs approach to customization options. The wealth of features even manages to help the Spectrum Black stand out from the dozens of other OLED monitors that have flooded the market. Still, it feels like a monitor thats in beta testing.I can appreciate the hard work that goes into optimizing a product after its available, as well as the communication Dough has with its community online after a tumultuous few years. But when the Spectrum Black costs just as much and sometimes even more than the competition, its hard to justify. Theres not enough meat on the bone here, and in some areas, such as image quality, youre spending the same price for a worse display.Editors Recommendations

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsThe AI that Apple got rightWhat Apple got wrongMuch ado about nothingWhether you love or hate it, AI doesnt appear to be going away anytime soon. In fact, AI is evolving quite rapidly, and its now in the palms of our hands with our smartphones, as Google, Samsung, and even Apple have now fully embraced our AI future.Though Apple was late to the game with Apple Intelligence, the company majorly hyped it up for the iPhone 16 launch in September, even though, amazingly, it did not roll out until October with the iOS 18.1 update. The staggered release schedule for Apple Intelligence confused many consumers as to why they did not have Apple Intelligence immediately with their iPhone 16 purchases, and it felt like a big misstep from Apple.Recommended VideosBut now that weve all had access to Apple Intelligence for the last few months of 2024, I have to say that it hasnt made as big of an impact on my iPhone usage as originally thought.RelatedAppleThere are a lot of features that Apple packed into Apple Intelligence, but so far, Ive only found a few of them actually useful in my daily usage.For one, the Clean Up tool has been very helpful when I need it. Ive always been annoyed that prior to iOS 18, iOS users would have to download some kind of third-party photo editing app in order to get an object-removing tool, which is usually locked away behind a paywall, too. Meanwhile, Google has had the Magic Eraser tool since the Pixel 6 series, and Samsung has its own Object Eraser. But until iOS 18, Apple users were left out in the dust.I dont necessarily need to use Clean Up every time I want to share a photo, but it has been very useful to have when an image needs a touchup. Removing pieces of trash on the ground, power lines from a beautiful sky background, small scuffs and other imperfections, and various strangers passing by Clean Up does a great job with these things.Visual Intelligence on iPhones relies on the camera to make sense of the world. Christine Romero-Chan / Digital TrendsPreviously, if I needed to edit a photo to remove something, Id have to do it in Google Photos on my iPhone 16 Proor even use my Pixel 9 Pro. But now that Clean Up is available, I no longer have to juggle various apps or phones to get the job done.Another Apple Intelligence tool that I like is Visual Intelligence. This feature is exclusive to the iPhone 16 line as it requires the Camera Control button, and for me, it has made the button worth using.This isnt a feature I use dozens of times every day, but I have encountered some situations where it is convenient. For example, identifying plants or animals and translating text. Im surprised it took Apple this long to integrate such a feature, as its just like Google Lens.Jesse Hollington / Digital TrendsI was excited to check out more Apple Intelligence features when I got the iOS 18.2 update on my iPhone 16 Pro. But aside from what Ive already mentioned, the rest isnt as exciting.I already hate AI art in general, so I wasnt too thrilled about Image Playground. However, since its a new feature, I had to try it at least once. I tried to get Apple Intelligence to generate an AI image of me, in various scenarios, to perhaps share on social media. But every result I got did not look good to me, and I felt it had no actual resemblance to my image.It kept giving me odd-looking teeth in my smiles, hair that looked nothing like what I had, and other imperfections. I wasnt expecting a perfect picture, but I was hoping I would get something that would be decent enough to share online dozens of tries, and I wasnt happy with any of them. I suppose my appearance doesnt work with Apples AI art style? Whatever the reason is, my experience with it hasnt been positive.Nirave Gondhia / Digital TrendsGenmoji, on the other hand, is pretty fun to use. I often send emojis in my chats, so creating some unique ones that I cant get with the regular emojis is fun to mess with. And the fact that they show up in your recently used emoji can mean fast access in the future.I also feel similarly to the AI tools for text, though summarization is nifty even if I dont use it much. As a writer myself and someone who enjoys writing in general, Im not a big fan of any AI writing tool. Plus, if you have your own writing style, the AI-generated text will look out of place anyway, as it usually tries too hard, especially the professional tone.And while Siri got a little smarter with iOS 18, it still is not good. It still doesnt seem to be able to handle multi-modal requests, so hopefully, that comes sooner rather than later. But even with some basic things, Siri gets confused easily. Compared to the competition, there is still a way to go. Adding ChatGPT support was a good idea, though.AppleIn the end, I think Apples staggered rollout of Apple Intelligence did more harm than good. A lot of people bought the new iPhone 16 devices because they wanted these AI features, which Apple marketed heavily in the stores, but it didnt even launch with the devices. So everyone, myself included, continued to use the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro like their predecessors.A month after the launch of the iPhone 16, Apple finally started to roll out Apple Intelligence, but not all of the features, just a few of them. We only got Clean Up, Writing Tools, Summarization, priority messages in Mail, and slightly improved Siri in iOS 18.1 in October. With iOS 18.2 in December, we finally got Image Playground, Genmoji, Visual Intelligence, and ChatGPT integration.This is a slow rollout of AI features that Apples biggest competitors have already offered for months. And at this point, aside from a few cool tools, it just feels like Apple Intelligence is already losing its luster. Apple Intelligence hasnt affected my overall use of the iPhone 16 Pro, as Im still primarily using it like my iPhone 15 Pro from a year ago. Thats not a bad thing for me, but its also not a great look for Apple Intelligences future.Editors Recommendations

Make eating vegetables more fun with Season's Choice veggie fries.The Season's Choice veggie fries come in two varieties. Aldi For a vegan-friendly snack or side dish, pick up a bag of Season's Choice veggie fries. The fries come in black-bean or ranch flavors and are made with at least seven different vegetables. A 10-ounce bag is just under $5. Add bulk to your meals with Simply Nature legume rice.This Simply Nature legume rice is plant-based. Aldi Aldi's Simply Nature legume rice is vegan and gluten-free. Each $3 box of rice is made with either legumes or chickpeas and lentils and can be used as a base for lunches or dinners. Enjoy pasta night with liveGfree refrigerated gluten-free pasta.The gluten-free liveGfree pasta can be found in the refrigerated section of Aldi. Aldi Aldi's selection of gluten-free products is getting bigger this month with liveGfree fettuccine and linguine.Each refrigerated 9-ounce pack is $4 each and can pair nicely with olive oil or your favorite pasta sauce. Satisfy a sweet tooth with Sundae Shoppe's no-sugar-added gelatoSundae Shoppe announced two flavors of no-sugar-added gelato this month. Aldi This month, Sundae Shoppe is releasing two flavors of no-sugar-added gelato. For just under $4 a pint, you can choose between the flavors fudgy cookie dough or chocolate peanut butter. Prepare for Valentine's Day with an assortment of Moser Roth macarons.These Moser Roth's macarons come in a pack of 10. Aldi It's never too early to start planning Valentine's Day surprises for your significant other. To start, pick up a package of Moser Roth's macarons, which are set to arrive at Aldi in early January. Each pack contains 10 Belgian-chocolate macarons with decorative toppings all for only $4. Treat yourself to a bag of Choceur's seasonal barks. Choceur has bark perfect for Valentine's Day. Aldi The end of peppermint-bark season may be drawing near, but you can still enjoy other flavors of bark from Aldi this month. One bark has a white-chocolate-style base and strawberries-and-cream toppings, and the other has a milk-chocolate-style base with red-velvet-cookies-and-cream toppings. Each 5-ounce bag of bark is $4. Cozy up with Choceur heart-shaped hot-cocoa bombs.Choceur has hot-cocoa bombs in two flavors this January. Aldi Prepare a warm, festive drink using Choceur's filled heart-shaped hot-cocoa bombs that are only $2 each. Choose between a white-chocolate-strawberry cocoa bomb filled with milk-chocolate chips and marshmallows or a milk-chocolate one filled with milk-chocolate chips and marshmallows. Upgrade pizza night with Mama Cozzi's Pizza Kitchen's wood-fired options.Mama Cozzi's Pizza Kitchen is famous for its pizzas. Aldi Mama Cozzi's Pizza Kitchen is one of Aldi shoppers' favorite brands, and this January, they can enjoy new flavors of its wood-fired pizza.The pizzas are available in a five-mushroom blend with white, portabella, shiitake, crimini, and roasted mushrooms or a Greek-style pizza with garlic sauce, chicken, black olives, artichokes, red onions, and mushrooms.Each wood-fired pie is $5. Pair chicken wings, burgers, and more with Season's Choice flavored waffle fries.Seasons Choice waffle fries come in chili-lime and fiery-hot flavors. Aldi For a unique dinner side or a tasty appetizer on game day, pick up the Season's Choice waffle fries slated to arrive at Aldi in mid-January. The fiery-hot sweet-potato waffle fries can pair well with chicken wings and ranch or blue cheese and the chili-lime waffle fries could be a unique base for "nachos."Each 16-ounce bag is $4. Whip up a romantic dinner at home with Priano heart-shaped ravioli.Priano heart-shaped ravioli are filled with Parmigiano Reggiano and truffle. Aldi Aldi has plenty of options for a Valentine's Day dinner at home this year, including Priano heart-shaped ravioli filled with Parmigiano Reggiano and truffle. Each pack of pasta is $4. Start the day with Mama Cozzi's Pizza Kitchen breakfast pizzas.Mamma Cozzi's breakfast pizzas have a biscuit crust. Aldi Those who'd be happy to eat pizza for breakfast, lunch, and dinner may love the Mama Cozzi's Pizza Kitchen breakfast pizzas. They have biscuit crusts and come in two different flavors: sausage and cheese or pork belly, bacon, onion, and pepper. Try one or both for $5 each. Serve Appetitos crab rangoons at your next gathering. The Appetitos crab rangoons have a cream-cheese-crab filling. Aldi Whether you're hosting a party or just want delicious appetizers with dinner, you may want to pick up Appetitos crab rangoon to keep in the freezer. Each 6-ounce box has crispy wonton wrappers stuffed with a cream-cheese-crab filling and costs under $4. Fremont Fish Market bites can be ready in minutes.Fremont Fish Market shrimp-queso and cheddar-bacon-scallop bites can be found in Aldi's frozen aisle. Aldi For game day or other festive gatherings, serve Fremont Fish Market shrimp-queso and cheddar-bacon-scallop bites.The frozen bites can be heated up or air-fried in just a few minutes, and they come in 11-ounce bags for $5 each. You may want to bring Appetitos breaded cheese curds to a Super Bowl party. Appetitos breaded cheese curds have Wisconsin cheese. Aldi The Super Bowl is scheduled for February 9, and why not bring Appetitos breaded cheese curds to the party?Set to be available at the end of January, the curds feature Wisconsin cheese and a crispy, golden brown breading perfect for enjoying as-is or with a wide selection of dips. Grab a box (or two) for just over $4 each.

My twin sons graduated from high school and are choosing their college majors.One of my sons switched from wanting to study law to pursuing philosophy.Other parents told me it was a huge mistake, but my own college experience taught me otherwise.My twin 18-year-old sons have just graduated from high school, and we've spent months navigating the college application process.We live in Australia, and majors are chosen as part of the application process here, so there is a lot of pressure to make the right decision from the outset. They have attended college open days, and their school has run information sessions throughout the last few years to assist in decision-making.While Thomas has been set on his choice for a long time, his twin, Charlie, has been more indecisive and unsure.Charlie's journey started in a law firm but took an unexpected turnIn 10th grade, he interned at a friend's law practice and seemed destined for law school. His experience there was positive, and he spoke enthusiastically about pursuing a legal career.We were shocked when, a few months ago, he told us he wanted to pursue a philosophy major instead. I was disappointed and very concerned that Charlie was limiting his future job opportunities, and we had many discussions asking him to reassess this choice.My parents were particularly dismayed by this pivot and actively tried to dissuade him from making this choice.My wife reminded me of my own college regretsI had always wanted to be a writer, but my parents convinced me to enroll in an accounting and economics major as there were more opportunities in that industry. I hated those subjects and unsurprisingly failed subsequently wasting a year of college.Eventually, I switched to a marketing major, which I enjoyed, and my marks and experience improved accordingly.Reflecting on that experience, I didn't want to push Charlie into a decision that would make him miserable at college, so we encouraged him to apply for whatever he was passionate about.The reaction from other parents was swift and criticalLast month, at their high school graduation ceremony, I discussed Charlie's situation with other parents. While a few parents agreed with allowing Charlie to choose, most parents were shocked by our permissive approach.We received lots of advice and were urged to ask Charlie to change his application. I was surprised at how worried other parents were. They were adamant that switching from law to another degree was a huge mistake.It raised some doubts in my mind, but I knew we had to ignore them and stick with what we believed was best for Charlie.Charlie is becoming nimble and adaptableReassured by the support of my wife and me, Charlie has switched majors not to law but to sports management. I think he has visions of becoming Jerry Maguire.When I updated other parents on this switch, they still said it was a mistake not to pursue law and that sports management is too niche of a field. I felt a little sorry for their children, who may be forced down a path they don't wish to undertake.Reflecting on my own experience, I know what it's like to study a course you are not interested in.Looking at Charlie's journey from law to philosophy to sports management might seem concerning to some parents. However, this exploration of different fields shows he's thinking about his future and aligning this with his interests.The ability to adapt and pivot is increasingly valuable in today's workplace. Each of Charlie's shifts builds different skills that could serve him well in any future career.My journey from failed accounting student to marketing professional to full-time writer proves that careers are adaptable. I spent 20 years in marketing before finally pursuing my passion for writing full-time.What matters most isn't the major you choose at 18 but developing critical thinking skills, adaptability, and a passion for what you do.Charlie has our full support, regardless of where his path leadsWhether he becomes a sports agent, a philosophy teacher, returns to law, or discovers an entirely different passion, supporting his choices now will lead to better outcomes than forcing him down a path he doesn't want to pursue.We hope he is happy and loves his future job as much as I love mine now.

Putin told Russia the nation would be fine in his New Year's address.He refrained from giving a concrete outlook for the Ukraine war or Russia's economy.The nation is facing growing costs from its invasion, from rising casualties to soaring inflation.Vladimir Putin assured Russia he was "certain that everything will be fine" in his New Year's Eve address on Tuesday, as the nation heads toward its fourth year of war in Ukraine in 2025. In his speech, the Russian president said the nation was overcoming various challenges and would continue to move on. He also referred to 2025 as the "year of the Defender of the Motherland," and gave respect to Russia's "fighters and commanders," The New York Times reported.Still, Putin refrained from giving a concrete outlook on the war in Ukraine, or the path of the Russian economy going forward. He also did not mention Russia's inflation struggles, one of the nation's key economic problems.The comments come amid swirling military and economic uncertainty in Russia, which is under increasing strain as its war against Ukraine is set to turn three years old in February.A report from the Institute for the Study of War said that Russia suffered about 427,000 casualties in 2024 while gaining about 1,600 square miles of territory. Russia's military slowed its advances last month, with forces gaining around seven square miles of land a day in December.On the economic front, the costs of Russia's invasion continue to mount. The nation has earmarked 13.5 trillion rubles for its defense spending next year, amounting to around a third of Russia's total federal budget.Private business activity has also been hindered by the flight of capital and younger workers who fled the nation at the start of the war. An analysis from S&P Global showed that private equity or venture capital-backed deals and investments plunged 39% from 2022 to 2023.Inflation, meanwhile, remains well above the central bank's 4% target, while interest rates have risen to 21%.Putin has generally brushed off concerns about the Russian economy, but acknowledged the nation's struggle with inflation in a recent address. In December, he acknowledged that Russia's inflation rate was "alarming" and the economy was "overheating."At the end of 2023, Putin apologized for the soaring price of eggs, adding the rapid price increase was a "failure of the government's work."Economists expect 2025 to be another difficult year for the country, and some predict that its economy could be headed for a period of stagnation similar to the Soviet Union in the early 1980s. TsMAKP, a think-tank tied to the Russian government, said the nation was at risk at stagflation, a dire economic scenario that typically involves spiraling inflation, sluggish growth, and rising unemployment.

Skeleton Crews kids got their first taste of aStar Wars staple last week when they found out that not everyone around them is exactly out for their best interests. So naturally, this week is about a few of them looking a bit closer at the bonds theydo having, and putting them through the ultimate test. Which just so happens to involve a giant trash crab? Zero Friends Again sees Fern, KB, Neel, and Wim literally tossed out onto the scrap heap after they narrowly escaped Jod having to add doing an Anakin Skywalker on some younglings to his list of pirate crimesand of course, being kids, the first thing they have to do is argue about what to do next. But there is something different here than the usual little spats this quartet has gotten to throughoutSkeleton Crewso far: Jods betrayal of them, as well as the encroaching reality of the situation theyre in when they find themselves truly abandoned as Brutus and his crew drag Silvo off-world for judgement, begins to show the frays between their connection. This is especially so for Fern and KB, when the latter struggles to articulate to the former just why she cant agree with a risky plan to scale a humongous cliff face to get back to their ship. Why she cant becomes clear as KB decides to follow Wimwho has promptly decided that a nearby consortium of trash crabs will definitely lead them to someone who can helpin one direction, as Fern and Neel go towards the cliffs. KBs augmentations have been corroded by her time in such a moist environment, slowly shutting down her motor function. Star Wars has long had an interesting history with its portrayal of cyborgs and the disability parallel therein, and more often than not that history has been fraught, from the very moment Darth Vader is referred to as more machine than man, to how inconsequential lopping off a Skywalkers limbs often seems to be. But in an incredibly tender sceneaced by Kyriana Kratter and Ravi Cabot-Conyersas a drained KB guides Wim through the process of replacing her corroded fuses, we probably get what is Star Wars best insight into disability and chronic illness. Lucasfilm Not only do we actually get to see the reality of KBs lived experience with her augmentationsnot just the immediate threat that the alternative without them is deathbut her frustrations around the people in her life, Fern especially, attempting to treat her as capable of doing anything even when she very clearly needs accommodation and understanding of her capabilities as a disabled person. It treads a fine line all disability narratives have to, and avoids many of the pitfalls those narratives are prone to. It doesnt become the case that KB is bitter about her augs, or that other people tell her what she should and should not be capable of: its about her getting to communicate those terms herself, and having people listen to her. Ferns desire to accommodate her best friend by telling her she can do anything any other kid can do (including climb a precarious cliff face!) doesnt match the reality that KB needs help and the space to set her own boundaries, and own struggle to communicate that is a perfect match for Wims own empathetic nature, letting her come to that realization herself as he tinkers away repairing her augments. Its not a supposedly very special episode moment but a true bit of bonding between KB and Wim, one that is interestingly paralleled in the other team ups between the kids. Its very telling that we cut from this frank conversation about KB setting her own limits to Fern and Neel, with the former having decided that the only response to Neels complaints that he cant climb as fast as her is to find a rope and tie them together so she can practically drag him up at her own pace. And theres even a parallel to Jods plotline in the episode toocarted off to face Brutus judgement and given pirate-code-mandated time to appeal a stay of execution, what Jod offers instead is a sales pitch about At Attin, rather than any earnest or meaningful connection to his former crew, plying them with promises of loot and the dreams theyve always dreamed. The zero friends of the title might be a line from KB, fearing that if she was honest with Fern shed lose her best friend, but really its Jod: a lonely con artist playing one last trick after another, while the kids he abandoned along the way find themselves more united than ever. Lucasfilm That is,after theyre almost eaten by a giant craband a giant junk-slagging droid. Its a bit weirdly paced to go from one big set piece to the next right at the end of the episode, but its the crucible of fire that lets these kids really shine together as a unit (especially after KB and Fern get a nice little reunion). Together, and understanding of each others strengths, they can achieve the impossibleand do so not just when Fern and Neel save KB and Wim from the trash crabs, but when they all clamber aboard the Onyx Cinder and manage to free it from the clutches of the junkyard droid. It perhaps wouldnt beStar Wars if their reward for galvanizing these bonds was simply just a better understanding of each other, of course: to escape the droid they all have to trust that Fern knows what shes doing when she slams a button on the Cinders controls SM-33 told them never to touch, detonating the haggard hull plating of the ship to reveal a sleek, shiny version of the vessel hiding underneath its grimy exterior. Theyve now got their chance to get home (thanks to the co-ordinates stored in KBs augs, of course), even with Jod and the pirates looming on the horizon. But they can face it with a better understanding of each other, one that will encourage them to feel like they can take on the whole galaxy which they might have to by the end of all this. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra isnt just another smartwatch. But you probably didnt want just another watch after all, if youre shopping for one right now. Samsung understands what serious athletes and adventurers actually need. This isnt about counting steps to the coffee machine; its about having a reliable companion whether youre scaling mountains, cycling cross-country, or diving into ocean waters. And its also about saving some serious money.See at SamsungBuilt from premium titanium, the Ultra represents Samsungs toughest watch design yet. Its engineered to shrug off rain, dust, and even ocean swimming, making it less of a smartwatch and more of a survival tool that happens to be brilliant at tracking your fitness. Right now, you can save $350 with an eligible trade-in at Samsung, or take $100 off without any trade-in, bringing the price down from its regular $650.Your wrist-based, do-it-all companionWhat sets the Ultra apart is its integration of Galaxy AI, transforming raw data into actionable insights. This Galaxy Ultra watch doesnt just track your activities, it helps you compete against your own previous performances, providing real-time comparisons during runs and rides. The new Energy Score feature analyzes your sleep, heart rate, and activity patterns to determine your physical readiness for the day ahead. So its already doing a ton of work to help keep you in the best shape possible.The heart rate tracking is particularly impressive, using AI to filter out movement artifacts for more precise readings during intense workouts. Combined with personalized Wellness Tips, its like having a personal trainer, sports scientist, and health coach strapped to your wrist.At either the trade-in price (-$350) or with the straight $100 discount, this isnt just another tech purchase its an investment in pushing your boundaries. For serious athletes, outdoor enthusiasts, or anyone who demands more from their gear than basic step counting, the Galaxy Watch Ultra represents the cutting edge of wearable technology. Because when youre pushing your limits, you need a watch that can keep up.If youre ready to change out your traditional watch for something thats significantly more powerful or you might want to give a gift with one lucky recipient in mind, you arent going to want to miss out on this deal. Be sure to snag it while you can, and enjoy your new favorite wristwatch. You might find that it quickly changes the way you approach everyday things and itll also probably become a part of your daily routine, too!See at Samsung

City Hall Remchingen / Steimle ArchitektenSave this picture! Brigida GonzlezMixed Use Architecture, Town & City HallRemchingen, GermanyArchitects: Steimle ArchitektenAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:6360 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2020 PhotographsPhotographs:Brigida GonzlezManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: GIRA, Jansen, RAICO, Chemotechnik Abstatt GmbH, Findeisen GmbH, Forbo Flooring GmbH, Franz Schneider Brakel GmbH+Co. KG, Hasselwander GmbH, Kone GmbH, Liapor GmbH & Co. KG, Mermet S.A.S, Metex Metallwaren GmbH, Neuform-Trenwerk Hans Glock GmbH, Pollmeier Massivholz GmbH & Co.KG, RZB Rudolf Zimmermann, Schco, Warema Rnkhoff SE Productstranslation missing: en-US.post.svg.material_descriptionMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. The new town hall in Remchingen, on a prominent site between federal highway B10 and the green space along the river Pfinz, is conceived as a new center for encounters and communication. Its immediate vicinity is dominated by the Remchingen Cultural Center and a nursing home, which are discrete, self-referential freestanding buildings that do not form an urban spatial relationship to each other.Save this picture!Save this picture!In order to sustainably improve this situation and establish clear edges to the public space, the building was designed as a honed, pentagonal urban element that has no rear sides and shows its architectural presence both to the newly designed market square and to the two street fronts. The new building self-evidently positions itself as an open house for the citizenry, responding precisely with its form to the important spatial relationships and defining a new center for Remchingen. While it clearly looks like a prestigious detached building, its form logically derives from the urban context and thus it also mediates between the existing buildings. An open plaza now joins the new building ensemble of town hall, cultural center, and retirement home to the landscape of the Pfinz.Save this picture!Save this picture!Given the building's prominent location, its impact to the townscape when viewed from a distance was an important consideration in determining its dimensions: the height of the new four-story building takes its cue from the surrounding buildings, yet it manifests itself as a discrete object that excitingly enhances them. Its rigorous facades made of insulating concrete strengthen the feeling of solidity and anchorage to the site. Within this uniform outer shell, whose mineral-based wall construction is fully recyclable, the large, regularly spaced windows with deep reveals are clearly distinguishable.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The diverse uses of the town hall are already apparent from the outside: the lobby with the municipal services office and the extensive restaurant area on the ground floor, the wedding hall with its urban loggia on the first floor, and the large, two-story council chamber on the second floor with views of the nearby river Pfinz all have impact on the urban surroundings. In order to bring the character of an open house to life for the citizenry, a free plan with fluid spatial boundaries was established around a central atrium. The tangible spatial openness, which is underscored by the expansive space of the atrium, is designed to offer the public the opportunity to get a closer look at the origin of political activity and to experience the building as a public place in its best sense.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:75196 Remchingen, GermanyLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeSteimle ArchitektenOfficeMaterialConcreteMaterials and TagsPublished on January 01, 2025Cite: "City Hall Remchingen / Steimle Architekten" 01 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/956539/city-hall-remchingen-steimle-architekten-bda&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save? / Steimle Architekten BDAYou've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

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Back in the first millennium A.D., waves of human migration across Europe created an elaborate genetic puzzle that researchers have now started to unravel with a leap in DNA analysis. An enhanced look at the movement of populations during the time of the Roman Empire and the Vikings has illustrated the genetic impact of this consequential era of history.New research led by the Francis Crick Institute and published in Nature centers around a data analysis method known as Twigstats, which focuses on assessing genetic family trees. This allowed for a plethora of unprecedented discoveries on historic Iron Age migrations in Europe from the years 1 to 1000. Using Twigstats, the researchers dissected the differences between genetically similar groups in a more precise way than ever before.Southward Migration of Germanic PeoplesThe researchers examined over 1500 European genomes from people who lived during the first millennium, an eventful period in European history. These years marked the dramatic rise and fall of the Roman Empire, the dawn of the Vikings, and the migration of several Germanic groups throughout the continent.The origins of Germanic peoples is somewhat nebulous the word Germanic is an umbrella term used to describe a multitude of tribes that spoke related Germanic languages. Theyre thought to have originated somewhere around the modern day regions of Northern Germany, Denmark, and Southern Sweden.The new research, however, illuminated the departure of groups that migrated from Northern Germany or Scandinavia to Central and Southern Europe. Alliances of Germanic tribes famously fought back against the Roman Empire as it attempted to expand its borders around the beginning of the millennium. The earliest information on Germanic peoples and their culture was recorded in Roman accounts a notable example could be Germania, a book written around 98 A.D. by Roman historian Tacitus.Researchers bolstered this historical knowledge with genetic evidence, finding ancestry from the Germanic groups that spread south in people who lived in southern Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, and southern Britain. In one case, they found that a person in southern Europe that carried 100 percent Scandinavian-like ancestry.The genetic study showed that the migrating Germanic peoples mixed with pre-existing populations. Their migration routes appeared to match with the three major branches of Germanic languages that would eventually develop: West Germanic (English, German, and Dutch), North Germanic (Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic, and Faroese), and East Germanic (a now extinct language family).Migration Back to ScandinaviaThe researchers uncovered one person possibly a Roman soldier or slave gladiator living in Britain around 100 A.D. to 300 A.D. who had 25 percent Scandinavian ancestry. This insinuates that people of Scandinavian ancestry were in Britain before the Anglo-Saxon period (around 400 A.D. to 1,000 A.D.) and Viking period (around 800 A.D. to 1,000 A.D.).Genetic analysis explored another wave of migration toward the end of the Iron Age in Scandinavia, which ended about 800 A.D., coinciding with the rise of Vikings. This time, though, it was people from Central Europe moving back up north into Scandinavia.Evidence suggests this was not just a one-time migration event, but a continuous shift in ancestry. Researchers landed on this idea thanks to biomolecular analysis of teeth from people buried in the island of land, Sweden, who carried ancestry from Central Europe, but grew up locally.More evidence is needed to determine the reasons for migrations around Scandinavia at this time, but researchers say repeated conflicts and unrest may have played a large role in spurring the movement of people.The Vast Range of Viking AncestryVikings are known for their marauding campaigns across parts of Europe, made possible by their shipbuilding capabilities that allowed raid parties to reach the British Isles and other areas by sea.The extent of their raids had a resounding genetic impact throughout much of Europe, as researchers found that many people outside of Scandinavia during the Viking Age had a mix of local and Scandinavian ancestry.This could be seen near the eastern limits of Europe, where researchers identified ancestry from Sweden in Viking Age individuals who lived in what is now Ukraine and Russia.On the opposite side of Europe, they similarly identified ancestry from Denmark in individuals living in Britain during the height of the Viking era. In Britain, remains of deceased men buried in Viking Age mass graves also showed Scandinavian ancestry, demonstrating the spread of Viking genetics in the region.The genetic discoveries from Twigstats have undeniably helped round out the story of Iron Age migrations from Germanic peoples to Vikings, but they will also pave the way for future studies on historic ancestry, as more ancient genome sequences need to be studied according to researchers.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Britannica. Germanic peoplesBritannica. Germanic languagesJORVIK Viking Centre. Where did the Vikings come from?Jack Knudson is an assistant editor at Discover with a strong interest in environmental science and history. Before joining Discover in 2023, he studied journalism at the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University and previously interned at Recycling Today magazine.