Apple is under pressure in China as a result of rising competition from domestic brands, in particular Huawei.

Two deadly incidents on New Years Day an attack being investigated as an act of terrorism in New Orleans and an explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck in Las Vegas both involved vehicles that were rented on Turo, a peer-to-peer car sharing company.Early Wednesday, 42-year-old Army veteran Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar rammed a pickup truck into a crowd in New Orleans famed French Quarter killing 14 people who were celebrating the New Year. And police fatally shot Jabbar in a following firefight. Just hours after, outside of President-elect Donald Trumps hotel in Las Vegas, a Tesla Cybertruck packed with explosives also burst into flames. The person inside, identified as active-duty U.S. Army Green Beret Matthew Livelsberger, died. Officials later said he suffered a gunshot wound to the head before the explosion.Turo said it is shocked and saddened Wednesdays events and that our hearts are with the victims and their families.The company added that is outraged by the misuse of our marketplace by the two individuals who perpetrated these acts.While both incidents involved vehicles rented through Turo, the FBI has said that is has found no definitive link between the New Orleans attack and the Las Vegas explosion.Still, the incidents have put a spotlight on the car-sharing platform. Heres what we know about Turo.What is Turo?Turo is a peer-to-peer car-sharing company. The online platform allows car owners to rent their own vehicles directly to other nearby drivers, or guests. Hosts set their prices, availability and delivery options for renters to choose from and book via Turos website or app.Billing itself as the worlds largest car sharing marketplace today, Turo says it operates through a network of hosts across the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and France.The origins of the San Francisco-based company date back almost 15 years, with its first trip completed in May 2010 and nationwide launch later arriving in 2012. The platform was originally introduced as RelayRides, but rebranded to Turo in 2015.Over the last 12 years of operating history, Turo says it collected data from over 90 million booked days, 27 million trips, 8.6 billion miles (13.8 billion kilometers) driven as of Sept. 30, 2024. Less than 0.1% of those Turo trips ended with a serious incident such as a vehicle theft, the company said Thursday.How was Turo used for the cars involved in these New Years Day events?Again, investigators have not found any definitive connections between Wednesdays attack in New Orleans attack and following explosion in Las Vegas. But both incidents involved vehicles rented on Turo.Authorities have said that the Cybertruck involved in the Las Vegas explosion was rented through the Turo app in Colorado. Kevin McMahill, the elected sheriff of Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, said Wednesday that authorities knew who rented this truck, but were not releasing the name until investigators determine if it is the same person who died.On Wednesday, Turo confirmed that both the Cybertruck and the pickup truck used in the New Orleans attack were rented using the platform.What else has the company said?Turo has said its sharing any information it has with law enforcement as investigations continue. The company has also noted that the individuals involved did not have criminal backgrounds that would have identified them as security threats. It said every Turo renter is screened through a multi-layer, data-science-based trust and safety process.The men involved in the incidents had valid drivers licenses, clean background checks, and were honorably discharged from the U.S. military, Turo noted Thursday.They could have boarded any plane, checked into a hotel, or rented a car or truck from a traditional vehicle rental chain, the company said. We do not believe these two individuals would have been flagged by anyone including Big Rental or law enforcement.

All the excitement around artificial intelligence can make it hard to notice all the other exciting progress lately thats been the result of human intelligence.Of course, its getting harder to say whats not got some bit of AI or deep learning in it. AI is seeping into everything, including scientific and technological discovery, with impacts that we didnt expect. The tendencies of generative AI to hallucinate and defy explanation are already turning out to be a powerful fuel for researchers. See, for instance, DeepMinds AlphaFold, now predicting not just protein structures but also how they interact with DNA, RNA, and small molecules; this year the software helped win three of its creators the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The Physics prize went to Geoffrey Hinton, sometimes called the godfather of modern AI, and John Hopfield, for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks. The number of peer-reviewed papers using AI is on the rise, and those that use AI methods are more likely to be among the most cited. AI is eating science.And maybe it arrives at just the right time, because some argue that science and technology arent yielding the advances they used to. As AI research draws attention and unprecedented sums of cash, largely in private U.S. labs, the U.S.s dominance in science in general appears to be slowing. In an address in June, National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt noted that theU.S. has a declining share of the most cited science papers, and the rate at which new drugs and technologies hit the market has flatlined over the past several decades. This is on top of sharply declining math scores. What technological advantage the U.S. has is largely thanks to its legions of visiting foreign workers and students.We literally couldnt fill our STEM jobs if it were not for these foreign students coming and staying in the U.S., said McNutt. No wonder some of Trumps biggest backers, especially people like Elon, are worried about his immigration policies, which previously made it harder for even high-skilled foreigners to come to the U.S.The U.S. still leads in terms of published research and public funding for it. But China is about to outpace the U.S. on both counts. China currently files more patents than the U.S. and now hosts more than a quarter of the worlds clinical trials.That were even comparing reflects a new paradigm in science, too. For decades, global scientific collaboration wasnt just handy for thawing tensions during the Cold War, but for tackling increasingly complex problems that know no borders and require ever-bigger equipmentthink the LHC or the ITER fusion projectthe kind that no one country can afford.Lately, much of that scientific amity has been swallowed by distrust, where progress is increasingly measured instead by economic and military power. Crushing your adversary may be a good motivator for engineering progress, especially when it comes to weapons (and theres been a lot of that lately.) But what other kinds of progress is lost by that logic?Fortunately, global scientific collaboration isnt totally dead. In the holiday spiritand after over a year of delay by Congressthe U.S. and China just agreed to continue their decades-old scientific partnership for another five years, with new guardrails that permit collaborations around nonsensitive and critical domains like weather, oceanography, geology, epidemiology, and pollution.Basic science faces other problems, too, including a loss of public trust, which data suggests has dropped sharply since the pandemic. Were not even going to keep federal funding for science at the same level it is today if we dont bring the public along with us, McNutt said in her speech.Whatever your trust issues are with scienceand however you feel about AI, or the world in generalyou might at least enjoy reading about some of the non AI advancements humans made in 2024.CRISPR therapeutics arriveNearly a year after winning approval from the FDA, the first medical treatment that uses the Nobel Prizewinning gene editing technology Crispr was rolled out to patients. Casgevya treatment for people with sickle cell disease and a related blood disorder called beta thalassemiainvolves collecting a patients hematopoietic stem cells, editing them ex vivo using CRISPR/Cas9 technology to increase fetal hemoglobin production, and reinfusing them into the patient. Clinical trials demonstrated that 93.5% of participants experienced no severe vaso-occlusive crises for at least 12 consecutive months post-treatment. Vertex (which Fast Company named a most innovative company in 2024), says that the first person to receive Casgevy outside of a clinical trial was dosed in the third quarter of this year. Jennifer Doudna, who won the Nobel Prize for Crispr, told Fast Company that its extraordinary talking to some of the patients, who are finding the treatment completely life-changing.Still, change doesnt come cheap: the U.S. price tag is around $2 million. Doudnas lab is currently working on a more affordable treatment, with clinical trials in process, as well as developing methods to help prevent childhood asthma through microbiome editing, disease-resistant bananas, and more.New organs workAbout 17 people die every day waiting for an organ transplant, but theres growing hope that pigs could change that math. In March 2024, doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston performed the first successful transplant of a genetically engineered pig kidney into a living human. A previous kidney transplant had failed in the patient, a 62-year-old man with end-stage kidney disease; this time he got his kidney from eGenesis, a xenotransplantation startup. After the transplant, and after specialists made 69 genomic edits using CRISPR-Cas9 technology, the new kidney kicked in, and continued to last without signs of rejection until his death a few months later from causes unrelated to the transplant. (The same was the case with another transplant patient at NYU Langone Health, a 54-year-old woman, who also received a pigs thymus gland to reduce the likelihood of rejection.) In July, surgeons at Baylor St. Lukes Medical Center in Houston, Texas, performed the first successful human implantation of an artificial heart. The device, the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart, which relies on magnets to reduce mechanical wear, operated for eight days, keeping the patient alive until a donor heart became available.New drugs and therapiesSome of the breakthroughs that have been tested and approved include:Lenacapavir, a drug that reduces HIV infections for six months with each shot, showed a remarkable efficacy rate of 100% in trials, promising to drive down global infection rates when used as a prophylaxis. Even after decades of progress, no vaccine exists for the virus, which still infects more than one million people annually. Science, which named lenacapavir its 2024 Breakthrough of the Year, notedthat the drugs success sprang from a basic advance: a new understanding of the structure and function of HIVs capsid protein, which, as in other viruses, forms a shell around its genetic material. That could point the way toward using capsid inhibitors to fight other viral diseases. In March, researchers at the University of Amsterdam also reported the removal of HIV from infected cells in a proof of concept using CRISPR technology.A new type of gene therapy allowed children with hereditary deafness to regain their hearing, without the use of cochlear implants, according to the results of a clinical trial published in The Lancet in January. At Mass Eye and Ear in Boston, six children with a form of genetic deafness called DFNB9, which is caused by a gene mutation that interferes with the transmission of sound signals, were treated with an inactive virus carrying a functioning version of a gene, inserted into their inner ears. After 26 weeks, five of the six children regained their hearing and could conduct normal conversation. The technique points the way toward treating other types of genetic hearing loss for which there is no known treatment.A personalized immunotherapy treatment targeting T-cells, designed to help the bodys immune system target solid tumor cells. The agency granted accelerated approval following early-stage trials in which the treatment, Tecelra, developed by modifying a patients own white blood cells, was found to be effective at shrinking tumors in 44% of patients.The first new class of drug to treat people with schizophrenia in more than 30 years. Cobenfy, manufactured by Bristol Myers Squibb, combines two drugs, xanomeline and trospium chloride, and is taken twice a day. Clinical trials showed the combination helped manage symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking. Unlike conventional medications, which work by blocking dopamine receptorsand bring unwanted de-motivating side effectsCobenfy doesnt directly influence the dopamine system.Big twinsIn early November, researchers used the worlds fastest supercomputer to run the largest astrophysical simulation of the universe ever conducted. The calculations set a new benchmark for what are known as cosmological hydrodynamics simulations, and provide a new foundation for simulating the physics of atomic matter and dark matter at the same time. The researchers, from the Dept of Energys Argonne National Laboratory, relied on approximately 9,000 compute nodes on the Frontier supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and on data from surveys undertaken by large telescope observatories.Those kinds of simulations can complement ever-growing collections of actual data. In April researchers from the DOEs Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory reported their first year of results from what they call the largest 3D map of our universe. Based on observations made using the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, the research has helped measure the expansion history of the young universe with unprecedented precision and is continuing to shed light on the speed of its expansion over 11 billion years.Tiny twinsIn October, a Princeton-led team of scientists reported the first ever complete mapping of the entire brain of a fruit fly, one of the most-studied animals in biological research, with a detail of 50 million connections between more than 139,000 neurons. The human brain contains more than 80 billion neurons, and in May, researchers at Google said they had made some progress there, too, with a 3D map of a cubic millimeter of the human brain at nanoscale resolution. The map, containing roughly 57,000 cells and 150 million synapses and amounting to 1.4 petabytes of data, complements a high-resolution atlas of the brains architecture created by the EUs Human Brain Project last year.Quantum leapsAmid the scramble for milestones like quantum advantage and any reason to be excited at all, quantum researchers were still smashing records. In September, Microsoft and Quantinuum reported they had created 12 logical qubits using Quantinuums trapped-ion quantum computer, tripling their previous record. Entangling these logical qubits, they performed fault-tolerant computations with lower error rates than physical qubits, and simulated a chemical reaction using two logical qubits, along with high performance computing and AI, in the first such hybrid approach for a scientific problem.In December, Google announced its Willow device, which uses physical qubits, was able to add more computation without also amassing a bigger and bigger pile of errors. With the right error-correction methods, researchers showed they could increase accuracy as they are scaled up, at a rate that exceeds a crucial and long-fought threshold. Googles qubitsbuilt with what are called transmons, tiny circuits made of superconducting wiredont have quite as long lifetimes as IBMs transmon qubits. But its researchers made advancements with their surface code, the algorithm that governs how error correction is performed on a given quantum computer. The news fueled more hope that within a decade quantum computers will be big enough and error corrected enough to start making real waves in chemistry, physics, engineering, and more.That possibly includes breaking the encryption that protects the worlds secrets, which is why 2024 included another first: The National Institute of Standards and Technology officially released three new encryption standards designed to protect against future cyberattacks by quantum computers. The long-awaited standards come roughly eight years after NIST began its efforts at PQC, or post quantum encryption. A RAND article cited by NIST says the threat could even appear . . . within a decade. Hang on to your cats!Touching the sun at record-beating speedsOn Dec. 24, NASAs Parker Solar Probe swooped closer than it ever had before to the sun, just a few million miles above its surface, flying through the solar atmosphere at a blazing 430,000 mph, which is faster than any human-made object has ever moved. With a maneuver that used seven flybys of Venus and a cutting-edge heat shield, Parker has been creeping ever closer to the Sun since its launch in 2018. The data from this flybyfortunately coming during a moment of maximum solar activitywill help scientists study various mysteries of the sun, including the origin of the solar wind and how the suns outer atmosphere, the corona, can be hundreds of times hotter than the surface below. After two more solar flybys at the same altitude, the primary mission is expected to come to an end in September.The Moons hot againPeople started talking a lot about the Moon again. In January, Japan became the fifth country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, with its SLIM mission. A month later, American startup Intuitive Machines Nova-C lander, Odysseus, became the first commercial vehicle to land on the Moon. (The landers Lunar Librarycontaining a version of the English Wikipedia, art, and selections from the Internet Archiveis projected to reside on the Moon in a readable state for billions of years.) In June, China successfully landed Change 6 on the far side of the moon, collecting about 2 kg of samples of lunar soil and rocks and carrying them back to Earth. Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences who analyzed the samples found an unexpected resurgence in the moons magnetic field strength 2.8 billion years ago, challenging previous findings from the U.S. Apollo mission.Not to be outdone, NASA is preparing to send astronauts back to the surface, through the Artemis missions from 2030 onwards. Recently the agency pushed back the start of the missionsending a crew of four on a 10-day voyage around the moonto April 2026. NASA says its current mid-2027 target for the moon landing is still on track to beat Chinas plan to land in 2030.And the Earths hotter than everResearchers largely agree that 2024 will go down in history as the planets hottest year in more than a century of instrument record-keeping, and likely in at least 125,000 years, if you count estimates from tree rings and ice cores. The EUs Copernicus Climate Change Service has one of the highest estimates, putting 2024 at 1.6C (2.88F) above the preindustrial average, which surpasses the Paris Agreements most ambitious target for a single year. (Given the surging energy demands of generative models, this is one breakthrough thats increasingly intertwined with AI.)Broken records like these lead to more disease and more conflict and more broken records; see, for instance, Harvey and Milton, the epic, back-to-back October storms which many people in multiple states are still digging out from, and which the federal government cant afford. They also mean more frequent incidences of unusual phenomena, like the heat dome that hit the northeast U.S. over the summer. One day in June, it was hotter in Burlington, Vermont, than it was in Miami by a whopping 10 degrees Fahrenheit. According to NOAA, during November, a record 10.6% of the worlds surface experienced a record high monthly average temperature. What was considered weird just a few years ago is only becoming more normal.

The new year started out with the worst kind of bang. In the early hours of January 1, an assailant exploded a Cybertruck in front of Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, using firework mortars and gas canisters. Seven bystanders were injured in the blast, and the driver reportedly killed himself before the explosion.Although the perpetrator has since been identified as off-duty soldier Matthew Livelsberger, many questions remain. The attackers motive is still unknown as of this writing, along with whether his actions have any connection to a vehicular attack in New Orleans the previous night, which left 15 dead and dozens injured. One thing thats clear, though, is how the Cybertrucks creator and champion Elon Musk would react to his signature vehicle being used in a potential terror attack. Turns out he would spin it into a marketing opportunity.By evening the day of the explosion, Las Vegas law enforcement had praised the Cybertrucks sturdiness for helping contain the explosion. The futuristic-looking vehicle has solid steel doors, which appear to have prevented the hotels glass doors from shattering. Musk quickly seized on this detail and began tweeting about it to his 210.2 million X followers, claiming the suspect picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack. He went on to retweet a fan who described the incident as the tipping point in his decision to finally buy a Cybertruck.On Thursday morning, Musk went a step further. He retweeted a bloody illustration of the attack, featuring an animated Musk saying of the explosion: Best Tesla ad! In the drawing, the exploded Cybertruck does not have a single scratch on it, even though the actual vehicle deployed in the attack had its windows blown out and exterior singed. (The tires did remain remarkably pristine, however.)The terrorist attack outside of Trump hotel was the best ad for #Cybertruck pic.twitter.com/Ucsyel2WV7 Skscartoon (@skscartoon) January 2, 2025 Musk took a roundabout path to arriving at the explosion as a marketing moment, though. He initially spent a lot of time on January 1 posting his ire at media outlets for their clumsily worded headlines about the incident, which he claimed read as if the vehicle caught fire by accident. Musk even suggested at one point that he would sue some of those publications. (Never mind that Trump Hotel itself also referred to the explosion as an electric vehicle fire on social media, as did executive VP of the Trump organization Eric Trump.)But it wasnt only media outlets that apparently jumped to concluding that the Cybertruck had somehow exploded on its own. A lot of social media users also made that leap.Perhaps that shouldnt be so surprising.The angular vehicle, whose thick doors and frunk have been criticized for having the potential to sever fingers, has been recalled a whopping seven times in its first yearpart of the reason Tesla was the most recalled automaker of 2024. Some of these recalls were for relatively minor infractions but others were for more serious issues, including a dangerous defect where a trapped pedal could lead to unintended acceleration.More generally, drivers and observers have frequently posted videos of Cybertrucks getting stuckespecially on the dedicated r/CyberStuck subreddit. Some owners have complained that the vehicle stalls with no explanation, while others have said it can be extremely difficult to service. In March, for instance, Rolling Stone detailed the plight of Cybertruck driver Matthew Chiarello, who described in a since-deleted tweet the catastrophe failure of his vehicles steering and brakes, which led to his truck being towed from a parking lot . . . on a day when Teslas service center was closed. (Chiarello followed up three days later to say that technicians had yet to diagnose the underlying problem.)Not to mention that just one day before the Las Vegas attack, a Cybertruck randomly caught fire at a car dealership in Decatur, Georgia. (A lot more cars catch fire in an average year for a lot more reasons than one might think, but the Cybertrucks design is so distinctive that its more likely to make the news when it goes up in flames.)New info about the car, which has emerged since the blast, might similarly not instill confidence. Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Police said Musk helped the investigation by unlocking the truck after it reportedly auto-locked in the blast and sent along video of the suspect at various charging stations. What this statement reveals is that the Cybertruck will auto-lock if the car catches fire, that the CEO of Tesla technically has remote dominion over all its cars, and that driving one means being easily surveilled. Not exactly the stuff commercials are made from.Given all that the general public knows about Cybertrucks by now, and that according to estimates they reportedly havent sold very well, its easy to see why Musk would instead tout the vehicle as strong enough to thwart a terror attack. Even if a more tactful leader might have waited a while longer to do so.Musk is now going all in on the idea that the injured bystanders are lucky the attacker chose a Cybertruck, but theres just one problem with that narrative. For all anyone knows right now, the suspect chose a Cybertruck precisely because its a Cybertrucknot to inflict maximum damage, but to make a political point.If the assailant had chosen a car not deeply associated with a man who just gave a quarter billion dollars to get a president elected, and if he hadnt blown it up right in front of a hotel owned by that politician, the conversation about the cars sturdiness might organically take precedence.As it is, though, talking about a car that thwarts terror attacks seems to be a way to avoid talking about why an attacker might choose this particular car to send a message.

Local architecture studio Arkkitehdit NRT has renovated and added additional spaces to the Helsinkievents venue Finlandia Hall, which was originally designed by Finnish designer and architect Alvar Aalto in 1971.Arkkitehdit NRT aimed to restore Finlandia Hall, which reopens tomorrow, in a way that was respectful to Aalto's original design while creating additional services to make the venue more accessible to the public.Finlandia Hall was completed by Alvar Aalto in 1971. Photo by Kuvaaja SoldemanCompleted in 1971, Finlandia Hall was originally designed as a congress and event venue, with multiple halls for concerts, orchestras, and international summit meetings.Arkkitehdit NRT was initially tasked with restoring the building, which is owned by the City of Helsinki. As the project progressed, the studio proposed adding new spaces to expand the building's function into a leisure destination that city residents and tourists could use.Arkkitehdit NRT has renovated the building and restored some of its original furnitureArkkitehdit NRT restored most of the existing building, including its marble-clad facade and original furniture designed by Aalto.New spaces include a restaurant, wine bar, accommodation spaces, an exhibition room and a design shop, which were designed to make Finlandia Hall freely open to the general public.Read: Skene Catling de la Pea to transform Aalto-designed silo into cultural events space"The reason to start the renovation was to renew all technical installations in the building," Arkkitehdit NRT managing director Teemu Tuomi told Dezeen. "Also, the facade marble panels were curved and weakened, so they needed to be changed.""When the renovation project was decided to start, it opened a possibility to plan and execute many spatial and functional changes that the building's user needed," said Tuomi.A restaurant and wine bar was added to make the venue more accessible to the general public. Photo by Riikka KantinkoskiTwo staff residences in Finlandia Hall were transformed into bookable guest accommodations.A rehearsal space was renovated into an exhibition area that will showcase the work of Aalto and his first and second wives, Aino and Elissa Aalto, who were also architects.Two accommodation spaces provide overnight stay in the concert venue. Photo by Riikka KantinkoskiIn the newly added spaces, Arkkitehdit NRT aimed to use surfaces and materials that complemented the existing building, including patinated bronze, red beech and ceramic tiles."In our design, we wanted new additions to show the visitor that the spaces are new but not to pop out as entirely different designs," said Tuomi.Other buildings by Aalto include a library that was also renovated by Arkkitehdit NRT and the Toppila silo in Oulu, which is set to be transformed into a cultural space.The photography is by Tuomas Uusheimo unless stated.The post Arkkitehdit NRT renovates Alvar Aalto's Finlandia Hall in Helsinki appeared first on Dezeen.

Here are some of the more bizarre objects we spotted in 2024. For better or worse, everything in this category looks like it was green-lit without the input of a marketing department. Objet d'esign: A chunky brutalist keyboard. Porch piracy deterrent: A security camera that fires paintballs and tear gas. Wearable climate control: A battery-powered jacket-inflating personal cooling device. An extreme stainless steel clipboard for sketching, with built-in light. Casio designs a watch you can wear in a sauna. Casio is also releasing functional ring-sized watches. Jewelrymaker Kathryn Reid offers a range of animal snout finger rings. These gigantic, transparent horn-shaped speakers are by Ferguson Hill. A windshield for runners, to cut air resistance. These vintage lens-free road glasses. This guy prototyped a flying umbrella. A washing machine for human beings, from 1970. The Smartphone Face Shield provides in-bed emergency protection from phone-on-face drops.The see-through Securebook is a laptop designed for prisons. These bizarre snowflake-shaped charging port cleaning tools. This company specializes in infinity mirror signage. We explained what those Olympics shooting competitors wear on their faces. And seen in Germany, this Mystery-0-Mat vending machine that allegedly sells unclaimed packages.

2025 is here, and the automotive industry is on the brink of a transformative era, driven by rapid advancements in technology and a growing emphasis on sustainability. Manufacturers are pushing the boundaries of design and engineering, crafting vehicles that not only meet the demands of modern drivers but also anticipate the needs of the future.We have curated a collection of the top five automotive designs set to make waves in 2025. These vehicles stand out for their innovative features and groundbreaking aesthetics. These automobiles are sure to capture your imagination and provide a glimpse into the exciting possibilities that lie ahead.1. Twike 5Say hello to the Twike 5 a revolutionary pedal hybrid vehicle crafted for individuals who prioritize sustainability and eco-friendliness in their mode of transportation. Developed by the innovative automaker TWIKE GmbH, this vehicle represents a unique blend of cutting-edge technology and environmentally conscious design.The Twike 5 is a three-wheeled trike that features a single wheel at the front and two wheels at the rear, offering a distinctive and stable configuration. This design not only enhances aerodynamics but also provides a unique driving experience that combines the agility of a bicycle with the stability of a traditional vehicle.2. MOD Easy Electric Cruiser BikeCalled the MOD Easy Electric Cruiser Bike, this innovative electric bicycle beautifully combines retro aesthetics with contemporary functionality. This bike pays homage to the timeless allure of classic motorcycles while incorporating practical features that enhance the riding experience.Designed for individuals who appreciate both style and convenience, the MOD Easy Electric Cruiser Bike is perfect for those who seek a seamless journey from point A to point B. It invites riders to immerse themselves in the joy of the ride, capturing the essence of adventure and freedom.3. TWR SupercatDesigned by Tom Walkinshaw Racing, the TWR Supercat is a stunning and dynamic reinterpretation of the classic XJS. This model was unveiled to coincide with Jaguars strategic shift towards an all-electric future, marking a significant moment in the brands evolution. Drawing design inspiration from iconic racing models such as the XJR-15 and the XJ220, the TWR Supercat embodies the spirit of high-performance racing.Beneath its sleek carbon fiber bodywork lies a formidable supercharged 5.6L V12 engine, expertly tuned by the engineering maestros at TWR. This powerhouse delivers an impressive 660 horsepower and 730 Nm of torque, channeling all that energy to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.4. E-THUNDERNamed E-THUNDER, this electric bike is a high-performance two-wheeler designed to capture attention wherever it goes. The bike features an aggressive and sharp handlebar design, perfectly complemented by its large wheels, giving it a commanding presence on the road. This bold aesthetic extends to the frame, which supports a high saddle, evoking the sleek profile of a Stealth bomber aircraft.E-THUNDER is presented as a contemporary solution for both everyday commuting and rigorous lower-body workouts in hilly terrains. Its advanced suspension system and wide tires ensure a smooth and comfortable ride, even on steep inclines. The riders also have the flexibility to adjust the handlebar positioning, allowing for optimal comfort and control during their rides.5. Infinite Machine P1 Electric ScooterMeet the Infinite Machine P1 Electric Scooter a cutting-edge personal transport device inspired by the futuristic design of the Cybertruck. Conceptualized and developed by Eddie and Joseph Cohen, this e-scooter is blessed with a sleek and robust construction, combining anodized aluminum and steel for a durable and stylish finish.The Infinite Machine P1 is designed not only for performance but also for a seamless user experience. It comes equipped with Apple CarPlay integration, allowing riders to access turn-by-turn navigation directly from their scooters interface, ensuring they reach their destination with ease. Users can also enjoy their favorite playlists on the go, making each ride both practical and enjoyable.The post Top 5 Automotive Designs To Watch Out For In 2025 first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Opal Residencedesigned by Artpartner Architectsis downright luxurious. Sleek lines, luminous textures, and thoughtfully curated spaces bring the space to life. This residence is inspired by the iridescent beauty of its namesake gemstone. Every detail in this interior tells a story of refined living. We see sunlit open spaces and natural materials. So, this isnt just a residence, its an experience. Lets explore the allure of this architectural gemThe living room of the Opal Residence is where contemporary design and timeless elegance converge. Bathed in natural light streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows, this space is an ode to open and airy living. The expansive layout provides breathtaking views of the surrounding cityscape. This creates a seamless connection between the indoors and outdoors.The seating arrangement features neutral-hued bubble furniture. We love how the ribbed and sculptural forms add dynamism to the space. The design simply invites moments of quiet reflection.Anchoring the seating area are abstract, organic-shaped coffee tables made from marble. One is ivory, while the other is black, creating a beautiful contrast. A textured area rug ties the room together.Strategically placed floor lamps make sure theres ample artificial lighting when the suns down. And the massive potted plant picks up nature and adds it to the space (quite literally).The staircase is an architectural element in itself. The railing features reflective glassadding visual intrigue. The area underneath houses pebbles and a large statement stone. A great way to bring some more natural materials indoors (and give them the attention they deserve!).The kitchen in the Opal Residence features a massive ivory island. This is paired with four sleek bar stools, the metallic legs of which factor in luxury. The cabinetry is nice and sleek, while the dark marble backsplash adds a unique element. We also see wooden cabinetry with built-in appliances. On the other end of the kitchen island is a sleek, shiny sink and faucet as well as a small built-in minibar.The dining area in the Opal Residence is as grand as it gets! A large, round dining table takes center stage, with its marble top adding opulence. This is paired with curved ivory chairs and a round rug. Overhead, irregularly shaped pendant lights illuminate the space. We also see natural textures in the artwork adorning the wall. And, by the way, the city views from the large windows also double as art.This sleek corridor in the Opal Residence features dark, wooden accents. Wed like to call it the most luxe part of the home! A marble slab is built into the wall and houses a sleek vase. This is strategically highlighted with accent lighting. We also see a bench with curved seating as well as textured artworkboth are architectural elements that create a statement.If youre looking to relax, this nook of the Opal Residence is the perfect spot. A modern massage chair is placed next to a large window. So, you can enjoy beautiful outdoor views as you get in a much-needed massage. And, if youre looking to read your favorite book as you relax, theres wooden shelving nearby! This houses books, vases, candles, and an aromatherapy diffuser. Together, these decorative elements add dimension to the decor. The bookshelves are strategically illuminatedso the setup forms the focal point of the space.The workstation in the Opal Residence is futuristic. We see a chunky, sleek black table and ergonomic chair. The double monitor gives you optimal functionalityand the large window behind the setting is a great place to rest your eyes as you take a break from work!Last but definitely not the least is the bathroom. This features a fluted pedestal sink standing freely in front of an illuminated mirror. The organically shaped toilet also doubles as a decorative element!The shower cubicle in this bathroom features porcelain tiles for an understated vibe thats also luxurious. A special mention for the curved wooden towel holderwhich looks quite like a branch from a tree holding your towel.

We learn how Lippincott found a single thread in historic institution and made a hyphen into a bridge for opposing views.

Rock your inner jock with a pair of sturdy, sweatproof, and tangle-proof headphones. Here are our favorites.