The median annual cost of raising a child is $22,850 across all states, according to Smart Asset. If your kids have outgrown daycare, you might assume the overwhelmingly expensive parenting years are behind you. But even though you are no longer spending the equivalent of a mortgage payment on childcare every month, that doesnt mean youre off the hook for off-the-hook child-related expenses.Not only do you now have to pay for out-of-the-blue school costs (school photos, teacher appreciation gifts, and field tripsoh, my!), but your child will also need injections of cash for extracurricular activities, socializing, unexpected medical expenses, and to replace randomly broken or lost items.Your kids may be unexpected expense factories, but you can still be prepared. Heres what you can do to make sure unpredictable child-related costs dont destroy your finances.Define emergency vs. unpredictable vs. irregularAlthough we tend to lump all costs outside of our regular monthly budget as unexpected expenses, they are not all the same kind of surprise. Understanding the differences between emergency, unpredictable, and irregular childcare expenses can help you afford all three:Emergency expenses describe the crucial expenditures that you have no way of anticipating. For example, if your kid takes a softball to the noggin, necessitating a trip to urgent care, the out-of-network copay you need to cough up would be an emergency expense.Unpredictable expenses describe the non-crucial costs that you cant necessarily anticipate. These might include having to make a last-minute clothing purchase because the middle school expects everyone to wear orange for spirit day, or having to buy birthday gifts for the three party your kid scored for the same weekend.Irregular expenses may not happen on a monthly basis, but you can predict them and plan accordingly. Camp costs, back-to-school shopping, and holiday spending are all irregular costs that can be easy to forget about, which means they feel like an unexpected expense when they do crop up.Pay yourself for daycarePart of what makes the school age expenses so tough is how hard they are to anticipate. Many of these expenses fall into the emergency or unpredictable categories. For example, theres really no way to know ahead of time that your childs adorable smile will need $4,000 worth of orthodontia. And unlike daycare, which was a regular expense that you could plan ahead for, most of the school-age kid costs feel like budget-busting surprises.But you can also use the overwhelming cost of daycare to your advantage. Instead of simply breathing a sigh of relief when youre finally out from under the monthly burden of daycare costs once your kids start kindergarten, keep paying for daycare by sending that money to a savings account earmarked for kid costs.Since you are already accustomed to working around that big expense, you wont miss the money you set aside. And even if you halve the amount you were paying to the care provider or only make a few months worth of daycare payments to your savings account, you will still be ahead of the curve when the first unpredictable or emergency cost hits.Plan ahead for irregular expensesWhile emergency and unpredictable expenses are, by their nature, unanticipated, they can feel like less of a rude awakening if you plan ahead for the irregular expenses. Be prepared by creating targeted savings for your regular irregulars.In other words, figure out how much you expect to spend on things like camp or sports fees, and divide the total by the number of months between each expense. Then set aside that monthly amount into a savings account, so youll have the full amount you need in the account when the irregular expense comes due.Get buy-in from your kidsMany of the unexpected costs of raising kids truly are optional, although it may not feel that way when your tween is moaning that they NEED to match their best friend for twin day at school and you HAVE to take them to Target to get the right outfit.For the expenses that arent crucial to your childs health, education, or ability to reach adulthood with a minimum of neuroses, ask older kids to help contribute from their allowance, birthday money, or other sources of ready cash. You could ask your kids to cover the full cost or only pay for half or a portion of these kinds of expenses. Some examples of where you can request buy-in include:Birthday presents for friendsExtracurricular activitiesReplacements for lost or destroyed itemsOptional field tripsWhile asking for this kind of buy-in doesnt necessarily improve your budget (where does their allowance come from, after all?), it does help reduce the chances of you paying for ice hockey gear that collects dust in the garage after your kid quits within two weeks.Its a good thing theyre so cuteKids are expensive! And just when you think the costs are going down, another unexpected expense blasts a giant hole in your wallet.To be better prepared for the financial onslaught, start by determining which kid-related expenses are emergency costs, which are unpredictable, and which are just irregular. With those distinctions in mind, you can set up targeted savings to prepare for your known irregular expenses, while stashing the equivalent of your monthly daycare expenses to pay for the unpredictable and emergency expenses.Finally, asking your kids to contribute to the optional expenses could help your budget and will definitely help them value these purchases more. (It also increases the likelihood of being called the meanest parent ever, which is, of course, just one of the many unavoidable occupational hazards of being a mom or a dad.)

Apple gives every iCloud user 5GB of free storage space. This storage space can be used for anythingfrom backing up your iPhone online to saving documents in the cloud to syncing photos across devices. If you need more space, you can upgrade to iCloud+ to get anywhere from 50GB of storage for just 99 cents a month to 12TB for $59.99.However, many iCloud users on the lower end of the storage spectrum find they are living dangerously close to the edge. They may only have a few gigabytes or less left in iCloud, and once that space goes, so does their ability to back up any more data.These users may also simply not realize whats taking up so much of their iCloud storage. Here are the three biggest culpritsand how to deal with them.Message attachmentsIf you use Apples iMessage (those blue bubbles) you likely have what is called Messages in iCloud enabled. This allows all your iMessages to sync across various devices. Most of us would assume that an iMessage doesnt take up that much space. After all, its just a text message. However, iMessage allows you to send photos and videos as attachments. Since iMessages can be stored forever in your iCloud account, these attached media can fill up your storage over months and years.Thankfully, you dont have to delete all your iMessages to reclaim this space. Apple allows you to delete just the attachments in a message if you wish. Heres how (but first, remember to back up and save any attachments you want to keep before deleting them from Messages in the Cloud):Open up the Messages app on your iPhone.Tap the conversation that contains the media you want to delete.Tap the contacts name at the top of the conversation thread.In the pop-up screen, tap the section that says Photos (this will include video attachments, too).Tap the Select button.Now tap on every photo and video that you want to delete.Tap the Delete button.Tap the red Delete confirmation button.Attachments sent via iMessage can be up to 100MB in size each. This means that just 10 relatively short videos sent via iMessage could take up as much as 1GB of your iCloud storage. To reclaim this space, get rid of the ones you dont want anymore.Videos in the Photos appiPhones make it incredibly easy to shoot video of anything we want, at any time. This often causes us to shoot multiple clips of the same thing, or generally just record more than is necessary.These videos are saved in the Photos app. And if you are an iCloud user, you probably have iCloud Photos enabled, which automatically uploads your media in the Photos app to your iCloud account, so they can be safely stored online and synced among devices.But unlike with Messages in the Cloud, videos stored in iCloud Photos arent limited to 100MB in size. They often take up gigabytes, especially if you choose to record them in 4K. (And 1080p videos arent much better. Just one 4-minute and 41-second video I shot in 1080p takes up 500MBhalf a gigabytein my iCloud Photos.)If you have one of the lower iCloud storage tiers, like the 50GB plan, just a few dozen videos could use up all your space. Thats why its best to review all your videos in the Photos app from time to time and delete any you dont need anymore (but, again, first, always back up any you do want to keep before deleting them from the Photos app and thus iCloud Photos). Heres how:Open the Photos app on your iPhone.Scroll down and, under the Media Types header, tap Videos. You can tap on any individual video thumbnail and then swipe up on the video itself to reveal its file size. The longer the video, the larger its file size will be.From the video thumbnails screen, tap the Select button.Tap on each video you want to delete.Tap the trash can icon.Tap the red Delete Videos confirmation button.Deleted videos will be moved to the Recently Deleted album, which you can empty right away or wait 40 days, at which point the deleted videos will be removed automatically. Once they are removed, youll reclaim precious iCloud storage space.Old, unnecessary emailsiCloud has existed for more than 13 years now. One of its biggest components is email. If you have an iCloud account, you have an @iCloud.com email address, which might be the main one you use. If thats the case, and youve been using your iCloud email for years and years, it could easily be hogging a ton of your iCloud storage space because iCloud emails and their attachments count against your storage allotment.It is always wise to keep backups of any critical emails and their attachments, and you should always do so before deleting any from the Mail app. However, many old emails are useless. So, if you dont need these emails anymore, why not delete them and reclaim some precious iCloud storage space? Heres how:Open the Mail app on your iPhone.In every folder you have (Inbox and Sent are good folders to start with), review your emails.If you find an email you no longer want, tap the trash can icon at the bottom of the message. It will be moved to the Trash folder.After deleting emails, tap on the Trash folder.To empty the trash and reclaim your storage space, tap the Select button and then the Select All button.Now tap the Delete button.Tap Delete All.Your deleted emails will not be permanently destroyed and removed from your iCloud storage.

Since the iPhone 16 hit the market a few days ago, Apple enthusiasts have been eager to experience its cutting-edge technology and innovative features. To truly enhance your interaction with this latest smartphone marvel, the right accessories can make all the difference. These additions not only boost functionality and protection but also elevate the devices aesthetic appeal. With this in mind, weve curated a selection of exceptional accessories tailored for your iPhone 16.This includes state-of-the-art protective cases that safeguard your device from everyday wear and tear, as well as advanced charging solutions designed to maximize efficiency and convenience. Each accessory is crafted to enhance your smartphones performance while adding an element of sophistication and style.1. CASETiFY Ultra Bounce CaseThe Ultra Bounce case for the iPhone 16, crafted by the renowned accessory brand CASETiFY, is the latest addition to their acclaimed Bounce series. This case is engineered to offer superior protection, as its name suggests, by incorporating advanced shock-absorbing features. Designed with durability and sustainability in mind, the Ultra Bounce case is MagSafe-compatible, ensuring seamless integration with Apples magnetic accessories.Constructed from a blend of recycled phone cases and eco-friendly plant-based materials, this case not only provides robust protection but also aligns with environmentally conscious values. Its innovative design includes raised edges around the camera lens, delivering enhanced shock absorption to protect your device from impact, particularly if it falls camera-side down.2. iPhone Retro CaseDubbed the iPhone Retro Case this unique accessory transforms your state-of-the-art smartphone into a nostalgic tribute to vintage technology. This two-part case envelops your device, giving it the look of an old-fashioned CRT monitor while still maintaining the functionality of the main camera and dynamic island features.Retron Print also designed a custom home screen complete with classic icons and widgets, allowing your phone to fully embrace its throwback transformation. While some might prefer a Macintosh-inspired theme, this particular case amusingly adopts a Windows motif, complete with a non-functional Clippy icon on the screen.3. Astropad BookcaseThe Astropad Bookcase is a unique accessory designed to provide handles on the sides of your phone, all without the need for a traditional protective case. This innovative MagSafe-compatible accessory allows you to securely attach your phone to the center of its tray-like design, offering a stable grip thats perfect for reading or browsing. Once youre finished, simply detach your phone, store the Bookcase, and continue with your day.Crafted from lightweight polycarbonate, the Bookcase ensures that it adds minimal bulk to your smartphone, maintaining the devices sleek profile. To enhance its aesthetic appeal, the accessory features accents of vegan leather, infusing a touch of style and elegance into its design. The Astropad Bookcase is ideal for those seeking convenience and sophistication in their mobile experience.4. Lyden Duo SeriesThe Lyden Duo Series (Lyden DS) iPhone 16 case elevates smartphone protection by prioritizing both functionality and sophisticated design. Engineered with practicality and user experience as its guiding principles, this case is an ideal choice for individuals looking to personalize their device while enhancing its usability.This unique case provides dependable protection, and it serves as an indispensable accessory for everyday use, seamlessly blending style with essential features. If youre looking for a handy case for your iPhone 16, then the Lyden DS Case is definitely a good bet for you.5. ClicksSay hello to Clicks a physical keyboard for iPhones! This is one of the best attempts to bring back the tactile typing experience we all crave. It isnt some old relic from the past but is a modern accessory that offers the best of what physical keyboards have to offer, while seamlessly merging with todays tech.You can attach Clicks to the bottom of an iPhone, providing a full QWERTY layout while leaving most of the screen visible. This ensures you dont lose half the display to a virtual keyboard, and the creators were able to balance the tactile feels of the buttons with the need for backlighting.6. GameBabyCalled the GameBaby this unique cover is crafted specifically for the iPhone 15 and 16 Pro Max by Bitmo Lab. This innovative accessory transforms your smartphone into a handheld gaming device reminiscent of the iconic Game Boy, providing a delightful blend of nostalgia and modern functionality.The GameBaby features a practical two-piece design. The upper section serves as a standard protective case for your iPhone, ensuring your device remains safe from everyday wear and tear. The lower section, however, is where the magic happens. It boasts physical buttons inspired by classic handheld gaming consoles, delivering a tactile gaming experience.7. VND (2-7 Stop) QuickLock FilterEnhance your smartphone photography with the Moment Mobile VND (27 Stop) QuickLock Filter, designed for the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. This accessory provides you with professional-level exposure control, right at your fingertips. It is crafted with premium Schott B270 Pro Cinema Glass, this filter ensures your photos are crisp and distortion-free from edge to edge.It eliminates color fringing and cross-polarization, maintaining the integrity of your images. The filter features aerospace-grade metal rings that are precision-machined, offering exceptional durability and longevity, making it a must-have for those who enjoy clicking pictures and videos on their smartphones.8. SANDMARC Prolight Mini iPhone Camera Light SeriesThe SANDMARC Prolight Mini iPhone camera light series offers exceptional lighting solutions for your iPhone photography needs. Available in two modelsthe Prolight Mini B-Color and the Prolight Mini RGBthese lights are designed to deliver robust illumination and long-lasting battery performance.Despite their powerful capabilities, both models are compact and portable, with dimensions of approximately 2 inches in length, 3.3 inches in width, and 0.4 inches in height, making them easy to slip into your pocket for on-the-go use. The Prolight Mini B-Color provides a versatile range of warm to cool temperature tones.9. Golden Concept Capsule 16 CaseElevate your phones aesthetic with the Golden Concept Capsule 16 stainless steel iPhone 16 case, a blend of luxury and durability. Meticulously crafted from stainless steel and TPC carbon, this case offers aerospace-grade performance and resilience. It is constructed from high-strength stainless steel and TPC carbon composite.This provides the case with exceptional durability and protection for your device. This handmade case features a meticulously detailed design, embodying luxury in every aspect. It is presented in a handcrafted wooden box, with a leather-lined interior that highlights the superior craftsmanship and attention to detail.10. ESR iPhone 16 Classic Hybrid CaseThe new ESR iPhone 16 Classic Hybrid Case with Stash Stand, along with its counterparts, is specifically designed for the iPhone 16. Dubbed Classic due to its transparent back, this case allows the original color and style of the iPhone 16 to be prominently displayed. You can choose colored edges that complement the iPhones natural hue for a cohesive look.It features a back thickness of just 1.6mm and maintains the slim, sleek profile of your stylish iPhone 16 without adding unnecessary bulk. The case has an overall thickness of only 14.2mm and weighs just 42g (1.7oz), ensuring that your device remains lightweight and easy to handle.The post Top 10 Accessories To Elevate Your iPhone 16 Experience first appeared on Yanko Design.

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Fossil fuel pollution is impacting the most vulnerable among us: children. Their futureand healthare at stake.

The ritual of giving up animal products for a month leads participants to see both meat and themselves in a different way, and could have lasting effects on peoples diets.

In case you haven't checked outArchinect's Pinterestboards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various ArchinectFirmandPeopleprofiles.Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the boardHouses.Tip:Use the handyFOLLOW featureto easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles. Villa M in Mies,Switzerland byLeopold Banchini Architects; Photo:Rory Gardiner Amorph Living Sculpture inSalzburg, Austria byLechner & Lechner Architects; Timber Construction: HOLZFORM Holzbau GmbH; Photo:Julian HockZhongtian Jing Yue Qing Lan "Multicolor Villa" inHangzhou, China byline+; Photo:Zhang DengxingFlynn Mews Housein Dublin, Ireland byLorcan O'Herlihy Architects [LOHA]; Photo:Enda Cavanagh, Alice Clancy MRIIA HOUSE inUkraine byMAKHNO Studio Five Cove Island in Nova Scotia, Canada byRHAD Architects SkyBase One inCarvoeiro, Portugal byBespoke Architects; Photo:Joo Morgado Winnip...

Designing GUI agents that perform human-like tasks on graphical user interfaces faces a critical obstacle: collecting high-quality trajectory data for training. Existing methods depend on expensive and time-consuming human supervision or on generating synthetic data, which can hardly reflect the diversity and dynamics in the real world. Those constraints significantly limit the GUI agents scalability and effectiveness and prevent them from acting autonomously and adapting to diverse and dynamic environments.Traditional data acquisition for GUI agents is generally based on task-oriented methods. Human annotation is a labor-intensive process that involves designing tasks and annotating trajectories. Although synthetic data reduces the dependency on humans, it depends on pre-defined high-level tasks, which limit the scope and scale of the data. The presence of errors in the intermediate steps or conflicting objectives in the task results in incoherent trajectories and thus decreases the quality of the training data. As mentioned above, these restrictions limit the generalization abilities of agents to work effectively in dynamic or unfamiliar environments.Researchers from Shanghai AI Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Johns Hopkins University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the University of Oxford, and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology propose OS-Genesis, a groundbreaking strategy to address these challenges through interaction-driven reverse task synthesis. Unlike predetermined tasks, the exploratory mode of GUI agents involves interaction through clicks, scrolling, and typing over GUI elements for environments. In a retrospective analysis, these interactions are transformed into low-level instructions and contextualized as high-level tasks. It maintains data quality through a TRM, by scoring synthesized trajectories along dimensions of coherence, logical flow, and completeness. Even partial but meaningful data can be trained in such an approach. By bridging the gap between abstract instructions and the dynamic nature of GUIs, this framework significantly enhances the quality and diversity of training data while eliminating the need for human supervision.The OS-Genesis process consists of several integral components. First, the system autonomously explores dynamic GUI elements, recording transitions between pre- and post-action states to collect foundational data for task synthesis. These transitions are then transformed into detailed low-level instructions with the help of models like GPT-4o. Those instructions are incorporated into comprehensive high-level objectives related to the overall intention of the users, thereby attaining semantic depth. The synthesized pathways then undergo evaluation via the Trajectory Reward Model which uses a stratified scoring framework that focuses more on aspects of logical coherence as well as effective task completion. This ensures the diversity and high quality of data, thus providing a strong basis for training.Extensive experiments were conducted using benchmarks like AndroidWorld and WebArena, which mimic complex and dynamic environments. Vision-language models, namely Qwen2-VL and InternVL2, were used as the base frameworks for the training process. The training focused on improving both sophisticated task planning and precise low-level action execution to enable deep skill learning for GUI agents.OS-Genesis was successfully validated on a variety of benchmarks. On AndroidWorld, success rates nearly doubled those of task-driven methods regarding the ability to improve task planning and execution. On AndroidControl, the method performed very well at the high level of autonomous planning but also at the low level of step-by-step execution, including out-of-distribution examples; this shows robustness. On WebArena, the approach outperformed traditional baselines consistently, thereby gaining ground in handling complex and interactive environments. In summary, these results demonstrate the ability of OS-Genesis to generate high-quality trajectories of all sorts, thereby greatly improving the overall effectiveness of GUI agents in general situations.OS-Genesis is a revolutionary step in the training of GUI agents, as it overcomes the limitations of current data collection methods. Its interaction-driven methodology and reward-based evaluation ensure high-quality and diverse training data that bridge the gap between abstract task instructions and dynamic GUI environments. This approach opens the way for significant progress in digital automation and AI research by enabling GUI agents to learn and adapt autonomously.Check out the Paper, GitHub and Project Page. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also,dont forget to follow us onTwitter and join ourTelegram Channel andLinkedIn Group. Dont Forget to join our60k+ ML SubReddit. Aswin Ak+ postsAswin AK is a consulting intern at MarkTechPost. He is pursuing his Dual Degree at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. He is passionate about data science and machine learning, bringing a strong academic background and hands-on experience in solving real-life cross-domain challenges. Follow us on X (Twitter) to get regular AI Research and Dev Updates here...

Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost.Request your EXTENDED TRIALtoday and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.Ubiquiti has launched its latest Enterprise Wi-Fi 7 lineup, a series of advanced access points designed to deliver unparalleled wireless performance for enterprise environments. Featuring tri-radio Wi-Fi 7 support, these access points aim to simplify high-density connectivity.About Apple @ Work:Bradley Chambers managed an enterprise IT network from 2009 to 2021. Through his experience deploying and managing firewalls, switches, a mobile device management system, enterprise grade Wi-Fi, 1000s of Macs, and 1000s of iPads, Bradley will highlight ways in which Apple IT managers deploy Apple devices, build networks to support them, train users, stories from the trenches of IT management, and ways Apple could improve its products for IT departments.A closer look at the lineup:Enterprise 7: This product provides up to 2,000 ft coverage with 10-stream Wi-Fi 7 capabilities, supporting over 1,000 devices for demanding networks.Enterprise 7 Campus: Rugged with an IP67 rating and PRISM RF filtering for interference-heavy environments, it is ideal for campuses or outdoor use.Enterprise 7 Audience: Aimed at high-density locations like sports stadiums and large, it features 12 spatial streams, customizable beam widths, and IP68 durability for up to 1,500 connected devices. Key reminder here is that water attenuates RF signals while people are made up of a lot of water.Key features:6 GHz Extended Range Mode: Expands performance across large areas while ensuring reliability.10 GbE PoE++ Uplink: Guarantees high-speed connectivity and redundancy with an additional GbE port.Spectral Scanning and RF Filtering: Reduces interference, optimizing network performance.These devices promise seamless integration for businesses needing high reliability and robust performance.Apples iPhone 16 series currently supports Wi-Fi 7, taking advantage of the technologys improved speeds and reduced latency. However, the newest Macs with M4 chips, such as the MacBook Pro and iMac, remain on WiFi 6E. One thing to remember about the iPhone 16 implementation is that the maximum channel bandwidth is 160MHz, rather than the full 320MHz that Wi-Fi 7 can support. This difference highlights Wi-Fi 7s early adoption stage, as infrastructure and practical benefits for most users are still developing, and technology is built around it.9to5Macs TakeWiFi 7 is still in its early days, but its promising to be the next big leap in wireless technology. Ubiquitis new lineup of enterprise access points is perfect for environments that demand reliability and performance, like stadiums and large campuses. On the Apple side, its interesting to see Wi-Fi 7 on the iPhone 16 this soon but not yet on Macs. The slower rollout for Mac may suggest Apple is waiting for broader adoption or more tangible benefits for desktop users. As Wi-Fi 7 routers become mainstream, well likely see its impact grow across Apples lineup, but personally, I would have preferred to see it on the Mac this year.The E7 is now available, and the other models will be available in the coming months. You can buy them from the Ubiquiti store.Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost.Request your EXTENDED TRIALtoday and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel