Afaik, the A* algorithm was actially invented for motion planning of a robot. Initally, the researchers probably used a representation of the room made by hand, modeling walls and tables with boxes.But now we can ofc. use computer vision to create / update the environment model in realtime. A Kniect sensor would be useful here, which allows to capture depth and voxelizing the scene as the robot sees it.The voxelixation will be imperfect, with some missing or outdated

We may earn a commission from links on this page.Unexpectedly, one-time critical punching bag Pamela Anderson is garnering rave reviews for her performance in Gia Coppola's The Last Showgirl (opening in theaters this weekend). She plays a veteran Las Vegas entertainer who suddenly finds herself out of a job, as her once-popular revue became tired and outdated without her even noticing. She's forced to look ahead to an uncertain future in a city unlike any other.Our collective visions of Las Vegas vary wildly: It's a place for adventure in the sun, where anything goes; a city of infinite possibilities. It's also home to sleazy degeneracy; a city that never escaped its origins as a side-hustle for east coast mobsters. It's simultaneously Disneyland for adults and a desert metropolis where sin goes unchallenged, if not necessarily unpunished. The real Las Vegas (which happens to be my hometown) is another thing entirely, but strict adherence to dull reality isn't the business of the movies. Frank Sinatra made his film debut in 1941's Las Vegas Nights, celebrating the city even as it was only just rising up out of the desert. Here are 15 more movies that have helped shape our notions of what goes on in the city of sin.Ocean's 11 (1960) Essentially an excuse for the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop) to hang out and make a movie together, the film finds Danny Ocean and Jimmy Foster (Sinatra and Lawford) plotting to recruit some of their old comrades-in-arms to rob, simultaneously, five different Las Vegas casinos. As a heist drama it's just OK, but as a record of a long-gone era, you can't do much better. Not only are we talking peak Pack, but the movie (filmed on location, largely after the actors were done with their club gigs) also records a lost Vegas: Of the five major casinos that the group rob, only two survive undemolished. You can rent Oceans's 11 from Prime Video. Ocean's 11 at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Over the Top (1987) Menahem Golan, the man behind some of the finest cinematic cheese of the 1980s (The Apple, Masters of the Universe, Superman IV, Breakin' and Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo) produced and directed this sports drama that takes itself very seriously, while also being about arm wrestling. Sylvester Stallone plays Lincoln Hawk, a long-haul trucker looking to win back the affections of his estranged son while training for the World Armwrestling Championship (a real thing, I'm told) in Las Vegas. Not much of the movie was actually filmed there, but we come to a Menahem Golan movie not for verisimilitude, but for the goofy good time that results when you apply all the beloved '80s action/sports film tropes to a movie about armwrestling. You can stream Over the Top on Tubi and Pluto TV or buy it from Prime Video. Over the Top (1987) at Tubi Learn More Learn More at Tubi Showgirls (1995) One of the best, most misunderstood "bad" movies ever. Las Vegas is a city of dreams and nightmares in Paul Verhoeven's wild erotic satire (at least: I think it's satire) in this Vegas-set spin on All About Eve. Elizabeth Berkley stars as Nomi Malone, a small-town gal who dreams of becoming a Las Vegas showgirl, hitchhiking to sin city only to find herself pole-dancing in less reputable establishments than she's imagined. As she works her way toward her goals, the drama escalates to uncomfortable, but also fully camp, proportions. You can stream Showgirls on Tubi and Pluto TV. Showgirls (1995) at Tubi Learn More Learn More at Tubi Viva Las Vegas (1964) One of cinema's great meet-cutes occurs when swimming instructor Rusty Martin (Ann-Margaret) throws Lucky Jackson (Elvis Presley) into a pool while he's in the middle of trying to raise money to buy a new engine for his car. His dream, you see, is to compete in Las Vegas' inaugural Grand Prix race. I'm not the world's biggest Elvis fan, but the chemistry between the two leads is electricPresley never had a better love interest/foil. A classic scene involves the Folies Bergere at the Tropicana Hotel, the longest-running show in the city's history (it lasted until 2009), and the climax takes place at the Little Church of the West, the city's famous wedding chapel that also happens to be the oldest surviving building on the Strip. You can stream Viva Las Vegas on Hoopla or rent it from Prime Video. Viva Las Vegas (1964) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Indecent Proposal (1993) With the Demi Moore renaissance fully upon us (see The Substance, unless you're squeamish), it's high time to revisit the triumphs of her classic era. Though this is definitely not one of those. It is, however, a charmingly goofy erotic thriller from the master of the form, director Adrian Lyne, and one that feels like it couldn't have been set anywhere other than the sleaziest corners of Vegas. It stars Moore and Woody Harrelson as a down-on-their luck couple who are handed the titular proposal: A slick businessman (Robert Redford) offers them $1 million to buy a night of passion with Demi, an idea that was extremely scandalous back in 1993 (I'd call it a no-brainer, but maybe that's just me). It's all fairly sexist, and none of it makes a whole lot of sense, but it was one of the highest-grossing movies of its year, and had everybody talking. You can stream Indecent Proposal on Paramount+, or rent it from Prime Video. Indecent Proposal (1993) at Paramount+ Learn More Learn More at Paramount+ Diamonds Are Forever (1971) Given Bond's penchant for gambling, it's almost surprising it took him so long to make it to Las Vegasperhaps the neon and kitsch don't fit with Bond's whole aesthetic as well as the comparatively cool casinos of, say, Monte Carlo. This one saw Sean Connery return to the role for the almost-last time (depending on whether you count the semi-unofficial installment Never Say Never Again) in order to take revenge on arch-nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld for the murder of his wife in the last one (in which both hero and villain were played by different actors). Bond impersonates a diamond smuggler as part of a scheme that lands him in several different casinos, including the Las Vegas Hilton, doubling for a fictional gambling den called the Whyte House. You can rent Diamonds Are Forever from Prime Video. Diamonds Are Forever (1971) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) While Bond (James Bond) feels like an awkward fit in sunny, kitschy Vegas, Austin Powers (Mike Meyers) slots right in. Much of the movie's Sin City sequences were filmed at the now-demolished Riviera. You can rent Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery from Prime Video. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Hangover (2009) A triumph of the weekend-gone-bad genre, The Hangover stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis as three friends who take their soon-to-be-married pal Doug (Justin Bartha) on a trip to Vegas with the goal of finding some hijinks at Caesars Palace, starting with a few shots on the roof. The next morning, they all awaken with no memory of what happened the night before. The clues aren't subtle: a missing tooth, a tiger in the bathroom, a baby in the closet, and a mattress impaled outside. Heather Graham joins the trio as Jade, the escort who helps them reconstruct their lost night. You can stream The Hangover on Max or rent it from Prime Video. The Hangover (2009) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Army of the Dead (2021) My favorite Zach Snyder movie (which, OK, isn't saying a ton) is set in a near-future in which Las Vegas has been overrun by zombies and sealed off from the rest of the world. The government is planning a nuclear strike, intending to blow the city off the map and be done with it, but a former casino owner has a plan in the meantime: he's hired a bunch of mercenaries led by Dave Bautista to sneak into the abandoned (except by zombies) city and come out with $200 million left behind in a vault. A zombie heist action movie is pretty unbeatable as a premise, and the resulting movie is a lot of fun. You can stream Army of the Dead on Netflix. Army of the Dead (2021) at Netflix Learn More Learn More at Netflix Ocean's Eleven (2001) Though it's hard to compete with the original for its breezy Rat Pack swagger, the Steven Soderbergh-directed spin on this concept is the extremely rare remake that outdoes the original in almost every other regard. Where the 1960 version was mostly an excuse for Sinatra and company to make a few extra bucks while already working in Vegas, here we have a superior heist film with an A-list ensemble (George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy Garca, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Casey Affleck, Don Cheadle, Scott Caan, Elliott Gould, Bernie Mac, and Carl Reiner). Danny Ocean and Rusty Ryan (Clooney and Pitt) assemble a team to rob three casinos simultaneously: the Bellagio, the Mirage (closed in 2024), and the MGM Grand. It's as fun as it is smart, and endlessly rewatchable. You can rent Ocean's Eleven from Prime Video. Ocean's Eleven (2001) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Bugsy (1991) Las Vegas has never been particularly enamored of its own history, as made clear by the excitement that typically attends the implosions of outmoded casinos and hotels, no matter how venerable. But here we have a movie that tells the (heavily embroidered) story of the birth of Sin City through the lens of the life of gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (Warren Beatty), who moved west with other mobsters in the 1930s looking for new opportunities and less interference from law enforcement. Abandoning Hollywood for an obscure patch of desert, Siegel became key in the development of the Flamingo, his prescient dream of a Vegas yet to come becoming so passionate that it ultimately gets him killed. Beatty's real-life future wife Annette Bening plays his mistress and confidante Virginia Hill. You can stream Bugsy on MGM+ or rent it from Prime Video. Bugsy (1991) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Casino (1995) Marin Scorsese takes on a bit of real-life Las Vegas history here as well, moving the timeline forward to the 1970s. Names have been changed, but the film chronicles the dying days of the city's mob-run heydey, beginning with the arrival of low-level gangster Ace Rothstein (played by Robert De Niro, and based on the real Lefty Rosenthal) and his takeover of operations at the Tangiers casino (which you may know better as the Stardust). Sam's job becomes increasingly precarious over his tenure, in no small part thanks to his temperamental enforcer (Joe Pesci) and his hustler ex (Sharon Stone). Before it's all over, we'll witness the beginnings of the slightly more respectable corporate-run Vegas of today. You can stream Casino on Starz or rent it from Prime Video. Casino (1995) at Prime Video Get Deal Get Deal at Prime Video Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) Based on Hunter S. Thompson's stream-of-consciousness gonzo-journalism narrative, Fear And Loathing sends Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp, honing the whacked-out cinematic persona that would become his signature) and Dr. Gonzo (Benicio del Toro) to the titular city to cover first the Mint 400 desert motorcycle race, and then a district attorney convention. Both the real and a hallucinated Vegas provide a backdrop to all their drug-fueled shenanigans. Your enjoyment of the film will vary depending on your tolerance for psychedelic weirdness in place of a plot, but director Terry Gilliam certainly sells the visualsand it's not like nobody's ever experienced Vegas while as high as Duke and Gonzo. You can rent Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas from Prime Video. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Leaving Las Vegas (1995) No movie captures the grim side of the vision of Las Vegas quite like Mike Figgis' acclaimed but notoriously downbeat drama. "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" is a slogan used to imply uninhibited fun, but it also suggests something darker: a liminal space where nothing (and no one) matters. Nicholas Cage gives a phenomenal performance as Ben, an alcoholic screenwriter with nothing left to lose, whose only remaining life goal is to drink himself to death in Sin City. On that journey he connects with Sera (Elisabeth Shue), a sex worker whose prospects aren't much better. Though not a feel-good movie by any means, the essential decentness of these two characters, whatever their circumstances, makes it hard to look away. You can stream Leaving Las Vegas on Max or rent it from Prime Video. Leaving Las Vegas (1995) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Go (1999) By far the best of the post-Pulp Fiction Tarantino imitators of the late 90s, Go features an impressive cast (Taye Diggs, Sarah Polley, Jane Krakowski, Timothy Olyphant, etc.) and a clever, tricky script, telling the overlapping stories of a holiday drug deal gone wrong. Only one of the narratives really centers around the city in question, but it's a doozy: Simon (Desmond Askew) crashes a wedding, sleeps with two of the bridesmaids, sets a hotel room on fire, and shoots a strip club bouncer. Ya know: a typical night in Vegas. You can rent Go from Prime Video. Go (1999) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video

Cleaning is a task that is best done in short bursts, but even if you're sticking to a schedule and only working for short amounts of time, you still need some structure to determine what to focus on. Enter the 5x5 method, which has recently been picking up steam on social media. It offers a way to structure your cleaning sessions while keeping them quick, reducing the likelihood you end up overwhelmed or burned out. What is the 5x5 cleaning method?Think of it a little like the Pomodoro productivity technique: You'll need a timer, which you'll set in five-minute increments, and a list of five zones in your home that need some attention. You'll work on each zone for five minutes before moving to the next one. As with the Pomodoro technique, you shouldn't keep going on a particular zone once the timer goes off. This approach is gaining popularity online, where CleanTokkers are celebrating it for keeping their cleaning routines simple and helping them make small impacts that add up to bigger ones over time. What to keep in mind with the 5x5 cleaning methodI'm a well-documented fan of cleaning in 15-minute bursts to cut down on strain and feelings of being overwhelmed, so the 5x5 approach, with its 25 dedicated minutes of cleaning, is a little outside what I tend to recommend. Because the chunks of time devoted to each zone are so small, however, it doesn't end up feeling that overwhelming at all. You have two options when you set out to do this: You can choose five standard zones to address every day, or devote each day to whichever five unique zones are in the most serious need of some attention. The goal here is to pick small, workable spaces, not entire rooms, which differentiates the technique from other zone-based cleaning approaches like the FlyLady method. Instead of attempting to devote five minutes to "the bathroom," for instance,break the bathroom down into five smaller zones: the medicine cabinet, bathtub, toilet, etc. Play around with the approach for a few weeks to determine what works for you. For me, personally, this kind of routine usually involves zones that are pretty disparate. Spending 25 straight minutes in the bathroom would sap my motivation, but giving five minutes to the kitchen sink, then the shower, then the dining room table keeps me engaged and in the zone. It's also important not to go over the allotted time, to the best of your ability. No, you shouldn't drop your vacuum in the middle of the room if you haven't finished the whole floor when the timer rings, but ideally, after doing this for a while, you'll get the hang of figuring out what can and can't be done in five minutes, so you don't end up in that position. Sticking within the five-minute window will make you focus, work harder, and be more decisive, knowing your alarm is about to go off. There are, of course, bigger tasks that can't be done during five-minute bursts, so 5x5 may not work as an everyday approach for you. When mapping out your cleaning schedule for a given week, consider making three or four days a 5x5 day and setting aside a certain day or two for the bigger projects. Overall, what you want here is to build the habit of always maintaining your space, not letting messes pile up until they're overwhelming. Five minutes might not seem like a lot of time (because it isn't!) but a daily commitment to it will result, eventually, in a much cleaner home.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.These days, you don't need to be a spy to have tracking devices. If you're an Apple user, AirTags use Find My to track anything that you can put these devices on. Right now, Amazon has the four-pack for $69.99 (originally $99), matching its record-low price according to price-tracking tools. If four is too many, you can also get a single AirTag on sale for $22.99 (originally $29). Keep track of and find your items alongside friends and devices in the Find My app Apple AirTag $22.99 at Amazon $29.00 Save $6.01 Get Deal Get Deal $22.99 at Amazon $29.00 Save $6.01 Keep track of and find your items alongside friends and devices in the Find My app Apple AirTag 4 pack $69.99 at Amazon $99.00 Save $29.01 Get Deal Get Deal $69.99 at Amazon $99.00 Save $29.01 SEE -1 MORE AirTags are useful gadgets, and their usefulness extends to your creativity. They are mostly marketed for purses, keys, and travel bags, but there are examples of people using them much more creatively (someone on this Reddit post used it on their dog collar and trained it to come back whenever they pressed the "play sound" feature). It works with Apple's network of iOS devices to create a Bluetooth tracker. Essentially, every person with an iPhone (or iPad) is part of this iOS network, and as long as one of these people gets within Bluetooth range of your AirTag, it will show up as the last location on your Find My app.As you can see on PCMag's "excellent" review of the AirTag, the Find My app has a screen that points you in the direction of your AirTag like a compass, including the distance away it is from you. There is also an option to play a soundwhich is perfect for locating, say, a remote that's buried under the couch. Once the AirTag is more than 30 feet from your phone, the network of iOS users will kick in. When the AirTag is closer than 30 feet, it uses your own Bluetooth. There are security measures in place set by Apple, including end-to-end encryption, so that nobody (not even Apple), knows where your AirTag is except for you. The batteries last about a year and are replaceable. There is also no monthly charge for these, unlike competitors like Tile or Chipolo for Android users.

The first full moon of 2025 is upon us. According to NASA, the full moon will reach its peak on Monday, January 13, but it will appear full from Sunday until Wednesday. The Old Farmers Almanac took inspiration from European settlers to come up with the nickname wolf moon. These immigrants heard the nightly cries of wolves as they hunted for food in the harsh winter conditions, hence the nickname.The moon is not the only marvel in the night sky this week. Four planets will also put on a show in what is being dubbed a planet parade. But before we get into all that, lets take a deeper look at the wolf-pack mentality and the best time to see this January full moon.A misunderstood creatureDespite scary representations in stories such as The Three Little Pigs and in films such as Beauty and the Beast, wolves are an important keystone species that greatly impact their environments. They are highly social creatures, living in packs consisting of a breeding male and female, other nonbreeding adults, and their offspring. These excellent hunters defend their territory from outsiders.According to the National Park Service, wolves howl for a variety of reasons, including to indicate a hunt, sound an alarm, or find their missing buddy. And they tend to be more vocal during the winter months because it coincides with their breeding season.How and when to see the January full moonFind a clear horizon away from bright city lights. Dont sleep on the moonrise, which happens around sunset, depending on your location. During this time, the moon appears bigger at the horizon.The peak of the January full moon happens on Monday at 5:27 p.m. ET, says NASA.You dont need a telescope or binoculars to see the full moon but they would be helpful for viewing the planets. Many hardcore astronomers actually prefer to view the moon during its crescent and gibbous phases because the brightness obscures the texture and craters of the surface, but beauty can be found at every stage.Planets on parade Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars will also be visible on the eve of the full moon, which is a rare occurrence, according to NASA. The Red Planet will be shining bright because Earth is between it and the sun. Venus and Saturn will be getting cozy resulting in a conjunction on January 18.

The way scientists think about fusion changed forever in 2022, when what some called the experiment of the century demonstrated for the first time that fusion can be a viable source of clean energy.The experiment, at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, showed ignition: a fusion reaction generating more energy out than was put in.In addition, the past few years have been marked by a multibillion-dollar windfall of private investment in the field, principally in the United States.But a whole host of engineering challenges must be addressed before fusion can be scaled up to become a safe, affordable source of virtually unlimited clean power. In other words, its engineering time.As engineers who have been working on fundamental science and applied engineering in nuclear fusion for decades, weve seen much of the science and physics of fusion reach maturity in the past 10 years.But to make fusion a feasible source of commercial power, engineers now have to tackle a host of practical challenges. Whether the United States steps up to this opportunity and emerges as the global leader in fusion energy will depend, in part, on how much the nation is willing to invest in solving these practical problems particularly through public-private partnerships.Building a fusion reactorFusion occurs when two types of hydrogen atoms, deuterium and tritium, collide in extreme conditions. The two atoms literally fuse into one atom by heating up to 180 million degrees Fahrenheit (100 million degrees Celsius), 10 times hotter than the core of the Sun. To make these reactions happen, fusion energy infrastructure will need to endure these extreme conditions. There are two approaches to achieving fusion in the lab: inertial confinement fusion, which uses powerful lasers, and magnetic confinement fusion, which uses powerful magnets.While the experiment of the century used inertial confinement fusion, magnetic confinement fusion has yet to demonstrate that it can break even in energy generation.Several privately funded experiments aim to achieve this feat later this decade, and a large, internationally supported experiment in France, ITER, also hopes to break even by the late 2030s. Both are using magnetic confinement fusion.Challenges lying aheadBoth approaches to fusion share a range of challenges that wont be cheap to overcome. For example, researchers need to develop new materials that can withstand extreme temperatures and irradiation conditions.Fusion reactor materials also become radioactive as they are bombarded with highly energetic particles. Researchers need to design new materials that can decay within a few years to levels of radioactivity that can be disposed of safely and more easily.Producing enough fuel, and doing it sustainably, is also an important challenge. Deuterium is abundant and can be extracted from ordinary water. But ramping up the production of tritium, which is usually produced from lithium, will prove far more difficult. A single fusion reactor will need hundreds of grams to one kilogram (2.2 lbs.) of tritium a day to operate.Right now, conventional nuclear reactors produce tritium as a byproduct of fission, but these cannot provide enough to sustain a fleet of fusion reactors.So, engineers will need to develop the ability to produce tritium within the fusion device itself. This might entail surrounding the fusion reactor with lithium-containing material, which the reaction will convert into tritium.To scale up inertial fusion, engineers will need to develop lasers capable of repeatedly hitting a fusion fuel target, made of frozen deuterium and tritium, several times per second or so. But no laser is powerful enough to do this at that rate yet. Engineers will also need to develop control systems and algorithms that direct these lasers with extreme precision on the target.Additionally, engineers will need to scale up production of targets by orders of magnitude: from a few hundreds handmade every year with a price tag of hundreds of thousands of dollars each to millions costing only a few dollars each.For magnetic containment, engineers and materials scientists will need to develop more effective methods to heat and control the plasma and more heat- and radiation-resistant materials for reactor walls. The technology used to heat and confine the plasma until the atoms fuse needs to operate reliably for years.These are some of the big challenges. They are tough but not insurmountable.Current funding landscapeInvestments from private companies globally have increased these will likely continue to be an important factor driving fusion research forward. Private companies have attracted over US$7 billion in private investment in the past five years.Several startups are developing different technologies and reactor designs with the aim of adding fusion to the power grid in coming decades. Most are based in the United States, with some in Europe and Asia.While private sector investments have grown, the U.S. government continues to play a key role in the development of fusion technology up to this point. We expect it to continue to do so in the future.It was the U.S. Department of Energy that invested about US$3 billion to build the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the mid 2000s, where the experiment of the century took place 12 years later.In 2023, the Department of Energy announced a four-year, $42 million program to develop fusion hubs for the technology. While this funding is important, it likely will not be enough to solve the most important challenges that remain for the United States to emerge as a global leader in practical fusion energy.One way to build partnerships between the government and private companies in this space could be to create relationships similar to that between NASA and SpaceX. As one of NASAs commercial partners, SpaceX receives both government and private funding to develop technology that NASA can use. It was the first private company to send astronauts to space and the International Space Station.Along with many other researchers, we are cautiously optimistic. New experimental and theoretical results, new tools and private sector investment are all adding to our growing sense that developing practical fusion energy is no longer an if but a when. George R. Tynan is a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of California, San Diego.Farhat Beg is a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of California, San Diego.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Imagine attending a funeral where the person who has died speaks directly to you, answering your questions and sharing memories. This happened at the funeral of Marina Smith, a Holocaust educator who died in 2022.Thanks to an AI technology company called StoryFile, Smith seemed to interact naturally with her family and friends.The system used prerecorded answers combined with artificial intelligence to create a realistic, interactive experience. This wasnt just a video; it was something closer to a real conversation, giving people a new way to feel connected to a loved one after theyre gone.Virtual life after deathTechnology has already begun to change how people think about life after death. Several technology companies are helping people manage their digital lives after theyre gone. For example, Apple, Google and Meta offer tools to allow someone you trust to access your online accounts when you die.Microsoft has patented a system that can take someones digital data such as texts, emails and social media posts and use it to create a chatbot. This chatbot can respond in ways that sound like the original person.In South Korea, a group of media companies took this idea even further. A documentary called Meeting You showed a mother reunited with her daughter through virtual reality. Using advanced digital imaging and voice technology, the mother was able to see and talk to her dead daughter as if she were really there.These examples may seem like science fiction, but theyre real tools available today. As AI continues to improve, the possibility of creating digital versions of people after they die feels closer than ever.Who owns your digital afterlife?While the idea of a digital afterlife is fascinating, it raises some big questions. For example, who owns your online accounts after you die?This issue is already being discussed in courts and by governments around the world. In the United States, nearly all states have passed laws allowing people to include digital accounts in their wills.In Germany, courts ruled that Facebook had to give a deceased persons family access to their account, saying that digital accounts should be treated as inheritable property, like a bank account or a house.But there are still plenty of challenges. For example, what if a digital clone of you says or does something online that you would never have said or done in real life? Who is responsible for what your AI version does?When a deepfake of actor Bruce Willis appeared in an ad without his permission, it sparked a debate about how peoples digital likenesses can be controlled, or even exploited, for profit.Cost is another issue. While some basic tools for managing digital accounts after death are free, more advanced services can be expensive. For example, creating an AI version of yourself might cost thousands of dollars, meaning that only wealthy people could afford to live on digitally. This cost barrier raises important questions about whether digital immortality could create new forms of inequality.Grieving in a digital worldLosing someone is often painful, and in todays world, many people turn to social media to feel connected to those theyve lost. Research shows that a significant proportion of people maintain their social media connections with deceased loved ones.But this new way of grieving comes with challenges. Unlike physical memories such as photos or keepsakes that fade over time, digital memories remain fresh and easily accessible. They can even appear unexpectedly in your social media feeds, bringing back emotions when you least expect them.Some psychologists worry that staying connected to someones digital presence could make it harder for people to move on. This is especially true as AI technology becomes more advanced. Imagine being able to chat with a digital version of a loved one that feels almost real. While this might seem comforting, it could make it even harder for someone to accept their loss and let go. Cultural and religious views on digital afterlifeDifferent cultures and religions have their own unique perspectives on digital immortality. For example:The Vatican, the center of the Catholic Church, has said that digital legacies should always respect human dignity.In Islamic traditions, scholars are discussing how digital remains fit into religious laws.In Japan, some Buddhist temples are offering digital graveyards where families can preserve and interact with digital traces of their loved ones.These examples show how technology is being shaped by different beliefs about life, death and remembrance. They also highlight the challenges of blending new innovations with long-standing cultural and religious traditions.Planning your digital legacyWhen you think about the future, you probably imagine what you want to achieve in life, not what will happen to your online accounts when youre gone. But experts say its important to plan for your digital assets: everything from social media profiles and email accounts to digital photos, online bank accounts and even cryptocurrencies.Adding digital assets to your will can help you decide how your accounts should be managed after youre gone. You might want to leave instructions about who can access your accounts, what should be deleted and whether youd like to create a digital version of yourself.You can even decide if your digital self should die after a certain amount of time. These are questions that more and more people will need to think about in the future.Here are steps you can take to control your digital afterlife:Decide on a digital legacy. Reflect on whether creating a digital self aligns with your personal, cultural or spiritual beliefs. Discuss your preferences with loved ones.Inventory and plan for digital assets. Make a list of all digital accounts, content and tools representing your digital self. Decide how these should be managed, preserved or deleted.Choose a digital executor. Appoint a trustworthy, tech-savvy person to oversee your digital assets and carry out your wishes. Clearly communicate your intentions with them.Ensure that your will covers your digital identity and assets. Specify how they should be handled, including storage, usage and ethical considerations. Include legal and financial aspects in your plan.Prepare for ethical and emotional impacts. Consider how your digital legacy might affect loved ones. Plan to avoid misuse, ensure funding for long-term needs, and align your decisions with your values.Digital pyramidsThousands of years ago, the Egyptian pharaohs had pyramids built to preserve their legacy. Today, our digital pyramids are much more advanced and broadly available. They dont just preserve memories; they can continue to influence the world, long after were gone. Patrick van Esch is an associate professor of marketing at the Coastal Carolina University.Yuanyuan (Gina) Cui is an assistant professor of marketing at the Coastal Carolina University.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

A collection of residential interiors where the walls have been coated in a variety of earthy-hued plasters, renders and paints feature in Dezeen's latest lookbook.Often used as a form of weather protection on home exteriors, wall coatings like lime render and clay paint may also offer decorative touches to interiors.Here, we have rounded up eight earthy-toned examples in residences spanning from India to the UK.This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring bathrooms with sculptural stone sinks, living room ideas from Dezeen and bedrooms illuminated by creative lighting solutions.Photo by James RetiefDatum House, UK, by DHausArchitecture studio DHaus updated this Victorian maisonette in north London with an extension illuminated by a full-width skylight.A pared-back material palette was used throughout the interior, with earthy plaster walls set off by concrete and oak used to form a datum around the base of the space.Find out more about Datum House Photo by Pierce ScourfieldArch House, UK, by PolysmithsArchitecture studio Polysmiths sought to add a Mediterranean texture to this London home through its structural arches and mottled lime plaster finish.Reconfiguring the home's dark and dated interiors, Polysmiths created a series of interconnected living and work spaces brightened by openings and light-coloured walls.Find out more about Arch House Photo courtesy of SonnThe Plaster House, UK, by SonnPlaster finishes were used both internally and externally in this home extension completed by architecture studio Sonn in Hackney, London.Aptly named The Plaster House, the residence is coated largely in a neutral-toned plaster, while a contrastingly pale green plaster was used in the bedroom.Find out more about The Plaster House Photo by Helen LeechTaper House, UK, by Merrett Houmller Architects and All & NxthingMorrocan riads were referenced in the design of this London extension overhauled by local studios Merrett Houmller Architects and All & Nxthing.Using "natural earth-based materials" influenced by the Mediterranean, the angular, skylit extension is defined by clay-plaster walls, exposed brickwork and tile floors.Find out more about Taper House Photo by Francisco NogueiraCasa da Encosta, Portugal, by SIA ArquitecturaLime render was used to coat a series of volumes that make up Casa da Encosta, completed by SIA Arquitectura in Grndola, Portugal.Intending to "echo the sandy landscape" of the coastal site, the studio used a material palette of wood and lime render, which is used extensively across both the home's exterior and interior.Find out more about Casa da Encosta Photo by Purnesh DevStone House, India, by Sketch Design StudioRecycled stone walls rendered in mud and lime plaster define this rural farmhouse completed by Sketch Design Studio in Rajasthan, India.Inside, the home's clay-painted walls are complemented by exposed stone and a filler-slab ceiling.Find out more about Stone House Photo by Vivek EadaraMayalogili, India, by NowhereArchitecture studio Nowhere used plaster made from brick and marble dust to coat this refurbished house in Hyderabad.Coated on the exterior with a rough red-brown plaster, the home's interior was similarly finished using a variety of plaster made from on-site materials.Find out more about Mayalogili Photo by Jim StephensonPutney Riverside, UK, by VATRAATerracotta-coloured concrete was used to build the extension to this London home, which has been renovated and extended by local studio VATRAA.Inside, the Putney Riverside home features original details, including existing plasterwork, which was repaired using "distinguishable but complementary" lime plaster.Find out more about Putney Riverside This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring bathrooms with sculptural stone sinks, living room ideas from Dezeen and bedrooms illuminated by creative lighting solutions.The post Eight calming home interiors with earthy-toned finishes appeared first on Dezeen.

Mr. Musk has turned to Silicon Valley to help recruit executives who will take up unofficial positions across the federal government.

Sony has been on a winning streak with the PlayStation 5, pumping out hit after hit with new exclusives each year. 2025 and beyond is stacked with games that are coming out exclusively for Sonys current-gen offerings, and we will be discussing some of these games with this feature.Marvels WolverineInsomniac Games has been pumping out hit after hit this generation with Ratchet and Clank and Spider-Man, and the developer is hard at work on its next project Marvels Wolverine. Not a lot has been revealed at this point, but the reveal trailer does paint a grim tone for the story which has us salivating to know more. No release has been revealed as of yet, but it will be coming out for PS5 sometime in the near future.