A timber veranda frames a courtyard at House for Ela, a homeby Switzerland-based architect Ewa Kaszuba on a forested site in a spa town near Warsaw.Designed for a retired couple, the house is a modern take on the grand parkland villas that rub shoulders with modernist mansions in Konstancin, a 19th-century town approximately 20 kilometres south of the Polish capital.Ewa Kaszuba has created House for Ela in PolandKaszuba was commissioned to design a house to replace an existing 1930s villa, named Ela, which had deteriorated to the point where it required demolition.Built on a V-shaped plan, the replacement consists of two intersecting volumes, arranged in a near-mirrored layout. Its two wings meet at a precise 60-degree angle creating a semi-courtyard on the south side.It replaces an existing 1930s villa in need of demolitionRunning around House for Ela's courtyard, Kaszuba placed a wooden facade punctured by glazing and lined with repeating columns, influenced by the garden structures and verandas of many of Konstancin's historic villas.This larch veranda-like structure supports a deck on the first floor, providing balconies for the upstairs bedrooms with views over the pine forests.The street-facing elevation offers privacy in contrast to the courtyard-facing wooden facade"The client wanted bright living spaces with plenty of southern exposure and garden views," Kaszuba told Dezeen."At the same time, they valued their privacy, so we knew that the house had to be oriented primarily to the private side of the property."Read: Studio Onu draws on vernacular architecture for home in Polish forestHouse for Ela's ground floor contains the living area in one wing and a terrazzo-lined indoor pool in the other, while the first floor holds the main bedroom and guest rooms.On the street side, Kaszuba kept the massing similar to the old house to ensure the project did not feel larger. In contrast to the warm wood facade, the street-facing entrance is solid and textured with rough plaster, designed to fulfil theneed for privacy.The living spaces occupy one wing on the ground floor"The house achieves a balance between monumentality and domesticity. It certainly makes its presence known in the streetscape and does not go unnoticed," added Kaszuba."However, inside, it offers numerous opportunities for both small and large interactions."Wooden finishes are used throughout the homeInside, a foyer space leads to a wooden floating staircase. This is among the wooden finishes used throughout the home, including on its walls and cupboards.Rocks uncovered during excavation were intentionally integrated into the landscape, corresponding with interior spaces and the garden planting.House for Ela is complete with a geothermal heat pump and solar panels, designed to help offset the energy demands of the indoor swimming pool. An underground level contains the house's services and a garage, reducing the building's above-ground footprint.Terrazzo lines the indoor pool areaHouse for Ela is the first independent project completed by Ewa Kaszuba, who was born in Warsaw and is now based in Zurich.Other Polish houses recently featured on Dezeen include a farm house built with local craft and materials and a holiday home clad in corrugated metal.The photographer isRobert wierczyski.The post Ewa Kaszuba frames villa in Polish spa town with larch veranda appeared first on Dezeen.

Smartphones today are often designed for the general public, trying to strike as many birds with the same stone over and over again. From time to time, we do see a few designs that cater to specific audiences, though those often come built like tanks to withstand punishing environments. Thats why its quite refreshing to see something like the nubia Music arriving on the scene, though its successor seems to be a little disappointing in one minor way.Designed to woo music lovers, the nubia Music 2 tries to offer an eye-catching appearance and an unusual set of features that claim to put audio above all else. That may have turned heads at MWC 2024 last year, but the nubia Music 2 might be revealing just how many corners the brand is willing to cut to keep a certain price point, even if it includes one of its two most unique features.Designer: nubia (ZTE)What will immediately grab your attention upon seeing the nubia Music 2 is the large circle on the phones back that almost looks like a tiny vinyl record. The association is mostly correct, since its actually a loudspeaker that completes what nubia bills as a 2.1-channel audio system, with the bottom-firing speaker and earpiece speaker making up the other two. nubia claims its capable of reaching up to 95dB volumes, making it perfect for sharing your tunes with a large crowd. That speaker also has some fancy LED strips that pulse to the beat of your music.When you want a more intimate kind of music sharing, however, the nubia Music 2 will disappoint. Unlike its predecessors unique dual headphone jacks, this one comes with a lone 3.5mm port. nubia probably decided that this feature was more of a gimmick that very few audiophiles actually used, so it got left on the cutting room floor. In the grand scheme of things, however, its removal might have done little to actually affect the phones price tag.nubia Music 1nubia Music 1Without the unusual 2.1-channel audio system and its funky turntable-inspired design, the nubia Music 2 is pretty much a disappointing entry-level Android phone. You can be forgiven for not being familiar with its Unisoc processor, as it scores significantly lower than MediaTek on the price and performance scale. Theres only 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, the large 6.7-inch screen is going to look pixelated with an HD+ resolution, and despite appearances, theres only one 50MP camera on its back.All of this is at least packaged with a sub-$90 price tag, which largely explains the mediocre hardware. Ironically, the listening experience might not be all that given how the phone could choke on higher-quality audio files, which will make the potentially capable audio system pointless. nubia is clearly aiming for a niche market of music audiophiles, a group that actually tends to be more demanding and unforgiving when it comes to the equipment they use.The post nubia Music 2 targets audiophiles, ditches distinctive music-sharing feature first appeared on Yanko Design.

A new report, shared exclusively with WIRED, shows how an AI content mill with hundreds of sites managed to pull big-name advertisers into their schemes.

MacworldAt a glanceExpert's RatingProsCables hang down140W PD 3.1Foldable prongs (U.S. and U.K.)ConsOur Verdict This is a fine charger with a different take on port placement that will please those for whom technologys impact on a home or work environment is important.Price When ReviewedThis value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefinedBest Pricing TodayPrice When Reviewed89,99Best Prices Today: Anker Ladegert (140W, 4-Port, PD 3.1)RetailerPriceAnker89,99 View DealPrice comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwideProductPricePrice comparison from BackmarketUSB-C wall chargers get smaller and cuter every year, but stick a cable in one and it becomes an eyesore poking out at the opposite end to the wall.Anker makes a lot of those mini and some less mini chargers, but its latest creation bucks the ugly-sticky-out-cable trend by elegantly locating the ports on the underside of the charger.The Anker 140W 4-Port PD 3.1 Charger lacks a catchy name but solves the charger-cable aesthetic challenge with its near configuration.Simon Jary / FoundryPortsThe four underside ports are as follows:2x USB-C: 140W PD 3.11x USB-C: 40W1x USB-A: 33WEach of the 140W USB-C ports could be used to fast-charge even the top-end 16-inch Apple MacBook Pro and are rated at PD 3.1.As the maximum output is 140W you cant charge two at the same time at that rate. Note that the maximum output reduces to 134W when charging four devices. Use all four ports at the same time, and you could get 65W from one of the PD 3.1 ports and 45W from the other, plus 12W from the remaining USB-C port and 12W from the USB-A.Thats enough for a MacBook Pro, a MacBook Air or iPhone, and a couple more low-power devices.See how it compares to other options in our Best iPhone Chargers and the Best USB-C charger for your MacBook.Used on its own, the legacy USB-A port offers an impressive 33W. While the wattage is theoretically enough to fast-charge an iPhone, Apple insists you use a 20W+ (wed recommend 30W+) USB-C charging port.Simon Jary / FoundryDesignThe underside location of the ports is clever, although a little fiddlier to insert while the charger is connected vertically to the power socket.If your power socket is on a desk rather than a wall, the ports are situated on one side and therefore dont stick out from the top like most chargers. This again is more pleasing to the eye.AnkerBuilt using Gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor material, the charger is small for a four-port model, although not as dinky as a one-port tiddler. Its available in either silver or gray, and both the U.S. and U.K. models boast foldable plug prongs.The Ankers closest rival would be the Ugreen Nexode Pro 160W 4-Port GaN Charger, with ports at the traditional end.The Ugreen charger measures 2.76 x 2.76 x 1.3 inches (7 x 7 x 3.3cm) and weighs 10.7 ounces (303g). The Anker is very slightly smaller but a tad wider at 2.72 x 2.72 x 1.42 inches (6.9 x 6.9 x 3.6cm) and weighs less at 9.7 oz (275g). The U.K. model is wider due to the larger prongs and therefore a little heavier at 10.4oz (295g).Theres little in it, and the Ugreen charger can push out 160W instead of 140W, plus output 65W from two of its ports at the same time, leaving 15W to share between the remaining two.The Ugreen charger doesnt have a smart color display like the Ankers, which shows provides a detailed view of the charging status, temperature and port details.AnkerPriceThe Anker 140W 4-Port (PD 3.1) Charger is priced at $89.99 / 89.99 and is also available on Amazon and Amazon U.K. The rival 160W Ugreen Nexode Pro costs $119.99 / 99, so the Anker wins on price.Should you buy the Anker 140W 4-Port (PD 3.1) Charger?Choosing between the Anker 4-Port 140W Charger and Ugreen 160W Nexode Pro will come down to your desire for the differently placed ports and maybe the smart display, unless the dual 65W charging is a more powerful pull.Once you see the Ankers elegant port configuration its almost upsetting to see chargers with ports sticking out at one end. To be fair, the old port placement is easier to use if you are more frequently connecting and disconnecting, but if you leave the cables in place for most of the time it is an undeniably more aesthetic charging solution.This is a fine charger with a different take on port placement that will please those for whom technologys impact on a home or work environment is important.

Demand for generative AI (genAI) courses is surging, passing all other tech skills courses and spanning fields from data science to cybersecurity, project management, and marketing. Coursera, in its fourth annual Job Skills Report, says demand for genAI-trained employees has spiked by 866% over the past year leading to strong interest in online learning. Over the past two years, 12.5 million people have enrolled in Courseras AI content, according to Quentin McAndrew, global academic strategist at Coursera.Mastering AI skills is essential to stay competitive now, McAndrew said, and students are shifting from understanding genAI to applying it in their roles to save time, work smarter, and deliver measurable impact.AI and GenAI have become the most in-demand skills across all industries, she said. AI skills now appear in almost every job posting, which unlocks opportunities for higher wages and career growth for job seekers.Demand for genAI learning has exceeded that of any skill weve ever seen on Coursera, and learners are increasingly opting for role-focused content to prepare for specific jobs, said Marni Stein, Courseras chief content officer.The rush for online learning about genAI isnt restricted to Coursera. Other online learning hubs, including Udemy, OReilly and Workera, are seeing much the same thing.At Coursera, the top genAI courses in 2024 were:Google AI Essentials (Google)Generative AI for Everyone (DeepLearning.AI)Introduction to Generative AI (Google Cloud)Generative AI with Large Language Models (Amazon Web Services; DeepLearning.AI)Generative AI: Introduction and Applications (IBM)Generative AI for Executives and Business Leaders Part 1 (IBM)Introduction to Generative AI for Software Development (DeepLearning.AI)Microsoft 365 Copilot: Personal Productivity for All (Vanderbilt University)Accelerate Your Learning with ChatGPT (Deep Teaching Solutions)Greg Brown, CEO of online learning platform Udemy, echoed what Coursera officials have seen. As genAI skills become the new standard for workplace tech proficiency, we are seeing a surge in demand for skills like ChatGPT and leadership for change management, he said.Udemy research found that while nearly 90% of employees see leadership as key to their companys genAI transformation, only 48% feel confident their top execs are prepared to lead the initiatives.AI proficiency is no longer novel or nice-to-have, Brown said. It is mission-critical for organizations to future-proof their workforce and for professionals to further develop their careers.On Udemys platform, students are choosing to upskill with AI tools such as ChatGPT, MidJourney, and DALL-E. The companysTop 100 Surging Workplace Learning Skillslist ranked ChatGPT and generative AI as the second fastest-growing skill, with AI in the sixth spot.Udemy said its top business courses over the past 90 days include:Machine Learning A-Z: AI, Python & R + ChatGPT Prize [2025]Artificial Intelligence A-Z 2025: Build 7 AI + LLM & ChatGPTChatGPT: Complete ChatGPT Course For Work 2025 (Ethically)!How to use ChatGPT and Generative AI to help create contentLLM Engineering: Master AI, Large Language Models & AgentsArtificial Intelligence & ChatGPT for Cyber Security 2025Learning about genAI for productivity at Udemy has surged 859% from a year ago, with more than four million enrollments. Numerous AI certification courses, including Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate and Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals, have also grown significantly up 311% and 197%, respectively.Forward-thinking companies understand the power of genAI, Brown said. Integrating genAI across the workforce is like migrating your infrastructure to the cloud,.According to a new study by tech learning platform OReilly, AI technologies are driving the most significant shifts in technology education. Interest in almost all of the top skills is up from 2023 to 2024: Prompt Engineering grew 456%; AI Principles grew 386%; Generative AI grew 289%; Natural Language Processing grew 39%; AI grew 190%; and Machine Learning grew 9.2%.Interestingly enough, among the top topics the most significant decline was for GPT itself, which dropped by 13%. Not a huge decline but certainly a significant one, said Mike Loukides, vice president of emerging technology content at OReilly.That loss of interest in some ways dovetails with what research firm Gartner said last August that genAI was slipping into the trough of disillusionment.Loukides said developers are now prioritizing foundational AI knowledge over platform-specific skills to better navigate across various AI models such as Claude, Googles Gemini, and Llama.This years report also highlights the rapid rise of critical AI-related skills tied to LangChain and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), which have rapidly gained prominence and are now comparable in usage to established AI libraries like PyTorch and Keras, he said. These advancements empower developers to build more sophisticated applications on top of AI models, marking the next frontier in AI development.The biggest AI usage increases were in prompt engineering (up 456%), AI principles (up 386%), and genAI (up 289%). Notably, GitHub Copilot content saw a 471% surge, highlighting developers growing interest in productivity-enhancing tools, according to the OReilly report.The next wave of AI development will be building agents software that can plan and execute complex actions. This year marks a pivotal transition in technology, with AI evolving from generative capabilities to a transformative force reshaping how developers approach their craft, Loukides said.Loukides said interest in learning programming languages appears to be waning, with Rust being a notable exception. If thats happening because users expect AI to handle language details, that could be a career mistake, he said.But Kian Katanforoosh, CEO Workera, an AI-driven talent management and skills assessment provider, said people arent less interested in learning programming languages Python recently surpassed JavaScript as the most popular language.Instead, theres been a decline in learning the specific syntax details of these languages, he said. What most people should focus on is understanding what a programming language enables them to do and how it works at a high level, rather than memorizing syntax, Katanforoosh said. The mindset of programming remains crucial it fosters problem-solving skills that are widely applicable.Its also important, he added, to recognize the different tiers of AI learners:AI-aware individuals, who want to understand AI concepts and their implications.AI practitioners, who are focused on leveraging AI technologies to build applications.AI builders, who develop the models or infrastructure that power AI.Each group is learning distinct skills, and tailoring education to these tiers could unlock even greater potential for AI adoption and innovation, Katanforoosh said.Along those lines, Courseras fourth annual Job Skills Report, based on insights from five million enterprise learners and more than 7,000 institutional customers, found the key skills organizations and individuals are prioritizing for 2025. They included:GenAI using AI to generate text, images, and moreArtificial neural networks building computer systems that learn like human brains doComputer vision teaching computers to see and understand imagesPyTorch (machine learning library) using this tool to build powerful AI applicationsMachine learning teaching computers to learn from dataApplied machine learning using machine learning to solve real problemsDeep learning building advanced AI systems for complex tasksSupervised learning training AI using labeled examplesReinforcement learning training AI through trial and errorMachine learning operations (MLOps) managing and deploying machine learning systems effectively.According to Courseras Stein, the top three fastest growing skills for 2025 are Prompt Engineering (Vanderbuilt University), ChatGPT Advanced Data Analysis (Vanderbilt University), and Preparing Data for Analysis with Microsoft Excel (Microsoft).

A lawsuit claiming that Apple and Amazon colluded to fix the price of Apple products and reduce competition, has been rejected by a UK tribunal.Apple and Amazon have been accused of price-fixingIn one of three similar cases accusing Apple and Amazon of price fixing, the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal has ruled that the case cannot continue to trial. The decision to dismiss the case is reportedly an unusual one as the tribunal more often allows claimants to pursue cases further.In this situation, the mass lawsuit Britain's equivalent of a class-action one was brought by consumer law academic and professor of law, Christine Riefa. She brought the suit on behalf of potentially 36 million British consumers who bought Apple or Beats products. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Following our previous look at an opening for aMuseum Technology Manager at the California Science Center, we are using this weeks edition of ourJob Highlights seriesto explore an open role on Archinect Jobs for aProject Captain at Practice (formerly GGA+).The role, based in Pasadena, calls for an individual who will engage with design, project execution, team leadership, quality control, marketing, and firm culture advocacy roles across the studio. Among the responsibilities for the role are coordinating project design and developing creative concepts, overseeing team adherence to project delivery standards, and developing and maintaining positive relationships with internal and external collaborators. A minimum of 5-7 years of postgraduate professional experience is required for the position.The California Endowment 'Hope Village' Restorative Health Campus. Image credit: PracticeWhy the role interests usAt a time when Pasadena has endured some of the worst destruction and...

Marvelouss Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, the next mainline title in the acclaimed life sim RPG series, launches on May 30th for Nintendo Switch and PC. This is according to the latest of Famitsu, which also revealed several new details, including the protagonists names: Subaru and Kaguya.Their companions name is Mocoron, and theyll encounter various individuals like Hina, an archaeologist; Mauro, an adventurer traversing the skies; and Iroha, who runs a teashop. As with previous titles, players can bond with and have these characters accompany them into dungeons (with 12 in total).Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma diverges significantly from previous titles by venturing to an eastern country, the titular Azuma. As the Earth Dancer, you help to battle against the Blight, restoring the land and villages following a disaster known as the Celestial Collapse. Players can harness new weapons like the bow and Talisman, new abilities, festivals, and more. Stay tuned for more updates and gameplay en route to launch.

On This Day in HistoryHow Archaeologists Discovered Europes Oldest-Known Book, Revealing Never-Before-Seen Insights Into Ancient Religion and PhilosophyCharred by the flames of a funeral pyre, the Derveni Papyrus has proved to be a fascinatingand confoundingartifact The Derveni Papyrus, named for the location where it was found, is believed to date to between 340 and 320 B.C.E. Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsOn January 15, 1962, archaeologists in Greece were excavating the tomb of a Macedonian nobleman near Thessaloniki when they uncovered something incredible. Amid the ashes of a funeral pyre, encased in burnt mud, was a papyrus scrollthe first to be found in mainland Greece. Dating of the document and the discovery its literary nature subsequently led UNESCO to declare it Europes oldest book.The Derveni Papyrus, named for the location where it was found, is believed to date to between 340 and 320 B.C.E. In the manuscript it copies, which was likely written near the end of the fifth century B.C.E., the author discusses religious practices related to the fate of the soul after death and delivers a treatise on a poem ascribed to Orpheus, the hero poet and musician of Greek mythology.Richard Janko, a classicist at the University of Michigan, has called the papyrus the most important new piece of evidence about Greek philosophy and religion to come to light since the Renaissance. But, he adds, It is also the hardest to understand, and all work on it is inevitably work in progress. This is largely due to the fact that the fire that preserved the papyrussaving it from the deterioration usually caused by the humidity of Greek soilalso destroyed it. A Roman mosaic of Orpheus surrounded by animals Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsThere were pieces that were completely blackened, and nobody could make out whether there were letters on them, archaeologist Polyxeni Adam-Veleni, then-director of the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, which houses the papyrus, told the Associated Press in 2006.When researchers carefully peeled apart the scroll, they collected approximately 266 fragments. They ultimately pieced the fragments into 26 surviving columns of text, all with their bottom halves burned away. A relatively complete version of the text would not be published until nearly 50 years later.Scholars disagree on the potential author of the work, but the mystery author seems to have been a follower of the philosopher Anaxagoras. The books audience seems to be prospective religious initiates of Orphism, the cult that followed the teachings of Orpheus.Though many of their practices remain unknown, Orphics are believed to have been monotheistic. They abstained from eating meat and focused on purity, reflecting Anaxagoras teachings that the soul survives after death and only the pure will be saved. Orphisms parallels with Christianity make the papyrus an especially interesting window into the spiritual practices emerging in the area at the time.Philosophy of the Orphic Mysteries - The Derveni Papyrus - Myth of Orpheus and Ancient Greek ScienceWatch on In addition to the religious insights the papyrus offers, the authors interpretation of a now-lost Orphic poem reveals information about Greek philosophical thought of the era. In the treatise, the author writes that the poem, which pertains to the birth of the gods, should be taken as an allegory rather than literally. The anonymous authors argument includes references that show how several Greek philosophers understood the physical world.As technology improves and allows better reading of the manuscript, scholars continue to debate the content of the document and how the fragments should be put together in the hopes of gaining even more insight into Hellenic religion and philosophy of the time.As Janko writes, There is much at stake in attempting to solve the puzzle of this papyrus.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

Meta to lay off 5% of staff as part of "performance-based cuts"3,600 jobs may be at risk according to reportsImage credit: Meta News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Jan. 15, 2025 Meta has announced that it will conduct "performance-based cuts", with 5% of its workforce facing redundancy.As reported by Bloomberg, CEO Mark Zuckerberg explained in an internal memo that the firm plans to hire new people in these roles by the end of the year."I've decided to raise the bar on performance management and move out low-performers faster," wrote Zuckerberg."We typically manage out people who aren't meeting expectations over the course of a year, but now we're going to do more extensive performance-based cuts during this cycle."He added (via CNBC): "We won't manage out everyone who didn't meet expectations for the last period if we're optimistic about their future performance, and for those we do let go, we'll provide generous severance in line with what we provided with previous cuts."Meta currently has a workforce of over 72,000 as of September 2024. It's estimated that 3,600 jobs may be at risk.The cuts will only affect staff eligible for a performance review.Those affected in the US will be notified on February 10, while workers situated elsewhere will be informed at a later date.Meta previously laid off 10,000 workers and retired 5,000 open roles in March 2023. Zuckerberg attributed these cuts to improving the firm's financial health, including cancelling lower-priority projects and decreasing hiring.