While Los Angeles County continues to battle devastating wildfires, you may be wondering about the safety of your own home. More specifically, how are you covered when the unthinkable happens?Unfortunately, insurance doesn't function like a gas or electric company; even in the face of disaster, insurers aren't obligated to service your home. And while homeowners insurance isn't legally mandated, choosing to forgo protection in an attempt to save money could prove to be one of the most expensive decisions a homeowner can make.Homeowners insurance is a crucial financial protection for your home and belongings, but many homeowners don't fully understand their coverage. Let's take a look at how exactly homeowners insurance works so that you can make informed decisions about your coverage.What homeowners insurance coversThe main categories of homeowners insurance are structure protections, personal property, liability protection, and additional living expenses.Structure protectionYour policy's dwelling coverage protects the physical structure of your home from covered perils. This includes:Fire and smoke damageWind and hail damageLightning strikesFalling objectsVandalismTheftVehicle damage to your homeWhen it comes to costs, the coverage should be enough to rebuild your home entirely at current construction costs, not the market value or purchase price. Personal propertyThis coverage protects your belongings inside the home, typically including:FurnitureElectronicsClothingAppliancesOther personal itemsMost policies cover personal property at 50 to 70% of your dwelling coverage. High-value items like jewelry, art, or collectibles often need additional coverage through riders or endorsements.Liability protectionThis crucial coverage protects you if someone is injured on your property or if you accidentally damage someone else's property. It typically covers:Medical expenses for injured guestsLegal defense costsCourt judgmentsProperty damage you cause to othersMost experts recommend at least $300,000 in liability coverage, though many suggest $500,000 or more.Additional living expenses (ALE)If your home becomes uninhabitable due to a covered loss, ALE coverage pays for:Temporary housingAdditional food costsPet boardingOther necessary expensesWhat's not covered by homeowners insuranceUnfortunately, homeowners insurance is not all-encompassing. There are standard exclusions to consider. Most policies don't cover:Flood damage (requires separate flood insurance)Earthquake damage (requires separate coverage)Normal wear and tearPest infestationsMold (unless resulting from a covered water damage event)Sewer backup (unless you add specific coverage)Business-related liabilityHow much coverage you needUnderstand that how much your home is worth is a different number than what your insurance covers. Your home's market value includes land value and location premium, while insurance should cover rebuilding costs only. To get an idea of how much coverage you need, use these factors.Dwelling coverageCalculate needed coverage based on:Local construction costs per square footYour home's size and featuresSpecial materials or craftsmanshipLocal building code requirementsAdd 10-20% buffer for unexpected costs or construction price increases.Contents coverageTo determine adequate coverage:Create a home inventory with photos and receiptsConsider replacement cost vs. actual cash value coverageIdentify high-value items needing separate coverageAccount for seasonal items and stored belongingsMoney-saving tipsLike I mentioned at the top, skipping insurance to save money won't be worth it. Any short-term savings can quickly transform into devastating financial losses when disaster strikes. Instead of eliminating coverage, consider these money-saving strategies:Increase your deductible: Raising your deductible from $500 to $1,000 can lower premiums by 15 to 20% or more, according to CNBC.Bundle policies: Combining home and auto insurance often yields discounts of 15-25%.Improve home security: Installing security systems and smoke detectors can reduce premiums while protecting your home.Shop around annually: Insurance rates vary significantly between providers. Regular comparison shopping ensures you're getting the best value.Ask about discounts for things like a new roof, smart home devices, or having a claims-free history.The bottom lineRemember that homeowners insurance is not a maintenance policy, but protection against sudden and accidental losses. Update your policy after completing any major renovations, acquiring valuable items, or after life changes (marriage, children, etc). Regular maintenance and proactive risk management remain your responsibility as a homeowner.Insurance policies vary widely. Always consult with a professional insurance agent to understand your specific coverage.

Sony is set to freshen up the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for Extra and Premium subscribers with a bunch of new additions in January. The obvious headliner here is God of War Ragnark(PS4 and PS5), one of PlayStation's biggest blockbusters from the last few years.The epic 2022 adventure sees Kratos and his son Atreus attempting to prevent an event that could bring about the end of the world. Studio Santa Monica expanded on the core game in late 2023 with the free addition of a roguelite mode that acts as an epilogue. Kratos can wield permanent upgrades as well as temporary ones that only last for the duration of a given run.If you haven't done so already, we'd highly recommend playing through God of War before delving into Ragnark. The story of the 2018 game feeds directly into that of the sequel (and it's a darn good game too). Thankfully, God of War is also in the Game Catalog.Another new addition that's well worth checking out is the brilliant rhythm action title Sayonara Wild Hearts(PS4). It tells the story of a young woman attempting to repair her broken heart through a series of imaginative levels, all set to an absolutely banging pop music soundtrack. Sayonara Wild Hearts was an Apple Arcade launch title, but it left that service a few months ago. It's one of my two favorite games of all time, and I can't recommend it enough.The highly regarded sci-fi RPG Citizen Sleeper is in the mix as well. It'll hit the Game Catalog a week and a half before the sequel, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, drops on January 31.Other newcomers to the Extra tier include the 2023 Like A Dragon spinoff, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (PS4 and PS5), action RPGs Atlas Fallen: Reign Of Sand (PS5) and SD Gundam Battle Alliance (PS4 and PS5), action-adventure title ANNO: Mutationem (PS4 and PS5), tower defense game Orcs Must Die! 3 (PS4 and PS5) and Poker Club (PS4).Premium subscribers will get access to another two games on top of all of those. Those are Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings (PS4 and PS5), which debuted on PS2 in 2009, and Medievil II (PS4 and PS5), which originally hit the PS1 in 2000.These games will hit the PS Plus Game Catalog on January 21. As a reminder, PlayStation Portal owners can now stream certain PS5 games in the catalog from the cloud.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/god-of-war-ragnarok-headlines-the-playstation-plus-game-catalog-additions-for-january-191024729.html?src=rss

Google Chrome is testing an AI tool for predicting permissions.

Tesla started offering discounts on new Cybertruck vehicles in its inventory this week.

In a year defined by breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and blockchain technology, you might think that all this incredible innovation has made its way into the hands of the people who need it most. But youd be wrong.Much of the worlds population lacks access to the financial services they need, despite having trillions of dollars in economic power. Being excluded from the legacy financial services industry means having to navigate their daily lives without access to savings, credit, bill payment tools or the ability to affordably transfer money.Some refer to this group as the missing middle, but at Tala, we call them the global majority. Weve spent the last 10 years serving over 10 million people from this often-overlooked global population and have seen their struggles firsthand.And while this new wave of technology hasnt yet hit the mainstream, Im more optimistic than ever that 2025 will change that. Here are three ways I predict the new year will change, thanks to fintech.1. Credit reimaginedMost Americans dont think twice about using their credit card to buy groceries. But what if you didntor couldnthave access to one? Thats an unfortunate reality for billions of people around the world because traditional institutions still rely on a system created nearly a half-century ago to determine creditworthiness.While weve seen some progress in emerging marketsfrom buy-now-pay-later services to pay-as-you-go features in superappswe still have a long road ahead. The entire system needs to be reimagined, and it needs to happen soon.Something as simple as offering unsecured credit products, for example, can simultaneously increase credit access and help develop new underwriting models designed for the 21st century.And I believe that next year we will see this evolution begin as companies leverage modern, real-time, and forward-looking data to determine someones creditworthiness.2. The LLM leapfrog effectIts no secret that artificial intelligence has taken fintechand the worldby storm. But I think many are missing the big picture, especially when it comes to the power of large language models (LLMs).LLMs have access to an incredible breadth of public knowledge but lack important context and non-public data to solve specific problems. The global majority is one example of a segment that isnt well represented in public data. The real opportunity exists in combining the power of existing LLMs with a companys expertise, custom tools, and private data to supercharge their products and services.And as we look ahead to next year, I believe well see more companies integrating LLMs into their tech stacks to improve their existing workflows and discover new and innovative ways to serve their customers.3.The year of the stablecoinUnlike crypto tokens, stablecoins are pegged 1:1 to a specific currency like the U.S. dollar while still operating on blockchain rails. One U.S. dollar stablecoin, for example, aims to always be worth exactly one U.S. dollar. And while that might not sound like a revolutionary concept on the surface, the implications are massive.This technology enables near-instant transactions to occur 24/7, 365 days a year without geographic restrictions, and at a fraction of the cost of traditional financial institutions. This eliminates the need for intermediaries like banks that charge high fees, take days to process a single transaction, and are only open during specific time windows during the weeka price the global majority cant afford in time or money.Weve already seen strong momentum in the global adoption of stablecoins and I believe next year will mark a huge step forward in mainstream use of this technology, particularly in historically underserved markets.2025 and beyondThe road ahead wont be easy, but this work is incredibly important. There are trillions of dollars worth of economic power just sitting on the sidelines and I believe 2025 will be the year we unleash it.Shivani Siroya is founder and CEO of Tala.

Heatherwick Studio recently designed a visually intriguing vertical park/viewing point called the Xian Tree. It is located in the historic city of Xian, China, and it adopts the shape of a tree. It features stepped petal-like terraces, serving as platforms for visitors to explore the enjoy the spectacular view. It is tucked away in the Xian Centre Culture Business District (CCBD), which is located south of the citys historic center. It is placed between the ruins of a temple and a tower.Design: Heatherwick StudioThe Xian Tree features 56 terraces, each thoughtfully designed to host a variety of plant species, creating a series of cascading garden spaces that mimic the natural flow of a hillside. The terraces have been adorned with carefully selected greenery to showcase the diverse ecological zones found along the Silk Road. It includes different plant life ranging from the resilient flora of alpine tundra regions to the hardy vegetation of the dry steppe. Each level provides a unique microclimate, creating a special habitat for the different plant species.Traveling up the vertical park that winds around its branching structure, you realize how biodiverse it is, said Heatherwick Studio. Like a botanical garden, each section holds a unique array of plants, many of which youve never seen before. High above the pedestrians wandering on the terraces below, you see Xian extending before you, new and old interwoven in this lively metropolis.The tree-like vertical park, as well as the broader design of the district, is inspired by Xians renowned Terracotta Army which is a symbol of historical and cultural importance. Heatherwick Studio and local ceramics specialists collaborated to produce over 100,000 ceramic tiles. These tiles serve a functional purpose but also pay tribute to the ancient craftsmanship that characterized the Terracotta Army. It combines modern development with a sense of timeless artistry.The districts design language also incorporates elements that resemble the roofs of Xians traditional Chinese temples. The sweeping lines and elegant curves of the districts skyline also pay homage to the cultural heritage. This creates a seamless and harmonious blend of contemporary and classic aesthetics.The CCBD also includes different facilities such as residential apartment buildings, retail spaces like expansive malls, and open plazas. It also incorporates state-of-the-art office spaces and luxurious hotel accommodations, catering to both business and leisure travelers. Lush greenery is seen throughout the development, thereby creating a sense of peace and tranquility. Multiple pathways can be seen throughout the space, connecting different spots and locations.The post Tree-Inspired Vertical Garden In China Includes 56 Terraces & Cascading Garden Spaces first appeared on Yanko Design.

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After the devastation of the Los Angeles fires, officials are ready to rebuild. But defending against future fires requires thinking about more than buildings.

MacworldTruly, Apples rise from near-bankruptcy to being one of the most valuable companies in the world is a story for the business history books. But as legendary football coach/analyst John Madden frequently said, Winning is the best deodorant. (Thats American football, for our U.K. audience.) When youre riding highand have been riding high for a couple of decadesits very hard to notice the parts of your business that have begun to emit a bit of an odor.To take another page from football, Apple has a winning playbook, and it keeps using it. But if you keep calling the same plays without adapting and reacting, a winning playbook can become something much worse. In the past year, two major Apple product launches show just how calcified the companys strategy has becomeand how much it needs to change.The unnecessary product launchIt was clear as a bell to anyone who knew anything about Apple that the Vision Pro wasnt going to be a mass-market product. More than a year before the product shipped, there were rumors that it would be priced at more than $2,000 (a full $1,500 lower than its actual shipping price). Even at $2,000, it seemed like Apples headset couldnt find much of a customer base. For months, I couldnt believe that it wasnt just going to be sold as a Developer Kit.I think the Vision Pro and visionOS have a lot of potential in the long run, but its the earliest of days right now, and its going to take many years for this bet to pay off, if it ever does. Developers and users can buy a Vision Pro to get some amazing tech demos and imagine the future, but I wouldnt recommend one to any regular person today.But Apple hasnt shipped a weird, niche, early-adopters-only product in decades. (To Apples credit, this is a way in which it isnt sticking to the usual playbook.) Since Steve Jobs came back, pretty much everything has been calibrated to reach a large worldwide market of potential customers. As a result, the companys product roll-out enginea legendary one, copied across industries because its so successfulrevved itself up and prepared to introduce the Vision Pro.What a waste of time, money, and attention. It took eight months for Tim Cook to tell the Wall Street Journal that At $3,500, its not a mass-market product its an early-adopter product. People who want to have tomorrows technology todaythats who its for.Hes not wrong, but it took him eight months to admit it because Apple is just not wired to quietly release a product thats not really for the masses. To be fair, the world is not wired to accept any Apple product announcement as anything but earth-shattering. Weve all been conditioned by Apples success and marketing strategies to think that way.That Vision Pro launch was counterproductive. Now, the product carries at least a whiff of failure, and it could have been avoided. They werent ever going to sell millions of first-generation Vision Pros. Apple couldve shown it off as a tech demo or released it as a developer kit, and the narrative would have been different.It may be years before the Apple Vision Pro is a product the general consumer would consider.AppleBut again, Apples just not wired that way. Its a splashy product launch or nothing.The feature roll-out overreactionApple got caught flat-footed on AI, a potentially existential mistake. To its credit, the company reacted: Junes WWDC announcements were primarily related to Apple Intelligence. The company needed to send a message that it might not be ahead, exactly, but it was on it and there was going to be AI goodness in Apple products, too.I have no complaints about any of that. But what followed shows that Apples too busy following its old playbook: In the fall, Apple began a full-court press of marketing for the new iPhone and other devices that focused on Apple Intelligence. It used Apple Intelligence to try to sell new iPhones, even though the features werent available! Over the ensuing months, it oversold many of the features while continuing to promise functionality that is still waiting in the wings.Apple Intelligence, as currently constituted, is half-bakedand Im being generous. Anyone who carefully follows Apple understands why its this way, and Id even say that Im optimistic that the company will get out in front of it given enough time. But right now, implementations of many features are slapdash at best, and some of the most dazzling features announced in June are unlikely to ship until its almost June again.The execution of Apple Intelligence has not be able to live up to the hype.FoundryApple needs to flog new iPhones every fall, its true. But was it the right call to sell a not-quite-there (figuratively or even literally) feature? It doesnt seem so to me. And it undercuts Apples response to criticism of its problematic news summaries that its just beta software. Sure it isbeta software thats shipping in final software and being heavily promoted to customers.Going through the motionsA lot of Apples biggest blunders in the last decade seem tied to old ways of thinking, not adapting themselves to changing times. It has reacted to design failures like the butterfly keyboard in laptops slowly and tentatively. The Meta Ray-Ban sunglasses seem to exist very much in a product niche occupied by AirPods, but Bloombergs Mark Gurman suggests that we shouldnt expect an Apple response until 2026 at the earliest. Apple once was able to create the iPod in a crash program in a matter of months, but todays Apple is apparently the kind of ocean liner that takes a very long time to course correct.And then theres the companys reaction to regulationand, indeed, many of its anti-competitive policies and product strategies. A lot of these strategies are straight out of the playbook built by Steve Jobs during his return to the company and inculcated into the corporate culture. In those days, Apple was an underdog that was fresh from a near-death experience and desperately had to scrape to survive. Todays Apple is a titan, but it still behaves like its a put-upon underdog in danger of being taken advantage of by the cold, cruel world. Its a real are we the baddies moment in the making if the company would have a modicum of introspection.Success has been very, very good to Apple in so many ways. But many of the traits that brought Apple here have become weaknesses. For the company to make the next couple of decades successful, it needs to show more adaptability.

South Korea started discussions concerning the development of the second part of its crypto regulatory framework.On Wednesday, South Koreas Financial Services Commission held a meeting to outline the key objectives of the next bill, local news outlet Edaily reported earlier today.The detailsKim So-young, Vice Chairman of the FSC, noted that major economies worldwide are accelerating their development of crypto regulations to protect investors and eliminate regulatory uncertainty. The countrys first crypto regulatory framework was implemented in July 2024, after being approved in 2023.The first half of the crypto regulatory framework focused on protecting crypto investors through strict requirements for crypto exchanges. One requirement was that service providers keep at least 80% of the assets in cold storage separate from the bulk of the funds.The regulators vice chairman reportedly promised that the upcoming framework would instead comprehensively and systematically regulate service providers, crypto users, and the crypto market. Topics discussed during the meeting included increasing the transparency of new digital asset listings on crypto exchanges and enforcing the same disclosure requirements as those seen in traditional finance in the crypto space.The meeting also reportedly touched on stablecoin regulation, with officials reviewing the best practices enforced around the world when it comes to reserve asset management for issuers and user redemption rights.South Korea is one of the most active markets in the cryptocurrency space. In fact, South Korean crypto exchange Upbit was the worlds third-largest centralized cryptocurrency exchange by volume last month.The news follows recent reports that South Korea plans to lift its ban on cryptocurrency trading by local institutional investors. The Financial Services Commission announced that it intends to to start allowing institutional investors to open trading accounts on cryptocurrency exchanges.So far, the practice has not been officially banned for institutional investors, but the FSC advised banks to forbid institutions from opening accounts on crypto exchanges. This guideline constitued a de-facto ban that will be gradually lifted, starting from nonprofits.The post South Korea plans new crypto law this year appeared first on ReadWrite.