The U.S. and Canada share 5,525 miles of borderand there are just over 100 border crossings between Washington and Maine. These portals between countries facilitate the flow of goods and people. Theyre also harbingers of diplomatic relations more broadly, where international policy choices play out in space. Siegel, a New York City office, recently completed a new U.S. Land Port of Entry (USLPOE) that connects Madawaska, Maineand Edmundston, Canadaa small town in New Brunswick with about 16,000 people. That firm was tasked with ideating a replacement structure on the road between the two towns.Separate bays divide traffic under the canopy, which is tall enough for B-Train size trucks. (Paul Warchol)The first station between Madawaska and Edmundston was built in 1959, a building which over time became ill-equipped for modern needs. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) eventually stepped in, and sought out architects to replace it. The new USLPOE by Siegel is 52,000 square feet and sits on an 11-acre site. It hosts a bevy of uses, including administration, training, staff support, processing, enforcement, agricultural inspection, and general inspection.The building, Siegel said, more broadly serves as a symbolic representation of America as the first and last interaction with the country for those who travel through it.The interiors are sheathed in wood finishes. (Paul Warchol)The training room sits next to a gym. (Paul Warchol)Siegel opted to give the USLPOEs exterior an industrial look, a nod to the corrugated metal siding common on nearby warehouses. The interiors are sheathed in warm wood finishings. The roof has only a slight pitch and recessed canopies. These features were safety precautions to prevent snow and ice hazards. It is cold there, after all. The expanse between the ground and roof plane had to be large enough for B-Train size trucks (which are about 15 feet tall) to easily go through, so the design by Siegel responds accordingly. This is essential for trucks going to and from a nearby paper mill in Maine. The glass and concrete is quite thick to ensure ballistic resiliency.Concrete was used in the warehouse (Paul Warchol)A coffee room, break room, conference room, and lockers for border guards are interspersed throughout the building, whose pronounced canopy makes for its defining feature. It also has a large warehouse for processing goods.The design by Siegel achieved SITES Silver and LEED Gold certification.

The work of Pezo von Ellrichshausen transitions seamlessly between drawing, building and painting. In each of these mediums, the spaces they create are made of sharp geometries but filled with an ethereal ambiguity. Titled 22105242016 (Patio no 80), this oilpainting would be a pleasant room to wait inCredit:Pezo von EllrichshausenShe was in a waiting room. She was ina hurry but had to wait. It was nother turn yet. The door was closed. There was nobody around tocomplain to. She was waiting, looking around, thinking.There is something intentionally sturdy aboutwaiting rooms. This one was rather small and windowless. There was only the door she hadused to enter, and another to go into theappointment. There were also sixchairs, a low central table and a circular clock on the white wall opposite her seat. There was no doubt it was a room to wait infor the time to come. Before her, others had read the newspaper in this room, taken a phone call or had a nap.She had never visited this waiting room, yet she knew it was a slow room. Waiting rooms do not need much space, but they need a lot of time. They require patience butare filled with boredom and impatience. They are very common in buildings, normally connected with halls and corridors, leading to more rooms. They always interfere with other spaces, destinations and duties.She had an appointment and had to go back home before it became too late. She didnot want to be here. The waiting room isalways a provisional, intermediate stage between anintention and the realisation ofthat intention. This one was tiny but was taking up a colossal amount of time. The time of thewaiting room, she knew by experience, was inversely proportional topersonal idleness. Counterintuitively, thefewer people waiting in the waiting room, thelonger the wait can take. She wasstillthe only one waiting.Waiting is a form of postponing, until something else happens. There can always be hope in waiting, shethought. Waiting is an anticipation, implying a possible future. It can only go inthat direction. One cannot wait for eitherthe past or the present.There is also a degree of helplessness inthe act of waiting. She cannot be totally certain that her appointment will take place.The walls of a waiting room hold anunintentional perversity. The air is thick, even when scented with lavender spray. While waiting, the room becomes a resonance instrument, a silent void despitethe background music.The waiting room is a powerful device: aspace that mandates us to pause. The delayof time is imposed, within a designated room. People waiting in waiting rooms areprisoners of that intention, which has nothing to do with the qualities of the room.Could one really wait before the invention oflinear time?, she wondered. Does my waiting belong to me or to this waiting room? The room was waiting before she walked through the door.Architecture is about duration: a sequence of spaces, and the time it takes to move from one to the next. There are many buildings without waiting rooms, but waiting can take place anywhere. Some buildings are slower than others. Delaying time is one of the primary functions of architecture. All roomsare waiting rooms, she thought.In some way or another, we are all always waiting for something: a text message, lunchtime, the weekend, a family event, thenext project, retirement. Waiting doesnot need a special, designated room.Rooms for waiting in are those that nobody notices: an invisible waiting room, aspace for hopes and dreams, a solid but concealed reality. A dark bedroom is a roomfor waiting in while counting sheep toovercome insomnia. A shower cubicle isaspace for waiting in while hair soaks intheconditioner.The time spent waiting in rooms is the time during which a building is experienced. While everyday life is filled with memories and desires, architecture compartmentalises the limited and always moving linear time ofour existence. We move forward, slowly but steadily, at times hopelessly.Rooms for waiting in can become alienating, yet they also represent a promised land, a wasteland, a marginal corner at the edge of meaningful business. Despite the limited time of our existence, the room is always waiting, as if in a metaphysical pause, interrupting the unbroken chain of waiting times.The waiting room can only be outdone byits domestic alter ego: the living room, aroom for living, for those who wait without knowing what they are waiting for.Explore the good rooms series, a collection of domestic spaces made, imagined or described by architects, curators and writers2025-01-16Kristina RapackiShare

Although they have had two years to prepare for the incoming legislation, a study has today revealed that a significant minority of UK financial services organisations are set to miss the 17 January 2025 deadline to comply with the European Unions (EUs) Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA).According to the Censuswide survey commissioned by Orange Cyberdefense, 43% of British financial services organisations say they are still exploring DORA and will not be compliant for another three months at least, putting them at significant risk of regulatory fines.The 200 UK chief information security officers and cyber decision-makers polled on Oranges behalf overwhelmingly believed DORA would be beneficial and would significantly enhance overall resilience across the EU and its wider ecosystem.Yet barriers to compliance persist, with respondents to the survey describing a plethora of issues most of them relating to their own organisation rather than the DORA legislation. Orange found these issues include a lack of prioritisation in the wider organisation (28%), a short timeline to becoming compliant (25%), a lack of specific skills and knowledge (24%), and a lack of visibility into supply chains and third-party partners (23%). To overcome these, 97% said they were considering enlisting external support.Some 84% said they had been given enough or more than enough budget to become compliant, and a parallel study from Rubrik Zero Labs today reported that about 47% of UK financial services organisations had spent over 1m (842,000) on compliance measures. DORA doesnt mandate anything by way of revolutionary requirements. Most can be addressed by investing in comprehensive cyber risk assessments, integrated incident reporting, cyber resilience testing and cross-framework governance Richard Lindsay, Orange CyberdefenseThe regulatory landscape in the EU is heavily congested, with several overlapping standards and laws now in effect. There is a lot to navigate, and were increasingly seeing businesses taking a more reactive approach to compliance requirements once the threat of reprisals becomes tangible, said Richard Lindsay, principal advisory consultant at Orange Cyberdefense.However, remaining non-compliant could have severe ramifications, with fines of up to 2% of global annual turnover and the potential of fines of over 1m for individual senior leadership.The threat landscape has never been more volatile. The financial services industry is an attractive target for bad actors, and the likelihood of breach has never been higher. By implementing the required changes, businesses can avoid unwelcome fines and negative publicity and, most importantly, build resilience against digital threats, Lindsay added.DORA doesnt mandate anything by way of revolutionary requirements. Most can be addressed by investing in comprehensive cyber risk assessments, integrated incident reporting, cyber resilience testing and cross-framework governance. But, as is always the case in cyber security, the clock is ticking.Orange additionally noted that given the formal introduction of DORA comes just three months after the EU stood up the Network and Information Systems Directive 2 (NIS2) in October 2024, the need to address broader cyber compliance demands and overlapping requirements in both sets of regulations may explain why the majority of respondents are feeling positive about DORA, despite anticipating delays in achieving compliance.At its core, DORA aims to strengthen cyber security at financial services organisations and improve sector resilience across Europe. It harmonises operational resilience rules that apply to 20 different types of financial entities, such as banks, insurance companies and third-party tech suppliers.According to Brussels, regulation such as DORA has become necessary because the financial services industrys dependence on IT and the tech ecosystem makes it acutely vulnerable to cyber disruption, and if not managed properly this can spill over into the wider economy.DORA governs a number of areas, such as IT risk management frameworks, third-party risk monitoring and oversight of suppliers, operational resilience testing, cyber incident reporting, and information and intelligence sharing.Sonatypes vice-president of solution architecture, Mitun Zavery, said: If GDPR taught us anything, it was that last-minute compliance efforts lead to headaches and half-measures. Like many EU laws, UK companies may be pulled into scope as the act extends beyond European financial institutions and deep into their software supply chains.This is a big problem for UK businesses whose European customers fall under the regulations purview. The stern financial penalties for non-compliance are enough motivation for EU financial institutions to tell partners, If you arent compliant, we need someone who is.He added: Rather than a burden, UK organisations should seeDORAas an opportunity to streamline systems and processes by leveraging automation, reinforcing their software supply chains, and adopting a proactive approach to risk mitigation and vulnerability management. IfDORAbecomes like GDPR, then prioritising compliance now will open doors as forms of this standard are adopted in the UK.Read more about cyber regulation in 2025

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ToplineThe federal ban on TikTok is set to take effect Sunday unless the Supreme Court steps in to stop it, and while reports Wednesday suggest President-elect Donald Trump is mulling an executive order that would quickly reinstate the app, he may have limited options should the law be upheldand his attempts to stop it could be challenged in court.President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort on December 16 in ... [+] Palm Beach, Florida.Getty ImagesKey FactsTrump opposes the TikTok ban taking effect, his lawyers said in a recent court filing, and the president-elect asked, Why would I want to get rid of TikTok? on Truth Social, posting a graphic that boasted his popularity on the platform and the billions of views his official accounts and hashtags associated with him have garnered.The lawwhich prohibits U.S. app stores from hosting TikTok unless Chinese parent company ByteDance divests from itis scheduled to take effect one day before Trumps Jan. 20 inauguration, so Trump has also asked the Supreme Court to stop the law from taking effect until after he takes office, arguing he wants time to resolve the ban before it can take effect.The Supreme Court has not yet ruled in the case or commented on whether it will agree with Trumps request to pause the law, and its unclear if the court will issue a ruling before the law takes effect Sunday.The law empowers the president to pause the ban for 90 days if TikTok shows its in the process of separating from ByteDance, so Trump could pause it once he takes officewhich reports suggest he may do, as The Washington Post cited anonymous sources who said Trump is considering delaying the law for 60 to 90 days, and The New York Times similarly reported Trump could issue an executive order pausing the law until a deal with ByteDance is reached.While any executive order could give time to negotiate a deal with ByteDance, if he pauses the law without actual evidence showing ByteDance is divesting, the executive order may not be legally sound, meaning it could be challenged in court and the ban could take effect anywayor companies like Apple and Google could still take TikTok off their app stores regardless of what Trump says, in order to avoid any potential legal liability.Trump could also similarly just declare TikTok in compliance with the lawregardless of whether or not its actually separated from ByteDanceUniversity of Minnesota law professor Alan Rozenshtein noted, which would keep TikTok legal but similarly leave room for the move to be challenged in court or ignored by companies if ByteDance hasnt actually divested.Beyond that, Trump cant do much: He could try to negotiate a deal for TikTok to be sold to a U.S. company so it would properly comply with the law, but if ByteDance isnt willing to sellwhich so far it isntthe ban will stay in effect unless Congress decides to repeal the law.Crucial QuoteTrumps incoming national security advisor Michael Waltz told Fox News Wednesday Trump has been very clear he thinks TikTok is a great platform, but also is gonna protect [Americans] data from potential foreign interference by China. Hes a deal maker, I dont want to get ahead of our executive orders, but were going to create the space to put that deal in place.What Will Trump Do About Tiktok?Trump has been mulling a range of options on how to handle TikTok, the Post reports. In addition to an executive order that would pause the law from taking effect for a few months, Trump has reportedly considered issuing an order that would unravel the lawwhich is all but certain to result in legal challenges, given the policy was passed by Congress with bipartisan support and presidents cannot unilaterally repeal federal laws. The Times similarly reports Trump could use an executive order to declare the law wont be enforced, or that it wont be enforced only temporarily until a deal is reached. Trump is reportedly eager to make a deal with TikTok and ByteDance, per The Post, with allies floating options that could include forcing a sale of TikToks U.S. assets in a way that would give the U.S. Treasury a cut of the proceeds, or revive TikToks Project Texas, a plan TikTok previously offered to the Biden administration about how it could handle the U.S. national security concerns without separating from ByteDance. Experts cited by the Post suggested Chinawhich would have to approve any sale by ByteDancewould only be likely to cut a deal with Trump on TikTok as part of broader political negotiations between the two governments.What To Watch ForThe Supreme Court expressed skepticism of TikToks arguments against the ban during oral arguments on Jan. 10, signaling justices could uphold the ban. Its been expected the court will quickly rule before the law is due to take effect Jan. 19, though its unclear when, as the court issued opinions in other cases Wednesday without making any announcements in the TikTok case. It has not announced any other days for releasing opinions before the law takes effect. Justices could also decide to temporarily pause the law from taking effect if they needs more time to deliberate, which could be announced at any time. Though Trump has asked the Supreme Court to pause the ban until after his inauguration, he isnt a party in the litigation, and Rozenshtein told CBS News there are no legal grounds for Trump to unilaterally pause the law since hes still a private citizen and isnt actually the president yet. That means theres no guarantee the justices will listen to his requestand they didnt signal Friday whether they willand its still possible the law could take effect Sunday, before Trump takes office.Can Trump Just Not Enforce The Tiktok Ban?While Trump could just declare his administration wont enforce the TikTok ban, its hard to say whether that would actually work. Justice Brett Kavanaugh questioned Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar on Friday about that possibility, and Prelogar acknowledged Trump could order it not to be enforced and while it remains to be seen what the effects of that would be, there may be safeguards to legally protect companies who keep TikTok up as a result of his promises about facing penalties. Legal experts have suggested companies arent likely to take the risk and potentially subject themselves to legal liability by keeping up TikTok even if Trump says its fine, however, given the possibility that Trump could change his mind and decide to start enforcing the ban. You could have a policy not to enforce this ban, University of Washington Law School professor Ryan Calo told The Times. But I think that maybe conservative companies would just be like: OK, youre not going to enforce it. But it is on the books, and you could enforce at any time.Will Bytedance Divest From Tiktok?TikTok and ByteDance so far havent shown any interest in separating, with TikTok arguing in a court filing that doing so is not possible technologically, commercially, or legally. It remains to be seen if the company will change its mind should the Supreme Court uphold the law and it actually takes effect, however, and Prelogar suggested Friday that justices upholding the ban could be the jolt that ByteDance and TikTok need to actually start the divestment process. Trump could also potentially have an impact on forcing ByteDances hand, as James Lewis, director of the Strategic Technologies Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told NPR that China could be persuaded to approve of ByteDance selling TikTok in exchange for Trump backing off his threat of high tariffs on Chinese imports. A source familiar with ByteDances thinking told The Post that reports TikTok could serve as part of a big bargain or a big negotiation were legitimate.What Happens If The Tiktok Ban Takes Effect?The full impact of the TikTok ban taking effect is still unclear. The law does not ban Americans from using TikTok and wouldnt wipe it from users phones, but rather bans U.S. app stores and internet service providers from hosting it. That would mean that users could not download or update TikTok from Apple or Googles app stores, so it would grow obsolete and eventually no longer work. Oracle also wouldnt be allowed to host TikToks U.S. user data, as it does now. Though its been unclear on whether that would result in TikTok shutting down entirely in the U.S., TikTok said in a court filing that banning internet service providers from hosting the app means the company could no longer provid[e] the services that enable the TikTok platform to function, effectively shutting down TikTok in the United States, and TikToks lawyer Noel Francisco reiterated that Friday, saying its his understanding that if the ban takes effect, we go dark. Multiple outlets report TikTok is planning to totally shut off access to the app in the U.S. on Sunday should the ban take effect as scheduled, with Reuters reporting users will only see a pop up message directing them to a website with more information about the ban. TikTok has told its U.S. employees they will still have jobs and the companys U.S. offices will remain open even if the ban takes effect, The Times reports.Will The Ban Impact Possible Tiktok Alternative Lemon8?Yes, the ban is expected to similarly impact ByteDance-owned apps CapCut and Lemon8.Surprising FactIf the ban does take effect and block TikToks U.S. user data from being hosted by a U.S. company, its possible the data that TikTok already has on its American users could be moved to China, which a Forbes investigation found is what happened when India similarly banned the app. That would actually make it more likely the data could be accessed by the Chinese government, contrary to the federal laws national security goals.Key BackgroundPresident Joe Biden signed the bill requiring TikTok to leave ByteDance or else be banned into law in April, reflecting a bipartisan concern from lawmakers that the app poses a threat to national security. TikTok has long denied any wrongdoing or links to the Chinese government, but Forbes has reported numerous concerns involving the app, including TikTok spying on journalists, promoting Chinese propaganda that criticized U.S. politicians, mishandling user data and tracking sensitive words. The specific evidence the government has for justifying TikToks ban has not been made public, however, and was entirely redacted in court filings. TikTok and creators on the app sued to block the law days after it was enacted, arguing the ban unlawfully infringed on their First Amendment rights. A panel of federal judges sided with the governments argument that the ban was justified due to the national security threat and did not violate TikToks First Amendment rights, given that users can still post on the app if it just separates itself from ByteDance. The court ruled the law as it was enacted is actually a less restrictive way of handling the governments concerns about TikTok, given the fact it still allows the company to operate in the U.S. if ByteDance divests from it. TikTok appealed the case to the Supreme Court after the lower court declined to pause the law from taking effect, and the Supreme Court quickly took it up, scheduling arguments for Jan. 10 but declining to pause the law in the meantime.Further Reading

The photo illustration shows a phone screen as American TikTok users pour into the Chinese Social Media Platform Xiaohongshu, which translates as "Red Note."VCG via Getty ImagesIdeasBy Yaling JiangJanuary 16, 2025 6:44 AM ESTYaling Jiang is the founder of research and strategy consultancy ApertureChina and Chinese consumer newsletter Following the Yuan. She is a graduate of Columbia Journalism School and the University of Bath.During a recent layover in Tokyo from China to the U.S., as I was planning the ramen spot I was going to hit and friends I wanted to catch up with, I was stopped by a middle-aged border agent. This is Japan, you need a visa, he said sternly.I knew I didnt need one according to official rules, but I didnt speak Japanese to argue with him. As I turned back, thinking that I had to live like Tom Hanks in The Terminal before my next flight, I searched on Red Note. Thanks to multiple posts by people who had been in the exact same situation, I learned that I had to go to a specific counter by the corner and ask for a shore pass. I was able to enter Japan for 72 hours instead of sleeping on a bench in my 30s.Thats the kind of obscure situation Red Note has saved people out of. Since last weekend, the TikTok refugeesthe American social media users who are flocking to Red Note ahead of the U.S. ban on Sundayare being welcomed with Chinese memes, photos of food, pets, street views, and Taylor Swift lyrics. English-language tutorials are helping them navigate the Chinese app. Although Red Note may now be known as the no.1 free app in the U.S., it has since its inception in 2013 been known as a forum that caters to middle-class Chinese users niche interests and hobbiesa lifestyle guide on dining and travel, and a search engine for questions big and small. Yet the ongoing digital migrationhelped by the #TikTokrefugee hashtag that has amassed 872 million views and 16 million discussions so farwill likely be a unique and short-lived phase. And either Beijing, Washington, or Red Note itself needs to find a solution fast. From a business perspective, Red Note has achieved something TikTok owner ByteDance has been dreaming of for yearswinning overseas users without trying too hard. In 2020, ByteDance launched a knockoff version, Lemon8, and has paid users to post on it. Yet the app has struggled to retain users. It has recently benefited from the TikTok migration, now ranking at no. 2 on the U.S. app store, but almost all the buzz surrounds Red Note. Why arent more users turning instead to Weibo, Bilibili, Kwai, or indeed, the real Chinese TikTok Douyin? Red Note was initially prototyped in October 2013 by Stanford University graduate Mao Wenchao and Qu Fang as a shopping guide for female consumers. It has now evolved into a lifestyle guru for around 300 million people. The app has a highly educated audience, which includes a large diasporic population who speak fluent English. Because of their shared socio-economic background, the platforms users are keen to provide value and feedback to each other, like how I found help at the airport. It is also the most apolitical social platform in China. On Nov. 16, 2023, the day of Xi Jinpings first visit to the U.S. in years, I analyzed the trending lists on Chinese social media. While lists on other apps were peppered with items like China will be unified and must be unified (Weibo) and Biden shows a 38-year-old photo to Xi Jinping (Douyin), Red Notes users were concerned about the boundary of two married people and white people food. Its not difficult to imagine that even if U.S. users tried other Chinese platforms, they may encounter more nationalism, hostility, or, at best, indifference.For now, the posts I come across on Red Note are mostly about food, pets, and ordinary people. But what happens if political activists decide to use the platform to amplify their voices? And more likely, what happens if American users, who are used to free speech, want to verify the news theyve been hearing about China, on Tibet, Xinjiang, Taiwan, or labor rights? The hodgepodge of Western and Chinese users within the Great Firewall has created unprecedented regulatory problems that have never been dealt with by either China or the U.S. Before Red Note became a thing for Americans, China could simply block an app thats operating on its soil. But what about now?As of Wednesday, a Weibo trending item may have spelled out the solution: Red Note is urgently recruiting English content moderators [Chinese].Chinas censorship has intensified since Xi took office in 2012, with stricter measures like enhanced online real-name verification and the silencing of high-profile voices including economists, law firms, and even stock analysts. Red Notes relatively non-political user base has helped protect it. But in recent years it has increasingly featured emotional stories about economic struggles, published content banned by state media, and played host to posts that criticized Chinese officials and the government. The recent flood of American users to Red Note may push Beijing to pay more attention to the app. Indeed, Chinas censorship has routinely evolved with the times. While in middle school in the early 2000s, I sent out five postcards to Ohio as part of a cultural exchange programblocked the platform. And in 2021, I was almost sleepless when Clubhouse was live in mainland China, when many Chinese users were discussing political issues freely. That freedom lasted a mere two weeks.While the U.S. TikTok ban and censorship in China are inescapable facts, people always find a way to connectif not for on TikTok or Red Note, then somewhere else.More Must-Reads from TIMEL.A. Fires Show Reality of 1.5C of WarmingHow Canada Fell Out of Love With TrudeauTrump Is Treating the Globe Like a Monopoly BoardBad Bunny On Heartbreak and New Album10 Boundaries Therapists Want You to Set in the New YearThe Motivational Trick That Makes You Exercise HarderNicole Kidman Is a Pure Pleasure to Watch in BabygirlColumn: Jimmy Carters Global Legacy Was Moral ClarityContact us at letters@time.comTIME Ideas hosts the world's leading voices, providing commentary on events in news, society, and culture. We welcome outside contributions. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors.

Highly anticipated: After years of rumors and speculation, Nintendo has officially unveiled the successor to its highly successful Switch handheld console. The initial reveal trailer provided few details but confirmed earlier rumors about the device's design, and gave fans a brief glimpse of a new Mario Kart game. Nintendo plans to release more information in April ahead of a 2025 launch. Nintendo's two-minute reveal trailer highlights several external hardware changes from its predecessor, though performance details remain undisclosed. Hands-on previews and a full unveiling are scheduled for April.The Nintendo Switch 2 closely resembles mockups that have surfaced in recent weeks. The main unit features a larger screen, an additional top-mounted USB-C port, and an upgraded kickstand. Meanwhile, the Joy-Con controllers are shown gliding along a surface, possibly confirming previous rumors that they will gain functionality akin to a PC mouse.The trailer also revealed a new, untitled Mario Kart game, featuring only a few seconds of gameplay. The clip showcases an expansive desert environment, overhauled character designs, and starting positions for 24 racers doubling Mario Kart 8's maximum of 12.With the official announcement of the Switch 2, third-party publishers are expected to confirm more games for the system in the coming weeks. Nate the Hate, the reliable tipster who accurately predicted this week's reveal trailer, has suggested that the new Mario Kart will be a launch title and that a new 3D Mario platformer will debut during the holidays.Titles like Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Assassin's Creed Mirage, and Metal Gear Solid Delta have also been speculated. Microsoft may support the system with games like Halo, Hi-Fi Rush, and Microsoft Flight Simulator. Nintendo confirmed that the new handheld will support backward compatibility with Switch games, though a small number of titles may not be compatible.Other leaks suggest that the Switch 2 will feature graphics and performance comparable to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or Steam Deck. It is also expected to incorporate Nvidia's DLSS super resolution and hardware-assisted ray tracing.A Nintendo Direct will provide more details on April 2. In the following weeks, Nintendo plans to host public events in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Tokyo, Paris, Berlin, and Seoul, among others, where attendees can experience the Switch 2 firsthand. Nate the Hate and other sources speculate that the console may begin shipping in May or June. // Related Stories

Goldman Sachs is seeking to end its Apple Card partnership with Apply before their contract expires.According to a report from Reuters, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon told analysts in an earnings call on Wednesday that theres some possibility the companys credit card deal with the Silicon Valley giant could come to an end before their contract runs out in 2030. This comes after a Wall Street Journal report from November 2023 saying the deal would end within 12 to 15 months, as the bank wants out of the consumer business.Recommended VideosWe have a contract with Apple to run that partnership until 2030, although theres some possibility that it wont continue until that time frame, Soloman said.Please enable Javascript to view this contentGoldman Sachs entered the partnership with Apple when it launched the Apple Card in 2019, which has since gained over 12 million users as of last year. The credit card partnership turned out to be a troubled one, as it caused a laundry list of issues for the bank, including intense regulatory scrutiny, customer service problems over billing, and a net loss $1 billion last January. The billing part was due to Apples insistence on sending out credit card bills to everybody at the beginning of every month rather than on a rolling basis like most credit card companies.The problems that arose from the Apple Card partnership caused Goldman Sachs to find ways out of the deal, including talking to American Express and JPMorgan Chase about taking over the Apple Card. Meanwhile, Apple had been in talks with Synchrony Financial, Capital One and Chase about the same thing. The 15-month mark for Goldman Sachs to end the Apple Card partnership comes up in February. Well see what happens then.Editors Recommendations

The European Commissions new chief competition enforcer pushed back against concerns that the regulator might weaken its efforts to curb Big Tech companies in the bloc ahead of U.S. President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration next week.

Leaving New York AT&T kills home Internet service in NY over law requiring $15 or $20 plans AT&T pulls 5G home Internet from New York to protest state affordability law. Jon Brodkin Jan 16, 2025 12:34 pm | 50 AT&T store in New York on Monday, October 21, 2024. Credit: Getty Images | Bloomberg AT&T store in New York on Monday, October 21, 2024. Credit: Getty Images | Bloomberg Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreAT&T has stopped offering its 5G home Internet service in New York instead of complying with a new state law that requires ISPs to offer $15 or $20 plans to people with low incomes.The decision was reported yesterday by CNET and confirmed by AT&T in a statement provided to Ars today. "While we are committed to providing reliable and affordable Internet service to customers across the country, New York's broadband law imposes harmful rate regulations that make it uneconomical for AT&T to invest in and expand our broadband infrastructure in the state," AT&T said. "As a result, effective January 15, 2025, we will no longer be able to offer AT&T Internet Air, our fixed-wireless Internet service, to New York customers."New York started enforcing its Affordable Broadband Act yesterday after a legal battle of nearly four years. Broadband lobby groups convinced a federal judge to block the law in 2021, but a US appeals court reversed the ruling in April 2024, and the Supreme Court decided not to hear the case last month.The law requires ISPs with over 20,000 customers in New York to offer $15 broadband plans with download speeds of at least 25Mbps, or $20-per-month service with 200Mbps speeds. The plans only have to be offered to households that meet income eligibility requirements, such as qualifying for the National School Lunch Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or Medicaid.AT&T's Internet Air was launched in some areas in 2023 and is now available in nearly every US state. The standard price for Internet Air is $60 a month plus taxes and fees, or $47 when bundled with an eligible mobile service. Nationwide, AT&T said it added 135,000 Internet Air customers in the most recent quarter.AT&T has pitched Internet Air as a long-term replacement for DSL Internet in areas where it doesn't plan to build fiber. AT&T has said it won't build fiber home Internet in over half of its wireline footprintand will focus its fiber builds on more densely populated areas.NY is outside AT&Ts wireline territoryEnding home Internet service in New York is relatively simple for AT&T because it is outside the 21-state wireline territory in which the telco offers fiber and DSL home Internet service."AT&T Internet Air is currently available only in select areas and where AT&T Fiber is not available. New York is outside of our wireline service footprint, so we do not have other home Internet options available in the state," the company said.AT&T will continue offering its 4G and 5G mobile service in New York, as the state law only affects home Internet service. People with smartphones or other mobile devices connected to the AT&T wireless network should thus see no change.Existing New York-based users of AT&T Internet Air can only keep it for 45 days and won't be charged during that time, AT&T said. "During this transition, customers will be able to keep their existing AT&T Internet Air service for up to 45 days, at no charge, as they find other options for broadband. We will work closely with our customers throughout this transition," AT&T said.Residential users will be sent "a recovery kit with instructions on how to return their AIA equipment, while business customers can keep any device they purchased at no charge," AT&T said.Jon BrodkinSenior IT ReporterJon BrodkinSenior IT Reporter Jon is a Senior IT Reporter for Ars Technica. He covers the telecom industry, Federal Communications Commission rulemakings, broadband consumer affairs, court cases, and government regulation of the tech industry. 50 Comments