Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is availableon iTunes and Apples Podcasts app,Stitcher,TuneIn,Google Play, or through ourdedicated RSS feedfor Overcast and other podcast players.Sponsored by CardPointers: The best way to maximize your credit card rewards. 9to5Mac Daily listeners can exclusively save 30% and get a $100 Savings Card.New episodes of 9to5Mac Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as theyre available.Stories discussed in this episode:Listen & Subscribe:Subscribe to support Chance directly with 9to5Mac Daily Plus and unlock:Ad-free versions of every episodeBonus contentCatch up on 9to5Mac Daily episodes!Dont miss out on our other daily podcasts:Share your thoughts!Drop us a line at happyhour@9to5mac.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

It's about time.Failed ExperimentApple has temporarily halted its disastrous "Apple Intelligence" feature which consistently bungled its one task of summarizing breaking news alerts.An upcoming iOS 18.3 update will disable the summaries for news and entertainment apps, as the Washington Post's Geoffrey Fowler reports.Apple's admission that its feature has failed is rare for the iPhone maker,and signals the egregiousness of the disaster: for over a month, the company's feature has been consistently botching the news reporting of real publications and pushing them to the company's untold millions of users.Earlier this week, Fowler found that a recent push notification by the feature"got every fact wrong in its AI summary"of a story about Donald Trump's defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth."It's wildly irresponsible that Apple doesn't turn off summaries for news apps until it gets a bit better at this AI thing," Fowler wrote in his post on Bluesky.Pathological AIApple seems to have listened, a change serving as a tacit admission of nagging issues plaguing large language model-based products. Despite several years of being in development, tools like Apple's summarizing tool are still struggling with "hallucinations," a problem some experts believe could be intrinsic to the tech.Apple hasn't entirely given up on the feature, though, promising to bring it back after making changes.In December, the BBC filed a complaint with the tech giant after the feature consistently botched summaries of its news reporting, going so far as to falsely state that Luigi Mangione, the man suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had shot himself.At first, Apple appeared to be unwilling to stop the experiment, telling the BBC in a statement that a "software update in the coming weeks will further clarify when the text being displayed is summarization provided by Apple Intelligence."But considering the latest news, the company seems to have changed its tune in light of growing pressure.It's not just Apple Google and OpenAI have also struggled to address the "hallucination" problem, with the former's AI search feature infamously telling people to put glue on their pizzas to make sure the toppings don't slide off.More on the feature: Apple's AI Is Constantly Butchering Huge News Stories Sent to Millions of UsersShare This Article

Jan 17, 2025Ravie LakshmananFirmware Security / VulnerabilityCybersecurity researchers have disclosed three security flaws in Planet Technology's WGS-804HPT industrial switches that could be chained to achieve pre-authentication remote code execution on susceptible devices."These switches are widely used in building and home automation systems for a variety of networking applications," Claroty's Tomer Goldschmidt said in a Thursday report. "An attacker who is able to remotely control one of these devices can use them to further exploit devices in an internal network and do lateral movement."The operational technology security firm, which carried out an extensive analysis of the firmware used in these switches using the QEMU framework, said the vulnerabilities are rooted in the dispatcher.cgi interface used to provide a web service. The list of flaws is below -CVE-2024-52558 (CVSS score: 5.3) - An integer underflow flaw that can allow an unauthenticated attacker to send a malformed HTTP request, resulting in a crashCVE-2024-52320 (CVSS score: 9.8) - An operating system command injection flaw that can allow an unauthenticated attacker to send commands through a malicious HTTP request, resulting in remote code executionCVE-2024-48871 (CVSS score: 9.8) - A stack-based buffer overflow flaw that can allow an unauthenticated attacker to send a malicious HTTP request, resulting in remote code executionSuccessful exploitation of the flaws could permit an attacker to hijack the execution flow by embedding a shellcode in the HTTP request and gain the ability to execute operating system commands.Following responsible disclosure, the Taiwanese company has rolled out patches for the shortcomings with version 1.305b241111 released on November 15, 2024.Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

2025 is going to be a very busy year for Marvel. Weeks after the premiere of the final season ofWhat If...?and days after the debut ofFriendly Neighborhood Spider-ManSeason 1, the first of three 2025 Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbusters debuts in theaters.ItsCaptain America: Brave New World, with Anthony Mackies Sam Wilson fully adopting the mantle of Captain America from Steve Rogers, and then navigating a conflict with the United States new President, played by Harrison Ford. Clearly things dont gogreatbetween them, because as the new TV spot for the film shows, Sam winds upfighting theFords Thunderbolt Ross in the form of the new(and red)Hulk. (Also part of the White House blows up in the trailer? Sam, cmon, get it together.)Watch the newBrave New Worldteaser below:READ MORE: Every Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie, Ranked From Worst to BestThe details of the plot are still a little fuzzy here, but they do seem to involve a brewing international conflict over the dead body of the Celestial that was left poking out of the Earths crust at the end of Eternals. (Remember that? Marvel kind of forgot about that for a couple years, but now thatcliffhanger is finally paying off. Or at leastthatone specificEternalscliffhangeris paying off. Whether we ever see Harry Styles character from that movie again remains to be seen.)Here is Brave New Worldsofficial synopsis:In Captain America: Brave New World, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident after meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.Get it? Seeing red? Clever.Captain America: Brave New Worldis scheduled to open in theaters on February 14. Tickets for the film are on sale now.Get our free mobile appThe Best Marvel Movies Not Made By Marvel Studios

Are YOU passionate about media buying, creative strategy & CRO?Do YOU want to lead a full paid marketing team to increase AOV, profitability, and help us scale our paid advertising? If youre nodding a resounding YES!keep reading!We are an 8-figure ecommerce brand that sells products for kids in more than 15 countries. We launched the brand at the beginning of 2022 and scaled it from 0 to multiple 7 figures in our first year, did 8 figures in sales in 2023 and multiple 8 figures in 2024.If you're sick of flat lining in your career and ready for growth, apply to join our team now. Our goal is to become a 9-figure brand within the next couple of years and innovate our industry by introducing custom and unique products that will help our customers' lives.And THATS where you come in.Were seeking a results-driven and detail-oriented Head of Performance Marketing to lead our marketing initiatives and ensure our strategies are aligned with business objectives. But first, are you the RIGHT FIT? Our CEO, Simone Nanni, has recorded a short video explaining our expectations and what success looks like in this role. This is your chance to ensure you're truly aligned with what were looking for. Watch the Video HereIMPORTANT: Make sure to watch it before applying!QualificationsMinimum 1-year prior experience as a Head of Growth or Head of Performance Marketing in a D2C ecommerce brand.Strong and very extensive understanding of CRO, creative strategy & media buying.Intermediate email marketing knowledge (minimum).Passion for data-driven marketing strategy.Strong grasp of unit economics and offer creation aligned with those metrics.Expertise in funnels and their application to eCommerce.In-depth knowledge of upsells and cross-sells, and how to integrate them into a funnel.Intermediate (minimum) copywriting knowledge, working alongside a copywriting team.Strong communication skills (both visual and written).Ability to multitask and manage multiple projects at the same time in a fast-paced environment, without becoming overwhelmed.Outgoing personality with great interpersonal skills.Enthusiasm for staying on top of marketing trends and applying them strategically.Growth-orientedReady to take on a challengeNot looking for a 9-5 but rather willing to put in anything required to grow the businessResponsibilitiesLead and supervise our media buying, CRO, creative strategy, and email marketing teams:Live by the Forecasts: Continuously monitor our performance against the set forecasts. Regularly assess progress to ensure we stay on track to achieve our goals. If we fall short, identify the root causes, and take proactive steps to address them. Develop and execute actionable plans to close any gaps, ensuring our trajectory aligns with the forecasted targetsSupervise New Offers Creation: Supervise the offers created by our CRO team for current and new products.Supervise Upsells/Crossell Strategy: Supervise the creation of upsell funnels, including OCUs, advertorials, video sales letters (VSLs).Supervise A/B Testing: Supervise the design, coordination, and assessment of A/B tests across products; analyzing results to refine the company's funnel roadmap.Collaborate with Head of Product: Collaborate with the Head of Product to Develop and optimize upsells together with the CRO specialists, including post-purchase and cart upsells.Supervise our Email Marketing Team: Work closely with the email marketing manager to ensure we are growing the email channel according to forecast.Supervise the Market Research from the Creative Strategist: Work closely with our creative strategist to analyze the market research for a new or an existing product done by them.Supervise the Quality of Copy: From time to time, check the quality of the copies written by the scriptwriters to ensure that it meets our standards.Act as a Copy Chief for our Copywriters: Quality check the copy written by our copywriters for advertorials, product pages, VSLs, etc.Supervise our Media Buying Team: Check weekly the performance of our ads to ensure the media buyers are optimizing for profits, getting the best possible MER.Supervise Creative Strategist: Check in weekly with the creative strategist about new ideas that we are producing for our creatives & new iterations and give feedback.Our Core ValuesRespect: We value every individuals dignity and foster inclusivity and trust.Integrity: We do the right thing, always.Transparency: Open, honest communication is key.Ownership: We hold ourselves accountable and learn from mistakes.Growth Mindset: We continuously strive for improvement, both individually and as a team.Hard Work: Dedication and commitment drive our success.Why Join Us?Growth: From $0 to $30M/year in under 3 years. Our goal? $100M/year in the next two years.Dynamic Culture: Challenge and support each other to grow.Professional Development: Infinite opportunities as we scale to 9-figures.Perks: Yearly paid vacations, funded learning & mentorship opportunities.Healthy Competition: Drive continuous improvement with a competitive mindset.CompensationSalary is negotiable. We are seeking the best talent and dont want salary to be a barrierit will reflect your skills, experience, and the value you bring to the company.To applyFill out this Google Form to apply.Note:Due to the high volume of applications, we may not be able to respond to all candidates individually. If you do not hear from us within 1 month, please consider your application unsuccessful. Thank you for your understanding and interest in this role!

When you think of AIs contributions to science, you probably think of AlphaFold, the Google DeepMind protein-folding program that earned its creator a Nobel Prize last year. Now OpenAI says its getting into the science game toowith a model for engineering proteins. The company says it has developed a language model that dreams up proteins capable of turning regular cells into stem cellsand that it has handily beat humans at the task. The work represents OpenAIs first model focused on biological data and its first public claim that its models can deliver unexpected scientific results. As such, it is a step toward determining whether or not AI can make true discoveries, which some argue is a major test on the pathway to artificial general intelligence. Last week, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said he was confident his company knows how to build an AGI, adding that superintelligent tools could massively accelerate scientific discovery and innovation well beyond what we are capable of doing on our own. The protein engineering project started a year ago when Retro Biosciences, a longevity research company based in San Francisco, approached OpenAI about working together. That link-up did not happen by chance. Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, personally funded Retro with $180 million, as MIT Technology Review first reported in 2023. Retro has the goal of extending the normal human lifespan by 10 years. For that, it studies what are called Yamanaka factors. Those are a set of proteins that, when added to a human skin cell, will cause it to morph into a young-seeming stem cell, a type that can produce any other tissue in the body. Its a phenomenon that researchers at Retro, and at richly funded companies like Altos Labs, see as the possible starting point for rejuvenating animals, building human organs, or providing supplies of replacement cells. But such cell reprogramming is not very efficient. It takes several weeks, and less than 1% of cells treated in a lab dish will complete the rejuvenation journey. OpenAIs new model, called GPT-4b micro, was trained to suggest ways to re-engineer the protein factors to increase their function. According to OpenAI, researchers used the models suggestions to change two of the Yamanaka factors to to be more than 50 times as effectiveat least according to some preliminary measures. Just across the board, the proteins seem better than what the scientists were able to produce by themselves, says John Hallman, an OpenAI researcher. Hallman and OpenAIs Aaron Jaech, as well as Rico Meinl from Retro, were the models lead developers. Outside scientists wont be able to tell if the results are real until theyre published, something the companies say they are planning. Nor is the model available for wider useits still a bespoke demonstration, not an official product launch. This project is meant to show that were serious about contributing to science, says Jaech. But whether those capabilities will come out to the world as a separate model or whether theyll be rolled into our mainline reasoning modelsthats still to be determined. The model does not work the same way as Googles AlphaFold, which predicts what shape proteins will take. Since the Yamanaka factors are unusually floppy and unstructured proteins, OpenAI said, they called for a different approach, which its large language models were suited to. The model was trained on examples of protein sequences from many species, as well as information on which proteins tend to interact with one another. While thats a lot of data, its just a fraction of what OpenAIs flagship chatbots were trained on, making GPT-4b an example of a small language model that works with a focused data set. Once Retro scientists were given the model, they tried to steer it to suggest possible redesigns of the Yamanaka proteins. The prompting tactic used is similar to the few-shot method, in which a user queries a chatbot by providing a series of examples with answers, followed by an example for the bot to respond to. Although genetic engineers have ways to direct evolution of molecules in the lab, they can usually test only so many possibilities. And even a protein of typical length can be changed in nearly infinite ways (since theyre built from hundreds of amino acids, and each acid comes in 20 possible varieties). OpenAIs model, however, often spits out suggestions in which a third of the amino acids in the proteins were changed. OPENAI We threw this model into the lab immediately and we got real-world results, says Retros CEO, Joe Betts-Lacroix. He says the models ideas were unusually good, leading to improvements over the original Yamanaka factors in a substantial fraction of cases. Vadim Gladyshev, a Harvard University aging researcher who consults with Retro, says better ways of making stem cells are needed. For us, it would be extremely useful. [Skin cells] are easy to reprogram, but other cells are not, he says. And to do it in a new speciesits often extremely different, and you dont get anything. How exactly the GPT-4b arrives at its guesses is still not clearas is often the case with AI models. Its like when AlphaGo crushed the best human at Go, but it took a long time to find out why, says Betts-Lacroix. We are still figuring out what it does, and we think the way we apply this is only scratching the surface. OpenAI says no money changed hands in the collaboration. But because the work could benefit Retrowhose biggest investor is Altmanthe announcement may add to questions swirling around the OpenAI CEOs side projects. Last year, the Wall Street Journal said Altmans wide-ranging investments in private tech startups amount to an opaque investment empire that is creating a mounting list of potential conflicts, since some of these companies also do business with OpenAI. In Retros case, simply being associated with Altman, OpenAI, and the race toward AGI could boost its profile and increase its ability to hire staff and raise funds. Betts-Lacroix did not answer questions about whether the early-stage company is currently in fundraising mode. OpenAI says Altman was not directly involved in the work and that it never makes decisions based on Altmans other investments.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"The World Architecture Community has announced the winners of WA Awards 10+5+X 49th Cycle in Architecture, and Student categories.We have 34 different winning projects from 18 different countries with a fantastic mix of building types, spanning from Iran, South Korea, Colombia, Finland, Saudi Arabia to Slovenia, Japan, United Kingdom.In short, the winning countries can be listed as Turkey, Japan, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates, India, Iran, Vietnam, Spain, South Korea, China, Saudi Arabia, Netherlands, Finland, Oman, Palestine, Colombia, United Kingdom, and Bangladesh.Akshay Heranjal's Center For Inclusive Growth & Competitiveness For TAPMI in India won the WA Award in the 49th Cycle in the Architecture/Realised category. Image SURYAN //DANGWA Awards 10+5+X 49th Cycle Architecture/Realised categoryIn the Architecture/Realised category, Akshay Heranjal's project; Center For Inclusive Growth & Competitiveness For TAPMI in India, MIA Design Studio's The Park in Vietnam, Schiattarella Associati's Diriyah Art Futures. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Pablo Gil's House On The Cliff in Spain are among the winners of the WA Awards 49th Cycle.In addition, Babak Hassanpour's Adib Apartment in Iran, YKH Associates' Hillmaru Country Club in South Korea, Sungho Ko's SEONYUDOWON in South Korea were awarded by the Votings of WAC Community Members in the Architecture/Realised category.Scroll down for the winning Architecture/Realised projects below:- Selected by the votes of Honorary Members and Winners in earlier cycles (10 projects)Center for Inclusive Growth & Competitiveness for TAPMI, India, by Akshay HeranjalAdib Apartment, Iran by Babak HassanpourThe Park, Vietnam, by MIA Design StudioHouse on the Cliff, Spain, by Pablo GilHillmaru Country Club, South Korea, by YKH AssociatesCHILAMSAGYE, South Korea, by Sungho KoHubei Three Gorges Resettlement Museum, China, by Dongzhu ChuSes Veles Puigpunyent, Spain, by Joan FortunySunglim Mokjang, South Korea, by Sungho KoDiriyah Art Futures. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia, by Schiattarella Associati- Selected democratically, through the votings of community members (+5 projects)Adib Apartment, Iran by Babak HassanpourHouse on the Cliff, Spain, by Pablo GilHillmaru Country Club, South Korea, by YKH AssociatesYeongJongDo Onnuri Church, South Korea, by Hyung-Chul ShinSEONYUDOWON, South Korea, by Sungho KoYazgan Design Architecture's Ayvalk Stone House in Turkey won the WA Award in the 49th Cycle in the Architecture/Realised category. Image Yazgan Design ArchitectureWA Awards 10+5+X 49th Cycle Architecture/Designed categoryIn the Architecture/Designed category, Yazgan Design Architecture's Ayvalk Stone House in Turkey, Sanjay Puri Architects' Earth Home in India, Ghasem Navaei's Dubai Seahouse in United Arab Emirates, Meysam Feizi's Laanak Villa in Iran are among the winners of the WA Awards 49th Cycle. These winning projects were selected by the Votes of Honorary Members and Winners in earlier cycles.GK Archi's Calla Garden 2 in Vietnam, ROOM+ Design & Build's Leaning House in Vietnam, Ghasem Navaei's Malek-Cheshme Therm in Iran were awarded by the Votings of WAC Community Members in the Architecture/Designed category.Scroll down for the winning Architecture/Designed projects below:- Selected by the votes of Honorary Members and Winners in earlier cycles (10 projects)Ayvalk Stone House, Turkey, by Yazgan Design ArchitectureMalek-Cheshme Therm, Iran, by Ghasem NavaeiLaanak Villa, Iran, by Meysam FeiziEarth Home, India, Sanjay Puri ArchitectsPassive house blessed with sun space for grapevine, Japan, by Kikuma WatanabeRhythm Ankara, Turkey, by ACE ArchitectureCalla Garden 2, Vietnam, by GK ArchiRoute Home, Slovenia, by Anton ZizekDubai Seahouse, United Arab Emirates, by Ghasem NavaeiRe-walled, Iran, by Mohammadjavad Abdolhoseini- Selected democratically, through the votings of community members (+5 projects)Ayvalk Stone House, Turkey, by Yazgan Design ArchitectureMalek-Cheshme Therm, Iran, by Ghasem NavaeiLaanak Villa, Iran, by Meysam FeiziCalla Garden 2, Vietnam, by GK ArchiLeaning House, Vietnam, by ROOM+ Design & BuildSantiago Caballero Barrios' The School In The Park in Colombia won the WA Award in the 49th Cycle in the Architecture/Student category. Image courtesy of Santiago Caballero BarriosWA Awards 10+5+X 49th Cycle Architecture/Student categoryIn the Architecture/Student category, Elif Ertemiz's Harbour Metabolism in the Netherlands, Luan Fontes' Force of Nature: Helsinki Design Museum in Finland, Santiago Caballero Barrios' The School in the Park in Colombia, Xinyue Geng's Let's Play! - A Journey Of Regeneration And Reconnection In Glasgow are among the winners of the WA Awards 49th Cycle. These winning projects were selected by the Votes of Honorary Members and Winners in earlier cycles.Additionally, Feride Ege's Collaborative Health Nexus Museum in Turkey, Abdul Mateen's Weaving Nizwa in Oman, Nusrat Nasrin Ananna's Unveiling Biodiversity: A Natural History Museum Complex for Discovering the Treasures of Bangladesh were awarded by the Votings of WAC Community Members in the Architecture/Student category.Scroll down for the winning Architecture/Student projects below:- Selected by the votes of Honorary Members and Winners in earlier cycles (10 projects)Harbour Metabolism, the Netherlands, by Elif ErtemizCollaborative Health Nexus Museum, Turkey, by Feride EgeForce of Nature: Helsinki Design Museum, Finland, by Luan FontesWeaving Nizwa, Oman, by Abdul MateenSocial Factory: Basmane, Turkey, by Zeynep DemircanRight to Dwell: Rethinking Refugees Shelter Design, the Case of Al-Zaatari Camp, Palestine, by Ruba AbuGheithThe School in the Park, Colombia, by Santiago Caballero BarriosLet's Play! - A Journey Of Regeneration And Reconnection, Glasgow, by Xinyue GengReviving Old Cairo, United Arab Emirates, by Rawan KhedrLayered-Void Hub: Void's Evolution Layers Unveiling Transformation, Turkey, by Hakan ahin- Selected democratically, through the votings of community members (+5 projects)Collaborative Health Nexus Museum, Turkey, by Feride EgeWeaving Nizwa, Oman, by Abdul MateenSocial Factory: Basmane, Turkey, by Zeynep DemircanReviving Old Cairo, United Arab Emirates, by Rawan KhedrUnveiling Biodiversity: A Natural History Museum Complex for Discovering the Treasures of Bangladesh, Bangladesh, by Nusrat Nasrin AnannaOne Cycle ends as another starts...With this announcement, we'd like to remind you that the 50th Cycle of WA Awards is now open for submissions. You can submit your entries until31 March2025 (23:59 GMT +0).If you also want your project to get the recognition it deserves, make sure to participate before the deadline is over.Your starting point is How to Participate page. Read more about WA Awards 10+5+X.Top image in the article (from left to right): Yazgan Design Architecture's Ayvalk Stone House ( Yazgan Design Architecture), Meysam Feizi's Laanak Villa (Iman Panahi), YKH Associates' Hillmaru Country Club (Dongwook Jung), Akshay Heranjal's Center For Inclusive Growth & Competitiveness For TAPMI ( SURYAN //DANG), MIA Design Studio's The Park (Chien Trieu), Sungho Ko's Sunglim Mokjang ( Dohwa Kang), Feride Ege's Collaborative Health Nexus Museum ( Feride Ege), Xinyue Geng's Let's Play! - A Journey Of Regeneration And Reconnection In Glasgow ( Xinyue Geng).

Institute wants more stringent safety regulations in non-residential buildingsin its full response to Grenfell Inquiry reportRIBA has called for non-residential buildings including schools and train stations to be classed as higher risk under the Building Safety Regulations in its full response to last years Grenfell Inquiry phase 2 report.The institute wants all assembly buildings, defined in Approved Document B of the regulations as buildings other than dwelling houses as places where people gather for entertainment or recreation, to be subject to more stringent regulatory controls.A busy train station in LondonThe definition encompasses a broad range of building types including places of worship, law courts, conference centres, film studios and public toilets, along with transport nodes such as airports.Leisure buildings such as museums, sports stadiums, cinemas, theatres, music venues, art galleries, gyms, casinos, zoos, skating rinks, funfairs and amusement arcades are also included in the definition.Educational buildings classed as places of assembly include indoor swimming pools, riding schools, sport pavilions, libraries and dancing schools, while health facilities including day centres, clinics and surgeries also fall under the definition.Currently, higher risk buildings are classed as buildings over 18 metres in height with at least two dwellings, and must have any construction work signed off by approved building safety inspectors.RIBAs recommendations come four months after the publication of the Grenfell Inquirys report on 4 September last year with 58 recommendations for improving building safety, and ahead of the governments official response to the report in March.The institute has also backed the inquirys call for a single statutory body like the Engineering Council to oversee a comprehensive competence system for construction professionals and a holistic review of Approved Document B.It wants both staircases in new residential buildings to required to function as fire-fighting staircases and a broader use of sprinklers across both new and converted buildings where there is a higher risk to vulnerable occupants.Where existing residential buildings over 18m only have one staircase, it is calling for refurbishments with appropriate safety measures as consequential improvements.Where retrofitting a second staircase in these buildings is not possible, it has urged alternative safety measures including evacuation lifts and better fire alarm systems.> Also read:We will deliver a generational shift Why the Grenfell Inquiry report means another building safety shake-upRIBA has also backed the inquirys call for a single secretary of state to oversee fire safety, and a chief construction advisor to the government who is a suitably qualified person such as a chartered professional.On operational changes, it would like to see independent research and development on construction product testing standards to restore faith, obligations of different project team members on construction schemes better defined and for all safety critical guidance to be freely available.RIBA board chair Jack Pringle said the inquiry report made clear the need for a fundamental shift in culture and behaviours.The long-term efficacy of the construction sector hinges on making these evidence-based changes. It remains our duty to drive meaningful reform at all levels to deliver a built environment in which the public has complete confidence.The inquirys phase 2 report looked into the causes of the fire which killed 72 people at Grenfell tower in June 2017 and followed seven years of hearings with evidence given by hundreds of people involved in the flawed refurbishment of the building which led to the disaster.

The London-based practices proposal for the seaside town would see the site a now-demolished office building and associated car park redeveloped into a mixed use community with 26 new homes, 40 per cent of which would be affordable.The plans, for the former Carnarvon House and car park include new green space, community space, and makerspace, as well as a new more accessible connection to the seafront.Conran and Partners was appointed to the job by Tendring District Council (TDC).AdvertisementThe scheme forms part of the councils wider 30 million regeneration of Clacton-on-Seas town centre, following a successful bid for government funding by TDC and its partners. Source:Conran and PartnersA 420,000 grant from phase two of the government's Brownfield Land Release Fund will fund the now-complete demolition of Carnarvon House and further preparation works on the site.Conran and Partners said its design for the seafront site draws inspiration from Clactons Victorian heritage and the piers playful architecture.The proposed buildings include a four-storey residential block plus a series of five flexible mixed-use spaces and workshops, which will be managed by the local authority.Existing street-level parking will be relocated into a new four-storey, steel-framed structure behind an existing supermarket to create new green space, while other pockets of green space, play areas and seating will be spread throughout the site to mediate between the building typologies, according to Conran and Partners.AdvertisementThe architects said the scheme would meet local demand and regenerate a key car park area notorious for antisocial behaviour.Nick Edler, associate director at Conran and Partners, said the project would act as a catalyst for Clacton-on-Sea, giving back to the local community with new Council-run spaces, while creating a moment of pause a green stepping-stone between the station and the seafront.

What sleep hacks have you tried? Many of the most popular options have promising results, like reading in bed or having a soothing cup of tea. But after you've tried a few, it can be discouraging to find the best fit for you. One you might not have thought of is light yoga. It's one of our favorite calming activities to do before bed.There's some science behind why yoga can help you sleep better. Yoga and breathing techniques help calm your nervous system, which puts your body in a more relaxed state, ideal to help you fall asleep. However, you need to know the right poses to make that happen, because not all poses will assist you with your sleep issues. The key is to aim for relaxing movements that help calm your body and clear your head.If you've landed on yoga as a solution you'd like to try, keep reading to see the top yoga poses we recommend for better sleep.For more natural ways to get better sleep, try these seven sleep aids for insomnia, or check out our sleep tips from CNET's wellness editors.Read more: Best Mattresses for 2024How yoga can help you sleep Yoga, much like any form of exercise, can be a beneficial way to unwind and alleviate stress. Research suggests that engaging in yoga may lead to reduced levels of cortisol, the hormone associated with stress. The extent of cortisol reduction may vary depending on factors such as the frequency and intensity of yoga practice. Additionally, some studies have shown promising results regarding yoga's impact on depression symptoms. Yoga can complement traditional treatment approaches and promote overall well-being.So, what does this mean for your sleep? Well, cortisol levels have a significant influence on sleep patterns. Higher cortisol levels are often associated with difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. A study conducted in 2019 found that incorporating yoga into one's routine can have a positive effect on treating and alleviating symptoms of insomnia. These findings suggest that practicing yoga may offer potential benefits for improving sleep quality and overall sleep health.9 yoga poses to try before bedThese poses are for any level of experience and are easy enough for beginner yogis. While moving between these poses, remember to pay attention to your breath and where you feel most tension in your body. Breathe and try to relax if you experience any discomfort. Move through these poses for about 20 to 30 minutes before bed.Read more:Best Yoga Mats for 20241. Cat-cow poseTo get into this pose, start on your hands and knees. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart, and your knees should be below your hips. Take a deep breath and tilt your head towards the ceiling while also sticking up your pelvis, which should mimic a "cow." Then, on your exhale, arch your back and bring both your head and pelvis down like a "cat." You can repeat these two motions a few times before moving on.2. Forward foldThis pose is as easy as standing up straight and leaning over to reach for your toes. If you are able, place your hands on the ground. If you are unable to touch your toes, you can do a half-forward fold and grab below your knees. Looking for a challenge? Try reaching around your ankles and holding on. Make sure your back is straight and you are taking deep breaths.3. Bridge poseStart by lying down on your back, legs and arms stretched out and on the ground. Take a deep breath, raise your core off the ground and shift your arms closer to your body to balance. Your knees should be at a 90-degree angle. Your hands can lie flat, or you can bring them together underneath your core.4. Happy babyThis is an easy pose to transition into after Bridge, since you start this pose on your back. Lift your legs to the ceiling and out a little past your shoulders (or however far you can go). Then, grab onto the outside of your feet with both hands. Gently rock left and right to relieve tension in your lower back.5. Legs-up-the-wallYou will need to clear a space beside a wall for this pose. Facing the wall, lie on your back and walk your legs up high or lift your hips with your arms. Your hips can be against the wall or a little away. Once you get in a comfortable spot and you feel like you can balance, stretch your arms out beside you. This pose is great for destressing and improving your circulation.6. Child's poseYou can start this pose by kneeling or getting on your hands and knees. Tuck your feet underneath your hips and bring your head close to the ground. Reach your hands out in front of you, stretching your spine. The further you reach, the better the stretch will be for you. Getty Images/Mapodile/E+7. Seated twistIf you are coming out of Child's pose for this next one, sit back up and extend your legs out in front of you. Cross one leg over the other, pulling the heel of the crossed leg to your outer thigh. With the opposite arm, cross your body and twist yourself, pushing with your elbow on the raised knee. Twist and breathe. Repeat with the other side before moving on.8. Butterfly poseFrom a seated position, straighten your posture and press the bottom of both your feet together. Placing your hands on your feet, attempt to press your hips as low as you can to the ground. The lower you go, the bigger the stretch. If you are looking for more of a challenge, move your feet closer to your body.9. Head-to-knee poseThis is a basic pose. Start in a seated position with your legs out in front of you. Bring one foot to the inner thigh of your opposite leg and extend your hands out over your extended leg. Sit up taller, breathe deeply and grab ahold of your foot in front of you. If you can't fully reach your foot, no problem: Grab your ankle or the back of your knee. Lean into the stretch and try to bring your forehead to your knee. Repeat on the opposite side.Still want more? Learn how getting some sun can improve your sleep, which foods to eat for a happiness boost and how the Scandinavian sleep method might save your relationship.