Storied fashion brand Bottega Veneta shines again in their newest foray, lighting. In collaboration with Italian lighting brand Flos, a special edition of Gino Sarfattis iconic Model 600 table lamp is now available. The lamp was originally designed in 1966, which also happens to be the same year Bottega Veneta was founded in Vincenza.The Model 600 gets a refreshing update, taking the soft paneled lamp bottom and featuring the signature Bottega Veneta Intrecciato and in Intreccio Foulard weave patterns. This adds dimension and texture, with a subtle nod to Bottega branding. The soft base can be placed at multiple angles, allowing for a jaunty tilt a fun accent for a nightstand or side table.The Model 600 is perfect for floor or table use, providing precise yet relaxing lighting. Both direct or indirect light can be achieved easily with the simple angling of the reflector. The lamp is available in small and large editions, and in a variety of colors, including black, grey, red, emerald green, and signature Bottega Veneta green.Born in 1962 in Merano, Italy, Flos is recognized as a leading international-level manufacturer of top-end designer lights and advanced lighting systems. Seeing no contradiction between creative imagination and business project, Sergio Gandini began to manage Flos in 1963. He spurred a think tank type of design philosophy, largely new within the area of lighting. Constantly inspired to push the boundaries of lighting, they have always understood the power of collaboration, having worked with influential designers in the past, including Konstantin Grcic, Philippe Starck, and Achille Castiglioni.Bottega Veneta is known for their luxury leather goods, their extensive history stretching across decades. Known around the world for their signature style, the Intrecciato, which increases the durability and pliability of the leather, while also adding a special level of fine craftsmanship and interest. This style can be seen on their ready-to-wear clothing, handbags, shoes, and accessories, an immediate brand signifier. Extending this pattern to lighting, and especially such a beautiful piece of Italian Modernist tradition, is a natural evolution.For more on the special edition Model 600 table lamp by Bottega Veneta for Flos, visit flos.com.

If youre in need of a luxurious vacation, look no further than your backyard. Monica Armanis Trentino Collection for Brown Jordan is turning outdoor living into an art form. Inspired by the serene Adige Valley landscapes that Armani calls home, the collection effortlessly blends natural beauty with meticulous craftsmanship the definition of alfresco elegance. With 16 thoughtfully designed pieces, Trentino invites you to reimagine your outdoor spaces.This collection is truly a love letter to outdoor living and togetherness, says Ben Collins, President of Brown Jordan. And it shows. From spacious sofas to perfectly proportioned side tables, every piece is made to create an outdoor sanctuary that feels as indulgent as a five-star resort.The durable powder-coated aluminum frames and hand-woven ropes create a striking contrast of materiality and color. Plush, inviting cushions provide superior support, whether youre hosting grand dinner parties or just indulging in a solo siesta outdoors.Beyond its aesthetics, the Trentino Collection proves that form and function can coexist beautifully. The dining tables are topped with high-performance Dekton, making them resistant to stains, UV rays, and scratches. Even after years of summer barbecues, theyll remain pristine. The Armchair, Lounge Chair, Loveseat, and Sofa are designed with generous depth and lush cushions, inviting you to linger outdoors all day and night. Its a sentiment Armani herself champions, as nature was always at the heart of this collaboration. The outdoors and how we connect with nature has always been a constant source of inspiration for my work, she says. Partnering with Brown Jordans 80-year legacy of outdoor design, this collaboration perfectly celebrates the art of outdoor living.Whether youre planning intimate wine nights or grand garden soirees, Trentinos flexible configurations and range of chairs and tables cater to gatherings of all sizes. With the Trentino Collection, every day can feel like a vacation worlds away.To learn more about the Trentino Collection by Monica Armani for Brown Jordan, visit brownjordan.com.

Renovating your home is an opportunity to personalize a space, improve its usability, and simply have a more beautiful place to live. But theres a price to pay for those benefitsboth in terms of stress and disruption and in terms of money. The average whole house remodel costs anywhere from $20,000 to $100,000, which is a lot of money for most people. Even if you line up robust financing for the project and focus on projects that will also pay emotional dividends by making you happier, splashing out that kind of money will raise anyones heart rate.You probably cant just do all the work yourself to save some cashbut you can take some steps to keep those costs as low as possible. DIY demoIf youre going beyond a facelift in your house, chances are youre going to need some demolition done. This typically costs a few thousand dollars, depending on the scale of the project and the conditions in the house. The good news is that demolition is a facet of home renovation that you can almost certainly do yourself as long as youre very careful and wear protective gear like safety glasses, robust work gloves, and a mask or respirator. Smashing cabinets off the kitchen wall or tearing up floorboards usually requires very little skill and a whole lot of sweat equity, and it can save you some real money.Be your own general contractorA lot of people hire general contractors to handle their home renovations for a good reason: Home renovations are complex and require not just management and logistic skills but also a fair knowledge of building codes and every individual discipline involved, from plumbing to masonry.But general contractors arent in it for lovethey typically charge a markup of 15-20% on top of the renovation cost. That means you could save a lot of money by acting as your own GC, which is perfectly legal and possible to do. On a large project with a budget of $50,000, for example, acting as your own GC could save you $10,000.Or: It could cost you twice as much if you mess it up. Take a moment to ask yourself if you have the time and background to be an effective general contractor, which involves at its most basic level hiring and coordinating several subcontractors, setting up a schedule so everyone can get their part of the work done properly, arranging for permits and inspections, and managing the purchase, delivery, and inspection of materials. Its a big job and often well worth the extra costbut if you have some experience in construction and a talent for logistics, it offers a great opportunity to save some cash.Buy your own materialsWhen you hire contractors, they often make acquiring the necessary materials part of their service. Which is great, but it also means you lose control over the costs unless you negotiate it into a contract. Buying your own materials adds an extra bit of complexity to the planning, but can save you some money since you will likely put more energy into finding sales, special offers, and alternative materials than the contractor would have.Keep in mind that your contractors may have very good reasons for using a specific brand or level of product, and you may meet resistance if you insist on using an alternative. It pays to listen to expertise. But if theres no discernible difference aside from price, you can save yourself some money by acting as your own procurement officer.Phase out appliancesIf youre renovating a kitchen or laundry room, you can spare yourself some sticker shock with one simple trick: patience. If the appliances still work (and youre not planning on radically changing their size) you can shave a few thousand bucks off the initial renovation cost by keeping them and replacing them over time when things go on sale.The average kitchen package (refrigerator, microwave, oven, and dishwasher) runs between $2,100 and $5,400, and a washer/dryer set can run as much as $2,300. If you can live with the old and busted versions for a while, you can shave close to nine grand off the up-front cost of the reno with the option to upgrade the appliances later whenever it makes sense.Ask for discountsMany businesses supplying renovation materials offer trade discounts, so if you have any connection to the construction or real estate world, you might be able to convince them to offer you the price cut. For example, if you run an Airbnb, you can reasonably claim to be in the hospitality business, which might qualify you for a discount. And contractors often have access to discounts that most people dont get, and they may be willing to extend them to you if you simply ask nicelywhich could be as easy as letting you use their license info to get a price break at a big box hardware store, or using a contractors name at a vendor.Contractors arent obligated to do so, of course, but it doesnt hurt to askand a few percentage points off the price here and there can add up into significant savings.

Smartphone notifications are a constant accompaniment to everyday lifefrom texts and calls to breaking news and messages from your smart video doorbelland to avoid non-stop distractions, you need to figure out the best way to configure the notification controls your phone gives you.We've already covered customizing notifications on Android, and the iPhone also gives you plenty of control over the pings and buzzes you hear. In fact, there are more options for alerts in iOS than you might have realized if you haven't dug deeply into the settingsso you'll find a full rundown below.While they're not talked about in this particular guide, remember that individual appslike WhatsApp, Slack, and Instagramhave their own notification settings inside the apps themselves. You can use these to further fine-tune how notifications appear on your phone (Slack, for example, lets you pause alerts during certain times of the day).The basics of sound and hapticsTo start at the start, if you choose Sounds & Haptics from the main iPhone Settings menu, you can configure sounds and vibrations across the whole of iOS. You can set the ringtone and notification volume from here, and set alert sounds for key events like calls, texts, voicemails, reminders, and emails. If you don't want a specific alert to make a sound, tap the alert and choose None.If you have a newer iPhone with an Action Button, you'll see a Silent Mode toggle switch at the topsilent mode can also be launched with the Action Button, and via the Ring/Silent slider on older iPhones without an Action Button. With silent mode enabled, none of your incoming notifications will make a sound, though they will trigger vibrations. Your iPhone comes with a Silent Mode setting. Credit: Lifehacker If you'd rather not have the vibrations eitherand want a completely quiet phone you can ignore until you're ready to look at ittap Haptics. The next menu lets you choose if vibrations always play alongside notifications, only play in silent mode, only play out of silent mode, or never play.The settings here don't affect what you see on screen: Visually, the notifications appear as normal, so if you're looking at your iPhone, you'll see them. If you come back to your phone after a break, they'll be waiting for you. However, the sounds and haptics options do give you a quick and easy way of making notifications less distracting across the board.Setting app notification optionsIn addition to everything you can do via the Sounds & Haptics menu in Settings, you can make changes to notifications from individual apps from the Notifications menu, also in Settings. At the top, you can set how you want them to work in general, whether you want them stacked or listed, or summarized with Apple Intelligence, for example.Scroll down and you get to a full list of all the apps installed on your iPhone. Tap through on an app to customize its notifications, or to turn them off entirely: You can choose whether or not the alerts show up on the lock screen, in the Notification Center, and as banners at the top of the screen, as well as control grouping and preview behavior. You can configure individual app notifications. Credit: Lifehhacker On some apps (including Messages and FaceTime) you can choose a specific notification sound to use, and for every app, you can have sounds enabled or disabled (as far as vibrations go, apps will follow the rules from the sounds and haptics settings). You can also set whether banner alerts are temporary or persistent.These settings control not just the sounds that notifications make, but whether they turn up at all: If you turn off notifications for an app, you won't be disturbed by it, but you'll need to go into that app to be able to see if there's anything new there. You'll need to strike a balance between avoiding distractions and staying informed.Using Focus modes on the iPhoneThere's another layer to iPhone notifications: focus modes. These modes act like Do Not Disturb with extras, and let you have different settings for notifications at different times of the day. You could silence all social media messaging apps while you're at work, for example, and silence work-related apps while you're at home.Head to Focus from Settings to see what's available. Even if you've never used the Focus feature before, you'll see several modes already created for youfor when you're driving, when you're sleeping, or when you're working out, for example. You also have the option, via the Share Across Devices toggle switch, to sync Focus modes between Apple devices (including Macs and Apple Watches). Use Focus modes to fine-tune notifications. Credit: Lifehacker Tap on any Focus mode to make changes, or create a new one from scratch via the + (plus) button up in the top right corner. You've got plenty of options to explore here: Focus modes can be set to work on a schedule or enabled manually, and you get to choose which apps and contacts can still make your phone buzz and ping while in this mode. You can even have customized home screens and lock screens for each mode.Note that these modes hide notifications awaythey aren't queued up to be delivered later (which is what happens when your phone is in airplane mode). You'll need to head to the Notification Center or individual apps afterward to see if there's anything you've missed while notifications were silenced.

There are a lot of factors to consider when shopping for wireless earbuds. Some people want the best active noise cancellation (ANC) performance while others are more interested in features that enable all-day wearing. Some folks desire a seamless interaction with their phone and some are searching for the absolute best sound quality. If you fall into that last category, the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 ($399) is worth considering. The company has consistently produced some of the best audio performance youll find in over-ear headphones. But its wireless earbuds werent quite on the same level. They delivered great clarity and ample consideration of subtle details in songs. Still, though, there was work to be done to construct a fuller, more immersive soundstage. With the Pi8, the company has overhauled its sound platform, adding new, larger drivers for even more nuance and enhanced low-end tone. Unfortunately, though, there are still some areas where Bowers & Wilkins needs to improve in order to truly rival the best. Whats good about the Pi8? Bowers & Wilkins introduced an all-new design on the Pi8, offering a completely different shape than the Pi7 S2. This model has a more uniform, oval shell, which I think lends a refined look compared to its predecessor. The company also chose to use interesting details, like a microphone grill that spans the width of the earbuds, to hide components that have historically been prominently displayed. Yes, that outer area still accepts taps and long presses for calls and audio playback, and those actions garner quick responses. The biggest update to the Pi8 is sound quality. Larger 12mm carbon cone drivers power the audio, which is a change from the 9.2mm dynamic drivers inside the Pi7 S2. Bowers & Wilkins also opted for 32-bit digital signal processing (DSP), up from 24-bit on the previous model. These earbuds also support aptX Lossless, while the earlier version used aptX Adaptive. The company says all of these changes, particularly the new drivers, reduce distortion and offer better high-frequency detail. I found these claims to hold true. The Pi8 has enhanced detail compared to the Pi7 S2, which is a feat because those earbuds already offered excellent clarity. Instruments like guitars stand out on albums like mewithoutYous emo/post-hardcore Catch for Us the Foxes. On that record, the two guitars have a dialog or interplay going on during most of the songs, and you can clearly hear both playing their parts. The guitars also seem to float above the booming kick drum and grooving, droning bass lines. Aaron Weiss mostly spoken-word vocals also cut through the mix with all the emotion and metaphor he loads them with. Billy Steele for Engadget Bass performance has also improved on the Pi8. Its never overpowering, but you get chunky kick drum sounds for rock and metal that drive the songs rather than drowning everything else out. No Cures thrashing metal album I Hope I Die Here is an excellent example of this. Drums are there to guide the thick guitar riffs through the heavy breakouts and groovier verses, but everything remains nuanced and distinct. Despite the vocals being entirely screamed, you can easily pick out every word instead of them fading into the mix. Bowers & Wilkins extended the battery life on the Pi8 to 6.5 hours with ANC on. Thats 90 minutes longer than the Pi7 S2. That figure also inches closer to the likes of Sonys WF-1000XM5 which stands at eight hours of noise-canceling listening. Bowers & Wilkins has once again included wireless transmission in the charging case, allowing you to use the Pi8 at times when a Bluetooth streaming source isnt an option like in-flight entertainment. This tool isnt novel to the companys products as others, like JBL, have baked it in as well. However, wireless transmission still isnt so common that Id say its readily available elsewhere. Whats not so good about the Pi8? The biggest downside to the Pi8 is the price: $399. Sonys WF-1000XM5 were $300 at launch, although theyre usually available for around $200, and theyve been at the top of our best earbuds list since then. Bowers & Wilkins gear has always commanded a premium over Sony and others, and thats exactly whats happening here. While the Pi8 does have more nuanced and detailed sound than the M5s, Sony and others offer advanced features that make your life easier. For example, Sonys flagship model can automatically pause audio when it detects that youre speaking. It can also automatically adjust sound settings based on your location to help streamline your day. These types of tools could go a long way to expanding the range of the Pi8. The basics are all well covered on Bowers & Wilkins latest set, but theres nothing additional here feature-wise, which makes its cost become a significant disadvantage. Billy Steele for Engadget This extends to the limited customization on the Pi8. There is a 5-band EQ in the companys app for fine-tuning the sound profile, and you can change what a long press does. However, you can only select between ANC/ambient sound (left) and voice assistant (right) or volume controls (up on the right, down on the left). Having to forgo the ability to cycle between noise cancellation and transparency mode in order to get on-board volume adjustments is a significant sacrifice. Both of those actions are frequently used, and it would be nice to not reach for my phone to do them both. Active noise cancellation is another area the Pi8 lags behind its rivals. Id describe it more as noise reduction, since the technology here struggles with constant distractions like fans and white noise machines. Like a lot of earbuds, this model also has issues with human voices, but those are less of a concern at around 50 percent volume. ANC performance was just okay on the Pi7 S2 as well, so its still an area the company could improve to further close the gap to the likes of Bose. The final verdict on the Pi8 Bowers & Wilkins continues to impress me with the sound quality it produces. The companys Px7 S2e headphones are my pick for best overall sound quality and Ill likely bestow the same honor for earbuds to the Pi8. Simply put, few companies are creating sound profiles with the amount of detail, nuance and depth that Bowers & Wilkins consistently delivers. Audio performance is definitely the main reason to consider buying these earbuds. But there are other very important things that ANC earbuds need to do. You should be able to count on them to block a lot of noise, and the Pi8 isnt great at that. I think advanced features like speech detection, adaptive noise control and other automated tools are important as we head into 2025 as well. Add the ability to customize controls and settings to a high degree to that list too. Those are missing on the Pi8, and I can appreciate that some people probably wont care. But in my opinion, $400 earbuds should be all-inclusive and nearly flawless. The Pi8 shows this company is well on its way, but also that it still has work to do.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/bowers--wilkins-pi8-review-excellent-sound-comes-at-a-high-price-160032718.html?src=rss

Accounts Center is a single space allowing users to manage their Facebook, Instagram and (even) Meta Quest log-ins. Today, Meta has announced that WhatsApp is joining the list of supported apps, enabling you to reshare statuses and posts across all of your platforms. In addition, you can use single sign-on to log back into your WhatsApp account.Meta has announced the change today, but it will take time before WhatsApp support is added to everyones Accounts Center, so patience may be required. In addition, Meta has pledged to add more features that can be shared across multiple platforms, like AI stickers, avatars and its AI-crafted selfie creations. Those worried about whether this may affect WhatsApps end-to-end encryption may rest easy, as Meta has said none of these changes will impact your messages privacy and security.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-lets-users-add-whatsapp-to-their-main-accounts-center-150023247.html?src=rss

A hacker posted an archive on the dark web, claiming it came from The North Pole Company.

Garmin has unveiled two new golf watches and a GPS handheld with solar power.

In-depth and with a ton of before and after images.Issue #26 is out and its a full issue on Wicked.It dives deep into key moments in Munchkinland, Shiz University and Emerald City, the making of Dr. Dillamond, developing the Wizards monkey guards, and the complex Defying Gravity broom riding finale featuring Elphaba. The main VFX studios Industrial Light & Magic and Framestore are showcased, as are the films practical special effects.The mag includes in-depth interviews with VFX supervisor Pablo Helman (from ILM), Framestore VFX supervisor Jonathan Fawkner, ILM animation supervisor David Shirk, and special effects supervisor Paul Corbould.Plus, its FILLEDwith a ton of before and after imagery.Find issue #26 at your local Amazon store:USAUKCanadaGermanyFranceSpainItalyAustralia JapanSwedenPolandNetherlandsThe post Issue #26 of befores & afters in PRINT is on the VFX of Wicked! appeared first on befores & afters.

President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order requiring most federal employees to return to work in person full time, a move that is likely to spark backlash and legal challenges from unions.WHAT DOES TRUMPS ORDER DO?Trump directed the heads of all federal agencies to take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to report to their respective duty stations full time. The two-sentence order says the directive shall be implemented consistent with applicable law.CAN TRUMP PROHIBIT FEDERAL EMPLOYEES FROM WORKING REMOTELY?It depends. The president has broad authority over the federal workforce, including the power to tell agencies to stop allowing remote work for employees who are not unionized. That includes supervisors and managers, who cannot join unions, and Trump could move quickly to order them back to the office.But, about 26% of federal employees are unionized and many are covered by bargaining agreements that allow for remote work or hybrid arrangements. The Trump administration will have to wait for those to expire or try to renegotiate the agreements. Bargaining agreements between federal agencies and unions can only be challenged in court if they contain illegal terms or were the product of coercion, bribery or some other wrongdoing.In some cases, federal agencies may also be required to allow employees with disabilities to work remotely. Federal law requires employers to grant reasonable accommodations to workers with chronic medical conditions as long as they can still perform their job duties.HOW MANY FEDERAL EMPLOYEES WORK REMOTELY?The Trump White House said on Monday that only 6% of federal employees currently work in person, but government data shows that remote work is more limited. About 46% of federal workers, or 1.1 million people, are eligible for remote work, and about 228,000 of them are fully remote, according to a report issued by the White House Office of Management and Budget in August.The U.S. Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs, which have far more employees than other agencies, have the most remote workers, along with the Department of Health and Human Services. For federal employees who are eligible for remote work, about 61% of regular working hours are spent in person, according to OMB. That figure excludes fully remote workers.WHY DOES TRUMP OPPOSE REMOTE WORK?Trumps order may also represent an effort to encourage some federal workers to quit, opening up positions that can be filled by political loyalists.Elon Musk, who will lead a commission created by Trump to rein in government spending, said in a Nov. 20 Wall Street Journal opinion piece that federal workers should not be paid for the COVID-era privilege of telework. Requiring federal employees to come to the office five days a week would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome, Musk wrote.But, agencies may be leery of engaging in a large number of firings or layoffs, especially when they involve workers who hold important roles or are difficult to replace.Trumps agenda, including potentially repealing thousands of federal regulations, coordinating a large number of deportations, and overhauling U.S. health policy, will require fully staffed agencies to execute. Experts said that in many instances, Trump will likely have to choose between culling the federal workforce and carrying out other initiatives.CAN THE PRESIDENT FIRE WORKERS WHO RESIST RETURN TO OFFICE MANDATES?The president and agency heads have broad authority to fire non-union workers for cause, which could include defying a mandate to return to the office. But federal employees must be given written notice that they are being fired at least 30 days in advance, including an explanation of the reason for their termination and an opportunity to respond.And federal workers who lose their jobs can bring a challenge before the Merit Systems Protection Board, an independent three-member panel appointed by the president, seeking to be reinstated. Employees could argue to the board that they were not fired for cause, that agencies did not follow the proper procedures and violated their due process rights, or that they were targeted for discriminatory reasons. The boards decisions are binding unless they are set aside by a federal appeals court.Daniel Wiessner, Reuters